If the Rogue class in Diablo 4 has piqued your interest, then it's likely that you'll want to know what the best build for this powerful and versatile class is, especially when heading into Season 1. With all its customization options and abilities, choosing the best build for the Rogue class can be daunting, but luckily, we have you covered.
In this detailed and frequently maintained guide, we'll be breaking down our pick for the game's best Diablo 4 Season 1 Rogue build. We'll cover all the best skills, stats, items, Specializations, and Legendary Aspects that go best with the rogue build and much more, so let's jump right in without delay.
Update on 9 August 2023: We've updated this article with the latest information for the best Diablo 4 Rogue class build you can put together in Season 1. From its skills and Legendary Aspects, to the newly added Malignant Hearts and unique items.
Table of Contents
- Diablo 4 Rogue Overview: Is it a Good Class in Season 1?
- Best Diablo 4 Rogue's Skills Build: Relentless Fury
- Diablo 4 Rogue Specialization System Priority
- Stats Priority For Diablo 4 Rogues
- Best Diablo 4 Season 1 Barbarian Paragon Legendary Nodes & Glyphs
- Best Gems For Rogues in Diablo 4
- Best Malignant Hearts For Barbarians in Diablo 4 S1
- Best Legendary Aspects/Items For Diablo 4 Rogues in Season 1
- Best Unique Rogue Items in Diablo 4 Season 1
Diablo 4 Rogue Overview: Is it a Good Class in Season 1?
In Season 1 of Diablo 4, the Rogue class proves to be an excellent choice for players seeking a fast-paced playstyle enriched with abundant versatility and various options when engaging enemies. With the ability to wield two one-handed melee weapons (Swords/Daggers) and a ranged weapon (Bow/Crossbow) simultaneously, the Rogue boasts remarkable damage output. Moreover, her arsenal includes many movement and skill options, granting dominance in close-quarter and long-range battles.
Nonetheless, it's important to consider a few caveats concerning this class. The Rogue, while powerful, is relatively squishy, lacking robust defenses aside from Dark Shroud, which has a long cooldown time, making it unreliable for constant protection. Additionally, mastering the Rogue's gameplay in the heat of Season 1 can be tricky, as her strengths heavily rely on strategic positioning on the battlefield. Lastly, her abilities are potent but conditional, requiring careful setup through crowd control or debuffs to unleash powerful attacks; otherwise, damage output may be limited, leaving her vulnerable to counterattacks.
Luckily, these drawbacks can be managed and overcome, and that's precisely where our build for Season 1 comes into play. Let's now explore our top pick for the best Rogue build in Diablo 4.
Best Diablo 4 Rogue's Skills Build: Relentless Fury
In Season 1 of Diablo 4, we've aptly named this build the Relentless Fury Rogue, epitomizing the class's ability to relentlessly unleash immense damage while maintaining constant mobility to build up even more powerful attacks. Armed with dual blades and a bow or crossbow, the Rogue ensures that enemies never have a moment to catch their breath, as they succumb to the unyielding onslaught of your fury, especially when utilizing carefully selected skills below that further amplify the Rogue's might.
D4 Rogue Skills in S1 | Points Spent |
Puncture | 1 |
Enhanced Puncture | 1 |
Fundamental Puncture | 1 |
Barrage | 5 |
Enhanced Barrage | 1 |
Advanced Barrage | 1 |
Sturdy | 3 |
Stutter Step | 3 |
Dash | 1 |
Weapon Mastery | 3 |
Dark Shroud | 5 |
Enhanced Dark Shroud | 1 |
Subverting Dark Shroud | 1 |
Smoke Grenade | 1 |
Enhanced Smoke Grenade | 1 |
Countering Smoke Grenade | 1 |
Exploit | 3 |
Malice | 3 |
Shadow Imbuement | 1 |
Enhanced Shadow Imbuement | 1 |
Blended Shadow Imbuement | 1 |
Cold Imbuement | 1 |
Enhanced Cold Imbuement | 1 |
Mixed Cold Imbuement | 1 |
Shadow Crash | 1 |
Consuming Shadows | 1 |
Precision Imbuement | 3 |
Frigid Finesse | 3 |
Innervation | 3 |
Adrenaline Rush | 1 |
Haste | 3 |
Precision | 1 |
Please note: The best Rogue build for Diablo 4 Season 1 uses all possible Skill Points, including the two per region earned with renown.
