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Diablo Immortal: The Old Meta Barbarian Build

Hammer of the Ancients (HOTA) Barbarian Guide

 

Hammer of the Ancients Barbarians use the Frenzy primary attack along with Hammer of the Ancients, Wrath of the Berserker, Chain Spear, and Sunder or Undying Rage. Wrath of the Berserker is permanent on this build and retaliates against enemies with the recommended essence and it also gives a constant movement speed increase. Chain Spear summons a Spirit of the Ancient to repeatedly cast Chain Spear, deals damage to enemies, and draws enemies into your attacks. Undying Rage is also recommended because it's one of the strongest defensive skills in the game. You can also opt to use Sunder for a 30% damage increase for 6 seconds instead of Undying Rage for more damage in safe content.

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Paragons & Legendary Skills: Hammer of the Ancients Barbarian Build

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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.

DI Deaths Release Slinger HOTA.png
Diablo Immortal Gladiator Paragon.png

Hammer of the Ancients Barbarian Skills and Equipment:

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Skills

1. Frenzy (primary skill)

2. Hammer of the Ancients

3. Wrath of the Berserker

4. Chain Spear

5. Undying Rage (defensive) or Sunder (when you don't need a defensive)

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Main Hand

Stonefall - Hammer of the Ancients now deals increased damage.

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Off-Hand

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

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Main Hand 2

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

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Off-Hand 2

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

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

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Helmet

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

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Shoulders

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

Note: This essence triggers the retaliate from the Bergbreaker essence and the self damage taken is negligible.

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Chest

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

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Legs

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

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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 Set) - This set increases your beneficial effects durations by 30%. This means Chain Spear and Wrath of the Berserker can be up at all times when combined with the recommended essences.

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

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Best Curses

1. Lashed - Your primary attacks give a chance to generate three crackling whips that damage enemies.

2. Wired - Useful for AoE to create a surge of lightning on kill that jumps between enemies on cooldown.

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

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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, increased size (which also increases your movement speed), and knockback immunity for a medium duration with a 20 second cooldown.

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

5. Blood Floe - Lower priority 5 star gem that increases damage, critical hit chance, critical hit damage, and causes bleed.

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

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

Note: The Mother's Lament two star critical hit chance legendary gem should take the place of one five star legendary gem at lower resonance levels when using the new Blood Floe critical hit chance and critical hit damage legendary gem.

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Best 2 Star Legendary Gems

1. Pain Clasp - Gives high increased damage against enemies with a continual damage effect on them.

2. Viper's Bite - Poisons enemies on cooldown and triggers the damage increase on the Pain Clasp legendary gem.

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

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

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

​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 PvP gem that gives increased damage and reduced damage taken but it's drop disabled.

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Best Starter 1 Star Legendary Gems

​1. Berserker's Eye (PvM) - 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.

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Best Familiars

1. Savior Duskprowler - Look for a Duskprowler with 170+ Resilience and the Savior passive skill which provides a cheat death. The 170+ Resilience lowers the cooldown of Savior but can be skipped to make the familiar more affordable.

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 the player's skill cooldown, Steel Hide which gives a chance to block, Precision which gives the shield 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.

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Normal Gems

Prioritize Tourmalines for added damage in red sockets and Citrines for Potency which increases harmful effects duration in yellow sockets. You should also socket your highest refinement Aquamarines and Sapphires in blue sockets which give increased armor and armor penetration. You can optionally combine all of your Rubies which give life and Topazes which give resistances into one Ruby and one Topaz and use one of each in your equipment for higher refinement. Gems give refinement based on their quality and refinement increases the attributes of the piece of equipment that it's socketed in.

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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 fairly new Specter Glass legendary two star gem is one of the best two star gems on almost every build. The Viper's Bite legendary gem should be used to trigger the Pain Clasp legendary gem which greatly increases your damage when the enemy has a continual damage effect on them. Seeping Bile shouldn't be used because it has a 4% proc rate for its continual 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. Roiling Consequence and Mother's Lament give increased critical hit chance and work well with Specter Glass, Everlasting Torment, and Igneous Scorn which trigger on critical hits. You should also consider rolling critical hit damage on every piece of gear with Reforge Stones when using theses critical hit legendary gems. One of your lowest priority legendary gems should also be switched to a Frozen Heart for PvP for an absorb shield and to chill opponents. ​​

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

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