Build Introduction
The 
Twisting Blades Rogue leveling build rapidly impales foes with dual-wielded weapons. This is your leveling guide for Diablo 4, with the maximum Skill Point allocation at Level 60. Let us go over the build mechanics, character progression, and playstyle!
Twisting Blades deals high single-target damage with two hits per cast, and the returning blades can be used to kill multiple enemies at a time with proper positioning. This fast-paced leveling build is recommended for players preferring a melee playstyle.
Check the Rogue Leveling Guide Overview for a comparison of all the starter builds on Icy Veins.
Once your Rogue character reaches Level 60, switch to the endgame guide for Twisting Blades to continue this build.
Skill Tree Points and Skill Bar
Twisting Blades
Dash
Shadow Step
Puncture
Concealment
Shadow ImbuementThe following table shows the order in which to allocate your Skill Points while leveling with the Twisting Blades Rogue build. You gain 59 points at Level 60 and 12 points from Renown, for a total of 71.
Important respec step: Marksman Skills can not be used once you obtain 
Momentum. Reallocate 3 Skill Points spent in Puncture nodes to gain 
Blade Shift Rank 1, Enhanced Blade Shift, and Primary Blade Shift.
Twisting Blades Rogue Specialization
Once you reach Level 15, immediately complete the True Potential class questline to unlock the Rogue Specialization. Combo Points is the preferred specialization to unleash additional damage for Twisting Blades.
Build Mechanics and Playstyle
The Twisting Blade Rogue leveling build is more involved to play than most others. Twisting Blades damage is increased by several buffs to cause a devastating hit. Combo Points can be generated for additional damage. 
Shadow Imbuement turns the attack into Shadow damage. Finally, 
Concealment guarantees your opener to be a Critical Hit. After the first victim is impaled by Twisting Blades, 
Dash and 
Shadow Step are used to reposition around other enemies, so the returning blades can hit them. The flying blades retain the damage buffs of the initial impale, including the guaranteed Critical Hit!
Damage is increased further with 
Close Quarters Combat, 
Unstable Elixirs, 
Malice, 
Exploit, 
Precision Imbuement, and 
Impetus. Survivability is gained through 
Agile and 
Sturdy, while 
Siphoning Strikes sustain Life. Finally, 
Stutter Step and 
Haste speed up movement for faster farming.
AoE Damage Rotation
Explode groups of mobs with the following rotation.
- (Optional) Initiate combat with Shadow Step to close the gap, targeting the toughest opponent to Stun it.
- Use a Potion to activate the damage buff from Unstable Elixirs.
- Immediately activate both Concealment and Shadow Imbuement to buff your next attack.
- Cast Twisting Blades one or two times on the target, depending on how tough it is.
- Use Dash or Evade to move through any additional enemies so the returning blades pierce through them.
- Use
Puncture or 
Blade Shift to finish off any injured enemies, generate Energy, and build Combo Points for your next Twisting Blades. - Cast additional Twisting Blades on any remaining enemies with high health.
- Repeat the rotation when cooldowns are ready.
Single Target Damage Rotation
Use the following rotation against Bosses for high sustained single target DPS.
- (Optional) Close the gap to the target with Shadow Step.
- Use a Potion to activate the damage buff from Unstable Elixirs.
- Rapidly cast
Puncture or Blade Shift three times to build up Combo Points. - If not on cooldown, activate Concealment to guarantee the next Critical Hit.
- If not on cooldown, activate Shadow Imbuement for more damage.
- Cast Twisting Blades once on the target.
- Repeat the rotation. Get into the rhythm of casting 3 Basic attacks for Combo Points before each Twisting Blades.
Gear, Gems, Elixirs, and Stats
The following sections cover the important systems that are essential to improving the power of your character during the leveling process.
Legendary Aspects
Bladedancer’s Aspect can be unlocked in the Codex of Power by completing the Jalal’s Vigil dungeon in Scosglen. Visit the Occultist to imprint this Aspect onto an item for Twisting Blades to orbit you for a short time after they return. Imprint onto a Bow or Crossbow to gain a +100% bonus effect. You do not need to replace your ranged weapon often, as this build doesn’t use any ranged skills. A Crossbow with useful damage increase stats is preferred.
