This Diablo 4 Barbarian guide offers strategies for leveling up a Whirlwind Barbarian, encompassing skill using, Weapon Techniques selection, and getting 100 Paragon points. The guide also advises optimal D4 barb builds, directing you towards the most effective Legendary Aspects, Gear Affixes, and gems to gather from various dungeons to enhance your barbarian’s stats and powers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Whirlwind Barbarian Diablo 4: An Overview
Whirlwind Barbarian Diablo 4
The Whirlwind Diablo 4 Barbarian build is a melee specialization that deals with area of effect (AoE) damage. It’s designed for rapidly eliminating groups of enemies, combining impressive AoE damage with substantial mobility. This makes the Whirlwind build a go-to option for Barbarian leveling during the initial phases of Diablo 4.
Besides, the build offers room for Shouts and other group utility skills, setting the stage for fluid Death Blow executions. This attribute, combined with its superior enemy clearing ability in densely populated regions such as dungeons, makes Whirlwind an essential tool during leveling.
Whirlwind Barbarian Build is a top-tier leveling build for this class, with an easy-to-grasp and balanced playstyle that facilitates swift dungeon clears and kill-focused quest objectives. However, its superior AoE effectiveness comes at the expense of reduced single-target damage. The build’s success is hinged on constant movement amidst enemy groups, targeting as many adversaries as possible to generate and sustain Fury.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
|
|
Whirlwind Barbarian Gameplay
The Diablo 4 Barbarian is a formidable class known for its prowess in mowing down multiple foes simultaneously, mainly through applying the Whirlwind skill. However, specific skills, like Death Blow and select passive abilities, help to maintain the correct position to ensure maximum target hits.
In the grand scheme of D4 Barb builds, customization matters a lot. For instance, choose Mighty War Cry over Power War Cry if you’re struggling to survive. Mighty War Cry can provide a handy boost to your defenses, particularly during boss fights. On the contrary, if your issue isn’t survival but damage, Power War Cry should be your go-to.
An optimized rotation for the Diablo 4 Barbarian usually prioritizes maximizing Whirlwind uptime. When used strategically, specific skills like Rallying Cry, War Cry, and Wrath of the Berserker can yield beneficial results. Death Blow is particularly handy during boss fights or when you’re low on Fury.
Here’s a simple breakdown of the general rotation:
- Lunging Strike – Kick off your attack with this to generate Fury and position yourself within striking distance of your enemies.
- Rallying Cry – This offers crowd control immunity, a speed boost, and enhanced Fury generation.
- War Cry – Gives you a damage and speed boost via the Berserking mechanic.
- Wrath of the Berserker – Grants enhanced damage, speed, crowd control immunity, and increased Fury generation.
- Whirlwind – Focus on striking as many enemies as possible to maintain Fury, making the most out of Enhanced Whirlwind and Violent Whirlwind.
- Death Blow – A high damage execute skill that generates Fury and deals extra damage to bosses.
The Best Leveling Diablo 4 Barbarian Whirlwind Skills
Diablo 4 Whirlwind Barbarian Leveling
In Diablo 4, players have two main avenues to earn Skill Points:
- Leveling up from 2 to 49 will net you 48 points. You start at level 1 without any inherent Skill Points, and once you hit level 50, you switch from Skill Points to Paragon Points.
- You can gain another 10 points through Zone Renown. For every 900 Renown points accumulated in each of the 5 zones, you gain 2 Skill Points. This makes 10 points, which, once obtained, can be used by all characters across your account.
However, it’s challenging to map skill points to specific character levels because players have different strategies. Some may focus on quickly earning Renown by choosing high-Renown activities like Strongholds, Dungeons, and Side Quests. Others might prioritize the Campaign, which provides much experience but no Renown. Or, players may opt for repeatedly conquering a few selected Dungeons (remember, you only earn Renown on your first dungeon completion).
The next section of this guide emphasizes the essentials of your Diablo 4 Barbarian build – the skills you need to hone and develop as you approach level 50. These recommendations stem from a blend of in-game testing and theory crafting, and we’ll continue to validate them as we delve deeper into the game. Whether you’re a D4 Barb build enthusiast or starting with a Barbarian in Diablo 4, these insights will benefit your journey.
