Barbarian is a playable class in Diablo Immortal. Barbarians combine brute force with mighty weapons to cut down any foe in their path. The Barbarian is a great choice for any player who wants to go toe to toe with enemies in melee combat.
Barbarian Strengths
Barbarians are quick on their feet and excel at dishing out Area of Effect (AoE) damage. Barbarians can bolster their allies during group play, increasing movement speed or overall damage for all party members with the right build and legendaries.
The Barbarian is the Diablo franchise’s most classic choice for a tank class during group play. Diablo Immortal‘s version of the Barbarian has no shortage of skills and items that will draw hordes of enemies to you. At the same time, the rest of your party remains unscathed.
The Barbarian’s sturdy nature makes it a great choice for players who want excellent survivability during solo play. A toolbox filled with several crowd control options will help you mitigate incoming damage when setting out on your own.
A Barbarian’s high AoE burst can help your party recover when attacked by a large horde of enemies, and these abilities can also serve as a finisher if you get the jump on your opponents in PvP.
Barbarian Weaknesses
The Barbarian can take a beating and remain to stand, but you will have to put time and effort into leveling or boosting your defensive stats to be viable in the end game. The Barbarian’s best group buffs require certain legendaries to be equipped, and while these are great boons for your party, they may leave you less than fully optimal during solo play.
In other words, a Barbarian is expected to make some sacrifices that may lower its damage output compared with some other class choices. Some players may enjoy being the group’s protector, but if you just want to melt faces and deal as much damage as possible, there are better options out there.
Barbarians do not excel at single target damage, particularly making the class less than optimal when it comes to some boss fights.
The Barbarian offers several skills or abilities that can be game-changing, but these skills often have a long cooldown, meaning you could find yourself in a tough spot if you use your skills at the wrong time.
Barbarians will crush everything in sight while leveling and during early end game content. But as you progress into harder content, you may find that needing to be within the melee range of your foes at all times can put you at a disadvantage.
Barbarians have the burst to turn a PvP match in their favor quickly, but if your opponents can survive and keep you at a distance, you may find it hard to close the deal as you get kited around the map.
Barbarian Stats and Attributes Priority
Regardless of class, Offense Rating and Defense Rating should be your top attributes. Every primary attribute point (Strength, Fortitude, Vitality, Willpower, Intelligence) provides one point of Offense Rating and Defense Rating.
Primary Attribute Priority:
- Strenght. Beyond the boost to Offense Rating and Defense Rating mentioned above, it also provides +4 damage per point.
- Fortitude is also important because it provides Armor and Armor Penetration. Armor Penetration raises your Critical Hit chance, although there are diminishing returns once you reach the end game.
- Vitality provides +3 Life per point, and you will have to build this up alongside damage-increasing attributes to survive at the end game.
- Willpower boosts Potency and Resistance. Potency improves the duration of your harmful effects on enemies, while Resistance reduces how long harmful effects last on you. It may be useful in a Build that focuses on Bleeds and other Debuffs.
- Intelligence. This is the worst Primary stat for Barbarian. It provides no additional benefit beyond the one-point boost to Offense Rating and Defense Rating.
Special Attribute Priority
Primary attributes are almost always better than special attributes due to the boost to offense and defense ratings. But if you are picking between unique attributes, you should prioritize:
- Critical Hit Chance;
- Critical Hit Damage;
- Movement Speed;
- Cooldown Reduction;
- All Damage Increased;
PvP players will also want to add Damage to Players into the mix.
Barbarian Skills
Class skills in Diablo Immortal are how your character will deal damage to foes or keep yourself and your allies alive. While the Barbarian and all other classes have a long list of skills available to them, action RPGs like Diablo typically only allow your character to use a specific number of skills at any one time, meaning you have to pick and choose to create a build that works for your playstyle.
A Build in Diablo Immortal lets players choose one Primary Attack and four additional skills. Skills become more powerful as you level up and can be swapped for other options when not in combat.
