[Diablo 4] Rogue Build Guide

Guide for the Rogue in Diablo IV:

1. Rogue Guide in Diablo IV - Leveling and Builds

1.2 Recommended World Level: It is recommended to start at World Level 1 (Adventurer) for a smooth and fast leveling experience. However, you can also choose World Tier 2 (Veteran) if you're looking for an additional challenge. Keep in mind that the 20% additional monster experience doesn't compensate for the extra time needed to defeat them, which can make the leveling process slower and more cumbersome.

1.3 Story Progression: Before embarking on endgame activities like the Capstone Dungeon (unlocks World Tier 3), Nightmare Dungeons, or Tree of Whispers, it's important to complete the main story. Make sure to follow the narrative thread before exploring these higher difficulty activities.

1.4 Obtaining a Mount: Getting a mount is an important step in your leveling journey. It is recommended to save world explorations, such as obtaining the Altars of Lilith, until after you've obtained a mount. This way, you'll be able to travel more quickly through the world and make the most of your explorations.

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2. Melee or Ranged Gameplay Style

The Rogue offers a variety of viable basic skills that are effective for leveling. In this guide, players can choose between a melee or ranged gameplay style.

- Twisting Blades: It's the best initial basic skill for the Rogue due to its high damage per hit. This melee build is the most effective and fastest way to level a new Rogue character. Keep in mind that this build requires close-quarters combat and careful handling due to its melee range.

- Piercing Shot: It's the best choice for players who prefer a ranged gameplay style. Although it doesn't inflict as much damage on a single target as Twisting Blades, Piercing Shot is still an effective and easy-to-use option for leveling. This ranged build offers a safer option for dealing damage to enemies from a distance.

a) Twisting Blades Leveling Build for Rogues in Diablo IV

Leveling up easily while traversing Sanctuary is possible with the Twisting Blades leveling build. This guide will provide you with an optimal build for the Rogue in Diablo 4, with the maximum skill point allocation at level 50. Based on previous Beta testing, we consider Twisting Blades to be the best choice for leveling a new Rogue character. Let's review the build mechanics, character progression, and gameplay style!

Twisting Blades deals high damage to a single target with 2 hits per cast. Additionally, the piercing effect of the returning blades can be leveraged to defeat multiple enemies at once with proper positioning. Twisting Blades excels both in single-target damage and area clearing without requiring additional investment.

This fast-paced burst build is perfect for players who desire a more complex and involved gameplay style. Surge through the battlefield like a Rogue with Twisting Blades!

1.1 Skill Point Allocation in the Skill Tree

The following table shows the order in which you should allocate your skill points for the Twisting Blades leveling build. At level 50, you'll have 48 points, and you'll receive 2 additional points upon completing Renown in each Act zone, totaling 58 points.

1.2 Specialization in Twisting Blades Rogue

The Rogue specialization unlocks at level 15. Complete the "True Potential" questline as soon as possible to access the first specialization choice, "Combo Points."

The preferred option for specialization is "Combo Points," which allows you to accumulate combo points with the "Puncture" skill to unleash additional damage on your "Twisting Blades." This option is ideal for general farming due to its explosive damage gameplay style.

However, you also have the option to switch to the "Inner Sight" specialization for prolonged single-target encounters, such as world bosses. The more hits you land on your enemies, the faster you fill your "Inner Sight" meter, granting you unlimited energy for 4 seconds. This specialization benefits stronger characters and allows you to use more "Twisting Blades."

1.3 Mechanics and Gameplay Style

The Twisting Blades leveling build is more complex to play compared to others. The "Twisting Blades" skill increases its damage through various benefits, resulting in devastating hits. You can generate combo points for additional damage, the "Shadow Infusion" skill converts your attack into Shadow damage, and "Vanish" ensures that your first attack is a critical hit. After impaling your first victim with "Twisting Blades," you can use "Crash" and "Shadow Step" to reposition around other enemies, allowing the returning blades to hit them. The flying blades retain the damage benefits from the initial impalement, including the guaranteed critical hit!

Damage is further increased with skills like "Close Quarters Combat," "Malice," "Exploit," "Precision Infusion," and "Momentum." Survival is achieved through the "Agile" and "Robust" skills, while "Siphon Strikes" help you sustain your life. Lastly, "Stutter Step" and "Rush" accelerate your movement for faster farming.

1.3.1 Crowd Control Effects

The Rogue with Twisting Blades utilizes crowd control effects to leave Elites in a vulnerable position.