Lunging Strike (1/5)
Modifiers:
- Enhanced Lunging Strike: When Lunging Strike lands a hit on a healthy enemy, it delivers enhanced damage of 30% and restores 2% of your maximum life (33).
- Combat Lunging Strike: Successful critical strikes with Lunging Strike reward you with a Berserking state for 1.5 seconds.
Lunging Strike is an opening move, but we only allocate one point to this skill. It’s a great way to bridge the distance between you and your adversaries when entering a battle. Not only does it offer minor healing, but it also gives a brief boost to damage and movement speed. This skill is beneficial during one-on-one fights when your Fury is depleted, and Death Blow is under cooldown.
Recommendation: As soon as you have the points, assign one each to Lunging Strike and its two modifiers.
Whirlwind (5/5)
Modifiers:
- Enhancing Whirlwind: With each hit of Whirlwind on an enemy, you gain 1 Fury. For elite enemies, this gain is multiplied by 4 Fury.
- Violent Whirlwind: After maintaining the Whirlwind for 2 continuous seconds, its damage output is increased by 30% until the action is ceased.
The main essence of this build revolves around the Whirlwind. Being your main attack, the effectiveness of this Diablo 4 Barbarian build lies in the ability to strike multiple targets simultaneously with Whirlwind. When in combat, aim to tackle dense clusters of foes to utilize this feature entirely. To reap the full benefits of Intensified Whirlwind, make sure to minimize interruptions.
Recommendation: Allocate one point to Whirlwind and each of its modifiers as soon as possible. Your following four points should be invested in maximizing this skill to 5/5 since it’s the core source of your damage.
Rallying Cry (1/5)
Modifiers:
- Enhanced Rallying Cry: Provides the Unstoppable attribute while Rallying Cry is active.
- Tactical Rallying Cry: It fuels 20 Fury and gifts an extra 20% Resource Generation when Rallying Cry is cast.
This particular Shout furnishes a potent buff that proves advantageous in various scenarios. It can be smartly used to dodge potential area-of-effect (AoE) damage and crowd control impacts, and it can also be the solution to Fury deficiencies. It can be employed concurrently with War Cry and Wrath of the Berserker when dealing with high-pressure situations. For extended battles, staggering its use with these skills can help reduce downtime, thus ensuring a seamless encounter.
Points Recommendation: As soon as they become available, allocate one point to Rallying Cry and each of its modifiers in your D4 Barbarian build.
War Cry (1/5)
Modifiers:
- Enhanced War Cry: Casting War Cry bestows you a Berserking state for 4 seconds.
- Power War Cry: When at least 6 adversaries are near while you activate War Cry, your damage boost receives an additional 10% increment.
Like Rallying Cry, this Shout brings substantial advantages vital to all combat situations. It can be combined with or separately from your other Shouts depending on the battlefield circumstances.
Recommendation: As soon as they’re available, allocate one point to War Cry and each of its modifiers in your Diablo 4 Barbarian skill tree.
Death Blow (1/5)
Modifiers:
- Enhanced Death Blow: Doubles the damage output of Death Blow when facing Bosses.
- Fighter’s Death Blow: Earning at least one successful strike with Death Blow rewards you with 20 Fury.
This ability plays a crucial role in addressing the balance between the Whirlwind Barbarian’s proficiency at dealing with Area of Effect (AoE) damage and their challenges when it comes to single-target attacks. Fighter’s Death Blow offers an impressive damage boost during boss fights. Combined with the Fury augmentation provided by Enhanced Death Blow and the intrinsic cooldown reset mechanism, this skill is highly effective against smaller enemy clusters and in situations lacking Fury resources.
Recommendation: As soon as possible, allocate one point to Death Blow and each of its modifiers in your Diablo 4 Barbarian skill tree.
Booming Voice (3/3)
This passive ability significantly extends the duration of your Shouts, making it an invaluable asset in every combat situation.
