One of the earliest decision there is to make in Diablo 4 is the class of the protagonist. There are five to choose from and these determine your abilities, gear and playstyle as the narrative progresses. But what are the best classes in Diablo 4, and which suits your playstyle? Here’s everything you need to know.
All Classes in Diablo 4
As mentioned, there are five classes to choose from ahead of beginning Diablo 4’s story. These are:
- Barbarian
- Necromancer
- Sorcerer
- Rogue
- Druid
Each offers different abilities and skills to rely on as you progress. They also impact playstyle: I opted for Barbarian because of the emphasis on “brute force”, with my preferred playstyle involving flying into a building with a sword and swinging.
If you want to wield magic, channel the power of a werewolf or make the most of a bow and arrow, there’s something for you. The pros and cons of each class are outlined below, along with a grade that summarises their viability as we choose the best classes in Diablo 4.
Needless to say, you might prefer a different class to me. That’s fine and I don’t need to be yelled at because of it (I promise not to yell at you as well).
Barbarian
Grade: B
We’re beginning with a solid but unspectacular class in Barbarian. As previously mentioned, I chose Barbarian purely on the basis of being able to wade into battle, absorb a large amount of damage and deal even bigger amounts.
Weapons and attacks are at the center of using Barbarian, relying on Fury to fuel a lot of attacks. I found it annoying when I didn’t have sufficient Fury to launch the attacks I wanted, but the sheer speed at which I could tear through enemies of all varieties certainly compensated. Defence shouldn’t be underrated either, with abilities like Rallying Cry and Undying Rage incredibly useful when I was down on health and needed to summon a strong play to survive.
Barbarians are not especially mobile or cunning though. If you want a stealthy and tactical playstyle, this brute likely isn’t what you’re after.
Necromancer
Grade: A+
Right now, Necromancer’s our pick for the best class in Diablo 4. They’re able to summon the undead to follow them into battle, meaning you can offload a bunch of your combat requirements to your conjured accomplices.
The alternative to Undead Army is Bone and Darkness, letting you deal damage to enemies from afar or up close. In short, there’s a versatility brought by Necromancer that isn’t replicated elsewhere, especially not in the tough and deadly Barbarian.
Pair that with the Blood ability to aid defence, and the Necromancer could well be the go-to class for a majority of players. I don’t regret opting for Barbarian (destruction is how I like to play) but if I could swap for another, it’d be a transfer to necromancy.
Sorcerer
Grade: A
The Sorcerer is another that boasts great versatility. Frost, Pyromancy and Shock enable Sorcerers to rely on a series of elements in battle, meaning you can take down a huge number of enemies in a variety of ways. This can be tailored to players’ desires even more, buffing spells as you level up and making Sorcerer’s abilities even more conducive to taking out multiple foes simultaneously.
Unfortunately, and as you may have gathered from the emphasis on attack and damage so far, there’s not quite as much going for Sorcerers from a defensive standpoint. A small health pool pairs with mediocre melee combat to make for a class that has tangible weaknesses to balance out its ranged attack profile.
I like Sorcerer on paper but, because of my penchant for getting hands dirty in combat, it just wasn’t the one for me.
Rogue
Grade: A-
Rogues are mobile and tactful, employing multiple different skills to vary attack. Bows and Arrows can be upgraded to make Rogue a de facto sharpshooter, while imbuements also incorporate other boosts to attacks. Traps also mean there’s the potential to deal damage in a variety of manners, luring unsuspecting enemies into death without a single health point needing to be risked.
There are naturally weaknesses to such a reliance on equipment – running low on resources can leave you vulnerable. This was certainly not an issue I encountered with Barbarian, diving into hordes of enemies and swinging a sword, axe or club with reckless abandon.
It’s also slightly more complex than other classes, meaning it’ll take you time to figure out your most beneficial upgrades and how to utilize them in combat.
Druid
Grade: B-
Last, and unfortunately least, we have Druid. Being able to shapeshift into a werewolf is epic on paper, but it’s just not all that practical in a lot of scenarios. Unsurprisingly, the werewolf is able to deal incredible damage and boasts a series of powerful (and frankly cool) upgrades. Working up Spirit as you play means you can unleash Storm or Earth powers against enemies, adding more power to Druids’ arsenals.
Some of the tangible benefits though, like buffs to strength, take a while to unlock. There’s also questions over whether being able to transform into a werewolf is actually what you want in combat, as well as Druids boasting Skill Trees that are incredibly diverse but costly and complex as a result.
Finally, it’s hard to accumulate items and resources that aid Spirit – like gems and gear. In short, you might be left short in this regard. It’s why we’ve put Druid at the bottom of our rankings.
Diablo 4 Class Tier List: Best Classes Ranked
Our full Diablo 4 Class Tier List is detailed below, in descending order:
- Necromancer (A+)
- Sorcerer (A)
- Rogue (A-)
- Barbarian (B)
- Druid (B-)
Needless to say, don’t let our recommendations rain on your proverbial parade. Think about your playstyle, what you’ve done in past Diablo titles and which sounds most up your street.
That’s everything to know about Diablo 4’s Best Classes, as well as the classes’ pros and cons in Blizzard Entertainment’s 2023 title. For everything else Diablo 4, check out the related content below.
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