New season, new powers, new uniques, new meta. Every major update Diablo has will invariably change the game and new builds (or old and forgotten builds) will arise. But there will always be the best in each season that simply synergize well or got too buffed. And here are the top 10 for Season of Blood!
10. Stormclaw Druid
In this Stormclaw Druid build, we harness the power of the Greatstaff of the Crone to simultaneously unleash our Claw and Storm Strike abilities. This configuration embraces a genuine melee approach, bolstered by formidable resilience, enabling it to remain a formidable contender even within the challenging realms of high-level Nightmare Dungeons. Beyond that, this configuration stands as an impenetrable bastion of durability, practically impervious to harm, while paradoxically maintaining an impressive degree of agility and offensive potency. Remember, the Greatstaff of the Crone is the linchpin of this build's functionality; without it, the build simply cannot work!
This build is a breeze to handle. It primarily relies on two basic skills for its damage output, making Spirit management a non-issue. The trickiest part is making sure you keep your Petrify active, but even that's not a big deal unless you're pushing through Nightmare Dungeons.
Furthermore, the build gains extra power from a bunch of other skills and passives. Cyclone Armor grants us solid damage reduction and a knock back for when things get dicey. Blood Howl offers a substantial heal and a boost to attack speed. Hurricane gives us damage reduction and slows down our foes. Petrify serves as potent crowd control, packing a serious punch in the damage department, especially against bosses.
For Vampiric Powers, you want to go with:
- Ravenous (Minor) - The Attack Speed bonus from this is off the charts. Although we don't quite hit the movement speed cap in this setup, we come awfully close, making this boost exceptionally valuable.
- Moonrise (Major) - It's almost as if this perk was custom-made for our build. The Attack Speed, Damage, and Movement Speed enhancements are substantial, and we can effortlessly maintain a 100% uptime on all these buffs.
- Hectic (Minor) - Since we primarily rely on three cooldowns, with two of them having short durations, this perk predominantly benefits Petrify, significantly increasing its uptime. It also simplifies the task of keeping Fortify consistently activated with Blood Howl.
- Undying (Minor) - This one dishes out an impressive amount of healing, and our sky-high Attack Speed ensures we reap even greater benefits from it compared to other builds. It could very well be the best healing option currently available in the game.
- Metamorphosis (Major) - While it might not be a must-have for lower-tier content, the constant Unstoppable effect it provides becomes a game-changer in the more challenging Nightmare Dungeons at higher tiers.
What Stormclaw Druid Excels in:
- No resource management
- Simple to play
- Can be rather tanky
- Deals a ton of damage
Choose this build if you:
- Like slapping enemies around with your claws
- Got the Build-enabling Greatstaff of the Crone
- Loves never having to worry about Resource generation
Build details: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/stormclaw-druid-guide
9. Blood Lance Necromancer
The Blood Lance Necromancer is on the verge of receiving a substantial buff, thanks to the Patch 1.2 rework of Overpower. With its incredible potential, this Necromancer build is poised to unleash an abundance of damage, and it also boasts the title of being the sturdiest among all the Necromancer builds.
Blood Lance stands out as an incredibly flexible skill. Its low Essence cost allows for spam-casting against single targets, resulting in impressive DPS. The "Lanced" mechanic also simplifies the task of distributing damage across the battlefield. Moreover, the passive bonuses of accumulating Maximum Life and Fortify add to our damage output without any extra effort, while concurrently forging an indomitable tank.
This build has always had intriguing synergies with Critical Strike Chance, and now, Critical damage plays a pivotal role in further amplifying our Overpower damage. If you've hesitated to try a Blood Necromancer build in the past due to its seemingly complex nature, the time has arrived for you to dive headfirst into the action!
For Vampiric Powers, you want to use:
- Ravenous (Minor) - Boosts our attack speed significantly.
- Prey on the Weak (Minor) - Amps up Vulnerable damage and inflicts this status on enemies sporting a Vampiric Curse, enhancing our damage output.
- Hemomancy (Minor) - Unleashes area-of-effect (AoE) damage across the entire screen, while also providing a substantial healing benefit.
- Sanguine Brace (Minor) - Offers additional Fortify support and a generous Critical Strike Chance bonus, fortifying our defenses and sharpening our critical hits.
- Metamorphosis (Major) - This bestows the Unstoppable effect when we nimbly evade, dealing damage and placing a Vampiric Curse on enemies we cross paths with.
