Diablo 4: Did Patch 1.1.1 Make Endgame Events More Fun? - My Personal Opinion

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• Diablo 4 Season 10 Compass To Carnage Live Now | Event Bonuses And Best Build For Farming Chaos Armor

  Hi Diablo 4 players, the previously postponed Compass to Carnage event has officially begun. Season 10 is considered by players to be the most fun season yet, as Chaos Armors and Chaos perks significantly increased the potential of builds.

  Season 10 ends on December 9th. If you want to improve your builds before then, Compass to Carnage is your last chance to farm Chaos Armors. Let's take a look at which builds will make you most efficient during this event.

  

  Date

  Compass to Carnage runs from November 25th to December 2nd at 10:00 AM Pacific Time/1:00 PM Eastern Time/6:00 PM UK Time/7:00 PM Central European Time.

  Event Bonuses

  Infernal Compass Drop Rate Increased

  The drop rate of Infernal Compass (keys used to unlock Infernal Hordes) is increased throughout the game world.

  Infernal Hordes are the primary source of Chaos Armors, and with Season 10 ending soon, this is the last chance to obtain them.

  The event provides extra Aether, making farming the 6-wave Infernal Hordes dungeon very worthwhile. Normally, farming 6-wave Infernal Hordes is not recommended because it's difficult to accumulate 666 Aether to unlock the final boss fight Bartuc, and Aether chests.

  However, the increased Aether rewards significantly improve the time efficiency of farming 6-wave dungeons. So it's recommended to team up with other players for Infernal Hordes and take turns using your Infernal Compass to maximize your gains.

  Increased Chaos Waves

  The number of Chaos Waves encountered per run in Infernal Hordes mode is increased. Successfully sealing Chaos Rifts will grant players a significant amount of extra Aether.

  Additionally, during Compass to Carnage event, another event called Mother's Blessing Reignite is also available, providing XP and gold bonuses. This event ends on December 2nd.

  During the event, players gain 35% more XP. However, compared to the experience gained from the ultimate endgame content, The Pit, the actual increase is only about 10%. If you haven't reached Paragon Rank 300 yet, this event is a great leveling opportunity. Additionally, the drop rate of gold in the world is increased by 50%, a significant effect due to its multiplicative nature.

  How To Efficiently Farm Infernal Compass?

  Helltide

  Actively farming in Helltide area is highly recommended, not only because the drop rate of Infernal Compass is high in Greater Helltide Chests, but also because you can obtain Grim Favors and Abherrant Cinders more efficiently. Quickly sealing Chaos Rifts is also highly recommended, as they are fast and efficient.

  Viz-Jaq'taar Offering Board

  After completing Tree of Whispering, you can exchange your loot for Greater Infernal Caches at Viz-Jaq'taar Offering board in Yelesna. These chests guarantee at least one Infernal Compasse and have a high chance of containing Chaos Armors.

  Best Builds For Compass To Carnage

  Compass to Carnage event encourages players to participate in Infernal Hordes event. This event has a large number of monsters, but they are not as strong as those in The Pit. Therefore, regular fast-farming builds are sufficient for efficient farming.

  Some builds require unique or mythic unique items to solve resource or skill cooldown issues. If you want to buy Diablo 4 items directly to complete your builds, IGGM is hosting a Black Friday lucky draw where participants can receive discount coupons, helping you save money.

  

  Sorcerer

  • Hydra Sorcerer
  • Lightning Spear Sorcerer
  • Ball Lightning Sorcerer

  Sorcerers perform very well in Season 10. They have many AOE skills, easily reaping monsters, and don't rely on Mythic items. Additionally, many Chaos Perks in Season 10 are very suitable for this class, such as Mana Shield and A Beast Cornered. These Chaos Perks solve the survival problems of these Sorcerers.

  Spiritborn

  • Evade Spiritborn
  • Stinger Spiritborn
  • Crushing Hand Spiritborn

  Evade Spiritborn performs exceptionally well in Infernal Hordes. This build is one of the best farming builds in Season 9. With the right skill points, you can achieve an infinite dodge-triggered Thunderspike farming method, independent of Diablo 4 items.

  Rogue

  • Death Trap Rogue
  • Flurry Rogue

  Rogues have very high movement speed, but their damage is somewhat lacking, making them less efficient in The Pit. However, they are perfectly fine for dealing with Infernal Hordes. The above two are very commonly used Rogue farming builds. Death Trap Rogue deals higher damage but is more complex to play, while Flurry Rogue only requires focusing on using Flurry.

