If you're up for a challenge and ready to take on Diablo 4's Hardcore Race to 100, you'll need to strategize and choose the best classes before diving into this battle. The risks are high, where your character is permanently deleted if you die in the game, even once. If you're serious about overcoming this obstacle, you don't want to rush in too fast without a plan.

You need to consider not only DPS but also a class with a blatant advantage in all areas. Skill is a huge factor in this race since there are players who made it so far ahead of their competition with an unexpected class choice. But if it's your first time, you're better off picking the safest option.

Updated April 09, 2024, by Jon Eakin: Diablo 4 continues to roll out new seasons regularly, providing new mechanics and opportunities to race to the top of the Hardcore leaderboard. Even though this guide can't account for every seasonal change, it serves as a starting point on your Hardcore journey.

5. Necromancer

Any class can be used to finish Hardcore in Diablo 4, but it will take a certain level of skill and strategy to make use of some classes. This is the case with the Necromancer. If you choose a Necromancer, you can find reassurance that there were two Necromancers in Season One's leaderboard for the Hardcore Race. Everything's possible.

Using a Necromancer for Hardcore will prove tougher for most players than other classes. Necromancers can take advantage of their minions. Skills like Bone Storm and Blood Mist have proven successful for top players; however, this class lacks the best defensive skills and has zero mobility skills.

Mobility skills and great defensive capabilities are essential to tackling Hardcore, and the sheer lack of these in the Necromancer class can spell trouble for many. It might lead to the permanent deletion of their character. To have a chance at surviving, we recommend emulating top players and perhaps using the skills they're using.

Focus your passive skills on healing abilities. You can also use buffs to help your minions. Speaking of minions, try using a Blood Golem. They can take a lot of damage for you. Minions that can impede enemies' mobility can also prove extremely helpful, like Ice Mages.

Necromancer may not be the fastest path to completing your Hardcore journey, but it can be one of the safest. Surrounding yourself with minions and leaning heavily into that build can keep most enemies too busy to focus on you.

4. Rogue

Exceptional players for the Rogue class can deal impressive DPS, especially with a skill like Twisting Blades. The downside to using the Rogue is their lack of good defensive skills. Skilled players can leverage their damage, agility, and mobility capabilities, but there's a high risk of dying at any time.

The second player on Hardcore Season One's leaderboard is a rogue, so nothing is impossible. But if you choose this class for Hardcore, you are potentially in for a challenge.

Skills like Dash can be particularly helpful for dealing critical damage and lowering your opponents' life bars quickly. Twisting Blades is great for fighting hordes of enemies and bosses.

Combine it with a skill like Poison Trap, which can immobilize opponents, and you can go far, but you're still completely open to any foe you might overlook because of the lack of reliable defense. Rapid DPS and crowd control are great, but it doesn't outweigh the risk in Hardcore.

3. Barbarian

A tanky class like the Barbarian is recommended for tackling Hardcore in Diablo 4. Barbarians have escape capabilities, great for avoiding death in Hardcore. They have excellent defense and offense skills, making them extremely enduring and lethal.

Skills like Rage, Wrath of The Berserker, Whirlwind, Rallying Cry, and Challenging Shout are all great for offense and defense. The downside is their reliance on melee attacks, increasing their risk during battle.

If you balance attacks with defensive strategies, dodging, and escaping, you can subdue enemies before they can even lay a hand on you. With a good build, your Barbarian can become immensely strong and hard to kill.

For example, create a build that relies on Thorns and Max Life. Your Thorns damage combined with Challenging Shout can deal damage equivalent to around thirty percent of your Max Life, helping you stack life while increasing your damage output.

2. Druid

As a shape-shifter, Druids are a great and safe class for Hardcore. The top spot in Hardcore Season One is held by a Druid player. Druids can deal great damage, balanced by their excellent defensive and healing capabilities. Druids can survive Hardcore with more ease compared to other classes.

Druids have skills that can activate Fortify, maintaining a high health bar. Couple this with defense capabilities and the cheat death skill, and you've got a character with potential to reach 100 without much risk of dying.

A popular build for Hardcore is the Pulverize Druid Build. Use skills like Debilitating Roar for bonus damage and Pulverize for offense. Skills like Trample can immobilize foes, followed by heavy damage from your attacks.

With six druids in the top twenty-five of Hardcore's Season One, Druids are a reassuring choice for tackling Hardcore.

1. Sorcerer

The Sorcerer class is a top choice for many Hardcore players. Their ranged combat style makes it harder for them to die compared to other classes. There are four Sorcerers in the top twenty-five of the leaderboard.

Maximize the use of Flame Shield and Enchant for efficient gameplay. Flame Shield as your enhanced skill allows you to use the cheat death skill once every 120 seconds, a lifesaver. This, coupled with ranged attacks, makes evading lethal attacks easier.

Use a strong build like the Arc Lash Sorcerer. Utilize skills like Frost Nova to immobilize enemies and render their attacks futile. Skills like Teleport make your character almost untouchable.

Conclusion

Choosing the right class for Diablo 4's Hardcore mode is crucial for survival. Whether you opt for the tanky Barbarian, the versatile Druid, the damage-dealing Rogue, the minion-mastering Necromancer, or the ranged Sorcerer, each class offers unique strengths and challenges. Plan your build carefully, Boost your Diablo 4 experience with top-tier gold and items, and aim for the top of the Hardcore leaderboard. Happy hunting!