With the changes Diablo 4 Season 4 makes to its itemization, as well as the changes made to damage types over the past few seasons, the variety of viable builds players can create has increased dramatically. Although past seasons of Diablo 4 have had some clear winners and losers when it came to class build viability, the majority of builds in Season 4 are going to be viable with the right gear, tempering, and aspect setup. The current state of the Diablo 4 class meta is great for both veterans and newcomers, but one particular build is perfect for casual players to dip their toes into Diablo 4's build crafting system during Season 4.
When deciding on a build for Diablo 4, there are several factors players will need to consider beyond simply choosing a class. How efficient that build will be for leveling up in the early and mid-game is an important place to start, since some builds don't shine until players can access Paragon Boards at level 50, but other factors to consider include the build's ability to handle the endgame activities the player wants to participate in and even how powerful its unique items are. For players intimidated by all these factors, going with something simple yet effective like a Thorns Barbarian build might be the best choice.
Diablo 4's Thorns Barbarian Build is Great for a Casual Season 4 Experience
What Makes a Thorns Barbarian Build So Powerful
One of the reasons a Thorns Barbarian build is great for a casual playthrough of Diablo 4 is due to the amount of damage players can deal passively with the Thorns affix. Like other RPGs with similar damage-reflecting mechanics, Thorns deals damage to enemies whenever they deal damage to the player, essentially causing enemies to kill themselves over time. With the changes to damage scaling over the last few seasons, Thorns has gotten even more powerful since it now deals flat damage as well as damage based on other multipliers players have available, creating the potential for some serious damage output for minimal player effort.
Diablo 4 players will want to ensure they have the Passive Skills Outburst and Tough as Nails to form the basis of their Thorns Barbarian build.
The addition of Tempering in Diablo 4's Loot Reborn season also gives Thorns Barbarian builds a new lease on life. Now that players can Temper items to add new affixes to them, it's easier than ever to stack Thorns on multiple pieces of gear to ensure players are getting the maximum damage output possible from this damage type. Additionally, Tempering can also let players add other damage multipliers to gear that Thorns damage can also benefit from, creating a great new system that allows for experimentation from newcomers as they learn Diablo 4's many mechanics.
Thorns Barbarian is Versatile Enough for Hardcore Fans to Enjoy as Well
For as simple as a Thorns Barbarian build is, there is a potentially high skill ceiling for this build that makes it great for veterans to test out as well. Having Thorns passively damage enemies is great for leveling in the early game, but an endgame version of this build can truly be a force to be reckoned with. Focusing on pulling in enemies with a skill like Steel Grasp or Challenging Shout is a great way to get enemies close enough to attack the Barbarian and suffer Thorns damage, and the tanky nature of the Barbarian allows them to shrug off this damage even at higher levels.
The late-game loop of grinding for unique and legendary weapons also lends itself nicely to this build since there are some powerful aspects players will want to utilize with it. The Needleflare Aspect is especially potent since it gives Thorns the chance to damage all enemies around the Barbarian when activated, and the Death Wish Aspect is also a great one to imprint since it increases Thorns damage when berserking.
Diablo 4
- Released
- June 5, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action-RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot.
Embark on the epic campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through a gripping story in a beautifully dark world, or explore an expansive end game: battle iconic bosses for powerful loot, fight back the encroaching onslaught of Hell in Helltides, master the Forge to create your ultimate weapons and progress powerful characters, with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms.
Discover the critically acclaimed franchise that defined the Action RPG genre. As the battle between the High Heavens and Burning Hells rages on, hatred devours Sanctuary as evil spreads and a new wave of cultists and worshippers arise to embrace Lilith’s coming. Only a brave few dare to face this threat and bring light to the all-consuming darkness.
Expansive Open WorldForge your own path through the corrupted lands of Sanctuary, an ever-growing, fully explorable world teeming with challenges, quests, enemies, and loot. Join your fellow adventurers, rescue and retake besieged towns, delve into nightmarish dungeons and uncover lost secrets as you fight back evil. The many zones of Sanctuary are yours to explore, and with rotating areas of extreme peril like World Bosses and Helltide, danger lurks at every turn.
Immersive Character DevelopmentCreate and customize your character to face the encroaching darkness. Choose from one of five classes and build your hero with skills, abilities and cosmetics, creating a champion that is uniquely your own. Grow stronger as you progress through powerful Skill Trees and develop even more unique end game specializations with Paragon Boards.
Legendary Gear, Epic BattlesDiscover and experiment with a vast arsenal of powerful weapons, armor and more to fight back against the demons threatening Sanctuary. Explore unique combinations, create your own upgrades and collect a plethora of powerful tools to battle in immersive, action-packed combat against the deadliest of enemies.
Seasons & EventsThe tales of Sanctuary continue to unfold. Create Seasonal Characters and join in fresh adventures - master new mechanics and take on the latest threats in each new Season. Complete harrowing feats of the Season Journey and earn new Battle Pass rewards. Plus, sharpen your swords and get in the spirit of the seasons when Limited-Time Events sweep through Sanctuary.
End Game UndertakingsThere’s even more Diablo® IV to explore as you reach higher levels and more fearsome World Tiers. Face the greatest challenge yet as you take on the most powerful demons in The Pit, steel yourself against Uber Bosses to reap uber unique rewards, fight back overflowing armies of Hell as Helltides emerge across Sanctuary, battle larger-than-life World Bosses, and master the Forge to create the mightiest weapons fit for a hero.
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Publisher(s)
- Blizzard
- Franchise
- Diablo
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 158.25 GB
- Metascore
- 88
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 players (console only)
