Best tips and tricks to reach character level cap 100 faster in Diablo 4 Hardcore Mode

Diablo 4 does away with the static level scaling of the previous games in the franchise. This time around, most of the rank-and-file adversaries you will face in the world of Sanctuary will continue to level with you way past your expectation. Overall, this smoothens the game's progression curve. However, this does not necessarily mean that leveling is slower.

The regular mobbing tactics and strategies from Diablo 3 are still applicable to some extent. However, many of these tips go out the window if you play Hardcore Mode. Leveling in Hardcore Mode is a much more measured affair, given the higher stakes.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the opinions of the writer

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Things to remember when leveling your character in Diablo 4 Hardcore Mode

The first order of business in Hardcore Mode leveling is to abuse the World Tier bonuses. Up until the end of the campaign, there are two World Tiers, i.e. difficulty modes in Diablo 4: Adventurer and Veteran.

Even though Tier 2 grants a 20% bonus on XP, it is scarcely worth it in the beginning. Firstly, the bonus does not apply to exploration or side-quest XP. Secondly, the mobs are significantly harder to kill, resulting in an overall less XP payout per minute of gameplay. All in all, you should stick to Tier 1 until you gain your first power spike.

Said power spike will be on different thresholds for each class. The obvious yardstick here is casts per kill. Every Diablo 4 character has one spammable skill that you spend your resources on. The idea is to see whether you can kill the average Tier 2 grunt with as many casts as it takes you on Tier 1. If you find it manageable, switching to Tier 2 is essentially free extra experience.

Remember to test your waters frequently before you delve deeper into a region. Tier 2 mobs boast higher damage resistances, so when the going gets tough on the current build, do not shy away from Tier 1 as a fallback plan.

Tier 2 is an overall volatile and unreliable experience boost to rely on in hardcore mode. You should therefore look into alternative buffs:

• Teaming up with a co-op partner is a static 15% XP boost, giving multiplayer runs a big edge over solo.
• The Kor Dragon Stronghold has a stackable XP buff that can go up to +15%.
• Finally, do not forget to chug the occasional buff Flask, as all of them come with a handy +5% XP boost.

Hardcore Mode greatly rewards players with the ability to constantly gauge their power relative to the current game state. Sources of extra experience that were once lucrative in Diablo 4 add a layer of risk assessment in a permadeath run.

Knowing your limits will allow you to squeeze out the most experience you can by striking the right balance between foolhardy and passive. Before you dive headlong into a Legion Event, do a cast-per-kill check to see if you can make it out alive. Hardcore players should prioritize slower but more controllable sources of experience, such as grinding Animus Carriers.

The core mechanical skill to bolster in a hardcore playthrough of Diablo 4 is aggro management. Acquaint yourself with enemy aggro range, and make a second nature out of pulling small groups to safely clear them.

Past level 50, a well-planned build is paramount to success. The idea is to have both sustain (i.e. mana regeneration) on par with the resource sink (i.e. powerful mob-clearance ability). After you get into Tier 3, you should also consider liberal usage of the Hardcore-exclusive panic buttons: the Scroll of Escape and the Elixir of Death Evasion.

While not a foregone conclusion, it is statistically unlikely that your first hardcore character will make it to level cap. Hitting the finish line with a permadeath character in a lengthy game like Diablo 4 takes experience as much as it takes knowledge. It is, therefore, best to curb your expectations and look at deaths as part of learning woes.