Build Introduction
The Twisting Blades Rogue build eviscerates your foes before they know what hit them. Twisting Blades hits hard with two sources of damage per cast. The target is first damaged with an impale, followed by an even more damaging hit when the blades are ripped out to fly back to the Rogue. The blades pierce through all enemies on the return flight, dealing more damage with proper positioning. This fast-paced melee build is perfect for players that want a more complex and involved playstyle
The only starting requirement for this endgame build guide is a character around Level 50 in World Tier 3. Check our Rogue Leveling Guide if you need help getting there.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- High single-target burst damage
- Rapid movement for fast dungeon runs
- Completely shuts down individual targets
Weaknesses
- Small area of effect
- Requires melee range
- Lacks survivability against multiple enemies
To see how this build compares to the other builds on our site, you can check out our build tier lists.
Skill Tree Points and Skill Bar
Skill Bar Setup for Twisting Blades Rogue (order does not matter)
Twisting Blades 
Puncture 
Shadow Imbuement 
Concealment 
Shadow Step 
Dash
The Skill Tree above shows the full allocation of 58 Skill Points for the Twisting Blades Rogue build. Make sure you obtain the 10 Skill Points available from Renown.
Twisting Blades Rogue Specialization
Combo Points is the preferred Rogue Specialization for general farming due to the burst damage playstyle of Twisting Blades Rogue. Build Combo Points with Puncture to unleash additional damage for Twisting Blades.
Paragon
Paragon unlocks after reaching Level 50, and the progression system offers a considerable boost to character power. The images below provide a visual of each Paragon Board setup for the Twisting Blades Rogue.
Important Notes:
- Make sure you select the correct Legendary Boards and rotate them into the correct orientation.
- Attach Legendary Boards in the correct order, as bonus requirements of Rare Nodes increase with their placement order.
- Additional bonus requirements on Rare Glyphs may not be obtainable until they gain increased radius range at Level 15.
1. Starting Board (Closer)
Socket Closer in the starting board for some valuable Damage Reduction.
2. Tricks of the Trade (Turf)
Rotate the Tricks of the Trade board 2 times before attachment. Immediately obtain the Legendary node, and then Socket Turf for some valuable Damage Reduction. Prioritize leveling Turf to 15 for increased radius, as it is needed to allocate enough Strength to activate the additional bonus.
3. Cheap Shot (Nightstalker)
Rotate the Cheap Shot board 2 times before attachment. Immediately obtain the Legendary node on this board. Socket Nightstalker to reduce the Cooldown of Shadow Imbuement by using Concealment. Prioritize leveling Nightstalker to 15 for the increased radius to obtain the additional bonus.
4. Exploit Weakness (Control)
Rotate the Exploit Weakness board 2 times before attachment. Immediately obtain the Legendary Node on this board. Socket Control to gain Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies for an increased damage bonus on Close Quarters Combat.
5. No Witnesses (Exploit)
Rotate the No Witnesses board 3 times before attachment. Socket Exploit for increased Vulnerable damage and additional Vulnerable application. The Legendary Node on this board is not utilized.
Paragon Board images courtesy of d4builds.gg. Click this link for the Paragon planner.
Gear, Gems, Elixirs, and Stats
Season 4 brings an incredible shift in character progression systems. The major rework to itemization and crafting in Patch 1.4.0 changes the core mechanics of Diablo 4, and the changes will remain in effect beyond Season 4. For further details, read the overview in the Tempering and Masterworking section.
Legendary Aspects
Listed below are all the best-in-slot Aspects for the Twisting Blades Rogue build. Salvage Legendary Items with higher Aspect values to unlock them in the Codex of Power, and then imprint them onto Legendary Items with the preferred affixes.
