Ulfhednar's 120%+ ATK SPEED Double Swing HotA OP Barbarian

Introducing Ulf, the Barbarian whose build is crafted to make the most of the Barbarian's unique ability to discard basic skills using shouts, HotA, aspects, and Paragon to generate fury. By capitalizing on this advantage, Ulf focuses on unleashing devastating damage with double swing and the barber, amplified by a remarkable increase in attack speed. Witnessing enemies explode from the immense stored damage is awe-inspiring. Despite the fearsome damage output and relentless fury generation, Ulf manages to evade being a vulnerable target for one-shot attacks. This is accomplished through the strategic use of low cooldown shouts and crowd control from Punishing Speed and Azurewrath, rendering enemies powerless to move or retaliate. Should any dire situation arise, Ulf can rely on Iron Skin to swiftly escape unharmed. The build’s smart use of skills, high-damage synergies, and defensive combos, makes this build an awesome experience. Check out Ulf’s channel Here and check out his build in our Calculator Here!

How It Works

• Fury Generation: When running two core skills fury generation is incredibly important. Ulf takes advantage of some key synergies to ensure that his fury stays full and the fun never ends.

  • HotA: While HotA puts out impressive damage Ulf takes advantage of Enhanced HotA to generate fury by focusing dense enemy packs.
  • Aspect of Echoing Fury: This aspect generates 2-4 fury per second when shout skills are active. Ulf gets 100% uptime on his shouts meaning constant free fury without needing a basic skill.
  • Challenging Shout: This ability has a 20-second cooldown when CDR is factored in and, between CC Duration increase-on gear and Booming voice, lasts for 14 seconds, leaving 6 seconds of downtime. It also generates fury when enemies hit you. See the aspects below for how strong this is as a generator.
  • Bold Chieftain's Aspect: This aspect reduces shout cooldowns when enemies are nearby up to 6 seconds
  • Rallying Cry: Ulf specs into Tactical Rallying Cry for a free 20 fury and a huge buff to fury generation while it’s active, coupled with the aspects above this means even more fury generated and a way to bridge the gap on the off chance that the player cannot get the full cooldown refund on Bold Chieftain’s.
  • Passives: Tempered Fury and Furious Impulse increase maximum fury and grant fury when swapping weapons for even more free fury.
  • Running Double Sword gives a lucky hit chance to grant fury when hitting a crowd-controlled target (because of the knocked down punishing speed gem) and Ramaladni's unique has a lucky hit chance of restoring full resource which happens constantly here because of the high attack speed.
• Damage: With two core skills and access to a ton of free fury generation and high uptime shouts this build puts out huge numbers.

  • Double Swing: With high fury generation Ulf is able to constantly use double swing, here he takes advantage of a few different synergies to really make this ability hurt.

    • Double Swing hits twice, allowing him to maximize the on hit effect discussed below.
    • The Barber: One crit is all it takes to activate this heart, from there the enemy you’re hitting will store damage between 2-4 seconds afterwords erupting dealing that damage around itself in an area. This turns a fast-hitting high single target ability like double swing into a massive AOE damage machine.
    • To complement this Ulf looks to increase his crit chance and his attack speed.
  • Accelerating Aspect: This aspect increases attack speed after hitting a crit. Plain and simple this means when the barber activates double swing is going to hit very fast. More hits, more damage, bigger explosion.
  • Smiting Aspect: To have further uptime on the Barber, his shouts, and to increase crit Ulf runs this aspect which grants increased CC duration and increased crit chance when healthy.
  • HotA: Not just a generator, but also a big damage button, HotA is great for additional AOE dps when the barber is not active, or there isn’t an elite that can soak enough damage to delete a crowd.

    • Aspect of Ancestral Force: Even more AOE, basically this aspect provides free damage when using HotA.
  • Rupture: Ulf uses Warrior’s Rupture for the massive attack speed buff
  • Key Passive: Unbridled Rage: With all the fury generation in this build Unbridled Rage works well and means free damage. This passive makes core skills deal x135% damage but cost x100% more fury.
  • Weapon Expertise: Two Handed Axe, Ulf runs this for the x15% increased damage to vulnerable enemies.
• Defense: Barbarian is a melee class meaning you need to spec for defense to make sure you live long enough to use those massive damage dealing skills. Luckily Ulf has you covered.

