In Diablo 4, Barbarian builds stand out as some of the most thrilling and straightforward options for players, particularly with the Earthquake Barbarian build. This configuration harnesses the power of the Hammer of the Ancients (HotA) in tandem with the unique effects of the Mantle of the Mountain’s Fury to inflict devastating damage on foes. Its versatility makes it particularly effective for tackling the challenges of Tormented difficulty and conquering The Pit with ease.
Visualize jumping across battlefields while wielding a colossal hammer that obliterates waves of enemies with every swing—this is the essence of the Earthquake Barbarian. However, to fully unleash the potential of this build, players must equip specific gear obtained from particular sources.
This guide aims to offer insights on constructing an effective Earthquake Barbarian build in Diablo 4.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Earthquake Barbarian Build
The Earthquake Barbarian Build is renowned for its sheer damage output, particularly against large groups of enemies, while leveraging HotA as the key Area of Effect (AoE) damage skill. However, it may struggle against singular targets, such as bosses or elite enemies, requiring players to master positioning to maximize damage potential. While capable of delivering instant kills against powerful opponents, the build’s reliance on cooldown management and mobility presents certain challenges.
Advantages:
- Exceptional AoE damage enables efficient crowd control.
- Robust Fury generation promotes frequent use of high-damage abilities.
- Synergistic shout skills enhance both survivability and damage output.
- User-friendly and accessible gameplay.
Disadvantages:
- Poor performance against single-target enemies due to Earthquake’s primary role.
- Successfully engaging with elites and bosses requires strategic positioning.
- Limited mobility can hinder combat effectiveness, especially in intensive scenarios.
- Cooldown management of Earthquake remains a challenge during frantic battles.
Playing the Earthquake Barbarian in Diablo 4 Season 7
The Barbarian class is frequently cited as one of the easiest to master in Diablo 4, boasting numerous earth-shattering skills and exceptional survivability. For the Earthquake Barbarian build, the Hammer of the Ancients (HotA) plays a pivotal role, augmented by the Mantle of the Mountain’s Fury armor that grants an extra Earthquake explosion.
To generate Earthquake effects, players will utilize Leap along with the Bul-Kathos Aspect and the ultimate skill, Call of the Ancients, empowered by Arreat’s Bearing. This combination allows Korlic to transform Leap into an Earthquake attack, while the Executioner’s Aspect ensures Overpowers will also trigger Earthquake effects for a duration of four seconds.
With the right gear and skills, this build can unleash tremendous power, making it competitive against bosses in addition to its mob-slaying capabilities.
Core Skills and Abilities
Fundamentals:
- Start by selecting Bash and upgrading it to Enhanced Bash for progression; however, it is not integral to the build.
Core Skills:
- Prioritize Hammer of the Ancients (HotA), which is essential for this build. Its combination with the Mantle of the Mountain’s Fury triggers explosive Earthquake damage.
Defensive Skills:
- Choose Rallying Cry and enhance it to Strategic Rallying Cry, alongside Challenging Shout upgraded to Tactical Challenging Shout for crucial damage reduction and resource management.
Brawling Skills:
- Select War Cry and elevate it to Power War Cry, providing the all-important Berserk capability, plus Leap with the Bul-Kathos Aspect to generate Earthquake effects upon landfall.
Ultimate Skills:
- Opt for Call of the Ancients, which summons three Ancients to assist in battles.
Key Passive Skills:
- Adopt Unconstrained, enabling a constant Berserk state when life drops below 65%, along with a significant damage bonus and damage reduction.
Gameplay Strategy
Combat Routine
- Commence with LeapQuake.
- Activate all shouts.
- Utilize Hammer of the Ancients and Call of the Ancients once they are off cooldown.
- Dominate the battlefield.
Mobbing Strategy
- The Earthquake Barbarian, often referred to as LeapQuake Barb, excels at decimating enemy mobs, erasing hordes with single strikes from LeapQuake attacks.
- Usually, mobs will perish within moments from LeapQuake; if any remain, follow up with Hammer of the Ancients utilizing the Mantle of the Mountain’s Fury for explosive damage.
Bossing Strategy
- While effectively mobbing is straightforward, tackling bosses can pose difficulties. Maximizing damage against a singular target requires meticulous positioning to ensure every hit counts.
- Use Call of the Ancients strategically with Arreat’s Bearing to enhance damage, coupled with mercenaries (Subo and traps in this instance). The bonuses from the ultimate skill and the Ancients provide substantial supplemental damage and survivability.
- The Overpower skill is paramount for inflicting significant damage on bosses, thus ensuring your effectiveness in challenging encounters.