| Gear Slot | Aspect Name | Aspect Power |
|---|---|---|
| Ranged Weapon | Bladedancer’s Aspect | Twisting Blades orbit for a short time after they return to you, dealing [20 – 30%] of Twisting Blade’s return damage per hit. |
| Amulet | Aspect of Disobedience | You gain [0.6 – 1.1%] increased Armor for 4 seconds when you deal any form of damage, stacking up to [36 – 66%]. |
| Dual-Wielded Weapon Slot #1 (replaced by Condemnation) | Aspect of Retribution | Distant enemies have a 10% chance to be Stunned for 2 seconds when they hit you. You deal [15 – 30%] increased damage to Stunned and Knocked Down enemies. |
| Gloves (optional replacement with Fists of Fate) | Edgemaster’s Aspect | Skills deal up to [10 – 20%] increased damage based on your available Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource. |
| Ring Slot #1 (replaced by Ring of Starless Skies) | Accelerating Aspect | Critical Strikes with Core Skills increase your Attack Speed by [15 – 25%] for 3 seconds. |
| Dual-Wielded Weapon Slot #2 or Ring Slot #2 | Aspect of the Expectant | Attacking enemies with a Basic Skill increases the damage of your next Core Skill cast by [5 – 10%], up to 30%. |
| Dual-Wielded Weapon Slot #2 or Ring Slot #2 | Rapid Aspect | Basic Skills gain [15 – 30%] Attack Speed. |
| Helm (replaced by Harlequin Crest) | Aspect of Might | Basic Skills grant 20% Damage Reduction for [2 – 6] seconds |
| Chest | Aspect of Quickening Fog | You automatically drop a Smoke Grenade at the end of Dash. Smoke Grenades reduce Dash’s Cooldown by [0.4 – 0.6] seconds for each enemy hit, up to [2.0 – 3.0] seconds. |
| Pants (replaced by Tibault’s Will) | Resistant Assailant’s Aspect | Breaking Concealment grants +10% Resistance and Maximum Resist to all elements for 6 seconds. Killing an Elite enemy reduces Concealment’s cooldown by [6 – 10] seconds. |
| Boots | Ravager’s Aspect | Shadow Step has an additional Charge. Killing an enemy with Shadow Step refunds a Charge and increases the damage of Shadow Step by [1 – 6%] for 2 seconds, up to [5 – 30%]. |
Gems
Listed below are the best Gems to socket into gear for each item type.
| Slot | Gems |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Royal Sapphire for increased Vulnerable Damage. |
| Armor | Royal Ruby for increased Maximum Life or Royal Topaz to prevent deaths from chain Crowd Controls. |
| Jewelry | Any Resistance Gems needed or Royal Skull for Armor (up to 9,230 Armor cap). |
Elixirs
Visit the Alchemist in any main town to craft helpful Elixirs that increase stats and experience gain for 30 minutes. Make sure to forage plants and pick up the necessary crafting materials during your adventures; they randomly spawn around the world. Elixirs can also drop randomly from enemies and chests during many activities in Diablo 4. Listed below are the best Elixirs to consume, ranked by importance.
- Elixir of Precision provides the highest damage output increase, if not already capped at 100% Critical Strike Chance.
- Elixir of Advantage increases damage output, if not already capped at 100% Attack Speed bonus from gear and Paragon.
- Elixir of Resource greatly helps with Energy issues, if you do not already have the appropriate Energy gear. This elixir is highly recommended for starting characters to maintain casting of Core Skills.
- Elixir of Fortitude is the best general purpose option for survivability.
- Elixir of Iron Barbs can provide a high amount of Physical Damage Reduction. Armor becomes more effective as you approach the Armor cap (9,320 against monster level 100 and above).
- Specific Resistance Elixirs can be utilized to survive against Uber Bosses with elemental attacks.
Return to the Alchemist again when you reach Level 20, 30, 45, 60, 70, 80 and 90, to upgrade your potion. The extra healing is essential to survival.
Gear Choice and Stat Priority in the Endgame
Make sure to pick up all Rare Item drops that may be upgrades while you are farming with Twisting Blades Rogue. Save Legendary Items with useful aspects in your stash to be used later for extraction and imprinting onto well rolled Rare Items.
When comparing weapons with similar item levels, Daggers are preferred over Swords for the Damage to Close Enemies implicit. The DPS value on ranged weapons does not matter, so prioritize affix values instead. Crossbows are preferred over Bows for the Vulnerable Damage implicit.
Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes
Listed below are the affixes to prioritize on gear for Twisting Blades Rogues. Each line of affixes are listed in order of importance. Affixes on the same line are considered to be equally important, but their benefits may vary depending on how much is stacked or other character stats. Bolded affixes are the most important targets for Masterworking upgrades.
When comparing Legendary weapons with similar item levels, Crossbows are preferred over Bows for the Vulnerable Damage implicit stat. Daggers are preferred over Swords for the slightly stronger implicit stat and faster Combo Point generation.
Close Quarters Combat increases the priority of the Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies tempering affix from Natural Finesse.
