Tag: death trap

Icy Death Rogue Build for Diablo IV [S Tier Grade]

Icy Death Rogue BUILD for Diablo IV [S Tier Grade]

(Emerging from the Shadows & entrapping your foes to a Cold Death)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launched on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation) and I’ve had my fair share of playing and testing done. I’m now ready to start making full Builds/Theorycrafts that work for both ‘fresh-into-endgame’ characters as well as late endgame. I’ll evolve & keep them updated when we get major rebalance updates. This is one such build for the Rogue Class called Icy Death.

I’ve also made spreadsheets for my builds (see the links below) that have shortlisted the active and passive skills + legendary aspect + unique item + gems & sockets + suggested stat rolls + paragon boards that work well with the build which you can use to tinker. Alternatively, I’ve added build calculator links (mostly needed for the paragons)

This build will be updated when needed.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken + alternative skill options, you can check my RDY-4-Launch Builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Icy Death) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

  • (active – ONLY put 1 point here) Puncture – Throw blades a short distance, dealing 21% (X – ?) damage. Every 3rd cast Slows enemies by 2 seconds. Critical Strikes will always Slow.
    Requires Dual Wielded Weapons.
    Lucky Hit Chance: 50% | Damage: Physical ; Tags: Basic, Ranged, Marksman
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Puncture – Gain 2 Energy when Puncture damages a Crowd Controlled enemy.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Fundamental Puncture – Puncture now throws 3 blades in a spread, each dealing 35% of its Base damage. Hitting an enemy with at least 2 blades at once makes them Vulnerable for 2 seconds.

Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

  • (active) Flurry – Unleash a flurry of stabs and slashes, striking enemies in front of you 4 times and dealing a total of 60% (X – ?) damage to each.
    Combo Points increase damage and grant an Attack Speed bonus:
    1: 75% damage, +15% Attack Speed ;
    2: 90% damage, +30% Attack Speed ;
    3: 105% damage, +45% Attack Speed
    Requires Dual Wielded weapons
    Energy Cost: 25 | Lucky Hit Chance: 8% | Damage: Physical ; Tags: Core, Melee, Imbueable, Cutthroat
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Flurry – Each time Flurry damages a Crowd Controlled or Vulnerable enemy, you are Healed for 1% of your Maximum Life, up to 12% Maximum Life per cast.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Improved Flurry – If Flurry hits any Vulnerable enemy it will make all enemies hit by that cast Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
  • (passive) Sturdy – You gain 4%/8%/12% Close Damage Reduction.
    • (upgrade) Siphoning Strikes – Heal for 1%/2%/3% of your Maximum Life when you Critically Strike Close enemies.
  • (passive – ONLY put 2 points here) Stutter Step – Critically Striking an enemy grants +5%/+10%/+15% Movement Speed for 4 seconds.
  • (passive) did not pick any other Core passives to save points

Agility Skills (Required Points: 6 )

  • (active)
    • (1st upgrade)
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2)
  • (passive) Weapon Mastery – Gain a bonus when attacking based on weapon type:
    Daggers: 5%/10%/15% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy enemies.
    Swords: 3%/6%/9% (multiplicative) increased damage.
    Bows: 4%/8%/12% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
    Crossbows: 5%/10%/15% (multiplicative) increased Critical Strike Damage.
  • (passive) did not pick other Agility passives to save points

Subterfuge Skills (Required Points: 11 ) Not taking an Active Subterfuge skill

  • (active – ONLY put 1 point here) Vanish from sight, gaining an advanced form of Stealth for 4 seconds tat will no be removed by taking damage. Concealment also makes you Unstoppable, grants +30% Movement Speed, and allows you to move freely through enemies for its duration. Using an attack Skill during Concealment will break Concealment .
    Cooldown: 20 seconds. Tags: Subterfuge
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Stealth – You gain 40 Energy when you enter Stealth.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Countering Stealth – The Skill that breaks Concealment will always be a guaranteed Critical Strike.
  • (active – ONLY put 1 point here) Dark Shroud – Surround yourself with up to 5 protective shadows. Gain 8% Damage Reduction per active shadow. Each time you take direct damage, that damage is reduced and a shadow is consumed
    Cooldown: 20 seconds. Tags: Subterfuge
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Dark Shroud – Dark Shroud’s shadows have a 8% chance to not be consumed
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Countering Dark Shroud – While you have at least 2 active shadow from Dark Shroud, gain +10% Critical Strike Chance.
  • (passive) Exploit – You deal 6%/12%/18% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy and Injured enemies.
    • (upgrade) Malice – You deal 3%/6%/9% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
  • (passive) did not pick other Subterfuge passives to save points

Imbuements Skills (Required Points: 16 )

  • (active – ONLY put 1 point here) Cold Imbuement – Imbue your weapons with frigid energies. Your next 2 Imbueable Skills deal Cold damage and Chill enemies for 25% per hit.
    Cooldown: 9 seconds. Lucky Hit Chance: 33% | Damage: Shadow ; Tags: Imbuements
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Cold Imbuement – Cold Imbued Skills have up to a 30% chance to make enemies Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Mixed Cold Imbuement – Cold Imbued Skills deal 20% (multiplicative) damage to Crowd Controlled enemies. Double this bonus against Frozen enemies.
  • (passive) Precision Imbuement – Imbued Skills gain +5%/+10%/+15% increased Critical Strike Chance.
  • (passive) Frigid Finesse – You deal 5%/10%/15% (multiplicative) increased damage to Chilled enemies. This bonus increases to 10%/20%/30% (multiplicative) against Frozen enemies.
    • (upgrade – did NOT put points here) Chilling Weight
  • (passive) did not pick other Imbuements passives to save points

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

  • (active) Death Trap – Place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves near, dealing 250% (X – ?) damage to enemies in the area.
    Cooldown: 50 seconds. Lucky Hit Chance: 4% | Damage: Shadow ; Tags: Ultimate, Trap
    • (1st upgrade) Prime Death Trap – Enemies are Pulled into Death Trap when it activates.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Supreme Death Trap – If Death Trap kills an enemy, its Cooldown is reduced by 10 seconds.
  • (passive) Innervation – Lucky Hit: Up to a 10%/20%/30% chance to gain 8 Energy.
    • (upgrade) Second Wind – did NOT put point into this
    • (upgrade) Alchemist’s Fortune – Non-Physical damage you deal has a +5%/+10%/+15% increased Lucky Hit Chance.
  • (passive) Aftermath – After using an Ultimate Skill, restore 25/50/75 Energy.
  • (passive) Trap Mastery – When Poison Trap or Death Trap activates, you gain +4%/+8%/+12% increased Critical Strike Chance against Vulnerable and Crowd Controlled enemies for 4 seconds.
  • (passive) did not pick other Ultimate passives to save points

Key Passive (Required Points: 33 )

  • (passive) Momentum – Cutthroat Skills grant a stack of Momentum for 8 seconds if they either:
    Hit a Stunned, Dazed, or Frozen enemy
    Hit any enemy from behind

    While at 3 stacks of Momentum, you gain:
    20% increased Damage Reduction
    30% (multiplicative) increased Energy Regeneration
    +15% increased Movement Speed

Class Mechanic (Specializations):

I don’t have much information about the 3rd Specialization of the Rogue. The 3 Specializations are the Rogues’ Class Mechanics:

  • Combo Points – Your Basic Skills now generate Combo Points. Core Skills consume Combo Points for additional effects.
  • Inner Sight – Attack marked enemies to fill up your Inner Sight gauge. When it’s full, gain unlimited Energy for 4 seconds.
  • Preparation – Every 100 Energy you spend reduces your Ultimate Skill’s Cooldown by 4 seconds. Using an Ultimate Skill resets the Cooldowns of your other Skills..

