The Lord of Hatred expansion for Diablo 4 has changed leveling and skill progression quite a bit. Streamlined skill trees and skill passives make building for the Spiritborn class fun and unique. The different animal spirit choices can make it difficult to decide on the best and most efficient way to level.

This Spiritborn leveling build for Season 13 of Diablo 4 mixes speed and high Damage Over Time effects to quickly run through your enemies on the way to max level. You'll want access to the class' mechanic, Spirit Hall, to get the most out of this build, but it is smooth after that.

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Best Juggernaut Paladin Leveling Build in Diablo 4 (Season 13)

The Shield of Retribution Paladin provides a smooth and fast leveling experience in the Lord of Hatred expansion for Diablo 4.

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Diablo 4 Spiritborn Poison Eagle Build

Diablo 4 Spiritborn Leveling Combat
Spiritborn fighting in Diablo 4
Image via GameRant; Source: Blizzard

This build combines the Spirit Hall Eagle mechanics with Centipede skills to move quickly, apply Vulnerable, then move on while enemies die from Poison Damage Over Time. It takes a bit to get everything fully unlocked, so the beginning levels will look a bit different:

  • Start with Withering Fist and Stinger as your Centipede Basic and Core skills.
  • Use these to apply Poison to enemies.
  • Move on while the Poison ticks away.

The build really gets going once you have access to more skills and the Spiritborn's Spirit Hall at level 15.

Spirit Hall

The Spiritborn class mechanic is very interesting because there are two parts, one at level 15 and one at level 30. There are four spirits to choose from: Jaguar, Eagle, Gorilla, and Centipede. At level 15, the spirit you choose gives you passive bonuses, but the most important one is the ability to make all Skills also count as the chosen spirit animal.

This build uses Eagle Spirit for both slots:

  • Eagle Spirit (1st Slot): This shoots Storm Feathers that deal Lightning Damage and applies Vulnerable whenever you cast an Eagle skill or evade.
  • Eagle Spirit (2nd Slot): Gains 40% Vulnerable Damage and 10% Critical Strike Chance.
    • The Crit Strike Chance doesn't matter as much in this build, since damage over time effects cannot crit. Extra Vulnerable damage is still very nice.

If you need better survivability, you can choose Centipede as your second slot Spirit for extra healing from Poisoned enemies.

Choosing Eagle allows you to gain free Vulnerable and movement speed effects, no matter what active skills you use. This is what makes the build fast while focusing exclusively on Centipede Poison damage.

Active Skills

Diablo 4 Spiritborn Leveling The Devourer Skill
The Devourer skill for Spiritborn in Diablo 4.
Image via GameRant; Source: Blizzard

Skills

Upgrades

Thunderspike
  • Movement Speed
  • Infected Ground
  • Vigor Generation

Crushing Hand
  • Barrier
  • 100 Crushing Hands
  • Increased Cost and Damage

Vortex
  • Vigor Generation
  • Insect Swam
  • Knock Down

Toxic Skin
  • Vigor Generation
  • Skuttle Bug
  • Duration Increase

Scourge
  • Vigor Generation
  • Scourge Commander
  • Healing

The Devourer
  • Poisoning Duration
  • Spew Putrefaction
  • Healing

Thunderspike is the Basic Skill to use because of the Movement Speed upgrade. Another upgrade also gives it extra Vigor generation if you have moved within the last two seconds. Infected Ground turns it into a Centipede Skill that deals Poison Damage Over Time.

Crushing Hand is the core skill. It has a lot going for it when the proper upgrades are selected. Barrier makes Crushing Hand grant a Barrier for 5% of your Maximum Life for three seconds, up to 30%. This helps with survival and interacts with the Conceited legendary aspect. The 100 Crushing Hands upgrade turns it into a Centipede Skill that deals Poison Damage Over Time.

Vortex upgrades will make it Knock Down enemies and generate Vigor. Insect Swarm turns it into a Centipede Skill that deals Poison Damage Over Time and Slows enemies.

Toxic Skin passively has a chance to Poison enemies who hit you. The upgrades make the active ability last longer, generate Vigor per second it is active, Weaken enemies it damages, reduce its cooldown by three seconds, and gain 50% armor while active.

Scourge deals Poison Damage Over Time that Fears and Slow enemies. The upgrades generate Vigor, give it a chance to heal, and deal extra damage at your target's location that is increased if the enemy is Vulnerable. Since this build makes all skills Eagle skills that apply Vulnerable, you will always get this extra damage.

The Devourer is the Ultimate skill of choice. This skill summons the Centipede spirit to blast enemies in a line, then spit at them for 15 seconds. The upgrades cause it to heal, increase Poison duration, and launch toxic globs that deal Poison Damage Over Time. These toxic globs also make the enemy take 50% increased Poison damage.

