Dark and Darker Best Barbarian Build (2024): Guide to Perks and Skills

Dark and Darker is a dark fantasy multiplayer extraction shooter that is currently in early access on PC, with plans to come to mobile in the future. Like any good dungeon-crawling hero, your character in Dark and Darker falls into a particular class which is reflected in their playstyle, weaponry, and combat abilities. With 8 classes in the game, there's plenty of information to take in. Don't fret, though. This guide will give you the lowdown on the best Barbarian builds.

Barbarian Class Overview

The Barbarian is a real heavy hitter. It's a class with an immense constitution that deals out high-damage melee attacks, often capable of killing opponents in just two to three hits. Despite the Barbarian's strengths, it has lower movement speed and a magic defence that pales in comparison to that of other classes. This hulking warrior is an apt choice for players who enjoy a steady and formidable playstyle.

All Barbarian Perks

Perks are passive buffs to your character stats. At Level 0, you only have one perk slot. However, as you level up you gain up to four total. These can be customised in the class tab before you enter a dungeon. 

	Axe Specialization	Adds 5 weapon damage to your axe attacks.
	Berserker	The lower your remaining HP, the higher your physical attack power. Each loss of 10% health from your max HP gives 3% more physical attack power up to a max bonus of 30% physical attack power.
	Carnage	Strength increases by 10 for 7 seconds when a target is killed.
	Crush	Ability to destroy unreinforced doors and sturdy containers. Also increases the impact power of your attacks by 1 to better defeat blocks and parries.
	Executioner	Increases headshot damage with axes by 10%.
	Iron Will	Increases magic resistance rating by 100.
	Morale Boost	Recovers 12% HP after killing a player.
	Potion Chugger	The effects of all drinks is increased by 20% and the duration is reduced by -20%.
	Robust	HP is increased by 10%.
	Savage	Physical damage bonus increases by 10% when not wearing any chest armor.
	Two-Hander	Increases physical attack power by 5% when attacking with a two-handed weapon.

All Barbarian Skills

Skills are more active abilities. You have space for two perks at a time in your build and while in the dungeon, they can be activated with the 'Q' or 'E' key. 

	Achilles Strike	Hit the enemy's ankle causing 10 physical damage and slowing the movement by 10% for 2 seconds. During this effect, each movement of the victim causes 5 damage.
	Blood Exchange	Reduces max health by 25% for 6 seconds while granting 5% of the players maximum health with each successful attack.
	Life Siphon	Loses 24 health over 8 seconds while gaining +4 all attributes during the duration of the effect.
	Rage	Increases strength by 15 and movement by 15% while defense is reduced by 20% for 8 seconds.
	Reckless Attack	The next hit ignores 75% of your enemy's defense but your aggressiveness results in a loss of 55 armor rating. The buff is consumed when an attack hits an object or a target.
	Savage Roar	Frightens all enemies within a 7.5m range radius for 6 seconds reducing their physical damage bonuses by 25%.
	War Cry	Increases the max HP of self and allies within 7.5m by 25% for 7 seconds.

Beginner Barbarian Build

Recommended loadout: Given your sluggishness, choose a leather armor set as it has the lowest negative impact on your movement speed.

Recommended perks: Iron Will is a useful perk for beginner Barbarians particularly as new players have less access to armor enchantments to increase their magic resistance. 

Recommended skills: Savage Roar and Rage are commonly considered by the community to be two of the most valuable skills available to the Barbarian, for good reason. They also work well off of each other: first making their targets vulnerable and then making your character stronger and faster to effectively take advantage of that weakness. 

Axemaster Barbarian Build

Recommended loadout: Predictably, an axe is an essential component of this build. There are a few variations of axes to choose from but the Felling Axe is one of the best. It offers power without sacrificing excess amounts of action or movement speed.

Recommended perks: Axe Specialization, Two-Hander, and Executioner increase the efficacy of your (two-handed) axe attacks, making you a deadlier combatant. When you get a player kill, Morale Boost will reward you with a chunk of health to fuel you through into your next battle encounter. 

Recommended skills: Achilles Strike is helpful for Barbarians who are outpaced by more zippy classes like Rogues. It can be used to incapacitate a player trying to give you the slip or to close the distance with ranged attackers. Savage Roar, along with significantly reducing enemies' physical damage, causes PvE enemies to withdraw from you in fear. 

Brutish Barbarian Build

Recommended loadout: The Felling Axe remains a great choice for the Barbarian. 

Recommended perks: Choose Savage, Berserker, Robust, and Morale Boost to build a beast that can take almost as much damage as they deal.

Recommended skills: Reckless Attack is your path to one-shot kills. It'll momentarily leave you more vulnerable but your armor rating returns once your attack is complete. Rage is a similar power-in-exchange-for-vulnerability skill.