How Do Thorns Work in Diablo IV

Battling your way through Sanctuary will have you face very powerful enemies. It is said that the best defense is a good offense. Well, today we take this adage quite literally and apply it to our Thorns stat in Diablo IV. Yes, we know that this stat may be a mystery for some of you. Don’t worry though, here is how Thorns work in Diablo IV.

Screenshot by Siliconera

Diablo IV Thorns Explained

While this specific stat is not explained very well and may lead to some confusion, Thorns are a way to reflect any damage received back to the enemy. This means that while you will indeed receive damage, Thorns will be able to reflect it to the enemy that caused it.

Moreover, each of your character’s class primary abilities will determine the efficiency of Thorns in Diablo IV:

• Barbarian: Strength
• Druid: Willpower
• Necromancer: Intelligence
• Rogue: Dexterity
• Sorcerer: Intelligence

To get Thorns, your best bet is to equip armor that grants that specific stat bonus. You can also use some specific elixirs that will grant temporary Thorn bonuses to your character.

Ultimately, your character’s ability to take damage will determine the effectiveness of Thorns. Heavy tanky characters like the Barbarian or Druid that focus their attack through melee face-to-face encounters are more prone to receive damage. They have the biggest HP pool of the bunch and can better resist income damage, making Thorns a great stat to level up. However, if your class characteristics require you to avoid damage at all costs, like Rogues, then perhaps Thorns is not the best stat for you to build in Diablo IV.

Make sure to use Thorns as long as your class or play style will benefit from it. Alternatively, you can focus on leveling up your Barrier stat, which will mitigate incoming damage instead of just reflecting it. Choose wisely and good luck fighting the Malignant!

Diablo IV is available on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC.