The Barbarian is one of the 6 classes playable (at least so far) in Dark and Darker's multiple alpha playtests. And, as far as what the Barbarian's 'role' is in the game, it's what one who has seen a Barbarian class in other games would probably expect. The Barbarian is the bruiser-type character that has exceedingly low movement speed and interaction speed but also has absurdly high damage and max HP in exchange.

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On a team, the Barbarian is the one who goes in for the kill up close and personal. They fill a similar role to the Fighter, but where the Fighter would attack, block, reposition, and attack again, Dark and Darker's Barbarian just keeps swinging until they're the last one left standing.

Where Barbarian Excels & Where They're WeakDark and Darker - Barbarian Character Creation Screen

With a class that has such high innate damage, health, and the ability to smash down doors or chests, are there any real downsides? Well yes actually, a few of them. Let's go over the pros and cons of this class specifically:

Pros

  • Can kill NPCs or other players in two to three swings at most.
  • Has survivability and access to both a ranged and close-combat weapon on spawn.
  • Is able to apply CC to NPC enemies, making Wraith or Skeleton Champion fights much more bearable.
  • With the Smash Perk, can completely counter their innately low interaction speed by just breaking any doors or chests that would usually take them forever to open.

Cons

  • Obviously no magic, so no spell-casting.
  • Very slow interaction speed, innate movement speed, and attack speed. Not the one for reviving teammates, setting up campfires, and so on.
  • Where a swing looks like it will hit and where it actually hits takes some getting used to.
  • Is a class where hitting the ceiling or walls when swinging is an ever-present concern.
  • Is usually stuck chasing enemies rather than cornering them because of slow movement speed.
  • Lacks any sort of innate healing tool.

The Barbarian's Best Skills

Dark and Darker - Barbarian Casting Rage Before Fighting In PvP

Now there are 5 parts to any 'character build' in Dark and Darker:

  1. Skills
  2. Perks
  3. Armor
  4. Weapons
  5. Playstyle

So let's start things off with the first part of it, the Skills. The Barbarian only has 4 Skill options at the moment, which is less than most of the other playable classes, but all of them are, at the very least, pretty usable. That said, Rage and Savage Roar are the best options in general, and here's why:

  • Rage: Actually less useful in terms of direct damage than something like Reckless Attack is, but the movement speed buff is huge. That 15 percent bonus is just enough to surprise opponents who thought the Barbarian wouldn't catch up, which is all that matters.
  • Savage Roar: Almost universally the best Skill option for PvE enemies as applies Fear for a massive 6 seconds. When Feared, enemies start wandering in a random direction away from the Barbarian, which lets the squad gang up on the enemy or allows the Barbarian to get in front of the enemy so they can take aggro when the Fear wears off.

Of course, Reckless Attack and War Cry are still both perfectly viable options for any dungeon-crawler extraordinaire. War Cry is a great support tool for a squad of three and Reckless Attack is the main way Barbarians can one-shot opponents. But, on average, Rage and Savage Roar just have more utility overall.

The Most Useful Perks For Barbarian

Dark and Darker - Mid Door Smash With Barbarian In-Game

Now compared to the other 5 classes in Dark and Darker, the Barbarian actually has a staggering amount of good Perk options. Most other characters have two or three good choices at most, but most of the Barbarian's Perks are all around the same level of utility. However, these ones seem to be used the most by players:

  • Smash: While some undervalue this Perk, giving the Barbarian the ability to completely ignore their slow interaction speed is huge. It comes with drawbacks as the sound of smashed doors and chests lets the enemies know the Barbarian is coming and prevents them from using any doors to block off NPC enemies. So, depending on the team composition this Perk can be great or a detriment. In solo play, however, this is a must-have.
  • Iron Will: The only Perk option in the game that adds magic resistance, taking this turns the Barbarian into a Wizard-slaying machine. That said, it does only counter one specific player class and a few NPC enemies, so it's a bit situational.
  • Axe Specialization: There's almost no situation where a Barbarian is using something other than an axe, other than the rare instances they use a Maul or a Zweuihander. So, this Perk functions as an overall buff to their damage 99 percent of the time.

