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
  • Combat Masteries
  • Combat Skills
  • Warcries

Contents

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.)

Axes don't have any real advantages over Mauls, Spears, or Polearms. Spears and Mauls do more damage, and Spears and Polearms do as much or more damage, and have better range, which helps with WW. Axes have low or no Dex requirements though, and lower Str reqs than Mauls.

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