Higher Tier Aspects with stronger effects can be found on dropped Legendary Items. Salvage unwanted Legendary Items at the Blacksmith to unlock these Aspects in the Codex of Power, and then imprint them onto well-rolled Rare Items. Check the in-depth Aspect and Codex of Power guide for more information.
Listed below are all the Aspects found on Legendary Items that are important for the Twisting Blades Rogue leveling build. They are listed in order of priority. The best-in-slot Aspects List is in the Endgame Guide for Twisting Blades Rogue.
| Aspect Name | Legendary Aspect Power | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bladedancer’s Aspect | Twisting Blades orbit for a short time after they return to you, dealing [40 – 60%] of Twisting Blades’ return damage per hit. Based on the distance the blades returned, the orbit damage increases up to [20 – 30%] of the return damage. | Jalal’s Virgil, Scosglen |
 Slice and Dice Aspect | Twisting Blades’ initial hit cleaves. Twisting Blades returns 25-45% faster. | Random Drop Only |
| Edgemaster’s Aspect | Skills deal up to [10 – 20%] increased damage based on your available Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource. | Oldstones, Scosglen |
| Aspect of the Expectant | Attacking enemies with a Basic Skill increases the damage of your next Core Skill cast by [5 – 10%], up to 30%. | Underroot, Scosglen |
| Aspect of Retribution | Distant enemies have a 8% chance to be Stunned for 2 seconds when they hit you. You deal [20 – 40%] increased damage to Stunned enemies. | Abandoned Mineworks, Kehjistan |
 Ravager’s Aspect | Shadow Step has an additional Charge. Killing an enemy with Shadow Step refunds a Charge and increases the damage of Shadow Step by [1 – 6%] for 2 seconds, up to [5 – 30%]. | Random Drop Only |
 Aspect of Might | Basic Skills grant 20% Damage Reduction for [2 – 6] seconds | Dark Ravine, Dry Steppes |
| Rapid Aspect | Basic Skills gain [15 – 30%] Attack Speed. | Buried Halls, Dry Steppes |
| Accelerating Aspect | Critical Strikes with Core Skills increase your Attack Speed by [15 – 25%] for 3 seconds. | Random Drop Only |
Gems and Runewords
Listed below are the best Gems to socket into gear for each item type.
| Weapon Gems | Armor Gems | Jewelry Gems |
|---|---|---|
 Sapphire for increased Vulnerable Damage. |  Emerald for Dexterity. | Any Resistance Gems needed or  Skull for Armor (up to the 1,000 Armor cap). |
If you are playing the Season of Witchcraft (Season 7), visit Gelena at the Tree of Whispers to craft Occult Gems. The recommended Occult Gems are included in the Twisting Blades Rogue endgame build guide due to their high crafting costs.
Runes can drop during various activities, most notably at the end of Undercity runs. A Rune of Offering and a Rune of Invocation can be combined by inserting them into equipment with 2 available sockets, creating a Runeword. A limit of 2 Runewords can be equipped.
Listed below are the best Runewords utilizing Magic and Rare Runes that are beneficial for this build. The best-in-slot Runewords utilizing Legendary Runes are in the Endgame Guide for the Twisting Blades Rogue.
| Runewords | Effects |
|---|---|
 Yax  Tun | Gain: 200 Offering — Drink a Healing Potion. Requires: 100 Offering, Cooldown: 1 Second — Evoke the Rogue’s Stun Grenades, Stunning and dealing damage to enemies. |
 Feo Lac | Gain: 1000 Offering — Become Injured or Crowd Controlled (Cooldown: 10 seconds). Requires: 400 Offering, Cooldown: 1 Second — Evoke the Barbarian’s Challenging Shout, reducing your damage taken for 3 seconds. |
Elixirs
Visit the Alchemist in any main town to craft helpful Elixirs that increase stats and experience gain for 30 minutes. Make sure to forage plants for 
Bundled Herbs during your adventures; they randomly spawn around the world. Elixirs can also drop randomly from enemies and chests during many activities in Diablo 4.
