Diablo Immortal: The Old Meta Barbarian Build

Hammer of the Ancients (HOTA) Barbarian Guide

With changes to the game in a previous patch the Hammer of the Ancients Barbarian is much less competitive when compared to Whirlwind Barbarians in PvM and Demoralize Barbarians in PvP. You can check out the other two Barbarian builds in the menu at the top of the page but if you're still interested in Hammer of the Ancients, then read on! Hammer of the Ancients Barbarians use the Frenzy primary attack along with Hammer of the Ancients, Wrath of the Berserker, Chain Spear, and Cleave (offensive) or Undying Rage (defensive). Chain Spear summons a Spirit of the Ancients to repeatedly cast Chain Spear, deals damage to enemies, and draws enemies into your damage. With the Bergbreaker offhand essence Wrath of the Berserker retaliates against enemies when you're damaged which includes when you're damaged by the low self damage of the Nature's Temper shoulder essence. The Cleave skill should be used for damage or you can optionally use the Undying Rage skill which is one of the strongest defensive skills in the game.

Paragons & Legendary Skills: Hammer of the Ancients Barbarian Build

1. Slinger is the best damage paragon for this build because it increases your damage and critical hit chance.

2. Gladiator is the best PvP paragon tree for this build because it gives another cheat death.

3. Vanquisher is the best paragon tree for increased magic find and has increased damage and attack speed on kills.

4. Harbinger can be used in Erebban for an absorb shield, movement speed, and to move unhindered through enemies.

5. Survivor is the recommended paragon for Vanguard because it gives a cheat death that works in Vanguard.

6. The best paragon legendary skill for this build is Death's Release which causes explosions with your continual damage.

7. Below you can find an image for the best paragon for damage and the second image is the best paragon for PvP.

Hammer of the Ancients Barbarian Skills and Equipment:

Skills

1. Frenzy (primary attack)

2. Hammer of the Ancients

3. Wrath of the Berserker

4. Chain Spear

5. Cleave (offensive) or Undying Rage (defensive)

Main Hand

Borrowed Might (with Cleave) - Cleave now summons a Spirit of the Ancient to Cleave nearby enemies.

Stonefall (with Undying Rage) - Hammer of the Ancients now also deals increased damage.

Off-Hand

Flickertonne - Hammer of the Ancients now charges up for increased damage each time you use a different attack.

Note: This is the most important essence because it allows you to charge Hammer of the Ancients up with primary attacks.

Main Hand 2

Riddlerue - When Frenzy deals a critical hit your attack speed is increased for a short duration.

Off-Hand 2

Bergbreaker - Wrath of the Berserker increases your movement speed and causes you to retaliate when you take damage.

Note: This is triggered from taking damage which includes the self damage of the Nature's Temper shoulders essence.

Helmet

Krubask's Sneer - During Wrath of the Berserker your critical hit chance is also increased.

Lasting Hate - Wrath of the Berserker now also has increased duration.

Note: Lasting Hate should be used before you have increased beneficial effect duration rolls on your equipment.

Shoulders

Nature's Temper - Wrath of the Berserker now also causes primary attacks to consume life to deal extra damage.

Note: The self damage of this essence is low and it triggers the retaliation from the Bergbreaker offhand essence.

Chest

Shackled Fate - Chain Spear now summons a Spirit of the Ancients that repeatedly casts Chain Spear.

Legs

Buried Talons - Chain Spear now also increases your damage for a duration when it hits an enemy.

Recommended Sets

1. Issatar Imbued (4 Set) - Increases your movement speed and increases your damage based off your movement speed.

2. Vithu's Urges (2-4 Set) - This set increases beneficial effects durations by 30% which includes Wrath of the Berserker.

3. Untouchable Mountebank (2 Set PvP) - Great for PvP for a large absorb shield which improves your defenses.

Best Curses

1. Lashed - Use at least four items with this curse to make primary attacks cause three damaging whips on cooldown.

2. Wired - Optional to create a surge of lightning on kill that jumps between enemies with a medium length cooldown.

3. Ghosted (PvP) - Optional for PvP to summon a minion to take some of your incoming damage.

Best 5 Star Legendary Gems

1. Roiling Consequence - Increases your critical hit chance and causes critical hits to burn enemies.

2. Golden Firmament - Causes ranged wind damage attacks and increases your evasion rating.

3. Colossus Engine - Gives increased skill damage, increased area of effect, knockback immunity, and increased size (which increases your movement speed) for a medium duration with a 20 second cooldown.

4. Blood Floe - Strong 5 star for this build that increases damage, critical hit chance, critical hit damage, and causes bleed.

