Skill Trees

The War Cry Barbarian is easiest to level with a conventional melee setup before transitioning into the full Singer package. Early on, Skills such as Double Swing or Frenzy are generally smoother because War Cry is extremely Mana-hungry before you have enough Skill Levels, Faster Cast Rate, and sustain to support constant casting. Respeccing into War Cry around late Nightmare or early Hell is usually the most comfortable approach.

Once you transition, prioritize War Cry, Battle Cry, Battle Command, and Howl. These four Skills form the core of the Build and should all be maxed, while Shout and Taunt only need one Point for utility and prerequisites. Battle Orders should receive the remaining Points after the offensive package is complete, steadily increasing both your Life and Mana pool.

Take one Point each in Combat Reflexes, Increased Speed, Iron Skin, and Natural Resistance for efficient passive bonuses. The recommended setup does not invest into Leap or other Combat Skills, since endgame mobility is handled through Enigma and the Build already benefits heavily from Faster Cast Rate. Once War Cry Damage, FCR, and Mana sustain come together, the character shifts into its final playstyle: teleport directly into packs, apply Battle Cry when needed, and lock everything down with rapid War Cry casts.

Gear

Heart of the Oak is one of the most practical Weapons for the War Cry Barbarian, providing Skills, Faster Cast Rate, Mana support, and Resistances in a single slot. Dual Hoto remains an excellent balanced setup and makes reaching 105% FCR very easy. At the high end, dual Grandfather can provide significantly more War Cry Skill Levels, but this setup requires much stronger FCR rolls across the rest of your equipment. Brimstone Rain is another excellent option, especially if you want a two-handed setup with strong FCR and additional Enemy Physical Resistance reduction.

If you prefer a defensive one-handed setup, Taebaek's Glory or a strong crafted Shield can be paired with Grandfather or Hoto. This sacrifices some raw Damage compared with dual Weapons, but Max Block and additional defensive stats make the Build considerably safer for Hardcore or difficult Maps. 

For the Helmet, a high-end Crafted Barbarian Helm with multiple levels to War Cry, Barbarian Skills, and ideally Faster Cast Rate is the premium choice. Current players specifically look for extremely high War Cry rolls, with strong crafted bases outperforming generic Unique Helmets once the rest of the gear is established. Harlequin Crest or Arreat's Face remain reliable progression options before you obtain a dedicated Singer helm.

Enigma is the defining Body Armour for the finished Build. War Cry requires close-range positioning, and Teleport allows you to place yourself directly inside packs while also taking full advantage of the Build's naturally high Faster Cast Rate. 

For Gloves, Occultist, Magefist, or strong Crafted Caster Gloves are all viable depending on your final FCR setup. The main priority is maintaining the 105% breakpoint without giving up too many Skill Levels or defensive stats.

Arachnid Mesh is usually the best Belt because Faster Cast Rate and +Skills are both extremely valuable for War Cry. A strong Crafted Caster Belt can also be used if it provides enough FCR and useful secondary stats, while defensive belts are mainly reserved for setups where the breakpoint is already solved elsewhere.

For Boots, Silkweave is especially valuable because Mana After Each Kill helps offset the enormous cost of constant War Cry casting. War Traveler is a good Magic Find alternative, while strong Rare Boots with Faster Run/Walk, Faster Hit Recovery, and Resistances are ideal when the rest of the Build already provides enough Mana sustain. 

For the Amulet, a Magic +3 Warcries Amulet with Faster Cast Rate is one of the strongest straightforward Damage options. A high-end Rare or Crafted Barbarian Amulet with +2 Skills, Faster Cast Rate, Mana, Life, and Resistances can be even better when it helps complete the 105% breakpoint. 

For Rings, Stone of Jordan and Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band are excellent whenever your FCR is already secured, providing additional Skill Levels and useful Life or Mana. In more demanding setups such as dual Grandfather, FCR Rings become essential and can carry a large portion of the breakpoint requirement. Strong Rare or Crafted versions with Mana, Life, Resistances, or Life/Mana After Each Kill are particularly valuable.

Charms

For the War Cry Barbarian, Warcries Skill Grand Charms are the main offensive choice because War Cry scales very well with additional Skill Levels. A Barbarian Hellfire Torch and Annihilus should form the foundation of the inventory, followed by as many Warcries Skillers as your defensive needs allow. Current Singer setups consistently use plain or Life-suffixed Warcry Skillers rather than conventional physical Damage Charms, since War Cry Damage is driven primarily by Skill Levels and Faster Cast Rate rather than Weapon Damage.

Use the remaining slots for Life, Mana, Faster Hit Recovery, and Resistances. Mana is particularly valuable because the Build can burn through it extremely quickly at 105% FCR, while Life benefits heavily from Battle Orders. Once your defensive requirements are covered, additional Warcries Skillers remain the best way to push raw Damage.

Mercenary

An Act 2 Defiance Mercenary with Reaper's Toll is one of the strongest all-around choices for the War Cry Barbarian. Defiance adds a useful defensive layer for a Build that constantly fights at close range, while Reaper's Toll can apply Decrepify and reduce enemy Physical Resistance, directly improving War Cry Damage. This stacks extremely well with Battle Cry, making the Mercenary especially valuable against tougher elites and Map bosses. This exact setup has been repeatedly recommended by Singer players.

• Reaper's Toll (Weapon)
• Vampire Gaze or Andariel's Visage (Helmet)
• Shaftstop, Fortitude, or Innocence (Armour)
• Durable Rare/Crafted Gloves with IAS, Life Leech, and Resistances (Gloves)
• String of Ears or Verdungo's Hearty Cord (Belt)
• Rare Boots with Resistances and defensive modifiers (Boots)