I prefer and advise using Preparation for this build. However, Combo Points is an amazing syenrgy with Flurry, especially if you take the Cunning Stratagem Paragon Node.

Unique Items

In Diablo IV apparently (I have multiple sources that confirmed this) we can equip more than one unique item at the same time (not so ‘unique’ if we can get decked out in full uniques I guess). It seems that the one unique per build idea that Unique inherited from the Mythical gear they supposedly replaced was scrapped even before the closed beta tests. My top picks will be the following two but check the notes under the Aspects list for more picks:

Eyes in the Dark (Pants)

While Injured, Your Potion Also Grants [30%] Movement Speed for 2 Seconds

Unless it hits a Boss or Player, Death Trap will continue to re-arm itself until it kills an enemy. However, Death Trap‘s Cooldown is increased by [15 – 30]%.

[3.1 – 7.3]% Dodge Chance
+[0.07 – 0.14] Shadow Damage
+[16.5 – 23.5]% Damage to Elites
+[7 – 14]% Damage to Trapped Enemies

“And so, when the sun dipped behind the hills each night, he knew that Ashen Jack would soon be near. Watching, and waiting.” – Greenslade’s Tales, Chapter 2: “Each Long Night”

Harlequin Crest (Helm)

Gain [5-8%] Damage Reduction. In addition, gain +2 Ranks to All Skills.

[0.245 – 0.455] Maximum Life
X% Cooldown Reduction
+[42 – 70]% Crafting Material Drop Rate
[14 – 28] All Stats

“This headdress was once worn by an assassin disguised as a court mage. Her treachery was unveiled, but not before she used its magic to curse the king’s entire lineage.” – The Fall of House Aston

Sockets & Gems

There are various possible good/viable choices for the gem slots. I’ve shortlisted what works by slot. I’d recommend picking one of those:

Weps: Emerald, Saphire, Ruby, Diamond, or Skull.
Armor: Ruby.
Jewelry: Diamond unless you need specific resistance more than all.

XYZ Diamond (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Ultimate Skill Damage
• Armor: +N% Barrier Generation
• Jewelry: N% Resistance to All Elements

+5%/+5%/+5% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Skull (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N Life On Kill
• Armor: +N% Healing Received
• Jewelry: +N Armor

+13/+5%/+170 for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Saphire (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Critical Strike Damage to Crowd-Controlled Enemies
• Armor: N% Damage Reduction While Fortified
• Jewelry: N% Cold Resistance

+7.5%/5%/14.3% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Ruby (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Overpower Damage
• Armor: +N% Maximum Life
• Jewelry: N% Fire Resistance

+15%/+5.5%/14.3% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Emerald (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable Enemies
• Armor: +N Thorns
• Jewelry: N% Poison Resistance

+7.5%/+39/14.3% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Topaz (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Basic Skill Damage
• Armor: N% Damage Reduction While Control Impaired
• Jewelry: N% Lightning Resistance

+16.7%/8.2%/14.3% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my RDY-4-Launch Builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Icy Death) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

  • Helm: Exploiter’s Aspect / Harlequin Crest (see notes below)
  • Amulet: Aspect of Stolen Vigor OR Aspect of the Crowded Sage
  • Chest: Aspect of Stolen Vigor OR Aspect of the Crowded Sage
  • Pants: Aspect of The Protector* / Eyes in the Dark (see notes below)
  • Gloves: Conceited Aspect* (only use while you have Aspect of the Protector for Barriers) / Frostburn (see notes below)
  • Boots: Ghostwalker Aspect / Exploiter’s Aspect
  • Ring 1: Aspect of Volatile Shadows
  • Ring 2: Accelerating Aspect
  • 1H Weapon: Aspect of Encircling Blades
  • Off-hand: Vengeful Aspect
  • 2-H Weapon: Smiting Aspect
NOTES: How to re-arrange if using any of the Uniques:

- Aspect of the Protector stays in the Pants slot ONLY until you get the Eyes in the Dark Unique Pants.  For after that just discard it from the build or move it to the Helm slot. If you also have the Unique Helm you're better off removing this Aspect from the build.  
- For Frostburn (Gloves): Conceited Aspect gets removed from the Gloves slot to make room for the Unique Gloves. Many (me including) may prefer Legendary Gloves for the +4 Ranks to Flurry they give but Frostburn is a pretty good synergy with the build too, especially for mobbing.
- For Harlequin Crest (Helm): Ghostwalker Aspect get removed from the Boots slot & replaced by Exploiter’s Aspect, this makes room for the Unique Helm.
- For Eyes in the Dark (Pants): Aspect of Control gets removed from the Ring 1 slot to make room for the Unique Ring. 

ALTERNATIVE: If you decide to use Doombringer (Sword) in the build, you may wanna sacrifice one of the Ring Aspects (Accelerating Aspect OR Aspect of Volatile Shadows) and move the Aspect of the weapon/off-hand that Doombringer Replaces on that Ring slot.

Paragon Boards:

Use the links below to check the paragon boards selected and the nodes I’ve taken. One link is for what the boards will look like at lvl 89 with 179 paragon points (so more paragon points will be obtained on the way to 100). The other link is what the boards will look like when fully maxed out on paragon points but i did leave the last 1 up to you to spend.

Suggested Gear Rolls to look out for (NOT in order of priority):

I’ve shortlisted 45 different affixes that work well with the build of almost 300 total. I’ll highlight in Orange the ones I think should get higher priority

Bonus to All Damage
Critical Strike Chance/Critical Damage Bonus
Critical Chance / Critical Damage with Physical/Shadow/Cold Skills
Critical Chance/Critical Damage with Core/Imbuements/Ultimate Skills
Damage with Core/Imbuements/Ultimate Skills
Lucky Hit Chance
+ X Ranks to Core/Imbuements/Ultimate Skills or to Flurry
Lucky Hit Chance with Physical/Shadow/Cold Damage
Physical/Shadow/Cold Damage Bonus
+ % Critical Chance / Critical Damage with Physical/Shadow/Cold Damage
Resistance to All Elements
Damage to Enemies Affected by Trap Skills
+ % Physical/Shadow/Cold Damage to Elites
+ % Critical Strike Chance with Physical/Shadow/Cold Damage Against Elites
+ % Damage for X Seconds After Killing an Elite
Damage Reduction for X Seconds After Killing an Elite
Damage Reduction from Elites
Damage to Close Enemies
Critical Strike Chance Against Close Enemies
Critical Strike Damage to Close Enemies
Critical Strike Chance Against Crowd Controlled Enemies
Critical Strike Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies
Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies
Critical Strike Chance Against Vulnerable Enemies
Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable Enemies
Vulnerable Damage
Damage while Healthy
Damage to Vulnerable Enemies with Imbued Skills
Critical Strike Damage with Imbued Skills
Shadow Imbued Skill Damage
Imbued Skill Damage
Imbuement Potency
Higher Priority
Damage for X Seconds After Dodging an Attack
Attack Speed for X Seconds After Dodging an Attack
Dodge Chance (both +% and x% exist)
Dodge Chance Against Close Enemies
+ All Stats
Damage vs Injured Enemies
Damage vs Healthy Enemies
Weapon Damage (not sure if there are any bonuses to that as rolls)
Energy Generation / Regeneration/ On Kill
Movement Speed
Attack Speed
Dexterity
Resource Cost Reduction
Lower Priority

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV RDY-4-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Icy Death Rogue Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

XBOX

PlayStation

Official Website

Shadow Trapper 2.0 Diablo IV Rogue Build [RDY-4-Launch]

Shadow Trapper 2.0 Rogue BUILD for Diablo IV [RDY-4-Launch]

(the Dark Side of Alchemy: Deadly, Toxic, and Chilling Traps, Stunning Grenades & a shadowy Flurry of Blades are merely tools to aid us when disposing of our foes)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

Diablo IV‘s Launch is a week away and i’m bringing you another one of my Ready-For-Launch full Builds/Theorycrafts that should be good for both ‘fresh-into-endgame’ characters as well as late endgame. I also plan to evolve them further when the game is released & keep them updated when we get rebalance updates. This is one such build for the Rogue Class called Shadow Trapper 2.0.

