1. #1

    "What class should i roll?" - D3 class compendium [2.4 - S5 ready]

    Updated to patch 2.4 - Season 5
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    This thread has been made to keep a reference for everyone; if anyone has doubts on what to roll in D3 or is simply curious about the class standings, he can check this thread for a quick glance at the current situation.
    The thread will be updated every new patch and when new stuff is discovered - a thing that can happen anytime and usually during seasons due to new items made and new build options tried to push that additional Greater Rift.

    All build links are take from Diablofans and usually contain a guide on stats/playstyle - though being on a different website it's on the build author to keep it updated. Rankings are taken from Diablorank - sometimes players also provide a screen of their gear/build used to clear the GR, just click on the small lens on the right.

    Classes are listd in Alphabetical order, providing the highest SC/HC GR clears. It's not the best way to determine a class power, as GR fishing is a great part of the deal and there are a lot more factors to account for, but it can give a good idea of the class potential as high GR levels have a very steep scaling thus going from 74 to 75 is a definite and big enough difference in class power.

    Builds listed are the more "popular", in terms of being solid and widely used options that can net good results. Remeber that multiple variations of the same build can exist, and it's possible that something hasn't been discovered yet, thus feel free to experiment with different skill sets. The ones provided should serve as general pointers.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    General considerations:
    With the incredible number of changes to various class sets and the introduction of the Legacy of Nightmares one (LoN form now on) the class balanca has shifted a lot - and in a good way, since now most classes seems to have around 6-8 viable (and i mean 75+ at least) builds to play, which makes your choice less dictated by the class power and more onto what you actually like to play.
    XP gear has been nerfed a lot and also clearing stuff will be significantly faster in solo due to nerfs to monsters HP when not in a full group; rthis means that playing solo should be now way more viable. Plus, a new cube recipe lets you consume a leveled legendary gem to add 5*level mainstat to an ancient item, making farming paragon less important, at least at the beginning.

    Kudos to Drahque that put a lot of effort into compiling an handy guide with everything needed to start S5 full throttle - link here: http://tinyurl.com/Drahque
    I have taken down GR clears and will start to update them around a week after the season starts, to let players settle down and avoid to get in the post every 2 hours to change stuff.


    Barbarian
    • Highest SC GR clear: 83
    • Highest HC GR clear: 76
    • Comments: Definitely one of the supports to have in group, as the globe builds provides both healing and resource generation for the classes who have he right passives (Wizard and DH). Also a really strong solo class and easy to start with because of the free Might of the Earth set which provides really good tools to farm other gear if you like to try other builds.
    • Build list:
      - MotE: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69910
      - Raekor/IK: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69865
      - Support: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69882
    • Set Dungeons: Raekor and IK are really easy (especially IK), while MotE and WW ones are not recommended if you plan to do the conquest in the fastest way possible.


    Crusader


    Demon Hunter
    • Highest SC GR clear: 79
    • Highest HC GR clear: 78
    • Comments: Hands down the best starter class for S5, as the initial farming speed is on a completely different level compared to other classes. Maybe won't be competing for #1 on solo leaderboards, but the new Shadow set gives him a tremendous single target potential that grants him a pretty nice spot in 4 man groups (may be clunky to use in solo, but the already known Natalya and UE builds give us the tools for speed farming and AoE when needed).
    • Build list:
      - UE: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69833
      - Natalya RoV/FoK: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69836
      - Marauder: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69831
      - Shadow: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69873
    • Set Dungeons: arguably the easier dungeons overall. Some fishing is required to get the mobs in the right spot and Shadow Dungeon requires good aiming, but for the rest they're not hard as others and pretty much all doable with no real issues.


    Monk
    • Highest SC GR clear: 80
    • Highest HC GR clear: 76
    • Comments: Monk has been the class that received the lower number of changes since it was tremendously powerful last season. Actually, both Static Charge and Healer/support builds have been nerfed a lot and other builds seem to not be on the level of the other classes, meaning he's going to perform slightly worse than the others. This doesn't mean it's not viable or fun to play, and the power is more than enough to beat all the season journey challenges - but when you talk about min/maxing and best group comp, monks are relegated to the support role and fight for their place with WD and DH.
    • Build list:
      - Sunwuko starter build: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/70107
      - LoN Tempest Rush/Exploding Palm: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69914
      - Inna support: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69908
    • Set Dungeons: to do research, with not many people playing monks, it's harder to find good feedback on them.


    Witch Doctor
    • Highest SC GR clear: 82
    • Highest HC GR clear: 79
    • Comments: WD is the class that gained the most from the LoN set - it unlocks 5 different builds which cover basically any possible role and grants him a slot in 4man groups as support or DPS character, while being very powerful in both solo and speed farming environments. Again another very solid choice but given the fact standard sets are not as powerful as LoN, it may require quite some time to get everything to make the most powerful builds work properly and at full potential.
    • Build list:
      - Jade starter build: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/70112
      - LoN Darts: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69927
      - LoN Firebats/Gargantuan: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69904
      - Support: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69876
    • Set Dungeons: to do research


    Wizard
    • Highest SC GR clear: 84
    • Highest HC GR clear: 82
    • Comments: apparently the new #1 solo class of the season, just a little higher than the Barb. 10 different builds have been tested, working with every set and all capable of 75+ clearing, the Wizard looks the jack of all trades. The Delsere Arcane Orbit build seems the best build available, and nets the class the second mandatory DPS spot in 4 man groups. Want a shot at #1? Then Wizard is the class for you.
    • Build list:
      - Firebird starter build: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/70102
      - DMO group: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69867
      - DMO solo: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69890
      - LoN Hydra: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/70097
      - LoN Explosive Blast: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/70098
    • Set Dungeons: the most infamous one belongs to Wizards. The Firebird dungeon is pretty hard as it requires both good density and the right gear; setting enemies on flame through the set bonus means you have to do not too much damage but have enough to kill everything in time, and also you have to die on purpose multiple times to proc the meteor. Other set dungeons look on a medium-high level of difficulty overall.

    Non-season considerations
    Season 5 removes the concept of season-only items (for the moment). This means that any build is perfectly doable both season and non-season - only thing you miss by playing non-season are the cosmetic rewards from the season journey and an additional stash tab that you get by beating the Conqueror objectives.
    Last edited by Coldkil; 2016-01-26 at 09:14 AM.
    Non ti fidar di me se il cuor ti manca.

  2. #2
    Updated for 2.4
    Non ti fidar di me se il cuor ti manca.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •