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For similarly named articles, see The Butcher.
Butcher 4

The Butcher as seen in Diablo IV

The Butcher is a super unique monster in Diablo IV, that can spawn randomly inside dungeons and cellars.

His design is based on his Diablo III's counterpart, but with a much less hulking appearance and being smaller in size (but still being larger than the player character).

The player can obtain the The Butcher's Cleaver from killing him, although it's not an exclusive drop.

In-game[]

The Butcher is a powerful and brutal demon that has a small chance of appearing inside inside any room within dungeons and cellars. Once he spots the player, he'll grunt his signature "Fresh meat!" and will relentlessly chase them until they are killed, or until he's defeated. Whenever the player encounters the Butcher, his theme song will play.

There are no player-level restrictions for the Butcher to spawn; he can potentially appear at any level the player character is at. In some cellars he can even be a random objective, which will be completed whether the player defeats him or not (although killing him earns the objective's mastery). He can also spawn while the player is in a party, and can also appear inside Nightmare Dungeons.

The Butcher will never spawn inside campaign-related dungeons or open world areas. He'll also never spawn more than once in the same dungeon. His spawn rate is random and the player has no control over how and when he can appear.

If the Butcher defeats the player, he'll clash his weapons together and teleport out, leaving a pool of blood on the ground. He will also do that if the player manages to escape from him by climbing ladders and getting out of his reach without attacking him for a few seconds.

Attacks[]

The Butcher's attack pattern is very similar to his Diablo III counterpart, while also borrowing some traits from his Heroes of the Storm incarnation. On higher World Tiers he'll also gain a shield, and will replenish some seconds after depleted.

  • Double Swing: The Butcher furiously swings his sickle and cleaver, dealing damage quickly. This is his primary means to attack when at close distance.
  • Headbutt: The Butcher winds up and delivers a powerful headbutt against the player character, stunning them for several seconds. The attack is relatively slow and telegraphed, and can be avoided.
  • Sickle Grab: The Butcher will throw his sickle to hook a distant player character and pull them into melee range, briefly stunning them. This attack is fast and covers very long range, but it can be dodged.
  • Mighty Roar: The Butcher lets out a terrifying shout, which covers a huge radius, and slows all players within range. This is often used when the player attempts to flee from him. On higher difficulties it'll also replenish his shield.
  • Charge: The Butcher will quickly dash towards the player with a shoulder tackle, pushing them back and briefly stunning them. This is often used when the player is within mid-range from him.
  • Bloody Frenzy: The Butcher will grunt and glow red for some seconds. While in this state, his attack speed is increased and he'll sap life from his target with each successful attack, regaining a bit of his own.

Strategy[]

The Butcher moves and attacks fast, with little to no pauses, leaving little breathing room for the player. He'll prioritize the player character and will generally ignore companions and minions.

Ideally, the player should attempt to maintain a safe distance from the Butcher, and try to avoid taking unnecessary damage, even if playing a melee-oriented class and / or build. Paying attention to his attack patterns is key, as he is briefly vulnerable if he misses his Headbutt and Sickle Grab. While all of his attacks can be dodged, his Double Swing, however, is very fast and hard to avoid.

The Butcher's Mighty Roar is nearly impossible to avoid even at mid-long distances as it covers a massive radius around him; he'll often follow-up with a Sickle Grab to pull the slowed player. Ideally, in these conditions, the player should save their dodge for when the Butcher attempts to hook the character.

Meeting the Butcher while facing other opponents is very dangerous, especially if the player lacks proper crowd control. However, this can be useful to replenish potions, which will always drop from elite monsters.

Fighting the Butcher while in a party is the safest way to deal with him as the players can split his attention. He'll mostly prioritize the closest player character, so his AI can be conditioned to chase one player or the other.

One of the most effective ways to deal with the Butcher, especially when facing him solo, is to use terrain as an obstacle, to effectively "kite" him around. Shrine Pillars are particularly useful as the Butcher has to move around them to reach the player, and if they maintain a safe, but relatively close distance from him, he won't use his Sickle Grab, Charge nor Mighty Roar. By running around it in circles and pelt him with attacks.

The Butcher is a much harder foe on higher World Tiers due to his ability to gain a shield.

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