Rogue Barrage Shotgun Build

Introduction

Welcome to our Diablo 4 Rogue Barrage Shotgun Build. In this guide we’ll take you through everything you need to know to create and play this powerful build for yourself. The guide covers Skill Tree, Paragon Board choices, Glyphs, Aspects and more! This build relies on creating a barrage of arrows in a cone to kill multiple mobs at once. Barrage also serves as a point-blank shotgun, crushing bosses too!

Skill Tree and Paragon Board

For our Diablo 4 Rogue Barrage Shotgun Build we are using the 5 Rare Glyphs to complement our damage and survivability. Below we will put them in order of which one to level first to last.

• 1 – (Board #2: Cunning Stratagem) Exploit: We will need the extra radius to reach the required stats. Granting us Damage to Vulnerable targets and the ability to apply Vulnerable to all Targets on first hit.
• 2 – (Board #3: Exploit Weakness) Combat: We will need the extra radius to reach the required stats. Granting us Core Skill Damage through Critical Strike Damage and Energy Cost Reduction.
• 3 – (Starting Board) Ranger: We will need the extra radius to reach the required stats. Granting us increased Marksman Skill Damage and 10% Damage Reduction when wielding a Ranged weapon.
• 4 – (Board #4: Tricks of the Trade) Chip: We will need the extra radius to reach the required stats. Granting us increased Physical Damage to targets and granting us increased Damage to a target based on Physical Damage dealt. In this case, our Basic Attacks and non-imbued Barrage.
• 4 – (Board #5: No Witnesses) Turf: We will need the extra radius to reach the required stats. Granting us increased Damage to Close Targets and 10% Damage Reduction against Close enemies.
• 5 – (Board #6: Cheap Shot) Control: We will need the extra radius to reach the required stats. Granting us increased Damage to Crowd Controlled targets and granting us increased Damage to Slowed or Chilled enemies. This Damage increase is doubled to Stunned or Frozen enemies.

Class Mechanic: Specializations (Combo Points)

Combo Points is our Specialization of choice in this end-game build. This is due to the usage of Puncture to stack Combo Points, allowing you to make very big burst windows. The burst comes from Barrage increasing in damage potential with each Combo Point spent. We also generate Combo Points very fast with the Condemnation Unique.

Legendary Aspects

Legendary Aspects are one of the most powerful parts of any build. Below we list the ones used for this Diablo 4 Rogue Barrage Shotgun Build. Each build has a limited amount of Offensive, Defensive, and Utility Aspects that it can use. Here is a reminder of the slot limitations for Legendary Aspects:

• Offensive – Amulets, Gloves, Ring, Weapons
• Defensive – Amulets, Chest, Helm, Legs, Shield
• Mobility – Amulets, Boots
• Resource – Rings
• Utility – Amulets, Boots, Chest, Gloves, Helm, Shield

Aspect Priority

Below you will find the list of Aspects we use and recommend for this build. The Aspects are in order starting from most important to the least. However all the Aspects are worthwhile. You can also check the build planner above for these Aspects:

• Edgemaster’s Aspect (Offensive)
• Mangler’s Aspect (Utility)
• Aspect of Disobedience (Defensive)
• Aspect of Branching Volleys (Offensive)
• Aspect of Might (Defensive)
• Accelerating Aspect (Offensive)
• Aspect of the Expectant (Offensive)
• Aspect of Corruption (Offensive)
• Rapid Aspect (Offensive)
• Aspect of the Protector (Defensive)

Unique Items

• Penitent Greaves (Boots) – These boots provide decent stats such as Movement Speed. Penitent Greaves also provides a chilling trail that increases your damage to Chilled enemies and Slows them. Replace Ghostwalker’s with these when possible.
• Harlequin’s Crest (Helm) – The Harlequin’s Crest is the undisupted best in slot Helm for every build in Diablo 4. The helmet provides you with Maximum Life, Cooldown Reduction, Energy Generation and All Stats. On top of this, the Helm provides +4 Ranks to ALL Skills. Replace Mangler’s with this as soon as possible.
• Condemnation (1-Handed Dagger) – Condemnation is a must-have for this build. The ability to gain an instant full Combo Point meter is incredible. This unique Dagger also provides a huge amount of increased Core Skill Damage.

Malignant Hearts

Malignant Hearts, a new addition to Diablo 4 through the first Seasonal experience act as a huge boost to your build capabilities. As a result, we recommend using the following Malignant Hearts for this build:

• Revenge (Brutal, Defensive-World Tier III): 10-20% of incoming damage is instead suppressed. When you use a Defensive, Subterfuge or a Macabre skill, all suppressed damage is amplified by 250% and explodes, dealing up to 1360-2040 Fire damage to Nearby enemies.
• The Calculated (Devious, Utility-World Tier III): After spending 150-200 of your Primary Resource, your next attack Stuns enemies hit for 2 seconds.
• Trickery (Brutal, Defensive): When you use a Subterfuge Skill, leave behind an unstable Shadow Decoy Trap that Taunts enemies. The Shadow Decoy Trap will explode after 6.0 seconds dealing 680-1020 Shadow damage. Cannot occur more than once every 5 seconds.

Alternative Choices

• The Dark Dance (Vicious, Offensive-World Tier III): Every 5 seconds while above 60% Life, Core Skills cost 68-51 Life instead of your Primary Resource. Skills that consume Life deal 10-20% increased damage.
• Prudent Heart (Brutal, Defensive-World Tier III): You become Immune for 2.0-4.0 seconds after you lose more than 20% Life in a single hit. This effect can only occur once every 110 seconds.

