Diablo 4 Season 1 best Barbarian leveling builds

Diablo 4’s Season of the Malignant is currently underway, and players are eagerly immersing themselves in the new content and experimenting with different characters and strategies. The recent pre-season nerfs have had a significant impact on the metagame, particularly for the Barbarian class, leaving many players uncertain about the best way to build their mighty Barbarians. However, fear not! We have compiled a list of the top Barbarian leveling builds for Season 1 of Diablo 4, including Whirlwind, Hammer of the Ancients, and Rend, to help you progress through the early stages and reach the endgame as quickly as possible.

What is the best Barbarian leveling build in Diablo 4 Season 1?

Despite the pre-season nerfs that affected the vulnerable status, Whirlwind remains the best choice for a Barbarian leveling build in Diablo 4 Season 1. Its main strength lies in its ability to deal with large groups of enemies, which is crucial for quickly gaining experience and reaching higher levels. Additionally, Whirlwind remains a viable option in the endgame, making it a worthwhile investment in the long run.

Best Barbarian leveling builds in Diablo 4 Season 1 tier list

Whirlwind
Rend
Hammer of the Ancients

The top three Barbarian builds from previous seasons, Whirlwind, Rend, and Hammer of the Ancients, retain their positions in Season of the Malignant. Whirlwind focuses on the core skill of the same name, allowing players to spin their way through hordes of enemies with abundant Fury. Rend specializes in bleed damage, dealing significant damage with Rend itself and incidental bleed effects from other skills. Hammer of the Ancients is the go-to build for players who simply want to smash things as hard as possible, delivering massive single-target damage if Fury is maintained.

Barbarian Whirlwind leveling build

Whirlwind is a potent skill that inflicts AoE damage to all surrounding enemies, simultaneously applying vulnerable and bleed effects to weaken foes. It consumes a significant amount of Fury, so the Whirlwind build revolves around maximizing Fury generation to sustain the skill indefinitely during combat.

To support the core skill, the build incorporates Lunging Strike as a gap closer and Fury generator, as well as three shout skills: Rallying Cry, Challenging Shout, and War Cry. These skills enhance speed, Fury generation, defenses, and damage, improving every aspect of the Whirlwind playstyle. Wrath of the Berserker is the final addition, launching the Barbarian into a berserking state for a short duration, significantly increasing speed and damage output while synergizing with other skills.

Best Barbarian Whirlwind leveling build skills

Level 1 – Lunging Strike
Level 2 – Enhanced Lunging Strike
Level 3 – Battle Lunging Strike
Level 5 – Enhanced Whirlwind
Level 6 – Furious Whirlwind
Level 11 – Rallying Cry
Level 12 – Enhanced Rallying Cry
Level 13 – Tactical Rallying Cry
Level 14 – Challenging Shout
Level 15 – Enhanced Challenging Shout
Level 16 – Tactical Challenging Shout
Level 18 – Enhanced War Cry
Level 19 – Mighty War Cry
Level 20 – Booming Voice
Level 21 – Booming Voice
Level 22 – Booming Voice
Level 26 – Wrath of the Berserker
Level 27 – Prime Wrath of the Berserker
Level 28 – Supreme Wrath of the Berserker
Level 29 – Pressure Point
Level 30 – Pressure Point
Level 31 – Pressure Point
Level 32 – Slaying Strike
Level 33 – Slaying Strike
Level 34 – Slaying Strike
Level 36 – Cut to the Bone
Level 37 – Cut to the Bone
Level 38 – Cut to the Bone
Level 39 – Unconstrained
Level 40 – Aggressive Resistance
Level 41 – Aggressive Resistance
Level 42 – Aggressive Resistance
Level 43 – Prolific Fury
Level 44 – Prolific Fury
Level 45 – Prolific Fury
Level 46 – Heavy Handed
Level 47 – Heavy Handed
Level 48 – Heavy Handed
Level 49 – Guttural Yell
Level 50 – Guttural Yell
Bonus Skill Point 1 – Guttural Yell
Bonus Skill Point 2 – Raid Leader
Bonus Skill Point 3 – Raid Leader
Bonus Skill Point 4 – Raid Leader
Bonus Skill Point 5 – Tempered Fury
Bonus Skill Point 6 – Invigorating Fury
Bonus Skill Point 7 – Invigorating Fury
Bonus Skill Point 8 – Invigorating Fury

