Equipment

Arreat's Bearing is the first Unique worth chasing. It makes each of your Ancient-summoning Shouts call one more warrior, so an ordinary Rallying Cry suddenly contributes a meaningful amount of damage. The Pants also boost Skills that summon Ancients. Together with Bul-Kathos' Pride, this creates the crowded battlefield that makes the Build feel so different from a conventional melee Barbarian. Try to get the Pants early, then build your Cooldown Reduction around frequent Shout casts.

Tuskhelm of Joritz the Mighty is the second key Unique. Reapplying Berserking while already Berserk grants extra damage, Fury Regeneration and Cooldown Reduction. War Cry supplies Berserking through Mighty Roar, while Aspect of Anger Management on your Boots helps keep the effect running as long as Fury stays high enough. That makes the Tuskhelm useful for both the Ancients' damage and the speed of your rotation. Anger Management has a small Fury drain, so leave some room in your resource pool before using several Shouts back to back.

The Amulet carries Progenitor's Aspect, the strongest offensive slot for the Ancients themselves. One Ring gets Bold Chieftain's Aspect to shorten the Cooldowns of War Cry and Challenging Shout, while the other uses Aspect of Apogeic Furor. Casting either Ultimate reduces the Cooldowns of your other skills. Rallying Cry uses Fury in the Madawc variant, so it can be recast as your resource allows. This is why Mightiest Mighty Throw matters even though its own damage is secondary: it gives you another button that can bring the Shouts and Call of the Ancients back into play.

Barbarians have enough weapon slots to support several offensive Aspects at once. Put Crushing Aspect on a Legendary Two-Handed Mace to reward the Fortify from Rallying Cry. A Two-Handed Slashing Weapon with Aspect of Inner Calm adds a larger bonus during moments when you can stand your ground. The effect is especially attractive against bosses that stop moving for a few seconds. Assign Mighty Throw to the Two-Handed Mace and use Polearm Expertise in the Technique slot. Keep Conceited Aspect on one of your one-handed weapons; Iron Skin supplies the Barrier needed to activate it. The other one-handed weapon takes Vehement Brawler's Aspect for another strong damage window after every Ultimate.

For the final Legendary pieces, Edgemaster's Aspect belongs on Gloves. It rewards casting your summoning skills with a healthy Fury pool, which works well with the long intervals between your biggest attacks. Aspect of Heavenly Strength on Chest Armor supplies a valuable layer of Damage Reduction while your Two-Handed Mace is equipped for Mighty Throw. Shouts can draw attention from dangerous enemies, so the extra protection is appreciated when you stand near a boss to keep the entire group in range.

The setup is effective with Legendary weapons and the two central Uniques. For a late-game upgrade, The Grandfather can replace your Legendary Two-Handed Slashing Weapon. You give up Inner Calm and its stationary damage bonus in exchange for the Mythic sword's Critical Strike Damage. Against mobile bosses, this is a particularly attractive swap. Keep the other weapon Aspects in place, since all four Barbarian weapon slots contribute to the finished equipment setup.

All Legendary Aspects below fit into the main four-weapon setup. Progenitor goes on the Amulet, Apogeic Furor and Bold Chieftain on separate Rings, Crushing on the Two-Handed Mace, Inner Calm on the Two-Handed Slashing Weapon, Conceited and Vehement Brawler on the one-handed weapons, Edgemaster on Gloves, Heavenly Strength on Chest Armor and Anger Management on Boots. The Helm and Pants are occupied by their Unique items.

For offensive Affixes, prioritize Cooldown Reduction, Ranks to Call of the Ancients, Strength, Critical Strike Chance, Critical Strike Damage and Maximum Fury. Fury Per Second makes it easier to sustain Anger Management, especially in boss fights with little incoming damage. Look for Maximum Life, Armor and Resistance to All Elements on your defensive equipment. Cooldown Reduction and useful damage affixes are excellent Masterworking targets. A Greater Affix on the Tuskhelm's Maximum Life is a strong defensive upgrade.

Skills

15/15

Call of the Ancients

Primary DPS: Call of the Ancients summons Korlic, Talic and Madawc to tear through nearby enemies. The full Bul-Kathos set adds another warrior to the group, and the Empowered variant gives each Ancient an extra attack. The result is excellent sustained pressure against packed Elites and bosses that stay in one place.

Max the Skill and take Empowered, Damage Bonus and Ancient Attack Speed. Use the Ultimate just before a dangerous group and allow the Ancients time to attack before moving too far ahead.

15/15

Rallying Cry

Resource/Summon: Rallying Cry calls Madawc onto the battlefield while keeping your movement and Fury recovery comfortable. The Fortify upgrade supports Crushing Aspect, so even this seemingly defensive Shout contributes to your damage. With Arreat's Bearing and Bul-Kathos' Pride equipped, one press can bring several Ancients into the fight.

Choose Madawc, Fortify and Fury Gain. Activate it before engaging a large pack, then keep moving between targets to benefit from the Fury recovery.

4/15

War Cry

Damage/Summon: War Cry adds Korlic to the battlefield and boosts the damage of the entire group. Mighty Roar also grants Berserking, activating the Tuskhelm's Fury and Cooldown bonuses when Berserking is refreshed. It is one of the best skills to use before a fresh Call of the Ancients.