What Blood Lance Excels in:
- Extremely Tanky with permanent Fortify.
- Unique Playstyle.
- Quick gameplay, with lots of clicking.
- Wonderful at clearing NM dungeons.
Pick Blood Lance if you Like:
- High APM builds
- A complete change of regular meta for item acquisition
- Unique gear requirements
- Complex Skill Rotations
Build details: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/blood-lance-necromancer-guide
8. Bone Spear Necromancer
Despite the nerfs to Bone Spear, it’s still one of the strongest necromancer builds out there, especially against bosses, as it has one of the highest damage potential of Necromancer.
We're sticking to our signature move, Bone Spear, and taking it up a notch by rendering everything on the screen Vulnerable. Season 2 makes this task a cakewalk, thanks to the Prey on the Weak mechanic. With the right gear, you might even find yourself swimming in a sea of Essence, which is always a welcome bonus.
Now, every hero has their Achilles' heel, and for Necromancers, it's the need for some extra pep in their step. Enter movement speed boots with the Wind Striker Aspect, a fresh addition to our deadly arsenal. These boots not only enhance our mobility but also turbocharge our critical hits, allowing us to blitz through the entire game.
For Vampiric Powers, we use:
- Sanguine Brace - Not only does this accessory boost our Critical Strike Chance, but it also serves as a reliable source of Fortify, bolstering our resilience.
- Prey on the Weak - This skill takes our Vulnerable damage to new heights, triggering the status whenever an enemy falls under the influence of a Vampiric Curse.
- Accursed Touch - With this power, we gain the ability to bestow Vampiric Curses upon our foes, simultaneously amping up the damage output of our Accursed Souls.
- Ravenous - This enhancement cranks up our attack speed, ensuring our build maintains a rapid-fire tempo, continuously delivering damage.
- Metamorphosis - When we evade, this skill rewards us with the Unstoppable effect, inflicts damage on enemies in our path, and applies them with the Vampiric Curse.
What Bone Spear Excels in:
- The highest single-target Necromancer build.
- Clearing from a distance.
- Easy to Level.
- Very rewarding skill-wise.
Pick Bone Spear if you:
- Love seeing millions of damage on your crits.
- High APM play style.
- Nuking enemies from afar.
- Intricate builds that require proper positioning.
Build details: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/bone-spear-necromancer-guide
7. Death Trap Rogue
This build seamlessly blends exceptional crowd control, utility, and sheer power, making it a versatile solution for tackling any challenge the game throws at you. While many Rogue builds might include Poison Trap or Death Trap, this one takes it to the next level by specializing in these traps and adding the trap-centric Exposure Key Passive into the mix. Teamed up with the high lucky hit rates of Twisting Blades, you can reset your traps in the blink of an eye, ensuring a continuous onslaught against your adversaries!
In general, this build shares a lot in common with the Twisting Blades Rogue in terms of setup and playstyle. However, it distinguishes itself through slightly slower movement speed, more potent nukes, and the ability to draw foes together with Prime Death Trap, making it truly unique. The crowd-pulling capability offers excellent group utility, but even when playing solo, it proves handy for corralling enemies into the effects of your Poison Trap and Bladedancer's area-of-effect abilities, dispatching them swiftly.
Unlike the usual necessity of darting around the battlefield to maximize the impact of Twisting Blades and hit as many targets as possible, the Trapper style of play is more laid-back. Running this build, you'll effortlessly manipulate your foes, giving them a taste of their own medicine.
Vampiric Powers you want to use with the build:
- Accursed Touch (Major) - Triggers and spreads the Vampiric Curse for extra effects.
- Prey on the Weak (Minor) - Ensures high Vulnerable uptime and buffs our damage more.
- Moonrise (Major) - Adds extra Attack and Movement Speed.
- Undying (Minor) - Provides massive healing at all times.
- Ravenous (Minor) - Regularly gives us a massive Attack Speed boost.
What Death Trap Rogue Excels in:
- Massive nukes with your traps
- Vacuum playstyle
- Constant use of Ultimates
- Great for party play
Pick Death Trap Rogue if you Like:
- Juggling Cooldowns
- Play with timings for your skills
- Exploding enemies in a purple cloud
- Big numbers
Build details: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/death-trap-rogue-guide
6. Pulverize Druid
This build excels in dishing out significant ranged AoE damage while maintaining exceptional defences. Its straightforward gameplay style dominates on-level content and can carry you deep into Nightmare Dungeons. However, its single-target capabilities might fall short in the most challenging dungeons.
