Shadow Trapper Rogue BUILD for Diablo IV
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Some of the skill icon images you see could be outdated & different from what is seen in the Full release version.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
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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)