The Rogue is the main dexterity class in Diablo 4, adept at using bows and knives. Here’s the best Rogue build to use in Season 9 of Diablo 4.
Making their debut in the original Diablo and appearing as a mercenary in Diablo 2, the Rogue class is back in Diablo 4 and is showing all other dexterity characters why they’re the best when it comes to shooting arrows and moving quickly. While the Rogue took a backseat to the Amazon, Assassin, and Demon Hunter in earlier games, they work as a combination of all four in Diablo 4.
Now that Season 9 is here, bringing with it the brand new Horadric Powers, those who want to use this deadly and nimble class will likely want to know what the best build is. So below, we’ll reveal exactly what the best Rogue build in Diablo 4 Season 9 is, and how to assemble it.
What is The Best Rogue Build in Season 9?
The best Rogue build in Diablo 4 Season 9 is the Death Trap Rogue—one that makes use of that ability in conjunction with a range of other active and passive skills. We’ll reveal exactly which ones below.
The build is a throwback to the Assassin and Demon Hunter classes from Diablo 2 and Diablo 3, respectively, but never has such a setup been so deadly.
What Are The Best Skills to Use For This Build?
The key ingredient of any build in Diablo 4 is the skills you select, how many points you allocate to them, and what upgrades you assign. As the name suggests, this is a build that mostly involves using the Death Trap skill as your main offensive attack, but we’ll also be using Caltrops, Smoke Grenades
This build is mostly focused on endgame, but by selecting the skills below, you can use it to level through the campaign and even make use of it in PVP.
So, for the Death Trap Rogue build, pick the following skills as you level:
Active Skills
Select the following Active Skills with the below number of points and upgrades:
| Skill | Points | Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| Puncture | 1 | Enhanced |
| Caltrops | 1 | Enhanced, Disciplined |
| Dash | 1 | Enhanced, Disciplined |
| Concealment | 1 | Enhanced, Subverting |
| Smoke Grenede | 1 | Enhanced, Subverting |
| Shadow Imbuement | 1 | Enhanced, Mixed |
| Death Trap | 5 | Prime, Supreme |
Passive Skills
Select the following Passive Skills with the below number of points and upgrades:
| Skill | Points |
|---|---|
| Sturdy | 3 |
| Stutter Step | 1 |
| Trick Attacks | 3 |
| Balestra | 3 |
| Rapid Gambits | 1 |
| Unstable Elixers | 3 |
| Mending Obscurity | 1 |
| Malice | 3 |
| Exploit | 3 |
| Alchemical Advantage | 3 |
| Deadly Venom | 1 |
| Deadeye | 3 |
| Frigid Finesse | 3 |
| Impetus | 3 |
| Trap Mastery | 3 |
| Unto Dawn | 3 |
| Aftermath | 2 |
| Haste | 1 |
| Second Wind | 3 |
| Momentum | (Key Passive) |
Rogue Specialization
All classes have special skills that are specific to them; for example, the Necromancer has Book of the Dead, the Druid has Spirit Boons, and so on. For the Rogue, this class can learn a Specialization skill which helps steer the build down a specific path.
For the Death Trap Rogue, choose the Preparation skill, as this will reduce your ultimate skill cooldown time and allow you to spam Death Trap more frequently.
Paragon Board
Once you reach level 60, the standard skill-based leveling will be replaced by the Paragon Board. Here, you’ll need to progress through various boards, choosing small boosts to your stats and skills by activating a node every time you gain a level.
As you navigate the boards, you’ll see some special nodes called Glyphs. These are the ones that help you continue to assemble your build, so with the Death Trap Rogue setup in mind, prioritize the following Glyphs when you can:
- Explosive
- Ambush
- Versatility
- Canny
- Headhunter
While all Glyphs will make you stronger, selecting any with the above names will buff the skills you need the most.