  • Iron Skin: This is your last resort button, granting a barrier that scales with missing life. Ulf specs into Strategic Iron Skin to grant fortify upon cast, doubled if cast below 50%.
  • Aspect of the Iron Warrior: To further cement Iron Skin as your saving grace Ulf uses this aspect to grant unstoppable and additional damage reduction when iron skin is cast
  • Aspect of Disobedience: Bread and butter when it comes to defense this aspect grants stacking percent armor.
• Enemy Disabling: Part of what makes this build excel is its ability to keep enemies stun locked while you pour damage into them prepping the Barber

  • Azurewrath: Chance to freeze when using core skills for 3 seconds
  • Punishing Speed Malignant Heart: Skills have a chance to knock down enemies for 1.25 seconds if that skill’s attack speed is higher than 20-35%. This is almost always up with the constant attack speed bonuses in the build.
  • Challenging Shout: Taunts all nearby enemies

Gear Stat Priorities

• Helmet

  • Crowd Control Duration (lowers shout cd)
  • Total Armor
  • Maximum Fury
  • Cooldown Reduction
• Chest

  • Total Armor
  • Damage Reduction from Close
  • Ranks of Challening Shout
  • Damage Reduction while Fortified
• Gloves

  • Critcal Strike Chance
  • Attack Speed
  • Ranks of Double Swing
  • Ranks of HotA
• Pants

  • Total Armor
  • Damage Reduction from Close
  • Damage Reduction while Fortified
  • Damage Reduction
• Boots

  • Fortify Generation
  • Willpower
  • Fury Cost Reduction
  • Movement Speed
• 2H Bludgeoning

  • All Stats
  • Strength
  • Critical Strike Damage
  • Vulnerable Damage
• 2H Slashing

  • Critical Strike Damage
  • Core Skill Damage
  • All Stats
  • Vulnerable Damage
• DW 1: Azurewrath Unique
• DW 2: Ramaladni’s Magnum Opus

Paragon

• Starting Board Ulf grabs all four rare nodes with a focus on defense and damage. He slots Exploit for the increased damage to vulnerable enemies.

• Weapons Master: Ulf rotates this board twice, skips the legendary node, grabbing, iron strength, and raw power for the increased damage and defensive stats. He slots Marshal for the additional shout cooldown reduction.

• Decimator: Attached to the right of Weapons Master and rotated twice Ulf grabs Pillage, Arrogance, and Demolish, for the vulnerable damage and damage reduction from vulnerable. He sockets Might for the increased damage with two-handed weapons.

• Warbringer: Attached to the bottom of Decimator and roated twice. Ulf grabs the legendary node Warbringer with grants fortify for every 75 fury spent. For rare nodes he grabs Core Reserve, Raw Power, and Hungering Fury for the damage, max life, and maximum fury. He slots Mortal Draw for the increased damage and crit chance for skills that swap weapons.

• Flawless Technique: Attached to the right of Decimator and not rotated at all, Ulf grabs Havoc, Heavy Blows, Brash, and Slayer for the increased crit damage, physical damage, and defense. He slots Ambidextrous for the increased weapon damage with one-handed weapons.

• Bone Breaker: Attached to the right of Flawless Technique and rotated once Ulf grabs Vigor, Inner Strength, and Bulwark for the defensive bonuses. Ulf slots Wrath for the critical strike damage and fury generation with crits.

Wrapping it Up

Ulf’s build takes advantage of the Barbarian’s ability to toss basic skills aside using shouts, HotA, aspects, and Paragon to generate fury. This means Ulf is able to focus solely on putting out damage with double swing and the barber by buffing his attack speed to insane levels all while watching his enemies explode for massive stored damage. You’d think all this damage and fury gen would mean he’s vulnerable to getting one shot, but his repeated use of low cooldown shouts, and CC from Punishing Speed and Azurewrath means nothing is able to move or take a swing at him. In the off chance that it does Ulf has Iron Skin to get him out of any dire situation. This build is fun, does crazy damage, and is super defensive making it an awesome build to play. Check out Ulfhednar's Channel Here and a link to the build in our Calculator Here!