Recommendation: Dedicate three points to Booming Voice once all other abilities, barring your Ultimate, are accessible in your d4 Barbarian build.
Swiftness (3/3)
For a Barbarian, both survival and the capacity to damage rely heavily on mobility. Therefore, having a passive ability that continuously enhances your speed is highly valuable.
Recommendation: Invest one point to unlock your Ultimate. After that, feel free to return to allocate the remaining points, completing the 3/3 for this crucial component of your best Diablo 4 Barbarian build.
Wrath of the Berserker (1/1)
Modifiers:
- Prime Wrath of the Berserker: This modifier boosts your movement speed by 20% and increases your Fury Generation by 30% during the Wrath of the Berserker’s active phase.
- Supreme Wrath of the Berserker: With this modifier in play, each 50 Fury you expend while Wrath of the Berserker is active will bolster Berserk’s damage bonus by an impressive 25%.
The Ultimate ability, Wrath of the Berserker, significantly enhances the Barbarian’s performance in combat. It significantly boosts damage capacity, speed, crowd control resistance, and Fury production. While it’s remarkably potent, it can be combined with Shouts to deliver a brief but powerful burst of damage and speed when needed.
Recommendation: Invest one point into this Ultimate ability and its modifiers before turning your attention back to the passive skills.
Imposing Presence (3/3)
Once fully invested with three points, the Imposing Presence skill significantly enhances your Barbarian’s overall health capacity. This additional health boost is beneficial in more challenging scenarios where survival is critical.
Recommendation: This passive skill becomes vital after activating your primary skills, especially when facing survival-related challenges. Making this one of your priorities when allocating points to passive skills in your Diablo 4 barbarian build is advisable.
Martial Vigor (3/3)
One of the critical skills in the Diablo 4 barbarian skill tree is Martial Vigor. By investing three points into this skill, your Barbarian will benefit from a considerable reduction in damage received. This proves particularly helpful during intense confrontations with bosses and elite opponents.
Recommendation: If you’re having trouble staying alive during elite encounters, prioritize this passive skill. However, if your problem lies more with insufficient damage output, you might want to consider postponing the allocation of points to this skill until later in your D4 barbarian build.
Pit Fighter (2/3)
This passive ability rewards your Barbarian with a two-fold advantage – an enhancement in your offensive damage and a considerable reduction in the ranged damage your character takes.
Recommendation: Once this skill becomes available, allocating two points towards it in your D4 barb build is recommended. This will help balance your Barbarian’s strengths, making them more formidable in battle.
Tempered Fury (2/3)
This passive skill escalates your Maximum Fury level, contributing significantly to maintaining the uptime of your Whirlwind and minimizing any Fury wastage following the initiation phase of your combat when utilizing Shouts.
Recommendation: It is advised to allot two points to this skill to gain access to essential passives in your D4 Barbarian build.
Unconstrained (1/1)
It significantly extends the duration of Berserking, allowing you to sustain the advantages of improved movement speed and damage output for extended periods.
Recommendation: As part of your D4 Barb build, it’s highly recommended to assign one point to this passive skill as soon as it becomes accessible.
Invigorating Fury (3/3)
For a Whirlwind Barbarian in Diablo 4, managing Fury effectively is crucial for survival, especially during battles that involve consistent damage over time. The passive skill, Invigorating Fury, is critical in this regard, offering continuous self-healing. This enables you to withstand the onslaught, particularly when facing enemies that deliver constant damage.
Recommendation: As a vital part of your D4 Barb build, prioritize allocating three points to Invigorating Fury before focusing on other passives.
Aggressive Resistance (3/3)
Aggressive Resistance offers a decent enhancement to your survival capabilities during all sorts of combats, particularly in Berserking mode. It aids in reducing damage intake, thus prolonging your presence on the battlefield.
Recommendation: Consider allocating one point to Aggressive Resistance as soon as possible. After this, divert your focus to Prolific Fury. Once done, revisit Aggressive Resistance to reach the maximum level of 3/3.
