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Building a Better Barbarian:
Version: 1.03
Skill Level: Average
Game Type: Any
Author: Matman
Objective: A General Guide for Barbarians
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This article was originally titled, "Building the Ultimate Barbarian." That, of course, is a foolish thing for anyone to say. There is no such thing. The characters of Diablo 2 and their skill trees were designed to allow a wide variety of customization. Bow versus spear…offensive aura versus defensive auras fire versus ice versus lightning the list goes on. Only the most mule-headed player would dare say that their character has the best possible combination of skills and stats. Nevertheless, some skills are better than others, and this article will hopefully fill you in on what most players should and should not do when building a Barb.
What Weapon Should I Choose?
This is probably the first question you'll ask yourself when you start a new character. Your choices are sword, axe, mace, polearm and spear. Oh sure, you can equip a bow if you wish; a barbarian excels in all types of combat and will deal a good amount of damage no mater what he holds in his hand. However, only the five weapons mentioned above have a Weapon Mastery associated with them. Weapon Mastery is a vital skill of the Barbarian, and it will be discussed later. But for now, just assume you'll have to limit yourself to one of those weapons.
Of the five weapon types listed, two are always two-handed: polearm and spear. Generally speaking, you should stay away from these. The lack of a shield will become a huge detriment in Nightmare and Hell modes (more on shields later). I must say, however, that the polearm and spear deal massive damage and have a very long range; therefore, they go wonderfully with Whirlwind (again, more on that later). But those benefits are too limited, in my opinion, and you should stick with a one-handed weapon and a shield.
So now your choices are whittled down to sword, axe or mace. Don't agonize over this choice. In the long run, it doesn't really matter. The high-level rares you'll find in Nightmare and Hell mode all do huge amounts of damage. There will be a slightly better selection of swords, but I've seen numerous maces and axes that absolutely slay (figuratively and literally). If you play long enough to make it to Nightmare mode, you'll find what you need.
Maces (which include clubs, hammers and other weapon types), do 150% against the undead: skeletons, zombies, vampires, etc. What is less known, however, is the fact that axes do 150% damage against demons. It's not mentioned in the rulebook or in the game, but it's true. Swords give no special attack bonus, but tend to have slightly faster attack speeds, on the whole.
So play what you like. Remember: the purpose of the game is to have fun. (Mace-class weapons come with a very satisfying "thunk" noise when you land a hit, by the way.)
What's the Deal With Shields? (Or To Dual-Wield or Not To Dual-Wield?)
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| The Trap door in Act 2 Offers a Quick Way to refresh what items are available for gambling.
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A shield is a very, very important piece of armor for a melee fighter. The ability to dual-wield is a tempting one for the Barbarian. To be honest, the first two Barbs I created both dual-wielded; one carried swords, the other axes. By the time I hit the higher levels in Act III Normal, I was downing little red bottles like Ted Kennedy at a wedding reception.
A shield's power comes not from its defense rating, but from its "percent chance to block." If a shield has a 35% chance to block, that means 35% of all standard attacks will miss. Simple. And huge. The blocking ability is active whether you are attacking, running or standing still. A "standard attack," by the way, means any melee or ranged attack, including magical attacks. "Standard attack" does NOT include area-effect spells or curses.
The highest possible blocking percentage is 75%. Sigon's Guard, a set item and the most popular shield, comes with a 69% chance to block. Think about that…only three in ten attacks will actually land. That's important for a toe-to-toe fighter like the Barbarian. Combine a good shield with Iron Skin and the Barb's inherently high defense rating, and you have a character that's one slippery sucker. So ignore a shield's defense rating; just look at the percent chance to block. Don't even think twice about dropping a shield with a defense of 95 and a blocking percentage of 35% in favor of one with a defense rating of 28 and a blocking percentage of 59%. Just do it!
If you can't get your hands on Sigon's Guard (or want a socketed shield), look for a Tower Shield or its exceptional version, the Pavise. They have the highest blocking percentage.
If you're looking for Sigon's Guard (and you should be), Gamble with Elzix in Act II. If he's not offering a Tower Shield, head to the sewers through the nearby trapdoor, then pop back up into town and try again. His entire gambling inventory will change each time you do this. Act II is the best place to gamble because of this little trick. And yes, you can gamble for set items.
