With the release of the Hateship DLC and Season 6 in Diablo 4, the Upheaval Barbarian has emerged as one of the Diablo IV Items most dominant builds in the game. The new equipment and gameplay elements introduced this season have significantly enhanced the Barbarian’s ability to deal massive damage in both solo and group content. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the class, now is the perfect time to unlock the full potential of the Barbarian. This guide will cover everything you need to know, including the best skill build, gear, Runewords, and strategies to dominate Sanctuary with the Upheaval Barbarian.
Best Upheaval Barbarian Skill Build
In Diablo 4, skill points are crucial to maximizing your character’s power. With a level cap of 60 and additional skill points from reputation grinding, you’ll have 72 points to distribute. Below is the optimal allocation for an Upheaval Barbarian:
Core Skills
Upheaval
Why: This is your primary damage-dealing skill. Maximize its damage, range, and critical chance to ensure it’s as effective as possible.
Lunging Strike
Why: A great generator skill that helps you build rage quickly while closing the gap to enemies. Its critical chance boost synergizes well with Upheaval.
Challenging Shout
Why: Essential for reducing damage taken and keeping enemies focused on you. This skill is key to surviving tough battles.
War Cry
Why: Increases attack power and critical damage, making each Upheaval hit more devastating.
Leap
Why: A versatile mobility skill that allows you to reposition quickly, close gaps, and deal AoE damage. Leap is excellent for controlling the battlefield.
Support Skills
Wrath of the Berserker
Why: Temporarily boosts attack speed, damage, and critical chance—a must-have for prolonged fights.
Steel Grasp
Why: Pulls enemies into your range, making it easier to hit multiple targets with Upheaval.
Furious Charge
Why: A great rage generator that keeps you active in combat. It’s also useful for repositioning and dealing burst damage.
Passive Skills
Berserker
Why: Enhances attack speed and critical chance, amplifying Upheaval’s damage output.
Grim Harvest
Why: Increases rage generation after kills, ensuring you can use Upheaval consistently in prolonged engagements.
Pressure Point
Why: Provides additional critical damage and increases damage to low-health enemies, making it invaluable against elites and bosses.
Undying Rage
Why: A survival-focused passive that helps you endure heavy damage when overwhelmed by enemies.
Best Gear for the Upheaval Barbarian
Gear selection is critical to maximizing your Barbarian’s potential. Below is a list of the best equipment and aspects to aim for in Season 6:
Core Equipment
Hellhammer (Unique)
Why: This weapon significantly boosts Upheaval’s damage and range, making it the centerpiece of the build.
Endless Fury (Unique)
Why: Improves rage recovery and critical chance, ensuring you can frequently unleash powerful Upheaval attacks.
Ironclad Armor (Unique)
Why: Increases damage reduction and health, providing much-needed durability in tough encounters.
Berserker’s Crown (Unique)
Why: Boosts critical strike chance and rage generation, which synergizes perfectly with this build.
Eternal Blade (Unique)
Why: Amplifies physical damage and critical damage, increasing your overall output significantly.
Aspects to Prioritize
Upheaval Aspect
Effect: Boosts Upheaval’s damage and range.
Endless Fury Aspect
Effect: Enhances rage generation and increases explosive power.
Violent Impact Aspect
Effect: Adds a shockwave effect to Upheaval, extending its range and dealing continuous damage.
Ironheart Aspect
Effect: Improves defense and health, making your Barbarian more resilient.
Blood Rage Aspect
Effect: Restores health based on the damage dealt by Upheaval, adding sustainability to your build.
Best Runewords for the Upheaval Barbarian
Runewords provide additional bonuses that can dramatically enhance your effectiveness in combat. Here are the best options for the Upheaval Barbarian:
Fury Rune
Effect: Increases critical damage and reduces rage cost, making Upheaval more efficient.
Inferno Rune
Effect: Triggers explosions on hit, ideal for clearing groups of enemies.
Smash Rune
Effect: Enhances knockback, providing better crowd control and synergy with Upheaval’s AoE damage.
Rampage Rune
Effect: Boosts attack speed and overall damage output.
Vitality Rune
Effect: Restores health on hit, improving survivability in prolonged fights.
Tips for Mastering the Upheaval Barbarian
1. Positioning is Key
Use Leap and Steel Grasp to control the battlefield and pull enemies into Upheaval’s range.
Reposition frequently to avoid heavy damage while ensuring maximum impact from AoE skills.
2. Maximize Rage Generation
Prioritize skills and gear that enhance rage recovery. More rage means more frequent Upheaval casts, which is critical to maintaining your damage output.
3. Capitalize on Critical Hits
Equip gear and allocate points to maximize critical damage and chance. The build’s effectiveness heavily relies on crits for massive burst damage.
4. Utilize Crowd Control
Steel Grasp and knockback effects from Smash Rune and Violent Impact Aspect provide excellent crowd control. Use these to group enemies for devastating Upheaval strikes.
5. Adapt for Group Play
In group content, coordinate with teammates to maximize the effectiveness of your AoE damage and crowd control abilities. Ensure that your challenging shout keeps aggro off squishier allies.
Final Thoughts
The Upheaval Barbarian has risen to prominence in Diablo 4’s Season 6, offering unparalleled damage and survivability. With the right skill allocation, gear, and Runewords, you’ll dominate both solo and group content. Focus on maximizing rage generation, critical damage, and survivability to bring out the best in this build.
Whether you’re crushing enemies in Hell Tides or carrying your group in Nightmare Dungeons, the cheap Diablo IV Gold Upheaval Barbarian is a powerhouse worth mastering. Grab the Hellhammer, enhance your gear with Runewords, and let your Upheaval skill wreak havoc in Sanctuary. Happy hunting, and may the RNG gods bless your loot drops!