  Druid

  • Fleshrender Druid
  • Companion Druid
  • Cataclysm Druid

  Druid offers a variety of gameplay options in Season 10. You can focus on skills or use summons. However, compared to other classes, Druid gameplay is slightly more complex. Different builds have different skill usage sequences, but due to their high damage, they can be quickly farmed in Infernal Hordes.

  Barbarian

  • Earthquake Barbarian
  • Lunging Strike Barbarian
  • Whirlwind Barbarian

  Barbarian is a very aggressive melee class. Builds like Earthquake Barbarian allow you to rampage through Infernal Hordes. However, in terms of efficiency, it is slightly inferior to other classes, and generally requires specific unique items to function effectively.

  Necromancer

  • Shadowblight Necromancer
  • Bone Spirit Necromancer

  Necromancer deals high damage in Season 10, but its efficiency is slightly lower than other builds, whether focusing on summoning or Bloodwave. While you can use Shadowblight to clear the screen of monsters, you still need to manage resources and cooldowns, and you'll need suitable affixes.

  This concludes the general information and recommended builds for Compass to Carnage. Hope you have fun in the final stages of Season 10.

• Diablo 4 Season 11 Class Overhaul Previews: A Breakdown Of Major Changes To All Classes

  As is well known, the developers significantly increased monster difficulty and reworked the character defense system in the Diablo 4 Season 11 PTR, increasing the overall challenge of endgames but impacting the player experience to some extent.

  Therefore, following player feedback on the PTR, they decided to completely overhaul Season 11 class system. In addition to increasing the strength of all classes by 5-10 tiers of Pits, they also modified resource management and removed all damage caps.

  Here, we'll discuss in detail the changes to the class system in Diablo 4 Season 11 and the balance adjustments for each class, helping you choose the best class based on your playstyle when the new season launches on December 9th.

  

  Class System Overhaul

  Overall, the class system in Season 11 has three major changes. Before delving into the individual classes, you need to understand these major changes, as they affect all builds in the game.

  Reduced Pit Difficulty Scaling

  The first change is a reduction in Pit difficulty tiers. According to developer interviews, the strength of all builds will increase by 5 to 10 Pit tiers in the new season. This means that players who can easily clear a 100-level Pit on PTR server could potentially reach 110 tiers on the live server. However, the final result remains to be seen.

  Melted Heart of Selig

  The second change is a complete balance overhaul of Melted Heart of Selig Unique Amulet. On the PTR server, this item provides thousands of resources, allowing Barbarian players to easily generate over 50,000 Fury.

  However, the new version will only provide approximately twice as many resources. This means that if you normally have 400 Fury, Melted Heart of Selig will only provide 800 Fury. While this is still strong, it's far less than on the PTR server.

  More importantly, the damage-to-resource conversion rate will also change. On the PTR server, damage is converted into 1 point of resource loss. However, in the live server, this ratio might be 1/100, or any other balanced ratio. This means that Melted Heart of Selig will be more defensively oriented compared to the PTR, even though it provides fewer resources. But given the higher threat level of monsters in Season 11, this defensive boost is crucial.

  

  Damage Cap Removal

  The last piece of good news is that the developers have announced the removal of the damage cap in the new season, including Ramaladni's Magnum Opus, Hydras' Serpentine, and Ancestral Guidance. This is excellent for the diversity and growth potential of class builds.

  All Class Changes

  Considering these two changes, let's analyze each class one by one to see their current state.

  Barbarian

  Let's start with the class most affected by Melted Heart of Selig changes.

  On the PTR server, Barbarian, using Hammer of the Ancients, easily cleared 125 tier Pits with 50,000 Fury. Thanks to the combined boosts from Ramaladni's Magnum Opus and Hammer of the Ancients, this build was ridiculously powerful.

  However, now that resource generation has plummeted from 50,000 to around 800, the build's power has drastically decreased. Ramaladni's Magnum Opus alone lost about 17 tiers of tier scaling; Hammer of the Ancients suffers an even greater loss, as it scales every 10 resources.

  HOTA Barbarian build is about 35 tiers lower than on the PTR server. However, considering the 10-tier gain from the Pit difficulty adjustment, the build can still reach around 100 tiers. This is still very solid, placing it in the top 80% or even higher, but it's no longer the absolute king it was on the PTR server.

