What are Thorns in Diablo 4?

Diablo 4 comprises of a robust narrative and offers plenty of gameplay mechanics that you can leverage to tackle a variety of foes in the world of Sanctuary. You will also find tons of loot along the way by merely playing the game organically and partaking in activities like main missions, side quests, dungeons, and more. You are liable to come across a variety of stats and effects, one of them being Thorns.

Thorns is one of the best offensive stat effects in Diablo 4 and if used correctly, it can help you deal with enemies seamlessly. It is beneficial when engaging in close-range combat with multiple foes around you and getting hit by their attacks.

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Everything to know about Thorns in Diablo 4

There are many intricate factors in Diablo 4 that can impact your experience and your build in a variety of ways. It can be hard to keep track of myriad concepts that are present in the game as some may have fewer explanations regarding their exact function. Thorns is one of the crucial stats that you can leverage to tackle various enemy types in Diablo 4.

It enables you to deal a certain amount of damage to the enemy that lands an attack on you. It is, therefore, an important stat to have by your side if you are planning to engage in close-range combat. With the Thorns stat, any foe that lands a hit on you will incur some damage, which is analogous to hitting a thorn in real life.

It is worth noting that Thorns does not make your character completely immune to damage from foes. It merely grants an extra incentive to deal some damage to the aggressive enemies who relentlessly attack you while you are dealing with another adversary in close range.

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How to effectively use Thorns in Diablo 4?

It is recommended to use Thorns with the Barbarian class since you will be resorting to melee-focused attacks. This makes the Barbarian vulnerable to hits from surrounding enemies, making it an efficient strategy to use Thorns. Furthermore, the game also consists of certain skills, armor, and Legendary Aspects that are associated with Thorns.

The Barbarian class' skills, like Combat Flay, Outburst, Tough as Nails, and Strategic Challenging Shout, are potent in taking advantage of the Thorns stat. If you prefer the Necromancer class, then you can resort to the Spiked Armor skill that enables you to gain more Thorns.

Diablo 4 comprises of many Legendary Aspects, which are nothing but special abilities or powers that can be applied to weapons and gear. Fortunately, there are some Legendary Aspects like Death Wish and Needleflare Aspect that work well in tandem with Thorns stat.

Gear like Razorplate (all classes can equip it), Rage of Harrogath chest armor (only for Barbarian), and Ring of Mendeln (for Necromancer class) are all great for leveraging the Thorns effect.

With the right mix of skills, gear, and Legendary Aspects, you can craft a very robust build around this stat effect. If you wish to try out a different approach, feel free to refer to this Barbarian PvE build that leverages the Whirlwind skill.