Build Introduction
The Twisting Blades Rogue leveling build rapidly impales foes with dual-wielded weapons. This is your leveling guide for Diablo 4, with the maximum Skill Point allocation at Level 60. Let us go over the build mechanics, character progression, and playstyle!
Twisting Blades deals high single-target damage with two hits per cast, and the returning blades can be used to kill multiple enemies at a time with proper positioning. This fast-paced leveling build is recommended for players preferring a melee playstyle.
Check the Rogue Leveling Guide Overview for a comparison of all the starter builds on Icy Veins.
Once your Rogue character reaches Level 60, switch to the endgame guide for Twisting Blades to continue this build.
Quick Navigation
Want to skip ahead? Use the table below to jump to sections.
Allocation of Skill Points
The following table shows the order in which to allocate your Skill Points while leveling with the Twisting Blades Rogue build. You gain 59 points at Level 60 and 12 points from Renown, for a total of 71.
Important respec step: Marksman Skills can not be used once you obtain Momentum. Reallocate 3 Skill Points spent in Puncture nodes to gain Blade Shift Rank 1, Enhanced Blade Shift, and Primary Blade Shift.
Skill Bar and Skill Tree Points
If you are unsure on how to use these Skills, read the Build Mechanics section after setting up your Skill Bar.
Wondering what comes after Level 60 or which Paragon boards to pick? Head to the Rogue Builds page and choose an endgame build to continue your character progression.
Rogue Class Mechanic – Specialization
Once you reach Level 15, immediately complete the True Potential class questline to unlock the Rogue Specialization. Combo Points is the preferred specialization to unleash additional damage for Twisting Blades.
Gear, Stats, Gems, and Runes
The following sections cover the important systems that are essential to improving the power of your character during the leveling process. Higher Item Power generally indicates stronger gear, but you should also consider the affixes and effects that are relevant to your class and build.
Legendary Aspects
Bladedancer’s Aspect can be unlocked in the Codex of Power by completing the Jalal’s Vigil dungeon in Scosglen. Visit the Occultist to imprint this Aspect onto an item for Twisting Blades to orbit you for a short time after they return. Imprint onto a Bow or Crossbow to gain a +100% bonus effect. You do not need to replace your ranged weapon often, as this build doesn’t use any ranged skills. A Crossbow with useful damage increase stats is preferred.
Higher Tier Aspects with stronger effects can be found on dropped Legendary Items. Salvage unwanted Legendary Items at the Blacksmith to unlock these Aspects in the Codex of Power, and then imprint them onto well-rolled Rare Items. Check the in-depth Aspect and Codex of Power guide for more information.
Listed below are all the Aspects found on Legendary Items that are important for the Twisting Blades Rogue leveling build. They are listed in order of priority. For the best results, combine these Aspects with the ideal Stat Priorities. The best-in-slot Aspects List is in the Endgame Guide for Twisting Blades Rogue.
| Aspect Name | Legendary Aspect Power | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bladedancer’s Aspect | Twisting Blades orbit for a short time after they return to you, dealing [40 – 60%] of Twisting Blades’ return damage per hit. Based on the distance the blades returned, the orbit damage increases up to [20 – 30%] of the return damage. | Jalal’s Virgil, Scosglen |
| Slice and Dice Aspect | Twisting Blades’ initial hit cleaves. Twisting Blades returns 25-45% faster. | Random Drop Only |
| 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. | Oldstones, Scosglen |
| 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%. | Underroot, Scosglen |
| Aspect of Retribution | Distant enemies have a 8% chance to be Stunned for 2 seconds when they hit you. You deal [20 – 40%] increased damage to Stunned enemies. | Abandoned Mineworks, Kehjistan |
| 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%]. | Random Drop Only |
| Aspect of Might | Basic Skills grant 20% Damage Reduction for [2 – 6] seconds | Dark Ravine, Dry Steppes |
| Rapid Aspect | Basic Skills gain [15 – 30%] Attack Speed. | Buried Halls, Dry Steppes |
| Accelerating Aspect | Critical Strikes with Core Skills increase your Attack Speed by [15 – 25%] for 3 seconds. | Random Drop Only |
Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes
Listed below are the affixes to prioritize on gear during the early leveling of a Twisting Blades Rogue, ranked by importance. Affixes on the same line have equal value, so attempt to obtain all affixes in each line before moving on to the next.
