Here I bring my ultimate guide to farming Uber Bosses in Diablo 4, and we’ll walk you through how to farm materials like Living Steel effectively.
First, we’ll take a deep dive into the farming techniques of two of the game’s most popular creatures, Echo of Varshan and Grigoire, The Galvanic Saint, learning about the best farming routes, gear setup, and effective tactics.
But that’s not all. We’ll also cover how to summon Uber Duriel, as well as the strategies needed to defeat this powerful enemy. Whether you want to farm Duriel for loot or challenge yourself in combat, we’ve got expert tips and tactics for you.
Next, we’ll reveal the secrets behind getting Living Steel. Living Steel is a rare and valuable material necessary for crafting advanced equipment and upgrades. Explore the most efficient farming methods and locations to collect this coveted resource and enhance your arsenal.
So if you’re ready to take your Diablo 4 farming skills to the next level, don’t miss our ultimate guide to unlocking the secrets to farming Uber Bosses!
Before we start running Duriel, we should understand the basics of Diablo 4 boss ladder.
First, you need to do Whispers to get Varshan Body Parts in order to summon Varshan. Defeating Echo of Varshan will drop Mucus-Slick Eggs, one of two items required to summon Duriel.
The other is to do Helltides to get Living Steel, which we will use to summon Grigoire. Grigoire drops Shards of Agony, another item necessary to summon Duriel.
You can find Whispers on the map by their icons. Their help text will give you an objective and how many Grim Favors they will give you.
Turn in 10 Grim Favors to get Whisper Caches at Tree of Whispers. Opening the cache will give you random Varshan Body Parts. You need to collect all 4 Varshan Body Parts to summon Varshan.
It should be noted that Malignant Hearts will only drop from chests obtained from World Tier 4. Therefore, I recommend against farming Varshan summon items in World Tier 3.
In Season 3, there are 4 ways to farm Varshan efficiently.
My favorite method is to farm Arcane Tremors when they are available, which you can do once an hour. You need to interact with 3 Obelisks, which will drop Elemental Cores. Defeat 100 Constructs in the area and use 3 Elemental Cores to spawn Herald of Malphas. Defeating 100 Constructs and Herald of Malphas can be accomplished at the same time, as it will spawn waves of enemies.
This method of farming Whisper Caches only takes about 3 minutes and yields a total of 11 Grim Favors. As an added bonus, you also get Igneous Cores needed to generate Uber Malpha.
The next farming method is to take advantage of the red PVP areas. There are two separate areas on the map, each with a Whisper to defeat Seething Abomination.
First, you need to go to PVP area and find Abomination walking in a circle around the center of the area. This boss can be powerful, but if you’re willing to spend Diablo 4 Gold on decent gear, he’ll probably only take about 30 seconds to defeat. Defeating two Seething Abominations will also net you 10 Grim Favors in about 3 minutes.
Our next farming method is completing Whisper dungeons, which will provide 5 Grim Favors for each completed dungeon.
This can be a little tricky because the completion time of the dungeon depends entirely on the objectives. Typically, dungeons with the objective of killing all enemies may take the longest to complete. For this reason, it is recommended to use a Speed Farming Build for your class and stack as much movement speed as possible.
Other ways to grow Varshan Body Parts are to look for Grotesque Debtors. These special enemies will have a chance to spawn when you or anyone near you complete Whisper objectives. You just need to keep an eye out for this symbol on the minimap. It means Grotesque Debtors are spawning at that location.
Helltides is a special event in Diablo 4 where two areas spawn higher level enemies. Enemies in Helltides drop a special currency called Aberrant Cinders during the event. Aberrant Cinders will be used to open new treasure chests that spawn around the area.
Note that dying in Helltides will cause you to lose half of Aberrant Cinders you collected.
Once you have collected 275 Aberrant Cinders, you can find a Living Steel Chest. Each Living Steel Chest provides 5 Living Steel, while other chests only drop 1 Living Steel. Each area has 1 Living Steel Chest, which means you can get a total of 10 Living Steel per run.
Overall, the best farming strategy is to prioritize collecting two Living Steel Chests from Helltides every hour. Whisper can also be farmed while you’re waiting for the next Helltides to spawn.
After completing Helltides, follow the priority list of Arcane Tremors and Seething Abomination first, then use the remaining time to run Whisper dungeons until the next Helltide appears.
Next up is running Uber Bosses. I recommend being properly equipped and fully upgraded before attempting these.
Grigoire is located in Hall of the Penitent in Dry Steppes Region. You need 5 Living Steel to summon Grigoire. They usually drop 1-2 Shards of Agony per run.
Varshan is located next to Tree of Whispers in Malignant Burrow. Because summoning Varshan requires collecting all 4 Body Parts, if your Body Parts are unbalanced, you can exchange them by trading Varshan Body Parts for Malignant Cache at Alchemist.
Defeating Varshan again has a chance to drop 1-2 Mucus-Slick Eggs. After completing each run of Grigoire or Varshan, you can use Reset Dungeon button on the right side of the map.
To find out how many times you can summon Uber Duriel, check your Mucus-Slick Eggs and Shards of Agony and divide the lowest number of summoned items by 2.
To get the most out of beating Duriel, I recommend that you create or find an entire team of players, which means you have more chances of running Uber Duriel.
Uber Duriel always drops 925 gear, which is a great place to find the best gear. But the main reason to grow Duriel is Uber Uniques, but there are some regular Uniques as well. Tibault’s Will, X’Fal’s Corroded Signet, Godslayer Crown, and Flickerstep are popular choices for different builds.
That’s all for my Uber Bosses farming guide, follow this guide and you will become a master farmer and conquer all challenges in Diablo 4!
Throne and Liberty, the highly anticipated MMORPG from NCSoft, holds significant promise. However, it finds itself in a state of identity crisis due to frequent shifts in development focus and core philosophies. These changes have left the game directionless, hindering its ability to stand out in the MMORPG genre.
Here, we will delve into Throne and Liberty’s major shortcomings, their impact on the overall gaming experience, and what they imply for its forthcoming global launch.
Initially marketed as a game with a strong focus on PvP, Throne and Liberty placed considerable emphasis on large-scale PvP battles, which were touted as a key selling point.
Expectations were high, with the anticipation that these epic castle sieges and territorial conflicts would surpass similar features in popular titles like Black Desert Online’s Node Wars or Amazon’s New World Fortress Sieges.
However, upon release, players were disappointed to find that the realized large-scale PvP system bore a striking resemblance to castle sieges seen in Lineage II. Despite the allure of battles involving hundreds of players, many expressed dissatisfaction as these engagements often descended into chaotic encounters lacking strategic depth, especially when compared to smaller-scale PvP instances with stricter player limits.
Players on the outnumbered defending side often felt overwhelmed and helpless, with limited opportunities for tactical maneuvers or engaging in small-group combat. To fulfill its PvP promise, some argue that the game needs to introduce systems to prevent such imbalances or offer additional tactical objectives beyond mere capture point rushes.
Fortunately, there are promising changes on the horizon. Upcoming updates include the introduction of node contests, where guilds vie for supremacy in guild-versus-guild battles. Additionally, the announcement of 6v6, 5v5, and 3v3 battlegrounds signifies a shift towards integrating dynamic events into faction wars, aiming to inject more variety and excitement into PvP experiences. If you want to perform well when facing these challenges, it is very important to accumulate enough Throne and Liberty Lucent.
Shifting the game’s focus hit NCSoft hard. They came to the realization that their initially advertised direction for the game was not feasible. Consequently, they opted to announce a sudden pivot towards PvE content.
While this change could potentially benefit the game’s longevity, it poses a significant disruption to its identity. Players who were initially attracted to the prospect of a unique PvP-centered experience now find themselves uncertain about the game’s trajectory.
Of greater concern is the implication of a lack of confidence or vision for the game. Previous missteps, such as the widely criticized beta version filled with mobile gaming mechanics, cast doubt on the developers’ ability to sustain Throne and Liberty.
It is imperative to find a compelling answer to what distinguishes Throne and Liberty from other MMORPGs. Questions arise: Can its gameplay offer the same level of engaging action and fluidity found in Black Desert Online? Will its shift towards PvE content deliver the same challenge and intricacy as Lost Ark’s raiding? Can it present a richer, more finely crafted narrative than Final Fantasy 14?
Without addressing these identity issues, Throne and Liberty risk fading into obscurity and losing relevance in a genre dominated by well-established franchises. Should the pivot to PvE content fail to make the intended impact, players may be left with yet another uninspiring, run-of-the-mill MMORPG featuring monotonous grinding and abandoned PvP systems.
Establishing development timelines early is crucial for an MMORPG.
A content roadmap provides the community with a clear understanding of the game’s progression, helping players set long-term expectations and determine if it’s worth investing their time. However, with such a significant change in direction, players now find themselves uncertain about the game’s future path.
NCSoft has consistently demonstrated flexibility and a willingness to address issues with Throne and Liberty, which is commendable. However, this doesn’t negate the fact that the game’s current state appears to lack a defined target audience. The abrupt shift in direction at this stage of development suggests a lack of thorough consideration and testing. Continually investing resources into failing philosophies is becoming a concerning trend.
Uncertainty looms over whether players should anticipate slower major content updates due to this unstable environment.
Considering all that has transpired, it’s unsurprising that there have been delays in the global release of Throne and Liberty, despite already incorporating localization features like native translations.
All we know is that Throne and Liberty should be arriving soon, but Amazon has maintained a conspicuous silence. The excitement and momentum leading up to the releases of New World and Lost Ark felt much stronger.
The most recent news article on Throne and Liberty’s western website dates back to October 18th, 2023. Additionally, the last mention of Throne and Liberty on Amazon’s website was in an article from last month, January 22nd, titled “Amazon Games Look Back on a Busy 2023.” The last dedicated article was on June 8th of last year.
Moreover, unlike other launches, there doesn’t appear to be an official Throne and Liberty forum where players can express their anticipation for a western release. It’s starting to feel like Throne and Liberty is slipping through the cracks.
Given the current state of the game, it’s plausible that NCSoft and Amazon have concluded that Throne and Liberty isn’t yet ready for a global launch. The success of a game often hinges on its release, and it may be preferable to launch when the game is more stable. Take Final Fantasy 14, for instance, which even had a relaunch to distance itself from its previous version. NCSoft has stated that there will be no localization differences between the Korean and Western versions, indicating that we should expect similar monetization and patch structures.
Amazon and NCSoft face a significant challenge in reconciling the differences between Korean and Western audiences and their gaming motivations. We’ve seen Amazon and Smilegate struggle to bridge this gap with Lost Ark, and we can only hope that the same mistake isn’t repeated.
In a game desperately seeking direction, how will the opinions of both player bases be harmonized?
Throne and Liberty has the potential to exceed expectations and be an exceptional game.
However, its success depends on NCSoft’s ability to develop a unified vision that compels players to invest their time and enjoy what Throne and Liberty has to offer. Otherwise, it risks fading away as another failed attempt to rejuvenate the genre. Only time will reveal whether Throne and Liberty can carve out its own path.
Are you interested in the concept of having multiple builds but find the process of swapping out your gear and skills too cumbersome? In this guide, I'll demonstrate how to utilize the Alpha Gear addon to seamlessly switch gear, skills, and appearance with just the push of a button. This addon provides greater control over your builds and enhances optimization in the Elder Scrolls Online.
With Alpha Gear, you can effortlessly adjust your gear and skills between encounters, enhancing your performance in various roles such as DPS, healing, tanking, and thieving. Let's grab enough ESO Gold and explore Alpha Gear and its capabilities for managing multiple builds in the Elder Scrolls Online.
As a default feature, Alpha Gear enables users to store gear and skills in various configurations.
