Barbarians hit a rough spot after The Season of the Malignant started, laden with nerfs to both sustain and damage. It was, however, significantly buffed in Patch 1.1.1, and that has reduced some of the pain points it had. While it still needs a lot of work and love, the Barbarian is on its way to being a powerhouse that can demolish all content!
5. Double Swing
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The Double Swing Barbarian is now the ultimate Crowd Control champ. Blizzard and their super buffed Elites are about to get knocked off their pedestal! No more spinning for victory with Whirlwind, no more smashing with Hammer of the Ancients, and no more "please hit me" Thorns. Double Swing rules the town now!
What Double Swing Excels in:
Chain Crowd controlling enemies
Infinite Fury Sustain with proper gear
Simple to play
Insanely strong single target
Pick Double Swing if you Like:
Clobbering enemies to death
Shouting and stunning enemies
Quick and fun playstyle
Double Swing details:
This setup is all about Crowd Control, rendering enemies helpless as you carve through them. Draw in the Elites with Challenging Shout, kick-starting the CC chain. Once they're near, Aspect of Audacity triggers. As soon as the stun wanes, you pin them down with Ground Stomp. Who's the CC master now?!
Imagine being an NPC in the Diablo realm, unable to fight back. You're the ruler of this domain, while they merely exist. No escape, no defense, no battle. Double Swing deals immense damage with each powerful hit, utilizing your entire kit: Ground Stomp, Smiting Aspect, Punishing Speed, and Crowd Control Duration.
Caged Heart of The Barber (Wrathful, Super-World Tier III): This pairs exceptionally well with the build, as Ground Stomp, Calculated, Punishing Speed, and Audacity all remain active while it's engaged.
Caged Heart of Revenge (Brutal, Defensive-World Tier III): A 20% Damage Reduction is a must-have for surviving Nightmare Dungeons.
Caged Heart of Punishing Speed (Devious, Utility): Offers valuable utility for causing AoE Knock Downs and Stunning distant targets that might pose a threat. Ideal for clearing out trash mobs in Nightmare Dungeons.
For more information, check here: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/double-swing-barbarian-guide
4.Walking Arsenal
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The Barbarian known as the "Walking Arsenal" or Kratos Barb has a unique style that makes the gameplay immersive and enjoyable.
What the Walking Arsenal Excels in:
Great leveling build
Makes use of all 4 weapons
Big one-shots
Rewarding gameplay
Insane Ultimate skill
Pick Walking Arsenal if you Like:
Juggling weapons
Exploding enemies with massive bonks
Feeling like you’re a god of war, demolishing everything in your path
Walking Arsenal details:
By constantly alternating between the three distinct weapon types, you transform into a relentless force that effortlessly clears swarms of demons and swiftly eliminates Dungeon Bosses. This lethal combination is achieved through the synergy of Encroaching Wrath and Enhanced Death Blow. For dealing with large groups of weaker foes, Upheaval comes into play, simultaneously ensuring continuous activation of Berserking and Vulnerable states.
Crafted to excel in reaching level 100 and swiftly gathering resources, this build is tailored for rapid farming. However, its effectiveness diminishes in more challenging scenarios like pushing towards Tier 100 Nightmare Dungeons or facing formidable Pinnacle Bosses. In such high-stakes situations, the absence of cooldown resets significantly hampers the build's performance.
Overall, the Walking Arsenal Barbarian offers an exciting experience, especially if you're looking to revel in the class's core essence: pulverizing your adversaries with unrelenting force. Let's dive in and discover its essence firsthand!
Caged Heart of Revenge: Introduces a wealth of damage reduction that remains consistently valuable (the explosion remains inconsequential).
Caged Heart of Ignoring Pain: Enhances damage reduction and contributes to healing effects.
Caged Heart of Punishing Speed: Amplifies our crowd control capabilities as Attack Speed rises, resulting in safer engagements.
For more information, check here: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/walking-arsenal-barbarian-guide
3. Thorns Barb
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Thorns introduces a distinct variation to the melee-centric approach that Barbarians commonly excel in. While fellow Barbarians dive headlong into combat, tearing enemies apart with Whirlwind or creating seismic shockwaves via Hammer of the Ancients, we adopt a notably more composed strategy—a calculated "stand and wait" maneuver.
What Thorns Excels in:
Insanely tanky
Great and effortless clearing
Surprisingly strong single-target
Great to level and start with
Pick Thorns Barb if you Like:
Making enemies kill themselves by hitting you
Standing still and watching mayhem happen around you
Feeling like a walking fortress
Thorns Barb details:
The Thorns Barbarian is all about getting up close and personal in melee combat. We're talking about diving right into the thick of things, taking hits from all sides to dish out maximum damage.
Here's the plan: First, kick things off with Challenging Shout, War Cry, and Rallying Cry. Do it in this order to get Challenging Shout ready again quicker, all thanks to Bold Chieftain's Aspect. This is important because not only does it help us reduce damage, but the Strategic Challenging Shout also gives our Thorns damage a sweet boost.
Next up, use Flay to stack up Thorns damage and snag that damage reduction from the skill itself, plus the bonus from Aspect of Might. It's also great for building up Fortify. When foes are hanging back or not cooperating, reel 'em in with Steel Grasp. It's not just for crowd control – it helps the Needleflare Aspect hit more enemies. Remember to use it every so often to keep your Berserking status going strong.
