Unleash the Ultimate Rogue Skills in Diablo 4

In Diablo 4, Rogues are among the five character classes available, including Necromancers, Druids, Barbarians, and Sorcerers. Those familiar with the series will recognize their ability to wield blades and bows, and their preference for lurking in the shadows. While it's not impossible to complete the game using this class alone, Rogues are better suited as support characters. Like other classes, Rogues can earn skill points upon leveling up or through renown. With so many Rogue skills available, which ones should players focus on before reaching Paragon status?

8 Puncture

Upon reaching their first level up, players are given the opportunity to enhance their basic attack by equipping small blades such as knives or swords, or even a bow as a secondary weapon. The initial layer of skills will require the use of either bows or blades as the new primary attack, with Puncture being the optimal choice. This allows players to effectively strike from a distance, providing a significant advantage in solo play and minimizing damage sacrifice.

7 Barrage

The Barrage upgrade is a valuable addition to the Rogue's skill tree, as it leverages the power of the bow. This skill requires energy usage, much like spells for a Sorcerer in Diablo 4, allowing players to launch a rapid spread of five arrows at their enemies. The arrows have the ability to bounce off of objects and enemies, inflicting additional damage as they circle back around. As the skill is further upgraded, the ricocheting effect becomes even more potent, making Barrage the only bow-based skill that Rogues should prioritize adding to their command slots.

6 Shadow Step

Similar to an assassination maneuver in Assassin's Creed, Shadow Step allows players to swiftly dash forward without being hindered by any obstacles or enemies in their way, ultimately positioning themselves behind their intended target for a surprise attack. This skill essentially acts as an additional dodge, dealing a deadly blow to the opponent. As with most skills, Shadow Step's effectiveness escalates as players advance through the game's tiers.

Notably, activating this skill provides a short-term boost in movement speed, which proves especially useful for traversing the game's terrain, especially in the absence of horses. It's important to note that Shadow Step does have a cooldown, but wise players will take advantage of the skill every time it becomes available.

5 Caltrops

In action RPGs, rogues and thieves often rely on the trusty caltrops to impede their enemies. These minuscule spikes not only inflict minor damage upon contact but also significantly slow down foes, granting players ample time to plan their next move. Moreover, investing in caltrops upgrades can provide additional benefits, such as cold damage, further enhancing its utility in the skill tree. Additionally, caltrops possess an extra dodge feature, much like Shadow Step, allowing players to jump backward and hurl spikes from a safe distance.

4 Poison Trap

After purchasing Caltrops, players should consider investing in Poison Trap as another useful trap-like skill. These two skills can work well together by first slowing down enemies with Caltrops and then placing a Poison Trap in their path. This will cause enemies to become poisoned and take damage over time, similar to the status effect found in many RPGs.

Upgrading this skill will allow players to place even more Poison Traps on the battlefield simultaneously. This can be particularly useful when preparing for a boss fight, as players can strategically scatter Poison Traps across the area and catch the boss off guard.

3 Poison Imbuement

In RPGs like Diablo, poison is a popular tool among rogues, thieves, and assassins. It adds a lethal touch to combat, slowly killing opponents from the inside. While it may seem brutal, in a world filled with demonic creatures, it is a fitting tactic.

Another way to utilize poison in combat is through Poison Imbuement. This skill allows players to add poison to their weapon of choice, such as daggers, giving every attack a chance to poison enemies.

2 Shadow Clone

Having a temporary clone that mimics all of the player's moves, from basic attacks to specials, can make a significant impact in Diablo 4, especially during solo runs. Shadow Clone is classified as an Ultimate Skill and can only be obtained once. While there are other skills like Rain of Arrows that are highly recommended, Shadow Clone remains superior to all other options.

1 Exposure

With Exposure as a skill option in Diablo 4, players can enhance their trap gameplay significantly. As a passive skill, it offers a perk system that boosts the effectiveness of traps, particularly Caltrops and Poison Trap in this Rogue build. The cooldowns for both traps will be reduced significantly, and activating a trap can trigger a cluster of stun grenades that will immobilize enemies. This feature is especially advantageous for a Rogue who thrives on taking down enemies quickly and efficiently.

Diablo 4 was released on June 6, 2023, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.