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Diablo 4 Thorns: Usage and Effects

Hey there, fellow Diablo fans! In this article, we’ll be diving deep into one of the most intriguing offensive stats in Diablo 4: Thorns. So, if you’re looking to up your game and deal some serious damage to enemies when they hit you, buckle up and read on! We’ve got a comprehensive overview of Thorns’ functionality and some tips on how to improve it. Don’t miss out!

What Are Thorns in Diablo 4 and How Are They Used?

Thorns in Diablo 4 are an offensive stat that deals damage to enemies that hit you with direct attacks. This damage is affected by the Skill damage increase from your Intelligence. Thorns can be used to level up Skills or equip Aspects and Gear with Thorns.

Players can use Sorcerer’s Spiked Armor skill to get 16 Thorns, Barbarian’s Death Wish Aspect to get Thorns while Berserking, or simply equip any Gear with this stat. Thorns are particularly effective against enemies that attack frequently but deal low damage and can be increased by certain Equipment and Skills.

Diablo 4 Thorn Effects

Diablo 4 Thorn Skills

Thorn skills are a unique type of skills in Diablo 4 that deal damage to enemies whenever they attack the player. These skills are particularly useful for players who prefer a defensive playstyle, as they allow the player to deal damage to enemies without actively attacking them.

The first Thorn skill is Combat Flay. This skill provides the player with 3% Damage Reduction and 5 Thorns for 3 seconds every time it deals direct damage to an enemy. These effects can stack up to 4 times, making it a very powerful defensive skill.

The second Thorn skill is Outburst. This skill provides the player with 2 Thorns, and an additional 2 Thorns for every 2 bonus Maximum Life they have. This makes it particularly useful for tanky characters with high Maximum Life, as it allows them to deal significant Thorn damage to enemies.

The third Thorn skill is Tough as Nails. This skill increases the player’s Thorns by 20%, and also causes enemies that hit the player to take an additional 1% of the player’s Thorns as Bleeding damage over 5 seconds. This skill is particularly useful for players who want to deal Thorn damage while also mitigating incoming damage.

The fourth Thorn skill is Strategic Challenging Shout. This skill provides the player with Thorns equal to 50% of their Maximum Life while Challenging Shout is active. This makes it an excellent skill for tanky characters, as it provides significant Thorn damage while also taunting enemies to attack the player.

The final Thorn skill is Spiked Armor. This skill provides the player with 16 Thorns, making it a useful skill for characters who want to deal Thorn damage without investing heavily in Thorn-based skills.

Below is a table summarizing the Thorn skills:

Skill NameEffect
Combat Flay3% Damage Reduction and 5 Thorns for 3 seconds. Stacks up to 4 times.
Outburst2 Thorns + 2 Thorns for every 2 bonus Maximum Life.
Tough as Nails20% increased Thorns + 1% of Thorns dealt as Bleeding damage over 5 seconds when hit.
Strategic Challenging ShoutThorns equal to 50% of Maximum Life while Challenging Shout is active.
Spiked Armor16 Thorns
Thorn skills in Diablo 4

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Diablo 4 Thorn Aspects

In Diablo 4, players can customize their character’s skills through the use of Aspects. Aspects are unique modifiers that can be added to skills, enhancing their effects or adding new ones altogether. Two such Aspects are the Death Wish Aspect and the Needleflare Aspect, both of which have interesting effects on Thorn-based skills.

The Death Wish Aspect is a modifier that enhances the player’s Thorn damage while they are Berserking. This Aspect grants the player a certain amount of additional Thorns, which can vary depending on the player’s level and other factors. This makes it an excellent choice for players who prefer to play aggressively and want to deal significant Thorn damage while in a Berserker state.

The Needleflare Aspect, on the other hand, provides a chance for the player’s Thorns damage to hit multiple enemies in the area. This Aspect grants the player’s Thorns damage a percentage chance to deal damage to all enemies within a certain radius, making it an excellent choice for players who want to deal damage to multiple enemies at once.

By combining these Aspects with Thorn-based skills like Combat Flay or Tough as Nails, players can create powerful and unique builds that focus on dealing damage through Thorn-based effects. These builds can be particularly effective in situations where the player is facing multiple enemies or when they need to deal damage while avoiding direct attacks.

Diablo 4 Barbarian Thorn Mechanic

If you’re a Barbarian character in Diablo 4, then Thorns is a mechanic that can be very useful for you. Thorn is an attribute that triggers the effect of damaging enemies every time your character is directly hit. As a Barbarian, you will be in the middle of the action, getting attacked constantly, making this an amazing stat to stack. In this Barbarian Thorns build, you can benefit from a high area of effect damage and great single-target damage. You can use different skills and passive perks, but the build will perform better if you can get your hands on the right Legendary items and Aspects for it. So, don’t hesitate to try out the Barbarian Thorns build and see how it performs!


In conclusion, Thorns are an offensive stat in Diablo 4 that deals damage to enemies when players get hit. Thorns can be increased by certain equipment and skills and are particularly effective against enemies that attack frequently but deal low damage. By utilizing the right equipment and skills, thorns can be an incredibly powerful offensive tool in Diablo 4. So, get out there and start experimenting with thorns to see how they can take your gameplay to the next level!

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