Infernal Hordes is an endgame activity that is available for both Season characters as well as the Eternal realm. In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about facing the Infernal Hordes, earning Burning Aether, and ultimately defeating the Fell Council or Bartuc for powerful rewards.
Getting Started
Entering the Realm of Hatred
To participate in the Infernal Hordes activity and enter the Realm of Hatred, you need an Infernal Compass.
Infernal Compasses can be acquired by defeating Endgame Bosses, participating in Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons, and Whispers. Additionally, the new Eternal quest grants you an Infernal Compass upon completion.
Infernal Compasses
Infernal Compasses scale in function of the World Tier difficulty. Each Infernal Compass will randomly roll a certain number of waves, and will have a 4 revives limit for your group.
Infernal Compasses can drop naturally in Torment difficulty, with a higher chance as the world tier increases.
Gameplay Mechanics
Upon entering the Realm of Hatred, you will be challenged with waves of enemies. Each wave lasts 60 seconds. During this time, your goal is to defeat as many enemies as possible and gather Burning Aether.
Infernal Offers
For your first and after defeating each wave, you will earn an Infernal Offer, which gives you the option of three different Boons & Banes that alter your path. Choose carefully, because your choices will stack throughout your run. For example, you may increase the Elite damage and your Burning Aether gain.
If you decide to pick more difficult offers, it may result in an increase of Burning Aether. However, you may also choose moderate offers if the difficulty is too high.
| Tier | Boon & Bane | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S | The Burning Hellborne | Hellfire now spawns Hellborne / Hellborne drop +2 additional Aether |
| The Summoned Hellborne | Hellborne are hunting you / Hellborne grant +1 Aether | |
| The Exalted Hellborne | Hellborne damage +25% / Hellborne grant +1 Aether | |
| The Surging Hellborne | +1 Hellborne when spawned / Hellborne grant +1 Aether | |
| A | The Exalted Hordes | Normal monster damage +25% / Killing them spawns Aether Events 50% faster |
| The Surging Elite | Chance for Elite to spawn is doubled / Aether Fiends grant +2 Aether (Doesn’t apply to Hellborne) | |
| The Exalted Elite | Elite damage +25% / Aether Fiends grant +2 Aether | |
| The Burning Rain | Hellfire rains upon you / At the end of each wave spawn 3-9 Aether (Synergizes with The Burning Hellborne) | |
| The Unstoppable Elite | Elites are Unstoppable / Aether Fiends grant +2 Aether | |
| B | The Invigorating Hellborne | Hellborne damage +25% / Slaying Hellborne Invigorates you (A Tier if clearing is hard) |
| The Draining Spires | Soulspires drain Life / Soulspires grant +2 Aether | |
| The Exalted Council | Fell Council damage +50% / Defeating them grants +15 Aether | |
| The Enfeebled Wanderer | Potion Cooldown increased by +2 Seconds / Defeating The Council Grants +15 Aether | |
| The Exhausted Wanderer | Evade Cooldown is increased by +2 Seconds / Defeating The Council Grants +15 Aether | |
| The Withered Wanderer | -10% All Resistances / Defeating The Council grants +15 Aether | |
| C | The Aether Rush | Normal monster damage +25% / Gathering Aether Increases movement speed (8s) |
| The Teeming Masses | Masses spawn an Aether Lord on death / Aether Lords grant +3 Aether | |
| The Summoned Lords | Aether Lords now spawn / They grant +3 Aether | |
| The Exalted Masses | Aetheric Mass damage +25% / Aetheric Mass grants +1 Aether | |
| The Bursting Masses | Masses deal unavoidable damage / Wave start, spawn an Aetheric Mass | |
| The Stalking Devil | An Infernal Demon has your scent / Slay it to gain +25 Aether | |
| D | The Gorging Masses | Slaying Aetheric Masses slow you (8s) / While slowed this way, you have unlimited resources |
| The Insatiable Spires | Soulspires require 2x kills / Soulspires grant 2x Aether | |
| The Corrupting Spires | Soulspires empower nearby foes / Soulspires pull foes inwards | |
| The Bursting Fiends | Elite Damage +25% / Aether Fiends explode and damage foes |
Infernal Offers Tier List
Disclaimer: This tier list may be subject to change in Season 10.