Skills can become more powerful or change by equipping certain gear like Awakened Legendaries, Legendary gems, or Charms.
In Diablo Immortal, using your Primary Attack skill will charge your Ultimate bar. When the Ulitmate bar is filled, it will allow the use of an Ultimate Ability, which will temporarily boost your Primary Attack. Primary Attacks do not have a cooldown. Your Ultimate bar depletes when time runs out, and you’ll begin building it up again.
Skills that are not a Primary Attack will have a cooldown, meaning you have to wait a certain amount of time before you can use the Skill again.
Here is every Skill you can choose for your Barbarian’s Build in Diablo Immortal.
| Skill Name and Level Required | Description | Cooldown | Charms | How to Use: | Legendaries |
| Lacerate (Primary Attack) Unlocks Level 1 | Launch a series of attacks that deal X to X damage with each hit. Every third hit heals you for X% of damage done. Ultimate: Blood and Rage: Enhance Lacertate for 12 seconds, increasing its healing to 20% of the damage done on each attack, increasing its range, and causing every third attack to knock enemies away. You also gain a shield that absorbs damage equal to 20% of your maximum Life for 3 seconds. | No cooldown | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Activate Lacerate’s Ultimate Ability when you have a lot of enemies around you. It can take you from death’s door to full health in seconds. | Rending Bite |
| Frenzy (Primary Attack) Unlocks Level 34 | Launch a frenzied attack for X damage. Each hit increases Frenzy’s attack speed by 8% for 3 seconds, stacking up to 5 times. Ultimate: Restless Demon: Enhance Frenzy for 12 seconds, allowing movement while attacking and unhindered movement through enemies, granting Stun Immunity, and increasing attack speed if fully stacked. You also gain a shield that absorbs damage equal to 20% of your maximum Life for 3 seconds. | No cooldown | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Switch to Frenzy from Lacerate if you have a specific situation where you can benefit from Restless Demon’s movement buff and stun immunity. | The Maddening |
| Chained Spear Unlocks Level 3 | Hurl three chained spears that deal X damage and then return, dragging impaled enemies back to you and dealing another X damage. | 10 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Pull ranged enemies to you to set up close-range abilities. Use in PvP to prevent kitng. | Crusher Rig Cracklefell Obin’s Many Fingers Charred Iron Impaler’s Breath |
| Cleave Unlocks Level 1 | Unleash a powerful attack that deals X damage to all enemies in front of you and causes them to bleed for X damage over 3 seconds—a maximum of three charges. | 9 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Make enemies Bleed to sustain damage even if you need to leave melee range. | Svot’s Reach Flesh Splitter Virulent Fist Hatred’s Reach |
| Demoralize Unlocks Level 38 | Release a ferocious shout that forces nearby monsters to attack you. It also deals X damage to all nearby enemies and reduces their damage done by 30%. Lasts 8 seconds. | 30 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Equip the Battlemaster’s Helm legendary to buff group damage by 25% using this ability. | Battlemaster’s Helm Fearhammer Bestial Threat |
| Furious Charge Unlocks Level 20 | Charge forward, knocking away all enemies in your path and dealing X damage—a maximum of three charges. Players may only be affected once every 3 seconds by this skill. | 9 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Use it to close the gap with a kiter in PvP, or use it defensively to get out of your enemy’s attack range. | Determination Screaming Fury |
| Grab Unlocks Level 47 | Seize a nearby monster and wield it as a weapon, replacing your Primary Attack with a swing for X to Y damage against all enemies directly in front of you. Activate again to throw the monster, dealing Y damage to enemies in the path. | 20 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Does not work in PvP or against elites, bosses, or large enemies. You are probably better off with your regular Primary Attack. | None |