The priority order of Resistances is Lightning > Poison > Fire > Cold > Shadow. Maximum Resistance is 70% by default for each element and can be increased to 85% by various sources.
Check the Tempering and Masterworking section for more details on Blacksmith upgrading.
| Slot | Gear Affixes | Tempering Affixes |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | 1. Maximum Life 2. Dexterity, Critical Strike Damage, Vulnerable Damage | Basic Augments — Rogue (Weapon): Twisting Blades Returns Faster Natural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies |
| Helm | 1. Cooldown Reduction, Ranks to Shadow Imbuement 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity, Lucky Hit Chance | Natural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control Duration Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Armor or Maximum Life |
| Chest | 1. Resistances, Armor 2. Maximum Life, Dexterity 3. Healing Received, Dexterity | Natural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control Duration Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Armor or Maximum Life |
| Gloves | 1. Ranks to Twisting Blades, Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Resource Cost Reduction, Maximum Life, Lucky Hit Chance | Natural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies Natural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control Duration |
| Pants | 1. Resistances, Armor 2. Maximum Life, Dexterity | Natural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control Duration Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Armor or Maximum Life |
| Boots | Implicit Stat: Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown 1. Movement Speed 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Ranks to Dash, Maximum Life, Dexterity | Natural Motion (Mobility): Movement Speed Natural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control Duration |
| Amulet | 1. Ranks to Exploit, Critical Strike Chance, Cooldown Reduction, Attack Speed 2. Movement Speed, Armor | Imbuement Abundance (Resource): Shadow Imbue Additional Casts Natural Motion (Mobility): Movement Speed |
| Rings | 1. Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed 2. Resource Cost Reduction, Critical Strike Damage, Vulnerable Damage, Resistances, Maximum Life 3. Dexterity, Lucky Hit Chance | Imbuement Abundance (Resource): Shadow Imbue Additional Casts Natural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies |
Unique Items
Listed below are the recommended and optional Unique Items for the Twisting Blades Rogue build. Each item description includes the most important affix to target for Masterworking upgrades.
- Condemnation (recommended) provides a 1.4x multiplier that works well in this Combo Points build.
- Masterworking Priority: Basic Skill Attack Speed or Critical Strike Damage
- Tibault’s Will (recommended) provides a damage multiplier and Energy generation effect, in addition to a Damage Reduction from Close Enemies affix that is not usually obtainable in the Pants slot. Activate the unique effect with Shadow Step. Optionally, Subverting Concealment can replace Disciplined Dash for a second source of Unstoppable.
- Masterworking Priority: Damage Reduction from Close Enemies
- Harlequin Crest (recommended) provides a good amount of offense and defense, if you are lucky enough to find this Uber Unique Item.
- Masterworking Priority: Cooldown Reduction
- Ring of Starless Skies (recommended) is an Uber Unique Item that provides a highly valued 1.4x multiplier. The downside is the unique effect requires some management to ramp up and maintain the buff stacks.
- Masterworking Priority: Critical Strike Chance
- Fists of Fate (optional) increases overall damage by 50% with a 300% value on the unique effect. They are comparable to well-rolled Legendary Gloves with Ranks to Core Skills, Attack Speed, Critical Strike Chance, and an Offensive Aspect. The downside is the drastic damage range of the unique effect can cause an inconsistency in the hits required to kill enemies.
- Masterworking Priority: any affix
- Penitent Greaves (optional) provide a decent damage increase in the unique effect. They are worth using when combined with Frigid Finesse to apply Chill for a damage increase.
- Masterworking Priority: Movement Speed
Season 4: Loot Reborn
The following list details the changes in the Season 4 Update (Patch 1.4.0) that may pertain to Twisting Blades Rogues. Check the Changelog for all the other guide updates.
- Exploit Weakness
- Maximum increased damage buffed from 15%[x] to 25%[x].
Video Guide and Gameplay Footage
Advanced Information
Additional details are provided in the following sections for a more in-depth explanation of the Twisting Blades Rogue. Read this advanced information after understanding the basic overview of the build in the previous sections.
Build Mechanics
The Twisting Blade Rogue build is more involved to play than most others. Twisting Blades damage is increased by several buffs to cause a devastating hit. Combo Points can be generated for additional damage. Shadow Imbuement turns the attack into Shadow damage. Finally, Concealment guarantees your opener to be a Critical Hit.
