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Diablo 4 Season 9 Sins of the Horadrim delivered some of the most powerful unique items across all classes. For Barbarians, we have the Hooves of the Mountain God, which lets you utilize the full potential of the Lunging Strike skill in Diablo 4's endgame. This build revolves around cleaving enemies using the Lunging Strike Barbarian Skill, which successfully procs the Rage of Harrogath unique chest armor.
In this guide, we will explain how to properly build the Lunging Strike Barbarian in Season 9 of Diablo 4.
Also Read: Diablo 4: Best Spiritborn build to try in Season 9 (Jaguar with Balazan's)
Pros and cons
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How to play Lunging Strike Barbarian in Diablo 4 Season 9
Lunging Strike (Battle) is used to proc the effect on Rage of Harrogath to lower your cooldowns by one second, allowing faster skill rotations. Additionally, Hooves of the Mountain God allows you to deal tremendous amounts of cleaving damage to the enemies.
Alongside these two items, the Paingorger’s Gauntlets mark enemies when damaged with any non-basic skill you have. Marked targets take massive amounts of damage from your basic skill, which in this case is the Lunging Strike. Rallying Cry, War Cry, and Challenging Shout allow you to maintain some much-needed damage reduction (Unstoppable, Fortify) and a lot of multiplicative damage (Berserking) buffs along with Fury regeneration.
The Aspect of Earthquake is a must-have if you want your Ground Stop skill to create Earthquakes and instantly deal extremely high physical damage. This also increases the damage output for the next four seconds.
Wrath of the Berserker is a great Ultimate skill choice, allowing you to keep up Unstoppable and Berserking while pulling enemies into your Lunging Strike.
Also Read: Diablo 4 Boss loot drop table cheat sheet (Season 9)
Skill rotation
- At the start of the battle, pull in all nearby enemies with the Wrath of the Berserker, gaining significant amounts of Fury generation and increased damage.
- Cast all buffing skills, like Rallying Cry, War Cry, and Challenging Shout, and gain some defenses and increase your attack damage.
- Spam Lunging Strike and keep it going, dealing massive damage.
- Cast Ground Stomp in between and destroy your enemies with Earthquakes and reset the Ultimate skill.
- Keep spamming Lunging Strike. Rinse and repeat.
Diablo 4 leveling progression guide: Skill Point allotment
Lunging Strike is key to this build, from the beginning to the endgame. Some minor leveling adjustments may be required, especially in the endgame. Here’s how to spend the skill points to get the most out of Lunging Strike in Diablo 4 Season 9:
Level (2-3)
- Lunging Strike
- Enhanced Lunging Strike
Level (4-7)
- Pressure Point
- Warpath
- Lunging Strike
- Battle Lunging Strike
Level (8-15)
- Ground Stomp
- Lunging Strike
- Challenging Shout
- Enhanced Challenging Shout
- Endless Fury
- Rallying Cry
- Tempered Fury
- Enhanced Rallying Cry
Level (16-22)
- Enhanced Ground Stomp
- Strategic Ground Stomp
- Lunging Strike
- Strategic Rallying Cry
- Tactical Challenging Shout
- Lunging Strike
- Endless Fury
Level (23-32)
- Rallying Cry
- Challenging Shout
- Wrath of the Berserker
- War Cry
- Challenging Shout
- Enhanced War Cry
- Ground Stomp
- Ground Stomp
- Rallying Cry
- Wrath of the Berserker
Level (33-60)
- War Cry
- Belligerence
- Martial Vigor
- Warpath
- Imposing Presence
- Aggressive Resistance
- Guttural Yell
- Booming Voice
- Prolific Fury
- Pit Fighter
- Slaying Strike
- No Mercy
- Thick Skin
- Counteroffensive
- Mighty War Cry
- Prime Wrath of the Berserker
- Supreme Wrath of the Berserker
- Unconstrained
- War Cry
- Wrath of the Berserker
- Wrath of the Berserker
- Wrath of the Berserker
- Heavy Hitter
- Invigorating Fury
- Pit Fighter
- Pit Fighter
- No Mercy
- Aggressive Resistance
Level (61-72)
- Booming Voice
- Belligerence
- Belligerence
- Martial Vigor
- No Mercy
- Slaying Strike
- Slaying Strike
- Thick Skin
- Thick Skin
- Counteroffensive
- Ground Stomp
- Counteroffensive
Arsenal for the Lunging Strike Barbarian
Weapon technique
We will be using the Two-Handed Axe in the Technique Slot of this build. Here are the effects of using the Two-Handed Axe:
- Increased 10% multiplicative damage to Vulnerable enemies.
- Additive 10% Critical Strike Chance towards Vulnerable enemies.
