Diablo 2 Walkthrough -> Barbarian
Swords have a fairly fast attack speed and good damage, but in the beginning it is very difficult to find a good sword, it is advisable to find a sword with "holes" because by inserting runes into them we can greatly improve them.
With swords, it is better to use skills such as sword dance and, accordingly, sword mastery; it is also very important to pump up fury.
It's better to carry two swords, one with damage to, for example, ice, and the other to fire, because many monsters are immune to one and not to the other. By choosing two swords, you sacrifice defense, but get more powerful damage, and having a shield and a sword gives you bonuses to defense and a number of other attributes.
It's worth carefully considering the moment when your shield is "yellow" or, if you're especially lucky, "brown" - then it's worth choosing a sword and shield, because such items provide many bonuses to attributes, especially valuable items that provide bonuses to strength, dexterity, and life.
Axes are stronger than swords, but their attack speed is noticeably slower; two-handed axes are especially powerful (by the way: once, after killing Baal, I got this "brown" axe that gave 25 strength, 10 dexterity, 100 (!) life, and it also gave magic to other classes).
So, my friends were very surprised when I "used" the sorceress's teleport and the paladin's sacrifice against a druid. Imagine my damage output. Using axes, we level up Berserker, Axe Mastery, and Agility to somehow increase our hit percentage.
Spears and halberds are also good choices for a barbarian. We level up their skills, berserk, and dance of death. Many use sledgehammers and flails, and this is justified, as most of them have very good damage, but are very slow.
So, we've chosen which weapon we'll use, now we'll choose armor. Of course, the Barbarian should have the best armor available in stores, but the best armor must be found on the battlefield. Items are most often given for defeating game bosses such as Diablo, Andriel, Duriel, Mephisto, and finally Baal himself.
Let's get back to armor: it should primarily add to defense and life. Of course, by the end of the game you will find the "Immortal King" and become "Immortal" yourself, but this will be at level eighty, and for now you are a mere mortal, wearing only the best.
A helmet is needed for additional protection. The barbarian is very lucky with helmets, as many of them provide bonuses to skills. Such helmets are very valuable, and I personally do not recommend selling, for example, a helmet for swordsmanship to a berserker, but someone with less powerful protection.
Amulets and rings aren't worth paying too much attention to, but I'll say one thing: it's best not to skimp on them. Boots, belts, and gloves should be chosen from the very best.
So, we've equipped ourselves with the best weapons, donned the best armor, and are ready to go into battle, but STOP! We've forgotten the most important thing: SKILLS. A barbarian with good gear, but poorly leveled, isn't worth a dime.
Skills : Weapon Mastery, Bone Skin, which provides a lot of extra defense, Berserk, Frenzy, Natural Defense (you can't do without it), a bit of a fast sprint, and a really good shout on the battlefield (improving your defense, damage, and lowering enemy stats). And that's about it :)
Source: BeGamer.ru.
See also:
Act 5 - Diablo 2 Walkthrough
Choosing a character in Arcanum
Half-Life 2 Walkthrough