The Barbarian was one of the first available beta classes of Diablo 4 and the choice of MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider. He shows you his bleeding build, which takes out whole groups of enemies in one hit and also offers chances for healing.
Although I’ve kept an eye on the Necromancer, I chose the Barbarian class during the first beta weekend. I hardly had a choice – my class wasn’t available, and the other two classes of the pre-order beta were played by colleague Benedict Grothaus. You can find the builds here:
After some initial difficulties, I then adapted my build to the Barbarian’s bleeding effects and was consistently impressed by the strength of the effects. If you’re looking for a strong build for the class, you’ll find all the information about the abilities and suitable legendary aspects here.
In the video, you can evaluate the gameplay of the build:
Barbarian Build for Diablo 4 – Skill Tree and Legendaries
The most important skills (at level 25):
- Flay 3/5
- Improved Flay
- Slaughter Flay
- Rend 5/5
- Improved Rend
- Furious Rend
- Iron Skin 1/5
- Improved Iron Skin
- Tactical Iron Skin
- War Cry 1/5
- Improved War Cry
- Strong War Cry
- Blood Spear 1/5
- Improved Blood Spear
- Fighter’s Blood Spear
- Calling of the Ancients 1/5
- Improved Calling of the Ancients
- Superior Calling of the Ancients
- Basic Ability: Pressure Point 1/1
If you earn more skill points, enhance abilities that work with bleeding effects or increase your survivability with the upgrade of “Iron Skin”. By the way, more skill points would significantly change the build.
These legendary aspects are powerful:
- Aspect of the Hemophilia – Bleeding enemies can be stunned
- Erasing Aspect (only ring): “Rend” can grant you rage
- Aspect of Vengeance: Chance for enemies to be stunned when they attack and more damage to stunned enemies
- Aspect of Disobedience: Armor increases per hit, up to 25%
- Aspect of Berserk Rending: Part of the extra damage in Berserk mode is dealt as bleeding damage
You can forge all these aspects onto an item through the Codex once you have unlocked the corresponding aspect. However, the values of the legendary aspects are always better when you find the item rather than crafting it. A good source for legendaries is the world boss Ashava.
Gameplay and Playstyle
This is how you play the build: “Flay” is your ability to generate rage. With the resource, you can use the ability “Rend”. Both actions deal strong bleeding damage to enemies and already fill the bars of many enemies completely with a bleeding debuff.
They are already finished but still standing.
Your other attacks come with a cooldown but do not consume rage. With “Blood Spear,” you deal all the bleeding damage as actual damage to an enemy. Optimal for showing elite enemies who is the boss. Additionally, you heal for 15% of your health.
As another protective ability, you have “Iron Skin”. Start the ability and drink a potion. Additionally, the ability heals you a little as long as the shield is active.
For an extra boost in damage, activate your battle cry. Enemies will be pushed away from you, you receive a huge damage bonus, and enter Berserk mode for a few seconds. Few enemies can withstand that.
When things get tight, pull your ultimate. Three ghost barbarians, each with unique attacks, will appear, assist in combat, and give you bonuses.
As a Barbarian, it is important to keep track of the enemies’ attack patterns and to avoid any form of stun because you are often in the middle of combat. Otherwise, you will end up like me in the video above.
For more advice on the individual classes, you can find the relevant information here:
