The Barbarian Leveling Guide provides you with all the necessary information to get your favorite Character started!
Not every Skill is suitable to be used during early leveling for three reasons:

Only a number of Skills work well without any previously farmed gear.
A lot of builds lack damage during the leveling phase. It can become a big struggle or even straight up impossible to progress, starting with an end game build.
Some builds have a hard time transitioning into hell due to Immunities.

We provide you with step by step Skill trees and easily accessible items that help you in your play through. Additionally, you get tips and insights on how to deal with Immunities and the more difficult fights.

Gear used in this guide

Double Swing

War Cry

Battle Cry

Teleport

At the end of this guide you'll have a Level 75 Barbarian that used 1 out of the 3 respecs the game provides. You can use these to transition into your build of choice.
If you like the build at the end of this guide, check out the War Cry Barbarian Guide, which continues it to the end game.

Progression

Act 1 N
(Up to Level 15)

Act 2 N
(Up to Level 20)

Act 3-4 N
(Until Level 25)

Act 5 N
(Up to Level 31)

The Secret Cow Level
(Respec + Level 31)

Act 1 NM
(Up to Level 40)

Act 2 NM - Act 5 H
(Up to Level 75)

Use the Slider for visual Skill Progression

Skill Point Allocation

Level 32: War Cry
Den of Evil: Battle Cry
Level 33-40: War Cry

Attribute Allocation

Level 32-40: 10 into Dexterity, Rest into Vitality

Playstyle & Progression

Start Nightmare by shopping for a Belt and Boots with Resistances / Faster Run/Walk.
Continue to use War Cry for Area of Effect Damage.
Make sure to keep the buffs of Battle Command and Battle Orders are up at all times.
Clear out the Den of Evil to get the additional Skill Point.
The main priority in this Act is farming The Countess for a number of Runewords (listed below). Kill any Elite Group that you encounter along the way.
After farming all the Runewords, make your way down to Andariel. Use Whirlwind in combination with Black and Rhyme Bone Shield to bring her down to low Life. Switch back to theSpirit Crystal Sword + Sounding Javelin setup to finish her off with War Cry.

Gear Checklist

Item	Where	Note
Coral Demonhide Sash	Shop at Charsi or Gheed	Shop for a 4-row Belt with Resistances. Lightning Resist and Fire Resist are the main priorities.
Garnet Heavy Boots of Haste	Shop at Charsi or Gheed	Shop for Boots that give Faster Run/Walk and Resistances. Lightning Resist and Fire Resist are the main priorities.
Garnet Heavy Gloves	Shop at Charsi or Gheed	Shop for Gloves that give Resistances. Lightning Resist and Fire Resist are the main priorities.
Mandatory Runes: 2x Tal Rune 3x Thul Rune 3x Ort Rune 2x Amn Rune Io Rune Nef Rune Sol Rune Shael Rune Eth Rune	Farm at The Countess	Let's break the Runes down: - Create the first Spirit Crystal Sword right away. Put the Runes for the second into your Stash until you have a second base. - Create Lore Cap - Create Black Flail and Rhyme Bone Shield and put them into your Stash.
Optional Runes: 1x Amn Rune 1x Tir Rune	Farm at The Countess	If you don't get lucky with the Io Rune you can instead create a Strength Scimitar for yourself.

Essentials

Hardcore

Gear Options

Farming Spots at Level 75+

Video

Summary

Use Double Swing early on as your best damage option. Add Strangling Gas Potions to increase your damage output, and AoE clear.
Buy a Staff of Teleportation before Level 24.
After respecing, keep your buffs up at all times:
- Battle Command
- Battle Orders
War Cry is your main damage Skill after the respec.
Take your time to farm all the Runes from The Countess in Nightmare. It's worth it!
Switch to Crushing Blow gear to fight Act Bosses and the Ancients before shouting them to death.

We hope the Barbarian Leveling Guide helps you to get to your endgame build of choice. The Barbarian arguably has the hardest time leveling up by himself. This guide gives you the best options to get there.

Credits

Written by Teo1904
Reviewed by MacroBioBoi

Changelog

3 February 2023
Updated to Patch 2.6 - Added Temper and Ground to the Gear Options
19 September 2022
Fixed formatting issues
2 February 2022
Overhauled and Updated to Patch 2.4

