The Unwritten Rules of Diablo 4 Season 9’s Escalating Nightmares Explained

One of the headlining features of Diablo 4 Season 9 is the new Escalating Nightmare addition to the game’s traditional Nightmare Dungeon system. While the standard Diablo 4 Nightmare Dungeon experience involves completing dungeons with added challenges from Nightmare Sigil affixes, Escalating Nightmares require players to tackle three of these dungeons in a row, with each new dungeon stacking an affix on top of the previous one. With Escalating Nightmares culminating in a boss fight with Astaroth, players will want to ensure they’re following some of the community’s unwritten rules for the best chance at success.

Many of the same unwritten rules for Diablo 4‘s Nightmare Dungeons apply to Escalating Nightmares, such as looking for Sigils with positive affixes that make it worth the risk the negative affixes pose. However, Escalating Nightmares essentially take what players expect from a standard Nightmare Dungeon and apply it threefold, meaning there are going to be new twists thrown into the equation. Diablo 4 Season 9 players will want to pay special attention to these differences to complete the marathon that is an Escalating Nightmare.

Related

Table of Contents

Toggle

Diablo 4 Season 9 is Better with Friends, Even if You Have to Build Them Yourself

Diablo 4 can be experienced solo or with friends, but Season 9 offers players a great opportunity to create their own allies.

Diablo 4 Season 9’s Unwritten Rules for Success in Escalating Nightmares

Avoid Tackling Escalating Nightmares Until At Least Torment 1 Difficulty

Diablo 4 players who undertake the Season 9 journey are likely going to come across the new Escalation Sigils needed to start Escalating Nightmares fairly early into their season. However, it’s best to resist the temptation to tackle this new mode early and wait until reaching Diablo 4‘s Torment difficulties before jumping into an Escalating Nightmare. Players will only get to fight against Astaroth when playing through an Escalating Nightmare on Torment 1 or higher, meaning they won’t get the coveted Horadric Jewels that drop from the boss until then.

Take Note of Dungeon Affixes

Choosing a Nightmare Sigil with the player’s desired affixes doesn’t change when undertaking an Escalating Nightmare, but does come with some complications. Escalation Sigils only show the affixes of the first dungeon in the lineup, but the affixes for the others won’t show until players reach the portal to the next dungeon at the end of the first one. As such, it’s important to pay close attention to these affixes when entering the next dungeon’s portal in order to anticipate what is coming since affixes stack between dungeons in Escalating Nightmares.

Treat Escalating Nightmares More Like The Pit Than Traditional Nightmare Dungeons

By the time players are ready to try their hand at Escalating Nightmares, they’ve likely already experienced Diablo 4‘s Pit of the Artificer. The Pit is much more of a marathon than a sprint as players will need to survive long enough to slay the required number of enemies to access the Pit’s boss. Escalating Nightmares are similar, as while they are not timed like the Pit, they last much longer than a traditional Nightmare Dungeon, so players will want to prepare for a long haul.

Resistances Are Key to Survivability

Part of surviving the extended length of Escalating Nightmares is ensuring players are maximizing their resistances to elements they are likely to face. Poison is especially potent in Season 9, and Elites that deal buckets of Poison damage can be disastrous for unprepared players. As such, utilizing Diablo 4‘s Alchemist to craft Elixirs and Incense before starting an Escalating Nightmare run can help bolster the player’s defenses and increase their success rate.

Prepare More for Astaroth Than the Dungeon Affixes

Even with affixes stacking between dungeons, the meat of Escalating Nightmares is only slightly more difficult than standard Nightmare Dungeons. However, there is a huge leap in challenge when it comes to facing Astaroth after clearing all three dungeons in an Escalating Nightmare run. With this in mind, players should plan their runs around facing this boss, since his two phases—one of which pits players against Astaroth and his Amalgam of Hatred at the same time—can kill a player’s run and lock them out of potential rewards.

Diablo 4

9/10

Released

June 6, 2023

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language

Engine

Proprietary Engine