Listed below are the best Elixirs to consume while leveling the Twisting Blades Rogue, ranked by importance.
Elixir of Resource greatly helps with Energy issues, if you do not already have the appropriate Energy gear. This elixir is highly recommended for starting characters to maintain casts of Core Skills.
Elixir of Precision provides the highest damage output increase, if not already capped at 100% Critical Strike Chance.
Elixir of Advantage increases damage output, if not already capped at 100% Attack Speed bonus from gear and Paragon.
Elixir of Fortitude is the best general-purpose option for survivability.
Return to the Alchemist every 10 Levels to upgrade your potion. The extra healing is essential to survival.
Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes
Listed below are the affixes to prioritize on gear during the early leveling of a Twisting Blades Rogue. Each line of affixes are listed in order of importance. Affixes on the same line are considered to be equally important, but their benefits may vary depending on how much is stacked compared to other character stats.
The Item Power of weapons determines its DPS and is the most important factor when searching for upgrades. The weapon type selection does not make a significant difference in the performance of this build. Equip Daggers if you prefer a faster-paced playstyle or Swords if you desire higher Damage per Hit. Bows and Crossbows provide comparable implicit stats.
Tempering Manuals are randomly dropped while leveling, and they need to be found to unlock their usage at the Blacksmith. Each manual has Magic, Rare, and Legendary rarities that determine the range of values available. Rare Items can inherit 1 tempering affix, while Legendary Items can inherit 2 tempering affixes from different categories.
The most beneficial tempering affixes while leveling are included below. If tempering materials (
Iron Chunk and 
Veiled Crystal) are limited, prioritize the Offensive and Resource categories. The best-in-slot tempering affixes are available in the Endgame Guide for the Twisting Blades Rogue.
| Slot | Gear Affixes | Tempering Affixes |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | 1. Vulnerable Damage 2. Maximum Life, Dexterity |  Elemental Surge: any affixNatural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Close Enemies |
| Helm | 1. Cooldown Reduction, Energy per Second, Ranks to Shadow Imbuement 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity, Lucky Hit Chance | Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Total Armor |
| Chest | 1. Energy per Second 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity | Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Total Armor |
| Gloves | 1. Ranks to Twisting Blades, Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Resource Cost Reduction, Maximum Life, Lucky Hit Chance | Natural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Close Enemies |
| Pants | 1. Resistances, Armor 2. Maximum Life, Dexterity | Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Total Armor |
| Boots | Implicit Stat: Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown 1. Movement Speed, Energy per Second 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Ranks to Dash, Maximum Life, Dexterity | Natural Motion (Mobility): Movement Speed |
| Amulet | 1. Ranks to Unstable Elixirs, Exploit, Malice, or Weapon Mastery 2. Cooldown Reduction, Attack Speed | Imbuement Abundance (Resource): Shadow Imbue Additional CastsNatural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Close Enemies |
| Rings | 1. Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed 2. Resource Cost Reduction, Critical Strike Damage, Vulnerable Damage, Resistances, Maximum Life 3. Dexterity, Lucky Hit Chance | Imbuement Abundance (Resource): Shadow Imbue Additional CastsNatural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Close Enemies |
Witchcraft Powers
In the Season of Witchcraft (Season 7), earn seasonal reputation to unlock Witchcraft Powers. Equip the following Witchcraft Powers to enhance this build during the leveling process. Lost Powers are not considered in this list due to the difficulty of finding them.
Doom Orb: Eldritch Power - An ominous orb of pure Eldritch energy circles you damaging any enemy it touches for [X] Fire damage. Doom Orb may launch itself at distant enemies before returning.
- Kills or damage to Bosses empower the orb’s damage by 5%. After 100%, the orb explodes dealing [X[] Fire damage to nearby enemies before reforming 3 seconds later.
