Build example | Barbarian Diablo III Guide
Last update: 01 February 2017
When I started playing as a Barbarian I wanted to feel the incredible strength of my attacks and their deadly effectiveness with each mouse click. In my opinion this character class is an ideal choice for melee combat based on all types of weapons which offer high DPS value, however you may also find it suitable if you like to play with a one-handed weapon and a shield. I've had many years of experience with action RPG games and since the first minutes of my game as a Barbarian I've decided on a classical solution - inflicting massive damage using very powerful two handed-weapons and wearing heavy armors offering the best possible protection.
I've been using this character build with good results until reaching Act III on the Hell difficulty level. This build is a result of a lot of trial and error runs, however it's also based on my personal taste and preferences when it comes to tactics. Assuming you have the right gear it may however be named as a universal build that will suit gamers with various styles of play.
The list of suggested active and passive skills seen below contains many abilities which require the Barbarian to achieve a high experience level. Don't worry, because you can use alternative skills in the earlier parts of the game and in most cases they're equally interesting. As in other builds, I've also added recommendations on which runes you should choose and I also inform you when they become unlocked.
Active skills
 | Frenzy + Maniac (59) This is definitely one of the most important skills of my Barbarian build. The description of this skill says it all - your attack speed increases with each hit and after five hits it can reach a total bonus of 75 percent. Furthermore, the Maniac rune increases the damage up to 20 percent. Both of these bonuses will allow your hero to quickly deal with most of the enemy units he comes in contact with. Before you reach level 59 needed to unlock the suggested rune you may want to keep using the Triumph rune (22) instead. This rune can be very helpful when you have to wait for the healing potions to activate again. |
 | Seismic Slam + Cracking Rift (57) The suggested combination of skill and rune works a lot like Hammer of the Ancients on steroids. It has a very wide attack range which will make your Barbarian a person capable of performing successful attacks from a distance. This combination is helpful in both offensive as well as in defensive actions, because it allows you to slow down enemies that may want to pursue the Barbarian. Before you're eligible to use the rift rune you may want to replace it with Shattered Ground rune (25). |
 | Leap + Iron Impact (14) This jump is the most useful skill on the first two difficulty levels. You should use it especially if you want to quickly find yourself standing near enemy units to "steal" them from the rest of the team or to use the Revenge skill more effectively. As for the Iron Impact rune, it works like a safeguard, because it increases your armor value, giving you more time to react in case the demons you've started attacking turned out to be much harder to kill then they seemed. I wouldn't recommend using this skill on single enemies unless you've mastered it and you're sure you won't waste it. |
 | Revenge + Provocation (52) This is the second of the key skills of my character build. As mentioned above, it' works best with Leap + Iron Impact combination. You'll find this skill useful on many occasions, especially when it'll help you to eliminate a dozen enemies after getting surrounded. It's worth mentioning that this skill doesn't have an activation cost and it doesn't need to recharge. You can use it as much as you like, even once per second and against the same enemy units as before. This all makes it a lot of fun and you'll most likely immediately like the skill. The Provocation rune isn't of course your only choice. You may also consider using the Vengeance is Mine rune (19; improved health regeneration) or the Retribution rune (36; the Barbarian becomes even more deadly). |
 | Battle Rage + Marauder's Rage (26) The suggested combination allows the Barbarian to inflict 30 percent more damage for the next 30 seconds. It's best to activate it each time you're preparing to make a jump or you just want to move closer to a group of enemy units. When you've advanced to higher levels you'll be forced to start using better passive skills. This is a good moment to stop using the Animosity passive skill (27) and to modify the current build by using the Battle Rage along with Into the Fray rune (46). Doing this will allow to keep the fury at a reasonable level. |
 | Wrath of the Berserker + Insanity (40) This combination turns the Barbarian into a large, wild warrior that enters amuck and can deal with the most difficult opponents. This skill has a two minute regeneration period so it should be used only on the best enemies (you'll encounter plenty of them while playing on Hell and Inferno difficulty levels). As for the rune choice, Insanity is in my opinion a much better choice than Arreat's Wail (36). The reason is very simple, using the suggested rune allows you to inflict much more damage to enemy units. The suggested combination isn't the only one you should consider. Earthquake + The Mountain's Call (39) is also a good idea, especially when going against large group of enemies. |
Passive skills
 | Nerves of Steel (13) This passive skill was a very important part of my build until reaching the Inferno difficulty level. The best thing about Nerves of Steel is that the skill works really well with a tactic of inflicting as much damage as possible and having a lot of armor points at the same time. It's even better when you advance from Normal to Nightmare and when you to start to invest in Vitality points. |
 | Tough As Nails (30) This skill is a good combination with Nerves of Steel mentioned above. It's worth to invest in items which increase the strength of reflected enemy hits when you'll reach higher experience levels, because that's when the skill will reveal its true power. |
 | Brawler (45) The third passive skill on your list may constantly change depending on the circumstances you've currently found yourself in. My first favorite skill was Weapons Master (16). I've switched to Berserker Rage (20) and Animosity (27) as I've progressed in the game, however Brawler became my final choice. The main reason for that was the size of the bonus to damage. |