The Penetrating Shot Rogue is one of the most thrilling classes to master in Season 5. If you’re gearing up to pierce your enemies right where it hurts you’ll want to know about the best builds for leveling and endgame play.
Season of the Infernal Hordes has given a nice boost to the stealthy and agile Rogue class in Diablo 4. If you’re after a playstyle that turns enemies into pin cushions with a few precise shots, this build is right up your alley.
Whether you’re just starting out or deep into endgame content, the Penetrating Shot build adapts beautifully. With the right skills, gear, and Paragon Glyphs, your Rogue will dominate Season 5 like never before.
Best Penetrating Shot Rogue leveling build in Diablo 4 Season 5
As you level while playing through either the campaign or the new Season 5 content, you’ll want to make sure that you’re selecting your skills in the following order:
| Level | Skill |
|---|---|
| 1 | Puncture |
| 2 | Enhanced Puncture |
| 3 | Fundamental Puncture |
| 4 | Penetrating Shot |
| 5 | Enhanced Penetrating Shot |
| 6 | Advanced Penetrating Shot |
| 7 | Shadow Step |
| 8 | Dash |
| 9 | Enhanced Shadow Step |
| 10 | Disciplined Shadow Step |
| 11 | Dark Shroud |
| 12 | Enhanced Dark Shroud |
| 13 | Subverting Dark Shroud |
| 14 | Enhanced Dash |
| 15 | Penetrating Shot |
| 16 | Penetrating Shot |
| 17 | Shadow Imbuement |
| 18 | Enhanced Shadow Imbuement |
| 19 | Blended Shadow Imbuement |
| 20 | Shadow Crash |
| 21 | Consuming Shadows |
| 22 | Penetrating Shot |
| 23 | Penetrating Shot |
| 24 | Methodical Dash |
| 25 | Innervation |
| 26 | Innervation |
| 27 | Innervation |
| 28 | Unstable Elixirs |
| 29 | Trick Attacks |
| 30 | Adrenaline Rush |
| 31 | Haste |
| 32 | Haste |
| 33 | Haste |
| 34 | Precision |
| 35 | Weapon Mastery |
| 36 | Weapon Mastery |
| 37 | Weapon Mastery |
| 38 | Unstable Elixirs |
| 39 | Unstable Elixirs |
| 40 | Unstable Elixirs |
| 41 | Trick Attacks |
| 42 | Trick Attacks |
| 43 | Trick Attacks |
| 44 | Exploit |
| 45 | Exploit |
| 46 | Exploit |
| 47 | Malice |
| 48 | Malice |
| 49 | Malice |
| Renown 1 | Sturdy |
| Renown 2 | Sturdy |
| Renown 3 | Sturdy |
| Renown 4 | Agile |
| Renown 5 | Agile |
| Renown 6 | Agile |
| Renown 7 | Dark Shroud |
| Renown 8 | Dark Shroud |
| Renown 9 | Dark Shroud |
The Penetrating Shot Rogue leveling build slices through enemies like butter. Penetrating Shot pierces through everything in its path, dishing out hefty damage to anything unlucky enough to stand in the way.
To unlock your 9 Renown Skilll Points, make sure to explore the entirety of the map and complete exploration side activities in each region.
Don’t forget to claim your rewards from the Season 5 Battle Pass and spend your Smouldering Ashes in the EXP boost to reach level 50 in a matter of hours.
Penetrating Shot Rogue is decent at leveling. It’s a solid choice if you prefer picking off enemies from a distance. But if you’re serious about speed-leveling, you might want to check out our best Rogue builds guide.
If you still haven’t made up your mind on the Rogue class, check out this guide to find out which is the right class for you in Diablo 4 Season 5.
Best Specialization setup for leveling
As a Rogue, You get to pick one out of three Specializations at level 15. The best pick for a Penetration Rogue is Combo Points.
This lets you supercharge your Core Skills after using your Basic Skills. This means more damage and better effects with every shot.
Best leveling rotation
- Heartseeker
- Death Trap
- Poison Trap
- Shadow Step
- Penetrating Shot
This rotation start by spamming Heartseeker to stack up Combo Points, then drop Death Trap to gather up your enemies.
