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Stebo88's Barbarian Review

NOTE: stebo88 has played Diablo 3 at BlizzCon 08… here are his thoughts about the Barbarian.

The Barbarian has come a long way from Diablo 2. The moment I started playing the Diablo 3 Barbarian I had felt an entirely new vibe. It was as if the Barbarian had transformed from a 4x4 truck into a monster truck. The Barbarian's skills are much more different from the Diablo 2 skills, take a look at his 3 major skill trees.

-Battlemaster Skills

-Juggernaut Skills

-Berserker Skills

Since the begining, Diablo has always had the role of a stronge brute warrior, such as the classic Warrior class in Diablo 1, then came the Barbarian and Paladin in Diablo 2. Diablo 3 now has the Barbarian, who is by far more feirce than ever. The skills of a Barbarian have evolved so much. Diablo 2's Barbarian is nothing compared to the new one. Take a look at some of my favorite skills used by the Barbarian.

My favorite offensive skills:

 - Cleave (extremely effective in groups of enemies)(Juggernaut Skills)

- Ground Stomp (extremely effective in groups of enemies)(Juggernaut Skills)

- Revenge (Increases damage; leeches health with each hit)(Juggernaut Skills)

- Hammer of Ancients (increases your weapon damage)(Battlemaster Skills)

- Furious Charge (effective for critical damage)(Battlemaster Skills)

- Slashing Strike (Hits all enemies in the area)(Berserker Skills)

My favorite defensive skills:

 - Iron Skin (Passive)(buffs up your defense)(Battlemaster Skills)

- Battle Cry (Increases armory for you and your party)(Battlemaster Skills)

- Iron Will (Provides resistance to stun, slow, and freezing attacks)(Juggernaut Skills)

- Savage (Increaes life points)(Berserker Skills)

Like I said before, the Barbarian has evolved, s/he has become something greater, a golden monument of Mount Arreat, no longer a silver. During the BlizzCon demo, I had the honors of playing online with GearvOsh, the admin over at D3Armory.com. Him and I played side by side, ripping apart any foe that stood in our way, as I the Barbarian and GearvOsh the Witch Doctor. We had a blast and ended up defeating the Skeleton King. The Barbarian really seemed show its true furry when I was playing it. My enemies, even the Skeleton King, were no match to my skills.

My rating of the Barbarian’s Lore: 10/10

My rating of the Barbarian’s Skills: 7.5/10

My rating of the Barbarian’s Gameplay: 9/10

-Steven, stebo88

Diablo 3 Barbarian Summary

In my journey to catalogue the various denizens, civilizations, and fauna of our world, I have traveled far and wide, but never before have I been struck with such dismay as when standing upon the ramparts of the ancient fortress of Bastion's Keep. I came to see firsthand the barbarians, those near-legendary, immense, relentless, dual-wielding furies of combat dwelling upon their sacred Mount Arreat.
            

Instead, I stand here looking at a mountain that has been torn asunder by some extraordinary force. The sight, I must confess, is incomprehensible. Yet what I see before me cannot be denied.
            

What truly happened here? Where are those majestic warriors of old?

Though they were once misunderstood as simple, bloodthirsty invaders, the long and noble history of these proud people is now rightly acknowledged. And therein lies the greater tragedy here, for those of us familiar with the nobility of the barbarians remember too what they call their "vigil", the concept that lay at the very heart of their culture. The barbarians consider it their sworn duty to protect Mount Arreat and the mysterious object within. They believe that if they fail to uphold their duty to the great mount, or are not given a proper burial upon its slopes, they will be denied a true warrior's death, and their spirits shall roam the land without honor for all eternity.


If there are any barbarians left alive, they must truly be without hope. Perhaps this is the genesis of the rumors of monstrous things reported to resemble the barbarians in size and ferocity, but that are in reality nothing more than unreasoning, inhuman beasts. Could the destruction of not only their home but also their very beliefs have actually brought this magnificent race so low?

From the writings of Abd al-Hazir