Tactics on the battlefield | Barbarian Diablo III Guide
Last update: 01 February 2017
A barbarian is without any doubt the king of the battlefield when it comes to short ranged combat and I've witnessed it many times while using the build described in this chapter of the guide. From the very beginning of the game I was able to pull deadly combos that were based on jumping towards enemies using Leap skill, damaging them using the Frenzy skill and ultimately annihilating them using the Revenge skill (don't forget that this skill can be activated several times in a short time without any penalties). That's how it was for the first two difficulty levels, however don't think they were boring. Hell no! Each use of all three skills above provided me with a lot of joy and satisfaction and I won't even mention that these skills made my Barbarian almost invincible.
Once I've advanced to Hell difficulty the gameplay became more interesting and of course much more demanding. Leap should still be among the skills you're using in all major battles, however you'll have to pay more attention to where you're landing, because even a short moment of disorientation can cost your Barbarian his life. This is especially important if you're fighting champions instead of standard monsters. When it gets really ugly you should rely on short jumps and count on improved armor. You'll probably notice when playing on Hell and Inferno difficulty levels that Earthquake becomes a less powerful skill, however you don't necessarily have to stop using it. It's worth to consider combining Wrath of the Berserker skill with the Earthquake. Both skill need a lot of time to recharge and depending on your preferences you can use them alternately or simultaneously.
I would like to add a few words about possible variations of my build. If you notice that your Barbarian has difficulties handling flying enemies, like for example bees from Act II, you should consider adding Weapon Throw skill to your list even for a few minutes. It's recommended to upgrade this skill with Ricochet rune (25), allowing it to eliminate up to three enemy units with one attack. Throwing Hammer rune (33) on the other hand is useful when you encounter a goblin carrying a treasure and you want to slow it down to catch up to it. As for situations when you want to quickly run away from dangerous enemies, skills like Furious Charge are definitely worth testing.
As time progresses you'll be encountering more difficult monsters and this build will require to make some changes that suit your personal style of play. For example, in my case Battle Rage has stopped being useful in the middle of Act II while playing on the Hell difficulty level. As a result I've switched it to War Cry, but only because I was playing in the co-operative mode with my friends and that skill allowed to improve their armor values. The shout is best combined with Impunity rune (60), because some of the best enemies encountered on higher difficulty levels often deal elemental and magic damage. Before that rune becomes available you may consider using Hardened Wrath (32) instead.
During my adventures with the Barbarian class I was searching mostly for items that provided bonuses to Strength and to Vitality. The warrior from the North is slightly different from his version in Diablo II, because he doesn't have a skill responsible for increasing natural resistance. This means that when playing on Hell and Inferno difficulty settings it's very important to acquire gear that lowers the significance of this problem and therefore increases his resistances. The last thing you should be looking for are weapons and jewels which increase damage done by critical hits.
The last thing I want to talk about is playing in multiplayer sessions. Barbarian's role is very similar in this case to a Monk, because he should become a "tank", taking most of the hits and convincing enemies to attack him. The difference between a Monk and a Barbarian is that a Barbarian is better at being a killing machine, because he has more offensive skills and can improve his armor value. It's also important to try and remain close to a player that can heal his colleagues and to a Monk that can improve the regeneration of health for the rest of the team. The more defensive classes - Wizards, Demon Hunters and Witch Doctors - should stay in the back, without engaging anyone in close combat. Don't forget about available shouts which can also help your allies, especially about the War Cry.