Once they’re all bundled together, toss in Poison Trap for some extra bite, then use Shadow Step or Dash to line up your shot perfectly. Now that your Combo Points are maxed out, unleash Penetrating Shot.
Best leveling Legendary Aspects
Here are the best Legendary Aspects for your Penetrating Shot Rogue build in Diablo 4:
| Aspect | Power | Dungeon | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspect of the Expectant | After attacking enemies with a Basic Skill, increase the damage of your next Core Skill cast. | Underroot | Scosglen |
| Rapid | Basic Skills gain Attack Speed. | Buried Halls | Dry Steppes |
| Trickshot | Whenever Penetrating Shot dmages an enemy, 2 additional arrows split off to either side. These side arrows deal a percentage of Penetrating Shot’s base damage and do not split. | Bastion of Faith | Hawezar |
Best Penetrating Shot Rogue endgame build in Diablo 4 Season 5
Active Skills
| Active Skill | Upgrades | Points allocated |
|---|---|---|
| Heartseeker | Enhanced, Fundamental | 1 |
| Penetrating Shot | Enhanced, Advanced | 5 |
| Shadow Step | Enhanced, Disciplined | 1 |
| Dash | Enhanced, Methodical | 1 |
| Poison Trap | Enhanced | 1 |
| Death Trap | Enhanced, Supreme | 1 |
| Dark Shroud | Enhanced, Countering | 5 |
Passive Skills
| Passive Skill | Points |
|---|---|
| Sturdy | 3 |
| Weapon Mastery | 3 |
| Unstable Elixirs | 3 |
| Trick Attacks | 3 |
| Rapid Gambits | 1 |
| Agile | 3 |
| Exploit | 3 |
| Malice | 3 |
| Frigid Finesse | 3 |
| Innervation | 1 |
| Second Wind | 3 |
| Precision | 1 |
If you’re after a ranged Rogue build that lets you nuke everything on screen, you’ve found it. The Penetrating Shot Rogue is straightforward, powerful, and scales beautifully into the endgame.
Penetrating Shot itself is a simple, piercing arrow, but when you pair it with the Umbracrux dagger and Trickshot Aspect, it turns into a screen-clearing nuke. Like most Rogue skills, positioning is key since the more enemies you hit in a line, the more damage you deal.
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This build thrives on stacking Critical Strike Damage with the right gear and passives, making sure no monster stands a chance. Overall, it’s a highly satisfying build that rewards some strategic planning.
Don’t forget to claim your rewards from the Season 5 Battle Pass and spend your Smouldering Ashes in the EXP boost to reach level 50 in a matter of hours.
Best Specialization setup for the endgame
Our top pick for this build is Combo Points. Use your Basic Skills to stack up Combo Points, and then unleash your Core Skill for some seriously boosted damage. Combo Points make Penetrating Shot hit harder and give it a nice Lucky Hit Chance boost.
Best endgame rotation
- Heartseeker
- Death Trap
- Poison Trap
- Shadow Step/Dash
- Penetrating Shot
Start your rotation with Heartseeker to stack up Combo Points. Next, toss out Death Trap to gather enemies for maximum damage. Deploy Poison Trap to add some extra damage and trigger those fancy totems from The Umbracrux.
Next, use Shadow Step or Dash to get into the perfect position and activate Tricks of the Trade for a damage boost. Then, fire Penetrating Shot to cut through the clustered enemies and make your damage shine.
