Introduction

The Penetrating Shot is easily the strongest Rogue Skill currently available in the game. It is a very straightforward Skill that shoots an arrow that penetrates all Enemies on its way. What makes it truly powerful is the Shadow Shot upgrade, which creates additional Clones that use this Skill with you. Another great addition that alters your gameplay is the Eaglehorn Bow, which focuses greatly on the Penetrating Shot by doubling its Damage output, but also causes it to bounce off walls and other terrain, possibly hitting enemies again.

There are two Build-defining Imbuements you can choose. The Poison Imbuement offers slightly higher DoT DPS in the prolonged fights, while the Cold Imbuement offers tons of upfront Cold Damage, which enables much faster Clear Speed, better Crowd Control capabilities, and higher survivability. Both are capable of conquering every aspect of the game and pushing deep Pit levels. Our recommendation is the Cold variant due to its much more enjoyable gameplay style. 

The Cold Imbuement is very easy to sustain at all times, and it also automatically applies Vulnerability to your Enemies. The Azurewrath stores your Damage dealt to Frozen Enemies and explodes at the end of its duration, dealing all the stored Damage again, which easily obliterates any tougher Enemies surrounded by their allies. You will also deal a lot more Damage to Frozen Enemies thanks to the Aspect of Frozen Memories. 

The defensive side is also great thanks to the Rogue-specific Stealth mechanics. It naturally makes you harder to notice by enemies, but the Shrouded Gift Pants also grant you 40% Damage Reduction while Stealthed, and for 8 seconds after leaving it. You can also generate Fortify via Aspect of Mending Obscurity, which feeds into Crushing Aspect to gain tons of Damage. To push it further, you should equip the Legacy of the Sightless Set that greatly improves your Damage and survivability after breaking the Stealth. 

You can also visit this page to check our other Best Diablo 4 Builds

Skills

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Penetrating Shot

Primary DPS: Penetrating Shot is your main Skill to use; it fires a powerful Arrow that penetrates all Enemies on its way. Thanks to the Eaglethron Bow, it will also bounce from Walls, potentially hitting your foes again.  

At first, Ballista upgrade can be a bit stronger and might be easier to use due to slower Resource consumption, but once you obtain the Nightstalker's Aspect, the Shadow Shot overshadows its competition. 

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Cold Imbuement

Utility/Offence: The Cold Imbuement is the major focus of this Setup. Additional Ranks do not provide a direct Damage upgrade, but allow you to stack up Freeze faster, which leads to much stronger burst and snappier gameplay. 

The Frozen Heart provides a Vulnerability Debuff, but also prolongs the duration of this Buff, allowing you to keep it up permanently. The Cooldown upgrade also helps with that. The Overpower grants you a stack when you Freeze an opponent, further highlighting the importance of that status. 

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Dash

Utility/Mobility: Your main movement ability is Dash. It features the shortest Cooldown and provides Stealth.  

The Primer upgrade not only provides Stealth, but also Ferocity stacks. Critical Strike Chance provides further bonus for your DPS if you Dash through Enemies, and the Cooldown upgrade allows you to do it more frequently.  

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Shadow Step

Utility/Mobility: The Shadow Step is also your mobility tool, but used mostly for escape or traversing through blocked terrain.  

The Artifice creates a clone that Taunts enemies off you, while Unstoppable allows you to ignore Crowd Control effects. You already have a source of Vulnerability, so the Cooldown upgrade is a better choice. 

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Dark Shroud

Utility/Def: The Dark Shroud is a defensive tool, but it also boosts your Damage. It summons Shadows that reduce the Damage you take. This Skill should be triggered by Runewords.

With the Overflow upgrade, it also boosts your Energy Regeneration, which is very important for the endless spam of Penetrating Shots. Make sure to pick the Consume upgrade for better uptime, and Critical for higher DPS while it lasts. 

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Concalement

Utility/Def: Another important tool in your arsenal is Concealment, but it also should be automated via Shrouded Gift Pants. It is essential for your survivability. 

Thanks to the Calculation upgrade, you will also gain bonus Critical Strike Chance. Other bonuses do not apply, since you are not casting this Skill manually. 

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Smoke Grenade

Utility/Def: The Smoke Grenade is the only defensive Skill you will be using yourself. Use it when you are in danger. 

The Silhouette removes the Daze Debuff, but grants you nearly permanent Stealth. Increase Duration prolongs it, but the Size upgrade is also a good option that allows you to maneuver more. Pick additional Charge to always have an ace in your sleeve. 

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Shadow Clone

Utility/Offence: As your Ultimate ability, pick the Shadow Clone. Thanks to your other upgrades and Aspects, the Clones are very powerful.  

The Awakening turns this Skill into a more passive boost, so you don't even have to remember to press it often. You might want to time it strategically, as it also grants you Unstoppable and generates Resolve. 

Core Rotation

It is a very simple rotation; you only have to use the Penetrating Shot and imbue it with the Cold Imbuement whenever it's ready to use. Dash and Shadow Step provide unmatched mobility. While in danger or fighting more powerful enemies, use Smoke Grenade and Shadow Clone. 

Miscellaneous

Paragon Board

The Exploit Weakness is an obvious choice thanks to the automatic Vulnerability application on your Cold Imbuement. The Leyrana's Instinct is a must-have due to the immense Core Skill bonus, but it also synergises well with your burst window granted by the Inner Sight. Similarly, Cheap Shot offers massive Damage based on your crowd-control effects. Lastly, the Eldritch Bounty offers both a massive amount of Damage and great Resistances against Elements. 

The Fluidity Glyph is vital for your global damage uptime, as it improves your Energy Regeneration. Another very important Glyph is the Canny Glyph, which grants a massive amount of Damage for non-Physical Damage types. Both Control and Devious are great options for a crowd-control-focused build, making it a mandatory choice in the endgame. Lastly, the Eclipse is a great supplement for your Shade Skills, which your Penetration Shot achieves through the Shadow Shot upgrade. 

Runes 

The Cir + Mot is a mandatory setup, as it generates Shadows for the Dark Shroud Skill, allowing you to stay safe without any extra effort. 

The Neo + Gar combo greatly rewards you for proper positioning and skillful gameplay, as avoiding getting damaged by enemies will grant you up to 10% Critical Strike Chance, which is a massive boon. 

Inner Sight

The Inner Sight provides an insane burst of Damage once you fill the gauge. It grants you Crit Chance and Damage, but most importantly, it restores your Energy and removes its costs for 4 seconds, allowing you to burst down any enemy in the game with ease. 

Mercenary.

The Subo provides unmatched utility through the Seeker ability. You can get Damage from other sources, while the free map reveal is not available anywhere else in the game. That said, the Cover Fire and Opening Fire still provide a decent boost to your DPS. 

To balance it out, pick the Raheir with the Bastion ability, ideally triggered once you become Injured. It pairs extremely well with your gameplay style.