  For Druid players, the changes to Melted Heart of Selig did have some impact, but not nearly as much as Barbarian build.

  Previously, Cataclysm Druid could easily clear 106 pits on the PTR thanks to Ancestral Guidance buff and a large resource pool. However, with resources plummeting from 35,000 to around 750, this build lost approximately 16 pits. But with the introduction of an additional 10-tier boost, Cataclysm Druid's ceiling is now around 100 pits, remaining competitive.

  However, the biggest unknown right now is whether Ancestral Guidance cap will be removed. Frankly, we can't be 100% certain of all the details until the patch is released.

  If Ancestral Guidance has no cap and improves with the new Melted Heart of Selig buff, then Cataclysm Druid might be even stronger than we expect.

  Necromancer

  Necromancer performed exceptionally well in Season 11 and even has a strong potential to return to the meta.

  So why is it so strong in the new season? This is entirely because most Necromancer builds don't rely as heavily on Melted Heart of Selig as other classes.

  Even back on the PTR, many players had already developed various builds that could clear levels 100-105 without relying on unbalanced resource bonuses, not to mention that all of these builds will receive a 10-level boost on the live server.

  For example, Shadowblight Necromancer could already clear level 105 during the PTR, and now they can even challenge level 115, which is absolutely top-tier.

  While Shadowblight build is stable, reliable, and powerful, what's truly exciting is Golem Necromancer using the brand-new Diablo 4 item - Gravebloom. This build could already clear level 100 on the PTR, and since it's a completely new build, there's still a lot of room for optimization. With the 10-level boost, the target depth for this build is now level 110 and even higher. It's also worth mentioning that this is a summoner build, which is fantastic for players who like to use summons to assist in combat.

  Therefore, Necromancer is definitely one of the strongest classes in Season 11. It boasts multiple build options, easily clearing 110 pits, and offers a rich selection of items and skills, along with reliable defenses.

  If you want to maximize the power of your Necromancer build, then in addition to a proper skill tree setup, it is also important to get and equip the best gear. It's worth mentioning that to celebrate the Thanksgiving and Black Friday, IGGM is offering a massive lucky draw, with every registered user getting one chance daily and a 100% winning rate! This means you can easily buy Diablo 4 items at lower prices on IGGM!

  

  Sorcerer

  Getting back to the main topic, Sorcerer also looks very strong in the new season, with its strongest builds being Crackling Energy or Lightning Spear.

  On the PTR server, Crackling Energy Sorcerer can even clear 105 pits without relying on Melted Heart of Selig. This build is inherently powerful and has excellent scaling. With the additional 10-pit boost, Crackling Energy build is expected to challenge 115 pits or even higher.

  Even better, there are currently no plans to nerf Crackling Energy. The build is stable and balanced on the PTR server, so it will only receive a pure buff upon release.

  Spiritborn

  Spiritborn will receive some significant nerfs in the new season, but it will still be very strong.

  During the PTR, Evade Spiritborn build had some serious bugs. Primary Eagle Hall damage would stack twice, and Loyalty's Mantle damage calculation, which should have been additive, was multiplicative and caused additional damage.

  These bugs are now being fixed. As a result, Evade Spiritborn's strength was significantly reduced, losing approximately 9-11 tier scaling, but subsequently gained 10 tiers because of Pit level adjustments. The end result is that Evade Spiritborn's Pit level is around 108, which is still very strong.

  However, it's important to note that since Evade's abilities heavily rely on Temerity shield bonus in the PTR, whether this bonus will be nerfed is crucial to the current strength of this build.

  Rogue

  Finally, but still worth mentioning, Rogue performed poorly on PTR servers. However, the key point is that Rogue didn't abuse Melted Heart of Selig, so it didn't lose anything due to the nerfs. This means the class simply benefits from the increased difficulty of the 10-level Pit adjustment.

  Death Trap Rogue build is approaching 100 Pit levels on PTR server. With the additional 10 levels of buffs, Death Trap build is expected to reach 110 Pit levels; however, a build based on Heartseeker skills is also viable.

  Overall, Rogue is understated yet powerful. If other classes are nerfed while Rogue is buffed, it could become a dark horse in the new season. So don't underestimate this class.