Item	Where	Note
2 Scepters	Shop at Akara after the Den of Evil	Tip: If you get them with Sockets, put in any Chipped Gem that provides additional damage.
Strangling Gas Potions:	Drop from monsters / chests	Tip: Their Quantity can be restored to maximum by selling and repurchasing them from a Vendor.
Choking Gas Potions	Drop from Poison Shrine	Tip: Open your Inventory to place the Potions as individual stacks. You can restore each stack to maximum quantity by selling and repurchasing them from a Vendor. This gives you more stacks, in case you run out by accident.
Any 2 Socketed Helmet	Shop at Charsi or drop from monsters	This Helmet is used to either put 2 Ral Runes, or the Runeword Nadir into. Make sure that it is NOT a Magic Item for the latter.
Any 2 Socketed Body Armor	Shop at Charsi or drop from monsters	This Body Armor is used for the Runeword Stealth later on. Make sure that it is NOT a Magic Item.
Mandatory: 3-4 Tal Runes 2 Eth Runes 1 Ith Rune 1 El Rune	Farm at The Countess	These Runes are used later for: - Stealth - Malice Flail - Gemmed Flail
Optional: 1-2 Ral Runes 1-2 Nef Runes 1 Tir Rune Additional Ral Runes	Farm at The Countess	If acquired, these Runes are used for: - Gemmed Helmet - Nadir - Viper Grip Heavy Gloves - Gemmed Hunter's Bow
Create Nadir	Stash / Inventory	Create Nadir into a 2 Socketed Helmet you acquired in Act 1.

Item	Where	Note
2 Flails	Shop at Farah Level 14 Required to Shop!	Used to create: - Malice Flail - Gemmed Flail
Choking Gas Potions	Drop from monsters / chests Drop from Poison Shrine	Tip: Their Quantity can be restored to maximum by selling and repurchasing them from a Vendor.
Create Malice Flail	Stash / Inventory	Create Malice into one of the Flails.
Create Gemmed Flail	Stash / Inventory	Put 3 Tal Runes into the second Flail.
Stealth	Stash / Inventory	Create Stealth into the 2 Socketed Body Armor.
Gemmed Cap	Stash / Inventory	Put the 2 Ral Runes into the 2 Socketed Helmet.
Bone Shield	Shop at Drognan	This Shield is used for the Runeword Rhyme in Nightmare.

Item	Where	Note
Staff of Teleportation	Shop at Ormus A minimum of Level 19 is required to shop it!	Tip: Shop the Staff between Level 19 and 23.
Khalim's Will	Quest-progression in Act 3	Before using Khalim's Will to open the Durance of Hate, use it instead of the Gemmed Flail while leveling.
Perfect Ruby or Flawless Ruby	Act 4 Quest 2	If you are lucky, you get a Perfect Ruby or Flawless Ruby. Find a Gem Shrine if you get a Flawless Ruby. Then craft Heavy Gloves: Heavy Gloves + Perfect Ruby + Nef Rune + Jewel in Horadric Cube
Heavy Gloves	Shop at Act 1 or 2 Vendor
Jewel	Found between Act1 and 3

Item	Where	Note
Wyrm's Wand of the Magus	Shop at Malah	Check Malah while farming Eldritch the Rectifier. Priorities: Mana > Faster Cast Rate
Sounding Javelin	Shop at Malah	Check Malah while farming Eldritch the Rectifier. +1 to Warcries (Barbarian Only) can be on any Throwing Weapon she sells, so check them all.
Rancid Gas Potions	Drops from monsters	Use these while farming Eldritch the Rectifier to increase your damage output.

Item	Where	Note
Malice Flail	Put into Stash	The base is used for the Runeword Black later.
2 Crystal Sword	The Secret Cow Level	Farm The Secret Cow Level until you have 2 Crystal Swords. Use the Socket reward from Larzuk in Act 5, Quest 1 on one of them. Save the other in your Stash to do the same in Nightmare Act 5. Note: If a 4 Socketed Crystal Sword is found during Nightmare progression you'll save a Socket Quest.

Area		Rewards
The Countess		Runes Key of Terror
The Pit		All Item Types Max Area Level Leveling
Andariel		Uniques Sets Jewelry

Area		Rewards
Travincal		Gearing Runes Charms / Gems / Jewels Gold

Area		Rewards
Eldritch the Rectifier		Gearing Gold Leveling
Shenk the Overseer		Gearing Gold Leveling
Pindleskin		Gearing Gold Leveling

Barbarian Leveling Guide

Progression

Skill Point Allocation

Attribute Allocation

Playstyle & Progression

Gear Checklist

Skill Point Allocation

Attribute Allocation

Playstyle & Progression

Gear Checklist

Skill Point Allocation

Attribute Allocation

Playstyle & Progression

Gear Checklist

Skill Point Allocation

Attribute Allocation

Playstyle & Progression

Gear Checklist

Respec

Combat Skills (1 Skill Point each)

Combat Masteries (1 Skill Point each)

Warcries

Attribute Allocation

Playstyle & Progression

Gear Checklist

Skill Point Allocation

Attribute Allocation

Playstyle & Progression

Gear Checklist

Skill Point Allocation

Attribute Allocation

Playstyle & Progression

Gear Checklist

Essentials

Hardcore

Gear Options

Until Level 31

After Level 31 respec

Farming Spots at Level 75+

Act 1

Act 3

Act 5

Video

Summary

Credits

Changelog