We will be keeping the Vulnerable uptime with the Astral Pillar Catalyst.
Diablo 4 Leveling Gear and Aspects
For this build to work, the following items are necessary. Acquiring them can be a bit tricky and require some targeted farming. So keep an eye out for the following items:
Best unique items to look for in D4
1) Harlequin Crest
- 20.0% Cooldown Reduction
- +800 Maximum Life
- +18 Maximum Resource
- +350 Armor
- Gain 20% Damage Reduction. In addition, gain +4 Ranks to all Skills.
2) Rage of Harrogath (Grigoire, The Galvanic Saint)
- +457 Maximum Life
- 12.5% Damage Reduction from Bleeding Enemies
- +8.0% Critical Strike Chance
- +95.0% Damage Over Time
- Lucky Hit: Inflicting Bleeding on an enemy has up to a 60% chance to reduce the Cooldowns of your Skills by 1.0 second.
3) Paingorger's Gauntlets (The Beast in the Ice)
- +10.0% Attack Speed
- +4 to Basic Skills
- 8.8% Cooldown Reduction
- Lucky Hit: Up to a +22.5% Chance to Stun for 2 Seconds
- Damaging enemies with a Non-Basic Skill cast marks them for 3 seconds. When a Basic Skill first hits a marked enemy, the Basic Skill's damage is echoed to all marked enemies, dealing 125% [x] increased damage.
4) Tibault's Will (Duriel, Andariel)
- +65 All Stats
- +457 Maximum Life
- +16 Maximum Resource
- 15.0% Damage Reduction while Unstoppable
- You deal 20% [x] increased damage while Unstoppable and for 5 seconds after. When you become Unstoppable, gain 50 of your Primary Resource.
5) Hooves of the Mountain God
- Attacks Reduce Evade's Cooldown by 2.5 Seconds
- +23.0% Movement Speed
- +10 Fury per Second
- +25.0% Basic Attack Speed
- +3 to Belligerence
- Casting a Basic Skill while at Maximum Fury causes your Fury to increasingly Drain until you run out, during which your Basic skills now cleave, dealing 100% [x] increased damage.
6) Shard of Verathiel (Infernal Hordes)
- +50.0% Damage
- +65 All Stats
- +2 to Basic Skills
- +25.0% Basic Attack Speed
- +16 Maximum Resource
- Basic Skills deal 150% [x] increased damage but additionally cost 25 Primary Resource.
7) Ramaladni's Magnum Opus (Lord Zir)
- +50.0% Damage
- +50.0% Critical Strike Damage
- +121 Strength
- +21 Maximum Resource
- +65.0% Overpower Damage
- Skills using this weapon deal 0.50% [x] increased damage per point of Fury you have, but 10 Fury Drains per second.
8) The Grandfather
- +150.0% Damage
- Ignore Durability Loss
- +220 All Stats
- +300.0% Damage
- +1,800 Maximum Life
- +20 Maximum Resource
- Increases your Critical Strike Damage by 100% [x]. The other properties of this weapon can roll higher than normal.
9) Ring of Starless Skies
- +12.5% Resistance to All Elements
- +12.5% Resistance to All Elements
- +17.5% Attack Speed
- +12.5% Critical Strike Chance
- +12.5% Lucky Hit Chance
- +2 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].
Best Aspects to look for in D4
1) Aspect of the Moonrise
- Damaging an enemy with a Basic Skill grants you 4% Attack Speed for 10 seconds, stacking up to five times.
- Upon reaching maximum stacks, you enter a Vampiric Bloodrage, gaining 120%[x] Basic Skill damage and 15% Movement Speed for 10 seconds.
2) Aspect of Adaptability
- Basic Skills generate five additional Primary Resources, once per Skill.
- Basic Skills deal 0.90% [x] increased damage for each point of Primary Resource you have.
3) Aspect of Earthquakes
- Ground Stomp creates an Earthquake, damaging enemies for 1,242 Physical damage over four seconds. While standing in Earthquakes and for four seconds afterwards, you deal 60% [x] increased damage.
- Your Earthquakes deal 60% increased damage.
Best Tempering and Modifiers guide
- Chance for Lunging Strike to Cast Twice
- Strength
- Ultimate Skill Cooldown Reduction
- Armor
- All Resistance
- Maximum Life
- Movement Speed
Best gems for the Lunging Strike Barbarian build
Horadric Jewel
1) Idol From Below
- +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.
2) Willbreaker
- +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 six seconds.
- This effect applies when first damaging a Boss or Elite, or when they are affected by Crowd Control.