I’ve also made spreadsheets for those builds (see the links below) that have shortlisted the active and passive skills + legendary aspect + unique item + gems & sockets + suggested stat rolls + paragon boards that work well with the build which you can use to tinker. Alternatively, I’ve added build calculator links (mostly needed for the paragons)

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have more in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken + alternative skill options, you can check my RDY-4-Launch Builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Shadow Trapper 2.0) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

  • (active – ONLY put 1 point here) Invigorating Strike – Melee attack an enemy, dealing 23% (X -?) damage and increasing Energy Regeneration by 20% (multiplicative) for 3 seconds.
    Requires Dual Wielded weapons
    Lucky Hit Chance: 50% | Damage: Physical ; Tags: Basic, Melee, Cutthroat
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Invigorating Strike – Damaging a Crowd Controlled or Injured enemy with Invigorating Strike increases its Energy Regeneration bonus to 30% (multiplicative).
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Fundamental Invigorating Strike – Hitting an enemy while below 50% Energy makes them Vulnerable for 3 seconds.

Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

  • (active) Flurry – Unleash a flurry of stabs and slashes, striking enemies in front of you 4 times and dealing a total of 60% (X – ?) damage to each.
    Combo Points increase damage and grant an Attack Speed bonus: 1: 75% damage, +15% Attack Speed ; 2: 90% damage, +30% Attack Speed ; 3: 105% damage, +45% Attack Speed
    Requires Dual Wielded weapons | Energy Cost: 25
    Lucky Hit Chance: 8% | Damage: Physical ; Tags: Core, Melee, Imbueable, Cutthroat
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Flurry – Each time Flurry damages a Crowd Controlled or Vulnerable enemy, you are Healed for 1% of your Maximum Life, up to 12% Maximum Life per cast.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Improved Flurry – If Flurry hits any Vulnerable enemy it will make all enemies hit by that cast Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
  • (passive) Sturdy – You gain 4%/8%/12% Close Damage Reduction.
    • (upgrade) Siphoning Strikes – did NOT take this
  • (passive) did not pick any other Core passives to save points

Agility Skills (Required Points: 6 )

  • (active – ONLY put 1 point here) Caltrops – Leap backwards and throw Caltrops on the ground, dealing 30% (X – ?) damage and Slowing enemies by 50%. Lasts 6 seconds.
    Energy Cost: 21 | Lucky Hit Chance: 25% | Damage: Physical ; Tags: Agility, Trap
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Caltrops – Enemies take 3% (multiplicative) increased damage from you each second they’re in Caltrops.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Methodical Caltrops – Caltrops now deals Cold damage and Chills enemies for 20% per second.
  • (passive) Weapon Mastery – Gain a bonus when attacking based on weapon type:
    Daggers: 5%/10%/15% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy enemies.
    Swords: 3%/6%/9% (multiplicative) increased damage.
    Bows: 4%/8%/12% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
    Crossbows: 5%/10%/15% (multiplicative) increased Critical Strike Damage.
  • (passive) did not pick other Agility passives to save points

Subterfuge Skills (Required Points: 11 ) Not taking an Active Subterfuge skill

  • (active – ONLY put 1 point here) Poison Trap – Place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves moves within range, applying 344% (X) Poisoning damage over 9 seconds to enemies in the area.
    Cooldown: 10 seconds. Lucky Hit Chance: 20% | Damage: Poison ; Tags: Subterfuge, Trap
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Poison Trap – Poison Trap Knocks Down enemies for 1.5 seconds when it activates.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Countering Poison Trap – Poison Trap has a 20% chance to reset your Imbuement Skill Cooldowns when activated.
  • (passive) Exploit – You deal 6%/12%/18% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy and Injured enemies.
    • (upgrade) Malice – You deal 3%/6%/9% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
  • (passive – ONLY put 1 point here) Agile – Using a Cooldown increases your Dodge Chance by 3%/6%/9% for 2 seconds.
    • (upgrade) Mending Obscurity – did NOT take this
  • (passive) did not pick other Subterfuge passives to save points

Imbuements Skills (Required Points: 16 )

  • (active – ONLY put 1 point here) Shadow Imbuement – Imbue your weapons with festering shadows. Enemies struck by your next 2 Imbueable Skills deal damage and infect enemies for 6 seconds. Infected enemies explode on death, dealing 40% (X) damage to all surrounding enemies. If the infection expires before the enemy dies, it will deal 40% (X) damage to only that enemy.
    Cooldown: 9 seconds. Lucky Hit Chance: 33% | Damage: Shadow ; Tags: Imbuements
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Shadow Imbuement – You have +25% increased Critical Strike Chance against Injured enemies infected by Shadow Imbuement.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Blended Shadow Imbuement – Shadow Imbue’s primary explosion makes enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
  • (passive) Precision Imbuement – Imbued Skills gain +5%/+10%/+15% increased Critical Strike Chance.
  • (passive – ONLY put 1 point here) Shadow Crash – Lucky Hit: Shadow damage has up to a 10% chance to Stun for 0.5/1/1.5 seconds.
    • (upgrade) Consuming Shadows – Each time you kill an enemy with Shadow Damage, you generate 10/20/30 Energy.
  • (passive) did not pick other Imbuements passives to save points

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

  • (active) Death Trap – Place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves near, dealing 250% (X – ?) damage to enemies in the area.
    Cooldown: 50 seconds. Lucky Hit Chance: 4% | Damage: Shadow ; Tags: Ultimate, Trap
    • (1st upgrade) Prime Death Trap – Enemies are Pulled into Death Trap when it activates.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Supreme Death Trap – If Death Trap kills an enemy, its Cooldown is reduced by 10 seconds.
  • (passive) Innervation – Lucky Hit: Up to a 10%/20%/30% chance to gain 8 Energy.
    • (upgrade) Second Wind – Every 100 Energy you spend grants you +5%/+10%/+15% increased Lucky Hit Chance for 5 seconds.seconds.
    • (upgrade) Alchemist’s Fortune – Non-Physical damage you deal has a +5%/+10%/+15% increased Lucky Hit Chance.
  • (passive) Aftermath – After using an Ultimate Skill, restore 25/50/75 Energy.
  • (passive) Trap Mastery – When Poison Trap or Death Trap activates, you gain +4%/+8%/+12% increased Critical Strike Chance against Vulnerable and Crowd Controlled enemies for 4 seconds.
  • (passive) did not pick other Ultimate passives to save points

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

  • (passive) Exposure – Lucky Hit: Dealing direct damage to an enemy affected by a Trap Skill has up to a 25% chance to: Reduce the active Cooldowns of your Trap Skills by 20% Drop a cluster of exploding Stun Grenades that deal 40% total Physical Damage and Stun enemies for 0.5 seconds

Class Mechanic:

I don’t have much information about the 3rd Specialization of the Rogue. The 3 Specializations are the Rogues’ Class Mechanics:

  • Combo Points – Your Basic Skills now generate Combo Points. Certain Skills consume Combo Points for additional effects.
  • Inner Sight – Attack marked enemies to fill up your Inner Sight gauge. When it’s full, gain unlimited Energy for 4 seconds.
  • Preparation – This specialization was not available during the closed beta builds of the game.
probably evolved into Inner Sight
probably replaced by Preparation

I prefer and advise using Combo Points but I liked Inner Sight during the beta too so not a bad one either for some 0 cost Skill Spams every now and then. We’ll have to wait and see about the last one.

