D2R Season 9: Whirlwind Barbarian Build Guide

Ben Author

Created - 16.12.2024 Updated - 16.12.2024

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Did you know that the Whirlwind Barbarian is still pretty awesome in Diablo II: Resurrected Season 9? Yes! This build literally spins to win even to this day! It can still decimate monsters like a hot knife through butter.

Over the years, we have been steadily at work perfecting this build, and we’re happy to say that we’ve come up with the most optimized version of the Whirlwind Barb to date.

If you want to play one of the most iconic builds in D2R Season 9, then read ahead! We will give you everything you need to know about the Whirlwind Barbarian!

Why choose the Whirlwind Barbarian?

The Whirlwind Barbarian is one of the most popular builds since the early days of Diablo II more than a couple of decades ago. It’s so famous, in fact, that the term “spin to win” was coined after this particular D2R build due to how the Barbarian moves while using the skill.

Speaking of which, Whirlwind has been vastly improved since Patch 2.4.3. One of the biggest adjustments to this skill is that it can now take advantage of increased attack speed (IAS) modifiers from all sources. This is in contrast to only taking into account the base attack speed of your weapon back in the day.

So, what does that mean? How quickly you spin with Whirlwind is now quite noticeable when using either a one-handed or two-handed weapon, especially when you have multiple sources of IAS.

Moreover, the slight delay after Whirlwind ends has been removed. This means that you can start Whirlwinding again after briefly taking your hand off of the skill’s hotkey.

In case you don’t know, Diablo II: Resurrected, despite being the remastered version of the original, still operates mostly within 25 frames per second. This means that a single in-game frame is produced every 0.04 seconds. Now, why is this important?

That piece of information is crucial for everyone who wants to optimize the D2R Whirlwind Barbarian. This is because Whirlwind hits monsters every 4th and 8th frames. With this knowledge, you can vary how long you hold the skill for maximum damage!

Ideally, you press and hold the hotkey for Whirlwind for roughly 2 seconds before you stop spinning. After that, you can either use Teleport or Leap Attack to search for new monsters to eliminate.

It is important to note that the Whirlwind skill itself cannot benefit from certain effects on items, such as “On Attack,” “On Striking,” and “On Kill.” So, bonuses like “+ Mana After Each Kill” are useless for this build.

Additionally, Whirlwind can drain your mana quickly when used, so having mana leech on multiple items is pretty much mandatory for sustain.

Playstyle

The Whirlwind Barbarian can kill the minions of Hell easily simply by spinning across the map. Of course, you have to improve your attack and defense by using Battle Command, Battle Orders, and Shout (in that order) to turn your character into a mean killing machine!

As mentioned earlier, this Whirlwind is a mana-intensive skill, so you might have problems dealing with enemies that have Mana Burn. That is why you’re going to use Berserk to handle such things. Utilize Battle Cry whenever you encounter tougher monsters on the battlefield to reduce their defense and damage against you.

It goes without saying that you have to keep your eyes on your buffs. Always recast them when they fall off, though this is not something you do often seeing as your character can obliterate enemies within seconds!

Stats

• Strength: Depends on gear

• Dexterity: Depends on gear

• Vitality: Spend all remaining points here

• Energy: None

The amount of strength and dexterity you need entirely depends on what pieces of gear you’re going to use. If you want to utilize the Berserker Axe as the base for the endgame D2R runeword, you will put more points into STR. Alternatively, going for the Phase Blade requires more dexterity, so allocate points to this particular attribute accordingly.

Although each point of dexterity is important because it increases your attack rating, getting this particular bonus through DEX alone is not the most ideal. Fortunately, there are D2R items that address that. Don’t worry, these will be discussed later on in this Whirlwind Barbarian build guide.

After putting enough STR and DEX to satisfy gear requirements, allocate the rest of your attribute points to vitality. This gives your character a hefty boost in HP, allowing your Whirlwind Barbarian to tank the enemy’s attacks while he spins to win!

