Ive been searching around a lot since coming back to D3 and ive not found anything. Im looking for a Tank barbarian build, Sword and board as the title says. I play with my GF and i enjoy tanking for her, could some pro barbarian or others that knowledgeable about the game reply to this post with builds i could go? Furthest ive gotten to accepting a build is some Cold build i found on this site.
It would help if you expressed more of your goals so we can define feasibility for you.
1. Do you want to push into T6? Do you want to clear T6 within 10 minutes?
2. Do you want to push into Greater Rifts? Do you want to be competitive in doing so?
3. Are you set on playing Barb? Monks, Crusaders, and Witch Doctors all currently have much better support/tanking options to help other players than barbs do. Barbs are good at one thing right now: headbutt to kill.
Issues
If you just want to play around with your partner, you can certainly go 1h and shield on a Barb but with notable limitations. However, Crusader is simply a much better tanking experience with more options in a Duo, with more utility as they are designed to also do damage with 1h and Shield.
Barbarians currently take a MAJOR damage hit using 1h and shield. We have little to no abilities, gear or sets supporting shield use (unfortunate).
Builds
I found these builds which seems okay from a modern tanking standpoint. You don't need the Raekors set to make this generally work, but it will dramatically improve your mobility and damage output. Leapquake with the Earth set does very low damage in comparison, and doesn't even freeze mobs as well any longer.
Also, the Barb ability Ground Stomp - Wrenching Smash is super good for utility and tanking + helping out others, so that shouldn't be overlooked though.
If you really want to play tank sword and board barb (pure support, little to no dps), you could look into something like this:
Born's shoulders (craft), Frostburn gloves, Ring of royal grandeur (act 1 bounties), azure wrath, Helm of Rule (craft), Born' chest (craft), captain crimson's belt (craft), captain crimson's pants (craft), illusory boots (act 2 bounties), eye of etlich or 1 of the immunity amulets, strong arm bracers, justice lantern, freeze of deflection. All crafted items lvl70 version.
This will give high block chance (for the shield), high survivability (amu=lot of damage reduction) and good cooldown (more skill spam) and a lot of freeze.
As for skills, something like cleave-gathering storm (potential freeze with frostburn and damage boost for party), ground stomp-wrenching smash (group up and stun), sprint-forced march (faster movement for the party), leap-call of arreat (group up again), threatening shout-demoralize(one of the few taunt skills in game), earth quake-chilling earth/cave in(freeze or pull, as you want). Nerves of steel, inspiring presence, superstition, tough as nails.
Try to get as high block chance as possible, and high reduction for control impairing effects. Stack toughness (all res, vit, life%, str), and attackspeed for more cleave (and thus freeze). Get cooldown on rings, amu and shoulders, and diamond in helm.
You can mess around with some skills depending on need (some give healthglobes, good for dh, wrath of the berserker gives crowd control immunity and lot of survivability, ...).
And again, if you really want to go support, there are (currently) way better classes. If you still prefect the s&b barb, give it a try, you never know if you discover the new meta Happy farming.
ZDPS barbarian build that I also use on one of my barbs. You can actually become extremely powerful, gain many levels and legendaries, and increase your paragon very quickly this way (due to loot/xp gained in GRs)
If you look at all the 1200 top world paragons they are Support and truth is the world top #1 paragon is Barbarian ZDPS support with all ancient Borns, Cains, Leorics signet, ancient 100% leorics helm with natural sock for red gem and secondary rerolled to 260 xp). Ancient items allow to reroll secondaries to 260 xp/kill
Sprint - Forced March - a must IMO in group play just makes everyone & everything 30% faster. I believe it actually increases pet dps as they MOVE to targets and executive attacks and abilities faster although I cannot prove it, (WD pets love it)
Ground Stomp Wrenching Smash 24 yard group up basically stops all dmg for 5-6 sec, long time on RGs and elites too
Cold Cleave and Cold COTA runes DPS the group with +10% crit chance and 10% dmg so they can be used, in high GRs I use Charm weapon throw or Stun rune weapon throw to troll problem mobs
I have a barbarian with almost perfect exp per kill on almost all ancient gear with Supp/defensive sets you should try it. You know when you gain 10 billion xp for a 9 min. GR40 clear the games gives you lots of legendaries cus it thinks you're just flying through the mobs
It would help if you expressed more of your goals so we can define feasibility for you.
