Diablo 4: Azurewrath Penetrating Shot Rogue build guide

Season 9 of Diablo 4 introduced multiple nerfs to the Rogue class, effectively limiting the potential of Rogue builds like the Deathtrap Rogue and Twisting Blades. While the nerfing remains active across all classes, some older items are taking up the spotlight — in this case, Azurewrath. You can acquire this ancestral unique by defeating either Duriel or Andariel. The build rotates around triggering the lucky hit chance for cold damage.

In this guide we will walk you through the necessary steps and items you’ll need to progress in this build.

Also Read: Diablo 4 Season 9: 5 Easiest builds to try for first-time players

Pros and cons: Should you play the Azurewrath Penetrating Shot Rogue build in Diablo 4?

Pros	Cons
Extremely mobile.	Really squishy in the early game.
High farming speed.	Needs strategic positioning to unlock full potential.
High kiting capability.

How to play Azurewrath Penetrating Shot Rogue in Diablo 4

Rogues are difficult to play, but the best way to utilize this build is by using items with higher Lucky Hit Chance values (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

The build is based on generating Lucky Hit Chance procs for the Azurewrath ancestral unique in Diablo 4. The best way to achieve this is by using items with higher Lucky Hit Chance values like the Heir of Perdition (up to 54% Lucky Hit Chance with masterworking), Fists of Fate (up to 139.9% Lucky Hit Chance with masterworking), and Ring of Starless Skies (up to 33.8% Lucky Hit Chance with masterworking).

This build requires some specific item farming in Diablo 4, but once it's all good to go, you can deal massive cold damage with every hit.

Diablo 4 Azurewrath Penetrating Shot Rogue Leveling progression guide: Skill Point allotment

While some re-specialization is required on reaching the endgame, focus on what skill is necessary for buffing the build (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

While rogues are excellent at fast clearing and faster level progression is key, it's crucial to allot skill points in the right places from the get-go. Here is how you need to allot your 71 skill points in Diablo 4:

Level (2-3)

Heartseeker
Heartseeker

Level (4-7)

Penetrating Shot
Enhanced Penetrating Shot
Advanced Penetrating Shot
Penetrating Shot

Level (8-15)

Caltrops
Penetrating Shot
Caltrops
Penetrating Shot
Penetrating Shot
Enhanced Caltrops
Methodical Caltrops
Sturdy

Level (16-22)

Dash
Caltrops
Enhanced Dash
Disciplined Dash
Dash
Caltrops
Shadow Step

Level (23-32)

Dash
Enhanced Shadow Step
Caltrops
Smoke Grenade
Disciplined Shadow Step
Dash
Enhanced Smoke Grenade
Subverting Smoke Grenade
Shadow Step
Dash

Level (33-60)

Shadow Clone
Prime Shadow Clone
Supreme Shadow Clone
Smoke Grenade
Shadow Step
Smoke Grenade
Malice
Shadow Step
Malice
Shadow Step
Malice
Smoke Grenade
Smoke Grenade
Exploit
Shadow Clone
Shadow Clone
Shadow Clone
Shadow Clone
Second Wind
Haste
Aftermath
Unto Dawn
Unto Dawn
Close Quarters Combat
Frigid Finesse
Chilling Weight
Unto Dawn
Alchemist's Fortune

Level (61-72)

Second Wind
Haste
Frigid Finesse
Chilling Weight
Frigid Finesse
Chilling Weight
Sturdy
Sturdy
Alchemist's Fortune
Alchemist's Fortune
Deadly Venom
Deadly Venom

Class Specialization

While you can use Combo Points to buff up damage output, but Preparation is key to unlocking the full potential of this build (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

For this build, we will use the Preparation class specialization (unlocks at Level 30). This helps reduce the cooldown of the Shadow Clone ultimate skill by 5 seconds at the expense of 75 energy. Using Shadow Clone will reduce the cooldown of other skills and provide an additional 15% damage reduction for 10 seconds.

While Inner Sight is recommended for the endgame of Diablo 4, in this build it's best to use Preparation to cast the ultimate between shorter intervals.

Skill rotation

Rogues are inherently difficult to play, but once mastered it is one of the most fun and strongest classes in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Use Shadow Clone (repeat as soon as it's available). With Cosmic Anomaly attached to it, deal massive amounts of damage to mobs or single targets while being Unstoppable.
Use Smoke Grenades to apply Poison damage (Subverting) and Caltrops (Methodical) and deal Cold damage and Chill enemies.
Follow through with Penetrating Shots and try to hit as many enemies as possible. Once you have acquired the Eaglehorn unique bow, use its ricochet mechanic to get multiple enemies at a time (requires a bit of tricky kiting).
Move around the battlefield using Dash (Disciplined) and knock down enemies at the end. Use Shadow Step smartly to become Unstoppable and deal massive damage to enemies, which dazes and applies Vulnerable to them.
Keep spamming Penetrating Skit in between skill casts.