Toss in some more Flay to refresh its buffs (every 3 seconds or so is fine), and don't forget to throw out a Rend to keep that Vulnerable effect going. Whenever you can, find a comfy spot and enjoy the benefits of Aspect of Inner Calm by staying still. And finally, kick back and relax as the chaos unfolds. Whether you're looting or catching up on your favorite show, everything will be biting the dust around you.
For more information, check here: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/thorns-barbarian-guide
2.Whirlwind
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The Whirlwind Barbarian Guide introduces a legendary way of playing that has won the hearts of many: the timeless "keep one button pressed and annihilate everything in your way" approach, often affectionately dubbed "spin to win."
What Whirlwind Excels in:
One of the fastest clearers in the game
Tanky
Extremely enjoyable to play
One-button playstyle
Can do most content
Pick Whirlwind If you Like:
Spinning and winning
Vacuuming enemies into the blender of your weapons
Dealing damage as you move
Whirlwind details:
The Whirlwind build is all about getting up close and personal, just as you'd expect. Hold down that spin button and watch everything around you crumble. Here's the basic game plan:
Approach enemies and kick things off with Challenging Shout, War Cry, and Rallying Cry. Go in that order so Challenging Shout comes back quicker, thanks to Bold Chieftain's Aspect. This matters because it's a big source of damage reduction. Keep that Whirlwind button pressed and let the spinning chaos do its thing, wiping out enemies left and right.
If things get hairy, pop Iron Skin to break free from crowd control. And hey, it also adds to our damage reduction thanks to Aspect of the Iron Warrior. Use Kick to finish off those stubborn enemies that survive the Exploit Glyph's Vulnerable window. If you're good with your aim, kicking enemies against walls or objects can Stun them, setting them up for some serious damage.
When things start feeling overwhelming, play it smart and back off a bit. Give your Shouts time to recharge before diving back into the action.
Now, about those Caged Hearts: Caged Heart of Focused Rage (Vicious, Offensive): Rack up 100-60 Fury in 2 seconds, and your next Non-Basic Skill's Critical Strike Chance gets a 20-30% boost. Caged Heart of Revenge (Brutal, Defensive-World Tier III): Instead of taking a chunk (10-20%) of incoming damage, suppress it. Then, when you use a Defensive, Subterfuge, or Macabre skill, that suppressed damage gets amped up by 250% and explodes, dishing out 1360-2040 Fire damage to nearby enemies. Caged Heart of The Barber (Wrathful, Super-World Tier III): After scoring a Critical Strike, any damage you deal in the next 2.0-4.0 seconds is absorbed by your target. Then, that stored-up damage bursts out onto enemies around. And the longer you wait, the more that stored damage amps up by 10% per second.
For more information, click here: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/whirlwind-barbarian-guide
1.Hammer of the Ancients
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We're diving into a beloved skill making its return to the Barbarian repertoire. Now, while HOTA naturally packs a punch in a small area, we've got a trick up our sleeve to address that. We're talking about Offensive Aspect of Ancestral Force. Don't sweat it if you can't track it down – you can always nab it from the Codex of Power. This bad boy dishes out massive AOE damage, and the best part? It won't cost you an arm and a leg.
What Hammer of the Ancients Excels in:
Insane AoE explosions
Great Clearing
Can do Uber Lillith and NM 100 easily
Extremely satisfying to play and learn
Pick Hammer of the Ancients if you Like:
Hitting once and slamming the world
Massive explosions
Not worrying about Fury generation
BIG BONKS
Hammer of the Ancients details:
To bolster our Hammer of the Ancients, we're leaning on a bunch of standard tools tailor-made for the endgame. First off, there's Lunging Strike, our go-to move to keep that Fury meter in check. It's not just about that though – it juices up our hits with some extra oomph thanks to a little help from Aspect of the Expectant and Limitless Rage.
And then there's Ground Stomp – it does pretty much what you'd think. A solid stomp on the ground sends shockwaves that topple or stun any poor enemies hanging around within its reach.
Oh, and we're not skimping on our Shouts either. We've got the whole trio: Rallying Cry for making us unstoppable, generating Fury, and helping us zip around. War Cry comes in for the Berserking boost and dishes out some extra damage. And of course, Challenging Shout is our go-to for dialing down the damage we take.
Now, for the Caged Hearts: Caged Heart of Focused Rage (Vicious, Offensive): This little beauty kicks in when you've tossed out 100-60 Fury in just 2 seconds. And what do you get? A juicy 20-30% boost to the Critical Strike Chance of your next Non-Basic Skill. Caged Heart of Revenge (Brutal, Defensive-World Tier III): Instead of taking the full brunt of 10-20% of incoming damage, this heart steps in to suppress it. But that's not all – when you roll out a Defensive, Subterfuge, or Macabre skill, all that suppressed damage gets amped up by a whopping 250%. And kaboom! It bursts out as explosive fire damage, smacking nearby enemies with up to 1360-2040 Fire damage. Caged Heart of The Barber (Wrathful, Super-World Tier III): Let's get into the details of this bad boy. When you land a Critical Strike, all the following damage over the next 2.0-4.0 seconds gets sponged up by your target. And then, here's the fun part – the absorbed damage blows up onto the enemies around. And guess what? The longer you wait, the more that stored damage cranks up by 10% per second.
For more information, check here: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/hammer-of-the-ancients-barbarian-guide
Bruno comes from the rainforests of the Brazilian jungle, battling beasts and seeking wonders, he has developed a thirst for adventure and a need to chronicle his findings!
Gamer Since:
1997
Favorite Genre:
RPG
Currently Playing:
Path of Exile
Top 3 Favorite Games:
Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition, League of Legends, Crysis 2-Maximum Edition
