Diablo 4 Infernal Hordes Guide
How to Unlock Infernal Hordes
To dive into Infernal Hordes, you'll first need to reach Torment I difficulty by completing the Pit of the Artificers. Achieving this milestone will unlock a new quest, The Eyes of the Enemy, featuring Locran's mission to investigate heightened Hell activity. The quest itself is relatively quick, and completing it unlocks access to the Infernal Hordes game mode. Once unlocked, you're ready to battle through waves of increasingly dangerous demons and earn a variety of rewards, including powerful equipment, items, and currency.
Securing Infernal Compasses
Infernal Compasses are essential for accessing Infernal Hordes. Although previously craftable, they're currently obtainable only through other high-level endgame activities. Activities like Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons, and collecting rewards from the Tree of Whispers will provide you with Infernal Compasses.
To maximize your chance of securing more Infernal Compasses, consider using a Seething Opal of Torment from Realmwalker events. This item can enhance your odds of receiving Boss Summoning Items, Infernal Compasses, and Artificer Stones, which are essential for further Infernal Horde runs. Keep in mind that Infernal Compasses scale with your World Level, meaning higher levels will bring more challenging enemies but also better rewards.
Infernal Hordes Gameplay Mechanics
Infernal Hordes operate as a wave-based survival mode. Between each wave of enemies, you'll have the opportunity to select an Infernal Offering—a choice that can either make the next wave easier or significantly tougher. While some choices will make the enemies stronger and more formidable, they'll also yield higher-quality rewards, like increased Diablo 4 Gold or rarer Diablo 4 Items. It's a tradeoff that allows you to customize your run based on your confidence and current power level. However, proceed with caution: you'll only have a limited number of revives, so careful selection of Infernal Offerings is crucial to a successful run.
Upon completing each Infernal Hordes run, you'll earn Burning Aether. This currency allows you to unlock various rewards and, at the end of the run, purchase specific Spoils of Hell caches that contain valuable items. The available Spoils of Hell include:
Spoils of Greater Equipment: This cache provides powerful gear, often containing new Uniques and Legendaries that carry a Greater Affix.
Spoils of Material: This cache includes essential materials for crafting and upgrading your gear.
Spoils of Gold: This cache delivers a wealth of Diablo 4 Gold, which can be used to upgrade equipment and make valuable purchases.
Making the Most of Infernal Offerings
Selecting Infernal Offerings during your run is a balancing act. Each offering introduces either a "boon" (an advantage) or a "bane" (a disadvantage). For example, you might face increased enemy damage in exchange for an Aether boost, or choose options that increase spawn rates of elite enemies while yielding higher-quality loot. The choices you make with Infernal Offerings will influence the deadliness of enemies and the quality of the rewards you receive.
Some notable Infernal Offerings include:
The Burning Rain: This causes Hellfire to rain down on the battlefield, making each wave deadlier but rewarding you with extra Aether.
The Aether Rush: Accepting this offering increases the damage of regular monsters but grants a speed boost when collecting Aether.
The Draining Spires: This option causes Soulspires to drain life but rewards extra Aether each time you activate them.
Selecting Infernal Offerings thoughtfully can dramatically change the nature of your run, making it either more manageable or extremely challenging. As you continue through the waves, you'll face increased pressure, which can add to the excitement and stakes of your Infernal Hordes run.
Facing the Fell Council
One of the most intense parts of Infernal Hordes is encountering the Fell Council. This group of five powerful bosses, of which three are randomly selected for each run, will present unique challenges as you fight through them. Each council member has distinct abilities that intensify the closer they get to defeat, ramping up the challenge. Defeating the Fell Council provides a significant boost in Aether, so it's worth attempting, especially if you're hunting for high-end rewards.
Rewards for Completing Infernal Hordes
Upon completing your Infernal Hordes run, you'll have access to three categories of rewards that can be unlocked with Burning Aether:
Spoils of Greater Equipment: Requires 200 Aether to open and contains high-end gear with Greater Affixes, including new Uniques and Legendaries. If you're seeking powerful new items, this is a rewarding choice.
Spoils of Material: After selecting your equipment rewards, you can use the remaining Aether to open this cache, which contains crafting materials. These materials are invaluable for upgrading gear and preparing for higher-level encounters.
Spoils of Gold: This cache allows you to convert remaining Aether into Diablo 4 Gold, a useful resource for purchasing upgrades, enchanting gear, and building wealth to support future runs.
Completing Infernal Hordes not only allows you to acquire rare and valuable Diablo 4 Items but also provides a substantial amount of Diablo 4 Gold—resources essential for those seeking to reach the upper echelons of Diablo's endgame content. Aim to increase your Aether count with each run to open as many of these chests as possible, maximizing your rewards.
Conclusion
Infernal Hordes bring an exhilarating, high-stakes experience to Diablo 4, with the chance to earn powerful equipment, rare crafting materials, and abundant Diablo 4 Gold. With careful planning and a balanced strategy in selecting Infernal Offerings, you can maximize your rewards and emerge victorious against the toughest enemies Hell has to offer. Embrace the Infernal Hordes, prepare for battle, and aim to conquer all challenges as you amass power and wealth in the Season of Hatred.