Subsequently, users can allocate a gear configuration and two skill configurations to a specific build. Additionally, outfit assignment is possible for each build. Hotkeys can then be designated for each configuration, facilitating the instantaneous application of the associated gear, skills, and outfit upon activation.
Some individuals may inquire about the similarity between Alpha Gear and ESO's Armory system. While there are parallels, the vanilla Armory system permits the preservation and interchange of builds, albeit with some limitations. Access to the Armory station or an Armory assistant is required, and navigating through the dialogue swiftly, especially in group dungeons, can pose challenges.
Notably, Alpha Gear surpasses these restrictions by offering unrestricted build creation, allowing users to generate numerous configurations according to their preferences.
Let's begin by delving into the settings.
Firstly, in the profile and builds section, I opt for a streamlined interface by disabling "Show Build Buttons" and "Show Equipped Build". While we'll configure hotkeys for our builds, if you prefer manual swapping via clicking, ensure "Show Build Buttons" remains enabled. As for the remaining settings, I leave them unchanged.
Moving on to the gear section, I deactivate all three options. I find additional interface icons unnecessary, and since I utilize the Auto Recharge (and repair) addon to mend my gear with repair kits, I prefer not to incur expenses on automatic repairs at stores.
Concerning weapons, I also disable both options. The weapon charge icon isn't essential for me, and my weapons already undergo automatic recharging. However, if you're not utilizing the Auto Recharge (and repair) addon, Alpha Gear can manage this task for you.
Regarding the equipment panel, I maintain the default user interface settings. Personally, I prefer to disable "Show UI Button" as I assign a hotkey for opening the window. Nonetheless, if you prefer using buttons for navigation rather than hotkeys, it's advisable to retain this option enabled. Additionally, the UI button is relatively small and blends well with the default interface, making it inconspicuous in my view.
So, those are the settings, but we need to configure keybindings.
I prefer to set up keybindings, or at least that's what I'd recommend. By default, Alpha Gear doesn't have any keybindings assigned, but I suggest adding some.
Personally, I utilize the "T" key to toggle the interface, and then I assign the numpad keys for each of my builds. If you prefer not to set up keybindings for each build, you can keep the UI button or build buttons enabled and simply click to swap.
Additionally, if you intend to use it, make sure to enable the Style Manager in Alpha Gear 2 Integrations.
Now that Alpha Gear is installed and we've configured the basic settings to our liking, let's begin creating some builds.
For this character, I aim to develop three straightforward builds. One for swift traversal around town and the Overworld, one focused on maximizing AOE DPS for handling trash pulls and dungeons, and another tailored for optimal DPS during boss encounters. In both DPS builds, I intend to utilize five pieces of the Order's Wrath set. However, in the around-town build, I'll make space for the Ring of the Wild Hunt and adjust the sets accordingly. Though this entails carrying extra gear, the flexibility to switch builds seamlessly justifies the minor inconvenience.
To initiate a new build, it's necessary to equip all desired gear and skills. For instance, I'll equip the Order's Wrath set, five pieces of Swamp Raiders, and the two-piece Veiled monster set for the AOE-focused build. Using Alpha Gear, I'll right-click on the Gear bar to save the current gear set and repeat the process for the skill bars.
Alpha Gear facilitates the independent saving of gear sets and skill bars, allowing for effortless customization when creating new builds. After saving a gear set and skill bars, proceed to edit a build slot by selecting the gear set and assigning a name. Additionally, options for outfit or Alpha style customization are available, offering versatility in appearance customization.
Following this, let's adjust gear and skills for the second build. I'll maintain the Order's Wrath set and incorporate Sheer Venom as the second five-piece set, along with Arena weapons in lieu of another monster set. Once adjustments are made, save the updated gear set and skill sets, and create a new build accordingly. With both DPS builds established, switching between them during dungeon runs becomes effortless, optimizing performance for different encounters.
Moving on, let's establish the third build, tailored for enhanced movement speed during urban traversal. This build typically complements Legerdemain focus sets, ideal for thieving activities within towns. Incorporating Night's Silence and Night's Tear sets, along with the Ring of the Wild Hunt, enhances speed while Armor of the Trainee provides additional health and armor. Skills can be tailored for combat or enhanced movement as desired.
Similar to previous steps, save the gear set and skill sets and allocate them to the third build slot. Now, an optimized build is available for daily tasks, pickpocketing endeavors, or swift point-to-point travel.
Initially, Alpha Gear does not include functionality for saving Champion Point loadouts. However, an extension called Champion Point Slots addresses this limitation.
While I've found the Champion Point Slots extension somewhat challenging to navigate, I rarely find the need to switch combat Champion Skills on the fly. Nevertheless, I highly recommend utilizing the Jack of all Trades addon developed by Cyber on ESO.
Jack of all Trades simplifies the process by automatically adjusting your green craft Champion Skills based on your current activity. This eliminates the need to create additional builds or manually swap craft skills.
I mention this addon because it complements Alpha Gear effectively. Particularly, it ensures your character remains optimized outside of combat, especially as you attain higher champion levels and unlock multiple slottable Champion Skills from the craft constellation. Unlike combat skills, I prefer having craft Champion Skills adjusted according to my activities, whether it involves thieving, crafting, gathering, or fishing, given their significant impact.
Now that you're familiar with Alpha Gear, your possibilities are virtually limitless.
I've personally saved 8 builds on my Warden. These include my Falinest Scout solo build, which adeptly combines speed and damage to swiftly defeat overworld mobs and facilitate travel.
There's also my Dark Ranger AOE poison build, optimized for clearing both trash mobs and dungeons.
Additionally, I have a Marksman build centered around the Relicin set, specifically tailored for maximizing single-target damage output.
Another build focuses on solo survivability, finely tuned for conquering Veteran Maelstrom Arenas.
My Battleground Warden PVP build is designed for intense player versus player combat.
Similar to the around-town build we previously discussed, there's also my Turbo Rogue build.
