7 Best builds to try in Diablo 4 Season 9

Diablo 4 Season 9 drops in early July, so it’s time we talk about some of the potentially best builds. Naturally, this is based on patch notes, and general vibes going into the season about how things should fit together. These builds should all do exceptionally well this season, when you combine the right Uniques and Horadric Spell bits together. They’re all builds I’m pretty excited to play.

After all, I have to find something that isn’t Minion Necromancer, thanks to all the nerfs; though frankly, the new Season 9 Unique, The Hand of Naz might see me playing Minion Necro again, because I’m personally convinced it will be good. However, if you want the best builds to try in Diablo 4 Season 9, here are my picks.

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Which are the best builds to try out in Diablo 4 Season 9?

• Hydra Sorcerer
• Poison Volley Spiritborn
• Blood Wave Necromancer
• Whirlwind Barbarian
• Flay Barbarian
• Death Trap Rogue
• Lightning Spear Sorcerer

Once Diablo 4 Season 9, Sins of the Horadrim kicks off in July, the above choices are all builds I think are going to make their way towards the endgame. While I can’t promise that these will all hit the deepest levels of The Pit (since it’s supposed to be even harder now), I think they will be serviceable with the right loadout and class knowledge.

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1) Hydra Sorcerer

This particular Unique will carry Hydra Sorcerer super hard (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

It’s my belief that Hydra Sorcerer is going to be the most overpowered (and thus best) build for Diablo 4 Season 9. There are other great, powerful, top-tier builds, but I think Hydra’s going to be more reliable, and the new Unique that allows for this shouldn’t be too hard to unlock.

You’ll also need to do a little Masterworking and slot in the right Legendary Affixes, but I think it should be easy enough to start melting things with a giant fire hydra. When you combine this with the already great Horadric spell possibilities, and Sorcerer’s innate defensive cooldowns, it’s going to be a very fun season.

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2) Poison Volley Spiritborn

Spiritborn aren't going anywhere anytime soon (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Poison Volley Spiritborn works for a few reasons, to be honest. It’s going to be one of the best builds in Diablo 4 Season 9 because Spiritborn is always a great pick. They have an amazing new Unique, which enhances Thorns and Poison damage. You combine this with a heavy poison build, and the poison spell offerings in the Horadric Spells, and suddenly, everything melts under a proverbial tidal wave of noxious, green poison.

Then you have Noxious Resonance, the Key Passive, that makes our Poison even better. However, this is also overpowered because of a bug with Double Jaguar in the Spirit Hall, and there’s a chance this could be fixed. Even without that, I think it’s going to be wildly powerful.

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3) Blood Wave Necromancer

Blood Wave continues to be the champion for Necros everywhere (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

No matter what Blizzard does to Blood Wave Necromancer, it remains one of the best builds in Diablo 4 Season 9. It’s been nerfed quite a few times now, but it’s still great! It’s also one of the easiest builds to set up. Just get Kessime’s Legacy, and you’re ready to get going.

While Minion Necro is still a fantastic way to level up in D4 Season 9, I don’t know that it’s going to be easier to succeed with, compared to Blood Wave Necromancer. This one’s pretty easy, it’s powerful, and it doesn’t require the same level of intense setup.

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4) Whirlwind Barbarian

Whilrwind Barbarians are easy and fun, what's not to like? (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

I don’t think Whirlwind Barbarian’s going anywhere anytime soon, especially not in Diablo 4 Season 9. Flooding the screen with Dust Devils just remains an incredibly potent way to deal with enemies. Dust Devils hit hard, and it’s incredibly simple to get them moving on the screen, slaughtering enemies for you.

I also like Whirlwind builds because they’re easy to play. It doesn’t “require” any Uniques, but there are several that go well with it. You will need specific Legendary Aspects, though. If you want something easy to play, that’s fairly easy to setup, and doesn’t have many downsides, this is the play.

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5) Flay Barbarian

I think Flay still has a chance to be quite good, even if the bugs are ironed out of the new Unique (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

If Flay Barbarian doesn’t get fixed, it will easily be one of the strongest builds in Diablo 4 Season 9; even if it does, I think it still has a lot of promise. But due to a bugged interaction with Hooves of the Mountain God, they can basically use negative damage to one-shot a wide array of enemies.

However, either way, this new Unique allows you to deal extra damage with Basic Skills (Flay), and also makes them cleave on top of that. It’s wildly powerful, and if you can keep building your Fury up while it drains, you can obliterate pretty much anything using the power of Flay. I have high hopes for it this season.

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6) Death Trap Rogue

Somehow, Death Trap persists as a potential build. I want it to be Flurry, but I'm not sure that it will be quite as good (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

I don’t know that the new Rogue Unique, Deathmask of Nirmitruq is going to really shake anything up. It’s in an unfortunate slot (Head), and it affects Flurry. I don’t know that it’s going to be much better than Death Trap Rogues already were going into Season 8, and again in Diablo 4 Season 9.

Repeatedly casting Death Trap is incredibly satisfying, but I’m not sure if it’s going to be a game-breaker, due to a host of planned Overpower nerfs. That said, I still think this is going to be a solid pick, thanks to Preparation (Rogue ability), and gear like Banished Lord’s Talisman, Beastfall Boots, and Scoundrel’s Leathers.

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7) Lightning Spear Sorcerer

Lightning Spear will remain a decent, but intricate build going forward (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

While yes, I do think Hydra Sorcerer is going to be the best, that doesn’t mean it’s the only powerful Sorcerer build going into this season. I have a very good feeling about Lightning Spear. We’ve talked about it many times over the lifetime of Diablo 4, and Season 9’s going to be no different.

Lightning Spear isn’t as easy to use as some of the other builds, because you really have to work at mana and cooldown management, but with the right skills, and Uniques like Raiment of the Infinite, Tal Rasha’s Iridescent Loop, and Tibault’s Will, you wil have an excellent start. The downside to it is if you want it to really shine, you also need Harlequin Crest and Ring of Starless Skies, both Mythic Uniques.

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Check out our other Diablo 4 guides and features

• Diablo 4 Season 9 Endgame tier list
• Diablo 4 Season 9 leveling tier list
• Diablo 4 SEason 9: All Horadric Jewels

Edited by Jason Parker