Support Barbarian Guide

The Support Barbarian (Bo Barb) is a specialized utility build focused on providing powerful party buffs and crowd control rather than dealing damage. Battle Orders provides massive life and mana bonuses to the entire party while Shout grants defense and Battle Command adds skill levels. This essential build excels at enhancing party effectiveness and survivability, offering a "battlefield commander" playstyle that makes every party member significantly more powerful through barbarian war cries and utility skills.

First thing to do is allocate 1 point in the following Skills: Bash, Sword Mastery, Axe Mastery, Mace Mastery, Polearm Mastery, Throwing Mastery, Spear Mastery, Howl, Taunt, Battle Cry, Grim Ward, War Cry, Find Potion, Find Item, Leap, Leap Attack, Concentrate, Berserk, Whirlwind, Iron Skin, Natural Resistance, and Increased Stamina. After this max out the following Skills: Battle Orders, Shout, Battle Command, Find Item. With your extra points, max out War Cry for crowd control utility and then Natural Resistance for personal survivability while supporting the party.

When it comes to your Attributes, start with acquiring a Hellfire Torch and an Annihilus Charm. Put those in your inventory and then add Strength, enough to wear your gear. Dexterity should be minimal unless needed for gear requirements. Energy can be useful for maintaining war cry spam, but gear can compensate. The rest of your points should go into Vitality for maximum survivability to stay alive and continue providing buffs to the party.

Best Weapon choices include Heart of the Oak Runeword in a Flail for +3 All Skills, Faster Cast Rate, and resistances to maximize buff effectiveness, or Call to Arms Runeword for +1 All Skills, Battle Orders, and Battle Command procs. Spirit Runeword is an excellent budget option with +2 Skills and Faster Cast Rate. Shield wise, Spirit Monarch is Best in Slot for +2 Skills, Faster Cast Rate, and resistances to enhance all war cry buffs. Lidless Wall is a budget alternative with +1 Skills and Faster Cast Rate. When it comes to your Armor, Enigma Runeword in a Mage Plate base is Best in Slot for +2 Skills and Teleport utility for positioning and escape. Skin of the Vipermagi is excellent for +1 Skills and 30% Faster Cast Rate. Stealth Runeword provides budget Faster Cast Rate and movement. Helmet, Harlequin Crest is ideal for +2 Skills, Life, and Mana to maximize buff effectiveness, or Lore Runeword as a budget +1 Skills option. For Gloves, Magefist provides +1 Fire Skills and 20% Faster Cast Rate for war cry casting, or Trang-Oul's Claws for 20% Faster Cast Rate and Cold Resist. For the Belt, Arachnid Mesh is perfect for +1 Skills and 20% Faster Cast Rate to enhance all buffs, or Goldwrap as a budget option with useful stats. When it comes to Boots, War Traveler for Magic Find and 30% Faster Run/Walk for positioning, or Sandstorm Trek for Faster Hit Recovery and poison resist. Rings, Stone of Jordan provides +1 Skills and mana for war cry spam, pair with Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band for +1 Skills and Life Leech. Amulet you can opt for Mara's Kaleidoscope for +2 Skills and resistances, or a rare amulet with +2 Barbarian Skills, Faster Cast Rate, and resistances.

For your inventory, focus on Barbarian Skill Charms with +Warcries Skills and life bonuses to maximize buff effectiveness. Small Charms with 7% Magic Find and resistances or life and resistances for party farming efficiency. Faster Cast Rate Small Charms help reach breakpoints for quick rebuffing. Mana Small Charms support war cry spam. Gheeds Fortune for Magic Find, Gold Find, and reduced vendor prices for the entire party's benefit.

Mercenary wise, an Act 2 Nightmare Defensive mercenary with Holy Freeze Aura provides excellent crowd control support for the party. For Weapon, Insight Runeword in a Thresher base provides Meditation Aura for party mana support, or Pride Runeword for Concentration Aura to boost party damage. Helmet options include Vampire Gaze for Damage Reduction and Life Leech survivability, or Andariel's Visage for Attack Speed and Strength. Armor you want Fortitude Runeword in an Ethereal Sacred Armor base for mercenary survivability, or Treachery Runeword for Attack Speed and Fade proc to keep your support mercenary alive during party combat.