Softcore Throwing Barbarian Guide for PvP and PvM
PvP Rank: B Class / PvM Rank: B Class
Introduction
Double Throw Barbarians have great survival with Battle Orders and Shout while using ranged attacking weapons. They also have no problem dealing with physical immune and physical resistant enemies with a Lacerator because it casts the Amplify curse when it strikes an enemy which doubles your physical damage.
Throwing Barbarian Skills
The top spot ranged attacking Barbarian goes to the Double Throw Barbarian which is excellent at both survival and damage.
Recommendation: Throwing Barbarian
Stats: Enough Strength for gear, about 190 Dexterity (for attack rating and throwing damage), all remaining points in Vitality.
Build:
20 Double Throw
20 Throwing Mastery
20 Battle Orders
20 Double Swing (Double Throw Synergy)
1 Battle Command
1 Increased Stamina
1 Increased Speed
1 Whirlwind (if this is a PvP character)
Enough in Natural Resistance to have capped resistances.
All remaining points in Axe Mastery for PvP for Whirlwind Damage and Attack Rating.
For PvM only builds you can put remaining points in Increased Speed and Shout.
Throwing Barbarian Gear
Weapons
Ethereal Lacerator has Replenishes Quantity and the Amplify curse on striking which breaks physical immunes and doubles your physical damage. Ethereal Gargoyle's Bite is another great ethereal weapon that has Replenishes Quantity for high damage with up to 15% life leech. You can eventually look for rare ethereal throwing weapons which can have even higher damage. You can also optionally keep a Horadric Cube in your inventory to switch to two +3 to Warcries weapons, a +3 to Warcries amulet, and a Stones of Jordan (or Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band) for +1 to skills before fights and then switch back to your normal equipment.
Weapon Switch
Grief (Eth Tir Lo Mal Ral) Berserker Axe - Use Grief to Whirlwind nearby targets in PvP with a Stormshield (Um'd) which has 35% Reduced Physical Damage Taken, High Resistances, Increased Block Chance, and Faster Block Rate. In PvM you won't need to use Whirlwind so you can simply keep a Call to Arms (Amn Ral Mal Ist Ohm) which gives +3 to Battle Orders and +1 to all skills for a total of +4 to Battle Orders but only works for one weapon and a +3 to Warcries weapon for a total of +7 to Battle Orders.
Helmet
Arreat's Face (Um'd) - +2 to Barbarian Skills, +2 to Barbarian Combat Skills, 30% Faster Hit Recovery, 20% increased Attack Rating, 6% Life Steal, 20 Strength, 20 Dexterity, All Resistances +30%.
Helmet 2
Crown of Ages - This helmet is great for PvP against physical damage builds for up to 15% Reduced Physical Damage Taken, 2 Open Sockets, 30% Faster Hit Recovery, +1 To All Skills, All Resistance +30%, and can be Ber'd twice for Physical Damage Taken Reduction.
Body
Fortitude (El Sol Dol Lo) - Gives up to All Resistances +30%, 300% Enhanced Damage, high Life, 5% to Maximum Lightning Resistance, and a 20% chance to cast level 15 Chilling Armor when struck. Fortitude is ideal for Double Throw Barbarians but you can also optionally switch to Enigma (Jah Ith Ber) which gives the Teleport skill if needed for a fight.
Gloves
Blood Crafted Gloves - Can give up to 20% Increased Attack Speed, 10% Crushing Blow, 3% Life Leech, and 3 Resistances.
Budget Gloves
Magnus' Skin - Gives 20% increased attack speed, 100 to Attack Rating, and 15% Fire Resistance.
Belt
Verdungo's Hearty Cord - Use this as the default belt for PvP and especially against physical damage builds for up to 15% Reduced Physical Damage Taken, 40 Vitality, Replenish Life +13, and 10% Faster Hit Recovery.
Belt 2
Thundergod's Vigor- Use this belt in PvP against lightning damage builds for20 Strength, 20 Vitality, 1-50 Lightning Damage, 10% to Maximum Lightning Resistance, and 20 Lightning Absorb.