  In short, the class balance is currently quite good, with multiple classes offering various viable builds, which is definitely beneficial for the long-term development of Diablo 4. However, this is based on what the developers have currently leaked, and there are still some significant unknowns. Are there any other balance changes we don't yet know about? We'll have to wait for the final Season 11 patch notes.

• Diablo 4 Season 11 Ultimate Frozen Orb Sorcerer Build Guide | Skills, Gear, And More Tips

  Around the time before a new Diablo 4 season launches, builds focusing on new unique items or seasonal mechanics often become popular in the community. However, some classic builds, while perhaps slightly nerfed, remain worth using.

  With Season 11's release date fast approaching, you're probably considering which builds to choose for the new season. If you're used to playing Sorcerer in most seasons, consider continuing with Frozen Orb Build.

  Below, we'll introduce how to craft this classic Sorcerer build this season, based on the known content and changes in Season 11.

  

  Frozen Orb Build Overview

  This build performed only moderately in the still-unfinished Season 10, perhaps because there were too many builds that could overshadow it with Chaos Armor. However, it's expected to continue its strength in Season 11.

  This build primarily utilizes summoning skills, enabling it to deal extremely high AoE damage in combat. It also provides crowd control to manage large groups of enemies and gains an advantage in boss fights due to its high movement speed.

  However, to maintain this build's effectiveness, you'll need to buy Diablo 4 items and ensure your mana regeneration is reliable. Therefore, the deeper you progress in the game, the more suitable Frozen Orb Build becomes.

  How To Choose Skills?

  In Season 11, to make this build work, simply choose enough summoning skills and continuously cast them. Generally, the following Sorcerer skills are recommended:

  • Familiar: Summons a familiar with the same element as your last cast skill. For 8 seconds, it tracks enemies and periodically explodes, dealing 70% of its elemental damage. You can have up to 6 familiars active at a time.
  • Lightning Spear: Summons a lightning spear that tracks enemies, dealing 15% damage to each enemy hit over 6 seconds. A critical hit will also inflict a 3-second vulnerability status on the target.
  • Ice Blades: Summons a pair of ice blades that deal 23% damage with rapid slashes over 6 seconds, and has a 40% chance of inflicting a 2-second vulnerability status on the target.
  • Frozen Orb: Releases a frozen orb that inflicts a 34% freeze effect and fires piercing shards at enemies, dealing 52% damage. The frozen orb explodes upon disappearing, dealing additional damage and inflicting the frozen effect.

  If possible, it's best to unlock enchantments for all skills to maximize damage output. For example, with Frozen Orb, when enchanted, it has a 30% chance to fire an additional frozen orb at nearby enemies when you cast a non-basic skill.

  Generally, the more summoning skills you have, the higher the damage your frozen orbs will deal. By continuously using summoning skills to fire more frozen orbs with each explosion, you can achieve near-perpetual damage output.

  How To Pair It With Gear?

  It's important to note that Season 11 significantly changed Tempering and Masterworking mechanics, which enhance gear affix effects more stable, and added a new Sanctification system.

  These changes mean that after configuring your gear for your build, your affix upgrade choices will become more consistent as the season progresses. However, be aware that gear cannot be modified after Sanctification.

  With these Season 11 tips in mind, you can start choosing gear for your Frozen Orb Build. We recommend Heir of Perdition first, as it increases your damage by 60% and offers a chance to steal Lilith's Favor from allies during combat.

  Due to its unique effects and its irreplaceable nature in this build, you should continuously farm Tormented bosses after Season 11 begins until you obtain its drop.

  The second recommended gear is Shroud of False Death. Its key effect is granting invisibility and a 40% movement speed bonus if you haven't attacked in the past 2 seconds.

  Next, add Aspect of Frozen Memories to activate Avalanche Key passive an additional time, increasing damage against multiple enemies. Note that this item is only usable by Sorcerers.

  If you want to use Sanctification on these gear for even greater benefits, you need to proceed with caution. Sanctification results are not only unchangeable but also random, meaning a bad buff could ruin your gear.

  This is why the mechanic was initially popular, but PTR testing quickly revealed it wasn't as effective as expected. Perhaps Sanctification will be changed after Season 11.

  Skill Tree Unlocking

  First, you should allocate all points to Frozen Orb to maximize damage. Simultaneously unlock Elemental Dominance to further enhance Frozen Orb's damage and the build's overall resilience.

