Diablo 4 1.1 Tier List: Best D4 Season 1 Meta Class After 1.1.0 Patch

Diablo 4 1.1 Tier List: Best D4 Season 1 Meta Class After 1.1.0 Patch

7/20/2023 5:53:41 PM

Tag: Diablo 4

Let's update the new D4 Season 1 Class Tier List for the 1.1 patch! Here we are going to break down the buffs and nerfs to each class in the 1.1.0 Post Patch, as well as talk about how the malignant hearts affect the builds of each class, then rank the class for Season of the Malignant from the worst to the best!

D4 Season 1 Best Class Tier List After 1.1.0 Post Patch

In the highly anticipated 1.1.0 patch, the community's most pressing pre-season concerns are finally being addressed. Major improvements to the stash and quality of life issues are among the top priorities. Additionally, specific class-related matters such as the Minion Necromancer, Sorcerer survivability, and Barbarian build variety are being addressed.

The update introduces a fresh start with the Malignant Hearts theme, aiming to shake up the meta and introduce new, enjoyable builds. However, upon reviewing the 1.1 balance patch, it seems that the changes are quite drastic and somewhat rough. Across the board, every build has been heavily nerfed, particularly impacting vulnerable and crit damage, without adequate compensatory buffs. This has left players feeling noticeably weaker, leading to speculation that the developers intentionally sought this outcome.

While the mechanics of the Malignant Hearts are interesting and offer potential for certain classes, there are concerns that these additions may not fully balance out the overall gameplay compared to the previous state.

In light of these changes, players are now contemplating the future state of each class and which ones will excel in Season 1. As they start anew, leveling up from scratch to World Tier 4 and beyond, discussions are ongoing about which class will perform best in the true end game.

Let's discuss and analyze the current situation to determine the optimal choices for the upcoming Season 1.

5. Sorcerer (C Tier)

Now the predicted worst class in this situation is Sorcerer. The class could actually be nerfed in aggressive ways in the 1.1 patch. We were expecting them to get the biggest improvements to their fun fundamental issues which remain exactly the same as before. You're still going to die randomly to mobs in one shot, need the four defensives in likely every build, and take the same enchantment on every build since you've got the one choice before. Sorcerers are still going to experience Mega Mana issues until like Ultra late game we have like the idealistic build to actually tackle it, and it still seems like you can have the lowest output compared to other classes since it still relies on CC damage so much which was nerfed itself in the patch. And then the hilarity of element resist remaining broken which was for some reason waiting until season 2 fall. So you're continuing to deal with the lower armor and Hell compared to the rest of the classes.

But there are some solid Buffs to non-meta builds, a new unique one gives you a Teleport enchantment. The malignant heart options look really promising both as a bump to strength and how it enables a few builds, but just probably not going to be nearly enough to make up for what's happened. Again on the bright side, leveling is going to remain easy and fun for Sorcerers and very fast just as before, you're definitely gonna hit a wall end game and probably sooner than before, and have a harder time working your way to 100 because of it.

4. Barbarians (B Tier)

Barbarians have their strengths and weaknesses compared to Sorcerers. The Whirlwind build stands out as the best due to its excellent mob clear ability, making it effective for leveling in nightmare dungeons. Even in the late game, Barbarians remain a reliable and tanky class despite the nerfed survivability world.

However, they are heavily gear-dependent in Season 1, leading to a noticeable power drop compared to other classes. To excel in all aspects, you'll need to work on all four weapons, which emphasizes the importance of being in a group for a smoother leveling experience from 1 to 50.

Barbarians are appreciated for their shouts, yet it's a double-edged sword because every build requires all three of them. Many players hoped for the shouts to be merged into one or two abilities to free up a slot.

In the latest patch, some improvements were made, such as enhancing Upheaval, Death Blow's damage, and bleed builds. The Whirlwind unique gold Scripts were also improved.

Heading into the new season, Barbarians might initially feel weaker due to the loss of their end-game equipment, particularly impacting aspects like Fury management, essential for every Barbarian builds to work.

Despite these challenges, Barbarians still hold significant potential in the endgame, but there's room for improvement in providing a better early-game experience and more build variety.

