Nineteen Builds Shared S Tier in the Prelaunch Assessment
The January 21, 2024 endgame preview showed 19 S-tier builds across Diablo 4’s five original classes. It was published two days before Season of the Construct opened, and its author explicitly described the rankings as preliminary and driven mainly by patch notes.
In constant’s original Wowhead announcement, the former S+ tier was removed. Hammer of the Ancients and Ball Lightning remained among the leading expected options, even as fixes and the loss of the previous season’s Vampiric Powers changed the comparison.
The Complete S-Tier Selection by Class
These are the names pictured in the original image. HotA abbreviates Hammer of the Ancients. Each listed build has the same S grade; their order in a class row does not create an additional ranking.
| Class | Build names in the January 21 image |
|---|---|
| Barbarian | Double Swing; HotA; Immortal Heart; Upheaval; Walking Arsenal |
| Druid | Lightning Storm; Pulverize; Werewolf Tornado |
| Necromancer | Blood Lance; Bone Spear; Infinimist; Pentadot |
| Rogue | Flurry Rapid Fire; Lucky Rogue 2.0; Penetrating Shot; Twisting Blades |
| Sorcerer | Arc Lash; Ball Lightning; Meteor |
The displayed upward arrows identify Lightning Storm, Penetrating Shot and Meteor as moved-up entries. The image does not provide their earlier grades, damage measurements or clear times. It also preserves specific creator labels such as Lucky Rogue 2.0 and Immortal Heart; those names do not by themselves supply a complete allocation.
Ball Lightning and HotA Had Specific Fixes
Blizzard’s released Patch 1.3.0 notes, Build 49213, on January 23 identify actual changes behind the transition:
- Ball Lightning: Enhanced Ball Lightning’s attack rate was changed to increase with attack speed up to 25%. A separate bug-fix entry corrected unintended excess damage caused by the Enhanced upgrade.
- Hammer of the Ancients: a bug applied the Violent upgrade’s bonus even when Furious was selected. That unintended extra bonus was corrected.
These are different changes. An old HotA configuration should be checked for its selected upgrade, while an old Ball Lightning comparison should account for both the upgrade behavior and the damage fix. A shared S-tier prediction did not mean that either build retained every Season 2 interaction.
Two New Items Changed What a Build Name Could Mean
Meteor and Starfall Coronet
The new helm changed Meteor from a Mana-cost skill to two charges with an 11–6 second charge cooldown, and added three meteors around its target. A setup using that item had a different casting constraint from a character without it. The helm’s presence is therefore part of the comparison, rather than a detail that can be omitted from “Meteor build.”
Lightning Storm and Unsung Ascetic’s Wraps
These gloves added a strike whenever Lightning Storm grew, and caused its critical strikes to strike twice with an additional damage bonus. That documented interaction helps explain why equipment access mattered when reproducing a particular setup; it does not establish an independently measured reason for the publisher’s tier movement.
The Seneschal Added Another Configuration to Match
Blizzard’s Season 3 overview introduced a companion with two Governing Stones and six Tuning Stones: three supports for each governing ability. Duplicate stones could level those powers.
When reviewing a historical build demonstration, preserve the companion setup and stone levels alongside the character’s gear. Two characters with the same main attack could have different companion utility and progression. The official interface preview used for this article’s cover illustrates that separate configuration screen; it is not a universal recommended allocation.
Match the Build to the Activity Being Compared
The preview addressed broad endgame use, including bosses and dungeon pushing. It was not a timed leveling list or a record of completed maximum-tier runs. The historical Season 3 dungeon reference preserves the separate leveling selection and actual rotation. The Nightmare Vault reference explains the seasonal trap and Warding system.
Keep January 2024, Patch 1.3 and the intended activity attached to these names. Later guide revisions and current-season builds answer a different version of the game.