  Elemental Dominance allows your core and mastery abilities to be cast when you have more than 50 mana, and increases their final damage by 3%.

  Next, allocate some points to Frost Nova and Hydra to deal more damage. While the latter is a combustion skill and might seem out of place with this build, its burning effect provides resilience, increased damage, and cooldown reduction.

  Notably, don't forget to enchant Frost Nova, which affects your Lucky Strike, giving summoning abilities a 30% chance to cast Frost Nova on hit.

  Finally, don't forget to unlock Ice Blades and activate Lightning Spear to complement it.

  How Effective Is This Build In Practice?

  We first tested The Pit in 2.5.0 PTR as an example. With all gear maintaining normal upgrade effects, Frozen Orb Build can help you quickly reach level 75, but it starts to struggle after level 80.

  However, this is also related to the damage nerf in Diablo 4, so if you only want to farm resources through The Pit, this level of depth is sufficient.

  As for dealing with Tormented bosses, since Sorcerers have been weakened in terms of mobility and damage output, this class is inherently difficult. Frozen Orb Build is one of the best options to maximize its potential.

  Overall, Sorcerers are not expected to be a dominant class in Diablo 4 Season 11, but Frozen Orb Build gives you the opportunity to continue experimenting with it. So if you're interested, you can try it out following our guide!

• Diablo 4 Season 11 Best Golem Necromancer Build Guide | How To Build A New Meta Summoner With Gravebloom?

  The new unique items added in Diablo 4 Season 11 often influence one or more builds in a class, and Gravebloom, the new unique item for Necromancer, brings a new available summoning build to Necromancer.

  Gravebloom significantly enhances Necromancer's golems, and compared to traditional minion builds, this playstyle is much more proactive. This is because you need to frequently trigger the golems' active abilities, rather than letting minions attack automatically.

  This new build is viable in Season 11 not only because it deals more damage than a Skeleton Army Necromancer, but also because it is very tanky, thus becoming a meta build for Necromancer in Season 11.

  

  Gravebloom

  The new unique item, Gravebloom, is a new unique mace. It allows you to summon multiple golems. While the damage of a single golem is reduced, the increased number of golems boosts overall damage. It's also an essential Diablo 4 item for this build; the build won't function properly without it.

  Gravebloom provides a total of 40% attack speed, which is incredibly high for a one-handed weapon. It also has a 75% chance for the golem to attack twice.

  Golem Necromancer Skills

  Active Skills

  • Blight: Provides a buff as a Darkness Skill; no active casting required.
  • Sever: Also a Darkness Skill that triggers a damage bonus; no active casting required.
  • Golem: Summons a golem; you need to cast it to allow the golem to use its active skill.
  • Reap: Used to spawn a corpse.
  • Soulrift: As an ultimate skill, provides a vulnerability debuff and Essence.
  • Decompose: When fighting bosses, if Reap goes on cooldown, you can hold down Decompose to wait for Golem skill to cool down.
  • Iron Maiden: Increases damage taken by enemies. Does not need to be placed on the skill bar.
  • Decrepify: Curses enemies, slowing them. Does not need to be placed on the skill bar.

  Book Of The Dead

  Choose to sacrifice all minions, providing Necromancer with additional survivability and damage.

  • Skeletal Warriors Defenders: Cannot summon Skeletal Warriors. Gains 25% all elemental resistance.
  • Skeletal Mages Cold: Cannot summon Skeletal Mages. Increases damage against vulnerable enemies.
  • Golems Blood: Blood Golem allows Necromancer to regenerate health when using active skills. Necromancer reduces damage taken by the golems when they are healthy.

  Passive Skills

  • Hewed Flesh (3)
  • Necrotic Fortitude (3)
  • Titan's Fall (3)
  • Spiked Armor (3)
  • Grim Harvest (1)
  • Fueled by Death (3)
  • Death's Embrace (3)
  • Amplify Damage (3)
  • Coalesced Blood (3)
  • Reaper's Pursuit (3)
  • Necrotic Carapace (1)
  • Finality (3)
  • Golem Mastery (3)
  • Memento Mori (3)
  • Stand Alone (3)
  • Inspiring Leader (3)
  • Kalan's Edict (1)
  • Hellbent Commander (3)
  • Death's Approach (3)

  Death's Embrace is very powerful in Season 11. When an enemy affected by Iron Maiden dies, it automatically restores 7% of the player's Life, providing a continuous source of healing.

