Diablo 4 Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim introduces an intense new endgame challenge—Escalating Nightmare Dungeons. These high-stakes, triple-tier dungeons are packed with powerful rewards, stacked affixes, and culminate in a dramatic boss fight against Exalted Astaroth. Whether you’re farming for Ancestral gear, Mythics, or Horadric Jewels, this guide will show you how to prepare, what to avoid, and how to dominate.
🧭 What Are Escalating Nightmare Dungeons?
Escalating Nightmare Dungeons are a chained dungeon system that lets you complete three progressively harder dungeons in one run. Each new tier adds affixes, monster density, and increased loot—culminating in a boss fight vs. Astaroth.
How It Works:
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🔹 Use an Escalation Sigil to enter the first tier.
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🔹 Upon completion, a portal opens to Tier 2 → then Tier 3.
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🔹 Tier 3 ends with the Astaroth boss fight (Torment I+ required).
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🔹 You can’t pause between tiers—gear up ahead of time!
You’ll need to unlock and craft Escalation Sigils using resources from Strongrooms and Horadric Knowledge gained throughout the Season 9 questline.
⚔️ How to Start & Chain Them
How to Get Escalation Sigils:
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📘 Earned via Horadric Rank and Strongroom completion caches.
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🛠️ Craftable at the Occultist once unlocked.
Dungeon Flow:
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Enter Tier 1 (select your affix wisely).
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Clear dungeon → auto-portal opens to Tier 2.
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Clear Tier 2 → move into Tier 3.
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Defeat Astaroth in a dramatic final showdown.
💡 Tip: Affixes from all tiers persist into later ones. Plan ahead!
❗ Affixes – What to Choose & Avoid
Each tier adds affixes that stack for the final fight. Choosing the right modifiers can make or break your run.
🔴 Affixes to Avoid:
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Vampiric – Constant healing enemies = longer fights.
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Lightning Dome – Restricts positioning during Astaroth.
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Waller – Traps you mid-attack.
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Assassin Horde – Burst damage mobs that shred squishies.
🟢 Affixes to Favor:
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Forgotten Wisdom – Grants XP orbs on kill.
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Increased Horadric Loot Drops – Extra Jewels & Arcana.
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Reduced Cooldowns on Elite Kill – Great for burst builds.
🐉 Boss Guide: How to Beat Astaroth
Astaroth returns, nastier than ever. This time, you’ll fight him AND his mount across three escalating phases.
🛡️ Preparation:
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Equip Fire and Lightning Resistance gear.
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Use elixirs like Fire Resist, Precision (+5% XP), or Fortitude.
🧨 Phase 1: Astaroth on Mount
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Dodge fire meteors and tracking orbs.
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Avoid triple laser beams that sweep across the room.
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Focus on breaking mount’s armor first.
⚡ Phase 2: Astaroth Dismounted
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He charges, lays down flame puddles, and slashes in melee.
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Use mobility skills to kite and dodge.
💀 Phase 3: Double Trouble
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He and his mount return—kill them at the same time.
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If one dies too early, the other resurrects them.
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Balance your DPS across both targets!
💡 Best Builds:
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Necro Minions – auto-target both.
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Sorcerer Hydra – excellent AoE and fire resist.
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Druid Quill Volley – safe ranged burst.
🎁 Loot & Rewards
Clearing all three tiers and defeating Astaroth can reward you with:
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💎 Ancestral Items (guaranteed on kill).
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🔮 Mythic Uniques (very rare).
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💠 Horadric Jewels and Arcana.
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📘 Obducite, gold, and high-tier crafting mats.
Bonus:
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Higher dungeon tiers = better loot chances.
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Group play does not reduce drop chances, so team up for efficiency!
🔧 Preparation Checklist
| ✔️ To-Do | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| 🎟️ Farm Strongrooms | Get Sigils & Tomes |
| 🧪 Craft Elixirs | Boost XP or Resists |
| ⚔️ Use AoE-heavy Builds | Faster clear, better control |
| 🗺️ Plan Affix Path | Avoid crippling combos |
| 👥 Join a Group | Faster clears, more loot sharing |
🏁 Final Tips for Escalation Success
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💬 Coordinate on Discord for group clears and Sigil rotation.
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🧪 Use Goldskin Elixirs during boss fights for extra profit.
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⚡ Don’t hoard Sigils—use them while you’re leveling for max benefit.
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🏆 Complete the Astaroth Challenge for bonus Seasonal Journey rewards.
🔗 Related Guides
🧠 Community Links
Are you ready to chain your first Escalation? Let us know what build you're using and which affixes have wrecked—or rewarded—you the most!
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