In terms of difficulty, Diablo 4 is an ARPG that is relatively easy to get started with, because it has a detailed difficulty system, even if you have never played a similar game before, you can quickly become proficient through Normal difficulty.
As your game level improves, or if you are already an experienced ARPG player, Diablo 4 also provides Hard, Expert, Penitent and Torment difficulty, so that you can earn more Diablo 4 gold while feeling the challenge.
Most of the time, Diablo 4 strategy you can find is based on the above difficulties, but there is actually a hidden hardcore mode above them. Due to its high difficulty and low tolerance (death is permanent), few people will experience it.
But if the season setting allows you to get an excellent loot farming experience and enjoy a unique boss battle in hardcore mode through powerful classes or builds, then even if it is easy to die, it is worth experiencing it – Season 9 is the best time!
With that in mind, we’re going to introduce you to hardcore mode and why it’s worth playing on Season 9.
What Is Diablo 4 Hardcore Mode?
Some gear or items in Diablo 4 require you to defeat specific bosses at Torment difficulty to drop them, so you can’t avoid this difficulty, but hardcore mode is more difficult, but it’s optional. Even if you never play it, it won’t hinder you from completing the game.
Because of its terrifying difficulty level, you can also get more Diablo 4 gold, XP or rare gear after winning the hard-earned victory. And even if you die during the challenge, as long as your hardcore character reaches level 10, you will be selected into Hall of Fallen Heroes.
In addition, in order to ensure that you can survive in hardcore mode as long as possible, Diablo 4 has also added some new features or items to this mode, such as The Scroll of Escape, which allows you to escape to a safe place immediately when facing the threat of death.
And unlike the normal difficulty experience, if you feel that the current hardcore character experience is not good enough and you plan to create a new character, Diablo 4 gold and items in the inventory can be transferred between different hardcore characters.
Why Is Season 9 Suitable For Experiencing Hardcore Mode?
First of all, you need to know that experiencing hardcore mode not only requires you to have reliable gear and proficient ARPG operation level, but also has high requirements for your game strategy, because only in this way can you reasonably manage your character to ensure its long-term survival.
On the other hand, for Diablo 4 itself, if the content setting of the current season lacks fun, then no matter how much hardcore mode loot you get, it will not be worth your repeated torture in this mode.
Fortunately, although there are still players who think that Season 9 has not made innovative breakthroughs, at least its existing playable content is worth turning on the hardcore mode in it.
Exciting Escalating Nightmare Dungeons
The two new dungeons added in Season 9 are Horadric Strongrooms and Escalating Nightmares. The former is smaller in scale, while the latter offers an unprecedented Diablo 4 dungeon challenge by adding affixes to three regular nightmare dungeons in series.
Each of the three built-in dungeons has its own affix effect, most of which will increase the challenge while increasing the amount of Diablo 4 gold or other loot you can get, and the affixes of the previous dungeon will carry over to the next one.
In addition, you will encounter The Butcher, who was “notorious” in Diablo 4 before. This special enemy will roam randomly in Escalating Nightmares, and may bring you visual scares and difficult encounters at any time.
And when you are about to complete the dungeon, you will encounter the dungeon version of the final boss of this season, Astaroth. It is said that his difficulty is no less than Andariel or Lilith, which has troubled you for many seasons before.
As you can see, although Escalating Nightmare Dungeons are very difficult to complete, this cannot cover up its fun and excitement. Accordingly, if you meet these three chain challenges through the hardcore mode, the rewards will definitely outweigh the pain of the training.
Outstanding Advantage Classes & Builds
In addition to the conditions that have been mentioned to get the best hardcore mode experience, there is actually another condition that can more safely avoid your death in this mode, that is, playing a class with absolute advantages and related builds.
Although this advantage is based on not destroying the balance of class experience, it does allow you to output more damage in battle and perform faster dodge and defense to ensure your own survival.
For Diablo 4 Season 9, the advantage classes include Sorcerer Spiritborn, and Necromancer. In addition to reliable damage output skills, they can also allow you to utilize ranged attacks to avoid direct combat and cause damage to yourself.
Reliable builds based on these classes are:
- Hydra Sorcerer
- Blood Wave Necromancer
- Minion Necromancer
- Quill Volley Spiritborn
- Rake Spiritborn
- Poison Thorns Spiritborn
These builds are useful not only because of the power of their core skills, but also because the new unique Diablo 4 items added in Season 9 can provide additional benefits to classes/builds, thus exerting power in combat that was not available in previous seasons.
If the above introduction makes you want to play hardcore mode in Season 9, then please upgrade yourself as soon as possible and get the necessary gear before going! I wish you all the best!
