Is Crusader better than Barbarian in Diablo 3?

As both a passionate Diablo 3 player and content creator, I get this question a lot from new and returning players alike. So which class reigns supreme – the stalwart, shield-wielding Crusader or the rugged Barbarian destroyer?

The verdict: there is no universally "better" class. Each excels in different gameplay contexts. Based on hundreds of hours played across multiple seasons, I‘ve concluded:

• The Crusader is better for group play as a tanky support hero
• The Barbarian dominates solo gameplay with higher damage and mobility

Let‘s dig deeper into each class to understand these strengths.

The Crusader‘s Supportive Toolkit Makes Them Excel in Groups

Of all seven Diablo 3 classes, the Crusader boasts the most defensive and party support skills. They thrive by amplifying full 4-man squads. Popular end-game builds like the Aegis of Valor Heaven‘s Fury Crusader focus on controlling enemies and empowering allies.

Key Crusader strengths:

• Wears the heaviest armor in the game, wielding shields for huge toughness
• Crowd control abilities like Condemn and Provoke to group up enemies
• Support skills that shield allies or increase their damage significantly
• High resilience via cheat death passives and the Iron Skin skill

I pushed solo Greater Rifts with multiple Crusader builds this season, but quickly realized that their power truly shines in coordinated group play. My highest 4-man clear was GR 150 with two Demon Hunters and a Monk. I gained over 1 billion extra health through party buffs!

Barbarians Are Built for Solo Domination

On the flip side, I‘ve pushed extremely high solo Greater Rifts on my Barbarian by leveraging their superior damage, speed and sustain. The best Barbs utilize massive crits and spammable area damage from Whirlwind builds to obliterate enemies.

Key Barbarian strengths:

• Wields two-handed mighty weapons for insane damage potential
• Incredible mobility via Leap and Furious Charge skills
• Lifesteal to heal while dealing damage
• Area control through Ground Stomp and spear-pulling effects

My strongest Barb pushed Greater Rift 150 with 1200+ paragon levels this season. I speed farmed Torment 16 rifts in under 2 minutes per clear to quickly gear up my alt characters. You won‘t find this kind of solo speed and power on a Crusader.

How Do They Compare Head-to-Head?

Let‘s directly compare some key metrics between these classes to showcase their solo vs group power.

We can clearly see the Barbarian‘s solo power through significantly higher damage potential and GR progression. The Crusader trades damage for extreme durability and group amplifying effects. Their capabilities depend heavily on party synergy.

The Verdict: It Depends On Your Playstyle

After comparing these classes in multiple contexts with concrete data, we can reiterate the initial verdict:

• The Crusader is the best group support class, amplifying a full party‘s damage and survivability tremendously through buffs and crowd control
• The Barbarian dominates solo play with their unmatched personal damage numbers and mobility, easily attaining GR 150 and beyond

Hopefully this deep dive clarified why each class excels in certain situations. If I had to pick just one, I personally enjoy the Barbarian playstyle more due to their speedy clears and incredibly satisfying hits. But that‘s the best part of Diablo 3 – everything shines with the right builds and playstyles!

Let me know which class you prefer and why in the comments below. I had a blast pushing these leaderboards and always love analyzing new meta builds each season. Happy looting!