Diablo 4: Crushing Hand Spiritborn build guide

The Crushing Hand Spiritborn is a decent pick for Diablo 4 players looking to play something tanky, that still deals solid damage. While it’s not the most powerful build for the class, it has advantages like not requiring a mountain of Uniques to make it work. You do need to have a few Legendary Aspects, but that’s far less of a challenge. While it won’t be at the top of The Pit leaderboard, Crushing Hand still works, and is fun to play.

I’m a big fan of tanky builds, personally, and this one’s one of the more enjoyable builds for me to play as a Spiritborn. If you want to know how to set up a Crushing Hand Spiritborn build in Diablo 4, we’re here to help. This is an endgame build though, so do keep that in mind before getting started.

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How the Diablo 4 Crushing Hand Spiritborn build works

There’s a real simple reason why I love Crushing Hand Spiritborn in Diablo 4: It’s a Poison build! It’s a build reliant on Critical Hits, Poison Damage, and getting around quickly. While Crushing Hand is the primary skill, it’s the Poison that comes from Critical Hits (Noxious Resonance Key Passive) that really makes it tick. The more Critical Strike Damage you have, the harder this build hits.

It's all about the power of the Crushing Hand (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

However, while it’s not reliant on specific Uniques, you do need one Mythic Unique to get the most out of it: Heir of Perdition. The +20% Critical Strike chance is important, because you want to crit as often as possible. It also requires several Legendary Aspects: Duelist’s, Interdiction, Redirected Force, Creeping Death. As far as abilities, we run the following:

• Armored HIde
• Crushing Hand
• The Hunter
• Scourge
• Ravager
• Counterattack

Playing the build is pretty simple, while setting it up can be frustrating, due to the Tempering and Legendary Aspects required for Diablo 4’s Crushing Hand Spiritborn. You want to use the following abilities in your rotation:

• Ravager (use on Cooldown)
• Scourge (Poisons enemies)
• Counterattack (Increase Crit Strike Passively, dodges attacks)
• Armored Hide (Defensive Cooldown)
• The Hunter (More damage)
• Crushing Hand (attack to spam as often as you can)

As this is a Poison Build, it won’t shock you to learn that your primary Season 8 boss power is Ashava’s Poison Breath. Just defeat her as a World Boss to claim it. The powerful wave of acid it drops is incredible. As your modifiers, you want Avarice’s Explosive Ore, Andariel’s Flaming Skull, and Hatred’s Embrace’s Hate.

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Talents and Spirit Hall choices for the Crushing Hand Spiritborn in Diablo 4

Ignore Subo there - he got replaced shortly after taking this (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

The talent picks for Crushing Hand Spiritborn are pretty simple in Diablo 4. One thing I’ve noticed is that players are shifting away from fewer ranks in skills, to get more passives, and that makes sense. You can always get ranks in most things you need through gear, and having more passives gives you a ton of extra damage and survivability.

• Rock Splitter (Enhanced)
• Crushing Hand x5 (Enhanced, Advantageous)
• Vigorous x3
• Focal Point x1
• Apex x3
• Diminishment x3
• Mirage x1
• Unrestrained Power x3
• Ravager x1 (Enhanced, Measured)
• Endurance x1
• Fueled x1
• Perseverance x3
• Armored Hide x5 (Enhanced)
• Counterattack x5
• Patient Guard x1
• Auspicious x1
• Scourge x1 (Enhanced, Reinforced)
• Resilient x3
• Dominant x1
• Potent x3
• Resolution x3
• Spiritual Attunement x3
• Supremacy x3
• The Hunter x5 (Harmonious, Exalted)
• Noxious Resonance

With the Spiritborn’s Spirit Hall, you can adjust your skills, by picking either one or two Spirit Guardians to focus on. We’re using Centipede Primary for the extra Poison/Slow/Damage Reduction that comes from using Centipede skills, and it makes all Skills Centipede skills.

The Secondary skill is Gorilla, for increased Resolve, and the ability to become Unstoppable at 5 stacks of Resolve. It’s a pretty simple choice, to be honest.