Prolific Fury (3/3)
This potent passive ability boosts Fury Generation, a critical element that helps sustain Whirlwind duration, ensuring your D4 Barbarian remains a formidable force on the battlefield.
Recommendation: Allocate three points to Prolific Fury as soon as the option becomes available.
Last 10 Points for your Whirlwind Barbarian Build
In creating an optimized Diablo 4 Barbarian build, the final 10 points you allocate can distinguish between a good and an excellent build. Although they may seem less significant, these points can significantly enhance your performance, especially if you’ve diligently accumulated zone Renown.
In this last phase, you’ll enhance existing skills and introduce a few new ones. Here are the enhancements to the existing skills:
- Pit Fighter – Allocate an additional 1 point to reach 3/3.
- Tempered Fury – Allocate an extra 1 point to achieve 3/3.
This final adjustment maximizes the capabilities of these fundamental skills, but you’ll also be introducing the following new skills to your D4 Barb build:
Slaying Strike (3/3)
This potent skill boosts static damage, especially against Injured opponents. It speeds up the later stages of combat in all scenarios and amplifies your Death Blow executions, delivering a fatal blow to your enemies.
Recommendation: Allocate three points to Slaying Strike during the final distribution of ten points. The timing isn’t rigid – if you’re finding it challenging to conclude some encounters, assigning points to this skill sooner rather than later would be beneficial.
Expose Vulnerability (2/3)
Deploying this skill following a Death Blow triggers a debuff on enemies for two seconds, increasing the damage they receive. Combined with Fury generated by Fighter’s Death Blow, it can sustain your Whirlwind rotation in extended battles.
This skill is also harmonious with the amplified critical strike damage given by the second Two-Handed Hammer Mastery buff, which you can unlock at 10 Mastery.
Recommendation: Reserve two points for Expose Vulnerability while allocating your last ten points. The timing is optional, so adapt it according to your gameplay and battle scenarios.
Pressure Point (3/3)
It enhances the Whirlwind ability by applying a debuff to enemies, causing them to take increased damage. Furthermore, Pressure Point multiplies the bonus damage of critical strikes offered by the Two-Handed Hammer Mastery at Rank 10.
Points Recommendation: Allocate three points to Pressure Point as you distribute your final ten points. The exact timing isn’t crucial—adapt based on your game progression and battle situations.
Optimal Arsenal Selection for The Whirlwind Barbarian in Diablo 4
The Arsenal System offers Diablo 4 Barbarians the flexibility to specify which equipped weapon will be used for each damaging ability. Additionally, one Weapon Expertise can be chosen as a Technique, allowing its top bonus to be applicable at all times, regardless of the current weapon type.
For a Whirlwind Barbarian, optimal weapon choices include:
- Two-Handed Axe: Provides increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
- Two-Handed Mace: Grants a chance to gain 2 Fury when hitting an enemy, with double Fury gain during Berserking.
- Two-Handed Sword: Causes 20% of the direct damage dealt with being inflicted as bleeding damage for 5 seconds.
To fully utilize the Arsenal System’s Technique mechanic, it’s recommended to select a weapon type different from your most powerful weapon. For example, if a Two-Handed Mace is your most potent weapon and is assigned or automatically selected for your abilities, choose a Two-Handed Axe or Two-Handed Sword for your Technique.
In Whirlwind Barbarian gameplay, the popular choices are either the Two-Handed Axe or the Two-Handed Mace, assuming neither is your highest-damage weapon. Choosing Two-Handed Sword Expertise as your Technique is also beneficial as it broadens your options for Legendary Aspects, Paragon nodes, and glyphs. This expertise ensures all enemies hit in the last five seconds are bleeding, maximizing benefits from:
While not every choice might be optimal for endgame scenarios, versatility during leveling is valuable.
Diablo 4 Whirlwind Barbarian Paragon Board: Levels 50-75
Diablo 4 Paragon Board
Upon reaching level 50, each quarter-level yields one Paragon point, resulting in four Paragon points per level. This means you’ll accumulate 100 Paragon points by level 75. By level 100 and with zone Renown, you can earn up to 220 Paragon Points.