The synergy between Pulverize and the Shockwave Aspect results in damage dealt in a cone-shaped area in front of you. To boost single-target damage, aim for the sweet spot that aligns with both its own radius and the shockwave created, allowing you to hit enemies twice with each cast. This build capitalizes on multiple guaranteed sources of Overpower and amplifies their damage through the Ursine Strength Key Passive.
With Grizzly Rage, Earthen Bulwark, and Trample at your disposal, you have three tools to grant yourself Unstoppable, rendering you nearly immune to Crowd Control. Moreover, you're fortified in almost all situations, ensuring you stay resilient.
One noteworthy aspect is that, except for Shockwave, all the Legendary Aspects for this build can be found in the Codex of Power, meaning you only need one item drop to kickstart your journey!
The Vampiric Powers you want to use with this build:
- Ravenous - This power provides an incredible amount of attack speed at a relatively low opportunity cost and, as such, makes Movement Speed a top priority across our gear.
- Anticipation - This power drastically improves our Grizzly Rage uptime, a key source of additive damage and damage reduction for this build.
- Blood Boil - As this variant leans heavily into Overpower, Blood Boil is a natural fit.
- Prey on the Weak - The damage bonus is solid, but when used in conjunction with other Vampiric Powers that can inflict a Curse, this Power provides a steady and reliable source of Vulnerable, something that is otherwise lacking in this archetype.
- Accursed Touch - This is our main source of applying Vampiric Curse which, in turn, procs Vulnerable and its related bonuses. This also amps the damage of our stored Accursed Souls, which can be released at enemies by using either Earthen Bulwark or Debilitating Roar.
What Pulverize Druid Excels In:
- Simple Playstyle
- Great clearing
- Extremely Tanky
- Near Permanent Unstoppable
Pick Pulverize Druid if you Like:
- SMASH.
- Cosplay as a Big Ass Bear.
- Being a moving fortress.
Build details: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/pulverize-druid-guide
5. Werewolf Tornado Druid
Do you remember the days of the Tornado Druids in Diablo 2, where it often felt like not a single tornado hit its mark due to the seemingly erratic pathing?
In Diablo 4, this issue is largely resolved thanks to Stormchaser's Aspect. It simplifies the process as Tornados tear through Open World Content and Nightmare Dungeons of any Tier!
Before transitioning to this build, it's essential to secure Tempest Roar and the Dire Wolf's Offensive Aspect. Without these, the final build won't function AT ALL. We strongly recommend obtaining these components and more.
Once you have everything in place, the gameplay is remarkably beginner-friendly. It's almost as if you can sum it up as "Close your eyes and keep the Tornado hotkey pressed." However, you'll still need to utilize other skills, so no shortcuts there.
To get started, cast a couple of Wind Shears to generate some Spirit, then transition to casting Tornado. With Grizzly Rage active via the Dire Wolf's Aspect, Spirit generation from your Paragon Board, and the Lucky Hit procs from Tempest Roar, you'll have the ability to unleash a barrage of your Core skill.
Given the recent changes to Critical Strikes and Rampaging Werebeast, Perfect Storm takes the spotlight as our preferred Key Passive.
Vampiric Powers you want to use:
- Ravenous - For endgame werewolf builds, where movement speed often nears the 200% cap, this Power is a clear choice, granting a substantial 80% boost to Attack Speed when activated.
- Anticipation - Given our reliance on the combination of Grizzly Rage and Dire Wolf's Aspect to supply substantial Spirit Cost Reduction and Movement Speed, maintaining uptime on our Ultimate skill is crucial.
- Prey on the Weak - While it offers a commendable damage boost, its true strength emerges when used alongside other Vampiric Powers capable of inflicting a Curse. This Power ensures a consistent and dependable source of Vulnerable.
- Metamorphosis - This Power serves as a dependable source of Unstoppable, delivers moderate damage, and stands as the primary means of applying Vampiric Curses.
- Sanguine Brace - This Power comes to the rescue in addressing our otherwise inconsistent Fortify generation, and the bonus to Critical Strike Chance provides a significant damage boost.
What Werewolf Tornado Excels in:
- High Single-target damage.
- Amazing Clearing.
- Fun playstyle.
- Can be played as a ranged-ish druid.
