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Whirlwind (Damage)

The Whirlwind (Damage) guide

Written by MrLlamaSC for Icy Veins, shown here with his permission. Read the original on Icy Veins· Skills and items link to their pages.

›Introduction

One of the strongest points for using Whirlwind is that it is one of the few Barbarian skills that can deal area of effect damage. This allows for the Barbarian to fight larger masses of monsters at once instead of focusing on isolating targets or fighting off smaller groups. The Whirlwind Barbarian struggles a bit while undergeared but, once decent Attack Rating and damage have been acquired, it quickly becomes a powerful build capable of beating any area in the game.

›Whirlwind Barbarian Skill Build

  • 1 point to all prerequisites

  • 20 points to Whirlwind — Main damage skill, required

  • 1 point to Leap Attack — Useful for movement, required

  • 20 points to Weapon Mastery of choice (for instance, Blade Mastery) — Passively increases damage, Attack Rating, and Critical Strike

  • 1 point to Increased Speed — Helps you move faster, required

  • 1 point to Natural Resistance — Massive boost to Resistances, required

  • 1 point to Battle Command — Increases the level of all skills, required

  • 20 points to Battle Orders — Massive Life and Mana increase, required

  • 1+ points to Shout — Increases Defense, required

  • 1 point to Taunt — Can be useful to draw out monsters, optional

  • 1+ points to Battle Cry — Great for lowering the Damage and Defense of monsters, optional

  • 1+ points to Find Item — Useful to use on Unique monsters for additional loot, optional

›Whirlwind Barbarian Stats Discussion

The following section discusses how many attribute points should be allocated to each of the primary stats.

How much Strength Does a Whirlwind Barbarian Need?

Enough for gear — Your weapon will most likely have the highest Strength requirement for this build, and so investing whatever that number may be is the appropriate thing to do. However, this number always changes based on the gear you are using, so make sure to always double check the Strength requirement of each piece of gear you have as well as how much Strength each piece will provide once equipped. You technically can place additional points into Strength to increase your damage if you feel that you are resilient enough as it is. Each point of Strength provides a modest 1% Increased Damage for most weapons.

How much Dexterity Does a Whirlwind Barbarian Need?

Enough for gear — The same logic as Strength applies to Dexterity. The little amount of Attack Rating gained per Dexterity point ends up not being worth it most of the time and, and it is generally better to invest into more Vitality instead.

How much Vitality Does a Whirlwind Barbarian Need?

Everything else into Vitality — 250+ Vitality. Every excess attribute point should be allocated to Vitality, as long as you can meet the Strength and Dexterity requirements of your items by the time you wish to equip them.

How much Energy Does a Whirlwind Barbarian Need?

Nothing — allocating stat points to Energy in a final build is universally considered sub-par for almost every character due to the widespread availability of Mana Potions.

›Whirlwind Barbarian Skill Mercenary

An Offensive ( Might) Act 2 Nightmare Mercenary is best to increase your Physical damage. An Offensive ( Blessed Aim) Act 2 Hell Mercenary could also work for increased chance to hit your shots.