Unique Gear

In Diablo IV apparently (I have multiple sources that confirmed this) we can equip more than one unique item at the same time (not so ‘unique’ if we can get decked out in full uniques I guess). It seems that the one unique per build idea that Unique inherited from the Mythical gear they supposedly replaced was scrapped even before the closed beta tests. My top pick will be the following one but check the notes under the Aspects list for some additional picks:

Condemnation (Dagger)

+[20%] Damage to Close Enemies

Your Core Skills deal x[20 – 40]% increased damage when spending 3 Combo Points. Your Basic Skills using this weapon have a [30%] chance to generate 3 Combo Points.

+[4 – 10]% Basic Attack Speed
+[4.5 – 12]% Critical Strike Chance Against Injured Enemies
+[7 – 14]% Damage with Dual-Wielded Weapons
+[12.5 – 19.5]% Core Skill Damage

“I’ve never seen such ruthless butchery. He deserves to be be shipped off to die in the swamps with the rest of the godless murderers.” – Witness to the murder of Sergeant Walcot

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my RDY-4-Launch Builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Shadow Trapper 2.0) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

  • Helm: Frostbitten Aspect / Harlequin Crest Unique Helm (see notes below)
  • Amulet: Infiltrator’s Aspect
  • Chest: Aspect of Lethal Dusk
  • Pants: Aspect of Siphoned Victuals / Eyes in the Dark Unique Pants (see notes below)
  • Gloves: Blast-Trapper’s Aspect
  • Boots: Exploiter’s Aspect
  • Ring 1: Toxic Alchemist’s Aspect
  • Ring 2: Opportunist’s Aspect / Mother’s Embrace Unique Ring (see notes below)
  • 1H Weapon: Icy Alchemist’s Aspect
  • Off-hand: Trickster’s Aspect / Condemnation Unique Dagger (see notes below)
  • 2-H Weapon: Aspect of Encircling Blades
NOTE 1: Trickster's Aspect goes in the Off-hand slot ONLY until you get the Condemnation Unique Dagger. After that discard it to make room for the Unique Dagger.
There are three other alternative picks for Uniques you could use if you get those first: Eyes in the Dark (Pants), Harlequin Crest (Helm), & Mother's Embrace (Ring).
See the 2nd note below:

NOTE 2: How to re-arrange if using any of the alternative Uniques:
- For Eyes in the Dark (Pants): Aspect of Siphoned Victuals gets removed from the Pants slot to makes room for the Unique Pants. 
- For Harlequin Crest (Helm):  Frostbitten Aspect  gets removed from the Helm slot to make room for the Unique Helm
- For Mother's Embrace (Ring):  Opportunist's Aspect gets removed from the Ring 2 slot to make room for the Unique Ring

Sockets & Gems

There are various possible good/viable choices for the gem slots. I’ve shortlisted what works by slot. I’d recommend picking one of those:

Weps: Emerald, Saphire, Diamond, or Skull.
Armor: Ruby or Skull.
Jewelry: Diamond unless you need specific resistance more than all.

XYZ Diamond (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Ultimate Skill Damage
• Armor: +N% Barrier Generation
• Jewelry: N% Resistance to All Elements

+5%/+5%/5 for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Skull (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N Life On Kill
• Armor: +N% Healing Received • Jewelry: +N Armor

+13/+5%/+170 for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Saphire (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Critical Strike Damage to Crowd-Controlled Enemies
• Armor: N% Damage Reduction While Fortified
• Jewelry: N% Cold Resistance

+7.5%/5%/14.3% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Ruby (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Overpower Damage
• Armor: +N% Maximum Life
• Jewelry: N% Fire Resistance

+15%/+5.5%/14.3% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Emerald (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable Enemies
• Armor: +N Thorns
• Jewelry: N% Poison Resistance

+7.5%/39/14.3% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

Paragon Boards:

Use the links below to check the paragon boards selected and the nodes I’ve taken. One link is for what the boards will look like at lvl 90 without any paragon points from renown (so more paragon points will be obtained on the way to 100 as well as from renown. The other link will be what the boards will look like when fully maxed out on paragon points.

Suggested Gear Rolls to look out for (NOT in order of priority):

I’ve shortlisted 42 different affixes that work well with the build of almost 300 total. I’ll highlight in Orange the ones I think should get higher priority

Bonus to All Damage
Critical Strike Chance/Critical Damage Bonus
Critical Chance / Critical Damage with Physical/Shadow/Poison/Cold Skills
Critical Chance/Critical Damage with Core/Cutthroat/Trap/Subterfuge/Imbuements/Ultimate Skills
Damage with Core/Cutthroat/Trap/Subterfuge/Imbuements/Ultimate Skills
Lucky Hit Chance
+ X Ranks to Core/Cutthroat/Trap/Subterfuge/Imbuements/Ultimate Skills
+ X Ranks to Flurry/Poison Trap/Shadow Imbuement/Caltrops
Lucky Hit Chance with Physical/Shadow/Poison/Cold Damage
Physical/Shadow/Poison/Cold Damage Bonus
+ % Critical Chance / Critical Damage with Physical/Shadow/Poison/Cold Damage
Resistance to All Elements
Damage to Enemies Affected by Trap Skills
+ % Physical/Shadow/Poison/Cold Damage to Elites
+ % Critical Strike Chance with Physical/Shadow/Poison/Cold Damage Against Elites
+ % Damage for X Seconds After Killing an Elite
Damage Reduction for X Seconds After Killing an Elite
Damage Reduction from Elites
Damage / Critical Chance / Critical Damage Against Close Enemies
Damage / Critical Chance / Critical Damage Against Crowd Controlled Enemies
Vulnerable Damage
Damage / Critical Chance / Critical Damage Against Vulnerable Enemies
Reduces the Arm Time of Your Trap Skills by X Seconds
+ % Chill Application
Damage while Healthy
Critical Strike Damage with Imbued Skills
Shadow Imbued Skill Damage
Imbued Skill Damage
Imbuement Potency
Higher Priority
Damage for X Seconds After Dodging an Attack
Attack Speed for X Seconds After Dodging an Attack
Dodge Chance (both +% and x% exist)
Dodge Chance Against Close Enemies
+ All Stats
Damage vs Injured Enemies
Damage vs Healthy Enemies
Weapon Damage (not sure if there are any bonuses to that as rolls)
Energy Generation / Regeneration/ On Kill
Movement Speed
Attack Speed
Dexterity
Resource Cost Reduction
Lower Priority

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV RDY-4-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Shadow Trapper 2.0 Rogue Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

XBOX

PlayStation

Official Website

Volatile 2.0 Diablo IV Rogue Build [RDY-4-Launch]

Volatile 2.0 Rogue BUILD for Diablo IV [RDY-4-Launch]

(did anyone say “EXPLOSIONS?!” be the bearer of bad news BOOMS & send your victims to the other side with traps & all kinds of explosive goodness)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

Diablo IV‘s Launch is getting closer and it’s time to make some Ready-For-Launch full Builds/Theorycrafts that should be good for both ‘fresh-into-endgame’ characters as well as late endgame. I’ also plan to evolve them further when the game is released & keep them updated when we get rebalance updates. This is one such build for the Rogue Class called Volatile 2.0.