Belt 3
Razortail - Use this belt for PvM for a 33% Chance to Pierce, 15 Dexterity, and 10 to Maximum Damage.
Amulet
Angelic Amulet - This amulet should be combined with Angelic Ring for a huge bonus to Attack Rating for your Double Throw and Whirlwind. You should also keep a +3 to Warcries amulet in your inventory to switch to for higher level warcries.
Rings
Angelic Ring - Gives very high Attack Rating and Life when combined with Angelic Ring. Your second ring when you're not fighting a fire or lightning elemental build should be a Raven Frost for up to 20 Dexterity, Cannot Be Frozen, and 250 Attack Rating.
Rings 2
You should switch Raven Frost to a Dwarf Star for 15% Fire Absorb when fighting fire builds that don't have a chilling attack. You should also switch to a Wisp Projector for up to 20% lightning absorb for lightning builds that don't have a chilling attack.
Feet
Gore Riders -Gives 15% Deadly Strike, 15% Crushing Blow, 10% Open Wound, and 30% Faster Run Walk.
Feet 2
Hotspur - Switch to these boots when fighting fire builds for 45% Fire Resistance and 15% to Maximum Fire Resistance.
Charms
Hellfire Torch for +3 Barbarian skills, Annihilus for +1 to skills, one Poison Damage Small Charm to cancel enemies life regeneration, and a full inventory of Max Damage/Attack Rating/Life Charms. If you have time to prebuff you can switch to 9 +1 Warcries Grand Charms and use shouts at a nearby warp point. You should switch a few of your Max Damage/Attack Rating/Life Small Charms for 11% Cold Resistance/Life Small Charms against Cold Sorceresses because their Cold Mastery lowers your cold resistance. You can also use a Thawing Potion against Cold Sorceresses and Windy Druids for +50 cold resistance and +10% maximum cold resistance.
Mercenary Weapon
Ethereal Infinity (Ber Mal Ber Ist) - If you are using the Lacerator weapon which has the Amplify curse you should use this for the Conviction aura which lowers enemies defenses and resistances. Your mercenary will have trouble surviving in PvM with the Pride runeword (which gives the Concentration aura) because it has low damage which means significantly less life leech which keeps mercenaries alive. Pride is however better for PvP but keep in mind that using a mercenary in duels is considered bad manners.
Mercenary Armor
Ethereal Fortitude (El Sol Dol Lo) - 300% Increased Damage, All Resistances +30, and a 20% chance to cast Chilling Armor when hit.
Mercenary Helmet
Ethereal Andariel's Visage -+2 Skills, 10% Life Leech, and 30 Strength.
Budget Mercenary Weapon
Ethereal Insight (Ral Tir Tal Sol) - Gives up to level 17 Meditation which gives high mana regeneration and high damage.
Budget Mercenary Armor
Duriel's Shell - Gives high all resistances and cannot be frozen.
Budget Mercenary Helmet
Tal Rasha's Helmet - Gives 10% life steal, 15% to all elemental resistances, and 60 life.
Note: Ethereal items don't lose durability on mercenaries.
Throwing Barbarian Strengths and Weaknesses
This character deals very high damage with high life but you have to be skillful with your aim. High defense and high block builds like paladins can also sometimes be difficult to take down. Whirlwind can be used as a backup attack in dueling but try not to use it all the time without it being fully leveled or it may cause the person you are dueling to run and play defensively.
Throwing Barbarian Leveling Items
You can start using Hsarus' Belt and Gloves once you have 30 strength and are at least level three for very high Defense and Attack Rating from the set bonus. Civerb's Cudgel is a great starter weapon that increases in damage when you level and can be used as early as level 12. You can add Angelics Amulet and Ring once you are level 12 for high Life and Attack Rating. Smoke only requires level 37 and is an excellent starter runeword that can be made with a Nef rune and a Lum rune for an easy All Resistances +50.
And that's all for the Double Throw Barbarian Guide. You can also check out the most popular crafted items here Crafting Guide.
