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Werewolf Barbarian Guide

Last Updated: March 3rd 2024

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The Werewolf Barbarian similar to the Fury Druid is a powerful melee build with high damage and Life potential! The build centers around the WolfHowl Barbarian helm that allows him to transform into a Werewolf. It also provides you with lycanthropy that buff the Barbarians Life even further when shape-shifted. 

Feral Rage is our main attack in Werewolf form, it provides additional Faster Run/Walk, Life Stolen per Hit, + x% Damage and +x% Attack Rating bonuses. With the Barbarian's powerful abilities Battle Orders, Blade Mastery, and Natural Resistance the Werewolf Barbarian is a BEAST! 

Ideal Standard Setup
Ideal Standard Setup

Feral Rage

Werewolf

Lycanthropy

Blade Mastery

This build guide assumes you have a Character at Level 79 before transitioning to it. Check out our Barbarian Leveling Guide and our General Leveling Strategies to reach Level 79.


Very Tanky ✔
Plenty Of Gear Choices

Big Single Target Damage ✔


❌ Gear Dependent
❌ Weapon IAS Is Mandatory
Only Really Excels In End Game

Sunder Charm Setup

Patch 2.5 introduces a new way of breaking Immunities: Sunder Charms. Any enemy that would be Immune to your damage type is instead reduced to 95% Resistance, before any other Resistance reductions apply. (e.g. Conviction, Lower Resist) The Charm also reduces YOUR Resistance against the sundered damage type! Check out our post on Sunder Charms to learn more about these new Charms. The following setup uses Bone Break, allowing you to farm anywhere you want.

Sunder Charm Setup
Sunder Charm Setup

Gear Changes

To optimize this Sunder Charm you need Grim Ward and a source of Amplify Damage or Decrepify. Equip Atma's Scarab and The Reaper's Toll on your Mercenary.

Counteract the negative effect of Bone Break with Stormshield.

Terror Zones

The new Terror Zone mechanic combined with Sunder Charms open up a wide range of farmable areas. The following list highlights the best and worst Terror Zones for this build on the Starter or Budget setup. With the Sunder Charm Setup, more Terror Zones become accessible. Learn more about Terror Zones here and see how they stack up in our Terror Zone Tier List.

Best

Travincal - Quick Access, Council Members
Frigid Highlands - No Immunities, Quick Access, Eldritch
Nihlathak's Temple ONLY - No Immunities, Quick Access, Pindleskin
Pit - No Immunities, Many Elite Groups
Tristram - No Immunities, Quick Access, Many Elite Groups

Worst

The Tower Cellar - Trash Mobility, Immunities
Arcane Sanctuary - Trash Mobility, Immunities
Blood Moor + Den of Evil - Low Density, Few Elite Groups
Burial Grounds + Crypt + Mausoleum - Low Density, Few Elite Groups, Trash Mobility, Slow Access
Act 2 Sewers - Trash Mobility, High Physical Damage

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Leapattack
2. battlecry
3. grimward

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Blade Mastery
Mastery depends on the base Weapon used
2. Battle Orders
3. shout
4. naturalresistance
5. Increased Speed

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Damage

Utility

Attributes

Note: This section provides you with the standard Stat Point allocation. Build Variants can require a different allocation!

Strength

Allocate the majority of Stat Points into Strength to gain additional Physical Damage on melee attacks.

Dexterity

Allocate enough Dexterity to reach 50% Chance to Block. More Dexterity is needed at higher Character levels. In addition to Dexterity and Character Level, Shield bases also affect Chance to Block.

Vitality

Allocate any remaining Stat Points into Vitality after meeting Strength, Dexterity and Energy requirements.

Energy

Do not allocate any Stat Points into Energy. Mana costs are covered by “x% Mana Stolen per Hit” or “+x Mana after each Kill” on gear.

Essentials

Gear Options

Farming Spots

Mercenary

Playstyle

Breakpoints

Hardcore

Build Variants

Budget
Standard
Ubers
Hardcore

Setup

The Werewolf Barbarian Priority Stats:

Oath Balrog Blade, Duress Light Plate, and both the Angelic Wings and Angelic Halo in combination are great budget options for this build and greatly impact the build's performance. Death's Hand and Death's Guard grant IAS, Resistances, Life Steal, and Cannot Be Frozen.