Additionally, there's my Forest Guardian tank build, equipped with 64 points in stamina and suitable tank gear and skills, making even this Bosmer proficient in tanking various content. For quick random normal dungeon runs, I utilize this build with great efficiency.
Lastly, there's my stamina healer build, which boldly combines stamina-based healing with group buffs, enabling effective healing in challenging situations.
Alpha Gear is particularly useful for experimenting with new builds since it allows you to save your work in progress, ensuring you don't lose track of the skills or gear you were using. While this approach may not suit everyone, especially newer players who are still refining their first build, it's only a matter of time before you find yourself considering whether one set might outperform another, or perhaps you're drawn to trying out a more thematic build or simply craving speed at times.
It's worth noting that there are alternative addons offering similar functionality. Although I recently made the switch from Dressing Room to Alpha Gear, Wizard's Wardrobe is another viable option. All three operate in a comparable manner, allowing for exploration of various options. My preference for Alpha Gear over Dressing Room stems from the latter's apparent lack of updates. While Dressing Room functions adequately in its current state, there's uncertainty about its future compatibility, unlike Alpha Gear, which continues to receive regular updates and maintenance, making it a safer recommendation.
Hello, gamers! Welcome to this new build guide for Last Epoch! We’ll be diving into an amazing build centered around a unique helmet known as Wraithlord’s Harbour. I’m sure the in-game capabilities will be outstanding, and its playstyle will be equally engaging.
However, there are a couple of different ways to playing this build. This playstyle is where you have 2 minions and have them fire necrotic beams in succession. You may encounter some difficulties against large groups of enemies because of the relationship between the casting attack speed and the number of projectiles he can actually fire or the number of targets he can hit per cast, making it easy to get surrounded by enemies or overwhelmed.
This playstyle also offers some advantages compared to other styles. You can achieve a better layer of defense by using a one-handed weapon and a shield to compensate for the lack of a multitude of minions to block the enemy's aggro.
The other 2 playstyles involve using Aberrant Call. Aberrant Call is a rather impressive item. It allows you to have a maximum of 12 wraiths, potentially granting you 20 in total. While it provides some benefits, your minions will now lose 6% of their current life per second and gain minion melee damage following a recent nerf. The 2 playstyles involve summoning Flame Wraiths with this item.
The third playstyle is which I'm presenting today - Melee Necrotic. This build primarily focuses on minions. If your Wraithlord happens to perish, you can simply summon a new one, attach a new Dread Shade, and continue uninterrupted. The process is largely automated and provides a comfortable gameplay experience.
Before diving into the in-game demonstration of this build, I'd like to address a few important points. Firstly, the Wraithlord’s Harbour helmet is an essential unique item that enables this build. Acquiring it is crucial. You can obtain it by farming in the Black Sun area, finding Ascendance runes, or through prophecies if you're playing Circle of Fortune. Alternatively, if you're adept at trading, you can just use your Last Epoch Gold to get it.
Given its significance, I recommend consulting a leveling guide before reaching the point where you can utilize it effectively. Additionally, I strongly advise to opt for a low-life approach with this build. However, this comes with its challenges. You'll need an Exsanguinous, preferably a good one. Obtaining a Frostbite Shackles would be advantageous, but it entails acquiring extra cold resistance to maintain the ward effectively.Having Last Steps of the Living or the Experimental gloves will enhance your survivability by converting health into the ward.
Nonetheless, acquiring Last Steps of the Living can be challenging and may require multiple attempts. Last of the Living has a 50% drop chance from Formosus, which is very easy to farm. And in the same area, you drop the Frostbite Shackles. In the same area, you farm the Exsanguinous.
While the gear isn't optimal and lacks complete resistance coverage, we need to focus on acquiring one modifier with the minion health region and prioritize minion health, minion damage or intelligence on other pieces, such as rings. However, it's crucial to consider health rolls on rings without compromising resistances, alongside incorporating crit avoidance modifiers.
Transplant: Adopt a generic approach with Reign of Blood, Doom Bringer, and Acolyte's Fervor. Prioritize haste and frenzy for improved clear speed, alongside cooldown reduction and Bone Armor for added protection.
Summon Wraith: Prioritize Covenant of Souls for +2 extra maximum wraiths, achieved by speccing into necrotic damage with Reapers. Ensure some leech for faster casting, with 1 point in Wraith Bringer being sufficient, followed by Fallen Reclamation investing in movement speed for adequate mobility. Focus on critical nodes to maximize crit chance for the wraiths, then allocate additional points into melee attack speed.
Redirect any excess points into the Grave Reality due to the Relic possessed, offering sustainable benefits every 2 seconds, albeit with a cooldown. While not tanky, this provides reasonable sustain, particularly beneficial for higher corruption levels despite subpar gear.
Bone Curse: This skill should focus on Necrotic Damage, including Armor Shred, additional damage, and a Kill Threshold.
Dread Shade: It serves as a straightforward buff for missing HP and AOE effects, with the lone watcher node being essential.
Harvest: It requires careful handling, avoiding direct confrontation with enemies. Emphasize investing 2 points in Finality and use Leigin of the Lich once you've crit with Harvest. Leverage shared minion crits and self-crit modifiers to empower minions with 250% crit chance, while directing them with the Undead Harvest to prioritize targets and inflict additional damage. This synergizes with gaining ward upon hitting enemies and enhanced crit chance for Harvest.
By carefully optimizing skill allocation and leveraging synergies, the build can effectively navigate challenging encounters and excel in combat scenarios.
When it comes to idols, it's essential to prioritize those that grant 'mark for death on hits', considering the significant number of minions involved in combat. For stat distribution, prioritize HP, with the rest being allocated to HP and Ward Retention, particularly on this larger idols.
Having a secondary idol with 'mark for hit' is beneficial, but one should suffice. For the Stout Idols should prioritize double HP, albeit with superior stats.
Blessings are tailored to enhance Void Resistance, with the first one focusing on critical strike avoidance Reign of Dragons, alongside lightning and cold resistance, and increasing minion damage.