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Which Mercenaries are essential for a Crushing Hand Spiritborn?

Mercenaries are an important part of any build, provided you have the Vessel of Hatred expansion. It may not come as a surprise, but I value tankiness/survivability over everything, and for that reason, I want Raheir primary, Varyana secondary.

Raheir’s skill picks

• Ground Slam
• Raheir’s Aegis
• Bastion
• Inspiration

Varyana’s skill pick

• Varyana, connected to Ravager

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Paragon Loadout for a Crushing Hand Spiritborn in Diablo 4

Paragon Boards are frustrating, but worthwhile to fill out (Image via Blizzard Entertainment/D4Builds)

Below you’ll find the Paragon Board Loadout for this Diablo 4 build. However, this is the final endgame build, with level 46 Glyphs in it. It’s a pretty easy route to follow though. I tend to go towards each board in order, unlocking what I can on a main route, and coming back for side branches later. Also keep in mind that you have to grind the Glyphs, and unlock them, which can also be quite time consuming.

• Starting Board (Bane Glyph)
• North to Viscous Shield (Fitness Glyph)
• West to Revealing - Three Rotations (Canny Glyph)
• North from Viscous Shield to Convergence - Three Rotations (Spirit Glyph)
• East from Viscous Shield to Sapping (Menagerist Glyph)

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Ideal gear and Legendary Aspects for Diablo 4’s Crushing Hand Spiritborn

Gear Slot	Gear Affixes	Tempering Affixes	Legendary Aspect
Helm	Critical Strike Chance, Lucky Hit Chance, Movement Speed, Ranks to Core Skills	N/A (Heir to Perdition)	N/A (Heir to Perdition
Chest	Damage Reduction, Movement Speed, Resistance All Elements, Maximum Resistance	Crushing Hand Size, Ranks of Resilient	Disobedience until Tyrael's Might
Gloves	Attack Speed, Dexterity, Critical Strike Damage	Armored Hide Active Thorns Bonus, Critical Strike Damage	Conceited
Pants	Dexterity, Armor, Maximum Life	Armored Hide Active Thorns Bonus, Maximum Life	Interdiction
Boots	Movement Speed, Vigor per Second, Maximum Life	Movement Speed, Crushing Hand Size	Duelist's
Amulet	Attack Speed, Dexterity, Maximum Life	Critical Strike Damage, The Hunter CDR	Redirected Force
Ring #1	Lucky Hit: Chance to make enemies Vulnerable, Attack Speed, Critical Strike Damage	Critical Strike Damage, The Hunter CDR	Accelerating
Ring #2	Attack Speed, Critical Strike Chance, Lucky Hit Chance, Ranks to Core Skills	N/A (Ring of Starless Skies)	N/A (Ring of Starless Skies)
Weapon	Quarterstaff 45% Block Chance, Dexterity, Maximum Life, Critical Strike Damage	Critical Strike Damage, Chance for Crushing Hand to Extra Hit	Creeping Death

In the above sheet, you’ll find the ideal Affixes you want, and the Tempering Affixes you need. You’ll also find the necessary Legendary Aspects you need on top of that. This is the best case scenario, mind.

While the Crushing Hand Spiritborn build doesn’t require a ton of Uniques, there are three Mythics that make it work better, and Heir of Perdition is all but required. If you have enough Crit, it might make up for that until you have this one.

In addition, you want Tyrael’s Might (Use Disobedience Aspect until then) and Ring of Starless Skies. When it comes to Gems, you want Emerald in Helmet and Pants, Skulls in your Jewelry, and a pair of Rune Combos in your Chest/Weapon.

• Rune Combo #1: Igni + Que (Stores Offering, unleashes as Druid’s Earthen Bulwark)
• Rune Combo #2: Cir + Ohm (Cast 5 skills to build Offering, triggers Barbarian’s War Cry)

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Check out our other Diablo 4 guides and features

• Diablo 4 Season 8 review
• Diablo 4 Roadmap for 2025: All upcoming Seasons and features
• Diablo 4: What does it mean if your item “has been blocklisted”?