Barbarian HotA Build with the Raekor set
Welcome to our build guide for HotA Raekor Barbarian in Diablo 3. Here, you will learn everything you need to know to play this build at the highest level. This build is updated for patch 2.6.8 and Season 20.
For more information regarding followers, we advise you to read our follower guide, which contains detailed advice on choosing the skills and the gear of your companion.
Introduction
Empowered by the Legacy of Raekor set, this Barbarian build emphasizes melee
devastation and pulverizes his enemies to the ground with
Hammer of the Ancients, with a vast array of buffs and tremendous mobility
at his disposal. This agile, face-to-face burst damage build is meant for
Greater Rift solo progression, but we do have a speed farming variation
that you can access by clicking the link below.
HotA IK Barbarian
This HotA Raekor Barbarian build used to be a variation of our HotA IK Barbarian build, which you can access by clicking the link below. In time, the variation grew to be different enough from the original build (and competitive enough) to deserve its own page.
Quick Reference
Skill Setup
The basic skill setup of the Raekor HotA Barbarian is displayed below. Read the dedicated Skills page for detailed information on choices, alternatives and build customization.
| Active Skills |
|---|
Furious Charge
 Merciless Assault
Hammer of the Ancients
 Smash
1
Battle Rage
Bloodshed
2
Threatening Shout
 Falter
3
Ignore Pain
Ignorance is Bliss
4
Wrath of the Berserker
Insanity
|
| Passive Skills |
Gear Setup
The required gear setup for Raekor HotA Barbarian is listed below. Check the Gear page for detailed information on choices, alternatives, gemming, Kanai's Cube and Paragon distribution.
- Helm:
Raekor's Will - Shoulders:
Raekor's Burden - Gloves:
Raekor's Wraps - Chest:
Raekor's Heart - Belt:
Pride of Cassius - Pants:
Raekor's Breeches - Boots:
Raekor's Striders - Bracers:
Bracers of the First Men - Amulet:
The Traveler's Pledge - Ring 1:
The Compass Rose - Ring 2:
Convention of Elements - Weapon 1:
Little Rogue - Weapon 2:
The Slanderer
Legendary Gems
- Legendary Gem 1:
Bane of the Trapped - Legendary Gem 2:
Bane of the Stricken - Legendary Gem 3:
Esoteric Alteration
Kanai's Cube
- Weapon Slot:
The Gavel of Judgment - Armor Slot:
Aquila Cuirass - Jewelry Slot:
Band of Might
Changelog
- 12 Mar. 2020 (gear page): No changes necessary for Season 20.
- 12 Mar. 2020 (this page): No changes necessary for Season 20.
- 12 Mar. 2020 (skills page): No changes necessary for Season 20.
- 19 Nov. 2019 (gear page): Guide revised and updated for Season 19.
- 19 Nov. 2019 (this page): Guide revised and updated for Season 19.
- 19 Nov. 2019 (skills page): Guide revised and updated for Season 19.
- 22 Aug. 2019 (skills page): Skill selection was clarified for Season 18.
- 22 Aug. 2019 (this page): Item recommendations were revised for Season 18.
- 22 Aug. 2019 (gear page): Item recommendations were revised for Season 18.
- 13 May 2019 (skills page): Guide was reviewed and approved for Season 17.
- 13 May 2019 (this page): Guide was reviewed and approved for Season 17.
- 13 May 2019 (gear page): Guide was reviewed and approved for Season 17.
- 27 Jan. 2019 (skills page): Minor revision to the passive selection options.
- 27 Jan. 2019 (this page): Introduced minor improvements to the guide and adjusted the Raekor variant according to the meta.
- 17 Jan. 2019 (gear page): Added suggestions for the baseline Ring of Royal Grandeur for Seasonal characters.
- 17 Jan. 2019 (this page): Guide was revised with additional recommendations for Season 16.
- 16 Jan. 2019 (skills page): Information was reviewed and approved for Season 16 with no changes required.
- 20 Sep. 2018 (this page): Guide was reviewed and approved for Season 15.
- 14 Jun. 2018 (this page): Guide was reviewed and approved for Season 14.
- 16 Nov. 2017 (this page): Added the Raekor build variation for GR progress.
- 31 Oct. 2017 (this page): Overhaul of the guide to reflect the 2.6.1 buffs that made this build the best build of the season for Barbarians.
- 31 Oct. 2017 (gear page): Changed the weapon recommendation to a dual setup with The Istvan's Paired Blades replacing The Gavel of Judgment (which is now cubed).
- 26 Jun. 2017 (this page): Guide updated for 2.6 and moved to new format.
More Barbarian Guides
Builds from Other Classes
This build is presented to you by Deadset, one of the very few professional Diablo 3 players. Deadset regularly publishes video guides on Youtube and streams on Twitch, where you can see how this and other builds play out in practice.
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