  Hellbent Commander grants a massive damage bonus when you have 7 or more minions. To trigger this effect, you also need to summon wolves to supplement the number of minions besides the 3 golems.

  Golem Necromancer Equipment

  • Helm: Heir of Perdition
  • Chest armor: Shroud of False Death
  • Gloves: Aspect of the Cursed Aura
  • Pants: Blood Moon Breeches
  • Boots: Hulking Aspect
  • Amulet: Aspect of Fel Gluttony
  • Ring 1: Aspect of Reanimation
  • Ring 2: Aspect of the Great Feast
  • Weapon: Gravebloom
  • Offhand: Sacrificial Aspect

  Aspect of the Cursed Aura automatically applies Decrepify and Iron Maiden curses to nearby enemies. Combined with the healing effect of Iron Maiden, this makes your Necromancer extremely tanky.

  Hulking Aspect gives golem attacks a chance to reduce their cooldown and spawn a corpse upon attacking. Aspect of Fel Gluttony allows golems to consume corpses for a damage bonus, and all golem builds require this Aspect.

  Other Diablo 4 items, such as Aspect of the Great Feast, directly provide damage bonuses to your golems. You should prioritize affixes for your gear that increase attack speed, critical strike chance, and golem cooldown reduction.

  Paragon Board Nodes

  • Essence: Provides more critical strike damage.
  • Hulking Monstrosity: Through Deadraiser node, makes minion attacks deal more damage to enemies.
  • Scent of Death: Provides damage reduction and critical strike damage, enhancing survivability.
  • Frailty: Increases the damage of necromancers and minions.
  • Corporeal: Increases physical damage.
  • Cult Leader & Amplify: Increases the minion's damage based on its attack speed.

  Golem Necro Advantages In Season 11

  Overall game difficulty has increased, and character survivability and damage have been reduced. Percentage bonuses to main stats (such as Intelligence) have been removed. In this generally harder environment, Golem Necromancer build offers excellent tankiness and damage, with no survivability issues.

  In Tormented 4's Open World, the golem's auto-attacks are sufficient for most situations, allowing players to AFK. However, at higher levels of The Pit, you must actively control your Golems. They can face-tank and deal damage in most situations, and even solo new bosses.

  You don't need to create a Seasonal Character to experience this build, as all new gear drops in Eternal Realm, and the additional bonuses from Season Journey offer little benefit to this already established build.

  Golem Necromancer build may still have some room for improvement, but it surpasses almost every other necromancer summoning build in every aspect. Moreover, the golem's damage can reach over 1 billion, and combined with its tanking capabilities, it is enough to place it in the Tier S build category of Season 11.

• Diablo 4 Season 11 Fortify Rework Explained | Druid Survivability Issues & Updated Meta Builds

  Diablo 4 Season 11 is confirmed for release on December 9, 2025. However, before the new season begins, you might have had a lingering question: does Druids, and indeed all classes, feel significantly weaker overall? This isn't good news for players who enjoy the challenge of Torment 4.

  Fortify System Rework

  This isn't an illusion. Since PTR 2.5.0, they've not only weakened classes overall and increased monster difficulty, but also added a new defense system. While theoretically easier to understand, it's more complex in practice.

  However, the real issue lies with the new Fortify system: it no longer provides passive damage reduction but instead acts as an auxiliary life pool for continuous healing. This change directly impacts Druids, as Fortify was once one of their most powerful defensive mechanisms.

  

  Fortify now functions more like an additional pool of health, an inner shield that accumulates up to your maximum health and slowly regenerates while active. This means that you can gain Fortified simply by accumulating a certain number of Fortify effects, instead of needing to reach a specific threshold.

  This change hits classes that rely heavily on Fortify, such as those with abilities like Pulverize, particularly those that previously depended on Fortify for survival. Now, with the reduced percentage of Fortify effects, stacking large amounts of the effect is no longer as effective, depriving this build of a solid defensive foundation.

  Let's take a simple example. Previously, suppose your gear or passive ability converted 50% of your maximum health into 45 health. Since you maintained Fortify for most of the fight, all 45 health was enough to keep you surviving.

  Now, this percentage might drop to 10% or even 5%, meaning your Fortify pool is significantly reduced. Therefore, when you take minor damage, your Fortify will decrease rapidly. Once you lose Fortify, your damage reduction will also be drastically reduced.

