Creating a good build inDiablo 4is tougher than one might expect. While the game gives you many tools to fine-tune your character, the constant enemy scaling that’s present makes optimization a necessity for the endgame. Using random skills and items you find on the ground won’t get you far.
Related:Diablo 4: Complete Beginner Guide
Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to push through Diablo 4’s aggressive enemy scaling. With some planning and utilization of this game’s various gearing systems, you’ll be able to take any build through the campaign and beyond with minimal roadblocks. This guide will cover what level scaling is, how is affects each activity in Diablo 4, and we’ll provide tips on how to counteract this constant scaling.
Level Scaling Explained
Level scaling refers to enemies leveling alongside your character.Nearly every activity in Diablo 4 has some form of level scaling, notably open world content and dungeons. When your character gains a level, every monster will also gain a level to more closely match your character’s overall power level. As you get stronger, so do your enemies.
By default,most zones will spawn monsters at the same level as your character.For example, if you’re a level 30 character, most of the enemies you’ll face will be level 30. Some zones will feature higher-leveled enemies such as Strongholdsand the Helltide, but you’ll typically be fighting monsters of the same level as you.
Why Does Level Scaling Exist?
Level scaling has two advantages over a more static scaling system:
A level 12 player can play with a level 70 party member and still deal damage to monsters, ensuringgroup play is almost always an option. This level scaling also means that you can embark to an entirely different region of Sanctuary and experience that content without fighting monsters significantly under or over your character’s level. There are some level minimums set in certain regions we’ll cover in the next section, but this holds true for nearly everything in the campaign and open world.
Level Ranges
While level scaling is a universal constant in Diablo 4, you won’t be fighting at-level monsters for your entire playthrough.Some content will scale the monsters to always be above you, notably Strongholds and Helltide.There are also some areas that have a level floor before you can experience them, such as all monsters inWorld Tier 4being at least level 74 or higher.
+2
54 + the listed tier (Static)
100 (Static)
*Level scaling only applies to PvE enemies.
Nearly all content in Diablo 4 will scale to your character’s current level, but certain milestone activities like capstone dungeons and Uber Lilith are set to a specific level. World Tiers will also raise the level floor of all monsters in the game, so be sure your character is properly leveled and geared before increasing your World Tier.
Related:Diablo 4: Endgame Basics Explained
How To Counter Enemy Scaling
Enemy scaling has one clear negative:you get weaker every time you level up. Without properly gearing your character, you will progressively get weaker until the game becomes incredibly difficult. This is why it’s vital that you work towards upgrading your character. There are a few ways to fight this scaling:
Item Poweris your item’s effectiveness represented by a singular number, found right under its name on the item’s UI card.Gear with higher item power values will roll with higher DPS/armor ratings.Keep an eye out for green “+” numbers beside gear while leveling to improve your character’s damage output and survivability.Affixes seldom matter until you reach World Tier 4, so don’t worry about min-maxing your items while leveling.
Upgrading Items
Upgrading an item at aBlacksmithorJewelerwill increase its item power, therefore upgrading its DPS or armor rating. Upgrade any good items you find to maximize their usefulness.
The only affixes that matter areLegendary Aspects.These are a massive surge of power and can be crafted onto any item. We highly recommend you look through the Codex of Power—found in the Collections tab—and see if any Aspects help your character. If so, click on that Aspect to mark the dungeon’s location on your map. Clear the dungeon, then visit an Occultist toinscribe that Legendary affix onto your item. Do this every time you acquire a gear upgrade to maximize your build’s potential.
Finally, you’ll want tocomplete the Renown and Altar of Lilith grindson at least one of your characters. Each zone in Diablo 4 has a renown rating that provides rewards when you pass certain thresholds.Aim for rank three with each zone, as this will unlock five potion slots and a whopping ten skill points on all of your characters. Once you hit the last two World Tiers, focus on reaching maximum renown to unlock 20 additional Paragon Points. Altars of Lilith will also provide small stat increases that quickly add up, providing 68 points in each attribute category once you’ve found them all. If you still need to find these altars, check out our collectible guides below:
Endgame Upgrades
Level scaling is notably punishing once you switch World Tiers, so it’s important that you embrace Diablo 4’s endgame systems to counteract this.The Paragon Board is your single biggest source of damage in the endgame.More specifically, good Glyph usage and Legendary nodes can massively increase your build’s damage output, letting you tackle content that is dozens of levels above you if tuned properly. We can’t provide specific Paragon Board recommendations since they vary per build, but we highly recommend you give ourParagon Board guidea look to understand how this system works.
Additionally, you’ll also want tostart min-maxing your gear affixes in World Tier 4.This is when you’ll start getting Ancestral items, items that roll with the best affix values.You’ll want to look up a build guide or figure out which affixes matter the most to your build.In general, nearly every build wants to stack cooldown reduction, vulnerability damage, HP modifiers, and skill rank bonuses. Try to get items with as many useful affixes as possible.