Skills

• 20 points on Whirlwind
• 20 points on Battle Orders
• 20 points on Blade/Axe Mastery
• 20 points on Iron Skin
• Put some points on Natural Resistance
• Put 1 point on the following skills:
  • Berserk
  • Battle Command
  • Bash
  • Leap
  • Leap Attack
  • Stun
  • Concentrate
  • Howl
  • Taunt
  • Shout
  • Battle Cry

The beauty of Whirlwind is that it does not have any skill synergies. This means that you can put more points on the other skills available in the Barbarian’s kit.

Speaking of which, max out Blade Mastery or Axe Mastery depending on the weapons that you use. If you’re going to utilize the Phase Blade as the base for Grief, then go with the former. Otherwise, select the latter for Berserker Axe or other axe bases.

Other Whirlwind Barbarian builds in Diablo II: Resurrected would only spend one point on Iron Skin, but we found this to be less optimal, especially in higher difficulty levels. Since you are fighting in melee range, you need to have your defenses considerably higher than other D2R builds, so it is okay to max out Iron Skin for this purpose.

Natural Resistance is also a nice passive skill to invest in, particularly when you’re having trouble with your elemental and poison resistance. Put however many points you need for your Whirlwind Barbarian.

If you still have points to spare, you can put them on Shout to greatly increase the duration of Battle Orders and Battle Command. You can take Find Item and spend the remaining points on Find Potion if you want to “hork” items off of the enemy’s corpses!

While leveling your Barbarian, use Bash and Double Swing to effectively kill monsters in Normal Difficulty. You can transition to Frenzy if you want, though this skill is not available until level 24.

Breakpoints

Even though Blizzard has adjusted Whirlwind to account for any IAS modifiers on your gear, the weapon base type that you use is still important in determining how many bonuses to attack speed you need for optimal performance.

That said, a lot of people swear by the Phase Blade because it has the fastest base weapon speed among one-handed weapons in Diablo II: Resurrected. If you choose this as the base for the Grief runeword, then you only need a 13% increased attack speed to get 4 FPA (or frames per attack) according to the IAS calculator.

The Berserker Axe, which deals considerably more damage than the Phase Blade, is another popular base for Grief in D2R. To achieve the same 4-frame performance when using Whirlwind, you need 63% IAS when wielding the Berserker Axe.

Being a melee character requires you to have some Faster Hit Recovery (FHR) as well. Luckily, the Whirlwind Barbarian can quickly eliminate enemies, so he barely gets into hit recovery animation anyway. That’s why having only 27% FHR to get to the six-frame breakpoint is fine.

Whirlwind Barbarian Gear Recommendations

The ideal items for the D2R Whirlwind Barb are those that contain a chance to land a Crushing Blow and Deadly Strike, as well as more defense and HP. Increased attack speed is also good, but you only need so much given that you’re using a couple of one-handed weapons anyway.

Helmet

You have “two” faces for the Whirlwind Barbarian and if you have played Diablo II: Resurrected for quite some time, you know what we mean. If not, we’re referring to Arreat’s Face and Guillaume’s Face.

Let’s start with Guillaume’s Face (or GFace for short). The Whirlwind Barb is a close-range attacker and, as such, this build benefits from a high amount of STR because this attribute increases melee damage.

GFace not only gives you 15 STR, but it also provides a 35% chance of landing a Crushing Blow, which takes off a chunk of the enemy’s HP while you’re spinning with Whirlwind!

If that still does not satisfy you, Deadly Strike allows you to deal double damage as well. Because of how fast you can attack using your primary skill, these two damage mechanics will proc quite frequently as a result!

The quintessential helmet for Combat Barbarians, Arreat’s Face has all of the good bonuses that benefit the Whirlwind Barb immensely. Remember what we said earlier about getting a high amount of DEX is not the most efficient way of increasing attack rating? Well, that’s because you have items such as Arreat’s Face that grant a 20% bonus to attack rating when equipped!

On top of that, this unique helmet raises the level of your Whirlwind skill by four, thus boosting its damage significantly. The helm’s 20 bonus strength also amplifies your melee damage.

