4 Previously ignored builds that became meta in Diablo 4 Season 9

Occasionally, forgotten/ignored Diablo 4 builds become meta again, and there's no exception in Season 9. A few builds either didn’t exist as we know them or simply weren’t worth playing, and all of a sudden, now they’re en vogue! I’m always a fan of seeing either new or forgotten ways to play a class come back and become popular. I didn’t want to target builds that were A-Tier because those aren’t “forgotten.”

These are builds that either didn’t exist/weren’t used/not considered viable but feel so much better for one reason or another in the current meta. Diablo 4 Season 9 has been a fascinating season, and we have quite a few builds that were otherwise ignored but are back now.

Previously ignored builds that came back in Diablo 4 Season 9’s meta

1) Pulverize Druid

Pulverize builds are absolutely back, and better than ever (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

A combination of the Horadric Spells and the new Rotting Lightbringer Unique give Pulverize Druid an incredible new life in Diablo 4 Season 9. B-Tier at best, it’s suddenly a wildly powerful build, where you just need one button to smash through even the highest levels of The Pit.

When you combine the Rotting Lightbringer’s ability to create pools of poison with Pulverize — with the additional poison power of the Horadric Infusion — enemies wither away and die under the might of the Druid. It takes some work and can require some resource management, but it’s certainly worth playing.

2) Shadowblight Necromancer

Shadowblight + Soulrift = a real problem for anything coming out of Hell (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

No matter how many times Diablo 4 nerfs Soulrift, it finds a way back into the spotlight. I don’t recall Shadowblight builds really being that popular, especially when you compare it to the sheer dominance that Blood Wave had (and still, somehow, still has). Changes to Shadowblight made it a powerful option once again if you have all the right tools.

With Ebonpeircer, alongside the Shadow Infusion and a few other Uniques, this build can be absolutely bonkers. You trigger so many instances of free shadow damage and so much Blight. I’m a huge fan of this build, and if it weren’t for the fact that I’m running Hand of Naz Mendeln Necro, I’d probably be playing this instead.

3) Hydra Sorcerer

Hydra Sorcerer is easily top-tier this season. It's fun, and it's powerful to boot (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

You could play a Hydra Sorcerer in Diablo 4 before Season 9, but why would you? There were literal dozens of builds that were better, stronger, faster. Now, thanks to a new Unique (Ophidian Iris) and the Horadric Spell combos, Hydra Sorcerer is easily the most overpowered build in the game right now.

It can also take advantage of the Infinite damage trick for Sorcerers, though I expect that to be patched any day now. Instead of having tons of heads for a Hydra, you just get a bigger and bigger one, like some kind of horrifying Kaiju. This build is amazing fun.

4) Thorns Barbarian

Thorns enjoyers, rise up! You have nothing to lose but your chains! (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

That’s right, Thorns is back! My favorite way to play Barbarian is a playable, viable build again! Rise up, Razorplate owners! I think a large part of it comes down to the Jagged Bramble Arcana. It gives you Lucky Hit: Damage from your Catalyst has up to a 50% chance to deal 300% of your Thorns damage.

That is a gigantic burst of damage. This, combined with Vulnerable, and the Disintegrate Catalyst, you can shred groups of enemies without much effort. However, it does need some major Mythics (Doombringer, Harlequin’s Crest) to get the most out of it, alongside of course, the Unique Razorplate. It’s not as great at bossing, but is a speed farming machine.

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About the author

Jason is an Esports and Gaming journalist at Sportskeeda holding an amazing 11 years of experience under his belt. Having put out 4000-plus articles and amassing over 12 million reads for Sportskeeda, he is among the company’s most experienced writers. Jason holds a Bachelor's degree in English from UNC Pembroke and was inspired to become a gaming journalist very early on in life after reading Nintendo Power.

Jason is a jack of all trades when it comes to gaming journalism. He’s a key writer in Sportskeeda's MMO department, but he also likes to help out in other categories, like streamers, RPG, card games, and whatever else is needed. A solo gamer at heart, Jason's favorite titles include Earthbound and Dragon Warrior.

Jason places high value on accuracy and relevance in his write-ups. He achieves this with thorough research to sift facts from rumors. One of the biggest highlights of his career is his interview with Canadian pro wrestler Kenny Omega about his inclusion in the Like a Dragon game series. He is also good friends with journalist Kazumo Hashimoto, who he admires for the kind of stories he works on and his deep ethics.

A true cinephile, one of Jason’s primary hobbies involves enjoying cinematic experiences. He also loves reading, be it fiction or manga, when not working. Additionally, he streams on Twitch and posts his gaming insights on YouTube.

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Edited by Jason Parker