In the Starter board, which becomes accessible at level 50, focus on obtaining the following Rare nodes:
- Brawn: Enhances Physical Damage and Life, with additional Damage if specific requirements are met.
- Raw Power: Boosts Physical Damage and Strength, with additional Physical Damage upon fulfilling certain conditions.
Initially, you won’t control the Diablo 4 Glyphs as they are dropped items. However, when given the option, we recommend these Glyphs for a Whirlwind Barbarian:
- Ire: Every 5 Strength points acquired within the range increase damage by +7.2% during Berserking. Requires 40 Strength.
- Wrath: Every 5 Dexterity points acquired within range enhance Core Skill’s Critical Strike Damage by +16.44%. Requires 25 Dexterity.
- Territorial: For every 5 Dexterity points acquired within range, Damage to close targets increases by +9.6%. Requires 25 Dexterity.
After reaching the Board Attachment Gate at the top of your Starter Paragon board, we suggest progressing next to the Warbinger board. Note the positions of your Legendary and Glyph slots and any Rare critical selections you’d like to make. The board can be rotated, allowing you to prioritize access to your most desirable Rare and Legendary nodes.
For the Whirlwind Barbarian, align your board such that the Conditioned node is closest to your Board Attachment Gate. This setup lets you bypass less valuable nodes, forming a path through Strength, Dexterity, Willpower, and Physical Damage nodes.
On the Warbinger board, aim to acquire the following Rare nodes:
- Conditioned: Enhances Resistance to All Elements and Strength, with additional Resistance to All Elements if requirements are met.
- Raw Power: Boosts Physical Damage and Strength, with additional Physical Damage upon fulfilling certain conditions.
- Hungering Fury: Increases Maximum Fury and Fury on Kill, with added Maximum Fury if certain conditions are met.
The Best Diablo 4 Leveling Gear for Whirlwind Barbarian
While your gear largely depends on random drops, you still have many choices. Analyzing whether a potential upgrade benefits your build based on its properties is crucial. Occasionally, you may stumble upon a Legendary Aspect drop critical for a different build. Considering a build switch can be valuable in such situations as respec costs are low during leveling.
This consideration becomes particularly relevant for Whirlwind Barbarians. The first few zones offer limited Legendary Aspects, significantly influencing this build following dungeon completion. In contrast, many key Aspects for alternate builds can be readily obtained. Therefore, adjusting your build as you level could enhance your overall performance and adaptability in Diablo 4.
Optimal Legendary Aspects for Whirlwind Barbarians in Diablo 4
Securing a Legendary Aspect from a drop can be uncertain; however, alternative ways exist to attain them. The upside is the presence of Legendary Aspects that can be gained early from dungeons.
Here is a table illustrating the best Legendary Aspects rewarded after dungeon completion for the Whirlwind Barbarian build. Those marked with an asterisk should be given priority.
| Legendary Aspect | Zone | Dungeon | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Whirlwind* |
|
|
for each channeled second, up to a max of 9-24%. |
|
Aspect* |
Scosglen | Oldstones |
Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource. |
|
Expectant* |
Scosglen | Underroot |
damage of your next Core Skill cast by 5-10%, up to 30%. |
|
Fury* |
Kehjistan |
|
while active. |
|
Ripping |
|
Mournfield |
inflict 20-30% of the Base damage dealt as additional Bleeding over 5 seconds. |
Some potent Aspects come from drops such as Aspect of Grasping Whirlwind. The Aspect of the Dire Whirlwind is formidable among the readily available Legendary Aspects. Given the Whirlwind Barbarian’s reliance on Whirlwind uptime, efficient execution of the build’s rotation using this Legendary Aspect grants a substantial sustained bonus to the ability’s Critical Strike Chance. Edgemaster’s Aspect also consistently increases Whirlwind damage output and should be prioritized.
