Barbarian Expertise
Expertise is the special mechanic of the Barbarian Class in Diablo 4, that allows you to level up your Weapon skills and earn additional bonuses! Expertise is tied to the Barbarian’s Arsenal system and their ability to use four weapons at the same time. Barbarians can carry a Two Handed Bludgeoning Weapon, a Two Handed Slicing Weapon and two One Handed Weapons for Dual Wielding. Certain skills require a certain type of weapon used, so it is possible for a Barbarian to use all three different types depending on their skills.
At level 15 Barbarians can also unlock a Technique Slot that gives access to a special bonus from a Weapon expertise of their choice. In order to unlock this slot however, you will have to complete a Class specific Priority quest. The Expertise System is essential to create strong Barbarian Builds in Diablo 4!
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How Does Barbarian Expertise Work in Diablo 4
You unlock Expertise the moment you reach level 5 with your Barbarian. From this point on when you use a weapon, you earn experience with it and unlock new ranks in its Expertise bar! Every different weapon type in the game offers you a unique bonus, which becomes stronger as you unlock more ranks. When you reach rank 10, which is the maximum Expertise Rank, you also gain a special bonus.
Below you can see the Expertise effect for each type of weapon in Diablo 4, as well as the Rank 10 Bonus!
| Weapon | Expertise | Rank 10 Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| One-Handed Axe | Increased Critical Strike Chance against injured enemies. Double this amount when using two Axes. | Lucky Hit: Critical Strikes have a chance to grant increased Attack Speed for a few seconds. Double the Attack Speed bonus when using two Axes. |
| One-Handed Mace | Increased damage to Stunned enemies. Double this amount when using two Maces. | Lucky Hit: Chance to gain Berserking when you hit a Stunned enemy. Double this amount when using two Maces. |
| One-Handed Sword | Lucky Hit: Chance to gain Fury when hitting a Crowd Controlled enemy. Double this amount when using two Swords. | Killing a Crowd Controlled enemy grants increased Attack Speed for a few seconds. Double this amount when using two Swords. |
| Two-Handed Axe | Increased damage to Vulnerable enemies. | Increased Critical Strike Chance against Vulnerable enemies. |
| Polearm | Increased Lucky Hit Chance. | You deal increased damage while Healthy. |
| Two-Handed Sword | % of direct damage you deal is inflicted as Bleeding damage over a few seconds. | You deal increased Bleeding damage for a few seconds after killing an enemy. |
| Two-Handed Mace | Lucky Hit: Chance to gain Fury when hitting an enemy. Double the amount of Fury gained while Berserking. | You deal increased Critical Strike Damage to Stunned and Vulnerable enemies while Berserking. |
Each skill is using a different type of weapon but you can also assign the weapons used manually! You can do this by pressing “S” and opening your skills list. From there pick a weapon type to use with each one of your skills. This can help you level up fast the Expertise for all different types of Weapons.
Barbarian Technique in Diablo 4
Technique is a special slot for Barbarian in Diablo 4 that unlocks an Expertise Bonus! You can pick any of your available Weapon Expertise for the Technique slot, as long as they are at least Rank 1. The Technique affects every weapon you are using, even if it is a different type of the chosen Expertise. So the Two-Handed Weapon Mace Expertise will give you a chance to gain Fury when hitting an enemy even if you are using a Polearm. If you are using the same weapon though, the effect will not stack and double itself.
To unlock the Technique Slot you need to complete a Barbarian specific Priority Quest first. The Quest is called “Barbarian: Masters of Battle” and you will get it automatically when you reach level 15. To start the quest you will have to travel to Ked Bardu in the Dry Steppes zone and talk to the Forgemaster Gerti. The Quest is rather easy, since all you have to do is complete a few basic tasks around the zone. Follow the instructions and return to Gerti to complete the Quest and unlock your Technique slot!
More Diablo 4 Guides
- Beginner Tips
- How to Unlock Mount
- Diablo 4 Classes
- Rogue Specializations
- Necromancer Book of the Dead
- Sorcerer Enchantments
- Druid Spirit Boons
- Altar of Lilith Locations
- Character Customization
- How to Earn Renown
- Obols in Diablo 4
- Occultist in Diablo 4
- Potion Upgrades
- Salvage Gear & Blacksmith
- Purveyor of Curiosities
- Jeweler
- Dungeons
- Legendary Aspects
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