You may find you’re not always able to select the above Glyphs; that’s okay, just select the ones on the way to them and head in that direction, activating nodes that make the most sense. For example, for the Rogue, try to prioritize dexterity nodes.
What Are The Best Mercenaries to Choose in Diablo 4?
Mercenaries were introduced in the Vessel of Hatred expansion and have since become a vital part of most builds. Sure, they’re optional, but a dexterity-focused class like the Rogue can benefit from having some backup, even if it’s just as a distraction while you set traps.
For the Death Trap Rogue, we recommend hiring the following mercenaries:
Hired: Raheir
Raheir is the ideal mercenary for this build as not only will he provide some much-needed muscle, he’ll also help keep you safe.
For his skills, select Valiance, Shield Charge, and Provoke to make him a powerhouse in combat. Also, select Raheir’s Guard and Mocking Lure as his passives, as these skills will boost your defence and damage, respectively.
Reinforcement: Varyana
For your reinforcement merc, take Varyana to support Raheir on the front line. They make a powerful duo and will be the brawn to your brains. Set Varyana’s skill to Shockwave and have it trigger every time you cast Death Trap for best results.
What Are The Best Horadric Powers to Use?
Season 9 of Diablo 4 is all about using the new Horadric Powers, which are the new seasonal powers this time around. For the Rogue, aim to find the following Horadric Powers:
- Catalyst: Disintegrate
- Infusion: Glacial Nimbus (to cast Frigid Finesse)
- Arcana: Gleaming Conduit, Bloody Charm, Fractured Core
It might take you a little while to find them, but these are the Horadric Powers to hunt down and prioritize.
What Are The Best Items to Equip?
The loot you find and equip is part of what makes your build. Not only does it keep you protected, but it also buffs your skills. However, it takes some time to locate the right gear, not to mention the various Legendary/Mythic Aspects that turn each item into the god-tier gear it can be.
We’ll reveal which items and Aspects you should hunt down to complete your build. Remember, some drops are random while others can be found at certain locations or by killing bosses. Some items and Aspects are the same, where some Aspects need to be planted onto different items once unlocked.
Try to hunt down and equip the following gear.
| Item | Aspect | Item type | How to get | Sockets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlequin Crest | Harlequin Crest | Helm | Farm bosses | ZanThul Runeword |
| Scoundrel’s Leathers | Scoundrel’s Leathers | Armor | Farm Duriel or Andariel | 2x Grand Emerald |
| Trickster’s Runic Gloves | Trickster’s | Gloves | Runic Gloves are a random drop Aspect found in Guulrahn Canals dungeon in Dry Steppes | – |
| Eyes in the Dark | Eyes in the Dark | Pants | Farm the Echo of Varshan | 2x Grand Emerald |
| Beastfall Boots | Beastfall Boots | Boots | Farm The Beast in the Ice | – |
| Warcaster of Apogeic Furor | Doombringer | Weapon | Both item and Aspect are random drops | NeoXal Runeword |
| Doombringer | Doombringer | Offhand | Farm bosses | Grand Ruby |
| Doombringer | Doombringer | Offhand 2 | Farm Bosses | Grand Ruby |
| Banished Lord’s Talisman | Banished Lord’s Talisman | Amulet | Farm Duriel or Andariel | Perfect Skull |
| Ring of Starless Skies | Ring of Starless Skies | Ring | Farm Bosses | Perfect Diamond |
| Opportunists Soulwatch Hoop | Opportunists Soulwatch Hoop | Ring | Ring is a random drop Aspect can be found in the Prison of Caldeum in Kehjistan | Perfect Diamond |
You won’t be able to obtain many of these items and Aspects until endgame, but these are the ones you should strive to find.
Looking forward to tricking some enemies with the Death Trap Rogue in Season 9 of Diablo 4? Use the Insider Gaming forum to talk about your setup and everything Diablo 4.
You can also find out the best builds in Season 9 for the Necromancer, Druid, Spiritborn, Barbarian, and Sorcerer classes while you’re here.