| S | The Burning Hellborne The Summoned Hellborne The Exalted Hellborne The Surging Hellborne |
| A | The Exalted Hordes The Surging Elite The Exalted Elite The Burning Rain The Unstoppable Elite |
| B | The Invigorating Hellborne The Draining Spires The Exalted Council The Enfeebled Wanderer The Exhausted Wanderer The Withered Wanderer |
| C | The Aether Rush The Teeming Masses The Summoned Lords The Exalted Masses The Bursting Masses The Stalking Devil |
| D | The Gorging Masses The Insatiable Spires The Corrupting Spires The Bursting Fiends |
Burning Aether
Burning Aether is important for unlocking rewards. You will gain this currency by defeating Aether Fiends and Aether Lords as well as destroying Soulspires and Aetheric Masses.
If you play in a group, all party members earn Burning Aether for themselves and decide how to spend it at the end of the run. Furthermore, make sure to have your pet accompany you, as they will also be able to pick up the Aether!
Chaos Waves
Chaos Waves are special offerings that can appear when selecting your Infernal Offers. The number of Chaos Waves you can encounter is determined by the Infernal Compass Tier used to enter the Realm of Hatred. Chaos Waves are a 4th additional choice on top of the three Infernal Offers you would normally receive.
These waves significantly change the battlefield by introducing unique mechanics and a much higher level of difficulty. In exchange, they reward you with a substantial amount of Burning Aether if you can overcome them.
Chaos Waves come in many forms, forcing you to adapt to different scenarios, such as:
- Chaos Rifts that unleash deadly projectiles
- Helltide Bosses joining the fight
- Aether Goblins appearing with valuable drops
- And several other random twists
In addition, Chaos monsters frequently spawn during these waves. Defeating them grants shrine-like buffs (for example, spinning icicles or outward-shooting fire projectiles) that help you survive the increased chaos.
Whenever possible, you should always pick Chaos Waves, as the Aether rewards are far greater compared to regular waves.
The Fell Council
Successfully defeating all waves of the Infernal Hordes will allow you to advance to the Well of Hatred and face the Fell Council.
There are five Battle Fell Priests on the Council, and each boss has its own set of unique abilities. Upon slaying the enemies of all waves, you will encounter three randomly selected members of the Council. One member of the Council is the designated Council Speaker and will gain a boost to their abilities. Keep an eye on their attacks as they become more frenzied with time.
The Council bosses always drop Infernal Hordes Unique items and dungeon loot, which scales in function of your Torment difficulty.
Bartuc
As of season 10: Season of Infernal Chaos, you can decide to fight Bartuc, the Vizjerei Warlord, by spending 666 Aether. Each member of your party will need to spend Aether to fight this boss. The first player who chooses will affect the entire party. Bartuc will reward you greatly, and you won’t need to spend additional Aether to open the chests.
Bartuc is a great source of Chaos Armor (Season 10 content) in Torment difficulty.
Spoils of Hell
After defeating the Fell Council, you will be prompted to use the Burning Aether you gathered during your run to choose between four distinct rewards:
- Spoils of Greater Equipment for 400 Aether. This reward will guarantee an Ancestral Legendary with a Greater Affix. It will also reward you with Obducite and Gold.
- Spoils of Materials (which will also drop Masterworking materials and Scroll of Restoration) for all your remaining Aether.
- Spoils of Gold will exchange any remaining Aether for gold.
You may open these chests as many times as you want, only limited by how much Aether you have collected.
To optimize your chances of obtaining gear, prepare yourself, choose your Infernal Offers wisely, and gather as much Burning Aether as possible to open multiple spoils and get some nice loot from your victory over the Infernal Hordes.
Fleeting Hordes (Season 10)
Before reaching Torment difficulty, you can experience a lighter version of the Infernal Hordes known as Fleeting Hordes. This mode serves as an introduction to the activity while you level.
Fleeting Hordes are shorter encounters consisting of 4 waves with fewer Infernal Offers to manage. Their design focuses on keeping packs under control, making the challenge more approachable at lower levels.
To participate, you will need Fleeting Hordes Compasses, which drop from Chaos Rifts.
At the end of the 4 waves, you will face two members of the Fell Council. Once they are defeated, you may spend your collected Aether on rewards, just as in the full Infernal Hordes run.
