Rogue Legacy 2: Barbarian class guide — Weapon, ability, and passive

The Barbarian is one of the first melee class unlocked in Rogue Legacy 2 following the Knight. Long-term series fans should be familiar with this class, as it was top-tier in the original game. This was mostly due to its large health pool, a trait that it has kept in the sequel. Barbarians have exceptional health and surprisingly good mana. This is the tankiest build in the game, and a great choice for attempting longer runs. The Barbarian class has an ax to grind, and this guide will help you take it to the end of Rogue Legacy 2 — from how to unlock, to the abilities.

Unlocking the Barbarian class in Rogue Legacy 2 is simple. After unlocking the Ranger, you’ll gain access to the Mess Hall castle upgrade. This increases your vitality stat, boosting your total health pool. Put one point into this upgrade and you’ll be able to purchase the Barbarian plus two other new classes, the Mage and the Valkyrie.

Labrys

The Barbarian uses a Labrys, a doubled-headed combat ax. The Labrys is one of the more complex weapons in Rogue Legacy 2, as it has multiple attack types. When used on the ground, you attack with a vicious downward swing. It’s slow, but always deals critical damage. Ground attacks also regenerate Mana with each successful hit.

If used when in the air, you attack with a spin that has a wide range. To deal critical damage during a spin, you have to dash in mid-air into a nearby enemy. Neither dashing nor double jumping cancels the spin attack, so it is possible to maneuver and chase enemies while attacking. The downside to the spin attack is that there is a long delay after landing. This can be mitigated by using a spin kick just as you land. Remembering to do this consistently will require some practice, but it’s a vital technique for getting the most out of the Barbarian.

Winter’s Shout

In Rogue Legacy 2, the Barbarian gets access to the Winter’s Shout talent. When used, the Barbarian outputs an area of effect (AoE) shout. Any projectiles that are within this range are instantly destroyed. Even better than that is how it affects enemies. Any enemy within its range is frozen and unable to move for one second. Attacking frozen enemies guarantees a critical hit.

Winter’s Shout is undoubtedly a defensive-minded talent that is best used when you’re in a pinch. It can provide a window to get away from enemies or destroy an incoming projectile that may have otherwise ended a run. The main downside to Winter’s Shout is that its cooldown only ends once you’ve taken damage. Skilled players who don’t get hit often won’t be able to use it very often.

Tough

The Barbarian’s passive ability is Tough. This simply grants a 20% increase in vitality to any heir that is a Barbarian. That means you get a 20% larger health pool, resulting in more health to play with than any other class. This class is a true tan, and therefore a fantastic choice for both less experienced players and skilled players looking to complete longer runs.

What makes Tough a truly great passive is that it stacks with the castle upgrades. If you maximize upgrades that increase vitality like Mess Hall, Fruit Juice Bar, and Meteora Gym, it’s possible to have a monstrous health pool. More health means that you can take more hits, and more hits mean more forgiving runs.

Note: For more information, check out our Rogue Legacy 2 guides and features hub.