Skill Trees:
So now you've got a wimpy little low-level Barb with a one-handed weapon and a shield. It's time to start leveling up. Now where do you assign all those skill points?
The Barbarian has three skill tress, of course: Combat Skills, Combat Masteries and Warcries.
Warcries
We'll start with Warcries. They suck. No real debate here... they just blow. Now don't get all angry and shoot me a flame, hollering about how great Howl or Grim Ward is. When weighed against the benefits of the other skill tress, warcries just don't measure up. Battle Orders and Battle Command have their uses in multiplay, but you'll live longer and do more damage with skills like Iron Skin and Whirlwind.
Long story short: put ZERO points into the Warcry skill tree.
Combat Skills:
You should concentrate on two skills in this tree: Whirlwind and Leap Attack.
Whirlwind
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| Whirlwind in Action |
Everybody knows all about Whirlwind, the skill so powerful that Blizzard nerfed it down in the 1.03 patch. The rulebook describes WW as "a fierce spinning attack." That's pretty accurate. Your Barb spins in a circle like the Tasmanian Devil, getting in about three hits per second to each monster within range. You also get an attack rating bonus and, eventually, a damage bonus, but only after you've put several points into this skill. WW is rather mana-intensive, and it gets more expensive as it gets more powerful. You'll need to allocate several stat points to Energy if you want to use this skill.
To effectively use WW, right-click at a point of ground beyond the pack of monsters you've engaged. You'll then Whirlwind to the point you clicked. A word of caution: your WW attack can be interrupted if you take a hit while spinning. The last place you want to be when facing off against some big baddies is in the middle of a bunch of big baddies.
Polearms and Spears have such a long range and do so much damage, that they are incredible with Whirlwind. Unfortunately, they suck when used as a normal melee weapon. They have slow attack speeds and prevent you from carrying a shield. Nevertheless, a Whirlwinding Barb with a huge Polearm is truly a sight to behold. Combined with Polearm/Spear Mastery, such a Barbarian is truly a force to be reckoned with.
Remember: since you actually get a damage penalty until you hit WW level 8, be prepared to allocate a large number of skill points to Whirlwind. Place one point - and one point only - into each of Whirlwind's many prerequisite skills.
Whirlwind is the Barb's most devastating skill, even after the nerf. Learn it. Live it. Love it.
Leap Attack:
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| Leap Attack in action - attacking Greater Mummy |
Leap Attack is the other big one. I'm so damn fond of LA, I actually wrote my very first strategy article on it. (You'll find it here.) I actually use LA more often than I use WW. Yes, it's that good!
Leap Attack does two things: it flings your Barb through the air at a targeted bad guy. Then when you land, you deliver a crushing attack, with a bonus to both your attack rating and damage amount -- both of which increase with each additional skill point. There are two bugs associated with Leap Attack: one gives you infinite leaping range from the very first level; the other lets you leap through grating and metal bars. I've heard nothing about a fix for either of these bugs, and I understand one of them (jumping through grating) is considered inoperable. Leap Attack costs 9 mana, regardless of level. You must put one point into Leap as a prerequisite.
This is already a long article, and I've previously written so much on Leap Attack, I hate to repeat myself. So I'll summarize: use LA to get the monsters behind the main line of attackers. This would include any Shamen that resurrect their slain minions (Fallen, Flayers, Greater Mummies, etc). Also, LA is a great way to get your ass out of the fire FAST. Finally, you cannot be hit while in the act of leaping. This lets you clear out an entire screen full of bowmen or blowguns without taking any significant damage. 'Nuff said. Now go read the entire Leap Attack article.
NOTE: Both Leap Attack and Whirlwind are greatly facilitated by items that grant life steal and/or mana steal. Six percent mana steal will almost make both skills free for you, assuming you deal enough base damage. See more about life and mana steal below.
Combat Masteries:
You should concentrate on three items in the Combat Masteries skill tree: your Weapon Mastery of choice, Iron Skin and Natural Resistance.
Weapon Mastery:
Weapon Mastery (sword mastery, axe mastery, etc.) almost goes without saying. This passive skill will benefit you immensely from level one to level 99. You're granted an attack rating and damage bonus when equipping the weapon you've mastered. Both bonuses increase with each point allotted. You'll eventually get this to level 20, guaranteed.