Defensively, Arreat’s Face already takes care of your Faster Hit Recovery. On a good roll, you can even take advantage of 200% Enhanced Defense, which synergizes really well with Shout and Iron Skin.

Although this is not mandatory, socketing a Cham Rune inside the helmet grants freeze immunity. If you do this, you alleviate the need to wear the Raven Frost ring, allowing you to utilize a dual leech ring instead.

Body Armor

The effect of STR in terms of improving the damage of the Whirlwind Barbarian cannot be overstated. Every point spent in this attribute effectively makes your Whirlwind even more potent at killing the minions of Hell. For this reason, the Leviathan is a solid option!

This unique body armor can give you a 50-point increase in STR if you’re lucky enough to get the perfect roll. Besides that, you gain up to 25% physical damage reduction, which is an incredibly high value on a single piece of gear in Diablo II: Resurrected.

Enigma ticks all of the right boxes, which is why this is the BiS body armor for the D2R Whirlwind Barbarian. Aside from giving you access to Teleport, Enigma can provide you with up to 74 STR as well.

Although this body armor only grants an 8% reduction in physical damage taken, this does increase your maximum life by 5%. Additionally, a body armor that has this D2R runeword gives you a flat bonus to defense, which is further enhanced by Iron Skin and Shout!

We recommend that you use the Archon Plate as the base for the Enigma runeword due to its high defense and relatively low weight. The 103 STR requirement of this item is not an issue since you have plenty of points on strength when playing the D2R Whirlwind Barb.

Weapon

Grief is the best runeword for the Whirlwind Barbarian, especially when you wield a couple of one-handed weapons. Its 40% IAS is always welcome, but you’re mainly utilizing it for that flat damage bonus.

In addition, gaining the ability to deal double damage via Deadly Strike is a huge reason why you can get rid of monsters within seconds. This bonus is additive considering that you wield Grief in each hand, meaning, you’re able to land a Deadly Strike more frequently.

Monsters, including the Uber Bosses, suffer from the 25% reduction in defense provided by this D2R runeword. This is incredibly useful for Whirlwind since it is a skill that deals physical damage.

There is no denying that Grief is an exceptional weapon for the Whirlwind Barb. The question now is: Which weapon base type are you going to use? Well, that depends on a number of things.

The Phase Blade has a very high base attack speed, so you only need so much IAS to attain the ideal 4-FPA breakpoint. Because the Phase Blade requires more DEX to wield, you naturally have a higher attack rating compared to those who prefer the Berserker Axe.

Incidentally, the Berserker Axe has a higher base damage and needs considerably more STR to use than the Phase Blade. You do lose out on accuracy rating because of the lower dexterity, though, so you’ll have to address this by wearing the appropriate items. The Berserker Axe also requires more IAS to achieve the 4-frame skill animation of Whirlwind.

Either way, you cannot go wrong with the said base types. Just make sure to allocate the appropriate weapon mastery to enjoy more damage, attack rating, and critical strike chance.

While we recommend dual-wielding a couple of Grief runewords, there is a specific runeword that can be used if you really want to equip a two-handed weapon. This weapon runeword is none other than the Breath of the Dying (BOTD).

Breath of the Dying allows you to deal more damage and land shots accurately when fighting the undead. More importantly, it grants mana leech, which is quite important for a mana-intensive build like the Whirlwind Barbarian in Diablo II: Resurrected.

Moreover, BOTD has the same “25% Target Defense” modifier found in Grief, so you’re still able to demolish any monster that’s crazy enough to stand in your way.

For the item base type, the Colossus Blade has pretty good base damage, relatively high attack speed, and can roll the appropriate number of sockets (needed to accommodate the six runes for BOTD). Make sure that it’s Ethereal for better damage.

If you are the type of person who wants to maximize the damage output of the Whirlwind Barbarian, then you can wield the Azurewrath in the offhand as a viable alternative.

