A wealth of information has been revealed about the three out of five classes confirmed for Diablo 4. Players can already start picking the classes apart and pondering what's for them, but it only takes a moment's analysis to realize there's some important areas missing. There's no Dexterity class in the roster yet, and ranged options in general are particularly lacking. Diablo is traditionally very well balanced on this front, so surely a ranged Dexterity class is on the way. If Blizzard doesn't create a new Dexterity class for the upcoming game, one recent option seems particularly viable for Diablo 4: the Demon Hunter.
Hailing from Diablo 3, the Demon Hunter is exactly the kind of character that's missing. This fearsome ranged class is masterful with bows and crossbows, hailing arrows on unholy creatures in an eternal quest for vengeance. It's exactly the kind of ranged physical damage dealer that the game needs. Although the class may be somewhat technical, its design stands out from just about all other Diablo classes, and the Demon Hunter is really worth reviving for the next game.
Walking the Line
Every Diablo class spends some kind of resource to use its abilities, but the Demon Hunter is unique in that it has two very different resources to manage: Hatred and Discipline. Hatred comes quickly to Demon Hunters, generating with every basic attack as they tear into the monsters that ruined their lives. This resources is spent on aggressive abilities like volleys of projectiles and exploding traps. However, a Demon Hunter can't survive without Discipline, which is scarce and generates slowly. Without Discipline, a Demon Hunter can't use life-saving abilities that dodge away from danger or magically regenerate health in the heat of battle.
Of course, managing two different resources that behave differently means that Demon Hunter is something of a technical and complicated class. However, that's not necessarily a drawback. A class with a high skill cap is good for longtime Diablo fans looking for a new challenge. Veterans of Diablo 3 who are intimately familiar with that game's Demon Hunter might be drawn in by a fresh look at the class, not to mention Diablo 4 is a good opportunity for Blizzard to adjust and expand on the class. The Demon Hunter can get shaken up in just the right ways to ensure it's a familiar experience while being new enough to try again -- just like the other returning classes.
A Volley of Vengeance
The Demon Hunter fills all sorts of little niches that players new to the class might enjoy. The class makes up for its fragility with its mobility; Demon Hunters have several skills that allow them to dance through crowds to escape danger or leap into the fray. It also has a surprising amount of crowd control for a ranged class focused on DPS. Lots of Demon Hunter skills can slow whole crowds of enemies, making the Demon Hunter very hard to keep up with. There's even a couple summoning options, like an animal companion or a sentry turret, and some instances of dark magic. The class offers a lot more customization and strategy than one might expect of an archer.
One way or another, Diablo 4 is going to have to find some way to represent Dexterity. It seems likely that it'll have to be someone that can use ranged weapons, and the crossbow expert Demon Hunter seems like an ideal choice. It will offer incredible ranged, physical damage that the game is lacking in the upcoming quest to defeat Lilith. It's also a very unique design that can offer a notable challenge to players that haven't tried it before. The Demon Hunter has a whole lot to offer if Diablo 4 ends up as its new home, so hopefully it'll show up in the game's starting lineup.
Diablo 4Â is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