Pick Werewolf Tornado Druid if you Like:
- Throwing Tornadoes that hunt down your enemies
- Becoming The Storm
- Breezing through Nightmare Dungeons
Build details: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/tornado-druid-guide
4. Hammer of the Ancients Barbarian
A beloved fan-favourite skill returns to the Barbarians in this instalment. Hammer of the Ancients, known for its naturally small area of effect, gets a significant boost with the inclusion of the Aspect of Ancestral Force (conveniently accessible through the Codex of Power). This aspect effectively expands the impact radius, enabling us to decimate groups of smaller foes.
To bolster Hammer of the Ancients, we employ many standard endgame tools. Our primary generator, Bash, maintains our Fury reserves and amplifies our smashes with its inherent ability to guarantee Overpower hits. Thanks to aspects like Expectant and Limitless Rage, this skill becomes a powerhouse. Meanwhile, Ground Stomp performs precisely as the name suggests, delivering a ground-shaking impact that either topples or Stuns all foes unfortunate enough to find themselves in its zone of influence.
We've also made sure to include all three Shouts: Rallying Cry for Unstoppable, Fury generation, and enhanced mobility; War Cry for Berserking and extra damage; and Challenging Shout for damage reduction.
Use these Vampiric Powers:
- Accursed Touch (Major) - Lucky Hit-based application of Vampiric Curse, with a chance to spread it to other enemies.
- Metamorphosis (Major) - Grants Unstoppable, generates Fury, and is another source of Vampiric Curse. This also allows permanent uptime on Tibault's Will if it's used.
- Ravenous (Minor) - Massive Attack Speed bonus, enabling us to build Overpowers quicker and generally ease a lot of the clunkiness that the build may suffer from.
- Prey on the Weak (Minor) - In combination with our other powers, this is our primary way of inflicting Vulnerable.
- Sanguine Brace (Minor) - Great defensive tool for generating Fortify and also gives us increased Critical Strike Chance.
What Hammer of the Ancients Barbarian Excels in:
- BIG BONKS.
- Massive one-shots with Overpower (20 million damage hits!!.
- Great at Clearing.
- Enjoyable to Smash through enemies with massive numbers even from leveling.
Pick Hammer of the Ancients if you Like:
- Playing a true archetypal Melee character
- Smashing the ground and seeing enemies die in the blink of an eye
- Using Overpower Mechanics
Build details: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/hammer-of-the-ancients-barbarian-guide
3. Infinimist Necromancer
Thanks to the legendary Naecabon's influence, I'm thrilled to introduce the Infinimist Necromancer. This Necro build boasts top-tier survivability, substantial AoE Shadow Damage, and the potential for Critical Strike burst damage! It excels at pushing high Nightmare Dungeons.
At first glance, it may appear to be just another Darkness build, centered around spamming Corpse Explosion and relying on decent Lucky Hit procs for Crowd Control (CC). However, prioritizing Lucky Hit opens the door to intriguing interactions when you stack over 50% Lucky Hit Bonus. With Decrepify in the mix, you can almost instantly refresh all your cooldowns and maintain... Infinite Blood Mist uptime. Hence, the name of the build!
What's even more convenient is that transitioning into this build is surprisingly easy, especially if you're coming from the Sever Necromancer Leveling Guide or Sever Necromancer Endgame Guide. Many of the same Aspects are used, including potent options from the Codex of Power.
The combination of Damage over Time (DoT) and high Critical Strike damage ensures consistent progress through content. With specific optimizations for clear speed and single target damage, the Infinimist Necromancer can even expedite farming and handle high-level bosses with greater ease.
Which Vampiric Powers to use:
- Anticipation (Minor) - Boosts Bone Storm damage and uptime.
- Prey on the Weak (Minor) - Enhances Vulnerable damage and bestows this status when an enemy is under a Vampiric Curse.
- Domination (Minor) - Adds another damage multiplier to your arsenal.
- Flowing Veins (Major) - Significant Damage over Time (DoT) multiplier.
- Metamorphosis (Major) - Provides Unstoppable when you nimbly evade, deals damage, and apply Vampiric Curse to enemies in your vicinity.
What Infinimist Necromancer Excels in:
- Practically immortal.
- Extremely quick for a Necromancer.
- Fantastic Speed Farmer.
- Can do all content in the game.