Gear, Legendary Aspects, and Stats

Diablo 4 Spiritborn Sickfoot Legendary Aspect
Sickfoot legendary aspect in Diablo 4.
Image via GameRant; Source: Blizzard

Slot

Legendary Aspect

Helm

Disobedience

Chest

Might

Gloves

Conceited

Pants

Everliving

Boots

Sickfoot

Neck

Neurotoxic

Rings

Efficiency/Expectant

2H Weapon

Insatiable

The main legendary aspects to look out for are: Disobedience, Insatiable, Neurotoxic, and Sickfoot.

Disobedience, Might, and Everliving are the defensive powers that increase Damage Reduction in different ways.

  • Disobedience grants stacking Damage Reduction from your Damage Over Time effects.
  • Might grants Damage Reduction from using Basic Skills, which is done a lot in this build.
  • Everliving grants Damage Reduction from nearby Crowd Controlled enemies.

Insatiable, Neurotoxic, Conceited, and Expectant are the offensive powers.

  • Insatiable increases Centipede Skill Damage. The damage bonus is increased further against crowd-controlled enemies.
  • Neurotoxic deals increased Non-Physical Damage to enemies who are Hindered or Weakened.
  • Conceited deals increased damage while you have an active Barrier.
  • Expectant makes Basic Skills give a stacking overall damage increase.

Sickfoot and Efficiency are the Mobility and Resource powers.

  • Sickfoot increases Movement and Damage Over Time speed for each nearby enemy affected by your Damage Over Time effects.
  • Efficiency gives your Basic Skills a chance to make your next Core skill cost no Vigor. This can stack up to three times.

Gear Stat Priority

Slot

Stats

Helm
  1. Dexterity
  2. Maximum Life
  3. Resource Cost Reduction
  4. Vigor Regeneration

Chest
  1. Dexterity
  2. Maximum Life
  3. Maximum Resource
  4. Barrier Generation

Gloves
  1. Dexterity
  2. Damage Over Time Multiplier
  3. Cooldown Reduction
  4. Maximum Life

Pants
  1. Dexterity
  2. Maximum Life
  3. Armor
  4. Resistance of choice

Boots
  1. Dexterity
  2. Maximum Life
  3. Maximum Evade Charges
  4. Movement Speed

Neck
  1. Dexterity
  2. Attack Speed
  3. Poison Damage Multiplier
  4. Ranks to Centipede Skills

Rings
  1. Attack Speed
  2. Damage Over Time Multiplier
  3. Dexterity
  4. Vulnerable Damage Multiplier

2h Weapon
  1. Dexterity
  2. Damage Over Time Multiplier
  3. Resource Cost Reduction
  4. All Damage Multiplier

Dexterity and Maximum Life are for pure damage and survivability. After that, you want to get as much Damage over Time and Poison Damage multipliers as you can.

Lightning Damage Multiplier also works, since all your skills send out Storm Feathers that deal Lightning Damage.

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Starting Paragon Boards

Diablo 4 Spiritborn Leveling Paragon Revealing Legendary Node
Revealing Legendary Node for Spiritborn in Diablo 4
Image via GameRant; Source: Blizzard

Board/Legendary Paragon Node

Glyph

Starter

Fester

Revealing

Jagged Plume

Prodigy's Tempo

Bane

Bitter Medicine

Turf

Viscous Shield

Canny

Paragon is unlocked after leveling to 70, so this is a preview of what's to come in Diablo 4 Endgame Builds. The important thing to do at the start is to look out for the required glyphs while playing.

The above legendary nodes and glyphs will increase Centipede, Eagle, Poison, and Non-Physical damage. You will also get Damage Reduction for Close Enemies, Crowd Control benefits, and bonuses to consecutive Basic and Core Skill casts.

Mercenaries

Diablo 4 Subo Mercenary Scorched Earth skill
Mercenary Subo's Scorched Earth skill in Diablo 4.
Image via GameRant; Source: Blizzard

Mercenaries add extra free benefits, so don't forget to include them. While leveling, you can be more flexible, but the following two work well:

  • Subo - Hired Mercenary
  • Raheir — Reinforcement

For this build, Subo is especially useful because of his Scorched Earth skill. This makes his initial Molotov explosions cause enemies to take increased Damage Over Time from you for three seconds. Raheir is good for reinforcement because of his Bastion skill. This causes 90% of all damage to be redirected to him while inside the Bastion bubble.

Leveling as a Spiritborn gives you a lot of variety. This Diablo 4 Spiritborn Leveling build will have you spreading sickness to your enemies as you quickly move through the battlefield on the way to level 70.

Diablo 4 Tag Page Cover Art
9/10

Diablo 4
Action RPG
Hack and Slash
Systems
Playstation Logo Xbox-1 PC-1
Top Critic Avg: 88/100 Critics Rec: 92%
Released
June 5, 2023
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
Developer(s)
Blizzard
Publisher(s)
Blizzard
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Genre(s)
Action RPG, Hack and Slash