The general strategy for this build is to initiate battles with Lunging Strike, then follow up with the three shout skills (and Wrath of the Berserker if available) before employing Whirlwind. Since Whirlwind generates Fury based on the number of enemies hit, it excels in crowded enemy encounters. Players should aim to position themselves amidst groups of enemies to maximize damage output. Lunging Strike can also be used to finish off small foes and replenish Fury while shouts are on cooldown. Initially, Fury may run out regularly, especially when facing one or two larger enemies instead of a crowd. For this reason, it is recommended to select Unconstrained as the Key Passive skill, which can be later swapped out for Unbridled Rage once Fury generation is better managed.

Best Barbarian Whirlwind leveling build Aspects and how to obtain them

To optimize a Whirlwind Barbarian build, it is crucial to acquire the following key Aspects: Aspect of Echoing Fury, Bold Chieftain’s Aspect, and Aspect of the Dire Whirlwind.

Aspect of Echoing Fury grants additional Fury generation when shout skills are active, significantly prolonging the duration of Whirlwind. Bold Chieftain’s Aspect further enhances Fury management by reducing the cooldowns of shout skills when used near enemies, aligning with the intended playstyle of the build. Lastly, Aspect of the Dire Whirlwind provides a critical strike chance boost for Whirlwind, which becomes more potent the longer the skill is channeled.

Aspect of Echoing Fury can be found in the Sirocco Caverns Dungeon, west of the Seared Basin area in Kehjistan. Bold Chieftain’s Aspect is rewarded upon completing Chapter Two of the Season of the Malignant Season Journey. Lastly, Aspect of the Dire Whirlwind is located in the Garan Hold Dungeon, east of the Corbach Waypoint in Scosglen.

Barbarian Rend leveling build

The Rend Barbarian specializes in inflicting the bleed status, similar to a Rogue’s poison. This build utilizes Rend, Flay, and Rupture, in addition to Barbarian’s essential shout skills, to stack massive single-target damage, enabling quick elimination of both regular enemies and formidable foes. While it may not excel in handling large crowds like the Whirlwind Barbarian, it compensates with superior boss and elite damage, as well as numerous synergies between passive skills and weapon techniques.

Best Barbarian Rend leveling build skills

Level 2 – Enhanced Flay
Level 5 – Enhanced Rend
Level 11 – Pressure Point
Level 12 – Pressure Point
Level 13 – En+”,”+”hanced Rupture
Level 15 – Enhanced Seismic Slam
Level 16 – Seismic Slam
Level 17 – Seismic Slam
Level 22 – Rupture
Level 23 – Rupture
Level 24 – Rupture
Level 26 – Seismic Slam
Level 27 – Mountain’s Call
Level 28 – Mountain’s Call
Level 29 – No Escape
Level 30 – No Escape
Level 32 – Avalanche
Level 33 – Suffocate
Level 34 – Suffocate
Level 35 – Suffocate
Level 37 – Raging Tide
Level 38 – Raging Tide
Level 39 – Raging Tide
Level 40 – Preemptive Strike
Level 41 – Preemptive Strike
Level 42 – Preemptive Strike

The Rend Barbarian build focuses primarily on active skills. Players should utilize Enhanced Flay and Enhanced Rend to maximize their damage potential. Pressure Point enhances critical strike chance, contributing to burst damage. Enhanced Rupture provides additional damage over time, while Enhanced Seismic Slam enhances the viability of this skill for crowds. Rupture and Seismic Slam should be upgraded to maximize their effectiveness. Mountain’s Call, No Escape, Avalanche, Suffocate, Raging Tide, and Preemptive Strike are all additional skills that enhance damage output and offer various utility effects.

Gaming Hybrid