The Diablo 4 Barbarian class can be a little difficult to get into, but the right legendary items and skill upgrades can help you breeze through content. Barbarian is the quintessential tank class in Diablo 4, with health regeneration capabilities and solid damage.
Barbarians were very weak in the first Diablo 4 beta, but the more recent Server Slam beta showcased some buffs that Blizzard Entertainment has implemented to the class. There is a very potent Whirlwind build that deals massive AOE damage, and it’s one of the best mid-game builds we have encountered.
Diablo 4 best Barbarian build skills
The core skills that you want to use in your Diablo 4 Barbarian build are as follows:
- Frenzy
- Whirlwind
- Rallying Cry
- Leap
- War Cry
- Battle Frenzy
- Death Blow
- Call of the Ancients
Whirlwind is the most important skill to upgrade in this build. It is one of the best tools in your arsenal for dealing with massive hordes of enemies. You want to get the enhanced version of this skill as soon as possible to maintain your Fury buff.
Frenzy, Leap, and Death Blow are also excellent tools to grant you fury and keep up your damage and survivability. Barbarian’s mobility is quite decent with Leap, and you should have no trouble moving from one target to another while maintaining your buffs.
Call of the Ancients spawns three summons to fight by your side. The summons uses Barbarian skills and can help you deal massive damage. Unfortunately, it has a very long cooldown so you need to be careful about when you use it.
Diablo 4 best Barbarian build gear
You should use gear that has Thorn, and pair it with The Prickling legendary aspect. This is by far the most popular way to build Barbarian, as you will be able to dish out massive AOE damage.
The stats that you should focus on are strength, dexterity, and willpower. When going for gems, you should go for emeralds to boost your Thorns stat. Ruby and skull are also great for accumulating fury and improving your survivability respectively.
Diablo 4 best Barbarian build class guide
To take full advantage of the Whirlwind build, you want to start every fight with Rallying Cry and War Cry. Leap is meant to be your mobility tool and once you get access to Power Leap, moving from enemy to enemy will be a lot more fun.
Death Blow is something that you need to upgrade as soon as possible, and once you get your hands on the upgrade that lets you activate Fury upon damaging an enemy, you will be able to cheat cooldowns and deal a lot of damage.
You do not want to let your Fury meter run out during a fight, or it will drop your DPS by a lot. Barbarian takes a while to be effective, so do not expect fantastic results during the early game.
For more Diablo 4 content, check out our guide on how to reset dungeons. If you pre-ordered the game, check out our Diablo 4 preload times coverage.
For even more, consider checking out how to get Veiled Crystals, which are essential for upgrading gear. We also have a guide on how to get Season Rewards from the free and paid battle pass tracks.