1. Do you want to push into T6? Do you want to clear T6 within 10 minutes?
2. Do you want to push into Greater Rifts? Do you want to be competitive in doing so?
3. Are you set on playing Barb? Monks, Crusaders, and Witch Doctors all currently have much better support/tanking options to help other players than barbs do. Barbs are good at one thing right now: headbutt to kill.
Issues
If you just want to play around with your partner, you can certainly go 1h and shield on a Barb but with notable limitations. However, Crusader is simply a much better tanking experience with more options in a Duo, with more utility as they are designed to also do damage with 1h and Shield.
Barbarians currently take a MAJOR damage hit using 1h and shield. We have little to no abilities, gear or sets supporting shield use (unfortunate).
Builds
I found these builds which seems okay from a modern tanking standpoint. You don't need the Raekors set to make this generally work, but it will dramatically improve your mobility and damage output. Leapquake with the Earth set does very low damage in comparison, and doesn't even freeze mobs as well any longer.
Raekor Tank
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/3106-48-working-barbarian-tank
Leapquake Tank
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/994-support-and-good-dps-for-gr30-4man-grps
Elite Nullifer Sortofatank (doesn't use a shield, but you can get ideas from this excellent thread)
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/1218-2-1-2-ancient-elite-nullifier-gr-40-1-ranked
Also, the Barb ability Ground Stomp - Wrenching Smash is super good for utility and tanking + helping out others, so that shouldn't be overlooked though.
Hope that gives you some places to start.
If you really want to play tank sword and board barb (pure support, little to no dps), you could look into something like this:
Born's shoulders (craft), Frostburn gloves, Ring of royal grandeur (act 1 bounties), azure wrath, Helm of Rule (craft), Born' chest (craft), captain crimson's belt (craft), captain crimson's pants (craft), illusory boots (act 2 bounties), eye of etlich or 1 of the immunity amulets, strong arm bracers, justice lantern, freeze of deflection. All crafted items lvl70 version.
This will give high block chance (for the shield), high survivability (amu=lot of damage reduction) and good cooldown (more skill spam) and a lot of freeze.
As for skills, something like cleave-gathering storm (potential freeze with frostburn and damage boost for party), ground stomp-wrenching smash (group up and stun), sprint-forced march (faster movement for the party), leap-call of arreat (group up again), threatening shout-demoralize(one of the few taunt skills in game), earth quake-chilling earth/cave in(freeze or pull, as you want). Nerves of steel, inspiring presence, superstition, tough as nails.
Try to get as high block chance as possible, and high reduction for control impairing effects. Stack toughness (all res, vit, life%, str), and attackspeed for more cleave (and thus freeze). Get cooldown on rings, amu and shoulders, and diamond in helm.
You can mess around with some skills depending on need (some give healthglobes, good for dh, wrath of the berserker gives crowd control immunity and lot of survivability, ...).
And again, if you really want to go support, there are (currently) way better classes. If you still prefect the s&b barb, give it a try, you never know if you discover the new meta Happy farming.
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ZDPS barbarian build that I also use on one of my barbs. You can actually become extremely powerful, gain many levels and legendaries, and increase your paragon very quickly this way (due to loot/xp gained in GRs)
If you look at all the 1200 top world paragons they are Support and truth is the world top #1 paragon is Barbarian ZDPS support with all ancient Borns, Cains, Leorics signet, ancient 100% leorics helm with natural sock for red gem and secondary rerolled to 260 xp). Ancient items allow to reroll secondaries to 260 xp/kill
Sprint - Forced March - a must IMO in group play just makes everyone & everything 30% faster. I believe it actually increases pet dps as they MOVE to targets and executive attacks and abilities faster although I cannot prove it, (WD pets love it)
Ground Stomp Wrenching Smash 24 yard group up basically stops all dmg for 5-6 sec, long time on RGs and elites too
Cold Cleave and Cold COTA runes DPS the group with +10% crit chance and 10% dmg so they can be used, in high GRs I use Charm weapon throw or Stun rune weapon throw to troll problem mobs
I have a barbarian with almost perfect exp per kill on almost all ancient gear with Supp/defensive sets you should try it. You know when you gain 10 billion xp for a 9 min. GR40 clear the games gives you lots of legendaries cus it thinks you're just flying through the mobs
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/Philippos-1330/hero/23388902