Diablo 4 offers various types of weapons for the melee class. Some weapons excel in taking out single-target enemies, whereas others are more proficient in crowd control. So, knowing when to switch between them will help you become more proficient in combat.
Changing your weapon is a bit different in Diablo 4 and can be confusing. Here, the weapons are linked to your character’s skills, and your character will automatically change the weapon based on the skill that they’re using. However, things are slightly different for the Barbarian class.
Let’s dive into it.
How Do Weapon Switching Work in the Game?
Before proceeding, it’s essential to learn more about how the weapon-switching mechanics work in Diablo 4, as it’s a bit different from the previous games.
In this game, the weapons are tied to your character’s skill. To use a certain type of weapon, you’ll need to unlock the respective skill from the skill menu.
For example, if you’re playing the Rogue class and want to use your bow, you’ll need a Marksman skill.
But if you want to switch your bow with your blade, then you must get Cutthroat skill instead.
In short, you will automatically switch your weapon based on the skill that you’re using. This remains the case for the classes including the Sorceror, Necromancer, Druid and the Rogue as they only have one main-hand weapon and an offhand item.
The Barbarian class, on the other hand, is a bit more complex.
Unlike other classes, Barbarians have three different styles of weapons. I.e., a two-handed bludgeoning weapon, two dual-wield one-handed weapons, and finally a slashing two-handed weapon.
And although Barbarian will also automatically switch the weapon depending the the skill type, there are some skills that lets you manually assign a different weapon type.
Like for example, you can switch between all three weapon types for the Lunging Strike basic attack. Similarly, you can switch your weapons for the Whirlwind core skill as well.
The skill’s damage output will also differ depending on the type of weapon you’ve equipped.
That being said, not every skill allows you to switch weapons. You cannot use the dual-wield weapons for the Hammer of the Ancient skill, as this is exclusive to bludgeoning weapons.
Similarly, you cannot use two-handed weapons on the Double Swing core skill.
How to Change the Weapons?
So, now that we’ve learned a bit about the weapon-switching mechanic, let’s move on to the steps to change your weapons for the Barbarian class.
- While you’re in the game, press the S key on your keyboard to bring out the Skill Assignment window.
- Hover over a skill that you wish to change the weapons for.
- Press the middle mouse button to cycle through the weapon options (i.e., Bludgeoning, Dual-wield, Slashing). By default, the Auto Select option will be enabled.
And that’s it; you try now try experimenting with different weapon types with different skills and see what works best for you.
You can also check out our video below.