3. Druid (B Tier)

In Season 1, the third class being launched is Druid. Despite the damage production nerfs, Druid remains one of the tankiest classes in the game with excellent survivability. The class offers incredible build variety in the end game, each with its own playstyle while relying on two main details. Whether you choose to be a wolf or a bear, the magic design and concept of a Druid are still satisfying. Even after patch 1.1, its best builds remain strong.

However, Druid's defensive capabilities have weakened, with Grizzly Rage now lasting only 6 seconds instead of up to 20 seconds. Leveling from 1-50 is relatively slow and awkward compared to other classes.

The powerful build usually revolve around Grizzly Rage with crit stacking or the symbiotic legendary aspect for cooldown resetting. Although some changes have made companion builds more viable, certain aspects like the Spirit Moon's reduced healing chance have affected survivability. The CDR builds have also been hit, making the barrier build less viable.

On a positive note, lightning builds have improved and could be relevant in the end game. The Malignant Hearts offer various options for Druid, depending on whether they act as multipliers and how they affect channeling skills. The potential for true endgame scaling is significant, but the early leveling experience remains challenging.

In summary, the first legendary in the seasonal journey provides some help with leveling, but Druid still seems to be one of the slower solo levelers, compared to the Barbarian.

2. Rogue (A Tier)

At number two, we have our super speedy Rogue - the most balanced class overall. Its various builds are all quite close in power, with twisting blades reigning supreme. The builds below it are tightly packed in power and remain meta-relevant. Their mechanics and benefits can be debated, and their clear times are similar, making the balance of Rogue a genuine achievement compared to most classes.

In the 1.1 patch, Rogue experienced the same significant hits to crit damage and insane vulnerable damage drop-off as everyone else. This was particularly challenging for the class, given its ability to generate almost infinite vulnerability through various methods, including the highly effective puncture basic attack.

Despite this, the class received some specific balancing improvements, such as enhancements to the shadow clone aspects and a new aspect for puncture that imbues the third cast with poison at a potent level (100 to 150).

Regarding Malignant hearts, Rogue offers utility options. The cluster munition heart grants a 20% chance to drop stun grenades for a 0.50-second stun, providing new ways to fit grenades into the build without significant trade-offs, benefiting both damage and survivability potential. The trickery heart drops a decoy trap after using a subterfuge skill, offering additional tactical possibilities. Furthermore, the wrathful heart pick is particularly impressive for human builds, as it has a small chance to apply all imbuement effects at 40 to 50% of their normal potency, making it incredible for dealing with packs using Shadow imbue or applying damage over time with poison.

Overall, Rogue fared well in the patch compared to other classes. Its early power spikes, such as combo points and inner sight, made it the original fastest leveler and its good mobility puts it in a favorable position, even with the overall damage reduction experienced by everyone. The only reason we rank it number two is due to a certain class we believe has even more significant damage potential under the new game mechanics.

1. Necromancer (S Tier)

The Necromancer remains powerful with balanced builds, some buffed and others nerfed to be more comparable. For instance, Bone Spear, while receiving nerfs, still boasts significant damage, previously dominating Necromancer builds. The class also has a reliable Critical Strike bonus through Grasping Veins, although it has been reduced by 20% on the top roll. Despite some weaker aspects due to crit damage nerfs, Bone Spear consistently hits hard with two and a half to five million damage in endgame builds.

However, the main issue with Necromancer in this patch is the lack of inherent mobility benefits. The introduction of an aspect for boots that grants a small movement speed bonus when applying Crepify is a step in the right direction. Different builds, like blood builds, are now more viable, especially with the Overpower build not being affected by vulnerable damage or crit changes. Minion builds, on the other hand, didn't receive the desired mechanical improvements, making them challenging in the early stages. Shadow blight builds, on the other hand, are looking better due to buffs to Shadow damage and Shadow damage over time affixes, as well as enhancements for Ultimate Shadow and Blood-soaked.

The Malignant Hearts, like the Great Feast Wrathful Heart, offer potential by providing increased damage in exchange for intense Essence strain. The Decrepit Aura Heart also brings a promising option, offering a free Decrepify effect for a short time when near five or more enemies. Additionally, the general vicious heart, Tempting Fate, grants up to 60 crit strike damage at the cost of 20 to 15 less damage on non-crits, which can be very beneficial for builds relying on 100% crit.