As far as backup options go, players can really pick anything, it just depends on what they prefer and what their squad needs. Do they need a bit more tanking? They'll want to grab Toughness. Is the player noticing they're just barely losing fights as the Barbarian? Try Berserker as a Perk option. The choices above are just the ones that buff the Barbarian the most on average in most situations.

What Armor Does The Barbarian Wear?

Dark and Darker - Looking At A Stash For A Barbarian Character

Now compared to most of the other classes in Dark and Darker, there really isn't anything specific to recommend for the Barbarian in terms of Armor. They're rather limited in what they can wear overall, so usually, it's just whatever has the higher armor value.

Obviously, however, the players running the Savage Perk shouldn't be wearing Chest Armor in any situation. And, if players are looking for what stat buffs are armor or gear to look for, then buffs to True Damage, Agility, Strength, or Max Health are the most beneficial.

All The Best Weapons For Barbarian

Dark and Darker - Looking At The Weaponsmith NPC Wares

Again, this next aspect is something that is highly dependent on each player's personal playstyle and preferences, and it's the Barbarian's best weapon choices.

In general, the Barbarian doesn't have access to a gigantic roster of weapons, but their choices are relatively numerous. When comparing base damage, move sets, and hitboxes for all weapons, the ones that players seem to prefer the most are the Bardiche, Felling Axe, Hatchet, Huntsman's Axe, and Zweihander. Why these weapons specifically? Well:

  • Bardiche: The Bardiche is a lot like the default Battle Axe the Barbarian starts with, but it has a longer range, faster overall attack speed, and a third attack in its combo instead of just two. It's considered a Polearm and not an Axe, however, so Axe Specialists should keep that in mind.
  • Felling Axe: The Felling Axe might not look like much, but it can be an incredibly fast and powerful weapon in the hands of a player who doesn't miss often. The recovery animation for a missed swing using the Felling Axe is painfully long. But, if the attack connects, the time between that and the next swing is shockingly fast.
  • Horseman's Axe: This also includes the Hatchet as well, but since the Horseman's Axe is just a generally better version of the Hatchet, it deserves the spot more. This is truly the Barbarian's only one-handed axe option. It's great against opponents with fast attack speed and will surprise opponents who are expecting a Barbarian that has slow and obvious windups to their normal attacks.
  • Zweihander: War Maul fans might be curious as to why the Zwei is here instead of it, and there's only one reason, the Zwei has more vertical swings. The War Maul is the Barbarian's heaviest hitter, but in exchange, all of its attacks are these wide horizontal swings that rarely connect and always seem to hit the hallway walls. In comparison, the Zweihander is faster, will hit walls less, and has a secondary attack that automatically unleashes a two-hit combo.

Barbarian Summary & General Tips

Dark and Darker - Concept Art Of A Party Of Players In The Dark And Darker Dungeon

And that's about everything players might need to know about a Barbarian build in Dark and Darker. The Barbarian has a bit of an initial learning curve, but those who stick with it will find themselves loving PvP moments where they turn the tides in one big swing. As a final thought, here are some general tips for the class that anyone playing it will probably want to know:

  • Do not open, interact with, or put down anything as Barbarian. Either smash it open instead or give it to a teammate with faster interaction speed to open or place.
  • The Barbarian excels with a sort of 'do-or-die' playstyle of diving headfirst into a brawl and using their innate health and strength to outlast their opponent.
  • Dark and Darker's combat systems are awkward and take a bit of getting used to. The Barbarian, in particular, has swings that are deceptive in how far they reach or where they connect, so it'll take some practice to adjust to.
  • Use Savage Roar liberally when fighting NPC enemies, don't try and save it for PvP fights.
  • While the Barbarian is innately slow in their movement, many players also forget about the holster option. Remember, press 'X' on PC to holster the Barb's weapon so they move faster when not in combat.
  • No one actually expects a Barbarian to use the throwing axes they spawn with, so getting good with these makes for a great surprise weapon.
  • Out of every class, Barbarians have to be the most careful with their friendly fire. One improperly spaced attack on an NPC can easily kill a Barbarian's Rogue teammate in an instant.

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