The "Methodical Shadow Step" skill stuns the target for 2 seconds and closes the gap. Combine it with "Twisting Blades" to stun your target. Once stunned, critical hits are triggered with the "Trick Attacks" skill to continuously bring down the enemy.

The "Fundamental Puncture" skill easily applies the "Vulnerable" status to a target with a single basic attack. In team play, apply this weakness to Elites and Bosses so your teammates can deal 20% more damage. Accumulate damage on crowd-controlled and vulnerable enemies in both the team and area to further increase your damage.

1.3.2 Area Damage Rotation

Exploit groups of enemies with the following rotation.

-(Optional) Initiate combat with "Shadow Step" to close the gap, targeting the strongest opponent to stun them.

Immediately activate both "Concealment" and "Shadow Infusion" to enhance your next attack.

-Throw "Twisting Blades" once or twice at the target, depending on their resilience.

-Use "Crash" or "Evade" to move through any additional enemies and allow the returning blades to pass through them.

-Utilize "Puncture" to finish off wounded enemies, generate energy, and accumulate combo points for your next "Twisting Blades."

-Throw additional "Twisting Blades" at any remaining enemies with significant health.

-Repeat the rotation when the abilities are ready.

1.3.3 Single Target Damage Rotation with Combo Points

 Use the following rotation against bosses to achieve high and sustained DPS on a single target.

-(Optional) Close in on the target with "Shadow Step."

-Quickly throw "Puncture" three times to accumulate Combo Points. Get close enough to the target to hit them twice, applying the "Vulnerable" status.

-If not on cooldown, activate "Concealment" to guarantee the next Critical Hit.

-If not on cooldown, activate "Shadow Infusion" to increase damage.

-Throw "Twisting Blades" once at the target.

-Repeat the rotation. Get into the rhythm of throwing 3 basic attacks to accumulate Combo Points before each "Twisting Blades."

1.3.4 Single Target Damage Rotation with Inner Sight

If you decide to switch the Rogue's specialization to "Inner Sight" for higher single-target DPS against challenging enemies like World Bosses, the rotation will be similar to the combo points rotation above. However, during the 4 seconds when "Inner Sight" is activated, spam "Twisting Blades" to take advantage of unlimited energy.

1.4 Equipment Choice and Stat Priority while Leveling

It's important to pick up any rare equipment you come across while leveling with the Twisting Blades Rogue. Save legendary items that have useful affixes in your stash to use them later by extracting and imprinting them onto high-quality rare items.

When comparing weapons with similar item levels, swords are recommended over daggers as they offer higher damage per hit. For ranged weapons, DPS value is not relevant, so prioritize affix values. For ranged weapons, crossbows are preferred due to the implicit affix of "Vulnerable Damage."

Below are the stat affixes you should prioritize on equipment for Twisting Blades Rogue leveling, ranked by importance. Affixes within the same level have similar importance.

1. +DPS Value on One-Handed Weapons

2. +Twisting Blades Range

3. +All Damage

   +Damage to Nearby, Stunned, Chilled, Healthy, and Crowd-Controlled Enemies

   +Damage with Dual Wield, Basic, and Ruthless Skills

   +Damage while Healthy

   +Vulnerable Damage

   +Critical Hit Chance and Damage

   +Attack Speed and Basic Attack Speed

   +Dexterity

4. +Damage Reduction

   +Any Elemental Resistance

   +Dodge Chance

5. +Crowd Control Duration

   +Cooldown Reduction

   +Movement Speed

   +Life and Healing Received

1.5 Legendary Affixes and Codex of Power

To unlock Affixes in the Codex of Power, you need to complete the corresponding Dungeon where the specific Affix drops. For example, the Bladedancer Affix can be unlocked in the Codex of Power by completing the Vigil of Jalal Dungeon in Scosglen. Visit the Enchantress to imprint this Affix onto an item and benefit from its bonuses to Twisting Blades skills. Imprinting it onto a bow or crossbow will grant an additional +100% effect on two-handed weapons. You don't need to replace your ranged weapon frequently, as this setup doesn't utilize ranged skills. A crossbow with useful stats to increase damage is recommended.

It's important to note that Affixes found on discarded legendary items have more powerful effects than those obtained through the Codex of Power. Additionally, certain Affixes can only be obtained by finding them on a legendary item and are not available through the Codex of Power. You can extract Affixes from useless legendary items and then imprint them onto high-quality rare items. However, avoid imprinting valuable extracted Affixes on weapons as they are often replaced frequently during the leveling process.