Leveling Progression Guide for Earthquake Barbarian in Diablo 4
During the campaign, promptly invest skill points in reaching the core skill, Hammer of the Ancients, while minimizing skill points spent on less impactful basic skills. This ensures you can maximize damage potential as swiftly as possible.
You will accumulate a total of 71 skill points throughout your gameplay: 59 from levels 2 to 60 and an additional 12 from the Renown system. Focus your allocations on your core skills as you level up.
Skill Point Allocation Overview
Here is how to allocate points from levels 2 to 60:
2. Bash
3. Enhanced Bash
Levels 4-7
4. Hammer of the Ancients
5. Enhanced Hammer of the Ancients
6. Violent Hammer of the Ancients
7. Warpath
Levels 8-15
8. Rallying Cry
9. Challenging Shout
10. Enhanced Challenging Shout
11. Enhanced Rallying Cry
12. Strategic Rallying Cry
13. Tactical Challenging Shout
14. War Cry
15. Leap
Levels 16-22
16. Enhanced Leap
17. Enhanced War Cry
18. Power War Cry
19. Power Leap
20. Leap
21. Hammer of the Ancients
22. Hammer of the Ancients
Levels 23-32
23. Leap
24. Leap
25. Call of the Ancients
26. Prime Call of the Ancients
27. Supreme Call of the Ancients
28. Call of the Ancients
29. Call of the Ancients
30. Leap
31. Hammer of the Ancients
32. Hammer of the Ancients
Levels 33-60
33. Call of the Ancients
34. Heavy Hitter
35. Unconstrained
36. Heavy Hitter
37. Heavy-handed
38. Brute Force
39. Wallop
40. Concussion
41. Heavy Hitter
42. Thick Skin
43. Counteroffensive
44. Thick Skin
45. Thick Skin
46. Counteroffensive
47. Counteroffensive
48. Pit Fighter
49. Pit Fighter
50. Pit Fighter
51. Slaying Strike
52. Slaying Strike
53. Slaying Strike
54. War Cry
55. Booming Voice
56. Guttural Yell
57. Guttural Yell
58. Guttural Yell
59. Booming Voice
60. Booming Voice
(12 skill points received from the Renown System)
61. Challenging Shout
62. Rallying Cry
63. Martial Vigor
64. Imposing Presence
65. Imposing Presence
66. Imposing Presence
67. Martial Vigor
68. Martial Vigor
69. Warpath
70. Warpath
71. Call of the Ancients
72. War Cry
Barbarian Arsenal System in Diablo 4
The Barbarian class features an Arsenal System, allowing players to assign different weapons for each attack skill, with each weapon providing unique bonuses. In this build, equipping a two-handed mace is essential for optimizing Hammer of the Ancients.
For boss encounters, consider setting Bash to this weapon type to maximize both the enhanced Bash version and the Combat Bash specialization.
Within the Technique Slot, equipping the Two-Handed Axe Expertise grants a 10% damage increase against vulnerable enemies. Given the build’s proficiency in inflicting Vulnerable status, achieving this bonus is straightforward.
Optimal Gear for the Earthquake Barbarian Build
Unique Gear Recommendations
To maximize the Earthquake Barbarian’s potential, securing specific unique items is crucial:
- Mantle of Mountain’s Fury: Essential for unleashing explosive AoE damage. Farm the Beast in the Ice for this item.
- Harlequin Helm: This helm enhances defense while adding +4 ranks to all skills. Target Duriel, the King of Maggots, and the Echo of Andariel to obtain it.
- Fists of Fate: A unique item that randomly multiplies damage up to 300%. Acquired from the Beast in the Ice.
- Arreat’s Bearing: Enhances your ultimate skill, Call of the Ancients, allowing Korlic to create an Earthquake. Drop from Lord Zir.
Key Aspects to Enhance Performance
Beyond unique items, several aspects can significantly enhance your Earthquake Barbarian’s capabilities:
- Aspect of Bul-Kathos: Leap now generates an Earthquake that inflicts damage over 5 seconds. Grants 30% damage reduction and boosts Earthquake damage by up to 60%.
- Aspect of Earthquake: While supporting Ground Stomp, this aspect provides an additional 60% damage increase to Earthquakes.
- Executioner’s Aspect: Spawns an Earthquake every 4 seconds when using Overpower, increasing Earthquake damage based on strength.
- Aspect of Incendiary Fissures: Raises Earthquake damage by up to 60%, converting it into fire damage.
- Aspect of Giant Strides: Reduces Leap cooldown by 1.3 to 3.5 seconds per enemy hit, up to a 7-second reduction.
