The Spiritborn is one of the most unique and exciting classes in Diablo 4, introduced with the Vessel of Hatred expansion. Often compared to the Witch Doctor from Diablo 3 due to their mystical, spirit-focused powers, Spiritborn trades voodoo magic for powerful spirit animals to unleash devastating damage and control the battlefield.
In Season 8, with major buffs and new mechanics to bosses, the Spiritborn has become a top-tier choice for both endgame PvE and PvP. The Quill Volley build, in particular, has surged back into prominence after some nerfs in Season 7. This build capitalizes on the Spiritborn’s excellent mobility, high damage output, and survivability, making it versatile and powerful.
If you’re looking to master the Spiritborn this season, here’s the definitive guide on how to craft and optimize the Quill Volley build.
Why Quill Volley Is the Best Spiritborn Build in Season 8
Quill Volley is a ranged skill where the Spiritborn releases a volley of razor-sharp quills that pierce through enemies, dealing high damage over time. What makes it exceptional this season is the synergy with the Spiritborn’s Spirit Hall buffs and other supportive skills like Scourge and The Hunter.
This build excels at clearing large groups of mobs quickly, performing well in the challenging endgame content such as pits, world bosses, and the new seasonal mechanics. It also offers strong mobility and crowd control, making it viable for PvP encounters where positioning and burst damage are key.
Core Skills and Skill Point Allocation
Skill allocation is essential for maximizing damage and survivability. Here’s how to prioritize your skills for the Quill Volley build:
Active Skills to Focus On:
Quill Volley: Your primary damage dealer. Max this out early and invest points in upgrades that increase damage, pierce, and attack speed.
Scourge: A secondary damage skill that can help with crowd control and trigger your mercenary’s Earth Breaker.
The Hunter: Provides mobility and utility, letting you reposition quickly or escape dangerous situations.
Passive Skills:
Focus on passives that boost:
Damage over time effects
Spirit Hall synergy (which enhances your buffs)
Movement speed and evasion to stay alive longer
Cooldown reduction on Quill Volley for more frequent volleys
Spirit Hall: Your Unique Class Power
Spiritborn’s Spirit Hall allows you to select two spirit animals that grant powerful buffs:
Primary Spirit Animal – Gorilla: Grants a protective barrier and applies a stack of thorns to attackers, significantly improving survivability.
Secondary Spirit Animal – Jaguar: Boosts your Ferocity by 1 every time you kill an enemy or damage a boss, increasing your damage output steadily.
This combination balances offense and defense, keeping you tanky while your damage ramps up.
Paragon Board Progression
At level 60, you’ll enter the Paragon Board system, where traditional leveling stops and you focus on unlocking nodes for stats and class bonuses.
Recommended Glyphs to Pursue:
Canny – Increases critical hit chance and damage.
Talon – Boosts your attack speed and damage output.
Spirit – Enhances Spirit Hall bonuses.
Revenge – Improves damage reflection and counterattacks.
Colossal – Boosts damage against elite enemies and bosses.
While there’s no single perfect path, aim to unlock these glyphs as they synergize well with the Quill Volley and Spiritborn’s overall playstyle.
Best Mercenaries for the Quill Volley Spiritborn
Mercenaries are a fantastic new addition in the Vessel of Hatred expansion and can significantly enhance your build.
Primary Mercenary: Raheir
Role: Tank/Defender
Skills: Valiance, Shield Charge, and Crater
Passive Skills: Raheir’s Guard (boosts armor), Iron Wolf’s Call (boosts damage)
Raheir helps by drawing aggro, protecting you from large groups of enemies, and providing some crowd control.
Reinforcement: Varyana
Skill: Earth Breaker (set to trigger every time you cast Scourge)
Role: Crowd control and damage support
Varyana stuns enemies with Earth Breaker, allowing your Quill Volley to shred immobile foes efficiently.
Best Boss Powers to Hunt in Season 8
Since Season 8 emphasizes boss farming with stronger but more rewarding bosses, picking the right Boss Powers is crucial.
Look for Boss Powers that:
Increase damage over time or critical strike damage
Enhance survivability through shields or healing
Boost your Spiritborn-specific damage modifiers (especially those related to Quill Volley or Spirit Hall)
Prioritize powers that enhance both your offensive and defensive capabilities to survive tougher bosses while dealing massive damage.
Essential Gear and Legendary Aspects
Endgame success in Diablo 4 often hinges on having the right gear with the best Legendary and Mythic Aspects applied.
If you’re ahead of the curve with your Diablo 4 gold and Diablo 4 items, now it’s time to perfect your build.
