Infernal Hordes are at the heart of Diablo 4 Season 10, having received a rework that includes new Chaos Waves and Bartuc, Lord of Chaos, as a new boss. Not only do Infernal Hordes continue to be a great place for Diablo 4 players to farm levels and materials, but fighting Bartuc in Season 10 gives players an increased chance to score Chaos Armor and Unique Chaos Perks. However, reaching Bartuc is easier said than done, especially when players need to obtain 666 Aether before the final wave to access this boss.
While optimizing an Infernal Hordes run in past Diablo 4 seasons helped earn the Aether necessary to open the reward chests after defeating the Fell Council for potential loot like materials and Uniques, Season 10 gives players a specific amount of Aether to target. Getting at least 666 Aether before the final wave allows players to challenge Bartuc for guaranteed loot, but having at least 1,000 Aether means players can fight Bartuc and still open the gear reward chest afterward. To this end, players will want to ensure they choose the best Infernal Offerings between waves to maximize the amount of Aether that drops.
Diablo 4's Best Infernal Hordes Strategy Requires Players to Choose the Best Offerings
To start a run of Diablo 4‘s Infernal Hordes, players will need an Infernal Compass, which comes in Magic, Rare, and Legendary qualities that give players access to 6, 8, and 10 waves, respectively. Ideally, players will want a Rare or Legendary Infernal Compass, since more waves mean more opportunities to earn Aether. Once players have started their Infernal Hordes run, the key to success becomes selecting the best Infernal Offering for each wave, with a few being optimal for earning Aether.
Players can invest Smoldering Ashes earned from the Season Journey into the Urn of Blazing Infernal to increase the chance of Legendary Infernal Compasses dropping.
Aether Fiends and Aether Lords
- The Fiendish Legion — Aether Fiends have a chance to spawn in place of Elites.
- The Colossal Fiends — Aether Fiends spawn as Aether Lords and drop 3x Aether.
- The Ruthless Lords — Aether Lords grant +5 Aether.
Infernal Offerings that spawn Aether Fiends or Aether Lords are the ideal choice for most Infernal Hordes waves. These enemies can drop a lot of Aether without being too difficult to defeat, striking the perfect balance between risk and reward. Aether Lords are stronger than Aether Fiends, but also yield more rewards, so the optimal scaling strategy for these enemies is to select these three Offerings if they are available. Otherwise, players should prioritize any other Offerings that involve spawning Aether Fiends or Aether Lords.
Events Spawn Faster
- The Exalted Hordes — Aether Events spawn +50% faster.
- The Bursting Masses — Wave start, spawn two Aetheric Masses.
- The Rising Spires — Wave start, spawn a Soulspire.
After Aether Fiend and Aether Lord Offerings, the next best choice for Infernal Offerings are the ones that spawn Aether events as fast as possible. Since players normally have to slay a certain number of demons before an Aether event spawns and gives them a chance to earn Aether, Offerings like The Bursting Masses and The Rising Spires that create two Aether events right from the get-go are invaluable. The Exalted Hordes is ideal, since it will allow Aether Events like Aether Lord spawns to happen faster as a whole.
Aether Goblins
- The Aether Goblins — Aether Events have a 20% chance to spawn an Aether Goblin. Drops 25 Aether.
The final piece in this Infernal Hordes puzzle is the very rare Aether Goblins Offering that allows these enemies to spawn and drop a whopping 25 Aether when killed. Couple the 20% chance per Aether event to spawn with the faster Aether event spawn speed from The Exalted Hordes, and players could potentially be swimming in Aether from these goblins. Much like Diablo 4‘s Treasure Goblins, these Aether Goblins will attempt to run away from the player and escape into a portal, so players will need to act fast to slay them.
Are Chaos Waves Worth it in Diablo 4's Infernal Hordes?
New to Diablo 4 Season 10 are Chaos Waves, which pull from a pool of random events that can occur, all with an increased chance for players to earn Aether. However, not every Chaos Wave event is as efficient for farming Aether as some standard waves. Getting lucky with a Goblin Wave from a Chaos Wave is a nice surprise, but these waves are a lower priority than the above. Unless there aren’t any better Offerings available, Chaos Waves should typically be avoided due to their unpredictable nature.