I’ve also made spreadsheets for those builds (see the links below) that have shortlisted the active and passive skills + legendary aspect + unique item + gems & sockets + suggested stat rolls + paragon boards that work well with the build which you can use to tinker. Alternatively, I’ve added build calculator links (mostly needed for the paragons)

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have more in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken + alternative skill options, you can check my RDY-4-Launch Builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Volatile 2.0) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

  • (active) Puncture – Throw blades a short distance, dealing 21% (X – ?) damage. Every 3rd cast Slows enemies by 2 seconds. Critical Strikes will always Slow. Requires Dual Wielded Weapons. Lucky Hit Chance: 50% Damage: Physical ; Tags: Basic, Ranged, Marksman
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Puncture – Gain 2 Energy when Puncture damages a Crowd Controlled enemy.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Primary Puncture – Puncture now throws 3 blades in a spread, each dealing 35% of its Base damage. Hitting an enemy with at least 2 blades at once makes them Vulnerable for 2 seconds.

Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

  • (active) Twisting Blades – Impale an enemy on your blades, dealing 45% (X – ?) damage and making them take 8% (multiplicative) increased damage while impaled. After 1.5 seconds the blades return to you, piercing enemies for 72% (X – ?) damage. Combo Points increase damage and grant a Movement Speed bonus: 1: 58% damage & 20% Movement Speed (*MS) bonus ; 2: 72% damage & 40% *MS bonus ; 3: 86% damage & 60% *MS bonus Requires Dual Wielded weapons Energy Cost: 30 Lucky Hit Chance: 33% Damage: Physical ; Tags: Core, Melee, Imbueable, Cutthroat
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Twisting Blades – Twisting Blades deals 30% (multiplicative) increased damage when returning.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Advanced Twisting Blades – When your Twisting Blades return, your active Cooldowns are reduced by 1 second per enemy they passed through, up to 3 seconds.
  • (passive) did not pick any Core passives to save points

Agility Skills (Required Points: 6 )

  • (active) Caltrops – Leap backwards and throw Caltrops on the ground, dealing 30% (X – ?) damage and Slowing enemies by 50%. Lasts 6 seconds. Energy Cost: 21 Lucky Hit Chance: 25% Damage: Physical ; Tags: Agility, Trap
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Caltrops – Enemies take 3% (multiplicative) increased damage from you each second they’re in Caltrops.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Disciplined Caltrops – You have +5% Critical Strike Chance against enemies inside your Caltrops. Double this amount against Vulnerable enemies.
  • (passive) Weapon Mastery – Gain a bonus when attacking based on weapon type:
    Daggers: 5%/10%/15% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy enemies.
    Swords: 3%/6%/9% (multiplicative) increased damage.
    Bows: 4%/8%/12% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
    Crossbows: 5%/10%/15% (multiplicative) increased Critical Strike Damage.
  • (passive) did not pick other Agility passives to save points

Subterfuge Skills (Required Points: 11 )

  • (active) Dark Shroud – Surround yourself with up to 5 protective shadows. Gain 8% Damage Reduction per active shadow. Each time you take direct damage, that damage is reduced and a shadow is consumed Cooldown: 20 seconds. Tags: Subterfuge
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Dark Shroud – Dark Shroud’s shadows have a 10% chance to not be consumed
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Countering Dark Shroud – While you have at least 2 active shadow from Dark Shroud, gain +10% Critical Strike Chance.
  • (passive) Exploit – You deal 6%/12%/18% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy and Injured enemies.
    • (upgrade) Malice – You deal 3%/6%/9% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
  • (passive) Agile – Using a Cooldown (skill with cooldown) increases your Dodge Chance by 3%/6%/9% for 2 seconds.
    • (upgrade) Mending Obscurity – DID NOT INVEST into this to save points
  • (passive) did not pick other Subterfuge passives to save points

Imbuements Skills (Required Points: 16 )

  • (active) Shadow Imbuement – Imbue your weapons with festering shadows. Enemies struck by your next 2 Imbuable Skills deal damage and infect enemies for 6 seconds. Infected enemies explode on death, dealing 40% (X) damage to all surrounding enemies. If the infection expires before the enemy dies, it will deal 40% (X) damage to only that enemy. Cooldown: 9 seconds. Lucky Hit Chance: 33% Damage: Shadow ; Tags: Imbuements
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Shadow Imbuement – You have +25% increased Critical Strike Chance against Injured enemies infected by Shadow Imbuement.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Mixed Shadow Imbuement – Enemies damaged by Shadow Imbued Skills take 12% (multiplicative) increased Non-Physical damage from you for 8 seconds.
  • (passive) Precision Imbuement – Imbued Skills gain +5%/+10%/+15% increased Critical Strike Chance.
  • (passive – Invested 2/3 ranks into it only to save points) Shadow Crash – Lucky Hit: Shadow damage has up to a 10% chance to Stun for 0.5/1/1.5 seconds.
    • (upgrade) Consuming Shadows – Each time you kill an enemy with Shadow Damage, you generate 10/20/30 Energy.
  • (passive) did not pick other Imbuements passives to save points

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

  • (active) Death Trap – Place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves near, dealing 250% (X – ?) damage to enemies in the area. Cooldown: 50 seconds. Lucky Hit Chance: 4% Damage: Shadow ; Tags: Ultimate, Trap
    • (1st upgrade) Prime Death Trap – Enemies are Pulled into Death Trap when it activates.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Supreme Death Trap – If Death Trap kills an enemy, its Cooldown is reduced by 10 seconds.
  • (passive) Innervation – Lucky Hit: Up to a 10%/20%/30% chance to gain 8 Energy.
    • (upgrade) Second Wind – Every 100 Energy you spend grants you +5%/+10%/+15% increased Lucky Hit Chance for 5 seconds.seconds.
    • (upgrade) Alchemist’s Fortune – Non-Physical damage you deal has a +5%/+10%/+15% increased Lucky Hit Chance.
  • (passive ) Trap Mastery – When Poison Trap or Death Trap activates, you gain +4%/+8%/+12% increased Critical Strike Chance against Vulnerable and Crowd Controlled enemies for 4 seconds.
  • (passive) Aftermath – After using an Ultimate Skill, restore 25/50/75 Energy.
  • (passive) did not pick other Ultimate passives to save points

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

  • (passive) Victimize – Lucky Hit: Dealing direct damage to a Vulnerable enemy has up to a +30% chance to cause an explosion, dealing 23% of the original damage to them and surrounding enemies.

