A horrible day for Diablo fans as the devs nerf everything to the ground with patch 1.1.0a. While most users are upset, a few take this as a challenge. However, there are still certain nerfs which should not have been done.
It would be correct to say that the patch changed everything about the game. Builds have changed drastically and with the new Season launching today, it should be necessary for everyone to know how the classes stand in a tier list at the moment.
This guide will help you with a Season 1 Tier List for Diablo 4 classes so that you get to decide which class to play for the season.
Diablo 4 Season 1 Tier List
Every class has its own strength and weaknesses. Not every class is perfect and let me put this straight, “Majority builds are not as good as they used to be“. Keeping all the patch notes in mind, one might wonder what could be the reason for devs to make such a move.
Well, the answer is simple, the Malignant Hearts. Yes, the season content is what will make you stronger. Malignant hearts like the Tempting Fate will increase your Critical Damage by 40-60% which is perhaps something we all need at this point.
Then we also have hearts for survivability and resource generation. That also makes sense to a majority of nerfs they did. Keeping all that in mind, here is a Tier List for all the classes for the First Season of Diablo 4- The Season of the Malignant.
There are reasons why I have made such a tier list. I have basically rated each class on the basis of early-game leveling, mid-game leveling, end-game survivability in NM Dungeons, and season content.
Druid:
| Content | Rating |
| Early-game Leveling (Level 1 to 50) | D |
| Mid-game Leveling (Level 50 to 70) | A |
| End-game Leveling and high-tier Nightmare Dungeons (above level 70) | S |
| Season Powers with Malignant Hearts | S |
Druids are perhaps the ones who survived the patch. They did get nerfed but they are undoubtedly the least affected through those nerfs. Druids undoubtedly have the best Malignant Hearts. especially Agitated Winds and Unconstrained Beast. for the season and will definitely be a top-tier class. They have a number of builds that could help you run endgame content without breaking a sweat.
Necromancer:
| Content | Rating |
| Early-game Leveling (Level 1 to 50) | A |
| Mid-game Leveling (Level 50 to 70) | A |
| End-game Leveling and high-tier Nightmare Dungeons (above level 70) | B |
| Season Powers with Malignant Hearts | S |
Necromancers join the Druid as the next Top Tier class. The reason is simple, even after all those damage nerfs, Necros still have godlike damage with their Bone Spear. They also received a minions buff but they are still not good enough. Mobility is an issue with the class but the damage output makes up for that.
They also have great Malignant hearts like Sacrilegious and Decrepit Aura. If you can manage your resource well, then Great Feast could be game-breaking Malignant Heart for Necro. Also, Tempting Fury would be the best heart for the Necro since their gameplan is normally based on a 100% Crit Chance. A boost to Crit Damage could work wonders for this class in Season 1.
Rogue:
| Content | Rating |
| Early-game Leveling (Level 1 to 50) | S |
| Mid-game Leveling (Level 50 to 70) | S |
| End-game Leveling and high-tier Nightmare Dungeons (above level 70) | C |
| Season Powers with Malignant Hearts | B |
Rogues had always been at the top of the list until the new patch came in. A nerf to Vulnerable and Critical Damage hit the character hard but still would be good enough. Rogues are fast and can level up like a god. However, with the survivability nerf took the class down for the endgame NM Dungeons. However, Twisting Blades are still good and can easily be considered an S-tier build.
Rogues have very average Season Malignant hearts except for Vile Apothecary which lets you deal with all Imbuement in attacks with 40-50% normal potency. However, it is based on a 5-15% Chance which I guess is kind of low. The rest of the Malignant hearts are pretty much based on Lucky Hit Chance and compared to Necro and Druid, they are not as good.
Barbarian:
| Content | Rating |
| Early-game Leveling (Level 1 to 50) | D |
| Mid-game Leveling (Level 50 to 70) | C |
| End-game Leveling and high-tier Nightmare Dungeons (above level 70) | A |
| Season Powers with Malignant Hearts | S |
Barbarian had been an S-tier class until they nerfed numerous times. The last patch nerfed HoTA which was probably their only S-tier build. Now the class struggles both offensive and defensively. However, Whirlwind builds are the best for Barbs now and Challenging Shout is a must for survivability at high-tier NM Dungeons.
What really shocks me is that Barbs have extremely good Malignant Hearts which when correctly combined could literally give you the best Season 1 character. That will only be possible late endgame and that is where Barbs normally shine. Focused rage, Punishing Speed, and Ignoring Pain give this class extremely good effects to run high-tier dungeons with ease.
Sorcerer:
| Content | Rating |
| Early-game Leveling (Level 1 to 50) | S |
| Mid-game Leveling (Level 50 to 70) | B |
| End-game Leveling and high-tier Nightmare Dungeons (above level 70) | D |
| Season Powers with Malignant Hearts | C |
Gone are the days when Sorcerers used to dominate the battlefield. The Diablo 2 days were their days of glory. However, it seems like the devs really hate this class now. Even with the buffs, Sorcerers seem to be as weak as they were before. They are extremely good in the beginning but absolutely bad when they get to higher levels.
With nerfs to Cooldowns and survivability in general, Sorcerers being the most squishy class, suffers a lot now in the end game. The Season heats also will not benefit her as much as the other classes. Omnipower consumes all your mana for very little damage. Even if you combine with Malignant Pack which gives a 15% to restore your mana to full, it still does not seem to be worth it. Tal’ Rasha seems to be the only Malignant Heart the class could use consistently.
Which Class should you choose for Season 1 in Diablo 4?
Considering the latest patch and all the builds the classes could have, one might get confused about which one to go for. As I said before, each class has its own strength and weakness. This is where I help you decide which one to go for.
- If you are a casual Diablo 4 player who gets to play for an hour or two per day or maybe during weekends, Necromancer, Rogue, and Sorcerer would be the best class for you. The reason is that they are extremely good at leveling up early on and they feel really strong. You would probably not take the class to level 100 so these should be the best choices. Necro and Rogues are also good at level 100 though.
- If you are a full-time Diablo 4 player who manages to put in 5-6 hours per day or maybe even more, then the Druid or Barbarian should be the best class for you. They shine at high levels and you would probably be pushing high-tier Nightmare Dungeons later on.
- If you just want to select the best class for damage output Bone Spear Necromancer and Shred Druid is what you should be going for.
- Lastly, your personal preference is what counts. This guide will only help you know about the classes. Your playstyle and your comfort zone should really decide what you should go for. There is no point in using the best class in the game and not having fun at all.
That is all you need to know about the class Tier List in Diablo 4.
I hope the guide was helpful. Please let us know in the comments section below. Also, follow FPS Index for more guides on Diablo 4.
Arya is an avid gamer and a full-time content writer. His love for games is so unconditional that despite having a degree in Mass Communication he chose to have a career in the blogging world. He is a FIFA lover and has played every single FIFA game released since 2005. His knowledge of Sports Games is impeccable and every single article he writes is backed by years of experience.