So You Want to Play a Spiritborn - Jaguar, Eagle, Centipede, or Gorilla?
With the launch of Vessel of Hatred only a few short hours away, many players are ready to dive into Nahantu and take a look at the Spiritborn, Diablo 4's first new class. The question many are asking, though, is what Spirit Guardian do you choose?
Recently, the Wowhead team was invited to an early access playtest of Vessel of Hatred, and our Spiritborn Lead RenataKane was able to extensively test this new class. Read on to see her take on Spiritborn leveling, builds, aesthetics, and more!
Vessel of Hatred Playtest Review
I had the privilege of playing a Spiritborn during Blizzard's recent early press access server, Canopy, from September 24th through October 3rd, 2024. I had been looking forward to trying this class because the skills reminded me of some of the best parts of playing the Monk in Diablo 3, with dashes of Witch Doctor thrown in for poisoning flair. The Thorns mechanics reminded me of my favorite Crusader build. So I went in thinking that this would probably be one of my favorite classes in Diablo 4.
I was wrong.
It wasn't one of my favorite classes.
It's hands-down the best class I've ever played in the Diablo franchise — and I've played every Diablo game and expansion since 1997.
Question is: bug spray or sunscreen?
Playing the Spiritborn
My first impression of the Spiritborn was a class that felt strong, agile, and intuitive right from the start. The gameplay does feel very Monk-like, with incredible mobility with few weaknesses. Single-target was problematic very early, but this quickly evened out after picking up a few more skills.
This is literally a class with someone for everyone. The hidden Incarnation of the Spiritborn is the Chameleon, because you can shift into any playstyle you like. Love the hard-hitting melee class? Gorilla-forward. DoTs and kiting? The Centipede is for you. Distance caster? Eagle. Fast-hitting up-close melee with lots of dodge and weave? Jaguar's for you. Mix and match for the best results! About the
