Published , by Josh Broadwell
Published , by Josh Broadwell
The best Diablo 4 Rogue build turns this squishy warrior into a deadly assassin. Rogues are flexible fighters with a broad range of skills. They lend themselves to deep specialization, but you can get by just fine with a simple, strong melee build as well.
The Rogue is a strong, but tricky class that can specialize in traps, debilitating attacks, or powerful skills that rely on approaching enemies from the right angle. Unlike the Sorcerer, you can get by with any Rogue specialization without much trouble in solo or group play. Just mind how you go, though. Rogue’s have low defense and are easily overwhelmed.
We opted for a melee-focused build that doesn’t bother with positioning or traps. It keeps your energy filled and gives you a mix of ranged and close attacks to deal with most threats efficiently.
Basic skill: Invigorating Strike (Fundamental)
Invigorating Strike isn’t the flashiest Rogue skill, but it does restore Energy even at the base level. The Rogue’s other skills can’t function without Energy, so this little boost, alongside natural energy restoration, keeps you going for longer. At higher levels, it can inflict Vulnerable status and increase your critical hit chance.
Core skill: Flurry or Barrage (Advanced)
Either skill would serve you well. Both deal continuous damage over a few seconds, both affect multiple enemies, and both have almost identical damage and status affliction perks as you level them up. The main difference is that Flurry is a melee attack, while Barrage is a ranged one.
Core passive: Siphoning Strikes
This passive restores your health when you land critical strikes, something you’ll do more often with the Rogue’s more advanced skills.
Agility skill: Dash (Disciplined)
Dash is the easiest and most profitable agility skill. It has no positioning requirements, unlike the other skills in this bracket, and it increases critical strike damage at higher levels.
Agility passives: Concussive and Trick Attack
Concussive increases your critical strike chance when an enemy is knocked down or back, and you also need at least one point in Concussive to unlock Trick Attack. Trick Attack knocks down an enemy you strike when they’re dazed.
Subterfuge skill: Concealment (Countering)
Concealment is one of the Rogue’s most useful skills. It hides you briefly, boosts your movement speed, and lets you pass through enemies. At higher levels, hiding restores energy, and breaking concealment with a skill will guarantee a critical strike and inflict vulnerable status on enemies.
Subterfuge passive: Exploit
Exploit is an excellent passive that increases your damage against enemies with more than 80 percent HP and less than 35 percent HP. It’s useful in every situation and even more so if you’re playing solo.
Imbuement skill: Shadow (Blended)
Shadow Imbuement deals shadow damage (surprise!), but the real attraction here is what happens when a shadow-infected enemy dies. They explode, dealing damage to those around them as well. The Rogue has few area-of-effect attacks, and this is a solid way to make up for that.
Imbuement passive: Consuming Shadows
This passive refills your energy when you defeat an enemy infected by shadow – a natural buff for the Shadow Imbuement skill.
Ultimate skill: Shadow Clone (Supreme)
Shadow Clone is a fitting crown on top of this damage-focused build. It generates a clone that mimics your attacks and deals slightly less damage than you do. It’s basic, but has shorter cooldowns and more utility than the other ultimate skills.
Ultimate passives: Adrenaline Rush and Impetus
Adrenaline Rush restores energy as you move, and it unlocks Impetus, which lets you deal increased damage after you move at least 15 meters. It buffs Shadow Clone and works quite well with Dash, too.
However you build your Diablo 4 Rogue during the beta, just bear in mind you'll have to do it again later. Your beta progress won't carry over to the full game.