Season 9 of Diablo 4 brings fresh challenges, opportunities, and new ways to play. For Barbarian players, the focus has shifted towards optimizing builds to not only tackle high-level content but also to power through leveling efficiently. One of the most exciting and powerful builds for Diablo 4's Barbarian class in Season 9 is the Double Swing Barbarian. This build focuses on dual-wielding weapons and utilizing the Double Swing skill to deal massive AoE (area of effect) damage while leveling quickly.

This comprehensive guide will take you through everything you need to know to effectively level your Barbarian using the Double Swing skill, from skill progression, gear recommendations, to the best strategies for taking down hordes of enemies in Diablo 4's world.

Understanding the Double Swing Barbarian Build

The Double Swing Barbarian focuses on quick, powerful strikes to clear large groups of enemies. This skill allows you to unleash two quick swings with your weapons, dealing substantial damage to everything in its radius. The key to leveling effectively with this build is to increase your mobility, sustain damage output, and enhance your AoE capabilities.

At its core, the build revolves around dual-wielding weapons, focusing on speed and maximizing the damage potential of Double Swing. You'll want to build for attack speed, damage amplification, and mobility to quickly clear content and level efficiently.

Leveling Strategy for Double Swing Barbarian (Season 9)

Leveling a Barbarian with the Double Swing build is a fast and rewarding process, but it requires some thoughtful planning. Here's how to approach leveling with this build:

1. Early Game (Levels 1-25): Mastering the Basics

In the early levels, the key is to focus on basic Barbarian skills that allow you to move quickly and deal damage effectively. While you won't have access to all the abilities that make the Double Swing build truly powerful, the foundation of your build is formed here.

Skills to Use:

Double Swing: Unlock this skill as early as possible and use it for clearing mobs. It's the centerpiece of the build.

Lunging Strike: This ability will help close gaps and hit enemies at range before you can start dual-wielding.

Leap: As you start to focus on mobility, Leap will help you close in on enemies or escape tricky situations.

Key Tips:

Prioritize farming early zones with high enemy density. This allows you to maximize the potential of Double Swing.

Aim for high DPS weapons to maximize the effectiveness of your swings.

2. Mid-Game (Levels 25-50): The Power of Double Swing

Once you hit level 25, you can start leaning heavily into the core elements of the Double Swing Barbarian build. This is where you'll start to shine in terms of damage output, thanks to upgrades that enhance your dual-wielding and Double Swing abilities.

Skills to Unlock:

Double Swing Upgrades: Focus on passive upgrades that increase the damage dealt with each swing. As your Double Swing grows stronger, the ability to wipe out large groups of enemies becomes much easier.

War Cry: A crucial skill for boosting your damage output and increasing your survivability, especially when faced with tougher enemies or elite packs.

Iron Skin: As you start getting into tougher content, Iron Skin is invaluable for increasing your damage resistance while you ramp up your offensive output.

Gear & Items:

Start looking for Diablo IV Items that enhance your attack speed, critical hit chance, and damage. These stats are crucial for increasing the effectiveness of Double Swing.

As you progress, aim to acquire buy Diablo 4 materials that boost your weapon's damage output. Materials can also be used to upgrade your gear, increasing its power.

Key Tips:

Begin farming high-density areas like dungeons or open-world zones with large mobs of enemies.

Upgrade your gear as much as possible to keep up with the increasing difficulty of content.

Keep your movement high by using Leap or Charge to quickly engage and disengage with enemies.

3. End-Game (Levels 50-70): Dominating the Battlefield

In the endgame, the Double Swing Barbarian truly comes into its own. With all the essential skills and gear upgrades, you'll be able to dominate large packs of enemies and even tougher bosses. Your damage output will be significant, and your survivability will be more than enough to handle the challenges ahead.

Skills to Focus On:

Double Swing Maxed Out: By this point, you should have your Double Swing skill fully upgraded. It's vital to keep improving it through passive bonuses and gear.

Wrath of the Berserker: This skill provides a major power boost and is great for increasing your DPS during boss fights or dense mob encounters.

Battle Rage: A perfect synergy with Double Swing, as it increases your overall damage output significantly.

Key Tips:

At this stage, you should be fully comfortable with your Barbarian's high mobility and powerful AoE capabilities. It's crucial to balance your attacks with defensive cooldowns like Iron Skin or Leap to manage incoming damage.

Continue to upgrade your gear to include affixes that enhance your Double Swing damage and survivability.

Gear and Itemization for Double Swing Barbarian

One of the most important aspects of leveling a Barbarian in Diablo 4 is ensuring your gear supports your build. For the Double Swing Barbarian, your focus should be on maximizing weapon damage, attack speed, and critical strike chance.

Weapons:

Aim for high DPS one-handed axes or swords, as dual-wielding these weapons will maximize the damage of your Double Swing.

Look for affixes that increase attack speed, critical hit chance, and critical hit damage. These will complement the fast-paced nature of the build and increase your overall damage output.

Armor:

Focus on gear that boosts your overall survivability, such as items with increased resistances, health regeneration, or life per hit. Since the Double Swing Barbarian is typically at the frontline of combat, having strong defensive stats is important.

Legendary Items and Set Bonuses:

Legendary items that enhance Double Swing or boost your overall AoE damage are key to making this build effective in both solo and group play.

Look for set bonuses that increase your critical strike damage or provide buffs to specific Barbarian skills.

Upgrades:

Use Diablo IV Items like runes and glyphs to further upgrade your gear. These enhancements can provide additional bonuses to attack speed, weapon damage, or resource generation.

Don't forget to buy Diablo 4 materials like ores or gems to upgrade and refine your gear for optimal performance.

Skill Synergies and Passives

To truly master the Double Swing Barbarian, you need to understand the synergies between your core skills and passives. Here are some of the key skills and passives to focus on:

Passive Skills:

Berserker: Grants an increase in attack speed, which directly boosts the effectiveness of your Double Swing.

Tough as Nails: This passive skill increases your resistances, helping you survive longer in combat.

Skill Synergies:

Combining Double Swing with War Cry will provide a massive increase to your damage output, allowing you to wipe through enemies even faster.

Iron Skin should be used in conjunction with Leap to ensure you're always protected as you engage in intense fights.

Conclusion

Leveling a Double Swing Barbarian in Diablo 4 Season 9 is an exhilarating experience. It's a build that rewards fast-paced, aggressive gameplay with massive AoE damage output. By focusing on attack speed, critical hits, and survivability, you'll be able to carve through mobs and bosses alike.

To maximize your effectiveness, focus on upgrading your gear, using powerful Diablo IV Items, and ensuring your build complements your playstyle. Whether you're solo leveling or grouping with friends, this guide will help you rise to the challenge and enjoy the true power of the Barbarian class in Season 9.