Class Mechanic:

I don’t have much information about the 3rd Specialization of the Rogue. The 3 Specializations are the Rogues’ Class Mechanics:

  • Combo Points – Your Basic Skills now generate Combo Points. Certain Skills consume Combo Points for additional effects.
  • Inner Sight – Attack marked enemies to fill up your Inner Sight gauge. When it’s full, gain unlimited Energy for 4 seconds.
  • Preparation – This specialization was not available during the closed beta builds of the game.
probably evolved into Inner Sight
probably replaced by Preparation

I prefer and advise using Combo Points but I liked Inner Sight during the beta too so not a bad one either for some 0 cost Skill Spams every now and then. We’ll have to wait and see about the last one.

Unique Item

In Diablo IV apparently (I have multiple sources that confirmed this) we can equip more than one unique item at the same time (not so ‘unique’ if we can get decked out in full uniques I guess). It seems that the one unique per build idea that Unique inherited from the Mythical gear they supposedly replaced was scrapped even before the closed beta tests. My top pick will be the following one but check the notes under the Aspects list for some additional picks:

Eyes in the Dark (Pants)

While Injured, Your Potion Also Grants [30%] Movement Speed for 2 Seconds

Unless it hits a Boss or Player, Death Trap will continue to re-arm itself until it kills an enemy. However, Death Trap‘s Cooldown is increased by [15 – 30]%.

[3.1 – 7.3]% Dodge Chance
+[0.07 – 0.14] Shadow Damage
+[16.5 – 23.5]% Damage to Elites
+[7 – 14]% Damage to Trapped Enemies

“And so, when the sun dipped behind the hills each night, he knew that Ashen Jack would soon be near. Watching, and waiting.” – Greenslade’s Tales, Chapter 2: “Each Long Night”

Sockets & Gems

Full Diamonds is a good fit for many builds, including this one. I’ve shortlisted 5 total gems that work well with the build so pick based on your preference. I’d recommend either of those for Weps: Diamond, Skull, Saphire or Emerald. For Armor: Diamond, Skull or Ruby. For Jewelry: Diamond unless you need specific resistance more than all.

XYZ Diamond (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Ultimate Skill Damage
• Armor: +N% Barrier Generation
• Jewelry: N% Resistance to All Elements

+5%/+5%/5 for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Skull (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N Life On Kill
• Armor: +N% Healing Received • Jewelry: +N Armor

+13/+5%/+170 for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Saphire (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Critical Strike Damage to Crowd-Controlled Enemies
• Armor: N% Damage Reduction While Fortified
• Jewelry: N% Cold Resistance

+7.5%/5%/14.3% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Ruby (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Overpower Damage
• Armor: +N% Maximum Life
• Jewelry: N% Fire Resistance

+15%/+5.5%/14.3% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

XYZ Emerald (Requires Level XY)

• Weapon: +N% Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable Enemies
• Armor: +N Thorns
• Jewelry: N% Poison Resistance

+7.5%/39/14.3% for chipped (the 2nd grade at lvl 20)

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my RDY-4-Launch Builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Volatile 2.0) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

  • Helm: Enshrouding Aspect
  • Amulet: *Aspect of Unstable Imbuements OR Aspect of Volatile Shadows (see notes)
  • Chest: *Aspect of Cruel Sustenance OR Aspect of Siphoned Protection (see notes)
  • Pants: *Aspect of Cruel Sustenance OR Aspect of Siphoned Protection UNTIL the Unique goes here (see notes)
  • Gloves: Vengeful Aspect
  • Boots: Exploiter’s Aspect
  • Ring 1: Ravenous Aspect
  • Ring 2: Aspect of Unstable Imbuements OR Aspect of Volatile Shadows (see notes)
  • 1H Weapon (see NOTE below): Aspect of Corruption
  • Off-hand (see NOTE below): Blast-Trapper’s Aspect
  • 2-H Weapon: Bladedancer’s Aspect
NOTE 1: You have to pick one aspect that will be discаrded once you get the Unique Pants. You can use both Aspect of Cruel Sustenance AND Aspect of Siphoned Protection only until you get & equip Eyes in the Dark. So pick whichever you feel is weaker and less worth it and discard it while putting the other one in the Chest slot.

NOTE 2: You have to pick one aspect that will be in the +50% effectiveness Amulet slot out of those two: Aspect of Unstable Imbuements OR Aspect of Volatile Shadows. So pick whichever you feel is more worth the bonus and put it on the Amulet slot while putting the other on Ring Number 2.

Paragon Boards:

Use the links below to check the paragon boards selected and the nodes I’ve taken. One link is for what the boards will look like at lvl 94 without any paragon points from renown (so more paragon points will be obtained on the way to 100 as well as from renown. The other link will be what the boards will look like when fully maxed out on paragon points.

Suggested Gear Rolls to look out for (NOT in order of priority):

I’ve shortlisted 41 different affixes that work well with the build of almost 300 total. I’ll highlight in Orange the ones I think should get higher priority

Bonus to All Damage
Critical Strike Damage Bonus
Critical Strike Chance
Crit Chance / Critical Strike Damage with Core Skills
Damage with Core Skills
Lucky Hit Chance
Shadow Damage Bonus
Shadow Critical Strike Damage Bonus
Resistance to All Elements
Cooldown Reduction
+ % Critical Strike Chance with Shadow Damage
+ % Damage to Elites
+ % Shadow Damage to Elites
Damage Upon Killing an Elite
+ % Critical Strike Chance with Shadow Damage Against Elites
Damage Reduction for X Seconds After Killing an Elite
+ % Damage for X Seconds After Killing an Elite
Damage Reduction from Elites
Vulnerable Damage
Crit Chance / Critical Strike Damage to Close Enemies
Crit Chance / Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable Enemies
Crit Chance / Critical Strike Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies
Crit Chance / Critical Strike Damage with Cuththroat/Imbued/ Skills
Damage while Healthy
Damage to Vulnerable Enemies
Damage to Close Enemies
Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies
Damage to Vulnerable Enemies with Imbued Skills
Critical Strike Damage with Imbued Skills
Imbuement Potency
Shadow Imbued Skill Damage
Damage to Enemies Affected by Trap Skills
High Priority
+ All Stats
Damage vs Injured Enemies
Damage vs Healthy Enemies
Weapon Damage (not sure if there are any bonuses to that as rolls)
Energy Generation / Regeneration/ On Kill
Movement Speed
Attack Speed
Dexterity
Resource Cost Reduction
Low Priority

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV RDY-4-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Volatile Rogue 2.0 Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

XBOX

PlayStation

Official Website

Volatile Diablo IV Rogue Build

Volatile Rogue BUILD for Diablo IV

(vanish from their sight to get up close and personal then unleash clones to throw them into disarray)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

Diablo IV’s Open Beta Tests are almost here and I felt motivated to make some Pre-Launch theorycrafted semi-builds that should be good for ‘fresh-into-endgame’ characters when the game launches. I also plan to evolve them into FULL builds when the game is released & keep them updated when we get rebalance updates. This is one such build for the Rogue Class called Volatile.

The Beta tests will only let us reach lvl 25 and only let us play in the first Act/Zone (Fractured Peaks) so those builds will be more useful for the actual game launch and ideally for characters around lvl 50+ or 60+. I’ve used 50+ and 60+ skill points when making the build instead of the full 100 so that they can be used to jumpstart a player’s post-story endgame grind.

I’ve also made spreadsheets for those builds (see the links below) that have shortlisted the active and passive skills + legendary aspect that work well with the build so one can spend the extra skill points on the way to lvl 100 into those other skills.