| Ground Stomp Unlocks Level 41 | Stomp the ground, stunning nearby enemies for up to 1.5 seconds, dealing X damage, and charging longer increases range and duration up to 3 seconds. | 9 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Decent AoE stun. Can prevent someone from running away in PvP. | Weighted Brow Rockspike |
| Hammer of the Ancients Unlocks Level 1 | Call forth a massive hammer that smashes enemies in front of you for X damage and shakes the earth itself, dealing X additional damage over 2 seconds. | 12 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Good by itself, but add The Remembered Legendary to get a Spirit of the Ancients who will stun foes and tank for you. | The Remembered Davin’s Legacy Razorgrip Stonefall Ragecaller |
| Leap Unlocks Level 28 | Leap to a location, deal X damage to all nearby enemies when you land, and reduce their movement speed by 50% for 4 seconds. Each full life enemy struck by Leap reduces Leap’s cooldown by 1 second. | 12 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Solid opener to a fight in PvE, or use it alongside Furious Charge in PvP for double the mobility options. | Sellena’s Iron Shocking Chaos Animal Instinct Howler’s Lift Kar’s Defiance |
| Sprint Unlocks Level 15 | Increase your movement speed by 50% for 4.5 seconds. While active, you may move unhindered through enemies, immune to movement-impairing effects. | 16 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Useful in almost any situation. Use Swiftwing to boost movement speed for allies too. | Swiftwing Juggernaut’s Plan Spiritbreaker Broken Grasp Second Breath |
| Undying Rage Unlocks Level 44 | Enter a rage for X seconds that prevents you from dying and causes all your attacks to heal you for 30% of the damage done. Undying Rage activates automatically when you take fatal damage. | 30 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Put this skill on your bar, and you will automatically get a second chance after dying in a hard boss fight or PvP. | None |
| Whirlwind Unlocks Level 8 | Become a Whirlwind of steel, continually striking all nearby enemies for X damage while moving at 70% reduced speed. Using Whirlwind slowly consumes its energy, which recovers while Whiirlwind is not in use. | 0.5 seconds (Energy based) | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | The iconic class ability is used in most Builds. Spin to win! | The Tempest Ydama’s Cyclone Ferocious Glae The Gathering |
| Wrath of the Berserker Unlocks Level 50 | Enter a berserk rage that increases your attack speed by 50% and movement speed by 20% for 6.5 seconds. | 30 seconds | 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% | Use to recover when overwhelmed by a large pack. It gives you a boost when playing solo. | Broken Soul Berserker’s Sanity Lasting Hate The Coming Storm |
Barbarian Build Suggestions
You can experiment with the list of skills above to develop your unique build, but based on how the Barbarian played in Diablo 3 and the Diablo Immortal beta, we have some suggestions to try out.
Spin to Win Build Skill List
- Lacerate (Primary);
- Sprint;
- Whirlwind;
- Wrath of the Berserker;
- Hammer of the Ancients or Furious Charge;
Best Legendaries for Spin to Win Build:
- The Tempest (Main Hand);
- The Remembered (Off-Hand);
- Second Breath (Head);
- The Coming Storm (Shoulders);
- The Gathering (Chest);
- Any Legs;
This build combines Whirlwind with Sprint to provide the classic Barbarian playstyle Diablo veterans know and love, and it is excellent for almost any situation. Use Sprint and Wrath to move from pack to pack, and then let Whirlwind rip. Find an elite to spam Lacerate on when you get low on health. Add Hammer of the Ancients to the mix when you have The Remembered equipped, or use Furious Charge if you do not.
Buffing Barb Build Skill List:
- Lacerate (Primary)
- Sprint
- Demoralize
- Whirlwind
- Wrath of the Berserker
Best Legendaries for Buffing Barb
- The Tempest (Main-Hand)
- Fearhammer (Off-Hand)
- Battlemaster’s Helm (Head)
- The Coming Storm (Shoulders)
- The Gathering (Chest)
- Swiftwing (Legs)
Barbarians will be expected to buff the party when grouped during the end game. Equipping Swiftwing will give your Sprint movement speed boost to the entire group, and equipping Battlemaster’s Helm turns to Demoralize into a 25% damage buff for all allies.
