The Bash Barbarian has become a dominant force in the current meta of Diablo 4 due to its impressive strength and adaptability. This guide will cover strategies for leveling, endgame content, and whether it is a viable option for PvP.
The Bash Barbarian is known for its ability to deal significant damage by utilizing a simple rotation focused on the skill Bash. Additionally, it makes use of Hammer of the Ancients and Steel Grasp to maximize its effectiveness. This build stands out in Season 5, surpassing other Barbarian builds, as it is able to effectively handle both group and individual combat situations.
In this section, we will discuss the most effective methods for leveling, highlighting important skills, items, Aspects, and Glyphs to focus on. Additionally, we will investigate whether the Bash Barbarian is still viable in PvP situations this season.
The Barbarian is the most powerful melee class in Diablo 4.
Best Bash Barbarian Leveling Build in Diablo 4 Season 5
As you progress through the campaign or the new Season 5 content, it is important to choose your skills in the following order to ensure optimal performance.
| Level | Skill |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bash |
| 2 | Enhanced Bash |
| 3 | Bash |
| 4 | Bash |
| 5 | Bash |
| 6 | Bash |
| 7 | Rallying Cry |
| 8 | Enhanced Rallying Cry |
| 9 | Strategic Rallying Cry |
| 10 | Challenging Shout |
| 11 | Enhanced Challenging Shout |
| 12 | Charge |
| 13 | Enhanced Charge |
| 14 | Power Charge |
| 15 | War Cry |
| 16 | Enhanced War Cry |
| 17 | Power War Cry |
| 18 | Swiftness |
| 19 | Swiftness |
| 20 | Swiftness |
| 21 | Booming Voice |
| 22 | Booming Voice |
| 23 | Booming Voice |
| 24 | Wrath of the Berserker |
| 25 | Prime Wrath of the Berserker |
| 26 | Supreme Wrath of the Berserker |
| 27 | Imposing Presence |
| 28 | Imposing Presence |
| 29 | Imposing Presence |
| 30 | Wallop |
| 31 | Concussion |
| 32 | Concussion |
| 33 | Concussion |
| 34 | Unconstrained |
| 35 | Pit Fighter |
| 36 | Pit Fighter |
| 37 | Pit Fighter |
| 38 | Thick Skin |
| 39 | Counteroffensive |
| 40 | Counteroffensive |
| 41 | Counteroffensive |
| 42 | Aggressive Resistance |
| 43 | Aggressive Resistance |
| 44 | Aggressive Resistance |
| 45 | Battle Fervor |
| 46 | Battle Fervor |
| 47 | Battle Fervor |
| 48 | Wallop |
| 49 | Wallop |
| Renown 1 | Heavy Handed |
| Renown 2 | Heavy Handed |
| Renown 3 | Heavy Handed |
| Renown 4 | Martial Vigor |
| Renown 5 | Martial Vigor |
| Renown 6 | Martial Vigor |
| Renown 7 | Outburst |
| Renown 8 | Tough as Nails |
| Renown 9 | No Mercy |
The Bash Barbarian build is a formidable option for those looking for a non-traditional Barbarian setup. Although the initial leveling process may seem sluggish because of the necessary weapon Tempering, the build’s potency increases significantly afterwards.
In contrast to more recent meta builds, this particular one does not heavily rely on Fury. Instead, Bash acts as the main, cost-free ability, dealing significant damage in both AoE and single-target scenarios. Shouts are utilized to increase both mobility and damage output, while skills such as Charge and Wrath of the Berserker offer additional strength and durability.
Best Weapon Expertise For Leveling
Certain Skills provide advantages when assigned to particular weapons, as well as Legendary Aspects that increase power upon switching weapons.
Barbarians must utilize the Skill Assignment pane to assign various abilities to their weapons. This can be accomplished by accessing the character window, clicking on the Abilities tab, and selecting Skill Assignment.
- We must allocate damage-dealing abilities such as Lunging Strike and Upheaval to particular weapons.
- The Walking Arsenal Key Passive also depends on changing weapons, providing benefits for utilizing three distinct weapon categories: Two-Handed Bludgeoning, Two-Handed Slashing, and Dual-Wield.