In this guide, I want to talk about everything I do to maximize leveling speed, and what you can apply with the new 100% XP bonus. Including how to maximize the world buff Sleeping Bag, how to maximize your enchantments, your gear, and how to take advantage of large open world quest changes.
If you follow this guide, you will be able to easily level up from level 1 to level 40 in 2 hours. So we’ll start by discussing everything you need to do to increase your leveling speed.
Let’s get into an optimal buff strategy. In Season of Discovery Phase 2, buffs are a huge game-changer.
We have three main buffs: Spark of Inspiration, Boon of Blackfathom, and Darkmoon Faire.
Spark of Inspiration and Boon of Blackfathom will actually only drop during peak hours, so you have to make sure to plan accordingly. I think BFD Buff is the most valuable. So I usually put my Hunters in Thunder Bluff to get the buff more often. Darkmoon Faire 10% Buff is also reliable, but can only be obtained once every four hours.
Overall, my goal is to go from level 1 to level 20. Above level 20, I selectively decide when to buff based on the area. For example, I usually use buffs in places like Ashenvale. Also, Thousand Needles is one of my top choices, as I know I tend to be safer in Horde area.
Next, let’s get into optimal rune strategies. This is truly the most important part of the upgrade guide. You must have at least three major runes that you are really sure of to increase your level to 40.
For my Hunter, I chose Master Marksman, Flanking Strike and Beast Mastery. Once you identify the three main runes you want to carry with you, you need to plan when to get them on your route.
After all the runes are sorted, we have to discuss the best gear strategy. The first thing I did with my gear was head to the auction house and I got the full 12 slot bag to store all my quest items in Waylaid Supplies. I also bought the best gear I could find for different levels.
As a Hunter, I just go for maximum agility gear, and I also get new bows every few levels. Overall, I recommend checking Auction House every six to eight levels.
Then, for Enchant, you can get powerful enchants, like +5 Agility Gloves, all the way up to level 40. This feels great on the way to the level cap. Of course, don’t forget some less obvious enchants, such as Scopes on the bow to increase damage.
For consumables, my chief priority is just Elixir of Agility that is a must for my Hunter. But you can go out and get Defensive Potions, Elixir of Ogre’s Strength, and Engineering Dense Dynamite. Everything you get increases your kill time and leveling speed.
The most important consumable you can get is from Sleeping Bag quest line. Student Fodder you get will give you 20% of Rested XP bar, but they do have a 30 minute cooldown.
Most people would recommend saving them until level 38. But honestly, basically every hour between level 35 and 40, you get a huge mental boost. So I’ll pop one in and it really helps me get to the top level all the time.
Don’t forget the agility potions, they can be helpful if you don’t have Aspect of the Cheetah.
Finally, let’s talk about our leveling tips.
I recommend completing the missions with friends to keep things fun and fresh. And you’ll both get a Rested XP bar until level 22, and then split it up from there.
One of the best reasons I level with friends is that I probably won’t be very strong until I get at least three runes. Having a partner to level with me really speeds up leveling. Then, when I became an unstoppable killing machine, I could also get back to solo leveling.
Another early leveling tip I have is to use Rank Sentinel to make sure you don’t mess up skill ranks. I’ve had some wrong ranks of abilities for a long time, but if you have this add-on, you’ll never let that happen.
I definitely recommend completing Sleeping Bag quest line at level 14 when you head to the historic areas. Most servers have someone who can summon you to each Sleeping Bag location for about 15 WOW Classic SOD Gold, which will save you almost an hour of travel time.
Sleeping Bag itself should be used during rest periods. Once you’re exhausted, just jump in for 3 minutes. You can simply jump in for 1 minute to refresh it though, so never let the buff wear off.
Once you reach level 22 or so, you can use Rested XP bar. We have three different options when it comes to applying this XP buff.
Option one is the one I chose. It’s pre-questing. you’ll probably get ganked about 30 times. But starting on Tuesday, completing quests does provide more gold. Also, Waylaid Supplies dropped by mobs are very profitable for me, especially when I start killing mobs at level 34 to 40. I usually get 12 gold boxes, which also gives me 3,400 XP.
The second option is to lock yourself in a dungeon, starting with Shadowfang Keep around level 22, and then either Stockade or Razorfen Kraul, depending on Alliance or Horde.
You will also need to have your BFD removed every 3 days. You originally earn 23,000 XP per clear, but this will be doubled on Tuesday, essentially maxing out every time you raid. The most important thing is that you have a high chance of getting the relevant Pre-BiS Gear.
The third option is to do quests while mixing SM spam at levels 22 to 40. Surprisingly, the gap between open world leveling and questing isn’t as big as I thought. The real benefit of doing this is that you’re a level or two ahead on the quest route and you can get everything done faster. In most cases, you can earn more XP per hour.
So I’m just saying quests and dungeons are not far off in XP. For example, I’ve been hit by Horde a lot more than other areas, mainly Hillsbrad Foothills and Stranglethorn Vale. So next time my quest route sends me to these two areas, I’ll replace them with dungeons.
So now you should have a pretty good idea of how to deal with all the new mission changes coming, and how to maximize your leveling speed and profits.
I’m wondering which upgrade method you prefer after the big changes to Waylaid Supplies and the 100% XP bonus. Do you still prefer dungeon leveling in those mind-numbing dungeons for 20 hours straight, or maybe you’re starting to get a kick out of some open world leveling?
Today, we’re sharing a few chaos-themed powerful builds that can help you clear your screen of all enemies quickly. If you want to try any of them, don’t miss this guide. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Let’s start with this explosive build that achieves massive single target damage at a low POE Currency investment, it’s Hexblast Mines Saboteur with Shadow class.
Hexblast Mines is a very interesting skill that does a ton of extra damage if the enemy it hits is already cursed. In addition to this, it also generates a huge pulse of damage that destroys all nearby monsters. This is why it’s important that our enemies are always cursed.
To list the advantages of this version, I would mention its low budget. It allows for cheap and easy-to-find items with a low investment.
