The Barbarian in Diablo 4 is a melee warrior known for a large health pool, weapon versatility, and lack of mana. This is not the easiest character to master, but that doesn't mean the class is unplayable. In this guide, we will talk about Barbarian builds, skills, and leveling that will help you complete the game.
What are the features of the Barbarian class
This class excels at destroying large groups of enemies in close combat. Barbarians deal physical damage, inflict bleeding effects, and use their skills to control enemies. Thanks to their large health pool, they are an integral part of a team, distracting and holding back the endless onslaught of demons. Instead of mana, this character uses rage, meaning the longer you are in battle, the stronger you become. This class is suitable for players who prefer large two-handed swords, axes, and always being in the thick of the fight.
Attributes to improve:
Strength — to increase skill damage and boost the Armor parameter;
Dexterity — to increase critical hit chance and the chance of successful dodging;
Willpower — to generate rage, enhance healing, and increase damage.
What special skills does the Barbarian have
Each character has their unique skills. The Barbarian has 2:
Dismount — the Barbarian jumps off their mount and deals damage in a small area around them;
Weapon Mastery — grants access to the character's arsenal. You can choose a weapon type and receive a unique bonus for it. The enhancement depends on the experience of using the chosen weapon. The more enemies killed with it, the more powerful the effect.
General leveling tips
The recommended world level for progression is 1 (Adventurer). This will ensure the smoothest and fastest leveling process. If you want to challenge yourself, you are free to play on world level 2 (Veteran), but the 20% additional experience from monsters does not compensate for the time required to kill them. To unlock most dungeons and the 3rd world level, you will need to complete the storyline.
Additionally, don't forget to get a mount.
Also, note the precious gems you will socket into your gear:
In weapons — sapphire, to deal additional damage to controlled enemies;
In armor — sapphire, to reduce incoming damage;
In jewelry — skull, to enhance armor.
Whirlwind Barbarian Build
One of the simplest and most popular skills is Whirlwind. It provides a massive attack, allows you to apply multiple stacks of bleeding, move faster than usual, and simply looks spectacular. In the Weapon Mastery skill, it is best to choose a two-handed sword to apply more bleeding per second. Additionally, you will get an extra boost — +x% (20% at level 10 mastery) of the damage you deal is applied as bleeding damage over 5 seconds. Bonus at level 10 mastery: you deal 30% increased bleeding damage for 5 seconds after killing an enemy.
The screenshot shows where to allocate your 58 skill points to create a Whirlwind Barbarian
How to behave in battle with selected abilities
In addition to Whirlwind, you will use other abilities:
Lunge — used to apply bleeding to a group of enemies. Mainly needed at the beginning of the battle or while other skills are on cooldown;
Rallying Cry — increases movement speed and rage recovery rate. Additionally, it applies the Unstoppable effect to the barbarian. Needed to boost defensive stats;
Taunt — increases survivability and is needed to provoke nearby enemies. Used before activating Whirlwind;
War Cry — puts the Barbarian into Berserk state. Used to boost Whirlwind;
Wrath of the Berserker — the main powerful skill that puts the character into Berserk state and significantly increases his offensive and defensive stats. Due to its high cooldown, it is recommended not to rush using this skill.
Bleeding Barbarian Build
With this build, you won't be killing enemies in one hit, but you will start winning battles of attrition. The game pace will slow down slightly, but it will become easier for you to deal with elite enemies and bosses. In the Weapon Mastery skill, choose a two-handed axe to deal increased damage to weakened enemies.
The screenshot shows where to allocate your 50 skill points to create a Bleeding Barbarian
How to unlock the full potential using bleeding
Flay — use on cooldown to maintain the bleeding status on enemies. Especially important when fighting against single and strong enemies;
Iron Grip — pulls the enemy to the barbarian, extending the bleeding duration and dealing good damage. Do not use if the rage bar is below 50%;
Rend — the main damage-dealing skill that needs to be used constantly;
Rupture — activate when Rend is on cooldown;
Call of the Ancients — useful for fighting bosses as the summoned Ancients attack a single target without getting distracted;
Rallying Cry — a defensive skill that will help you survive in difficult situations.
What Aspects to Collect for the Barbarian
Aspects in Diablo 4 are passive abilities that can be inserted into equipment to gain unique properties and increase the character's power. There are a huge number of them in the game, so we have selected the most useful ones for the builds described above:
Aspect of Anemia — for dealing additional damage and control. Found in the Kor Dragan Barracks and Fractured Peaks dungeons;
Aspect of the Dire Whirlwind — increases the chance of a critical attack. Obtained in the Garahan Fortress and Scosglen dungeons;
Aspect of Might — reduces incoming damage after activating basic attacks. Can be found in the Lost Archives and Fractured Peaks dungeons;
Aspect of Expectation — increases skill damage after a basic attack. Obtained in the Root Cellar and Scosglen dungeons;
Aspect of Quenching — for replenishing rage when enemies are bleeding. Hidden in the Tortured Wood and Fractured Peaks dungeons;
Eluding Aspect — activates the Unstoppable ability when health is low. Obtained in the Gate to the Crater and Fractured Peaks dungeons.