If you're unfamiliar with the skill names in Diablo 4, then the table listed above might make a little more sense after we've elaborated on each of their descriptions below. You can also find each of their upgrades listed with the help of the Maxroll.gg website.
- Puncture - Throw blades a short distance, dealing 21% damage. Every 3rd cast Slows enemies by 20% for 2 seconds. Critical Strikes will always Slow.
- Barrage - Unleash a barrage of 5 arrows that expands outwards, each dealing 22% damage. Each arrow has a 20% chance to ricochet off an enemy up to 1 time. Ricochets deal 40% of the arrow's Base damage.
- Sturdy - You gain 4% Close Damage Reduction.
- Stutter Step - Critically Striking an enemy grants 5%[+] Movement Speed for 4 seconds.
- Dash - Dash forward and slash enemies for 36% damage.
- Weapon Mastery - Gain a bonus when attacking based on weapon type:
- Daggers: 5%[x] increased damage to Healthy enemies.
- Swords: 3%[x] increased damage.
- Bows: 4%[x] increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
- Crossbows: 5%[x] increased Critical Strike Damage.
- Dark Shroud - Surround yourself with up to 5 protective shadows. Gain 8.0% Damage Reduction per active shadow. Each time you take direct damage, that damage is reduced and a shadow is consumed.
- Smoke Grenade - Throw a smoky concoction at enemies that Dazes them for 4 seconds.
- Exploit - You deal 6%[x] increased damage to Healthy and Injured enemies.
- Malice - You deal 3%[x] increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
- Shadow Imbuement - Imbue your weapons with festering shadows. Your next 2 Imbueable Skills deal Shadow damage and infect enemies for 6 seconds. Infected enemies explode on death, dealing 40% damage to all surrounding enemies. If the infection expires before the enemy dies, it will deal 40% damage to only that enemy.
- Cold Imbuement - Imbue your weapons with frigid energies. Your next 2 Imbueable Skills deal Cold damage and Chill enemies for 25% per hit.
- Shadow Crash - Lucky Hit: Shadow damage has up to a 10% chance to Stun for 0.5 seconds.
- Consuming Shadows - Each time you kill an enemy with Shadow damage, you generate 10 Energy.
- Precision Imbuement - Imbued Skills gain 3%[+] increased Critical Strike Chance.
- Frigid Finesse - You deal 5%[x] increased damage to Chilled enemies. This bonus increases to 10%[x] against Frozen enemies.
- Innervation - Lucky Hit: Up to a 10% chance to gain 8 Energy.
- Adrenaline Rush - While moving, you gain 5%[x] increased Energy Regeneration.
- Haste - While at or above 50% maximum Energy, gain 5%[+] increased Movement Speed. While below 50% maximum Energy, gain 5%[+] increased Attack Speed.
- Precision - Critical Strikes with Marksman Skills grant you Precision. You gain 4%[x] increased Critical Strike Damage per stack of Precision, up to a maximum of 20%[x]. When you reach maximum Precision, your next Marksman Skill is a guaranteed Critical Strike that deals 40%[x] increased Critical Strike Damage, then consumes all stacks of Precision.
Diablo 4 Rogue Specialization System Priority
Let's explore one of the most intriguing aspects of the Rogue class in Season 1, which is its unique Specialization ability. This particular skill allows the Rogue to select one of three abilities to specialize in, and it can be easily switched with any of the other two as needed.
These three abilities are as follows:
- Combo Points: With this specialization, the Rogue's Basic Skills are now capable of generating Combo Points. By accumulating these points, certain skills can be used to unleash additional effects.