Of course, this build is also very powerful and the boss will disappear with your mine chain reaction. Part of this is because Hexblast can naturally Shock, Freeze and Ignite enemies. If that wasn’t good enough, it also considers the enemy’s lowest resistance before calculating damage.
This build is also very fast and can cause a lot of area damage, making clearing the map very satisfying. Best of all, this way you can drop mines from a distance and stay out of harm’s way.
Now coming to the cons, I’m going to start by saying that the mines gameplay isn’t for everyone. Some players just can’t get used to Detonate mechanic, but trust me, it’s worth a try. Because Mines builds have huge potential.
Another problem is that this character is not very tanky. Therefore, you need to be aware of your position at all times, otherwise you may die.
As for budget, this build is cheap and you can destroy early endgame maps for only about 70 Chaos Orbs. To easily enter Yellow Map, I recommend investing around 150 Chaos Orbs. To easily complete your Atlas, I recommend investing in about 4 Divine Orbs.
For this build, you only need one mandatory unique item, a Profane Proxy Unset Ring, which causes one of your Skitterbots to have a cursed aura. This way, enemies you hit with Hexblast Mines will always trigger large area damage, greatly increasing your clear speed.
I would give this build a 9 out of 10 for clear speed. You’re very fast, and your mines will explode in a large area, killing many monsters at the same time. Therefore, it is very comfortable to clear the map with this character.
Its boss damage is also amazing, 9 times out of 10 worth it. You can stack a lot of mines and destroy the boss with a huge explosion. Even with a lower budget, this build has incredible single target potential.
For survivability, I would give it an 8 out of 10. Even though you have armor, evasion, and spell suppression, this build is still not very tanky. Because you need to stay still from time to time to deploy mines. That’s why it was deducted two points.
Next we have a beginner’s dream build, Toxic Rain Pathfinder with Ranger class. This build uses Pathfinder’s permanent flask and chaos damage to deploy many powerful pods, draining the enemy’s life.
To list the pros of this build, I want to start with how easy it is to assemble. Because you don’t need any mandatory unique items, and upgrading is very easy.
Another great feature of this build is that your flask will always remain active, even during boss battles. And your life flask will be eternal and the damage done over time will be like a joke to you.
This build is great for beginners as you end up with great clear, boss damage, and survivability for a low investment.
Now to list the cons, the main issue with this build is mana. Since we’re dealing damage over time, we can’t leech mana or life, so we need rare rings to reduce the mana cost of the skill.
This build scores 9 points for clear speed. Because as a Pathfinder, you get a lot of attack and movement speed 100% of the time. Additionally, you only need to deploy pods once and they drain the life of surrounding enemies, providing a smooth gameplay experience.
The boss’s damage is also 9 points. Combined with your strength and Toxic Rain totems, even big bosses will melt before your eyes with ease.
This build also has a 9 rating for survivability. This is because this build has high evasion, high armor, and spell suppression, plus you can use Toxic Rain from a safe distance, which will seriously slow down enemies.
Finally, we have a surprisingly powerful endgame build, Poison Summon Raging Spirits Guardian with Templar class.
This build takes advantage of the large number of Raging Spirits you can summon to stack massive amounts of poison on our enemies. Originally I tried to build it as a Necromancer, but with Guardian we only lost a little bit of damage and nearly tripled the survivability.
To list the pros of this build, everything will start with its boss damage. Once built, you’ll be able to kill even the largest bosses in just seconds. Its survivability is also amazing, as we can have all of Guardian’s defensive layers on top of an already very safe minion build.
Now to list the cons, I will start by saying that this build is not for everyone as it is very budget demanding. Also, because the duration of its Raging Spirits is so short, you have to stop and recast them frequently.
As for budget, this build will require at least 10 Divine Orbs to put together. Additionally, it requires four mandatory unique items.
The first is United in Dream Cutlass, which gives us Envy aura, dealing massive amounts of chaos damage to our minions. This also gives them a 60% chance of being poisoned on hit.
We also need a Darkness Enthroned Belt with two Abyss Jewels so that we can apply poison to the minions.
Next we need a piece of Covenant Armor to provide level 29 Added Chaos Damage Support to our Raging Spirits. This means it does more chaos damage.
Finally, we need Ancient Skull, which gives our minions a massive damage and attack speed boost.
For clear speed, I would give this build a 9 out of 10. Although we have a lot of fast minions that can destroy everything in seconds, they are short-lived and need to be resummoned all the time. That’s why I deduct a little.
The boss damage is totally worth 10 out of 10 points. You can easily get over 30 million DPS, which is enough to take out every boss in the game.
In terms of survivability, this is definitely a 10 out of 10. As a minion build, you’re already out of danger. But with this, you can also count the many layers of defense from Guardian Ascendancy, which gives this build a staggering 250,000 effective HP.
That’s it for today. What do you guys think of these chaos builds? Have a great day.
Some players may not have the time to grind or start quests to make gold in WoW Season of Discovery Phase 2. But fear not, there are alternative methods to accumulate gold while semi-AFK. You can even get gold while you’re away from your computer. Next, we’ll explore 4 straightforward ways of AFK gold making.
The first method of semi-AFK gold making requires both Mining and Engineering skills, although they don’t necessarily have to be in the same character. Essentially, the process involves smelting Iron Ore with mining, crafting Heavy Blasting Powder with engineering, and finally, creating and selling Iron Grenades.
Recently, the prices of Iron Ore and Heavy Stone have significantly decreased because of hyperspawns for iron nodes and the availability of multiple layers on servers around the clock. During peak times, Heavy Stone can even be purchased for as low as 2 silver, and Iron Ore for approximately 3 silver. It’s possible that prices may continue to decline.
Understanding the profitability of this method is relatively straightforward. Each grenade craft produces 3 grenades, which vendor for 15 silver. Therefore, the craft cost needs to be under 15 silver to turn a profit. For instance, if Heavy Stone is bought for 3 silver, Iron Ore for 3 silver, and Silk Cloth for 4 silver, the total craft cost is 10 silver, resulting in a 5 silver profit per craft.