Mercenary

To keep your Mercenary alive, equip him with a Smoke and Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest for Life and Resistances. Insight is a pretty easy Runeword to find and farm that gives a great amount of damage and Quality of Life with Meditation. Hire the Might Aura Mercenary, to gain extra Physical Damage.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Leap
2. Iron Skin
3. Battle Command

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Blade Mastery
Mastery depends on the base Weapon used
2. Battle Orders
3. Natural Resistance
4. Shout
5. Increased Speed
6. Battle Cry

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to equip your gear. Put remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Setup

Werewolf Barbarian Priority Stats:

Grief Phase Blade provides us with a large amount of damage and IAS. Use Sharp Grand Charm of Balance for the additional damage and FHR. Phoenix Monarch provides a lot of Enhanced Damage and Redemption which sustains Life and Mana from corpses. Use Bone Break instead of Sharp Grand Charm of Maiming to enable farming of any monster.

Mercenary

Your Mercenary provides Physical Damage and Decrepify to break Immunities and/or lower Physical Resistances. This setup with 2 Ruby Jewel of Fervor in Andariel's Visage Demonhead and The Reaper’s Toll allow your Mercenary to reach the 75% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Leapattack
2. battlecry
3. grimward

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Blade Mastery
Mastery depends on the base Weapon used
2. Battle Orders
3. shout
4. naturalresistance
5. Increased Speed

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Vitality to reach ~3,500 Life when buffed. Enough Dexterity to reach 50% Block Chance and the rest into Strength.

Setup

Priority Stats for Ubers:


Use Ribcracker as our main weapon for the IAS and large amount of x% Chance of Crushing Blow. Dracul's Grasp procs Life Tap for much needed Life sustain. Thundergod's Vigor works well against Uber Mephisto's Lightning attacks. Use the Fade proc from Treachery to increase your more Resistances, Attack Speed, and Physical Damage Reduction. Use Bone Break instead of Sharp Grand Charm of Maiming to enable farming of any monster.

Mercenary

Your Mercenary provides Physical Damage and Conviction. Conviction lowers the defense of bosses which increase the chance to hit them. This can be used for Lilith, Izual, and Duriel as they are difficult to hit as a melee character. DON'T expect your Mercenary to survive main Uber Tristram though!

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Leap
2. Iron Skin
3. Battle Command

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Mace Mastery
2. Battle Orders
3. Natural Resistance
4. Shout
5. Increased Speed
6. Battle Cry

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to equip your gear. Put remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Setup

Focus on survivability by adding Physical Damage Reduction, over capped Resistances to counter enemy Conviction, Maximum Chance to Block (75%) with Stormshield, and 42% or 86% Faster Hit Recovery. Additionally, Dracul's Grasp, and Shimmering Small Charm of Vita give you the ultimate tank build! Use Bone Break instead of Sharp Grand Charm of Vita to enable farming of any monster.

Mercenary

Your Mercenary provides Physical Damage and Decrepify to break Immunities and/or lower Physical Resistances. This setup with 2 Ruby Jewel of Fervor in Guillaume's Face and The Reaper’s Toll allow your Mercenary to reach the 75% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Leap
2. Iron Skin
3. Battle Command

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Blade Mastery
Mastery depends on the base Weapon used
2. Battle Orders
3. Natural Resistance
4. Shout
5. Increased Speed
6. Battle Cry

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Put enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear, Dexterity to reach 75% Chance to Block, and the remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Summary

  • Keep Feral Rage stacks up for maximum bonuses.
  • Keep your Battle Command, Battle Orders, and Shout active!
  • Utilize Leapattack in human form to bypass obstacles.
  • Increased Attack Speed is important, remember to stack it!
  • Use a The Reaper’s Toll on a Mercenary to lower Physical Resistances!

Enjoy playing an unstoppable force in battle as a Werewolf Barb! When you didn't know a Barb could get more savage, there is always this build!

Good luck!

Credits

Updated and Maintained by MacroBioBoi
Originally Written by BTNeandertha1
Reviewed by Teo1904

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