Diablo 4 Azurewrath Penetrating Shot Rogue gear requirement

To get the most out of this build, farm for some specific gear in Diablo 4. Since we are solely focusing on the Lucky Hit Chance of the Azurewrath unique item to deal cold damage, we need items that can increase the Lucky Hit Chance.

Unique and Ancestral items

1) Heir of Perdition

+200.0% Damage to Angels and Demons
+20.0% Critical Strike Chance
+20.0% Lucky Hit Chance
+20.0% Movement Speed
+2 to Core Skills
Succumb to hatred and earn Mother's Favor, increasing your damage dealt by 60% [x]. Slaughter enemies to briefly steal Mother's Favor from surrounding allies.

2) Shroud of False Death

+1 to All Passives
+160 All Stats
+333.0% Damage on Next Attack After Entering Stealth
+800 Maximum Life
11.1% Resource Generation
If you haven't dealt damage in the last 2 seconds, gain Stealth and 40%[+] Movement Speed.

3) Fists of Fate (The Beast in the Ice)

+51.8% Lucky Hit Chance
+8.7% Critical Strike Chance
+8.7% Attack Speed
Lucky Hit: Up to a +51.8% Chance to Make Enemies Vulnerable for 3 Seconds

4) Penitent Greaves (Grigoire)

Evade Grants +125% Movement Speed for 2.0 Seconds
Evade Grants Unhindered for 2.0 Seconds
+25.0% Movement Speed
+55.0% Chill Slow Potency
+6.0% Critical Strike Chance Against Chilled Enemies
+60.0% Cold Resistance

5) Eaglehorn (The Beast in the Ice)

+130.0% Vulnerable Damage
+55.0% Chance for Penetrating Shot Projectiles to Cast Twice
+4 to Penetrating Shot
+2 to Malice
+20.0% Attack Speed
Penetrating Shot bounces off walls and deals 80%[x] more damage.

6) Ring of Starless Skies

+12.5% Resistance to All Elements
+12.5% Resistance to All Elements
+26.2% Attack Speed
+18.8% Critical Strike Chance
+18.8% Lucky Hit Chance
+3 to Core Skills
Spending your primary resource reduces the resource cost of your skills and increases your damage by 10% [x] for 3 seconds, up to 50% [x].

7) Azurewrath (Duriel and Andariel)

+85.0% Cold Damage
Lucky Hit: Up to a 40% Chance to Deal +6750 Cold Damage
+65 All Stats
+10.0% Attack Speed
+60.0% Cold Resistance
Your casts with this weapon apply Vulnerable for 3 seconds and chill enemies by 30%.

Aspects

1) Umbrous Aspect

Lucky Hit: Critical Strikes have up to a 65% chance to grant a free Dark Shroud shadow.

2) Vehement Brawler’s Aspect

Casting an Ultimate Skill increases your damage by 45% [x] for 8 seconds. Gain 2 additional Ultimate Skill Ranks.

3) Accelerating Aspect

Critical Strikes with Core Skills increase your Attack Speed by 30.0% [+] for 5 seconds.

4) Trickshot Aspect (Bastion of Faith in Hawezar)

Whenever Penetrating Shot damages an enemy, 2 additional arrows split off to either side. These side arrows deal 30% of Penetrating Shot's base damage and do not split.

Best gems for Azurewrath Penetrating Shot Rogue build

Horadric Jewel

1) Willbreaker (Ring)

+120 Armor and 6% Resistance to All Elements
Physical damage you deal shatters enemies' spirits, causing them to take 40% [x] more physical damage for 6 seconds.
This effect applies when first damaging a boss or elite or when they are affected by crowd control.

2) Brilliant Sigil (Ring)

+120 Armor and 6% Resistance to All Elements
Your infusions are 150% [x] more potent.

3) Elemental Brand (Amulet)

+120 Armor and 6% Resistance to All Elements
Your Catalytic Skill deals 33% weapon damage of your Infusion's Element over 3 seconds.
Lucky Hit: Dealing damage of your Infusion's Element has up to a 33% chance to trigger its secondary effect.

4) Seal of Control (Ring)

+120 Armor and 6% Resistance to All Elements
While you have two or more Arcana from the School of Control equipped, gain 45%[x] Crowd Control Duration and 30%[+] Lucky Hit Chance.