Below are the ideal Whirlwind Barbarian Legendary Aspects obtained from drops, making them a bit tricky to farm.
| Legendary Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
|
Whirlwind |
Periodically pulls enemies towards you with Whirlwind. |
|
|
Core Skill 1-2% increased damage, up to 15-30%. |
|
|
seconds per Nearby enemy, up to a maximum of 6 seconds. |
|
|
82-100% increased damage. |
|
|
to surrounding enemies. |
|
|
dealing 201-319 damage to enemies behind the target. |
Top Unique Items for Whirlwind Barbarians in Diablo 4
Among numerous Unique items available to Barbarians, the standout item is Gohr’s Devastating Grips. Despite the nerf during early access, this Unique item still enhances your arsenal by adding a powerful AoE explosion to the finale of your Whirlwind and bolstering ranks to Whirlwind.
Rage of Harrogath is a compelling Unique choice for the Diablo 4 Whirlwind Barbarian due to its dependence on Shouts. The added 4.5-8% Physical Damage is an optimal feature of this item.
For boosting Barbarian resilience, Temerity is a tremendously beneficial Unique. It aligns well with enhancements to Shout healing.
Overkill is another handy Unique item for this build, supplying an additional shockwave of damage to Death Blow. It forms an excellent combination with the Aspect of Encroaching Wrath and the Weapon Master’s Aspect. Nonetheless, given that the 100% bonus to Legendary Aspects on Two-Handed Weapons is forfeited by utilizing a Unique Two-Handed Mace, highly competitive builds usually avoid this Unique item.
Optimal Item Affixes for the Whirlwind Barbarian in Diablo 4
Here are the optimal item affixes for a Whirlwind Barbarian build. Prioritize equipment that includes the following features:
- +X Weapon Damage
- +X% Physical Damage/Melee Damage/Core Skill Damage
- +X Rank(s) to Whirlwind/Core Skills/All Skills
- +Critical Strike Chance/Damage
- +Critical Strike Chance/Damage for Core Skills
- +X/X% Strength
- +X/X% Willpower
While the following magic attributes may not be essential, they are beneficial if available on your gear.
- +X/X% Dexterity
- +X% Attack Speed
- +X% Damage while Berserking
- +X% Vulnerable Damage
In the case of an undesired affix on an item, it can be eliminated via Enchanting at the Occultist. Bear in mind that this method involves a level of randomness. It’s not generally recommended for most leveling gear, as you’ll likely switch out many items as you progress. However, it could be considered an extraordinary piece of Jewelry that is rarely replaced.
Selecting the Best Gems for The Diablo 4 Whirlwind Barbarian
Diablo 4 Gems
Gems can be slotted into equipment, granting bonuses depending on whether they’re placed in Armor, Weapons, or Jewelry. From level 20 onwards, you can upgrade your gems to higher quality for improved bonuses.
Below is the list of the most suitable gems for a Whirlwind Barbarian:
| Slot | Gem Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Emerald | +% Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable Enemies |
| Armor | Ruby | +% Maximum Life |
| Jewelry | Skull | + Armor |
Considering that the Whirlwind Barbarian build possesses passive abilities that keep enemies in a state of Vulnerability for extended periods, it’s advisable to prioritize Emeralds for weapon sockets. This build places more emphasis on damage rather than fortification, making Ruby the ideal choice for armor sockets. Since Barbarians are often in the heat of the battle and depend significantly on defensive attributes for survival, the +Armor bonus from Skull gems is the optimal choice for jewelry sockets. Once the current issues with +Resistance in Diablo 4 are fixed, Diamonds should become the superior choice for Jewelry sockets.
With the deep dive into the Whirlwind Barbarian build, the strategic usage of the Diablo 4 Barbarian skill tree, and the various ways to maximize the Barbarian’s stats, we hope you feel equipped to take on the endless hordes of Diablo 4 with gusto. The tools to become a true master of battle in Diablo 4 are now at your fingertips.
However, if you’re looking to really level up your gameplay and fully explore your Barbarian’s potential, consider enlisting a professional boosting service. The LFCarry.com boosting service is designed to help you enhance your Barbarian’s abilities, learn new strategies, and experience the game on a whole new level. It’s the perfect companion for players who maximize their Barbarian’s might.
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