Resist the temptation to put points into more than one weapon mastery. Pick a weapon type, and stick with it. I don't care if you've found a sword that's ten times better than your current axe. If you've put any points into Axe Mastery, stick with the axe! If you insist on using the sword, get a friend to mule the sword to another one of your characters. Or sell it to some idiot on eBay. Skill points are too valuable to waste on superfluous weapons. (On a side note, it's foolish to dual-wield one sword and one axe, then split skill points evenly between the two. You'll end up doing more damage by sticking with a single Weapon Mastery. Besides, I told you earlier not to dual-wield!)
Iron Skin
Oh, boy, this is some good stuff. Iron Skin (a passive skill) boosts your defense rating by a percentage. The percentage is increased by 10 with each additional point. Again, this is a must for a melee character. Barbarians take a lot of punishment, and even the best armor often isn't enough. After just a few points are allotted to IS, your Barb's defense rating is doubled. DOUBLED. Let that sink in. I will speak no more of the Iron Skin.
[Please note: A Blizzard bug shows your chance to be hit as one-fourth of what it actually is. Hover your cursor over the Defense box on your Character screen. If it says "Average chance a level 20 monster will hit you: 10%," then your actual chance to be hit is 40%, not 10%. Be wary.]
Natural Resistance
The most popular shield on b.net, besides Sigon's Guard, is a socketed tower shield (or Pavise, the exceptional version of the Tower Shield) with three perfect diamonds inserted. A tower shield gives a 49% blocking percentage, and the three perfect diamonds give up to 60% resistance to all elemental attacks, which include fire, cold, lightning and poison. As a Barbarian, your Natural Resistance skill (also passive) lets you forgo the gemmed shield in favor of the superior Sigon's Guard, which also grants +1 to all skills.
By the time you reach Act IV, most damage will be dealt to you in the form of elemental attacks. In Nightmare and Hell modes, the amount of damage dealt is fierce, and your resistances are reduced by 20% and 50%, respectively. That's why so many people work to get the diamond-gemmed shield; they will get wasted, otherwise. Barbarians overcome this Nightmare/Hell penalty with Natural Resistance. It's another skill you'll eventually want to put 20 points into, as well.
Skills to Avoid
Obviously, I'd put any skill besides the ones mentioned above into the "avoid" category, but many people insist on throwing a point or two into skills that I consider inferior. I should restate here that this guide is not intended to profile the end-all, be-all of D2 Barbarians. This is just a guide discussing the skills I feel give you the most bang for your buck. Customize your barbarian in the manner you enjoy. Have fun. Make strange noises with Find Potion. Or don't ;-)
Howl:
No. Don't. You are a melee character. You do not want the monsters to run away. If you are being overwhelmed, simply Leap Attack out of harm's way. If you are being overwhelmed and you haven't reached Clvl 18 yet (LA's required level), play more carefully. That sounds snobbish, but it isn't. Remember that you must build your character with the Big Picture in mind. Skill points are valuable, and if a skill higher on the tree duplicates the effects of a lower ability, you should waste no points on the lower skill.
Find Potion and Find Item:
By the time you get near the end of Act II, you'll have more potions than you know what to do with. You'll have a high defense rating and a decent Leap Attack, both of which keep your damage down to a minimum. Besides, a trip to town to re-stock isn't worth a wasted skill point. As for Find Item simply put, it sucks. Do you really want an extra 10% chance to find a Cracked Sash? No you do not.
By the way, a 10% boost from Find Item does not mean that 10 percent more of the items you find will be magic. Far from it. Each monster in the game has a specific chance to drop a magic item. For instance, a Zombie may have a 10% chance to drop something magic. Find Item alters that monster's chance of dropping a magic item. So the Zombie would now have an 11% chance of dropping something magic if you have a 10% Find Item skill. Wow.
Taunt
This skill has limited applications in multiplay, but is not worth a skill point. Your teammates can take care of themselves. If you really want to kill a specific monster, Leap Attack it.
Battle Cry, Battle Orders, Warcry and Battle Command
Again, these skills have limited applications, and mostly in multiplay. The advantages given by these skills are available if you have a Paladin in your party. On top of that, the skills are relatively limited, and have a time limit. If you're playing solo, you can take care of yourself. You are a Barbarian, after all.
