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- The Best Weapons & Armor for Rogues
- Ranged Shadow Build
- Trap & Debuff Build
The Rogue in Diablo IV‘s Beta puts players in a tricky position when trying to make their best build with the class’ various skills, abilities, and stats due to the vastly different playstyles available that change how characters act in battle. This available class cannot be defined through one method of combat, as the Rogue can excel through long-range attacks, move in and deal drastic DPS with knives up close, or even flit around foes at the mid-range using traps or grenades. The defining trait of any Rogue build, however, is that the class has notoriously low armor and extremely high mobility that allows them to move around the battlefield at blinding speed.
When players create a Rogue for the first time, they should remember that the skill points earned in Diablo 4 only let them reach Level 25. Only 26 Skill Points may be spent on new abilities as a Rogue levels up, but players can refund any skills they purchase either for free at early levels or for a small gold price later on. There are six groups of Skills that the Rogue may access, named Basic, Core, Agility, Subterfuge, Imbuements, and Ultimate. Players will have to look at the relationship these abilities have with Energy, the primary resource the Rogue draws from to use these Skills.
Related: Diablo IV: Renown Guide (How it Works & Rewards)
The Best Weapons & Armor for Rogues
![Diablo 4 Beta: Best Rogue Build (Stats, Skills, & Abilities)](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/diablo-4-rogue-build-shadow-blade-melee-rampage.jpg)
The Rogue class has a unique aptitude for bows, crossbows, and other weapons with high Critical Strike Damage values, leading characters of any build to have incredibly high damage that rivals even the Barbarian class’ builds in Diablo IV. Additionally, the nimble nature of this class encourages players to look for weapons with high Attacks per Second stat, as the agility of the Rogue gives characters more chances to attack to make up for their lighter armor. Finally, increases to Vulnerable Damage also help as this improves the DPS of Rogues against a variety of minions seen in enemy hordes.
The most challenging aspect of playing a Rogue comes from the bosses of Diablo IV since they have far more health than the sliver of life this class has to deal with. Although many Rogue armors don’t boost the class’ defense by much, there are plenty that bolsters Movement Speed. If players need to get away from a boss or exit a dungeon fast in Diablo 4, having accessories or armor that aid their Rogue’s movement speed gives them far more chances of surviving despite their squishy health.
Ranged Shadow Build
![Diablo 4 Rogue Class Gameplay with Ranged Weapons and Shadow Clones](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/diablo-4-rogue-gameplay.jpg)
Skill | Description | Enhancement(s) |
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(4/5) Forceful Arrow | Fire a powerful arrow at an enemy, dealing 25% damage. Every 3rd cast makes the enemy Vulnerable for 2 seconds. |
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(4/5) Barrage | Unleash a barrage of 5 arrows that expands outwards, each dealing 26% damage. In addition, each arrow has a 20% chance to ricochet off an enemy up to 1 time. As a result, Ricochets deal 40% of Diablo IV‘s playable Rogue class’ base damage from these arrows. |
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(1/5) Dash | Dash forward and slash enemies for 47% damage. |
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(2/5) Dark Shroud | Surround yourself with up to 5 protective shadows. Gain +8.0% Damage Reduction per active shadow. Each time you take direct damage, that damage is reduced, and a shadow is consumed. |
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(1/5) Poison Imbuement | Imbue your weapons with lethal poison. Your next 2 Imbueable Skills deal Poison damage and apply up to 105% Poisoning damage over 5 seconds. |
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Shadow Clone (Ultimate) | Your shadow mimics your actions for 15 seconds. The shadow deals 60% of your damage. |
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Those looking for a more defensive build for their Rogue will find success in this build, mainly from the skill respec in Diablo 4 that prioritizes Dark Shroud and Dash as great ways to avoid enemy attacks. By focusing on long-range weapons with the Barrage and Forceful Arrow Skills, players have a strong foundation that capitalizes on Critical Damage from afar, especially with the Slow and Vulnerable effects seen in some Enhancements. The Shadow Clone Ultimate also enforces this build by increasing the player’s damage exponentially and ensuring hordes don’t even get close.
Trap & Debuff Build
![Diablo 4 Beta Rogue Attacking Enemies with Traps and Poison Skills Such as Caltrops and Poison Trap](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/diablo-4-best-rogue.jpg)
Skill | Description | Enhancement(s) |
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(5/5) Puncture | Throw your blades, dealing 27% damage and Slowing enemies by 20% for 2 seconds. Critical Strikes will always show. |
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(4/5) Twisting Blades | Impale any enemy from the Diablo series with your blades, dealing 57% damage and making them take x8% increased damage while impaled. After 1.5 seconds, the blades return to you, piercing enemies for 74% damage. |
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(2/5) Caltrops | Leap backwards and throw caltrops on the ground, dealing 38% damage and Slowing enemies by 50%. Lasts 6 seconds. |
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(1/5) Poison Trap | Place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves within range, applying 435% Poisoning damage over 9 seconds to enemies in the area. |
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(1/5) Shadow Imbuement | Imbue your weapons with festering shadows. Your next 2 Imbeuable Skills deal Shadow damage and infect enemies such that they explode for up to 39% damage on death. Direct damage to infected enemies deals an additional 4% Shadow damage. |
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Death Trap (Ultimate) | Players of Diablo IV‘s new Rogue class place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves within range, dealing 316% damage to enemies in the area. |
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The primary function behind this build is to dismantle enemies through the Slow, Immobilized, and Vulnerable debuffs granted through Puncture and Twisting Blades. Poison Trap, Shadow Imbuement, Caltrops, and Death Trap all limit enemies and bosses from approaching the player, giving them plenty of time to build Energy and inflict tons of damage. The best build for the Rogue in Diablo IV takes down their foes tactically, taking control of battle at their pace rather than letting enemies set the tone.
More: How to Join (& Play) Diablo 4 Beta
Diablo 4
- Franchise:
- Diablo
- Platform:
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows
- Released:
- 2023-06-02
- Developer:
- Blizzard Team 3, Blizzard Albany
- Publisher:
- Blizzard Entertainment
- Genre:
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- Multiplayer:
- Blizzard Entertainment
- ESRB:
- M
- Summary:
- Players are set to return to the world of Sanctuary in Diablo 4. Set after the events of Diablo 3’s Reaper of Souls DLC, Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto, has been summoned to the world and has assumed power in the absence of demons and angels. Lilith establishes Sanctuary as a haven for refugees caught in the crossfire between hell and heaven. Wanting to protect her kind from the recently emerged Nephelem, Lilith is banished to the void. Now she has returned, seeking revenge for the crimes committed against her. Players will choose between staple class choices, such as Barbarian, Sorceress, Druid, Rogue, and Necromancer, as they battle alone or together against Lilith’s forces.
- How Long To Beat:
- 34 hours
- Prequel:
- Diablo 3