Item Affix Priority

Item	1	2	3	4	5
Helm	Ranks to Shadow Imbuement	Total Armor	Cooldown Reduction	Max Life	Ranks to Poison Imbuement
Chest	Damage Reduction	Close Damage Reduction	Max Life.	Total Armor	Dexterity
Gloves	Ranks to Barrage	Critical Strike Damage	Attack Speed	Critical Strike Chance	Critical Strike Damage with Imbued Skills
Pants	Damage Reduction	Close Damage Reduction	Max Life	Total Armor	Ranks to Dark Shroud
Boots	Movement Speed	Energy Cost Reduction	Damage Reduction while Injured	Dodge Chance	All Stats
Amulet	Movement Speed	Damage Reduction	Cooldown Reduction	Ranks to Malice	Ranks to Weapon Mastery
Ring x 2	Critical Strike Chance	Critical Strike Damage	Vulnerable Damage	Max Life	Critical Strike Damage with Imbued Skills
Weapon 1H / 2H	Vulnerable Damage	Critical Strike Damage	Core Skill Damage	Dexterity	Critical Strike Damage with Imbued Skills

How To Play Barrage Shotgun Rogue

• Manage your Energy alongside your Combo Points to ensure the strongest bursts of Barrage combined with the Edgemaster’s Aspect.
• You have a ranged advantage, make the most of it and efficiently kite enemies without taking huge amounts of melee damage. Alternatively, this build allows for you to get up close and deal quick bursts to priority targets.
• Use Dash and Shadow Step as a means of re-positioning.
• Dash can also be used as a means of dealing increased damage due to the Critical Strike Damage modifier it gives. To make the most of this, build up your Combo Points, Shadow Imbuement your Dash, Dash through the enemies and then round off the combo with a close range Barrage for massive damage.
• Shadow Step can also be used to Stun priority mobs in any scenario, make sure to assess what is the most dangerous enemy to you or your party and plan based on that.
• The general gameplay loop is to use Puncture to build up Combo Point stacks, Imbue your Barrage with Shadow Imbuement, drop a Poison Trap, fire the Barrage at close distance or kiting range, consuming the Combo Points, then repeat!

How to Play vs Mob Packs, Elites and Bosses

• When approaching single-target fights such as World Bosses or high tier Nightmare Dungeon bosses, using Poison Imbuement as your primary Imbuement is ideal for damage. Barrage deals an incredible amount of single target damage if you get up close. As a result, prepare your Shotgun for the big bosses!
• To get the most out of your damage in large packs of mobs, weave in as many Punctures as possible to build your Combo Points. This allows you to gather up the enemy while applying Vulnerable and building Combo Point stacks. From here, you can either aggressively Dash through to gain increased Critical Strike Damage, or kite back, firing the Barrage into the mob pack and weaving Punctures while backing off. With Barrage you have a chance to ricochet onto other targets, so the damage will spread through well.
• Against Elites, entering the fight by Crowd Controlling the most dangerous target is advised. To achieve this efficiently, use Shadow Step as an engage tool. Soon after Shadow Step is used, you can immediately drop Poison Trap and prepare for your Imbued Barrage at point-blank range. This will deal incredible single-target burst and cleave damage with Shadow Imbuement.

Additional Tips

This particular Rogue build that plays around Shadow Imbuement and Barrage excels in pretty much all content within Diablo 4. However, there is a few important things to note throughout each end-game activity and tweaks to the Skill Tree and Aspects:

• With a +4 Ranks to Shadow Imbuement helm, you can spread a lot of points into other areas. For example, more points into smaller passives like Concussive or Precision Imbuement.
• Precision, our Key Passive can deal huge amounts of bonus damage for us. As a result of this, be sure to keep an eye on the stacks on your buff bar. Alternatively, Close Quarters Combat is another viable Key Passive, gaining a huge DPS increase weaving Cutthroat and Marksman Skills together.
• In the PVP Fields of Hatred, the Rogue is a formidable and high-speed opponent. For PVP content we recommend switching out Poison Trap to Concealment. Concealment acts as both a surprise engage tool and an unstoppable utility. This Skill can also serve as a burst opener, as one of the perks in the Skill Tree provides a Guaranteed Critical Strike with Barrage upon Stealth Break.
• Survivability is key if you are pushing higher tier Nightmare Dungeons. If you are struggling to survive, focus on improving positioning or adding more Damage Reduction sources to your gear and Paragon.
• In the PVP Fields of Hatred, switching out or hot-swapping gear to have access to the Eluding Aspect to break out of stun-lock, Exploiter’s Aspect to fight Barbarians, Aspect of the Protector to gain a shield vs an opponent and Escape Artist to guarantee Dodge on several attacks – is recommended. Some Aspects gain far less value while fighting in PVP.
• Remember that this build works as a ranged AoE damage build but also a close range shotgun-styled build. Do not be afraid to get up close and personal to get the job done!
• If you are struggling and need even more survivability, you can switch to Umbrous Aspect to gain free Dark Shroud stacks!

Conclusion

This concludes our guide for the Rogue Barrage Shotgun build in Diablo 4! For more information on Diablo 4, including Class Builds and Guides, be sure to check out our Diablo 4 home page!