Barbarian Combat Masteries

The Barbarian's Combat Masteries are essential skills for every Barbarian. Maximizing one of the six types of weapon mastery is standard practice, for the added damage, to/hit, and critical hits. The other four passive bonuses are all quite useful as well, though most players are content with just a few points in them.

Barbarian Skills

Sword Mastery

Required Level: 1

Prerequisites: None
Notes: This skill's bonuses only apply when a Barbarian has a sword equipped. Be sure you know the difference between swords and daggers! Daggers, whether melee or throwing, receive no bonus from Sword Mastery.

Every type of swords has a fast swing rate for the Barbarian, and they do very big damage when wielded two-handed, almost as much as the biggest items of the other weapon types. Swords have at most a range of 3, less than spears and polearms, but swing much faster, and can be wielded with a shield when you need defense, or two-handed for bigger damage, or dual wielded with a sword.

Using a big sword and a low damage MF one, such as Ali Baba or the Gull dagger, is a very nice way to add good MF without hurting your killing power too badly.

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Damage +%	28	33	38	43	48	53	58	63	68	73	78	83	88	93	98	103	108	113	118	123
Attack +%	28	36	44	52	60	68	76	84	92	100	108	116	124	132	140	148	156	164	172	180
Chance for Critical Strike %	3	6	9	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	17	18	18	19	19	20	20	20	20	21

Axe Mastery

Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None
Notes: Bonuses only apply when a Barbarian has an axe equipped. Both types of throwing axes receive bonuses from Axe Mastery when used for melee combat, but not when thrown. (Throwing Mastery applies then.)

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Damage +%	28	33	38	43	48	53	58	63	68	73	78	83	88	93	98	103	108	113	118	123
Attack +%	28	36	44	52	60	68	76	84	92	100	108	116	124	132	140	148	156	164	172	180
Chance for Critical Strike %	3	6	9	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	17	18	18	19	19	20	20	20	20	21

Mace Mastery

Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None
Notes: Bonuses only apply when a Barbarian has a mace-type weapon equipped.

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Damage +%	28	33	38	43	48	53	58	63	68	73	78	83	88	93	98	103	108	113	118	123
Attack +%	28	36	44	52	60	68	76	84	92	100	108	116	124	132	140	148	156	164	172	180
Chance for Critical Strike %	3	6	9	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	17	18	18	19	19	20	20	20	20	21

Polearm Mastery

Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: None
Notes: Bonuses only apply when the Barbarian has a polearm equipped. All polearms are two-handed weapons, and tend to have high damage and long range, but slow attack speed, so an effective build must take these factors into consideration.

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Damage +%	28	33	38	43	48	53	58	63	68	73	78	83	88	93	98	103	108	113	118	123
Attack +%	30	38	46	54	62	70	78	86	94	102	110	118	126	134	142	150	158	166	174	182
Chance for Critical Strike %	3	6	9	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	17	18	18	19	19	20	20	20	20	21

Throwing Mastery

Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: None
Notes: Damage bonuses apply only to thrown weapons. Not to throwing weapons used for melee.

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Damage +%	28	33	38	43	48	53	58	63	68	73	78	83	88	93	98	103	108	113	118	123
Attack +%	30	38	46	54	62	70	78	86	94	102	110	118	126	134	142	150	158	166	174	182
Chance for Critical Strike %	3	6	9	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	17	18	18	19	19	20	20	20	20	21

Spear Mastery

Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: None
Notes: Bonuses only apply when a Barbarian has a spear equipped. Javelins are a type of spear, and this skill will boost their damage when used for melee, but not when thrown. Throwing Mastery comes into effect then.

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Damage +%	28	33	38	43	48	53	58	63	68	73	78	83	88	93	98	103	108	113	118	123
Attack +%	30	38	46	54	62	70	78	86	94	102	110	118	126	134	142	150	158	166	174	182
Chance for Critical Strike %	3	6	9	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	17	18	18	19	19	20	20	20	20	21

Increased Stamina

Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: None
Notes:A prerequisite for the all-but-mandatory Increased Speed, few Barbarians spend more than one point in this skill, since Barbarians tend to add a lot of points to Vitality, and that adds to stamina as well.

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Stamina Bonus %	30	45	60	75	90	105	120	135	150	165	180	195	210	225	240	255	270	285	300	315

Increased Speed

Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Increased Stamina
Notes: A very popular skill, simply for the convenience and fun of running much more quickly. Very helpful in PVP combat as well, a high level barbarian with points in this and fast run equipment can move with frightening speed.

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Walk/Run Speed Bonus %	13	18	22	25	28	30	32	33	35	36	37	38	39	40	40	41	41	42	42	43

Iron Skin

Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: None
Notes: Iron Skin greatly increases the Barbarian's defense, and is a prerequisite for the extremely-useful Natural Resistances. Most barbarians are fine with just a few points in this skill, but builds that require high defense will want to max it, and pair it with high level Shout for the utmost defensive capacity.

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Increase Defense Rating %	30	40	50	60	70	80	90	100	110	120	130	140	150	160	170	180	190	200	210	220

Natural Resistance

Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: Iron Skin
Notes: One of the most powerful passive skills in the game, Natural Resistance allows Barbarians to go with much more offensive equipment, since this skill can add as much resistance as a good shield. Diminishing returns set heavily on this skill past about level five, but more points still help, and +skill equipment work nicely with this and all the Barbarian's other passive skills.

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Increase All Resistances %	12	21	28	35	40	44	47	49	52	54	56	58	60	61	62	64	64	65	66	67