Whirlwind

Whirlwind is a tier V skill in the Berserker Skill Tree, doing damage to enemies in close proximity to the Barbarian.

Background

Diablo III Skill [e]

Whirlwind Active, 5 ranks
Used by:	Barbarian
Skill Description:
Become a cyclone, delivering multiple hits to everything in your path
Skill Details:
Type:	Direct Damage
Quantity:	% of weapon dmg./sec
Effect:	Circular AoE
School:	Physical
Fury cost:	1 Fury Orb
Cast time:	Instant
Duration:	None
Cooldown:	Unknown
Synergies:	Berserker Skill tree, High Dmg. Weapons
Requires:	N/A
Prereq of:	N/A

Everyone's favorite spinning, multi-hitting tornado of a skill returns in D3. As it did in D2, Whirlwind lands multiple hits to anything in the barbarian's path, and it can strike multiple monsters per use. The whirling graphic is much improved in D3, with the weapon visible tracking around in a circle, leaving a glowing light as it spins and pausing an instant when it makes contact with a hapless enemy.

Skill Design

Once the player activates the skill, the Barbarian starts spinning for a limited duration of time, damaging anything that comes into close proximity with the Barbarian. The Barbarian is able to move while this skill is active, making this skill very good for killing masses of monsters.

Skill Rank Table

(legend (A) = Assumed)

Rank: 1/5
- Hits for 100% weapon damage.
- Fury Cost: 1 Fury Orb.
Rank: 2/5
- Hits for 120% weapon damage. (A)
- Fury Cost: 1 Fury Orb.
Rank: 3/5
- Hits for 140% weapon damage. (A)
- Fury Cost: 1 Fury Orb.
Rank: 4/5
- Hits for 160% weapon damage. (A)
- Fury Cost: 1 Fury Orb.
Rank: 5/5
- Hits for 180% weapon damage. (A)
- Fury Cost: 1 Fury Orb.

Synergies

General Synergies

Weapons with high damage will make this skill much stronger, especially at higher levels (assumed).

Skill Rune Effects

None known.

The old Whirlwind.

The new Whirlwind.

Development

Whirlwind was revealed in Blizzard's World Wide Invitational in Paris, along with the announcement of Diablo 3. It is pretty much identical to the Diablo 2 Whirlwind, except requiring fury to use.

During the BlizzCon's 2009 Diablo 3 panel, the development team showed off visual changes to the skill. With the creation of the Desert Dervish, who also had whirlwind, the development team found out that the Dune Dervish's whirlwind is much better looking than the Barbarian's. The team showed off the new Whirlwind for the Barbarian, with a demonstration of him slaughtering multiple farm animals with it (Secret Cow Level?). The new Whirlwind is much more intense and as the barbarian spins, dust and sand is seen being around him, also, the whirlwind seems more vicious, giving a feeling of "weight of the weapon + the speed of spinning = very hard hits" to the player.

Media

You can find pictures in the Diablo 3 screenshot and picture gallery:

References

BlizzCon 2009, Diablo 3 Heroes and Monsters panel.