The Witch Doctor has come a long way since the early days of running around while letting the pets do all of the work in Diablo 3. Once considered a master of hiding away, there are now many experts who can play the Witch Doctor and tweak the builds to do everything from crowd control to support to soloing rifts.
Still, it takes a special kind of person to catch every kind of synergy possible in the game. Even missing out on a small bonus here or there can be the difference between playing on normal difficulty and getting invited into parties pushing up the leaderboards. If you’re wanting to make sure you fall into that next group, this article has you covered.
Jade Harvester
- Active skills: Haunt (Poisoned Spirit), Piranhas (Piranhado), Spirit Walk (Jaunt), Horrify (Frightening Aspect), Soul Harvest (Languish), Locust Swarm (Cloud of Insects)
- Passive skills: Grave Injustice, Rush of Essence, Creeping Death, Confidence Ritual
- Armor: Jade Harvester’s Wisdom (Flawless Royal Diamond), Jade Harvester’s Joy, Jade Harvester’s Peace (Flawless Royal Topazes), Jade Harvester’s Mercy, Lakumba’s Ornament, Haunting Girdle, Jade Harvester’s Courage (Flawless Royal Topazes), Jade Harvester’s Swiftness
- Jewelry: The Traveler’s Pledge, The Compass Rose, Convention of Elements
- Weapons: Sacred Harvester (Flawless Royal Emerald), Vile Hive
- Caldessann’s Despair Augment: Intelligence
- Legendary Gems: Zei’s Stone of Vengeance, Bane of the Trapped, Bane of the Stricken
- Item Stat Priorities: Attack Speed, Cooldown Reduction, Haunt Damage, Critical Hit Damage, Critical Hit Chance, Cold Damage, Intelligence
- Kanai’s Cube: The Furnace, Quetzalcoatl, Ring of Emptiness
The Jade Harvester was considered the premier Witch Doctor build during the infancy of Diablo 3. After falling off of the map for several years, it’s back in a big way with a new update. At the moment, the build has been able to climb the Greater Rift solo charts all the way up to level 131.
The build itself requires a lot of focus and activity. The goal is to hit as many enemies as possible with Haunt and Locust Swarm, then detonate them both with Soul Harvest for a massive burst. The build excels at staying out of harm’s way thanks to well-placed Piranhados.
Helltooth Zombie Bears
- Active skills: Zombie Charger (Zombie Bears), Piranhas (Piranhado), Spirit Walk (Honored Guest), Wall of Death (Communing with Spirits), Soul Harvest (Languish), Locust Swarm (Pestilence)
- Passive skills: Confidence Ritual, Creeping Death, Grave Injustice, Swampland Attunement
- Armor: Helltooth Mask (Flawless Royal Topaz), Helltooth Mantle, Helltooth Tunic (Flawless Royal Topazes), Helltooth Gauntlets, Lakumba’s Ornament, The Witching Hour, Helltooth Leg Guards (Flawless Royal Topazes), Helltooth Greaves
- Jewelry: The Traveler’s Pledge, The Compass Rose, Ring of Emptiness
- Weapons: Scrimshaw (Flawless Royal Emerald), Ursua’s Trodden Legacy
- Caldessann’s Despair Augment: Intelligence
- Legendary Gems: Pain Enhancer, Bane of the Trapped, Bane of the Stricken
- Item Stat Priorities: Critical Hit Damage, Critical Hit Chance, Poison Damage, Zombie Charger Damage, Attack Speed, Area Damage, Cooldown Reduction, Resource Cost Reduction
- Kanai’s Cube: Sacred Harvester, Belt of Transcendence, Convention of Elements
Having already proved itself by clearing Greater Rift 133 solo, the Zombie Bears is more than just a hilarious gimmick (though it is certainly still hilarious). This is best suited for players who are good at gathering up large groups or who play in parties that require somebody to nuke down trash mobs.
Though this might appear to be a slow and steady burn, the Helltooth Zombie Bears build relies on a series of critical strikes with the Enforcer legendary gem, which are even more important than any other statistic for this Witch Doctor. After getting the base gear, building up attack speed makes the bears travel faster so expert players can get this herd of grizzlies traveling pretty quickly.
Zunimassa Poison Dart
- Active skills: Poison Dart (Spined Dart), Piranhas (Piranhado), Spirit Walk (Jaunt), Soul Harvest (Languish), Horrify (Frightening Aspect), Fetish Army (Legion of Daggers)
- Passive skills: Grave Injustice, Pierce the Veil, Confidence Ritual, Fetish Sycophants
- Armor: Carnevil (Flawless Royal Diamond), Aughild’s Power, Zunimassa’s Marrow (Flawless Royal Topazes), Zunimassa’s Finger Wraps, Aughild’s Search, The Witching Hour, Depth Diggers (Flawless Royal Topazes), Zunimassa’s Trail
- Jewelry: Zunimassa’s Pox, The Traveler’s Pledge, The Compass Rose
- Weapons: The Dagger of Darts (Flawless Royal Emerald), Zunimassa’s String of Skulls
- Caldessann’s Despair Augment: Intelligence
- Legendary Gems: Bane of the Stricken, Simplicity’s Strength, Enforcer
- Item Stat Priorities: Attack Speed, Critical Hit Damage, Critical Hit Chance, Poison Damage, Poison Dart Damage, Fetish Army Damage
- Kanai’s Cube: Echoing Fury, Mask of Jeram, Ring of Royal Grandeur
Don’t worry, the days of summoning tons of creatures as meat shields aren’t over yet thanks to the Zunimassa’s Haunt set. Your Fetish Army will mimic your Poison Dart attack, so get a good stack of enemies together and then release a barrage of darts from every angle until nothing is left standing.
With the sheer quantity of attacks from this build between your minions and the Witch Doctor’s attack speed, the Bane of the Stricken is up to the task of doing single target damage just as well as group damage. Maybe that’s why it’s marched up to Greater Rift 140 solo and is an increasingly popular choice for three-person groups that need a damage dealer who can do it all.
Mundunugu Spirit Barrage
- Active skills: Spirit Barrage (Manitou), Piranhas (Piranhado), Soul Harvest (Languish), Spirit Walk (Jaunt), Locust Swarm (Pestilence), Big Bad Voodoo (Ghost Trance)
- Passive skills: Creeping Death, Grave Injustice, Confidence Ritual, Spirit Vessel
- Armor: Mundunugu’s Headdress (Flawless Royal Diamond), Mundunugu’s Descendant, Mundunugu’s Robe (Flawless Royal Topazes), Mundunugu’s Rhythm, Lakumba’s Ornament, Captain Crimson’s Silk Girdle, Captain Crimson’s Thrust (Flawless Royal Topazes), Mundunugu’s Dance
- Jewelry: The Traveler’s Pledge, The Compass Rose, Ring of Emptiness
- Weapons: Voo’s Juicer (Flawless Royal Emerald), Gazing Demise
- Caldessann’s Despair Augment: Intelligence
- Legendary Gems: Gogok of Swiftness, Bane of the Stricken, Bane of the Trapped
- Item Stat Priorities: Cooldown Reduction, Attack Speed, Critical Hit Damage, Critical Hit Chance, Cold Damage, Spirit Barrage Damage,
- Kanai’s Cube: The Barber, Frostburn, Ring of Royal Grandeur
Like the Zunimassa Poison Dart build, this can also clear Greater Rift 140 without any teammates. What sets the Mundunugu Spirit Barrage build above the rest is that its area damage is so powerful that four-person groups might be inclined to bring along one of these Witch Doctors for trash clearing at the highest end of Greater Rifts.
Additionally, this build is likely the most mobile character build in the entire game. Automatic attacks from Spirit Barrage will stack up high and a seasoned veteran knows exactly when to detonate them at the perfect time, killing entire groups while running around them and out of harm’s way.
NEXT: Diablo 3: The 10 Best Pets, Ranked
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Hodey Johns is a writer for Game Rant based out of the Rocky Mountains in North Ogden, Utah. He’s had a passion for video games and literature since he was a child growing up along the beach in San Diego, California. As a graduate of Theology from Liberty University, he puts his experience with religion, philosophy, and debate into his work. His other interests include sports, bike riding, and good old-fashioned barbecue.
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