Below are all the Affixes found on legendary items that are important for the Twisting Blades Rogue leveling build. They are listed in order of priority based on their importance.

1.6 Gems

Below are the best gems to socket in each type of slot for the Twisting Blades Rogue leveling build.

Weapon: Emerald for increased Critical Hit Damage to Vulnerable Enemies. This gem will significantly boost your critical damage potential when attacking enemies that are in the Vulnerable state.

Armor: Ruby for increased Maximum Life. This gem will raise your maximum health, providing you with greater endurance and survival in combat.

Jewels: Diamond for Resistance in all categories or any gem that provides the resistance type you need the most.

1.7 Elixirs and Health Potions

Visit the Alchemist to create useful elixirs that boost your stats and grant experience for 30 minutes. Make sure to gather plants and crafting materials needed during your adventures, as they randomly spawn throughout the world. Use an elixir that provides the Resistance you need the most, or Assault Elixir to increase your Attack Speed by 7%.

Return to the Alchemist when you reach levels 20, 30, 45, 60, 70, 80, and 90 to upgrade your potion. Additional healing is essential to ensure your survival during battles.

b) Piercing Shot Leveling Build for the Rogue in Diablo 4

The Piercing Shot leveling build for the Rogue is capable of piercing even the toughest enemies. This is your guide to building a character and leveling in Diablo 4, with optimal skill setups, rotations, and gear.

Piercing Shot always pierces through enemies, dealing significant damage with each hit. This ranged build is perfect for players looking for a safe playstyle that can easily eliminate groups of enemies. Align yourself with the Piercing Shot Rogue!

1.1 Skill Point Allocation in the Skill Tree

The following table shows the order in which you should allocate your skill points for the Piercing Shot leveling build. At level 50, you'll have 48 points, and you'll receive 2 additional points upon completing Renown in each Act zone, totaling 58 points.

1.2 Rogue Specialization in Piercing Shot

The preferred specialization for the Rogue is "Combo Points," as it provides a Lucky Hit chance bonus for Piercing Shot, in addition to increased damage.

1.3 Mechanics and Gameplay Style

The Piercing Shot Rogue build is relatively straightforward to play but has some complex mechanics to learn. Piercing Shot has a straight-line area of effect (AoE), which can be challenging to utilize. However, the "Trickster Aspect" skill helps overcome this limitation by adding more arrows to increase coverage and help eliminate groups of enemies.

Damage is further increased with skills like "Concussive," "Weapon Mastery," "Explosive," "Malice," and "Impetus." Using "Smoke Grenade" prevents enemies from attacking you, significantly improving your survivability. Lastly, the "Stutter Step," "Rush," and "Crash" skills speed up your movement for faster leveling. The "Shadow Infusion" skill is used to help eliminate groups of enemies and generate energy with Consuming Shadows.

Please note that this guide is based on my knowledge up to September 2021 and there may be changes or updates in Diablo IV. I recommend consulting up-to-date and reliable sources for the latest information on skills, mechanics, and rotations for the Piercing Shot leveling build in Diablo IV. Enjoy your experience as a Piercing Shot Rogue!

1.3.1 Lucky Hit

Piercing Shot has a high 80% Lucky Hit chance when used with 3 Combo Points, and there's a chance for it to activate with each enemy hit by the piercing arrows. To make the most of this feature, skills like Counterbalance Smoke Grenade and Invigoration are used to trigger Lucky Hit effects. Puncture can also be used to trigger Lucky Hits with a 35% chance for each thrown dagger. This combination works especially well when increasing basic attack speed and throwing 3 daggers per Puncture cast in Fundamental Puncture.

1.3.2 Status Effects

The Piercing Shot Rogue utilizes various status effects to leave enemies in a vulnerable state. Advanced Piercing Shot slows down enemies and knocks down elites when cast with full energy.

Fundamental Puncture allows for easy application of the Vulnerable debuff to a target with a single basic attack. In team play, it's recommended to apply this debuff to Elites and Bosses so your teammates can deal 20% more damage.

Smoke Grenade is another powerful crowd control (CC) skill in the Rogue's arsenal. This skill can be frequently used to stun groups of enemies using Counterbalance Smoke Grenade. Additionally, Crash automatically drops a smoke grenade with the Accelerating Mist Aspect. Critical hits against stunned enemies are enhanced by Trick Attacks, activating the Concussive effect to increase critical hit chance.

