Did you know that Diablo 3 is available on seven different platforms?
The latest addition to these platforms is the Nintendo Switch. But the best thing is the fact that it’s only a matter of time before Blizzard implements cross-play capabilities to link all players.
If you’re one of the newer Diablo 3 fans, you might want to know some good Witch Doctor builds. After all, it might be challenging to figure out a good build, especially if you intend to make a hardcore character for season play.
Are you ready to learn some good Diablo 3 Witch Doctor builds? Read on and find out more today. Also, keep in mind we have this Monk build and leveling guide if you later discover the Witch Doctor isn’t for you:
Why Choose the Witch Doctor?
Do you love outsmarting your enemies? If so, the Witch Doctor can help render them helpless and broken. Their hexes and transmutations can help finish this task in an efficient manner.
As soon as you are in control, you can go in for the kill using different approaches. Either you can deliver a devastating curse or let your pets bring carnage on the battlefield. With a Witch Doctor, you can bend the undead to your will while distorting reality itself.
Season 16 Witch Doctor Builds Guide
The latest Diablo 3 patch accompanied the beginning of Season 16—The Season of Grandeur. It came live last January 18 with a lot of tweaks and changes. Some of these include class set tweaks and a brand-new Seasonal buff.
Haedrig’s Gift
Completing the second, third, and fourth chapters of the Seasonal Journey gives your Witch Doctor Haedrig’s Gifts. It’s a type of reward similar to a cache that drops two pieces of a class-specific set. When you complete these chapters, you’ll get a full set bonus that powers your character until mid-to-high Torments.
As a Witch Doctor, your first priority upon reaching max level is to complete the Seasonal Journey. At the very least, complete the earlier portions. In Season 16, the Arachyr set is Haedrig’s Gift for Witch Doctors.
This build will focus on this specific set. It’s a starter build, meaning even inexperienced players can use it to its full potential before long.
The Arachyr Starter Build
This build puts a lot of emphasis on skills related to creatures. It’s defined by its six-piece set bonus. Your bread and butter on this build is the Firebats skill. After all, it’s the most efficient damaging skill in that category.
Active Skills
Here are the active skills that you need for an Arachyr Starter Build:
- Firebats – Cloud of Bats Rune
- Hex – Jinx Rune
- Summon Zombie Dogs – Leeching Beasts Rune
- Haunt – Draining Spirit Rune
- Spirit Walk – Severance Rune
- Locus Swarm – Pestilence Rune
Here is an explanation of the skill set up:
Slot 1 – Main Damaging Skill
As said before, Firebats will become your main damage dealer using this build, especially when picking the strongest rune—Cloud of Bats. It’s important to remember that you won’t have set-related bonuses to damage until you get the six-piece bonus of the Arachyr gear. In this case, you need to work with your preferred Mana spender until then.
Slot 2 and 3 – Supplemental Damage and Buffs
Locust Swarm is the only skill affected by the Arachyr set’s stats. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t adopt both this skill alongside Haunt early in the game. This allows you to get used to the Pestilence rune’s supplemental damage and Draining Spirit rune’s Mana restoration.
Working out this dynamic prepares you for the Ring of Emptiness. This is an important legendary item that helps multiply your damage fourfold against enemies affected by both DoT skills.
Slot 4 – Set Mechanic
Hex is one of the most important skills on this build due to Arachyr’s four-piece set bonus. It grants you Damage Reduction that relies on your regular casting of this skill. Use the damage-increasing rune Jinx as the default.
Once you get the Manajuma set, swap out Jinx to a more staple rune for speed farming: Angry Chicken.
Slot 5 – Mobility
No matter what class you are, you need some sort of mobility to survive. For Witch Doctors, Spirit Walk is your best friend. It’s great for farming, especially when you take the fastest rune of all—Severance.
Slot 6 – Utility
Summon Zombie Dogs with Leeching Beasts are great while you’re still missing legendaries. They serve as a means of sustaining while acting like meat shields. That means you have protection while on the fray.
Once you get Lakumba’s Ornament and a Sacred Harvester, you need to switch it out. The Soul Harvest with the Languish rune will serve you better once you get these items. It’s especially important if you’re looking to protect yourself.
Passive Skills
These are the passive skills you need for the Arachyr set starter build:
- Swampland Attunement
- Confidence Ritual
- Spirit Vessel
- Grave Injustice
When it comes to passive skills, try balancing it out depending on your current needs. Add or subtract offensive and defensive skills on an as-needed basis. Preferable offensive passive skills for this build (in order of importance) include:
- Confidence Ritual
- Pierce the Veil
- Creeping Death
- Gruesome Feast
For defensive skills, you need to invest in both Spirit Vessel and Swampland Attunement, unless you’re speed farming. Grave Injustice will trump all the other passive skills due to the fast rate of kills of normal rifts. This becomes even more noticeable if you get the Manajuma set since it complements the Angry Chicken Rune resets.
Get the Best Witch Doctor Builds Today!
The Witch Doctor is one of the best disrupters and debuffers in Diablo 3. If you’re a party that needs more means of controlling the battlefield, you can rely on this class to trivialize even the deadliest encounters. For beginners, you can use these Witch Doctor builds to ensure that you get a feel on what this class can offer for your gaming experience.
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