Pick Infinimist Necromancer if you Like:
- Noticeable Gear Progression
- High APM builds
- Easy to play once used to the rotations
Build details: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/infinimist-necromancer-guide
2. Twisting Blade Rogue
This build stands out as an exceptional farmer, boasting unparalleled speed and the ability to take down even the toughest bosses in seconds. However, its incredible power comes at a cost: the build's defenses are mediocre, and it can be quite challenging to play optimally. If you're seeking a fun and agile Rogue build, you've come to the right place!
Twisting Blades is a two-step melee attack: first, you strike a single enemy for a moderate amount of damage, and then the blades return to your position from the enemy's location after a brief delay. These returning blades serve as the core of the build and require strategic play to succeed. As they travel back, they deal substantial damage to all enemies they hit. Coupled with various mobility skills such as Evade, Dash, and Shadow Step, you can obliterate entire packs of enemies during their flight.
There are various variations of this build, combining the core skill with different Imbuements and other effects. In essence, Twisting Blades is an incredibly versatile skill that excels in various aspects, making this build a great all-around choice. Although it may take some time to master when you first begin, don't be discouraged! With practice and our guide, you too can thrive with the Twisting Blades Rogue in Diablo 4. Let's dive in and get started!
Which Vampiric Powers to pick:
- Accursed Touch (Major) - Initiates and propagates the Vampiric Curse for additional effects.
- Prey on the Weak (Minor) - Maintains a high Vulnerable status uptime and further enhances our damage output.
- Moonrise (Major) - Introduces extra Attack and Movement Speed to the mix.
- Ravenous (Minor) - Regularly bestows a significant Attack Speed boost, amplifying our damage potential.
- Hemomancy (Minor) - Occasionally inflicts area-of-effect (AoE) damage and provides healing benefits.
What Twisting Blades Rogue Excels in:
- Insane damage
- High mobility
- Great clearing
- The fastest build
Pick Twisting Blades Rogue if you Like:
- Zipping around the battlefield and leaving corpses on your wake
- Intense fights, you’re never bored
- High APM fights with a lot of CD management
Build details: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/twisting-blades-rogue-guide
1. Ball Lightning Sorcerer
This build employs the Gravitational Aspect to create numerous sparkling Balls of Lightning that revolve around you. It excels in single-target damage and offers decent area-of-effect (AoE) coverage, capable of obliterating any foe in the game. However, this build does have its drawbacks, including its melee range, lack of burst damage, and less favourable interactions with Waller and Suppressor Elites (Ball Lightnings vanish in these scenarios).
Ball Lightning Sorcerer may not produce jaw-dropping damage numbers, and you won't see million-point hits on your screen. Nevertheless, the sheer quantity of damage numbers more than compensates for this, at times reaching such ludicrous levels that you might even have to adjust your settings to avoid being overwhelmed. As the saying goes: "Fear not the man who does 10 million damage per hit; fear the man who does 100,000 damage a thousand times per second."
The build includes the standard Defensive Skills to ensure your safety and resilience, a setup that remains effective until you venture deep into Nightmare Dungeons. When you do, you'll need to switch to a sturdier push setup, which will carry you through tier 100 and beyond.
Your all-powerful cloud of damage numbers will obscure everything in its path, causing the game to lag and striking fear into both friends and foes!
Vampiric Powers to maximize this build:
- Ravenous (Minor) - Simply provides unholy amounts of Attack Speed for free. Great for any non-channeling build.
- Anticipation (Minor) - Reduces the cooldown of Unstable Currents by 20%, which is our most important cooldown.
- Metamorphosis (Major) - applies Vampiric Curse and gives Unstoppable, which gives us damage bonus and Mana via Tibault's Will. Warning: it's best to leave this power at level 1 to proc the Mana restoration effect more often.
- Prey on the Weak (Minor) - In combination with Metamorphosis, this makes everything Vulnerable and provides a damage bonus with 100% uptime.
- Domination (Minor) - Another Aspect of Control with an extra execution on top.
What Ball Lightning Sorcerer Excels in:
- Extremely mobile.
- Fairly Tanky, with multiple sources of Barrier + Invuln.
- High Single Target (Can solo Uber Lilith at level 90.
- Great Clearing with Unstable Currents.
Pick Ball Lightning Sorcerer if you Like:
- Playing the Meta Op build.
- Demolishing any content to the point where the game feels trivial.
- Palpable gear progression.
- Teleport around and always be on the move.
- Juggling Cooldowns.
Build details: https://maxroll.gg/d4/build-guides/ball-lightning-sorcerer-guide