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have actual in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken on the way to lvl 100 + alternative skill options, you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Volatile) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Some of the skill icon images you see could be outdated & different from what is seen in the Full release version. I plan to replace them once the Beta ends or after the full launch

Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

  • (active) Puncture – Throw your blades, dealing 59.66% (X – ?) damage and Slowing enemies by 20% for 2 seconds. Requires Dual Wielded Weapons. Damage: Physical Tags: Basic, Ranged Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Puncture – Gain 5 Energy when Puncture damages a Crowd Controlled enemy.
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Primary Puncture – Puncture has a 30% chance to make Crowd Controlled enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.

Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

  • (active) Twisting Blades – Impale an enemy on your blades, dealing 107.38% (X – ?) damage and making them take 8% (multiplicative) increased damage while impaled. After 1.5 seconds the blades return to you, piercing enemies for 139.60% (X – ?) damage. Combo Points increase damage and grant a Movement Speed bonus: 1: 57% damage & 20% Movement Speed bonus ; 2: 70% damage & 40% Movement Speed bonus ; 3: 83% damage & 60% Movement Speed bonus Requires Dual Wielded weapons Energy Cost: 21 Damage: Physical Tags: Core, Melee, Imbueable
  • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Twisting Blades – Twisting Blades deals 15% (multiplicative) increased damage per enemy it passes through when returning, up to 60% (multiplicative).
  • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Improved Twisting Blades – Enemies are Immobilized while impaled with Twisting Blades.
  • (passive) Sturdy – You gain +12% Melee Damage Reduction.
    • (upgrade) Siphoning Strikes – did not pick to save points
  • (passive) did not pick other Core passives to save points

Agility Skills (Required Points: 6 )

  • (active) Caltrops – Leap backwards and throw caltrops on the ground, dealing 71.59% (X – ?) damage and Slowing enemies by 50%. Lasts 6 seconds. Energy Cost: 21 Damage: Physical Tags: Agility, Trap
  • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Caltrops – Enemies take 3% (multiplicative) increased damage from all sources each second they’re in Caltrops.
  • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Disciplined Caltrops – You have 15% Critical Strike Chance against enemies inside your Caltrops. Double this amount against Vulnerable enemies.
  • (passive) Weapon Mastery – Gain a bonus when attacking based on weapon type: Daggers: 15.0% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy enemies. Swords: 9% (multiplicative) increased damage. Bows: Up to 12% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies. Crossbows: 15% (multiplicative) increased Critical Strike Damage. For all weapons: Vulnerable enemies take 20% (multiplicative) increased damage Healthy characters have more than 80% of their life.
  • (passive) did not pick other Agility passives to save points

Subterfuge Skills (Required Points: 11 )

  • (active) Dark Shroud – Surround yourself with up to 5 protective shadows. Gain 8% Damage Reduction per active shadow. Each time you take direct damage, that damage is reduced and a shadow is consumed Cooldown: 20.0 seconds. Tags: Subterfuge
  • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Dark Shroud – Dark Shroud’s shadows have a 10% chance to not be consumed
  • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Countering Dark Shroud – While you have at least 2 active shadow from Dark Shroud, gain 10% Critical Strike Chance.
  • (passive) Exploit – You deal 18% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy and Injured enemies.
    • (upgrade) Malice – You deal 9% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
  • (passive) did not pick other Subterfuge passives to save points

Imbuements Skills (Required Points: 16 )

  • (active) Imbue Weapon: Poison – Imbue your weapons with lethal poison. Your next 2 non- Basic Melee or Ranged Skills apply up to 198.85% (X) Poison damage over 5 seconds. Cooldown: 9.0 seconds. Tags: Imbuements
  • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Imbue Weapon: Poison – Poison Imbue’s Poison Duration is increased by 1 second.
  • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Blended Imbue Weapon: Poison – Critical Strikes with Poison Imbued Skills deal 30% (multiplicative) increased Poison damage.
  • (passive) Deadly Venom – You deal 3% (multiplicative) increased Poison damage.
    • (upgrade DID NOT take) Alchemical Advantage – You gain +1% increased Attack Speed for each enemy you’ve Poisoned, up to +15%.
    • (upgrade DID NOT take to save points) Debilitating Toxins – Poisoned enemies deal X% less damage.
  • (passive) did not pick other Imbuements passives to save points

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

  • (active) Death Trap – Place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves near, dealing 596.56% (X – ?) damage to enemies in the area. Cooldown: 45.0 seconds. Damage: Shadow Tags: Ultimate, Imbueable
  • (1st upgrade) Prime Death Trap – Enemies are Pulled into Death Trap when it activates.
  • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Supreme Death Trap – If Death Trap kills an enemy, its Cooldown is reduced by 10 seconds.
  • (passive) Innervation – Lucky Hit: Up to a 20% chance to gain 5 Energy.
    • (upgrade) Second Wind – Every 100 Energy you spend grants you +10% increased Lucky Hit Chance for 5 seconds.
    • (upgrade) Alchemist’s Fortune – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
  • (passive) Aftermath – After using an Ultimate Skill, restore 25 Energy.
  • (passive – DID NOT take to save points) Trap Mastery When Poison Trap or Death Trap activates, you gain 4% increased Critical Strike Chance against Vulnerable and Crowd Controlled enemies for 4 seconds.
  • (passive) did not pick other Ultimate passives to save points

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

  • (passive) Victimize – Lucky Hit: Dealing direct damage to a Vulnerable enemy has up to a +30% chance to cause an explosion, dealing 23% of the original damage to them and nearby enemies.

Class Mechanic:

I don’t have much information about the 3 Specializations of the Rogue which are their Class Mechanics:

  • Combo Points – Your Basic Skills now generate Combo Points. Certain Skills consume Combo Points for additional effects.
  • Inner Sight – Attack marked enemies to fill up your Inner Sight gauge. When it’s full, gain unlimited Energy for 4 seconds.
  • Preparation – This specialization was not available during the closed beta builds of the game.
probably evolved into Inner Sight
probably replaced by Preparation

My guess is that it would be best to switch between specializations depending on the situation/content. For now I won’t go into detail or say use only a certain one of those until the game launches and I try them out.

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Volatile) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

  • Helm: Aspect of The Umbral
  • Amulet: Aspect of Unstable Imbuements
  • Chest: Aspect of Shared Misery
  • Pants: Aspect of Might
  • Gloves: Vengeful Aspect
  • Boots: Ghostwalker Aspect
  • Ring 1: Blast-Trapper’s Aspect
  • Ring 2: Volatile Blades
  • 1H Weapon (see NOTE below): Volatile Shadows
  • Off-hand (see NOTE below): Aspect of Corruption
  • 2-H Weapon (if you decide to use one): Volatile Shadows
NOTE: You'll be using a Dual-Wielded Weapon & Offhand combo for this build.

I do not currently know if having a 2H weapon equipped as a 2nd weapon set will grant the aspect on it at all times so I've put the same aspect on both the 1H and 2H.

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Volatile Rogue Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

XBOX

PlayStation

Official Website

Shadow Trapper Diablo IV Rogue Build

Shadow Trapper Rogue BUILD for Diablo IV

(eliminate your targets by taking advantage of Deadly Traps & a shadowy Flurry of Blades)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

Diablo IV’s Open Beta Tests are almost here and I felt motivated to make some Pre-Launch theorycrafted semi-builds that should be good for ‘fresh-into-endgame’ characters when the game launches. I also plan to evolve them into FULL builds when the game is released & keep them updated when we get rebalance updates. This is one such build for the Rogue Class called Shadow Trapper.