Best endgame Legendary Aspects
Here are the best Legendary Aspects for your Penetrating Shot Rogue build in the endgame of Diablo 4:
| Aspect | Power | Dungeon | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trickshot | Whenever Penetrating Shot dmages an enemy, 2 additional arrows split off to either side. These side arrows deal a percentage of Penetrating Shot’s base damage and do not split. | Bastion of Faith | Hawezar |
| Rapid | Basic Skills gain Attack Speed. | Buried Halls | Dry Steppes |
| Edgemaster’s | Skills deal increased damage based on your Primary Resource when cast. | Oldstones | Scosglen |
| Might | Basic Skills grant Damage Reduction. | Dark Ravine | Dry Steppes |
| Expectant | After attacking enemies with a Basic Skill, increase the damage of your next Core Skill. | Underroot | Scosglen |
| Energizing | Damaging an Elite enemy with a Basic Skill generates 4 Energy. | Sanguine Chapel | Fractured Peaks |
| Protector | Damaging an Elite enemy grants you a Barrier absorbing damage. | Lost Archives | Fractured Peaks |
| Wind Striker | Critical Strikes grant extra movement speed. | Shivta Ruins | Khejistan |
| Unstable Imbuements | When casting an Imbuement Skill, you trigger an explosion around yourself. | Whispering Vault | Dry Steppes |
| Enshrouding | Using a Healing Potion makes a free Dark Shroud shadow. | Ghoa Ruins | Hawezar |
| Umbrous | Critical Strikes grant a free Dark Shroud shadow. | Gamble Murmuring Obols | – |
| Crowded Sage | Increase your Dodge chance. Also, Dodge restores your Maximum Life. | Gamble Murmuring Obols | – |
| Concussive Strikes | Damaging an enemy can Daze them. | Gamble Murmuring Obols | – |
| Accelerating | Critical Strikes with Core Skills increase your Attack Speed. | Gamble Murmuring Obols | – |
| Elements | Gain increased damage to a set of damage types. Alternates between Fire, Lightning and Physical and Cold, Poison and Shadow. | Gamble Murmuring Obols | – |
Remember, you can also strip these Aspects from their original item and apply them to an item of your choosing.
Paragon Board
Once you hit endgame in Season 5 – by finishing the story, reaching level 50, and unlocking the Paragon Board – you can respec to the endgame Penetrating Shot Rogue build. It’s basically the same as the leveling build, but with some crucial tweaks in point allocation that we’ll cover next.
Best Glyphs
Glyphs start with a 3-radius, but hit level 15 and they’ll stretch to 4. Keep grinding through Nightmare Dungeons to score Glyph experience and make your Glyphs worth their weight in loot.
Level 15
- Combat
- Control
- Fluidity
- Pride
- Ambush
Level 21
- Combat
- Control
- Fluidity
- Pride
- Ambush
Best endgame item build
| Item | Socket | Item type | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runic Skullcap of Might | Ruby | Helm | Basic Skill grants Damage Reduction |
| Runic Mail of the Crowded Sage | 2 Rubies | Chest | Increases your chances of Dodging. Also, dodging restores your Maximum Life. |
| Trickshot Runic Gloves | – | Glove | Whenever Penetrating Shot damages an enemy, you get 2 additional arrows split. |
| Umbrous Runic Leggings | 2 Rubies | Pants | Critical Strikes have a chance to grant a free Dark Shroud shadow. |
| Runic Cleats of Concussive Strikes | Boots | Boots | Damaging an enemy has a chance to Daze them. |
| Edgemaster’s Warcaster | 2 Emeralds | Ranged Weapon | Skills deal increased damage based on your available Primary Resource when cast. |
| Obsidian Blade of the Expectant | Emerald | Melee Weapon 1 | After attacking enemies with a Basic Skill, increase the damage of your next Core Skill. |
| Obsidian Blade of Elements | Emerald | Melee Weapon 2 | Gain increased damage to a set of damage types. |
| Rapid Necklace | Ruby | Amulet | Basic Skills gain more Attack Speed. |
| Accelerating Band | Emerald | Ring | Critical Strikes with Core Skills increase your Attack Speed. |
| Ring of Retribution | Sapphire | Ring | Distant enemies have a chance to be Stunned when they hit you. |
Make sure to farm Mother’s Gifts and clear Infernal Hordes frequently to get some of the best loot this season.
Best Penetrating Shot Rogue build in Diablo 4 Season 5
If you’ve got this Penetrating Shot Rogue build that’s a beast in endgame content, it’s also a nightmare for anyone in PvP.
It’s built to slice through enemies like they’re made of wet tissue paper, and in PvP, that means you’ll be the one doing the slicing. With its high burst damage and precision, it’s perfect for turning enemy players into pincushions from a distance.
Now that you know how to craft this top-tier Rogue build, make sure to check out our guides for the Druid, Sorcerer, Necromancer, and Barbarian.
