Diablo 4allows players to play as one of five powerful classes. Each comes with its own set of unique skills and play styles, and all feel distinct from one another. As with any game, players have already discovered the best builds for each character class. But for those who have played with meta builds already or are looking to go off the beaten track, there are plenty of options left for all ofDiablo 4’sclasses.
Diablo 4sports a robust leveling system that allows for tons of different builds and mechanics for every class and every player. For example, the Druid is normally based around transforming into ferocious creatures, but there are plenty of Druid builds where the player never transforms. With scenarios like this in mind, there are a number of underpowered non-meta builds that are a ton of fun to experiment with.
7Elemental Druid
Tired of the cliche of the squishy spell caster? Players looking todeal lots of elemental damage while also beingthe tank of a partyshould look no further than the Elemental Druid build. This build is very flexible and can be done in a number of ways depending on what magic the player prefers. One of the more common builds is as follows:
Hurricane
Petrify/Cataclysm
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Players often forgo a companion skill for multiple spells in this build, but the joy of non-meta builds is experimentation, so some players might want a companion alongside their spells. Spirit generation can be a challenge for this build, so players will want items that help generate more spirit to keep the spells coming.
6Thorns Barbarian
The Thorns Barbarian build is the epitome of high-risk, high-reward play. This build takes a while to craft, so players might want to use a more well-rounded build until they haveall the necessary pieces.The build centers around thorns, which means taking damage from foes. This means that players will want a high health threshold, while also building for thorns. Players shouldprioritize rubies and emeralds in their armor slots,and unlockthe Needleflare Aspect and Death Wish Aspect for their legendary gear.The following skills work best for this build:
Steel Grasp
Wrath of the Berserker
Players should also invest in thekey passives Outburst and Tough as Nails.With all of these in place, players have a niche but very fun build to play around with. They’ll take a lot of damage, but if all goes well, they’ll make enemies pay for it.
5Pure Lightning Sorcerer
When it comes to leveling builds, few are better than the Chain Lightning Sorcerer. A pure lightning sorcerer is great for leveling quickly, but it struggles against bosses or tanky foes. Nevertheless, it is still a ton of fun to play, even at later world tiers and levels.
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Players looking to build a pure lightning sorcerer have a few options, but common skill builds look like this:
Ball Lightning
Unstable Currents
Players are looking to make their entire skill bar purple with this build. They can mix and match skills , maybe building more for crackling energy or forgoing their Conjuration Skill for Charged Bolts alongside Chain Lightning. The build has shocking customization and can be a ton of fun to play. Players shouldtry and stick to weapons with faster attack speedsto maximize the number of shocks and DOTs delivered in combat.
4Marksman Rogue
Rogues inDiablo 4have three weapons. They have two melee weapons (swords, daggers, or a combination of both) and a bow. While the Rogue meta is currently completely dominated by the Twisting Blades skill, there are plenty of fun Rogue builds that don’t involve Twisting Blades at all. This build forgoes melee weapons entirely, making it a fun albeit challenging build to master. As with many of these off-meta builds, it might be best to specialize in this build after level 50. The best skills for a Marksman Rogue are:
Rain of Arrows
Players should also pick up thekey passive skill “Victimize.”
The biggest challenge with this build is mobility. Rogues aren’t tanky, and without Dash, things can get hairy for a Marksman Rogue. Players may want items that lower cooldowns to help them have Concealment up as much as possible. This build is for true daredevils.It can deal tons of damageand wipe out mobs quickly, but at the risk of the Rogue’s life, as they lack almost any ability to escape danger.
3Summoning Necromancer
It may seem odd that the class built around summons has an off-meta build as a summoner, but the Necromancer inDiablo 4is actually strongest when their minions are sacrificed. The fun of the Necromancer, though, is building an army of little guys. So, in spite of the meta, there are multiple builds for a summon-focused Necromancer.
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There are plenty of skills to look for and build, and choosing summon types is up to the player. Some might prefer the defensive options granted by the Defender Skeletons and the Blood Golem. Others might like the crowd control of the Reapers, Cold Mages, and Iron Golem. Here are some good active skills to build the summoner around:
Corpse Tendrils
Army of the Dead
There are lots of passives that Summoner builds should focus on. Anypassives that directly buff minions or aid in their healing or essence generationare must-haves.In some cases, the Necromancer’s passives are more important than leveling active skills to higher tiers.
2Companion Druid
For players that want to summon, but don’t jibe with the vibe of the Necromancer, the Druid can act as a summoner. While Druids won’t have as many active summons as Necromancers, their options are quite good and can act as decent mid-game builds. With the prevalence of Pulverize Druid builds, pretty much every other build will be off-meta, but that doesn’t mean the Companion Druid isn’t fun to play. The active skills of a Companion Druid are:
Wolves
Grizzly Rage
Players can mix and match skills to their preference. Some builds forgo an ultimate entirely for Earthen Bulwark, while others only use Landslide as opposed to Pulverize.The passive skill “Call of the Wild” should be maxed out.There are other Passives that are all around good for the Druid,including their Key Passives, but Call of the Wild is a must. There are also some great Aspects for this build, includingAspect of the Alpha, Aspect of the Stampede, & Shepard’s Aspect.
1Rogue Multi-Trap Build
The best Rogue builds inDiablo 4utilize the Poison Trap skill, and a few even use the Death Trap skill. True trap builds will want every trap skill in the game, alongsidethe Rogue Specialization unlocked at level 30 called “Preparation.“Preparation is the key to this entire build, so it is a must. With the right skills and Preparation Ability selected, players can place near infinite traps on the field while making their foes Vulnerable with other skills. The skill chart will look something like this:
Poison Trap
Death Trap
The Key Passive “Exposure"is another must for this build. While tough to master at first, once players find the rhythm of juggling skills, they can achieve near-constant traps and can use their Ultimate ability multiple times in a single minute. This build works best in a party, but it can be used effectively solo as well.
Diablo 4was released on June 6th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