Scaling this up, if 400 crafts are completed in close to an hour, depending on factors like smelting time, the potential profit is substantial. It’s advisable to check the auction house for cheaper processed materials. Purchasing during peak times when the market is active can also yield better deals.
This method is currently effective and is likely to remain so in the future. To calculate profit accurately, it’s essential to perform the math yourself. However, as a reference, buying stacks of 20 materials and ensuring that Silk Cloth doesn’t exceed 40 silver, Heavy Stone doesn’t exceed 1.4 gold per stack, and Iron Ore doesn’t surpass 80 silver for 20 units, can lead to substantial profits: 40 silver from 10 crafts, 4 gold from 100 crafts, and 40 gold from 1,000 crafts.
Now, let’s explore the next method, which I believe is currently the most lucrative option available. It involves Alchemy and crafting potions, which many players are leveraging to earn significant amounts of gold daily. Particularly in Phase 2, when no new raids were released, there’s been a surge in demand for consumables to aid in raid clearing.
Moreover, many elixirs are also utilized in the Waylaid Supply crates, with Blizzard announcing plans to introduce new rewards to these crates, likely driving prices up even further.
Elixir of Agility is a commonly crafted item, but since it’s a recipe available to all players, profit margins are slim. However, exploring less common recipes, such as Mighty Troll's Blood Potion, can yield more substantial returns. This potion requires easily obtainable ingredients like Life Root and Bruiseweed, which are relatively inexpensive to acquire. Crafting and selling these potions can effectively double your investment, as seen with the example of Papon, who managed to profit significantly by crafting and selling 7 stacks of 5 potions.
Another lucrative option is the Elixir of Greater Defense, which currently sells for a decent price of 53 silver per unit. Crafting this elixir requires Goldthorn and Wild Steelbloom, when compared to the selling price, result in a profit of 10 silver per craft.
Additionally, potions like the Lesser Elixir, which requires revered reputation with a Waylaid Supply, can fetch even higher profits because of their exclusivity. With a bit of investment in obtaining the necessary reputation, players can secure a steady income stream from selling these potions.
It’s essential to explore various potion recipes and monitor market trends on your specific server, as prices can vary widely. Despite not being utilized frequently, the Alchemy semi-AFK method has proven to be highly profitable for many players, with some earning hundreds of gold daily.
Next method of semi-AFK gold making involves mass crafting with leatherworking, a strategy poised to excel in the future due to anticipated declines in leather prices. Thick Leather is essential for this method, with profitability hinging on purchasing it for under 1.2 gold per stack.
While prices may currently vary, factors like the introduction of Uldaman Hunter solo grind and the presence of multiple layers per server are expected to drive prices down, potentially to as low as 80 silver per stack.
We concentrate on crafting 2 specific items: the Nightscape Headband and the Nightscape Tunic. Crafting the Headband is advantageous if the aim is to disenchant for profit, as it requires fewer materials compared to the tunic, resulting in more disenchanting attempts.
Disenchanting the Headband typically yields 3 materials: 2 to 5 Vision Dust with a 75% chance, 1 to 2 Lesser Nether Essence with a 20% chance, and occasionally a Small Radiant Shard with a 5% chance.
Alternatively, crafting and selling Nightscape Tunics to vendors can also be profitable, particularly when leveraging discounts from city reputations and rank bonuses. Honored status with the city provides a 10% discount on silk and thread purchases, while achieving Sergeant rank 3 grants an additional 10% discount from vendors. This translates to an extra 2 silver profit per craft, equivalent to an additional 1.2 gold per hour.
Depending on the cost of Thick Leather, the potential profits vary significantly. Purchasing Thick Leather at 1.2 gold per stack could yield approximately 5 gold and 82 silver profit per hour, while buying it at 1 gold per stack could result in 10 gold and 2 silver per hour. Remarkably, acquiring Thick Leather at 80 silver per stack could lead to a staggering 14 gold and 22 silver profit per hour.
This method is anticipated to become even more lucrative on larger servers, once the auction house experiences increased activity from both bots and players. So whether you’re working from home, seeking a low-effort SOD Gold making method, or simply prefer to avoid grinding, this strategy presents a promising opportunity.
This last method is very simple. First, head to the auction house and purchase every Silk Cloth priced under 40 silver for a stack. Let’s say you have 957 gold and 78 silver. Buy all the Silk Cloth under that price point. Once you’ve obtained your Silk Cloth, consider crafting them into Heavy Silk Bandages, which can be sold for 80 silver a stack. This effectively doubles the price of the Silk Cloth stack, making it profitable.
After 9 minutes of AFK crafting, you’ve earned 40 silver. Now, you have 958 gold and 18 silver. This process can be completed within 10 minutes, earning you 50 silver every 10 minutes, which translates to 3 golds per hour. AFK can do entirely this, requiring only the time to purchase the cloth.
These prices and availability may vary depending on the time of day and server activity. With consistent effort, you can purchase thousands of stacks over the course of a day or multiple days, enabling you to craft and earn about 3 gold per hour. While it may not seem like much, it’s a profitable endeavor for minimal time investment, especially when you have spare time on your hands.
Blizzard hosted a Diablo 4 Season 3 Midseason campfire discussion on February 29th, featuring Adam Fletcher, Adam Jackson, and Joe Piepiora. They provided a glimpse into the upcoming midseason content release.
Among the updates, we can expect the introduction of the Gauntlet leaderboard system, the return of Vampiric Powers, and various adjustments to classes including buffs and tweaks. Additionally, they elaborated on PTRs and shared insights regarding Season 4. This article serves as a concise overview of the key points discussed in the livestream. Without delay, let's delve into the details.
Commencing with Season 3, the Vampiric Powers are making a comeback. This thematic element constitutes the core of the season's mechanics.
During the questline involving Eris, players get bitten by a vampire, enabling them to acquire Vampiric Powers for character advancement. These powers are leveled up using Potent Blood and can be slotted into specific abilities to gain predefined benefits. However, the handling of these powers differs slightly this time around.
