Alongside the Sorcerer and Necromancer, the Rogue is one of the more versatile and powerful classes in Diablo 4. One of the qualities that makes playing as a Rogue compelling is the class' ability to operate as a ranged class or an up-close-and-personal DPS dealer with high dexterity and agility to quickly get in and out of enemy mobs. The Shadow Sniper is a purely ranged Rogue build that deals incredible damage thanks to the use of Shadow Imbuement to make everything on screen explode. Any Diablo 4 players looking to use the Rogue while also being capable of clearing mobs in a single attack should give the Shadow Sniper build a shot.
Alongside the Cold Archer build for the Rogue class, the Shadow Sniper is one of the better ranged skill mappings to be a ranged damage dealer in Diablo 4. The general principle behind the build is that players will want to invest points into the Shadow Imbuement skill as early as possible. Enemies who are then attacked by the Shadow Sniper are affected with shadow damage and will explode upon death, dealing waves of damage to any surrounding enemies. With one well-placed attack, the Shadow Sniper can be one of Diablo 4's most deadly builds.
Skills to Prioritize for the Shadow Sniper Build
Aside from the aforementioned Shadow Imbuement upon which the Shadow Sniper build is predicated and gets its name, the primary skill that serves as the anchor for the build is Penetrating Shot. This skill is powerful enough on its own but can be made even more powerful via the use of a bow with the Trickshot Aspect, which sends out two arrows at a 90-degree angle when Penetrating Shot hits an enemy. When combined with Shadow Imbuement, these arrows trigger explosions in tightly grouped enemy mobs and are capable of quickly eliminating most threats in Diablo 4's grueling gameplay aside from bosses.
Penetrating Shot - Penetrating Shot is the linchpin of the Shadow Sniper build and is currently one of the most powerful skills in the Diablo 4 meta thanks to the Trickshot Aspect and the Rogue's Combo Points Specialization. After initially hitting one enemy, Penetrating Shot continues to pass through to surrounding enemies and is great for tackling large mobs. When combined with the Trickshot Aspect, each successful hit sends out two additional arrows, making the skill even more deadly in its effectiveness.
Shadow Imbuement - Shadow Imbuement is the Shadow Sniper build's namesake and one of the few skills comparable to the Necromancer's Corpse Explosion in terms of instantly wiping large groups of enemies. Foes that have been affected by attacks with Shadow Imbuement will explode, dealing splash damage to anything in their vicinity. When combined with Penetrating Shot, Shadow Imbuement transforms every single attack from the Rogue into a domino effect of death. After initially allotting one point to the Shadow Imbuement skill, players will want to upgrade it to Enhanced and then Blended Shadow Imbuement for greater effect.
Forceful Arrow - Forceful Arrow is a great utility skill that will help the Rogue build up the combo points necessary to get the most out of each use of Penetrating Shot. Specializations in Diablo 4 are unlocked once reaching level 15 with any class, and the Rogue's Combo Points Specialization is essential for the Shadow Sniper build and should be used with virtually any other ranged Rogue build. Additionally, the Shadow Sniper is best optimized for clearing enemy mobs and needs a skill to help tackle Diablo 4's imposing bosses, with Forceful Arrow perfectly fitting the bill.
Dash - Dash is used primarily as a means to escape from danger when playing as a Rogue and is an essential mobility skill for the Shadow Sniper build. While most encounters will see players positioning themselves safely at the edges of the screen and attacking from a distance, enemy groups will occasionally close in on the player and require them to reposition to be able to fire off Penetrating Shot. It's in these scenarios where using Dash will be critical to surviving Diablo 4 as a Rogue.
How to Use the Shadow Sniper Build Against Diablo 4's Enemies and Bosses
The common strategy that players will use when encountering enemies is to use Forceful Arrow as a means of building combo points while also dealing ranged damage. Once players have built up enough combo points and are ready for Penetrating Shot, activating Shadow Imbuement will make the use of the Penetrating Shot skill especially deadly.
With the right application of Shadow Imbuement, Aspects, and Combo Points, one attack can be all it takes to wipe out an entire group of enemies in a single blow. Because it will take time to build up the effectiveness of that single deadly attack, players will want to use the Dash skill to get out of harrowing situations and gain the advantage over Diablo 4's escalating threats.
Dealing with bosses as the Shadow Sniper presents a bit of a challenge thanks to the build's primary skills relying on enemy explosions and splash damage. Without a steady supply of mob enemies, it becomes more difficult to get the most out of Penetrating Shot and Shadow Imbuement.
One alternative is to make sure that at least some skill points are slotted into Rapid Fire, which can be made more effective through the Combo Points specialization as well as using Forceful Arrow to debuff boss enemies with the Vulnerable status effect. The Rogue's Rain of Arrows or Death Trap ultimate skills will also help the Shadow Sniper handle the game's toughest enemies and should be used any time they're not on cooldown.
Diablo 4 will be available June 6th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.