  This might be negligible in normal combat, but it makes dying much easier in high-difficulty dungeons like Tier 90 Pits, meaning you'll have to rely on armor and resistances instead of those 45 health points.

  In short, the new Fortify system is more dynamic, but also less reliable for Druid players. This means increased survivability; you can no longer simply stack effects, but need to actively manage it with gold and combine it with high armor, resistances, maximum health, and the fortify spawn ability.

  Best Druid Builds To Cope With Fortify Changes

  Druids aren't entirely helpless against this change in Diablo 4 Season 11; you can still turn the tide with specific builds.

  Boulder Druid

  Currently, Boulder Druid build is quite balanced in terms of defense and damage output. With a reliable set of gear, it can always give you greater survivability in combat.

  And with the introduction of the new Fortify system, this build is one of the most adaptable setups.

  Since Season 11 no longer features Chaos Armor, eliminating the seasonal power that would propel our damage to the heavens, gear setups are now much simpler. We're back to practical Ancestral and Unique gear, as well as Mythic gear.

  Here are the core components of this build, crucial for its late-game effectiveness:

  • Vasily's Prayer
  • Shroud of False Death
  • Insatiable Fury
  • Ring of Starless Skies
  • Tibault's Will
  • Dolmen Stone

  This gear set is suitable for various game content and can even push through The Pits to around level 90-100, which currently seems feasible.

  While these Diablo 4 items aren't strictly mandatory, due to changes in the Tempering and Masterworking system in the new season, your gloves and boots will almost certainly need a Dolmen Stone with Greater Affix to reduce Nature Magic cooldown and extend Hurricane duration.

  This is why Masterworking no longer increases affixes but only the base armor value of the gear. If you already have a weapon with the Nature Magic cooldown reduction stat and try to upgrade it, the final upgrade won't improve that weapon; it will only improve another weapon without that stat. So, things are worse than before.

  Another key point is Tibault's Will. These pants increase damage and are generally very suitable for Druid builds. However, due to current fortify and defensive issues, you can also swap them for Temerity to improve combat survivability, but only for pushing pits.

  In short, while all these issues are likely to be fixed before the season starts, Boulder Druid remains a very well-rounded option.

  Pulverize Druid

  Next up is one of the most popular Druid builds - Pulverize.

  Pulverize Druid remains one of the strongest builds for running pits and towers on the PTR. Although it also faces the fortify issues that all Druid builds currently encounter, it remains very reliable.

  This build boasts extremely high base damage, meaning it's very flexible in terms of gear selection. You can replace Heir of Perdition with Vasily's Prayer, or even choose an Ancestral piece with defensive stats. Before obtaining the Rotting Lightbringer, you can use a regular two-handed map with Legendary Aspects.

  Of course, some people dislike this build because it's slow and unfriendly to mapping. However, with the right farming gear, it's still very powerful. As we mentioned before, it has a complete gear setup and extremely high base damage.

  In short, Pulverize Druid remains a popular choice for the next season, offering good defense, huge damage output, and consistent farming speed.

  Shred Druid

  Finally, let's look at one of the most popular builds in the community, Shred Druid.

  In the current Season 10, Shred build excels in every aspect. It's almost omnipotent and incredibly fast. But remember, this is thanks to Grizzly Rage, Chaos Armor, and seasonal Perks.

  However, in Diablo 4 Season 11, the Shred build lost all of that. Not only are Chaos Armor and Perks obsolete, but Grizzly Rage was completely destroyed in Season 11; its stacking duration is no longer part of the skill, and its cooldown only begins after the skill ends.

  Without Grizzly Rage, this build is incredibly difficult to play, especially in high-difficulty dungeons like those at levels 85-90.

  Even so, it remains one of the strongest farming builds on high difficulties. Its advantage lies in its ability to focus on mobility and time management, and it doesn't even require Greater Affix bonus, so we can still enjoy it.

  Overall, the gear setup for this build remains unchanged; Heir of Perdition and Shroud of False Death are still our best endgame gear. We can retain Shred skill for daily farming and leveling; it's still a viable option, just significantly weaker than before.

  In any case, the changes to the fortify system in Diablo 4 Season 11 have had a significant impact on the defense setup of Druid builds so far. However, it remains to be seen how things will turn out in the new season. Perhaps Druid players can still find some new mechanisms to reverse their current disadvantage.