Improved Twisting Blades applies a Daze to impaled enemies, and then Critical Hits activate Trick Attacks to continuously Knock Down the enemy. Concussive is activated on Knock Down for increased Critical Strike Chance.
After the first victim is impaled by Twisting Blades, Dash and Shadow Step are used to reposition around other enemies to hit them with the returning blades and then orbiting blades from Bladedancer’s Aspect. The flying blades retain the damage buffs of the initial impale, including the guaranteed Critical Hit and Shadow Imbuement!
Fundamental Puncture easily applies Vulnerable to a target with a single Basic attack. Aim Puncture at the toughest enemies in a pack. In group play, apply this debuff to Elites and Bosses so your teammates deal more damage!
Puncture is a Marksman Skill that can be used before casting Twisting Blades to gain the damage bonus from Tricks of the Trade.
Smoke Grenade is not equipped on the Skill Bar, but is instead auto-casted through Aspect of Quickening Fog by using Dash. Use Dash offensively to land on top of enemies and Daze them. Enhanced Smoke Grenade is also allocated for enemies to take 25% increased damage.
Shadow Step and Concealment grant Unstoppable break crowd controls and activate the damage buff from Tibault’s Will.
Damage Rotation
Use the following rotation to optimize damage output.
- Initiate combat with one of the following Skills:
- Dash on top of enemies to apply Enhanced Dash, automatically drop a Smoke Grenade, and activate Tricks of the Trade.
- Cast Shadow Step on an Elite to Stum them, while activating Tricks of the Trade and Tibault’s Will.
- Cast Concealment to apply Vulnerable and activate Tibault’s Will.
- Rapidly cast Puncture three times to build up Combo Points.
- Activate Shadow Imbuement for increased damage and explosions.
- Cast Twisting Blades on the target.
- Move through enemies to hit them with the returning and orbiting blades.
- Repeat the rotation when cooldowns are ready.
Tempering and Masterworking
The Season 4 update (Patch 1.4.0) introduces a rework for itemization. Tempering and Masterworking brings the biggest change to itemization since the release of Diablo 4, so make sure you understand the new systems explained in this section.
The amount of affixes on items has been changed to reflect its rarity: Normal Items have no affixes, Magic Items have 1 affix, Rare Items have 2 affixes, Legendary Items have 3 affixes, and Unique Items have 4 affixes. Upgrading a Rare Item to a Legendary Item by imprinting a Legendary Aspect from the Codex of Power will not add a third affix. Therefore, Legendary Items are superior to lower rarity items for a min-maxed character.
Greater Affixes are a newly added mechanic that increases the value of an affix by 50%. Ancestral Legendary Items and Unique Items can now drop with up to 4 Greater Affixes! Search for items with your preferred Greater Affixes to upgrade with Tempering and Masterworking.
Tempering and Masterworking is an important system, even mandatory in the endgame, for character progression. You are able to add 2 additional affixes on any Rare Item or Legendary Item, exclusive to the Tempering System. An Ancestral Legendary Item can have up to 5 total affixes! Unfortunately, Unique Items cannot be tempered to add affixes.
Masterworking uses new crafting materials found in The Pit to further enhance the stats of an item. These upgrades can be applied on an Ancestral Legendary Item that has its Tempering Slots filled out. Unique Items can be upgraded with Masterworking right away, as tempering does not apply to them. Each item has 12 upgrade slots. On upgrade Ranks 4, 8, and 12, a random affix is increased in value by 25%. Every other upgrade Rank applies a 5% increase to all affixes on an item. Attempt to apply the bonus 25% upgrade to your preferred affix multiple times by resetting the Masterworking Ranks to repeat the process.
Obol Gambling
Obol gambling is a great way to potentially find item upgrades or items missing from your build. Use Obols on your target equipment for a chance to receive Greater Affixes. Check out the new tool from Icy Veins for gambling Obols in the link below.
Obol Gambling Optimization ToolChangelog
- May 15th, 2024: Priority Affixes updated with game changes made since the Season 4 PTR.
- May 14th, 2024: Guide updated for Season 4 (Patch 1.4.0).
- March 5th, 2024: Guide updated for the Mid Season 3 Update (Patch 1.3.3).
- January 22nd, 2024: Guide updated for Season 3 (Patch 1.3.0).
- November 15th, 2023: Paragon Board images added.
- October 17th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 2 (Patch 1.2.0).
- July 18th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 1.
