Diablo 4 relies on a long, wildly influential tradition established by the first two Diablo games. The jaw-dropping gameplay and storytelling of Diablo 2 set a standard that most ARPGs are still judged by to this day, including Diablo 4. It should come as no surprise then that Blizzard chose the most popular classes of the franchise to use in their newest installment.
There are no restrictions on which class can be chosen first in Diablo 4. Indeed, any class can be a good choice depending on people’s playstyle. However, there’s one class that makes it as easy as possible to get into Diablo 4, especially for players that are entirely new to the franchise.
The Best Class To Start Diablo 4 With: Barbarian
The best class to pick up first in Diablo 4 is the Barbarian, but not necessarily for the reasons one might assume. True, it is a less complicated class, but it does have its own complexity and nuance. The Barbarian is also a seemingly unkillable demon-murdering machine, and that helps too.
The Barbarian of Diablo 4 isn’t a dumb meat shield with a big sword like the class can be in other games. The Arsenal system, for example, allows the Barbarian to equip four weapons at once. Each of these weapons can be assigned to skills that require them. There’s also a system called Weapon Expertise, in which the Barbarian gets bonuses based on their level of expertise with certain weapons. The bonuses are extraordinary, so using the same weapon type consistently is rewarded. These two systems work together to create a huge potential for build diversity.
How to Get Started with the Barbarian
Getting started with the Barbarian is pretty straightforward, but as the Barbarian gains skills, slots, and new features, the complexity ramps up quickly. All f the skills and features are fun, but there are a few that stand out.
For the first few levels, Barbarians should focus on testing different weapons to determine what they want to focus on. Diablo 4 offers no shortage of loot, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to try one of everything.
The first skills players should get as the Barbarian are Lunging Strike, Bash, and Rend. Players will also want to pick up Enhanced Lunging Strike and Enhanced Bash. This set of attacks will be all they need until they unlock the rest of their action bar. These skills allow for an attack pattern that goes like this:
- Lunging Strike charges an enemy and heals the Barbarian.
- Repeated Bash attacks damage and stun the enemy, which Fortifies the Barbarian.
- Rend makes a sweeping attack that causes bleeding to everyone caught in it.
Those three attacks used judiciously will keep the Barbarian healed, fortified beyond maximum health, and dealing incredible damage. As long as the Barbarian is outfitted in gear with the right stats, this attack pattern will work like a charm.
After players have unlocked the rest of their action bar, the Barbarian gets more freedom and many more attacks to use. Whirlwind and Ground Stomp are great choices, but so are many of the others. At this point, players will be well-versed enough to make their own choices, but keeping an eye out for builds others have made isn’t a bad idea.
Diablo 4 launches June 6 on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5.