Increased Stamina and Increased Speed
These are convenience skills, only. They do not make you a better fighter. Avoid them like the plague.
Throwing Mastery and Double Throw
You will never throw anything, if you follow the tips in this guide. (Double Throw? Who the hell equips two throwing weapons? Sheesh.) Leap Attack takes the place of throwing weapons.
Concentrate, Frenzy and Berserk
Whirlwind effectively takes place of all these skills.
Skill Tree Summary:
If you take my advice, you'll concentrate on these skills ONLY:
Weapon Mastery of your choice
Iron Skin
Natural Resistance
Leap Attack
Whirlwind
I won't list a level-by-level skill point guide. I don't believe in them, as I think you should build your char the way you think he/she should be built. Just remember to allocate prerequisite skills ahead of time, so you can take advantage of the higher skills like WW and LA right away. Concentrate on the above five skills, adding points to specific skills based on your specific needs. Taking a lot of damage? Put a point into Iron Skin or Natural Resistance. Leap Attack not doing enough damage? Throw another point into it. Also, it's a good idea to save your skill points when you reach Clvl 28. That way, when you reach Clvl 30, you can put one point each into Natural Resistance and Whirlwind (with one left over). Then when you reach Clvl 31, you can do it again.
Stat Points:
Strength, Dexterity, Vitality, Energy... the least written-about aspects of building a D2 character.
A Barbarian's bailiwick is, of course, his incredible strength. He needs tremendous power to wear heavy armor and wield massive swords, axes and great mauls. Strength is his alpha and his omega. With each level of experience gained, you're given five stat points to delegate among your four stats. At least two - sometimes three -- of these should almost always be put into Strength. I say "almost always" because this is your character. I'm not writing the Holy Bible here. This is not Diablo dogma. It's just a guide. Nevertheless, you'll need a lot of strength.
More strength = more damage dealt.
More Strength + Weapon Mastery + Leap Attack = dead boss monsters.
It's simple math ;-)
The rest of your stat points should be thrown into the other three, with extra attention paid to Dexterity and Vitality. Dexterity affects your attack rating and defense. Vitality affects your life and stamina. Energy affects your mana reserve. DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY. I know you're not a Sorceress, but Whirlwind is very mana-intensive. Leap Attack only uses 9 mana per use, but you'll probably spend a lot of time leaping from monster to monster, especially in Acts III and IV. Once you get your mana orb up to about 35 mana, you can back off a bit on allocating Energy points. Equipping an item with mana-steal per hit helps immensely, too.
In short, all four stats are very important, but you should pay more attention to Strength than the other three. If you're looking for a rough guide, here you go:
50% of points should go to STRENGTH
17.5% DEXTERITY
17.5% VITALITY
15% ENERGY
This is a very rough guide. If you need five more STR to wear that kick-ass armor you just found, put all five into Strength. Be flexible. To quote Clint Eastwood in Hamburger Hill, "They improvised. They overcame."
Summary
If you've read this far, you're definitely dedicated to building a better Barbarian. I think it's the best D2 character, Necromancer included. A high-level Barb avoids the common pitfalls that befall the other classes: He has a huge defense rating (thanks to heavy armor and Iron Skin); he suffers less from the Nightmare/Hell resistance penalty (thanks to Natural Resistance); he can pick off the most irritating monsters such as Shamen and Greater Mummies (thanks to Leap Attack); he can clear a screen full of baddies in one fell swoop (thanks to Whirlwind); and finally, he just plain kicks ass. No weaknesses, and all the strengths of the other classes, including a selective ranged attack (LA).
If you have a revelation regarding the Barbarian that I've not touched on here, feel free to drop me an e-mail. If you're interested in flaming me with details about your "l33t Barb," save it, lamer.
Again, this strategy guide is just that: a guide. If you already play a Barbarian, I hope I have given you some insight into your character. If you haven't yet played the Beast from the North, I hope this article has convinced you to give it a whirl. The Barb is by no means the boring, hack-and-slash moron that so many elitist Necros and Sorcs claim he is. He's a well-rounded, thinking-man's killing machine.
Be nice to strangers,
MatMan
Better Barbarian.doc
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