The Item Power of weapons determines its DPS and is the most important factor when searching for upgrades. The weapon type selection does not make a significant difference in the performance of this build. Equip Daggers if you prefer a faster-paced playstyle or Swords if you desire higher Damage per Hit. Bows and Crossbows provide comparable implicit stats.
The most beneficial tempering affixes while leveling are included below. The best-in-slot tempering affixes are available in the Endgame Guide for the Twisting Blades Rogue. Check the Tempering Guide for more information on this system.
| Slot | Gear Affixes | Tempering Affixes |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | 1. Vulnerable Damage 2. Maximum Life, Dexterity | Elemental Surge: any affix Natural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Close Enemies |
| Helm | 1. Cooldown Reduction, Energy per Second, Ranks to Shadow Imbuement 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity, Lucky Hit Chance | Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Total Armor |
| Chest | 1. Energy per Second 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity | Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Total Armor |
| 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 Close Enemies |
| Pants | 1. Resistances, Armor 2. Maximum Life, Dexterity | Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Total Armor |
| Boots | Implicit Stat: Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown 1. Movement Speed, Energy per Second 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Ranks to Dash, Maximum Life, Dexterity | Natural Motion (Mobility): Movement Speed |
| Amulet | 1. Ranks to Unstable Elixirs, Exploit, Malice, or Weapon Mastery 2. Cooldown Reduction, Attack Speed | Imbuement Abundance (Resource): Shadow Imbue Additional Casts Natural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Close Enemies |
| 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 Close Enemies |
↑ Back to Legendary Gear Table
Gems and Runewords
Listed below are the best Gems and Runes to socket into gear for each item type.
Gems
| Weapon Gems | Armor Gems | Jewelry Gems |
|---|---|---|
| Sapphire for increased Vulnerable Damage. | Emerald for Dexterity. | Any Resistance Gems needed or Skull for Armor (up to the 1,000 Armor cap). |
Runewords
Runes are drop after unlocking them during the Vessel of Hatred campaign. A Rune of Offering and a Rune of Invocation can be combined by inserting them into equipment with 2 available sockets, creating a Runeword. A limit of 2 Runewords can be equipped.
Listed below are the best Runewords utilizing Magic and Rare Runes that are beneficial for this build. The best-in-slot Runewords utilizing Legendary Runes are in the Endgame Guide for the Twisting Blades Rogue.
| Runewords | Effects |
|---|---|
| Yax Tun | Gain: 200 Offering — Drink a Healing Potion. Requires: 100 Offering, Cooldown: 1 Second — Evoke the Rogue’s Stun Grenades, Stunning and dealing damage to enemies. |
| Feo Lac | Gain: 1000 Offering — Become Injured or Crowd Controlled (Cooldown: 10 seconds). Requires: 400 Offering, Cooldown: 1 Second — Evoke the Barbarian’s Challenging Shout, reducing your damage taken for 3 seconds. |
Boss Powers (Season 8)
In the Season of Belial’s Return (Season 8), Boss Powers can be equipped to enhance your character. Unlocking specific powers for a build is challenging due to their random appearance, so utilize any that provide the most damage. Check the Endgame Guide for the Twisting Blades Rogue for the best-in-slot setup of Boss Powers.
Mercenaries
Once the Den is unlocked during the main questline in the Vessel of Hatred expansion for Diablo 4, complete the Mercenary key quests to acquire them. Hire a Mercenary and enlist a Reinforcement in the following setup.