(More Barbarian Builds Coming After Launch)
The Barbarian’s Road to Level Cap
The Barbarian’s excellent survivability combined with high AoE burst can make leveling a breeze compared to other class choices. But there are several things you will want to keep an eye on during your journey to the end game if you want to get the most out of your class.
- Choose Whirlwind and Sprint at Level 15. Whirlwind is perhaps the Barbarian’s most iconic ability and the reason you will be the king of AoE damage on the road to 60. Sprint boosts your movement speed and allows you to get to an ally in need of protection quickly.
- Get to Know the Blacksmith. A Barbarian is nothing without a good weapon and other gear. Make sure you are upgrading your arsenal through crafting whenever possible. Salvage unwanted gear to get more materials to craft the items you want.
- Grab Your Free Legendary. The Remembered is one of the strongest Barbarian weapons because it provides a 25% damage boost to all party members when you use Demoralize. Diablo Immortal offers a Battle Pass that similarly provides rewards to other free-to-play games with the option to pay money for additional rewards. But you can get a free legendary weapon at Rank 10 without paying a dime.
- Keep All of Your Legendaries and Set Items. Diablo Immortal’s most powerful items come in Legendaries and Set Items. It is good to hold onto any item of this nature you receive, even if it’s not great for your current build. You never know when Blizzard will patch an item to be better or when you might want to try a different build that requires entirely different equipment.
- Keep Your Legendary Gems Too. Like weapons and armor, gems can constantly be tweaked or adjusted in the next patch, or you might want to create multiple sets of gear with different gems for different activities like solo vs. group play or PvP.
- Unlock the Helliquary at Level 41. This is a great tip for basically all classes, as the sooner you unlock the Helliquary, the sooner you can receive Scoria from your daily bounties.
Barbarian Set Items
At launch, the best Barbarian set is Grace of the Flagellant. It works well with any Whirlwind-focused build.
3 Set Items Equipped: Damage continually done increased by 15%
6 Set Items Equipped: You will deal additional damage five times against an enemy.
Legendary Gems
Starter Gems
- Everlasting Torment;
- Trickshot Gem;
- Fervant Fang;
- Berserker’s Eye;
- Lightning Core;
- Chained Death;
Best in Slot Gems
- Blood-Soaked Jade;
- Seeping Bile;
- Blessing of the Worthy;
- Phoenix Ashes;
- Frozen Heart;
- Chip of Stone Flesh;
Normal Gems
- Tourmaline > Ruby (More damage is better than more Life);
- Sapphire > Aquamarine (Critical Hit Chance is better than Armor);
- Citrine = Topaz (Neither Potency nor Resistance is priorities for most Barbarians;
Barbarian Paragon Points Guide
- Always take Damage or Life gains when available.
- Treasure Hunter is good when you want to go hard on leveling due to the XP boost.
- Vanquisher is best for maximizing damage.
- Do not bother with PvP trees until later.
We suggest starting in Vanquisher to get as much damage as possible and then moving into Treasure Hunter starting at Paragon Level 76.
Active Node Priority – Vanquisher
- Zeal – For each monster you defeat, your Attack Speed increases by 0.5% for 6 seconds, stacking up to 10 times.
- Wrath – For each monster you defeat, your Damage dealt increases by 0.5% for 6 seconds, stacking up to 10 times.
- Judgment – After defeating five monsters, your next attack is a guaranteed critical hit.
- Exorcism – 5% increased damage to monsters.
- Heart of Wrath – Wrath, and Zeal now stack up to 15 times.
Active Node Priority – Treasure Hunter
- Swift Learner – 50% more experience gained from defeating Elite Monsters.
(Additional Paragon Priorities Coming After Launch)
Class Consumable
The Barbarian’s Class Consumable is Barb – Horn of Arreat. It increases damage done by you and nearby allies by 10% for 20 minutes. Get Class Consumables from turning in Bestiary pages or doing Zone Event bosses.