Best leveling rotation for World of Warcraft
- Challenging Shout
- Rallying Cry
- War Cry
- Charge
- Bash
- Wrath of the Berserker
The strategy for the Bash Barbarian is straightforward yet efficient. Start by activating your Shouts to boost damage, decrease incoming damage, and improve speed. Employ Charge to engage foes and activate Berserking, then follow up with Bash for potent AoE damage and Stun. Keep your Shout buffs active during challenging battles and reserve Wrath of the Berserker for moments when a significant damage boost and increased survivability are necessary.
Leveling Up with Legendary Aspects
Below are the top Legendary Aspects to consider for your leveling Barbarian build focused on Bash in Diablo 4:
| Aspect | Power | Dungeon | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Blood Aspect | Gain Damage Reduction for each nearby bleeding enemy. | Forgotten Ruins | I develop |
| Aspect of Might | Basic Skills grant 20.0% Damage Reduction. | Dark Ravine | Dry Steppes |
| Aspect of Numbing Wrath | Each point of Fury generated while at Maximum Fury grants Fortify. | Heathen’s Keep | Hawezar |
| Rapid Aspect | Basic Skills gain Attack Speed. | Buried Halls | Dry Steppes |
| Edgemaster’s Aspect | Skills deal up increased damage based on your available Primary Resource. | Oldstones | Scosglen |
Creating the Best Bash Barbarian Build for Diablo 4 Season 5
The Barbarian’s Arsenal class mechanic gives them access to gear used by 4/5 classes in Diablo 4
Active Skills
| Active Skill | Upgrades | Points allocated |
|---|---|---|
| Bash | Enhanced, Combat | 5 |
| Hammer of Ancients | Enhanced, Violent | 1 |
| Steel Grasp | Enhanced, Tactical | 1 |
| Rallying Cry | – | 1 |
| War Cry | Enhanced, Power | 1 |
| Challenging Shout | Enhanced | 1 |
| Wrath of the Berserker | Prime, Supreme | 1 |
Different Types of Passive Skills
| Passive Skill | Points |
|---|---|
| Imposing Presence | 3 |
| Martial Vigor | 3 |
| Tough as Nails | 1 |
| Outburst | 1 |
| Booming Voice | 3 |
| Aggressive Resistance | 3 |
| Pit Fighter | 3 |
| Slaying Strike | 3 |
| Thick Skin | 1 |
| Counteroffensive | 3 |
| Heavy Handed | 3 |
| Brute Force | 3 |
| Wallop | 3 |
| Concussion | 2 |
Remember to redeem your rewards from the Season 5 Battle Pass and use your Smouldering Ashes for the EXP boost, which will help you reach level 50 in just a few hours.
Best Weapon Expertise Setup for the Endgame
The majority of Barbarian builds continue to favor Two-Handed Axe Expertise as it provides the best boosts for Vulnerable Damage and Critical Strike Chance, surpassing other available options.
Best Endgame Rotation
- Rallying Cry
- War Cry
- Steel Grasp
- Bash
- Hammer of the Ancients
- Challenging Shout
Begin your rotation by activating Rallying Cry to increase your movement and generate more Fury. Next, use War Cry to improve your damage and activate Berserking. Utilize Steel Grasp to bridge distances, inflict Vulnerable, and trigger the effects of Paingorger’s Gauntlets.
Continue spamming Bash at this stage for steady damage output and to activate the debuff of Hammer of the Ancients. Use Hammer of the Ancients as a finishing move for a significant damage increase and utilize Challenging Shout to improve survivability and regenerate Fury.
