There's a lot to take in when picking the best Diablo 2 class, or a character build, because opinion, stats and personal favorites can easily end up in a brutal clash. But there are some clear choices, especially if you're a beginner, that can get you started and show you the ropes before you need to worry about any of the endless depth possible in builds and character tuning you can pull off. In this guide we're going to run through some of the best Diablo 2 class options to get you started, and then take a slightly closer look at some builds for each characters that will show you a little more detail on how to specialize. Once you get started we can help find out how to identify Diablo 2 items when you get some loot, and find the Diablo 2 Underground Passage, an early location you'll need to track down.
The best Diablo 2 class options
There are a few distinct options for the best Diablo 2 class depending on what you're looking for. All the classes are good when you know what you're doing and how to build them out, but there are four choices widely considered to be the best to get a quick start: Barbarian, Sorceress, Necromancer and Druid. These all cover different core abilities or characteristics, so pick the one that appeals to you the most.
Diablo 2 Barbarian class
The Diablo 2 Barbarian is obviously the best option if you just want to hit things as hard as possible. He can dual wield weapons and use Warcries to buff himself and allies, or de-buff enemies. It's a class that works well min-maxing, especially when you focus on specific weapons via his Combat Masteries, and dial into high DPS or tank branches later down the line. The downsides are that the need for specialization can make him a little less flexible, and at higher levels you'll need high level gear to really make him shine.
Diablo 2 Sorceress class
The sorceress class in Diablo 2 is your best option for a good damage-at-range character if you don't want to get too close. She has Fire, Lightning and Cold elemental branches with Fire and Lightning being the best for damage. Cold on the other hand is best for defensive play, slowing and generally interfering with enemies. She also has shield and teleportation options, and good cooldowns to keep her in the action.
Diablo 2 Necromancer Class
Necromancers in Diablo 2 use summons to attack from a distance, and can cast Curses to weaken enemies. They can also use poison to pick away at enemies' health and bone spells to protect themselves or restrain opponents. The only downside is that it can be effectively a fairly passive character to play as all the summoned creatures and magic do all the work for you.
Diablo 2 Druid
The Diablo 2 Druid class is a good one if you want a jack-of-all-trades as they can take a beating like the Barbarian, put out damage like a Sorceress, and summon companions like a Necromancer. Magically they can use fire and wind spells, transform into animals (like a bear) to fight, and summon all sorts of plants and creatures to fight for them.
How to level up Diablo 2 characters
Whatever character you pick in Diablo 2, it's important to spend your points wisely as you earn them. There's no point putting all your magic character's stats into strength, obviously. But what do the main options of Strength, Dexterity, Vitality and Energy do?
- Diablo 2 Strength - As the game says, this lets you increase your attack damage and equip more weapons and armor. Damage wise that's mainly for melee characters - increasing weapon damage for each point you invest - but even magic uses will need some strength to be able to use some of the heavier armor.
- Diablo 2 Dexterity - Dexterity in Diablo 2 largely revolves around improving your ranged abilities, increasing your accuracy and is a prerequisite for most ranged weapons. It also improves your chance to block with shields.
- Diablo 2 Vitality - Vitality boosts life and stamina and is basically worth investing in for almost any character or build.
- Diablo 2 Energy - Energy is all about Mana in Diablo 2 and essential for magic characters to cast spells. However, you can gain a lot of mana from leveling up and from equipment, so, depending on your expertise, you can actually invest less than you think here if you know what your doing.