- Bold Chieftain’s Aspect: Casting a shout decreases its cooldown by 10-30% for each nearby enemy, up to 70%.
- Vehement Brawler’s Aspect: Casting your ultimate skill increases damage by up to 30% for 8 seconds while giving +2 ranks to the ultimate skill.
- Aspect of Concussive Strikes: Attacking an enemy grants a 20% chance to daze them for 2 seconds. Dazed targets take up to 25% more damage.
Recommended Gear Stats
To ensure optimal performance, consider tempering certain stats onto your gear. Monitor your stats carefully, as caps influence your priorities according to current gear and Paragon points.
Ideal Endgame Stats for Earthquake Barbarian:
- Armor must be capped.
- Resistance must be capped.
- Minimum of 20,000 life.
- Target 60% reduction on Leap cooldown (under 4 seconds is ideal).
- Achieve over 3,000 strength.
- Maintain over 500% boost to damage against close enemies.
- Attain 60% or more reduction on ultimate skill cooldowns.
- Aim for over 450% damage increase while Berserking.
- Secure 80% or above critical strike chance.
- Accomplish at least 75% chance for Earthquake to trigger twice.
- Extend Earthquake duration by at least 25%.
- Maximize ranks in Hammer of the Ancients.
- Enhance the duration of Call of the Ancients.
- Grow Earthquake size by 70% or more.
- Maximize ranks in Heavy Hitter and Heavy-Handed.
Best Gems for Earthquake Barbarian in Season 7
Gem Recommendations
- Ruby: Boosts armor by +60 strength.
- Hungering Void: Pulls in targets at an 8-second interval.
- Moonlight Ward: Provides additional resistances and overall survivability.
- Friend of the Bog: Boosts max life and core skill stats for enhanced damage output.
Ritual Runes
- Yul+Tec (Ritual and Invocation rune): Grants additional earthquakes when skills with cooldown are cast.
- Bac+Gar (Ritual and Invocation rune): Offers a 2.5% critical strike chance for 5 seconds, up to 25%.
- Igni+Zec: Provides a one-second reduction in ultimate skill cooldown.
Paragon Boards for the Earthquake Barbarian in Diablo 4
Upon reaching level 60 in Diablo 4, Paragon boards become vital for further enhancing your character. You can accumulate up to 300 Paragon points through in-game activities, alongside 28 additional points via the Renown system and Alters of Lilith.
Chosen Paragon Boards
Select the following five boards, beginning with the initial board:
- Beginning
- Weapons Master
- Decimator
- Blood Rage
- Force of Nature
Top Glyphs for Leveling with Earthquake Barbarian
- Rumble: Enhances Earthquake damage.
- Challenger: Increases damage against elites.
- Might: Provides increased damage to healthy enemies wielding two-handed weapons.
- Marshal: Reduces all skill cooldowns post-shout and boosts overall damage.
- Ire: Lessens damage received while Berserking and heightens damage against close enemies.
Effective Witchcraft Powers for Earthquake Barbarian Builds in Diablo 4
In Season 7 of Diablo 4, the introduction of Witchcraft Powers and Occult Gems adds a layer of depth to build customization. With 25 available powers, players can equip six concurrent powers across four synergy schools: Eldritch, Growth and Decay, Psyche, and Lost.
The following Witchcraft Powers are optimal for this build:
- Piranhado: Automatically groups enemies together.
- Soul Harvest: Boosts core stats based on the density of defeated foes.
- Twilight Warding: Provides a 30% barrier of maximum life for 5 seconds.
- Force of Will: Enhances Overpower damage by up to 100% following a kill.
- Grow: Enlarges allied minions and comrades, amplifying their damage for 15 seconds after activating the ultimate skill.
- Aura of Siphoning: Creates an area where enemies sustain 80% poison damage per second.
Mercenary System Overview
The mercenary system, introduced with the Vessel of Hatred expansion in Diablo 4, further complements this build through strategic utilization of hired allies and reinforcements. For the Earthquake Barbarian, employing Subo and Rahir is highly effective.
- Hired Mercenary: Subo excels with the Cover Fire skill, dealing physical harm while simultaneously slowing enemies by 50% for 4 seconds.
- Reinforcement: Utilize Rahir, specifically his Crater skill, which draws enemies closer during the use of your ultimate skill, Call of the Ancients.
The Earthquake Barbarian remains a standout choice in Diablo 4 due to its formidable strength and scalability. With the right leveling approach and gear, this build can adeptly clear even the most challenging content the game has to offer. May the wisdom and fury of Bul-Kathos guide you to victory.