Best Endgame Legendary Aspects
For your Bash Barbarian build in the endgame of Diablo 4, these are the top Legendary Aspects to consider:
| Aspect | Power | Dungeon | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspect of Ancestral Echoes | Summons an Ancient to perform the same Skill | Ancient Reservoir | Hawezar |
| Aspect of Ancestral Force | Increased damage for Hammer of the Ancients | Sunken Ruins | Scosglen |
| Aspect of Berserk Ripping | Inflicts additional Bleeding damage while Berserking | Mournfield | Dry Steppes |
| Aspect of the Dire Whirlwind | Increased Critical Strike Chance for Whirlwind | Garan Moon | Scosglen |
| Brawler’s Aspect | Enemies explode dealing damage when killed | Haunted Refuge | Hawezar |
| Death Wish Aspect | Gain Thorns while Berserking | Penitent Cairns | Scosglen |
| Earthstriker’s Aspect | Increased Overpower damage after weapon swaps | Maugan’s Works | Hawezar |
| Veteran Brawler’s Aspect | Increased damage for Charge, Leap, or Kick | Heretic’s Asylum | I develop |
| Aspect of Bul-Kathos | Leap creates an Earthquake and increases Damage Reduction | Light’s Refuge | Hawezar |
| Aspect of Numbing Wrath | Grants Fortify for Fury generation | Heathen’s Keep | Hawezar |
| Aspect of Tempering Blows | Gain Fortify after swapping weapons | Defiled Catacomb | Fractured Peaks |
| Aspect of the Iron Warrior | Iron Skin grants Unstoppable and Damage Reduction | Carrion Field | Dry Steppes |
| Iron Blood Aspect | Damage Reduction based on nearby Bleeding enemies | Forgotten Ruins | I develop |
| Aspect of Anemia | Chance to Stun Bleeding or Vulnerable enemies | Kor Dragan Barracks | Fractured Peaks |
| Relentless Berserker’s Aspect | Extends Berserking duration on Core Skill hit | Hook’s Refuge | I develop |
| Aspect of Vocalized Empowerment | Generates Primary Resource from Shout Skills | Sirocco Caverns | I develop |
| Slaking Aspect | Chance to gain Fury and increase Maximum Fury | Maulwood | Fractured Peaks |
| Aspect of the Relentless Armsmaster | Increased Fury Generation and reduced cost | Calibel’s Mine | Scosglen |
| Aspect of Perpetual Stomping | Resets Leap’s Cooldown with Kick or Ground Stomp | Charnel House | Dry Steppes |
Don’t forget, you also have the option to remove these Aspects from their original item and transfer them to a different item of your choice.
Paragon Board
200 Paragon points to spend.
Once you have progressed to the endgame of Season 5 by completing the story, reaching level 50, and unlocking the Paragon Board, you are able to switch to the endgame Bash Barbarian build. This build is similar to the one used during leveling, but with essential changes in point distribution that will be discussed in the following section.
Best Glyphs
Glyphs initially have a 3-radius, but once you reach level 15, they will expand to 4. Continue to advance through Nightmare Dungeons in order to gain Glyph experience and increase the value of your Glyphs in terms of loot.
The level is now at 15.
- Exploit
- Ire
- Might
- Territorial
- Undaunted
- Wrath
Stage 21
- Crusher
- Enraged
- Restorative
- Grit
- Revel
- Conditioned
Optimal endgame gear setup
| Item | Socket | Item type | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown of Lucion | Ruby for extra life | Helm | Each time you use a Skill with a Resource Cost, you gain increased damage. Plus, Resource Cost is increased for 4 seconds, stacking up 5 times. |
| Runic Mail of Might | 2 Rubies for extra life | Chest | Basic Skills grant Damage Reduction. |
| Paingorger’s Gauntlets | – | Glove | Damaging enemies with non-basic skills marks them. When Basic skills hit a marked enemy, damage is echoed. |
| Runic Leggins of the Iron Warrior | 2 Rubies for extra life | Pants | Iron Skins grants Unstoppable and damage reduction. |
| Hectic Runic Cleats | – | Boots | After casting Basic Skills, one of your cooldowns is reduced. |
| Bonebreaker of the Moonrise | 2 Topaz for extra Basic Damage | Melee Weapon 1 | When you damage an enemy with a Basic skill, you get increased attack speed. |
| Shard of Verathiel | Topaz for extra Basic Damage | Melee Weapon 2 | Basic Skills deal increased damage but cost more. |
| Rapid Obsidian Blade | Topaz for extra Basic Damage | Melee Weapon 3 | Basic Skills gain extra Attack Speed. |
| Demonblade of the Inner Calm | 2 Topaz for extra Basic Damage | Melee Weapon 4 | Deal increased damage. |
| Amulet of Adaptability | Emerald for Poison Resistance | Amulet | When cast below Maximum Resource, Basic Skills generate Primary Resource. |
| Starlight Band | Diamond for Resistance to all Elements | Ring | Gain Primary Resource for life healed. |
| Band of Anger Management | Sapphire for Cold Resistance | Ring | While above Fury, you are Berserk. |
To obtain some of the top loot this season, be sure to regularly farm Mother’s Gifts and defeat Infernal Hordes.
Best Bash Barbarian Build in Diablo 4 Season 5
Using the Bash Barbarian build is a great option for PvP. By striving towards the optimal endgame build, you can confidently dominate the PvP meta with your character.
The Bash Barbarian is known for its high damage output, but it is also one of the most durable class and build options available, making it challenging for enemies to break through your defenses.
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