- Inner Sight: When facing marked enemies, the Rogue can attack them to fill up their Inner Sight gauge. Once the meter is full, the Rogue gains unlimited Energy for 4 seconds, providing a significant advantage during battles.
- Preparation: This specialization becomes available when the Rogue reaches level 30, although it wasn't accessible in the preview version.
Currently, we recommend prioritizing the combo point specialization, as it allows the Rogue to accumulate combo points and use them to execute powerful variations of their Core skill attacks. This ability can prove to be a game-changer in nearly any combat situation. For more detailed information about the Specialization feature, you can refer to our guide on the Rogue Specialization ability in Diablo 4.
Stats Priority For Diablo 4 Rogues
When it comes to the stat prioritization and which stats should take focus when leveling, for the Rogue class in Season 1 of Diablo 4, we've gone with the following descending order:
- Dexterity: +0.1% Skill Damage per point.
- Strength: +0.1% Resource Generation per point.
- Intelligence: +0.02% Critical Strike Chance per point.
- Willpower: +0.25% Overpower Damage per point.
Please note: This priority list assumes your items will have enough resistance for your current difficulty level.
Due to Rogue's playstyle, which involves using abilities frequently to build up devastating attacks, it is advisable to prioritize certain stats and affixes in Season 1. Focus on increasing your base damage and +damage reduction, as well as any other attributes that synergize well with your skills, particularly imbuement.
Critical hits with Shadow Imbuement, for instance, are especially potent, effectively obliterating enemies. Additionally, prioritize stats that enhance your survivability as you grow stronger, ensuring a steady Energy replenishment, as Energy is vital for the Rogue class, especially as you face more challenging World tier difficulty levels.
Moreover, keep in mind that you can permanently enhance all your stats by discovering and interacting with the Altars of Lilith scattered throughout the game. Furthermore, leveling up and equipping better gear will also grant individual stat increases, contributing to your overall effectiveness in combat.
Best Diablo 4 Season 1 Barbarian Paragon Legendary Nodes & Glyphs
As you progress through the Paragon Board during Diablo 4 Season 1, you'll have the chance to incorporate specific Glyphs and rapidly increase their levels. This, in turn, will unlock powerful Legendary Nodes as you advance further. To create the most effective Rogue build, we suggest prioritizing the following Glyphs in a specific order of importance.
- Exploit
- Canny
- Combat
- Infusion
- Ranger
Below is a list of the Legendary Nodes and their corresponding boards, presented in order of importance. This information is based on the image provided by D4Builds.gg.
- Exploit Weakness (Go through the board, not Legendary Node)
- Eldrich Bounty (Pick up the Legendary Node on this board)
- Tricks of the Trade (Go through the board, not Legendary Node)
- No Witness (Go through the board, not Legendary Node)
It is crucial to plan and identify the specific stats required to obtain additional bonuses. To aid in this process, we recommend utilizing one of the top-tier Paragon Board planners designed specifically for Diablo 4 Season 1.
Best Gems For Rogues in Diablo 4
The best Gems to enhance your Rogue build in Diablo 4 Season 1 should complement your chosen skills and address any weaknesses in your character, particularly in terms of damage reduction to counteract the Rogue's low health pool. Here is our selection of Gems and the rationale behind their placement in specific slots.
- Royal Emerald (Weapons): Insert for a +12% Critical Strike Damage bonus against Vulnerable Enemies.
- Royal Topaz (Armor): Equip a to gain +10% Damage Reduction while under Control Impairment effects.
Typically, we would suggest using Royal Skulls in your Jewelry slots, but Season 1 introduces a new feature called Malignant Hearts, which will replace them. If you're unfamiliar with Malignant Hearts, read on to the next section where we provide detailed information about them, specifically for the Rogue build.
