What is the best class in Diablo 4 for you?

What is the best class in Diablo 4 for you?

Time Stamp: July 18, 2023 5:20 PM

Diablo 4 features five classes: Barbarian, Necromancer, Sorcerer, Rogue, and Druid. Each class has a unique class mechanic along with a skill tree equipped with a variety of spells. All of their playstyles are different, but which one is the best class for you?

In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ll explain each of the classes to help you make an educated decision on your next main.

What is the best class for you in Diablo 4?

There are five Diablo 4 classes available to you at launch, and all of them have their own, unique playstyle. But before you dive into the game and pick your class, you may be wondering: Which is the best.

You may be surprised to learn that this is an impossible question to answer — at least in such simple terms.

Diablo 4’s classes in battle Image: Blizzard Entertainment

While we expect the nerfs and buffs to come far slower than the pre-season during season 1, we still feel it’s important to recognize that classes are much more than their individual builds. So it’s best to avoid picking a class for a specific build and instead try and pick based on the class that interests you most, otherwise you’ll end up disappointed when your ideal playstyle is no longer viable.

So if you shouldn’t just pick the best class, which one should you pick? We’ve got some advice for you below.

Which class should you pick for season 1?

Without Blizzard using a Public Test Realm (PTR) to test out Season of the Malignant features before launch, it’s impossible to mathematically tell you which class will have the strongest build during season 1. And even if you were to wait a week to start playing, the smartest theory-crafters out there will need some serious time with the season before there’s a clear answer on what the best season 1 class is.

However, with what we know about Diablo 4 season 1, we can still say a few things for certain about class balance.

First and foremost, Sorcerers are going to run into some potential trouble this season. Because the new Malignant Heart mechanic requires the use of gem slots, all classes are going to have to choose between boring gems and the amazing new heart powers. Unfortunately, Sorcerers are already the squishiest class in the game, and they rely heavily on socketing skulls into their jewelry slots to add bonus armor.

Now, it would be a mistake to assume Sorcerers aren’t going to be viable in season 1 because of this choice. Assistant game director Joe Piepiora told Polygon in a Q&A that some of the hearts have some amazing defensive options that can help classes like the Sorcerer. However, it’s also important to recognize that the classes that rely heavily on that bonus armor will potentially have a harder time during Season of the Malignant — especially in the early game. And that if they’re using one heart to mitigate their lost bonus armor, another class could potentially outclass them by using a third offensive heart power.

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Classes that have ways to heal themselves, get armor on their own, or have powerful defensive capabilities (Barbarians, Necromancers, and Druids respectively) should have an easier time using Malignant Hearts purely for offense and offsetting that bonus armor in other places. So if you were trying to decide between the spell-slinging Sorcerer and the Druid, this might be a good season to get your werebear on.

However, as always, all classes are viable and will be viable this season. So, like all seasons, play what you think sounds fun and looks fun, rather than what’s performing best at the start.

As usual, it’s important to remember that not all classes start on even footing, with Barbarians and Druids taking longer to ramp up than the other three. However, with the bonus starting skill points that come with Renown — assuming you’re carrying over progress from the pre-season — both classes should start with a bit more momentum than before.

The only other thing worth mentioning about class design for season 1 is avoiding playing a class because you want to try out one of the bugged builds. Certain Druid builds, for example, are able to one-shot bosses with extremely high damage hits. Blizzard will almost certainly patch these builds out before the season or, at the very least, within a few weeks. If you dive into a class specifically because you heard they can hit wild numbers, think twice or you’re going to be bummed when Blizzard changes it.

What is the best class in Diablo 4 for solo players?

The Rogue is likely the best solo class for skilled players looking to bring themselves through the game — even if you’ll eventually have to work harder in the endgame to compete with Barbarians.

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As a Rogue, you’re highly mobile, stealthy, and are able to fight from both range and melee. You’re also the most versatile class with a huge variety of builds. You are easy to kill, which can make your class difficult to master, but once you’re practiced, you can take on an army of monsters by yourself without slowing down.

Of course, like the “which class is best for you” section, there is no right answer. You can play all five classes solo, and there is no support class in Diablo 4, only support builds.

What is the best class in Diablo 4 for beginners?

The easiest class for beginners is either the Necromancer or the Barbarian, and there are pros and cons to each.

The obvious boon for Necromancer players is the army of skeletons you have at your disposal. These minions will attack things alongside you and, depending on your build, they can deal very high damage. As a new player, being able to lean on some AI allies all the time is a huge stress reliever. If you mess up your abilities or aren’t sure how to attack and stay alive, you can just focus on keeping yourself safe while your buddies clean out the dungeon.

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The con here is that Necromancers technically have two resources to manage, as they cast spells using Essence as well as their unique Corpse mechanic. This can make things a bit overwhelming for new players, as Corpses complicate certain skills and can also visually obscure the ground in dungeons.

Barbarians, on the other hand, are just big, smashy folk trying to do their best to rid Sanctuary of demons. The fantasy and (some of) the playstyles for Barbarians are similarly simple. You’re going to spend a lot of time just running up to monsters and punching them in the face until they die. There are no tricks here. You’re not turning yourself invisible or transforming into a bear. You’re taking a big hammer and you’re smashing stuff.