Hex of Shattering: Psyche Power - Damage done by your Witchcraft Effects afflicts enemies with Hex of Shattering causing them to deal [20%] reduced damage for 5 seconds.
- At Rank 8: When any Hex Effect is applied to Headrotten, all damage will be guaranteed Critical Strikes for 5 seconds.
Soul Harvest: Growth and Decay Power - Whenever you use a Cooldown, you gain x1% Primary Core Stat per surrounding enemy. This bonus lasts for [15.5] seconds.
- While there are surrounding enemies, Soul Harvest has infinite duration.
Aura of Lament: Psyche Power - The first time you damage an enemy, you contaminate them with Aura of Lament for [31] seconds. Enemies within are Slowed by 70% and each grant you 3 Primary Resource each second. If its host dies, Aura of Lament transfers to a new one, retaining its duration.
- You can only create an Aura of Lament once every [31] seconds. Only 2 may exist at a time.
Aura of Misfortune: Growth and Decay Power - You inflict non-Boss enemies near you with Aura of Misfortune, Slowing them by 30%. When an affected monster would attack, they have a [31%] chance to stumble and do nothing instead.
- You gain +15% Movement Speed.
Aura of Siphoning: Growth and Decay Power - Conjure an aura of decay that deals [X] Poison damage to enemies every second.
- At Rank 10: Each time Aura of Siphoning deals damage, you are healed for 1% of Maximum Life.
Mercenaries
Once the Den is unlocked during the main questline in the Vessel of Hatred expansion for Diablo 4, complete Mercenary key quests to acquire them. Hire a Mercenary and enlist a Reinforcement in the following setup.
- Hired Mercenary: Varyana
- Skills:
Cleave, 
Hysteria, 
Bloodthirst, 
Bloodlust
- Skills:
- Reinforcement: Raheir
- Skill:
Bastion - Opportunity: Cast when the player becomes Injured
- Skill:
Paragon
After Character Level 60, experience gains are applied to Paragon up to Level 300. A maximum of 228 Paragon Points can be obtained through Paragon Levels, Renown, and Altars of Lilith. Follow the Paragon setup designed for the Twisting Blades Rogue to gain a considerable amount of progression for your character.
Glyphs are inserted into sockets on each Paragon board and can be found during various activities in Diablo 4. Level up the Glyphs included in the Paragon setup by completing The Pit. Clearing higher tiers of The Pit allows Glyphs to reach higher levels.
Important Notes:
- Make sure you select the correct Legendary Boards and rotate them into the proper orientation.
- Attach Legendary Boards in the order shown, as bonus requirements of Rare Nodes increase with their placement order.
- Prioritize leveling each of your equipped Glyphs to 15 to gain the increased radius, which can be required to meet additional bonus requirements. Afterward, level each Glyph to 46 to unlock its Legendary Bonus and gain another radius increase.
The Paragon setup displayed above focuses on quickly unlocking the essential Glyph sockets and Legendary Nodes at a moderate Paragon Level. Once the base setup is complete, allocate the remaining Paragon points in the following order.
- Obtain any remaining nodes providing a damage increase within the radius of Glyph sockets.
- Path to the remaining Rare and Magic nodes. Prioritize obtaining damage reduction, any needed Resistances/Armor, and damage increases.
- Any remaining points can be spent on Dexterity nodes within the radius of
Headhunter.
Changelog
- January 24, 2025: Recommended Witchcraft Powers that are easier to obtain while leveling.
- January 19, 2025: Guide updated for Season 7 (Patch 2.1.0).
- October 16, 2024: New Paragon tool added.
- October 4, 2024: Guide updated for Season 6 (Patch 2.0.2).
- August 6, 2024: Guide updated for Season 5 (Patch 1.5.0).
- May 14, 2024: Guide updated for Season 4 (Patch 1.4.0).
- January 22, 2024: Guide updated for Season 3 (Patch 1.3.0).
- October 17, 2023: Guide updated for Season 2 (Patch 1.2.0).
- July 18, 2023: Guide updated for Season 1.