Best Malignant Hearts For Barbarians in Diablo 4 S1
Diablo 4 Season 1 introduces a fresh questline, challenging players to hunt down Malignant Monsters scattered throughout Sanctuary. Defeating these creatures will drop Caged Hearts, which can be placed into Jewelry sockets to gain powerful abilities that can significantly alter your character's build. If you're having difficulty obtaining them, crafting Malignant Hearts is also an option.
Below is a ranking of Malignant Hearts for this build, based on their importance, and the stats listed represent what a level 20 character would receive from them. It's important to note that this ranking is based on our initial assessments and guidance from Maxroll.gg, and we'll update it as needed.
- Tempting Fate (Vicious, World Tier III) - Due to the significant critical strike chance from Advanced Barrage, this heart becomes a highly advantageous choice for the build.
- Vile Apothecary (Wrathful, World Tier IV) - This heart aligns perfectly with the build's heavy reliance on Imbuement rotations, making it an excellent fit.
- Trickery (Brutal) - Employing this heart is an effective strategy to mitigate damage while positioning for optimal shots. When combined with Smoke Grenade, it brings a sense of security during engagements.
- Prudent Heart (Brutal, World Tier III) - This heart offers a substantial safety net by granting immunity against large incoming hits.
- Revenge (Brutal, World Tier III) - Choosing this heart results in up to 20% Damage Reduction, making it a valuable option for additional defense.
- Cluster Munitions (Vicious) - This heart provides crowd control capabilities and opens up possibilities to build around grenade effects and aspect synergy.
Best Legendary Aspects/Items For Diablo 4 Rogues in Season 1
In Diablo 4, players can utilize the Occultist merchant and the Codex of Power to Imprint, Extract, and Store Legendary Aspects and Powers. For our recommended Rogue build in Diablo 4 Season 1, we've identified the top Legendary Aspects that work well with your gear items, either through item drops or by clearing and farming Dungeons.
Item Slot | Best Rogue Legendary Aspect/Power |
Helm | Umbrous Aspect |
Chest | Aspect of Disobedience |
Gloves | Smiting Aspect |
Pants | Aspect of Might |
Boots | Ravager’s Aspect |
Ranged Weapon | Edgemaster’s Aspect |
Amulet | Aspect of Retribution |
Ring 1 | Rapid Aspect |
Ring 2 | Accelerating Aspect |
Dual-Wield Weapon 1 | Vengeful Aspect |
Dual-Wield Weapon 2 | Aspect of the Expectant |
As mentioned, all players can extract Legendary Aspects from the Occultist NPC and apply them to their gear, even on rare items. So feel free to experiment with them as you see fit during Season 1. There are various aspects to choose from, so be sure to review our complete list of Legendary Aspects and Abilities for the Rogue build in Diablo 4.
Best Unique Rogue Items in Diablo 4 Season 1
Unique items in Diablo 4 hold incredible potential for enhancing your character, and equipping them can fundamentally change your playstyle. Apart from possessing powerful attributes similar to other items but with enhanced itemization, they often offer unique effects that cannot be obtained through any other means.
For your Druid build in Season 1 of Diablo 4, we recommend focusing on Unique Items that boost your overall damage output by inflicting debuffs when using specific skills. Below are the best Unique Items for the Druid build in Season 1:
- Condemnation
- Skyhunter
- Word of Hakan
- Doombringer (Uber Unique)
Additionally, there are extremely rare and powerful Unique items known as uber/super items that players can acquire if they happen to be incredibly fortunate. So, if you are lucky enough to obtain any of the items mentioned in the list above, make sure to incorporate them into your build immediately!
Last, but not least, Season 1 will also introduce a new unique item that the Rogue class can use, known as the Eaglehorn Ancestral Bow. While we can't say if it would benefit this build just yet, we will endeavor to reassess its value once we get a feel for it in Seaos 1 and update this section accordingly if we feel the weapon suits our Rogue build.
And there you have it, a complete guide to the best Season 1 Rogue class in Diablo 4 for a deadly build, from the best skills to use to gems, stat priority, the Specialization system, and more. As always, we will endeavor to update this article consistently so you always have the latest information at hand.
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