Diablo 4’s Season of Loot Reborn has revolutionized the endgame experience, introducing exciting new systems like Masterworking and The Pit. This endgame activity, reminiscent of Greater Rifts from Diablo 3, challenges players to conquer increasingly difficult dungeons against the clock. Success in The Pit grants valuable Masterworking materials and Stygian Hearts, crucial for facing the ultimate bosses in the game. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of The Pit, covering everything from unlocking it and acquiring Runeshards to maximizing your rewards.
What is The Pit in Diablo 4?
The Pit is essentially a timed dungeon challenge where your objective is to eliminate hordes of monsters and a final boss as swiftly as possible. Accessible via an obelisk in Cerrigar, each run into The Pit requires Runeshards, an endgame resource obtainable from various World Tier 4 activities. Successfully completing Pit runs is essential for acquiring Masterwork materials, vital for enhancing your endgame gear.
For players deeply invested in Diablo 4’s endgame, The Pit becomes a central activity for farming these crucial materials and a benchmark for evaluating their build’s prowess. You are given a 15-minute window to clear each Pit level. However, be mindful of deaths, as each one will subtract from your remaining time: 30 seconds for the first death, 60 for the second, and 90 seconds for subsequent deaths within a single run. Therefore, a well-rounded build that balances robust damage output with strong survivability is paramount for success in The Pit.
How to Unlock The Pit
Unlocking The Pit is straightforward. You must complete the quest titled “Pit of the Artificer,” which becomes available once you’ve progressed to World Tier 4: Nightmare difficulty. After completing the quest objectives, your gateway to The Pit will be located in Cerrigar within Scosglen. This obelisk serves as the entry point for all your Pit endeavors.
Pit Tiers and Runeshards
Similar to Nightmare Dungeons, The Pit features a tiered system of difficulty. Starting at Tier 1 (Level 100 enemies), The Pit escalates all the way to Tier 200 (Level 300 enemies), offering a significant challenge for even the most seasoned players. Unlike Nightmare Dungeons, The Pit omits affixes, meaning you primarily need to contend with escalating enemy levels and the relentless timer. Each run generally involves navigating through two dungeon-like areas filled with enemies, culminating in a straightforward boss encounter.
Entry into The Pit requires Runeshards. These are a key resource acquired by engaging in almost all World Tier 4 activities. Whether you’re tackling Nightmare Dungeons, opening Helltide chests, defeating World Bosses, participating in Legion Events, or battling specific bosses, Runeshards are a common reward. Each attempt at The Pit costs three Runeshards, and importantly, these Runeshards are not refunded if you fail to complete the run.
Runeshard Prerequisite:
It’s important to note that Runeshards will only start dropping after you have successfully completed at least one Tier 46 Nightmare Dungeon. This serves as a prerequisite before the “Pit of the Artificer” quest and Runeshard acquisition become available.
The Pit Rewards
The primary motivation for venturing into The Pit is to obtain Masterwork materials. These materials are used at any Blacksmith to significantly enhance your gear beyond its base stats. Masterworking increases the stat ranges of all affixes on your items, leading to substantial power gains. A character equipped with fully Masterworked gear will see a noticeable increase in strength compared to one without. Furthermore, and unlike the Tempering system, Masterworking is applicable to both Legendary and Unique items.
Masterwork materials are categorized into three types, each associated with specific Pit tiers and Masterwork ranks:
| Material | Masterwork Ranks | Drop Source |
|---|---|---|
| Obducite | Ranks 1-4 | Tiers 1-29 |
| Ingolith | Ranks 5-8 | Tiers 30-59 |
| Neathiron | Ranks 9-12 | Tiers 60+ |
Obducite is the most common Masterwork material, dropping in lower tiers and allowing you to Masterwork items up to Rank 4. Ingolith, found in mid-tier Pits, is rarer and upgrades items to Rank 8. Neathiron, the most elusive material, drops in the highest Pit tiers (60+) and is necessary for achieving the maximum Masterwork Rank of 12.
Beyond Masterwork materials, The Pit is also an excellent source of Item Power 925 Legendary items. Since enemies in The Pit start at Level 100, every item drop is guaranteed to be at the highest item power level. Additionally, defeating the final boss in higher Pit tiers can reward you with Stygian Stones. These stones are used to summon Uber versions of Diablo 4’s endgame bosses, offering another layer of challenging content and valuable rewards.
Essential Tips for Conquering The Pit
To maximize your efficiency and success in The Pit, consider these key strategies:
- Prioritize Survivability: Deaths are heavily penalized with significant time deductions. Focus on maintaining your character’s survivability above raw damage output. Ensure your armor and elemental resistances are appropriately scaled for the Pit tier you are attempting.
- Consider Co-op Play: The Pit supports up to four players. While clients receive reduced Masterwork materials and no Stygian Stones compared to the host, grouping up can significantly ease the difficulty of runs, especially at higher tiers.
- Engage Elites: Elite monsters contribute the most to your progress bar within The Pit. Actively seeking out and eliminating Elites will drastically shorten the time needed to reach the final boss.
- Gear Upgrades are Crucial: Don’t underestimate the power of Masterworking and Tempering. Utilizing Masterwork materials to enhance your gear and applying effective Tempering recipes will dramatically increase your damage and survivability, making higher Pit tiers more manageable.
By understanding the mechanics of The Pit, focusing on build optimization, and applying these tips, you’ll be well-equipped to farm Masterwork materials efficiently and conquer this challenging endgame activity in Diablo 4’s Season of Loot Reborn.