The Beta tests will only let us reach lvl 25 and only let us play in the first Act/Zone (Fractured Peaks) so those builds will be more useful for the actual game launch and ideally for characters around lvl 50+ or 60+. I’ve used 50+ and 60+ skill points when making the builds instead of the full 100 so that they can be used to jumpstart a player’s post-story endgame grind.

I’ve also made spreadsheets for those builds (see the links below) that have shortlisted the active and passive skills + legendary aspect that work well with the build so one can spend the extra skill points on the way to lvl 100 into those other skills.

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have actual in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken on the way to lvl 100 + alternative skill options, you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Shadow Trapper) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Some of the skill icon images you see could be outdated & different from what is seen in the Full release version. I plan to replace them once the Beta ends or after the full launch

Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

  • (active) Blade Shift – Stab your victim for 53.69% (X – ?) damage and use their vitality to shift, allowing you to move freely through enemies for 3 seconds. Requires Dual Wielded weapons Damage: Physical Tags: Basic, Melee
    • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Blade Shift – Damaging an enemy grants +5% Movement Speed while Blade Shift is active, up to +20%
    • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Primary Blade Shift – While Blade Shift is active you gain 15% to all non-Physical Resistances and reduce the duration of Control Impairing Effects by 20%.

Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

  • (active) Flurry– Unleash a flurry of stabs and slashes, dealing 200.45% (X – ?) damage to enemies in front of you. Combo Points increase damage and grant a +30% Attack Speed bonus: 1: 95% damage bonus for 1.5 seconds ; 2: 114% damage bonus for 3.0 seconds ; 3: 133% damage bonus for 4.5 seconds Requires Dual Wielded weapons Energy Cost: 17 Damage: Physical Tags: Core, Melee, Imbueable
  • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Flurry – Increase Flurry’s radius by 15% (multiplicative).
  • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Improved Flurry – Each time Flurry damages a Crowd Controlled or Vulnerable enemy, you are Healed for X Life.
  • (passive) Sturdy – You gain +12% Melee Damage Reduction.
    • (upgrade) Siphoning Strikes – did not pick to save points
  • (passive) did not pick other Core passives to save points

Agility Skills (Required Points: 6 )

  • (active) Caltrops – Leap backwards and throw caltrops on the ground, dealing 71.59% (X – ?) damage and slowing enemies by 50%. Lasts 6 seconds. Energy Cost: 21 Damage: Physical Tags: Agility, Trap
  • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Caltrops – Enemies take 3% (multiplicative) increased damage from all sources each second they’re in Caltrops.
  • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Disciplined Caltrops – You have 15% Critical Strike Chance against enemies inside your Caltrops. Double this amount against Vulnerable enemies.
  • (passive) Weapon Mastery – Gain a bonus when attacking based on weapon type: Daggers: 15.0% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy enemies. Swords: 9% (multiplicative) increased damage. Bows: Up to 12% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies. Crossbows: 15% (multiplicative) increased Critical Strike Damage. For all weapons: Vulnerable enemies take 20% (multiplicative) increased damage Healthy characters have more than 80% of their life.
  • (passive) did not pick other Agility passives to save points

Subterfuge Skills (Required Points: 11 )

  • (active) Poison Trap – Place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves near, applying 821.25% (X) Poisoning damage over 9 seconds to enemies in the area. Cooldown: 10.0 seconds. Damage: Poison Tags: Subterfuge, Trap
  • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Poison Trap – Poison Trap immobilizes enemies for 2 seconds when it activates.
  • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Countering Poison Trap – Poison Trap has a 20% chance to reset your Imbuement Skill Cooldowns when activated.
  • (passive) Exploit – You deal 18% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy and Injured enemies.
    • (upgrade) Malice – You deal 9% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
  • (passive) did not pick other Subterfuge passives to save points

Imbuements Skills (Required Points: 16 )

  • (active) Imbue Weapon: Shadow – Imbue your weapons with festering shadows. Enemies struck by your next 2 non- Basic Melee or Ranged Skills deal damage and infect enemies such that they explode for up to 73.83% (X) damage on death. Direct damage to infected enemies deals an additional 4.00% (X) Shadow damage. Cooldown: 9.0 seconds. Damage: Shadow Tags: Imbuements
  • (1st upgrade) Enhanced Imbue Weapon: Shadow – Lucky Hit: Critically Striking an enemy infected by Shadow Imbue has up to 30% chance to create a mini explosion dealing 26.25% (X- ?) Shadow damage to them and nearby enemies.
  • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Blended Imbue Weapon: Shadow – Shadow Imbue’s primary explosion makes enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
  • (passive) Shadow Crash– Lucky Hit: Shadow damage has up to a 10% chance to Stun for 0.5 seconds.
    • (upgrade) Consuming Shadows – Each time you kill an enemy with Shadow Damage, you generate 10 Energy.
  • (passive) did not pick other Imbuements passives to save points

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

  • (active) Death Trap – Place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves near, dealing 596.56% (X – ?) damage to enemies in the area. Cooldown: 45.0 seconds. Damage: Shadow Tags: Ultimate, Imbueable
  • (1st upgrade) Prime Death Trap – Enemies are Pulled into Death Trap when it activates.
  • (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Supreme Death Trap – If Death Trap kills an enemy, its Cooldown is reduced by 10 seconds.
  • (passive) Innervation – Lucky Hit: Up to a 20% chance to gain 5 Energy.
    • (upgrade) Second Wind – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
    • (upgrade) Alchemist’s Fortune – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
  • (passive) Trap Mastery – When Poison Trap or Death Trap activates, you gain 4% increased Critical Strike Chance against Vulnerable and Crowd Controlled enemies for 4 seconds.
  • (passive) Aftermath – After using an Ultimate Skill, restore 25 Energy.
  • (passive) did not pick other Ultimate passives to save points

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

  • (passive) Exposure – Lucky Hit: Dealing direct damage to an enemy affected by a Trap Skill has up to a 75% chance to make them Vulnerable for 4 seconds and reduce the Cooldowns of your Trap Skills by 0.5 seconds.

Class Mechanic:

I don’t have much information about the 3 Specializations of the Rogue which are their Class Mechanics:

  • Combo Points – Your Basic Skills now generate Combo Points. Certain Skills consume Combo Points for additional effects.
  • Inner Sight – Attack marked enemies to fill up your Inner Sight gauge. When it’s full, gain unlimited Energy for 4 seconds.
  • Preparation – This specialization was not available during the closed beta builds of the game.

My guess is that it would be best to switch between specializations depending on the situation/content. For now I won’t go into detail or say use only a certain one of those until the game launches and I try them out.

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Shadow Trapper) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

  • Helm: Ravenous Aspect
  • Amulet: Aspect of Shared Misery
  • Chest: Aspect of Might
  • Pants: Aspect of Disobedience
  • Gloves: Aspect of Explosive Verve
  • Boots: Wind Striker Aspect
  • Ring 1: Blast-Trapper’s Aspect
  • Ring 2: Aspect of Corruption
  • 1H Weapon: Trickster’s Aspect
  • Off-hand: Aspect of Unstable Imbuements
  • 2-H Weapon (if you decide to use one): Trickster’s Aspect

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Shadow Trapper Rogue Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

XBOX

PlayStation

Official Website