Advanced Piercing Shot and Disciplined Dash apply the Slow status to restore Energy with the Threshold Aspect.

Accumulating damage on poisoned, vulnerable, stunned, slowed, and crowd-controlled enemies in both the team and the model board will allow you to further increase your damage and empower your skills.

1.3.3 Damage Rotation

Use the following rotation to optimize your DPS (Damage per Second):

1. Start by using Smoke Grenade or Crash with the Accelerating Mist Aspect to stun enemies and prepare for combat.

2. When facing large groups of enemies, activate Shadow Infusion to cause area damage explosions and generate energy.

3. Throw Puncture three times to accumulate Combo Points. Try to get close enough to elites and bosses to apply Vulnerable and trigger Lucky Hits.

4. Line up enemies in your path and use Piercing Shot to pierce through them with your piercing arrows.

5. Repeat the rotation. Try to cast Piercing Shot when you have full energy to make the most of Advanced Piercing Shot and the Edgemaster Aspect.

Follow this rotation to maximize your damage and efficiently defeat your enemies. Remember to adjust your playstyle according to the situation and adapt to the combat needs. Good luck in your adventures as a Piercing Shot Rogue!

1.4 Equipment Choice and Stat Priority while Leveling

It's important to make sure to collect any Strange drops that may be upgrades while farming with the Piercing Shot Rogue. Save legendary items that have useful affixes in your stash to use them later by extracting and imprinting them onto high-quality rare items.

When comparing weapons with similar item levels, crossbows are recommended over bows due to the implicit Vulnerable Damage affix. For dual-wield weapons, DPS value is not as relevant as they are only used for Puncture. Therefore, other beneficial affix modifiers can be prioritized on dual-wield weapons.

Below are the stat affixes you should prioritize on equipment for the Piercing Shot Rogue, ranked by importance. Affixes within the same level have roughly the same importance:

1. +DPS Value on Ranged Weapons

2. +Piercing Shot Range

3. +All Damage

   +Damage to Trapped, Poisoned, Stunned, Slowed, Healthy, Wounded, and Crowd-Controlled Enemies

   +Damage with Ranged, Basic, and Shooter Skills

   +Damage while Healthy

   +Vulnerable Damage

   +Critical Hit Chance and Damage

   +Attack Speed and Basic Attack Speed

   +Dexterity

4. +Damage Reduction

   +Any Elemental Resistance

   +Dodge Chance

5. +Crowd Control Duration

   +Cooldown Reduction

   +Movement Speed

   +Life

1.5 Legendary Affixes and Codex of Power

To unlock Affixes in the Codex of Power, you need to complete the corresponding Dungeon where the specific Affix drops. The Trickster Affix can be unlocked in the Codex of Power by completing the Bastion of Faith Dungeon in Hawezar. Visit the Enchantress to imprint this Affix onto an item. It's recommended to imprint it onto an amulet to gain an additional +50% bonus effect.

Please note that Affixes found on discarded legendary items have more powerful effects than those applied through the Codex of Power. Additionally, certain Affixes can only be obtained by finding them on a legendary item and are not available through the Codex of Power. Therefore, it's recommended to extract Affixes from useless legendary items and then imprint them onto high-quality rare items. However, avoid imprinting valuable extracted Affixes on weapons as they are often replaced frequently during the leveling process.

Below are all the Affixes found on legendary items that are important for the Piercing Shot Rogue leveling build. They are listed in order of priority based on their relevance and effectiveness in the build.

1.6 Gems

Below are the best gems to socket in each type of slot for the Piercing Shot Rogue leveling build.

Weapon: Emerald for increased Critical Hit Damage to Vulnerable Enemies. This gem will significantly boost your critical damage potential when attacking enemies that are in the Vulnerable state.

Armor: Ruby for increased Maximum Life. This gem will raise your maximum health, providing you with greater endurance and survival in combat.

Jewels: Skull for Armor. This gem will increase your armor, providing you with greater protection against physical damage.

By socketing these gems into your equipment, you'll enhance your key stats and strengthen your character to face the challenges you'll encounter on your journey.

1.7 Elixirs and Health Potions

Visit the Alchemist in any major town to create useful elixirs that boost your stats and grant experience for a 30-minute duration. Make sure to gather plants and collect necessary crafting materials during your adventures, as they randomly generate throughout the world. Additionally, you can use an Assault Elixir to increase your Attack Speed by 7%, allowing you to attack faster and more efficiently.