5. Starfire Shard - Deals AoE damage and stuns enemies in PvP inside the Maw of the Deep legendary gem effect.

6. Wulfheort - After damaging enemies 5 times you slash them and increase attack speed for you and your allies.

7. Maw of the Deep - Used at a high rank to deal damage, gain a damage buff, draw in enemies, and stun enemies.

8. Frozen Heart (important for PvP on Barbarian) - Gives an absorb shield for a medium duration and chills enemies.

Best 2 Star Legendary Gems

1. Pain Clasp - Gives high increased damage against enemies that have a continuous damage effect on them.

2. Mother's Lament - Increases your critical hit chance and causes a blood spike that makes enemies bleed.

3. Specter Glass - Increases the damage taken by enemies after critical hits and increases your critical hit chance.

4. Fervent Fang - Gives a stacking damage increase on hit and increases damage against elites and bosses.

5. Viper's Bite - Optional to poison enemies on cooldown which triggers the damage increase on the Pain Clasp gem.

6. Mourneskull - This legacy gem can be used to increase your damage and deal damage but it no longer drops.

7. Igneous Scorn (PvM) - Can be combined with Roiling Consequence and Mother's Lament to deal damage on critical hits. Igneous Scorn is the lowest priority 2 star legendary gem on the list and should be replaced first with a 5 star gem.

8. Crimson Behelit (PvP) - Strong legacy PvP gem for increased damage and reduced damage taken that's drop disabled.

Best Starter 1 Star Legendary Gems

1. Berserker's Eye - Increases all of your damage and critical hit chance but also increases your damage taken.

2. Everlasting Torment - Deals damage over time on crits which triggers the damage increase on the Pain Clasp gem.

3. Entropic Well - A strong budget 1 star legendary gem that increases your skill damage and attack speed.

Note: Berserker's Eye is a great one star legendary gem and requires a high ranked up 5 star gem to match its damage.

Best Familiars

1. Savior Duskprowler - Look for a 170+ Resilience legendary Duskprowler with the Savior skill which provides a cheat death and temporary damage immunity. The 170+ Resilience is important to lower the cooldown of Savior.

2. Broodtalon/Skitterwight - Look for Savior which provides a cheat death and Lingering Wounds for increased damage.

3. Any Savior Familiar - Look for any familiar with great passive skills and Savior which gives a cheat death. Savior can be used to buy time for other cheat deaths like the Undying Rage Barbarian skill and the Gladiator paragon.

4. Rare Duskprowler - Relentless Strikes is the next best skill because it gives a chance to cast the Duskprowler shield twice. Innervate which gives a chance at resetting one of the player's skill cooldowns, Steel Hide which gives a chance to block, Precision which gives critical hit chance, and Tenacity which lowers the cooldown of the shield are also desirable.

5. Magic Duskprowler - Duskprowler shields are hard to replace so the budget option familiar is a magic Duskprowler.

Note: Broodtalons and Skitterwights have status effects over a duration which increases the duration of Lingering Wounds.

Normal Gems

Prioritize Tourmalines for added damage in red sockets and a combination of Citrines and Topazes for potency and resistances in yellow sockets for the highest refinement. Potency increases harmful effects durations on enemies and resistances decrease harmful effects durations on you. Citrines for potency is preferred if you only care about PvM damage but resistances come into play more with PvP. You should also use your highest refinement Aquamarines and Sapphires which give increased armor and armor penetration in blue sockets. You can optionally combine all of your bound Rubies which give life into one or two Rubies and socket them into your equipment if they give more refinement. Gems give refinement based on their quality and refinement increases the attributes on the equipment the gems are socketed in.

Gem Notes

The Blood Floe gem is a great option when it's combined with multiple sources of critical hit chance and critical hit damage. The fairly new Colossus Engine legendary gem is recommended to increase your damage, area of effect, and movement speed from its size increase. The Viper's Bite legendary gem can be used to trigger the Pain Clasp legendary gem which greatly increases your damage when the enemy has a continuous damage effect on them. Seeping Bile shouldn't be used because it has a 4% proc rate for its continuous damage and this build has a low attack speed. Golden Firmament is a very strong 5 star gem that has wind damage, evasion rating, and triggers Firestorm for more wind damage when it's mixed with burning damage. When using increased critical hit chance legendary gems you should consider rolling increased critical hit damage on every piece of gear with Reforge Stones for increased damage. One of your lowest priority legendary gems should also be switched to a Frozen Heart five star legendary gem for PvP for an absorb shield and to chill opponents.

That's all for the Hammer of the Ancients Barbarian Guide. You can view a PvP Barb Guide here Demoralize Barbarian.