Diablo 4 Guide: Farming Aether from Infernal Hordes

Season 5 of Diablo 4 introduces a new feature called Infernal Hordes, which has quickly become the best method for farming new gear and crafting materials. At the end of each Infernal Hordes run, players can spend Aether—the resource collected during the activity—on chests containing gear, crafting materials, and gold. This makes it easier to upgrade and masterwork your gear. The gameplay resembles a rogue-like experience, with each wave of enemies becoming more challenging as players choose various buffs and debuffs.

To maximize the amount of Aether you can collect, it's crucial to use the right strategies. Some modifiers are significantly better than others, while some can hinder the amount of Aether you can gather. With Blizzard’s latest update to the Infernal Hordes modifiers, now is the perfect time to explore the most effective tactics.

This guide will focus on Tier 7 of Infernal Hordes, which includes all available modifiers.

How to Gather 1,000 Aether in Diablo 4's Infernal Hordes

To get close to collecting 1,000 Aether in a single run, it's important to prioritize certain buffs. Increasing the number of Hellborne enemies is key, as this drastically boosts Aether collection. Buffs like The Summoned Hellborne and The Burning Hellborne are essential because they spawn Hellborne enemies in different ways, effectively doubling the Hellborne sources. Additionally, modifiers like The Surging Elite and The Surging Hellborne further increase Hellborne spawn rates, exponentially raising the amount of Aether generated.

Infernal Hordes Buff Tier List

Buff Tier	Buff Name
S	- The Summoned Hellborne - The Burning Hellborne - The Surging Elite - The Surging Hellborne
A	- The Exalted Hellborne - The Invigorating Hellborne - The Exalted Elite - The Burning Rain - The Exalted Hordes
B	- The Stalking Devil - The Wanderer Exhausted - The Wanderer Enfeebled - The Exalted Council - The Wanderer Withered
C	- The Bursting Fiends - The Corrupting Spires - The Draining Spires
D	- The Exalted Masses - The Bursting Masses - The Insatiable Spires
F	- The Teeming Masses - The Gorging Masses - The Aether Rush - The Summoned Lords

While summoning Aether Lords might seem beneficial, these buffs are actually counterproductive. Aether Lords are time-consuming to defeat and offer relatively low Aether rewards. They also reduce the number of events that can spawn in each wave, which means fewer opportunities for Hellborne to enter the arena. Essentially, Aether Lords act as blockers, preventing more valuable events and reducing your overall Aether gain.

Best Ways to Spend Aether in Diablo 4

After amassing a significant amount of Aether, players have the option to spend it on gear, gold, or materials at the end of the activity. This presents an excellent opportunity to farm for the Umbracrux Unique, a powerful item for Rogues in Season 5. Although finding valuable Greater Affixes is possible, spending too much Aether on gear might not always be the best choice. Investing in materials is often the safer bet, as items like Masterwork Materials and Stygian Stones are invaluable for refining character builds.

Stygian Stones are particularly useful, as they allow players to summon Tormented Bosses, which have a high chance of dropping Mythic Uniques such as the Harlequin Crest.

Masterworking gear can significantly enhance a character’s abilities, making it easier to farm Infernal Hordes efficiently. Completing Tier 7-8 Infernal Hordes rewards players with hundreds of Neathiron per run, which greatly accelerates the Masterwork process compared to traditional methods like the Artificer’s Pit. By implementing these strategies, players will ensure they never run out of materials and gold in *Diablo 4*, keeping their characters well-equipped for any challenge.