3) Luminate Eye
- +120 Armor and 6% Resistance to All Elements
- Your Catalytic Skill gains 25% [x] Cooldown Reduction.
Horadric Crest (Optional)
- +120 Armor and 6% Resistance to All Elements
- For each Arcana from a unique School you have equipped, gain 5% Damage Reduction and 1% [+] Maximum Resistance to All Elements.
Gems
- Grand Emerald (Weapons): 72% additive Critical Strike Damage.
- Grand Ruby (Armor): +60 Strength.
Runewords
1) CirThul
- Invoke the Sorcerer's Mystical Frost Nova Skill, inflicting Freeze and Vulnerable onto enemies. This helps with Vulnerable upkeep in combat.
2) ZanXan (works with Ahu as well)
- Your next attack will cause your hits to be a guaranteed Critical Strike and Overpower the enemies for 0.35 seconds.
Seasonal Power: Horadric Spellcrafting
Season 9 of Diablo 4 introduced the Horadric Spellcrafting system, which lets you do another layer of customization to your combat. For this build, we will be using:
Catalyst
1) Astral Pillar
- Create an Ethereal Column that taunts enemies for 4.9 seconds.
- Taunted enemies become Vulnerable.
- Staying near it causes it to shoot out waves that deal 1,127% multiplicative damage.
Infusion
1) Smoldering Ember
- Catalyst now deals Fire damage.
- Has a 10% chance to ignite enemies for 1,215% multiplicative damage for 5 seconds.
- This also deactivates the Chilling Wind effect on monsters for 8 seconds.
Arcana
1) Invigorating Helix
- Every five seconds, you receive Fortify from your catalyst, and it also heals you for 10% of your maximum life.
2) Fractured Core
- Catalyst now deactivates the Damage Resistance Aura on monsters for eight seconds.
- You take 15% increased damage during the eight-second duration.
3) Bloody Charm
- Execute non-boss enemies with 20% or less life.
- Astral Pillar will shoot out additional waves towards executable enemies to execute them.
Tranquil Stone (Optional)
- Gain Unstoppable for five seconds.
Mercenary and reinforcement
For the Lunging Strike Barbarian build, we will be using the following Mercenary setup:
1) Hired Mercenary
Raheir
- Shield Charge: Deals massive physical damage and Taunts the enemies for 4 seconds. Additionally, it also applies Fortify on you for 5% of your max life.
- Raheir’s Guard: Grants you 15% additive Armor.
- Crater: Pulls in enemies, dealing moderate Physical damage and stunning enemies for 2 seconds.
- Iron Wolf’s Call: When Rahir is triggered, for the next 10 seconds your 4 Core skills deal 25% multiplicative damage without resource cost.
2) Reinforcement Mercenary
Varyana
- Bloodthirst: Grants 10% additive Attack Speed to you for 7 seconds.
Best Paragon Board and Glyphs
The paragon system is a must if you want to conquer the endgame of Diablo 4. Here's how you can achieve that:
Boards
1) Blood Rage
- Killing Bleeding enemies has a 10% chance to give you Berserking for five seconds.
- While Berserking, your damage is increased by 45% multiplicatively.
2) Decimator
- You deal 20% [x] increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
- Your Overpower deals 20% [x] increased damage.
3) Warbringer
- Gain 15% of your maximum life as Fortify for every 75 Fury spent by you.
4) Weapon’s Master
- Swapping weapons grants you 8% of your maximum Fury.
- You deal 30% increased damage to both Healthy and Injured enemies.
Glyphs
1) Ambidextrous
- While using one-handed weapons, you deal 8% [x] increased damage.
- Increase damage by 10.4% [x].
2) Wrath
- Skills that deal Critical Strikes generate three Fury.
- Increase Critical Strike Damage by 14.2% [x].
3) Revenge
- Dealing Thorns damage to an enemy increases all damage up to 15% [x] for 10 seconds.
- Increase damage by 10.4%.
4) Marshal
- After casting a Shout skill, the cooldown of every other non-Shout skill is reduced by 2 seconds.
- Increase damage by 10.4% [x].
5) Challenger
- Deal 10% [x] increased damage to Elite enemies.
- Increase damage to Elites by 14.2% [x]
Check out our other guides:
- Diablo 4 Season 9: Are the new Nightmare Dungeon affixes enough to make them worthwhile?
- Diablo 4: How to get Hail of Verglas and its Unique Effects
- 5 best low-APM lazy builds to chill in Diablo 4
- Diablo 4: Mighty Throw Barbarian endgame build guide
- Diablo 4 Season 8: 7 Best Rogue Uniques to build around
- Diablo 4: Best Companion Druid endgame build guide
- How to get and use Betrayer’s Husk in Season 8