• Diablo 4 Season 11 Preparation | New Developments, Specific Class Guide, And More Tips For A Strong Start

  With only about two weeks left until the official release of Diablo 4 Season 11, while you should already be familiar with the main mechanics and gameplay of the new season through PTR, it's best to develop a more comprehensive preparation plan.

  This is because although almost all new Diablo 4 seasons follow the same operating model, there are always differences in the details of the updates. Mastering these differences is crucial for successfully and quickly integrating into Season 11!

  Below, we will provide a pre-preparation guide from various angles based on what you already know about Season 11.

  

  Keep A Close Eye On New Developments

  While 2.5.0 PTR offered you an early experience of Season 11, its content does not represent the final form of the season. Since PTR ended, the development team has announced more changes that Season 11 will bring through announcements and interviews.

  These changes may not necessarily alter the core mechanics of the new season, but they will make many subtle modifications, sometimes significantly impacting your combat experience.

  For example, in an interview earlier this month, the developers stated that they would be making further changes to Masterworking and Tempering, while reducing the risk of the newly added Sanctification.

  These further optimizations to the mechanics will undoubtedly allow you to upgrade your Diablo 4 items more efficiently, ensuring that all the gear you acquire grows stronger along with your character.

  Another noteworthy piece of news from the interview is that all classes will be nerfed in the official Season 11, especially Druid, Necromancer, and Sorcerer.

  The general nerfs manifest as a decrease in overall strength, fortification, and survivability, while the effects of several key skills of these classes specifically targeted will be reduced.

  As you can see, these changes don't fundamentally alter the new gameplay that Season 11 will bring, but if you're unaware of them, you might make unnecessary mistakes in the new season's battles, such as choosing the most nerfed class.

  Pay Attention To Your Reliquary System

  This is mainly to prevent you from forgetting the exact time you enter the new season. The system will constantly remind you how much time is left until the end of Season 10, and Diablo 4's season transitions are almost seamless except about an hour of downtime.

  If you're just a casual player, starting the new season a few days later is fine, but if you want to be among the first to conquer new content, getting a head start is crucial! Especially since Season 11 brought back the leaderboards through The Tower dungeons.

  Given Diablo 4's massive player base, climbing to the top of the leaderboards (in any category) is very difficult, and the number of powerful players increases as the season progresses.

  Therefore, if you lack confidence in your skills but still want to make a name for yourself on the leaderboards, climbing quickly at the beginning of the season is the best option. Even if you fall behind later, people will remember your achievements!

  Join Game Groups Or Forums

  Besides official announcements, the player community is the best source for the latest Diablo 4 news. Some players can even get reliable insider information in advance. Joining relevant groups or forums will give you the opportunity to learn more.

  Before the official release of Season 11, no one can be certain whether the development team will make further changes, so checking group messages from time to time might yield unexpected results.

  Whether on PTR or during the season, players will always be sharing their opinions and strategies within the community. You can refer to these when you encounter difficulties progressing through new dungeons or quests.

  Furthermore, some endgame events are more efficient to complete in a group. If you don't have a fixed team or friends, you can find other players forming groups in groups and forums, or post your own recruitment notices.

  Create A Guide Based On A Specific Class

  Whether you prefer to play the same class throughout all seasons or choose the class that is most advantageous based on the season's mechanics, we recommend that you create a guide for that class before Season 11 begins.

  The guide should ideally include methods for fast leveling and farming gold, builds suitable for different events, and tips for increasing seasonal reputation, etc.

  While much of this content is applicable across most seasons, specific changes (such as the class nerfs in Season 11) require minor tweaks to ensure the guide perfectly adapts to the latest season.

  Season 10 Character Transfer

  With the start of Season 11, everything you own with your Season 10 characters will be directly transferred to Eternal Realm, including Chaos Perks and Armor you might want to keep, as well as any unused gold.

  Don't worry about them; you can still play your Season 10 characters in Eternal Realm if you wish. However, note that after Season 10 ends, Season 10 gear in Eternal Realm will become legacy items.

  This means you will no longer be able to modify them; they will remain as they are. So if you have frequently used or favorite builds in Season 10, be sure to save them promptly, as these builds cannot be optimized by modifying the gear in Eternal Realm.

  That concludes this introduction. As for the new playable content in Season 11, you should already be familiar with it through relevant information and announcements; please keep those in mind along with this guide!