Choosing a Starter Class for Season 9 – Sins of the Horadrim

Rob (a popular Diablo 4 content creator) recently shared his decision-making process on selecting a starter class for Season 9. Based on his analysis and gameplay considerations, here’s a detailed guide to help you choose your path.

🤔 The Two Finalists: Hydra Sorcerer vs. Spiritborn

• Hydra Sorcerer
• Pros: Low-effort gameplay—just cast the Hydra and let it handle enemies.
• Cons: Passive style; lacks active engagement, which Rob prefers now.
• Spiritborn
• Pros:
• Top-tier endgame viability — one of the strongest builds in content tiers.
• Solid leveling and farming using Evade + Quill Volley (QV) build.
• Adaptable to controller or limited input setups, ideal for “chill” play.

Rob chose Spiritborn, emphasizing its versatility, power, and ease to control even with limited dexterity.

🚀 Starter Build: Evade + Quill Volley

Levelling (1–60)

1. • Use Quill Volley with Evade, and add Thunder Spike to reset Evade cooldown.
   • Speedy, efficient for Diablo 4 boost progress, and consistent in Nightmare difficulty.

Farming Transition

2. • Continue with Evade-QV build into Tier 4+ content to quickly collect Diablo 4 gold and farm legendary items.
   • Expect “insane movement speed” and stable damage output.

Endgame Boost: Thorn Spiritborn

3. • Once key uniques like Pants-Balazan’s Maxtlatl are acquired, transition into the Thorn-based Spiritborn build.
   • Offers top-tier boss killing and high-pit performance, recognized as S-tier.

🌱 Why Spiritborn Works

• Chill yet powerful: Evade-QV is fun, fluid, and forgiving.
• Accessibility: Minimal inputs—ideal for lighter gameplay or limited mobility.
• Robust scaling:
• The early game focused on speed and evasion.
• Late game evolves into high-damage Thorn builds that melt bosses.
• Stable performance: Neither significantly nerfed—Evade and Thorn remain strong this season.
• Perfect for efficient farming, rerolling, or target farming Diablo 4 items

🛡 Comparison Table

📝 Additional Community Insight

• Reddit users also highlight the strength of Hydra Sorcerer, Minion Necro, and Poison/Pulverize Druid for Season 9.

“Hydra for life. It finally has a time to shine!”
“Minion necro is supposed to be quite good this season!”

✅ Summary Recommendation

If you’re looking for:

• Easy and fun gameplay,
• Strong endgame viability,
• and flexible control requirements —

Start with Spiritborn using Evade + Quill Volley, then transition to Thorn Spiritborn for max performance. The Hydra Sorcerer remains a solid alternative if you prefer passive, stationary play.

💡 What Should You Pick?

• Prefer low-effort, auto-attacking?
  → Go, Hydra Sorcerer.
• Want a chill build that scales excellently and plays smoothly?
  → Start with Evade Spiritborn, then switch to Thorn Spiritborn for endgame.