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However, there are two big cons to the Barbarian: one on each end of the play experience. Barbarians are one of the weaker early game classes, and you can die fairly easily when you don’t know what you’re doing. For your suffering, you’ll get to be very powerful in the endgame. But even that comes with a complexity cost, as the reason Barbarians are so strong later in the game is because they are the only class that can wield four weapons at once. This means that you have to find more gear than other classes and you have more powerful Legendary powers to combine together. That’s exciting, but also overwhelming.

The great news about Diablo 4 is all the classes — including Druid, Sorcerer, and Rogue — all have simple builds and complex builds. While Barbarian and Necromancer are probably the easiest for most players, they might not be the best first choice for you.

Diablo 4 class guide

Let’s go through the classes in more detail, one by one.

Barbarian

Diablo 4’s Barbarian swinging their weapon in the dark Image: Blizzard Entertainment

Barbarians in Diablo 4 are fierce warriors who leap into the fray. As a Barb, your main mechanic is the Weapon Arsenal, which allows you to hold four weapons at once. Some of your abilities will require you to have a specific weapon type such as slicing, two-handed, dual-wield, or bludgeoning to use. But for some skills, you can manually switch weapons for different effects. You’ll gain expertise the more you use a certain weapon, which will provide you with buffs like increased critical hit chance or more damage against vulnerable enemies.

Not only are you capable of mastering offensive weapons, Barbarians are meant to be bulky bruisers who can take a hit from any foe. With a plethora of shouts and damage reducing abilities, you’ll be spending a lot of time up close and personal due to your survivability.

Necromancer

Necromancer raising a skeleton army in Diablo 4 Image: Blizzard Entertainment

The Necromancer is a staple for the Diablo series. As a summoner, you’re able to conjure hordes of undead enemies to do your bidding or sacrifice your minions to empower yourself.

Your unique mechanic is called the Book of the Dead, which allows you to customize your undead army by selecting what type of skeletons you’ll summon (along with a specialization). You can give your pawns more health, increased damage output, or the ability to deal AoE damage. If you don’t want to manage your minions, you can choose to sacrifice either some or all of your minions to gain a permanent buff.

Necromancers have a unique resource that other classes do not have: corpses — which, you guessed it, are left behind when enemies die. You also have Essence, which functions similarly to mana, allowing you to cast your regular abilities, but in order to raise minions, you’ll need a corpse. If you’re going the solo show route, you can also detonate the deceased instead.

Rogue

Rogue running in the dark with a crossbow for Diablo 4 Image: Blizzard Entertainment

Rogues are versatile duelists who can specialize in either ranged or close quarters combat. (If you played the Demon Hunter in Diablo 3, this is the most similar class for Diablo 4).

Your unique class mechanic is Specialization, which changes your fundamental abilities and your playstyle. There are three different specializations: Combo Points, Inner Sight, and Preparation.

Combo points will increase the damage output of some of your abilities and change how they function by increasing the number of arrows fired or adding a chance to knock down your opponents. Inner Sight will provide you with unlimited energy for a short amount of time when attacking a marked enemy. Preparation allows you to use your ultimate abilities more frequently after spending a lot of your main resource.

The Rogue is a mobile class that gives you access to stealth, traps, and imbuements, allowing you to take on any kind of content. You’re able to dart in an out of combat with combination of ranged, melee, and stealth attacks.

Sorcerer

Sorcerer standing in the dark with fire illuminating her hands in Diablo 4 Image: Blizzard Entertainment

The Sorcerer is your typical ranged caster or fantasy mage. By using the powers of fire, lightning, and ice magic, you can obliterate your opponents. Whether you want to spawn fire hydras or spam chain lightning, you’ll easily take down anyone in your path.

Your unique class mechanic is Enchantment, which will provide your abilities with powerful passive effects that — when slotted into your Enchantment slots — will trigger without you needing to put them on your bar or spend mana. For example, you can cast Fireball using mana to shoot a giant flaming blasts at enemies. But you can also place Fireball into one of your Enchantment slots, which will cause all enemies to explode when you kill them.

As a Sorcerer, you’re slightly more frail than the other classes, but you do have a bundle of defensive abilities that can make you (temporarily) unkillable. Encase yourself in ice, surround your body with fire, or simply zip away from danger.

Druid

Concept art of the druid in Diablo 4 in legendary gear Image: Blizzard Entertainment

Druids missed out on Diablo 3, but have been in the Diablo universe since Diablo 2. As a Druid, you’re are shapeshifters who can transform into a savage werebear or a vicious werewolf while also unleashing nature’s wrath to defeat your foes. Your unique class mechanic is the Spirit Animal system, which grants your character a boon such as new passives and stat increases.

Necromancers are not the only summoners in Diablo 4, as you can also call companions to your aid as a Druid. Summon wolves, ravens, and vines to assist you in defeating the demons scattered around Sanctuary. You’ll also be able to bring forth some of nature’s deadliest calamities such as a hurricane to sweep away your enemies.

Update (July 18): Added a section about choosing a class for season 1.

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