In Season 2, the Malignant Hearts mechanic from Season 1 was reintroduced through a unique ring. In Season 3, it takes the form of a legendary aspect:
Players can extract and place these aspects into any item in their character's inventory. 6 Vampiric Powers are returning:
The developers mentioned that these Vampiric Powers will function similarly to before, with the addition of a "kiss-curse" effect on certain abilities. This means that while they grant bonuses, they also impose minor penalties. For instance, using Metamorphosis will increase the cooldown rating of the evade ability.
Regarding this format, I'd like to share my thoughts. Instead of reintroducing Season 2 mechanics or any seasonal mechanics as aspects, it could have been an opportunity to implement a new player progression system. This could provide additional content to farm or grind for, enhancing character abilities. For example, a talent tree system or a new glyph format applied to the Paragon Board system could have been beneficial. With aspects, there's a risk of them conflicting with other aspects desired for a build, potentially leading to their underutilization.
Transitioning from Vampiric Powers, let's discuss snapshotting, an issue that many players have raised concerns about.
Snapshotting involves exploiting buffs gained from certain abilities while swapping out Diablo 4 Items mid-action to stack buffs and achieve exceptionally high damage output, essentially breaking the game. Blizzard has taken steps to address this by removing snapshotting mechanisms and plans to eliminate them entirely in the future.
To prevent snapshotting in the Gauntlet leaderboard system, Blizzard has implemented a restriction. Once players enter the Gauntlet, they cannot swap out equipped items, selected skills, or Paragon Board allocations. This measure aims to prevent abuse of snapshotting mechanics during Gauntlet runs.
Furthermore, they provided a demonstration of the Gauntlet leaderboard system, featuring three developers playing different classes—a Necromancer, Sorcerer, and Barbarian. Commentary was provided by two content creators known as Annacakelive and Macrobioboi. Each player had an 8-minute timer to accumulate the highest number of points. It was intriguing to observe their approaches and strategies with their respective classes.
Proof of Might was collected by defeating monsters or obtaining keys from mobs to unlock specific chests scattered throughout the dungeon. The layout, mobs, and pylon arrangements remain consistent each week, ensuring a level playing field for all players. However, these aspects change weekly, allowing players to continually attempt and improve their scores. Players can strategically manage their resources, such as pills, which multiply scores or reset monster respawns, to maximize their points.
The Gauntlet leaderboard system is set to a difficulty equivalent to level 70 rather than a level 100 nightmare dungeon. This decision broadens the scope for diverse abilities and builds, as lower-level enemies enable the utilization of less conventional but potentially effective skills. The dynamic nature of the Gauntlet introduces new possibilities and adds freshness to the gameplay experience.
Rewards in the Gauntlet include gear and cosmetics. Players can earn up to four caches per week based on their performance tier—Seal of the Blooded, Seal of the Steadfast, Seal of the Iron-Willed, and Seal of the Worthy. These caches contain gear with item levels of 925 and may include unique items. Additionally, players can earn cosmetic character portraits and, for the top 100, a trophy to adorn their mounts.
Lastly, the Hall of the Ancients showcases the top 10 players in each class category for the week. This serves as a platform for recognition and bragging rights, emphasizing the focus on displaying class proficiency and builds rather than solely farming gear.
Now, let's delve into the class buffs and changes. I won't delve into extensive details. Instead, I'll provide a general overview of the adjustments slated for patch 1.3.3.
Barbarians and Druids will see enhancements to their basic skills, particularly focusing on early-game resource generation. Specifically for Druids, improvements are planned for companions like wolves and Necromancer minions, along with movement speed upgrades for Necromancers.
Sorcerers will witness enhancements to certain paragon nodes, as well as adjustments to abilities like Incinerate and Conjuration. As for Rogues, there's a focus on refining ranged abilities, with changes made to skills such as Heartseeker and Barrage, alongside adjustments to specific aspects.
In addition to class adjustments, significant changes have been made to the Center Shell, which encompasses the entire seasonal mechanic in Season 3.
These adjustments include tweaks and some nerfs, likely implemented to maintain balance ahead of the introduction of the gauntlet leaderboard system. Modifications have been made to various aspects, including Tuning Stones, Poison Support, Bleeding Support, and Burning Support, with even the Governing Stone, like Tempest, receiving adjustments.
This next topic is closely related to class adjustments and enhancements.
The developers sought feedback from the Diablo 4 community regarding the focus on introducing new legendaries and unique items for various builds. Historically, at the onset of each season, every class would receive a new aspect or legendary item, along with a unique item, alongside alterations to abilities, potentially fostering new viable builds.
Now, the community was asked whether they favored continuing this approach. One drawback is that sometimes these additions render certain builds nonviable compared to top-performing ones. The proposed alternative is to concentrate on one or two classes, akin to the approach seen in Diablo 3. This would involve significant buffs to specific skills and abilities, accompanied by the introduction of legendaries or uniques tailored to enhance these builds. This strategy could inject more excitement into the game, providing players with more meaningful choices and fostering a sense of progression.
While specifics regarding the implementation timing were not provided, it's plausible that these changes could be introduced midway through the season. This approach could enhance the game's ongoing appeal, ensuring a steady stream of content throughout each season, rather than waiting until the season's conclusion to introduce new features.
Following the Q&A, the final segment of the campfire discussion centered on Season 4. The developers provided some insight into the direction they intend to take with it.
It appears that substantial changes are in store, reminiscent of Season 2's adjustments to vulnerability, critical damage, and overpower, but on a larger scale. Concerns about potential delays, particularly with the Gauntlet, seem to have been addressed, as everything appears to be progressing smoothly.
Season 4 promises to bring significant positive changes, with PTRs allowing players to preview and test the season before its official release. This serves as a sort of beta test for Season 4, enabling players to provide firsthand feedback and fostering better communication between the community and developers. This announcement has generated considerable anticipation among players.