Diablo 4 launched with a total of 5 character classes to choose from, representing a few standard RPG archetypes. Each starting class in Diablo 4 has its pros and cons so it can be difficult for players to figure out which would be ideal for them.
Understanding and mastering your class is something that comes later in the game and the moment you start Diablo 4, you have to make an important decision to choose a main. Choosing a main can be challenging. Thankfully, after the recent updates, Barbarians are the best choice for you to start your Diablo 4 journey in the first place.
Barbarian is a prime example of strength, brutality and weapon mastery. With lots of health, Barbarians have good mobility, powerful skills and a number of different builds to choose from. What’s a better feeling than killing a boss with a single hit, right?
Unique features of Barbarians in Diablo 4
Just like every other class in Diablo 4, Barbarians also have some class-unique mechanics which set them apart. Such as; the ability to wield multiple weapons and inflict bleeding effects along with defensive mechanisms that have Crowd Control effects. All those unique mechanics are discussed below;
Arsenal System of Barbarians allows them to equip 4 weapons at a time, such as; two-handed slashing weapons, two-handed bludgeoning weapons and lastly two single-handed weapons that can be dual-wielded.
Each weapon type has its own Expertise that has different bonuses. For example, if you use two-handed Axes, then you will get “increase damage to vulnerable enemies” because you have expertise in that weapon type. Each weapon type’s expertise will increase by using the weapon type to kill enemies.
Each weapon type provides a bonus and that bonus increases by increasing the expertise for that particular weapon type. So, a single-handed axe will give you an “increased critical chance against injured enemies”. One-handed Mace will give “increased damage to stunned enemies”, and one-handed swords and Polearms will give you a “Lucky Hit” which causes a chance to gain fury when hitting crowed controlled enemies.
Similarly, two-handed swords will give you a chance to “Inflict bleeding damage” to enemies and Two-handed maces will give you a chance to gain fury whenever you hit enemies.
So, if you want to just barge in and kill the enemy hordes in an instant, you have got so many options to choose from. On the other hand, other classes such as Rogue have very limited viability in playstyle.
You can choose the weapon type you want to use based on the bonuses and playstyle that you like. However, the Arsenal System is not the only thing that the Barbarian class has to offer.
Technique Slot
Let’s say you want to use the bonus of two-handed Axes but you like two-handed Swords. Well, you don’t have to worry about it since the Barbarian Class also has a completely different ability for that too.
The Barbarians unlock a new ability called the Technique Slot, this ability allows you to use an additional slot and use the expertise you want with the weapon type of your choice.
For example, if you like using two-handed Swords along with the “Increased damage to vulnerable enemies” bonus, which is of two-handed Axes, then you can equip the expertise in that technique slot and use the two-handed Axe’s Bonus effect on two-handed Swords.
All these aspects are unique to Barbarian and we haven’t even discussed the skill set yet. With the unique Arsenal System, Expertise and Technique Slot, Barbarians become an unstoppable force on the battlefield and if you add the skills to it then the true berserker nature of Barbarians unleashes.
Barbarian Skill Trees
Every class in Diablo 4 has basic, core, ultimate and passive skills and the effects and resources used for them are something that sets them apart.
The Barbarian skill tree has different types of skills that are divided into six categories from Basic skills to Ultimate and Key Passives. The most intriguing skills for Barbarians are their defensive skills which have the ability to inflict Crowd Control effects on the surrounding enemies.
In addition to that the Ultimate skills such as Call of Ancients and Wrath of Berserker are both game-changing Ultimate skills. The Call of Ancients lets you call three ancients that help you by dealing high damage to enemies. Wrath of Berserker makes you unstoppable for 5 seconds and increases your damage by 120%.
While Barbarians are a good fit for solo playstyle, they are also a reliable class for PvP fights due to their Brawling skills, such as Shout.
In addition to that the whirlwind skill is also a very powerful skill core skill that can one shot most of the enemies if used with an ultimate passive called Walking Arsenal
Side note: Key Passives are similar to skills and are extremely powerful. In addition to that, they also define the playstyle of your build. Only one key passive can be chosen at a time.
Weakness
With so many pros the Barbarin class also has some weaknesses and the first and foremost weakness is that they are highly resource dependant. In order to be good as a Barbarian, you need a massive amount of Fury generation.
The cooldowns for skills are comparably longer than other classes, moreover, the Barbarians are a close-range melee class which makes them vulnerable to enemy fire power.
Conclusion
After all the analysis the Barbarian class has the ability to inflict bleeding, Vulnerability and Crowd Control effects faster than the enemy’s attacks, which eliminates the most important weakness of Barbarians, that is their short range. So, if you are looking for a perfect class starting class in Diablo 4 that is effective in both early and endgame, Barbarian is your best choice.