There is a reason why Izual wields this unique Phase Blade, and that’s because it is quite effective in dealing with the undead. A large reason for this is its innate level 11-13 Sanctuary Aura, which allows you to passively deal a huge amount of damage against zombies and similar monsters.

On top of that, the Azurewrath provides you with up to 500 added magic damage and cold damage—both amazing bonuses for the WW Barb in Diablo II: Resurrected.

For the most part, dual-wielding Grief is preferred because of the incredible things this runeword provides. However, if you are in areas with plenty of undead monsters, such as The Pit, Mausoleum, and Burial Ground, then Azurewrath in the offhand is better.

Weapon Swap

Equip two weapons that have Heart of the Oak to increase the level of your skills by six. You can buff your character quickly with these thanks to the high bonus to Faster Cast Rate. The Flail is the preferred base for HOTO due to its relatively low stat requirements (even more useful when opting for the Grief Phase Blade).

Gloves

Whether you’re fighting normal monsters or Uber Bosses, Laying of Hands is incredibly tough to beat, especially for physical melee builds like the Whirlwind Barb in D2R. The 350% increased damage against demon-type enemies and the 20% IAS these gloves provide are just so awesome that nothing can compare to their insane value.

Boots

Immortal King’s Pillar is one of the set items that you need to complete the equipment specifically meant for WW Barbs in Diablo II: Resurrected. However, our version of this build does not require the entire collection, but the boots are decent.

These boots provide a considerable boost to your attack rating which, at level 31, is quite huge. Additionally, it is one of the only pairs of boots in the game that grant a 40% increase in run and walk speeds. Since you do not have access to Enigma early on, the Immortal King’s Pillar is a suitable item to use until then.

Many WW Barbs love using the Gore Rider and for good reason. It gives you access to three damage mechanics that all work great for this particular Diablo II: Resurrected build, including Deadly Strike, Crushing Blow, and Open Wounds.

Open Wounds is an interesting damage mechanic because aside from dealing physical damage over time, this prevents enemies from regenerating life as well (even though it’s not explicitly stated).

If you prefer “Horking” or utilizing the Find Item skill for a greater chance of discovering better loot, then the War Traveler is a good option. Damage-wise, the War Travs grants 25 bonus damage and 10 STR. Although not as powerful as the Gore Rider in this regard, the War Traveler will do just fine.

Amulet

Deadly Strike, as mentioned earlier in this D2R Whirlwind Barbarian build guide, is one of the main reasons why it can eliminate monsters quite efficiently. That is why improving the chance of landing a Deadly Strike is crucial to the build’s success!

The Highlord’s Wrath is an item that provides you with up to 37% Deadly Strike chance, though your character must be of a high level to attain the full amount. This unique amulet also has +1 to skills and 20% increased attack speed, making it a fine choice for WW Barbs for sure.

Rings

A pair of dual leech rings is a great way for the Whirlwind Barbarian to sustain life and mana in Hell Difficulty. Farm Travincal or Chaos Sanctuary and you might get lucky and obtain this type of ring. Alternatively, you can head to our D2R Store if you want to skip the grind and obtain them immediately.

If you don’t have a dual leech ring in your possession, you can wear Bul-Kathos’ Wedding Band in the meantime. This does not have mana leech, though you can steal life from your enemies by putting constant pressure using Whirlwind.

Do you need Raven Frost on this build? Well, the Whirlwind Barbarian eliminates monsters fast enough that it’s very unlikely that he will be frozen. But, if you’re the type of person who does not want to leave things to chance, then equipping this unique ring won’t hurt.

Belt

Faster Cast Rate is nice but it's not a bonus that you want to invest in when playing the Whirlwind Barbarian build (apart from the switch weapons, of course). That’s why the Arachnid Mesh is a no-go here.

Instead, equip the String of Ears for the belt slot, mainly for its life leech, as well as physical and magic damage reduction.

