The Berserker arrives with the Fangs of Asterkarn expansion as a two-weapon brawler who can slip into a Werewolf or Wereraven and channel the freezing winds of the Asterkarn peaks. It leans on Cold, Bleeding, and Piercing damage, with the option to convert into Chaos, so it fits several very different playstyles. Because Grim Dawn lets you respec freely, you can commit to one of the directions below now and pivot later without rerolling.
Quick answer: Pair Berserker with Occultist for a Bleed or Chaos build, or with Nightblade for a Cold/Frostburn Wereraven build. Occultist supplies flat damage and resistance reduction curses, while Nightblade stacks Frostburn multipliers.
How Berserker damage works before you pick a build
Two mechanics define the mastery. Onslaught is the default attack replacer, and every hit builds stacks that increase the damage of your skills that have cooldowns. It deals weapon damage plus flat Cold, so it is built to be woven between big cooldown attacks rather than used as your only source of damage.
The second mechanic is shapeshifting. The Werewolf gives you Feral Claws and heavy melee tools, while the Wereraven trades away Weapon Pool Skills for talons and Cold spells. Which form you plan to live in decides most of your gear and devotion choices, so lock that in early. The full skill list is documented on the official Berserker mastery page.
Bleed Berserker (Berserker + Occultist)
Bleed is the most natural way to play the mastery. The core comes from Bloodfrenzy, which adds 110% increased Bleeding damage to your attacks. Stack it with Open Wounds, Bloodfangs, Implements of War, and Bloodborne, and you already have a strong damage-over-time base without leaving the class.
Open Wounds is the standout. It applies a large chunk of Bleeding damage over three seconds and also cuts the target’s damage by 20% on enemies you hit. To push the numbers higher, add Occultist as your second mastery. Curse of Frailty strips up to -45% Bleed Resistance at max level, and Second Rite layers on another 100% increased Bleed damage. Spend leftover points on further defense reduction or your own survivability.
Shaman is a solid alternative here. It brings its own bleed nodes, flat resistance reduction, and two bleed Weapon Pool Skills, which is why a Berserker/Shaman Onslaught into Primal Strike variant is a common early plan.
Frostburn Wereraven Berserker (Berserker + Nightblade)
The Wereraven turns the mastery into a Cold caster. In this form, Cold Snap deals over 1,000 Frostburn damage on its own, and the multipliers pile up quickly from there.
The scaling stacks in a clear order. Eyewinter adds 120% Frostburn damage and extends Frostburn duration by 78%. Icebound contributes another 110% at the cost of a 100 energy reservation. The exclusive skill, Heart of Asterkarn, adds a final 135%.
Bring in Nightblade to finish the package. Lethal Assault grants 87% more Frostburn damage for eight seconds after activation, and Elemental Awakening supplies another 100%. One important limit: the Wereraven cannot use Weapon Pool Skills, so plan your rotation around the form’s own abilities rather than weapon procs.
Chaos Berserker (Werewolf + Occultist)
The Chaos route runs through the Werewolf. The Blight of Ch’thon passive converts all of the Pierce damage from Feral Claws into Chaos, so your basic claw attacks become a Chaos source. From there, you stack both Chaos and Pierce damage from every angle.
Bloodfrenzy still gives its 110% damage bonus, and Bonechilling Cry lowers enemy Chaos Resistance by 25%. Occultist deepens it further with Solael’s Witchfire for flat Chaos damage, Second Rite for another 100% bonus, and the Vulnerability curse for an additional 25% Chaos Resistance reduction. Note that the Onslaught modifier Covenant of Ch’thon can also convert its Cold and Piercing into Chaos if you want a fully Chaos-focused attack replacer.
Second mastery pairings at a glance
| Build | Damage type | Second mastery | Key support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bleed Berserker | Bleeding | Occultist (or Shaman) | Curse of Frailty, Second Rite |
| Frostburn Wereraven | Cold / Frostburn | Nightblade | Lethal Assault, Elemental Awakening |
| Chaos Berserker | Chaos / Pierce | Occultist | Solael’s Witchfire, Vulnerability |
Devotions and gear that raise the ceiling
Each of these builds scales hard through the Devotion system. For the Chaos Berserker, Ulzaad’s Decree periodically grants an extra 200% Physical and 200% Pierce damage, which feeds directly into the Werewolf’s converted claws. For Bleed and Cold variants, prioritize the devotions that match your damage type along with a few tanky nodes for defense.
Gear matters just as much. Equipment that adds skill levels makes your key abilities stronger, and certain item skills feed the Onslaught loop. Because respeccing is cheap, a practical approach is to level while grabbing anything useful, then commit to a final devotion map and gear set once you reach the endgame and understand your rotation. Whichever direction you choose, the same rule holds throughout: keep Onslaught stacked, then land your cooldown attacks while the bonus is up.