Remember to return to the Alchemist when you reach levels 20, 30, 45, 60, 70, 80, and 90 to upgrade your potion. The additional healing is essential to ensure your survival during battles.

Make the most of elixirs and health potions to strengthen your character and maximize your performance in battle. Don't forget to stock up on the required ingredients and keep your elixirs and potions ready to face any challenge that comes your way!

3. Endgame Tips After Level 50

The leveling builds on this page are designed to take you up to level 50, but as you approach or reach that milestone, you may be wondering what activities you should be doing in Diablo 4. Below, we will briefly go over some of the things you can and, in some cases, should do after reaching level 50.

Completing the story is necessary to unlock the various endgame activities that are available, so it's definitely something you should prioritize. Just make sure to always complete the quests marked in yellow, and you shouldn't have any trouble finding your way.

Keep in mind that after completing the main story, the game opens up quite a bit, allowing you to choose which activities to engage in and in what order, based on your goals (leveling up as quickly as possible, progressing in Nightmare Dungeons, participating in PvP, etc.). That being said, in the following sections, we provide a quick list of activities you should do, in approximate order.

a. Complete the Level 50 Capstone Dungeon

You should change the difficulty to World Tier 2 and complete the level 50 dungeon called Capstone Dungeon, located in Kyovashad, within the Fractured Peaks.

The dungeon can be completed even before reaching level 50, but you must first complete the main story. The dungeon is quite challenging (all enemies are set at level 50), so it is not recommended to attempt it before reaching at least level 40. You need to change the difficulty to World Tier 2 to access the dungeon.

Once you have completed the Capstone Dungeon, you should change the difficulty to World Tier 3, which will allow Sacred Gear to drop, which is a significant upgrade compared to non-sacred gear.

b. Complete Renown in All Zones

Complete the remaining stages of Renown in all zones. Note that depending on how you want to play, you can delay this step until reaching a higher level, such as 65-70, when leveling slows down and acquiring power becomes more challenging. Reaching Stage 5 Renown in each zone takes time, and your character can gain power more quickly in levels 50-60 simply by leveling up and acquiring Sacred Gear through Nightmare Dungeons or other endgame activities.

c. Whisper Trees

The Whisper Trees, located in Hawezar, reward you for completing challenges and rewards found throughout the game world. These activities will provide you with experience and valuable items, and since they are scattered across different parts of the world, they can be combined well with other events and activities.

The Whisper Trees are also your main source of Nightmare Sigils, items needed to activate Nightmare Dungeons, one of the main endgame activities.

d. Nightmare Dungeons

Nightmare Dungeons are one of the main endgame activities in Diablo 4. Once you have obtained your first Sigil (likely from the Whisper Trees), you can start doing these dungeons, which will provide you with more Sigils, and you will never run out of them. Nightmare Dungeons can only be done at World Tier 3 or higher.

Nightmare Dungeons are crucial in the endgame, as their difficulty has a high potential for increase and they provide a challenge in exchange for great item rewards. They are also the only way to upgrade the glyphs inserted into your Paragon board, which is crucial for increasing your character's power.

e. Helltides

Helltides appear on the map for players who are at World Tier 3 or higher, taking large stretches of land for an hour. During this time, monsters killed in the affected area drop a special temporary coin that can be used to unlock chests found in the Helltide area.

It is highly recommended to participate in Helltides regularly, as they are the only place where you can reliably obtain Souls of the Forgotten, a crafting material needed to enchant Sacred and Ancestral (world level 4) items at the occultist. Enchanting items to replace an undesirable property is key to optimizing your gear, and that simply isn't possible without Souls of the Forgotten.

f. Complete the Level 70 Capstone Dungeon

Completing the Level 70 Capstone Dungeon (marked on your map with an orange dungeon entrance) will unlock World Tier 4 and with it, the highest-tier items, Ancestral items.

The enemies in this dungeon are set at level 70, and the final boss is very powerful, so it is not recommended to attempt it before level 60 (or even 65).

g. Legion Events and World Bosses

Legion events and world bosses are marked on the map and are good activities to engage in at World Tier 3 or 4, as they will reward you with potentially good items, as well as a good amount of experience in the case of Legion events. Simply go to the marked area on the map and join other players in eliminating the enemies.

Remember that the endgame in Diablo 4 offers many activities and options to continue progressing and strengthening your character. Feel free to explore and experiment with different activities to find ones that you enjoy the most and provide the rewards you're looking for. Have fun and keep challenging the dangers that await you in Sanctuary!

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