Charms

• Annihilus: +1 skills, +20 attributes, and +20 to all-resists
• Hellfire Torch: +3 to Barbarian skills, +20 attributes, +20 all-resists
• Gheed’s Fortune: Preferably with 160% extra gold from monsters and 40% MF
• Small and Grand Charms: Maximum damage and attack rating
• (Optional) Bone Break: This sunder charm breaks monster immunity against physical damage. This is not required when Azurewrath is equipped in the off-hand weapon slot.

Mercenary

The Diablo II: Resurrected WW Barb build is primarily a physical damage dealer that is capable of wiping entire screens of monsters quickly and easily. To ensure that you deal the most damage possible with this build, have your Act 2 Mercenary equipped with The Reaper’s Toll.

The Reaper’s Toll allows your desert hireling to affect monsters with a level 1 Decrepify, which makes them take 50% increased physical damage. Insert a Shael Rune into this weapon to give it a 20% IAS.

Although The Reaper’s Toll provides your mercenary with a 33% chance to cast Decrepify, you still want to make that happen more frequently. Thus, you insert a 15% increased attack speed jewel into Andariel’s Visage as well.

With all of the IAS bonuses combined (20% from Shael Rune, 20% from Andariel’s Visage, and 15% from the jewel), your mercenary can attain a higher FPJ (frames per jab) breakpoint, enabling him to initiate more attacks.

Here is the ideal equipment for the Act 2 Mercenary specifically for the WW Barb:

• Weapon: The Reaper’s Toll (w/ Shael Rune)
• Helmet: Andariel’s Visage (w/ 15% IAS jewel)
• Body Armor: Fortitude

Tips and Strategies

• Avoid Mana Burn: Although the Whirlwind Barb can shred enemies to pieces easily, it does have a problem dealing with enemies that have Mana Burn. Monsters that have this particular effect can quickly deplete your mana pool, leaving you unable to use your primary skill. If you can’t kill these enemies in seconds, just avoid them completely.
• Find Item Ain’t Bad: If you are creating a D2R Whirlwind Barbarian solely for the purpose of farming endgame content, you can allocate points to Find Item. Use this skill on the corpses of fallen enemies for a chance to obtain more valuable loot. If you have skill points to spare, increase the level of its synergy, Find Potion, to make Find Item more effective.
• Have Monsters Chase You: One proven tactic you can employ in the higher difficulty levels is to have your enemies follow you around. While they are on your trail, tap the button for Whirlwind to get some free hits in. This is a useful strategy because some monsters cannot attack and move simultaneously.
• Do Not Have Any Cold Damage When Farming: This is especially true in the endgame. Having any added cold damage on your gear can lead to mobs shattering upon death. If you have “Find Item,” make sure that you do not have any added cold damage whatsoever. That said, Azurewrath is not recommended if you want to “hork” enemies to find loot.
• IK Set is Viable for Ubers: Even though you will not have the same damage output while wearing the full IK set as equipping the recommended items outlined in this build guide, you are considerably more durable, which is something to think about when fighting the terrifying bosses in Uber Tristram.

Final Thoughts

Diablo II: Resurrected Season 9 is now underway. If you are still in the process of creating a new character to participate in this ladder season, then the Whirlwind Barbarian will get you up to speed!

Playing the WW Barb is so much easier now because you do not have to concern yourself with complicated mechanics to ensure maximum damage output. Just follow our D2R build guide to the tee and get the recommended items as quickly as possible.

Our D2R store is always open. We are happy to provide you with items that bring the best out of the Whirlwind Barbarian! So visit our store at your earliest convenience.

Anyway, are you going to play the Whirlwind Barbarian build in Diablo II: Resurrected Season 9? If so, what drew you to it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

PROS

• Whirlwind has no skill synergy, which alleviates the need to spend more points on skills that you don’t actively use anyway.
• Damage output is pretty high for a melee build in D2R.
• More flexibility when it comes to gearing compared to other Barbarian Builds.

CONS

• Susceptible to Mana Burn and enemies with Conviction Aura.
• Cannot take advantage of “On Kill” effects.
• A healthy supply of Mana Potions is needed to sustain Whirlwind early on.