- Hired Mercenary: Varyana
- Skills: Cleave, Hysteria, Bloodthirst, Bloodlust
- Reinforcement: Raheir
- Skill: Bastion
- Opportunity: Cast when the player becomes Injured
Build Mechanics
The Twisting Blade Rogue leveling 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. After the first victim is impaled by Twisting Blades, Dash and Shadow Step are used to reposition around other enemies, so the returning blades can hit them. The flying blades retain the damage buffs of the initial impale, including the guaranteed Critical Hit!
Damage is increased further with Close Quarters Combat, Unstable Elixirs, Malice, Exploit, Precision Imbuement, and Impetus. Survivability is gained through Agile and Sturdy, while Siphoning Strikes sustain Life. Finally, Stutter Step and Haste speed up movement for faster farming.
Rotation and Playstyle
AoE Damage Rotation
Explode groups of mobs with the following rotation.
- (Optional) Initiate combat with Shadow Step to close the gap, targeting the toughest opponent to Stun it.
- Use a Potion to activate the damage buff from Unstable Elixirs.
- Immediately activate both Concealment and Shadow Imbuement to buff your next attack.
- Cast Twisting Blades one or two times on the target, depending on how tough it is.
- Use Dash or Evade to move through any additional enemies so the returning blades pierce through them.
- Use Puncture or Blade Shift to finish off any injured enemies, generate Energy, and build Combo Points for your next Twisting Blades.
- Cast additional Twisting Blades on any remaining enemies with high health.
- Repeat the rotation when cooldowns are ready.
Single Target Damage Rotation
Use the following rotation against Bosses for high sustained single target DPS.
- (Optional) Close the gap to the target with Shadow Step.
- Use a Potion to activate the damage buff from Unstable Elixirs.
- Rapidly cast Puncture or Blade Shift three times to build up Combo Points.
- If not on cooldown, activate Concealment to guarantee the next Critical Hit.
- If not on cooldown, activate Shadow Imbuement for more damage.
- Cast Twisting Blades once on the target.
- Repeat the rotation. Get into the rhythm of casting 3 Basic attacks for Combo Points before each Twisting Blades.
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 for Bundled Herbs 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 while leveling the Twisting Blades Rogue, ranked by importance.
- 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 casts of Core Skills.
- 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 Fortitude is the best general-purpose option for survivability.
Return to the Alchemist every 10 Levels to upgrade your potion. The extra healing is essential to survival.
Season 8 Updates
A brief summary of the seasonal changes are provided below. For a complete overview of Season 8, take a look at the comprehensive season guide.
- Fists of Fate no longer applies random crowd controls.
- Worldly Fortune can no longer apply any crowd control tempers.
- Aspect of Concussive Strikes no longer provides increased damage.
- Frostbitten Aspect is now in the Offensive category.
- Trick Attacks
- Previous: Dazing or Stunning an enemy increases your Critical Strike Chance by 2/4/6% and Critical Strike Damage by 2/4/6% for 5 seconds, up to 12/24/36%.
- Now: Attempting to Daze or Stun an enemy increases your Critical Strike Chance by 1/2/3% and Critical Strike Damage by 1/2/3% for 8 seconds, up to 5/10/15%.
Difficulty and Endgame
Once you hit Level 60 with this build, tackle harder difficulties and more challenging endgame content. Make sure to pick one of our recommended endgame builds for Rogue to continue your journey! The endgame builds also cover the Paragon setup unlocked at Level 60.
Changelog
- April 26, 2025: Guide updated for Season 8 (Patch 2.2.0).
- January 19, 2025: Guide updated for Season 7 (Patch 2.1.0).
- October 4, 2024: Guide updated for Season 6 (Patch 2.0.2).
- August 6, 2024: Guide updated for Season 5 (Patch 1.5.0).
- May 14, 2024: Guide updated for Season 4 (Patch 1.4.0).
- January 22, 2024: Guide updated for Season 3 (Patch 1.3.0).
- October 17, 2023: Guide updated for Season 2 (Patch 1.2.0).
- July 18, 2023: Guide updated for Season 1.
