The Barbarian in Diablo 4 has a Hammer of the Ancients build, with which you can not only make the ground quake but also buff your friends with battle cries. We show you the build with all its aspects, talents, and Paragon, and explain how it works.
What kind of build is this? The Hammer of the Ancients, or short HotA, is a build with which you can slam your sacred hammer on surrounding enemies. Your attacks and allies in the party will also be buffed with battle cries. If you’ve allocated your skills correctly, you can easily reach damage numbers in the millions. Additionally, large groups of enemies or boss fights become a breeze.
Barbarian Hammer of the Ancients Build – Skills and Tips
These active skills you need:
- Leap Attack – Rank 1
- Improved Leap Attack
- Hammer of the Ancients – Rank 5
- Improved Hammer of the Ancients
- Furious Hammer of the Ancients
- Stomp – Rank 1
- Battle Cry – Rank 5
- Improved Battle Cry
- Tactical Battle Cry
- Challenging Shout – Rank 5
- Improved Challenging Shout
- Tactical Challenging Shout
- War Cry – Rank 1
- Improved War Cry
- Strong War Cry
These passive skills you need:
- Pressure Point – Rank 3
- Thunderous Voice – Rank 3
- Raiding Command – Rank 3
- Swiftness – Rank 3
- Aggressive Resistance – Rank 1
- Fruiting Fury – Rank 3
- Ground Fighter – Rank 3
- Tough – Rank 1
- Counter-offensive – Rank 3
- More Helps More – Rank 3
- Stirring – Rank 3
- Unbridled Fury
Weapon Expertise:
- Expertise with Two-Handed Maces
- Expertise with Two-Handed Swords
This is how you play the build: If you find a large group of enemies, use your Leap Attack to get to your enemies. From here, you use Battle Cry, Challenging Shout, and War Cry. Now use “Stomp” and then your Hammer of the Ancients and stomp your enemies into the virtual afterlife.
Barbarian Hammer of the Ancients Build: Paragon and Glyphs
These Paragon Boards you need:
- Weapon Master
- War Bringer
- Decimator
- Bone Crusher
- Flawless Technique
These Glyphs you need:
- Exploitation – Start
- Marshal – Weapon Master
- Wrath – War Bringer
- Absorber – Decimator
- Territorial – Bone Crusher
- Undaunted – Flawless Technique
Hammer of the Ancients Build for Endgame: Legendaries, Gems & Values
These Legendaries & Uniques you need:
- Aspect of Stun Wrath (Pagan Bastion, Hawezar) – Helmet
- Relentless Aspect (Hakan’s Refuge, Kehjistan) – Chest Armor
- Aspect of Vengeance (Abandoned Mine, Kehjistan) – Gloves
- Recklessness – Unique (must be found) – Leg Armor
- Spirit-walking Aspect (Ruined Bastion, Scosglen) – Boots
- Vainglory Aspect (must be found) – Bludgeoning Weapon
- Aspect of the Eager (Deep Root, Scosglen) – H1
- Aspect of Ancestor Power (Sunken Ruins, Scosglen) – H2
- Aspect of Unbridled Fury (must be found) – Slashing Weapon
- Brave Aspect (must be found) – Ring
- Aspect of Resounding Fury (Shirokko Cave, Kehjistan)– Ring
- Blade Master’s Aspect (Old Stone, Scosglen) – Amulet
You can find the entrances to the dungeons on our interactive map for Diablo 4.
These hearts you should socket in Season 1:
- Common Heart – Focused Fury
- Wrath-filled Heart – Malicious Pact
- Wrath-filled Heart – Barber
An overview of all available hearts can be found here in our guide.
These gems you should socket:
- Armor: Amethyst
- Weapons: Emerald
- Jewelry: Skull
The best attributes:
- Strength
- Dexterity
- Intelligence
- Willpower
The best secondary values:
- Critical Hit Damage
- Damage against injured and nearby enemies
More detailed tips for improvement can be found here:
Diablo 4: Damage Buckets determine how strong you are – Here’s how they work.