5) Idol From Below (Amulet)

+120 Armor and 6% Resistance to All Elements.
You gain 6%[x] Primary Core Stat, 6%[x] Maximum Life, and Unhindered.
However, you will be hunted in Sanctuary's darkest places by Jewel Guardians who were entombed to protect this relic.

Gems

1) Grand Emerald (chest, boots, both blades)

+60 Dexterity

Rune Craft

1) CirKry

Cir: Cast 5 skills, then become exhausted for 3 seconds.
Kry: Invoke the Spiritborn's Vortex Skill, dealing damage and pulling in enemies.

2) ‍YaxThul

Yax: Drink a Healing Potion.
Thul: Invoke the Sorcerer's Mystical Frost Nova skill, inflicting Freeze and Vulnerable upon enemies.

3) AhuQax

Ahu: Lucky Hit - Up to a 100% chance against non-healthy enemies.
Qax: Casting a skill other than a basic or a defensive one consumes all of your primary resource to increase your damage up to 101.25% for 1 second.

Mercenary and reinforcement

Diablo 4 offers four choices when it comes to Mercenaries. For this build, we will be use

1) Hired

Rahir: Crater skill to pull in enemies and Fortification from Shield Charge.

2) Mercenary

Varyana: Shockwave to deal massive physical damage every time ShadowClone is used.

Paragon Boards and Glyphs:

The target for this build in Diablo 4 Season 9 is to raise the Lucky Hit Chance and Dexterity to deal as much damage as possible with every single attack by procing the Cold damage skill of Azurewrath. For this purpose, we will use the bowling boards and glyphs:

Paragon boards

Eldritch Bounty: You gain 3% [+] Poison, Shadow, and Cold Maximum Resistance. You gain 30% increased Poison, Shadow, and Cold damage.
No Witnesses: Your Ultimate Skills gain an additional 20% [x] damage from your Damage with Ultimate bonus and grant this bonus to all other skills for 10 seconds when cast.
Exploit Weakness: (Lucky Hit) Hitting a Vulnerable enemy has up to a 60% chance to increase your damage by 1% [x] for 25 seconds; this bonus remains for 6 seconds before expiring.
Danse Macabre: Casting a Mobility or Subterfuge Skill increases damage by 30% [x] for 10 seconds.

Glyphs

Devious: Gain a major bonus damage to all crowd controlled enemies.
Control: You deal increased damage to stunned, frozen, chilled, or slowed enemies.
Fluidity: Casting an Agility Skill increases damage output and energy regeneration.
Canny: Enemies take increased non-physical damage from you for 15 seconds.
Headhunter: You deal increased damage to Elite enemies.

Horadric Spellcrafting

Diablo 4 Season 9 introduced a new mechanic to players, allowing a somewhat customizable spellcraft capability to players. This gives extra depth to the game's combat sytem, allowing players to have more damage-dealing capability, be that by buffing or direct damage output. For this build, we will use the bowling setup:

Infusion:

Glacial Nimbus: Catalyst deals cold or Frostbiting damage, chilling enemies for 100%. While equipped, the cold damage bonus is the same as your highest damage type.

Arcana:

Frigid Heart: Catalyst gains a Freeze effect for 5 seconds.
Gleaming Conduit: Catalyst effect size is increased by 50%.
Sharpening Gizmo: (Lucky Hit) Damage from your catalyst has a 50% chance to deal massive physical damage, and the catalyst’s Lucky Hit Chance is doubled.

Catalyst

Catalyst spawns every 5 seconds.
Passive: Manifest five anomalies that massive damage to targets over 4 seconds.
Active: Control your anomalies to converge and explode, dealing massive amounts of damage per explosion.

While most meta Rogue builds have been on the receiving end of heavy nerfs in Season 9, this one is the new star of this season. Rogues are complex and difficult to master, especially early in the game. This guide provides a simplified path to creating one of the strongest Rogue builds in Diablo 4's currenty meta.

Check out our other guides:

About the author

Jagaran is an MMO and ARPG writer at Sportskeeda. His involvement in the gaming industry also includes working as a concept artist and as a narrative designer.
At age of nine, Halo: Combat Evolved kicked off his love for the medium. He looks back fondly on the times he visited cyber cafes, watching the older boys playing the game and shouting, "Master Chief!"
If given a chance to inhabit a game world, he would eagerly jump into the breathtaking world of Halo.
He admires Ben "CohhCarnage" Cassell for his engaging dialogue and gameplay as well as his critical thinking regardless of how much he loves the game, which encouraged him to spend countless hours in games and technically analyze them.
In his free time, he enjoys writing books, cooking, sketching, and the occasional game of football.

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Edited by Angad Sharma