Invest four ranks in War Cry and select Korlic, Mighty Roar and Vulnerable. Open difficult encounters with War Cry and refresh it whenever Korlic is needed or your Berserking damage window is about to fall off.

15/15

Challenging Shout

Defense/Summon: Challenging Shout brings Talic into the fight while reducing incoming damage. Its Taunt can keep enemies close enough for the summoned warriors to hit, especially in narrow dungeon rooms. This is also the safest moment to position yourself near a dangerous Elite before the other Ancients arrive.

Take Talic, Fury Generation and Weaken. Use it when entering a heavy pack or immediately before a boss attack that could interrupt your rotation.

1/15

Mighty Throw

Secondary Ultimate: Mighty Throw provides an extra damage burst and, more importantly, a frequent Ultimate cast for Apogeic Furor. The Mightiest variant drops a huge weapon on your target and triggers the Cooldown reduction from your Ring. It can bring War Cry, Challenging Shout and Call of the Ancients back online sooner.

Select Mightiest, Barrier and Ferocity. The Mightiest version has its own short Cooldown that cannot be reduced by Cooldown Reduction. Use it regularly against Elites and bosses, particularly when your Shouts are still recovering.

15/15

Iron Skin

Utility/Defense: Iron Skin supplies a Barrier and a reliable way to survive an unexpected hit. The Barrier also activates Conceited Aspect on your one-handed weapon. With the Juggernaut upgrade, the Barbarian can break free of control effects and remain close enough to benefit from the Ancients' pressure.

Max Iron Skin and choose Juggernaut, Resolve and Maximum Life. Activate Iron Skin when entering a dangerous group, or save it for the moment a boss begins a heavy attack.

Core Rotation

Start with Rallying Cry to gain Fortify and improve Fury recovery, then use War Cry to apply Berserking and call Korlic. Follow with Challenging Shout when enemies are close enough for Talic to reach them. Once the pack has gathered, cast Call of the Ancients and allow your warriors to fill the room. Try to stay near the main target so the Ancients focus on the enemies that matter. You can use Iron Skin as you move into range, keeping Conceited Aspect active during the opening burst.

After the initial summons, use Mightiest Mighty Throw to deal damage and activate Apogeic Furor. The Cooldown reduction helps bring War Cry, Challenging Shout and Call of the Ancients back sooner, while Rallying Cry can be cast again once you have sufficient Fury. Fresh Ancients join the first group as your abilities become available. Maintain Berserking through War Cry and Anger Management, and keep enough Fury for the next Shout sequence. Against Bosses, hold your position during safe attack windows to benefit from Inner Calm; move out as soon as a dangerous mechanic begins. The biggest damage comes when several summoned Ancients are attacking the same target at once.

Miscellaneous

Paragon Board

Open with Warbringer for useful Fortify support as Fury moves through the rotation. Blood Rage is an excellent second priority for damage during Berserking, which the Tuskhelm and Anger Management help maintain. Carnage supports faster combat when several Ancients are attacking, while Decimator improves pressure against Vulnerable enemies after War Cry. Take efficient Legendary Nodes and Glyph sockets first, then fill in nearby Strength, Maximum Life and damage clusters.

For Glyphs, use Marshal, Ire, Exploit, Undaunted and Territorial. Marshal complements the frequent Shout casts, and Ire benefits the Berserking loop. Exploit strengthens the Vulnerable damage package, while Undaunted and Territorial add protection when you stand close to an Elite pack. Complete each Glyph's attribute requirement with nearby Paragon nodes.

Runes

Cir + Vex grants additional Skill Ranks after repeated Skill casts, a natural fit for the constant Shouts and Ultimates. Zan + Gar generates Offering through Ultimate casts and provides extra Critical Strike Chance. Both Runewords fit well into the repeated casting rhythm. Place each pair in a separate valid two-socket item.

Talisman

Bul-Kathos' Pride is the central Talisman set. Its two-piece bonus improves Ancient Skill damage and Cooldown Reduction, while the three-piece bonus grants Damage Reduction as you summon warriors. The complete five-piece set adds another Ancient whenever one is summoned and greatly increases Ancient Skill damage. These effects apply constantly because Rallying Cry, War Cry and Challenging Shout all summon Ancients in the main setup.

Equip Berú, Fer, Linta, Mlor and Phoba of Bul-Kathos' Pride. Favor Cooldown Reduction, Critical Strike Damage, Strength and useful defensive bonuses on the individual Charms. Extra Fury-related bonuses help with the small drain from Anger Management during long encounters.

Mercenary

Hire Raheir with Shield Charge, Raheir's Guard, Provoke and Mocking Lure. His defensive support gives the Barbarian more time to keep the Ancients on the target during dense fights.

Choose Aldkin as Reinforcement with Field of Languish, triggered when you cast a Skill, for additional control while the summoned Ancients attack.

Final Thoughts

The Call of the Ancients Barbarian turns a familiar Ultimate into an entire combat style. With Arreat's Bearing, Bul-Kathos' Pride and three Ancient-summoning Shouts, every encounter can fill with warriors swinging, spinning and crashing into enemies. Managing the Cooldowns takes practice, but the finished Build offers excellent damage, useful protection and a very different kind of Barbarian gameplay.

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