With the arrival of Diablo 4 Season 7, players are diving headfirst into the new content and challenges brought by this exciting update. A well-thought-out build can make a significant difference in your seasonal journey, ensuring both efficiency and power as you tackle hordes of enemies. One standout for this season is the Quake-HOTA Barbarian Build, which leverages the synergies between Earthquake and Hammer of the Ancients (HOTA) for devastating results. Let’s break down this build, covering skills, Paragon boards, equipment, and more to ensure you’re ready to dominate Season 7.

Core Concept

At the heart of the Quake-HOTA build lies the new Chest Armor introduced in Season 7, which enables Earthquake effects to explode when triggered by HOTA. This creates an incredibly potent synergy, as the Earthquake damage surpasses that of HOTA itself in many scenarios. Players can choose to focus entirely on Earthquake or create a balanced variant that utilizes both abilities for maximum versatility.

Whether you prefer the Earthquake-centric or HOTA-heavy approach, this build adapts to various playstyles, allowing for experimentation while maintaining exceptional damage potential.

Skill Tree

Key Skills

Hammer of the Ancients (HOTA) - Allocate at least one point to HOTA to enable its interaction with the new Chest Armor. Maximize it for the pure HOTA variant.

Whirlwind - Invest one point to provide mobility and crowd control when necessary.

Iron Skin - Essential as a defensive tool, especially when paired with the Aspect of the Iron Warrior to enhance survivability and reduce damage taken.

War Cry - Grants a burst of damage and Fury generation while synergizing with Earthquake and Berserking effects.

Leap - Each Leap triggers an Earthquake, making it a cornerstone of the build.

Unconstrained (Key Passive) - This passive amplifies Berserking’s damage bonus, significantly boosting Earthquake’s output.

Passive Skills

Aggressive Resistance: Offers protection while benefiting from constant Berserking.

Heavy Handed: Essential for the pure HOTA variant, enhancing critical strike damage.

Brute Force: Adds synergy with Earthquake and HOTA for heavy-hitting attacks.

Two-Handed Axe Mastery: Use a two-handed axe for increased damage, reserving one-handed weapons for all other attacks.

Warpath: Offers improved survivability by enhancing Iron Skin and War Cry effects.

Paragon Board

Starter Board

Challenger Glyph: Provides a damage bonus proportional to your Strength. Stack as much Strength as possible across your Paragon Board and equipment to maximize this effect.

Dominate Node: Enhances sustained attack power and overall output.

Blood Rage Dominate Board

Paragon Glyph: Rumble: This is the primary glyph for Earthquake damage, making Strength nodes on this board essential.

Berserking Synergy: Leverage consistent Berserking uptime for a double damage bonus.

Decimator Board

Focus on nodes that boost Berserking and damage to close enemies. This board complements the aggressive playstyle of the build.

Bone Breaker Board

This board adds a vigorous attack mechanic that generates additional Earthquakes and boosts overall damage.

For the pure HOTA variant, swap out Force of Nature for Weapon Mastery nodes to focus on HOTA damage bonuses.

Equipment

Core Items

Ugly Bastard Helm

Converts all direct damage into fire damage and provides a significant fire damage bonus, synergizing perfectly with Earthquake.

Mantle of the Mountain’s Fury (Chest Armor)

The unique effect causes Earthquake to explode, delivering all its damage in one devastating burst. Extending Earthquake duration further amplifies this damage.

Earthstriker’s Runic Gloves

Prioritize Strength and damage to close enemies over additional HOTA ranks. These gloves enhance Earthquake’s size and impact.

Aspect of the Iron Warrior (Pants)

Reduces damage taken while also enhancing Earthquake size and Iron Skin cooldown efficiency.

Aspect of Bul-Kathos (Amulet)

Boosts Leap’s Earthquake generation and provides additional damage reduction when standing in Earthquake zones.

Additional Items for HOTA Variant

Banished Lord’s Talisman

Ring of Starless Skies

Ring of Red Furor

The Grandfather (Two-Handed Sword): Use Runewords and red gems to maximize critical strike and strength bonuses.

New Patch Buffs

Season 7 introduces a powerful damage multiplier scaling with the Strength stat. This is pivotal for the Quake-HOTA build, as it allows players to reach over 1,000% bonus damage. Combining this with increased Earthquake duration and damage to melee enemies ensures the build’s competitive edge.

Gameplay Tips

Positioning and Timing

Always position yourself to maximize Earthquake damage zones. Leap into clusters of enemies to generate Earthquakes and trigger explosive damage.

Resource Management

Use Fury-generating abilities and equipment, such as the Aspect of Bul-Kathos, to maintain a steady flow of resources.

Versatility in Playstyle

Experiment with the Earthquake-centric or HOTA-heavy variants to find the approach that suits you best.

Patch and Optimization

Keep an eye on updates and patches. The Quake-HOTA build was tested on the PTR, and further optimization may enhance its effectiveness.

Conclusion

The Quake-HOTA Barbarian build is a standout choice for Diablo 4 Season 7, offering exceptional damage potential and versatility. Whether you choose to focus on Earthquake’s explosive power or Hammer of the Ancients’ precise strikes, this build promises a thrilling experience. With careful attention to skill allocation, Paragon Board optimization, and equipment selection, you’ll be well-equipped to conquer the challenges of the new season. Embrace the power of the Barbarian and let the Earthquake shake your enemies to their core!

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