A Complete Guide to Boss Summoning Materials in Diablo 4 Infernal Hordes

Aug-19-2024

 

If you're diving into Diablo 4's Season of the Infernal Hordes, you'll notice a lot of hype surrounding the game's Unique items. These coveted gear pieces have received significant buffs, making them central to many powerful builds. To get your hands on these Uniques, you need to summon and defeat the game's toughest bosses using specific Boss Summoning Materials. Here's a friendly guide to help you understand what these materials are, where to find them, and how to use them to maximize your loot.

 

 

What Are Boss Summoning Materials?

Boss Summoning Materials are essential for challenging Diablo 4's pinnacle bosses, which are tougher, endgame versions of regular bosses. Each pinnacle boss requires a specific set of summoning materials to be summoned in a dungeon. These materials drop from various endgame activities, like Nightmare Dungeons and Helltide events. Pinnacle bosses are your primary source for Mythic Uniques, so learning how to efficiently farm these materials is crucial.

 

Each boss can be summoned in two states: Normal and Tormented. Normal bosses drop loot equivalent to one kill and have a 1.5% chance to drop a Mythic Unique. Tormented bosses, on the other hand, drop loot equivalent to five kills but require more materials (three times as many) to summon. Despite the higher cost, Tormented bosses are often preferred because they offer a 7% chance to drop a Mythic Unique, making them a more lucrative option if you have the resources.

 

Types of Boss Summoning Materials

Material	Drop Source	Related Boss
Stygian Stones	Infernal Hordes	All Tormented bosses
Exquisite Blood	Helltide Boss	Lord Zir
Distilled Fear	Nightmare Dungeons	Beast in the Ice
Living Steel	Helltide Chests	Grigoire
Malignant Hearts	Whisper Caches	Vasharn
Pincushioned Doll	Beast in the Ice	Andariel
Sandscorched Shackles	Lord Zir	Andariel
Shard of Agony	Grigoire	Duriel
Smooth Hearts	Varshan	Duriel

 

Stygian Stones

The best way to obtain Stygian Stones is participating in the Infernal Hordes activity. These stones drop from the chest in Tiers 7 and 8 of Infernal Hordes, you usually yielding around two Stones per run. You can also find them in The Pit, though the drop rate is lower.

 

You need to use one Stygian Stone to summon each Tormented variant of a pinnacle boss. Regular farming in Infernal Hordes may provide you with enough Stygian Stones for multiple Tormented boss encounters. But you have to make sure you have enough Diablo 4 Gold to upgrade your gear and items so that you can withstand the difficulty of Tormented.

 

 

Exquisite Blood

The Blood Maiden in Helltide events is your best bet for Exquisite Blood, which has a high drop rate. Alternatively, World Events can drop it as well. To summon this boss, you need three Baneful Hearts, which drop from Helltide chests.

To summon Tormented Lor Zir, you'll need 27 Exquisite Blood samples. Lor Zir is known for dropping the Fractured Winterglass Unique, so it's worth farming if you're looking for Sorcerer gear.

 

 

Distilled Fear

Distilled Fear drops consistently from T21+ Nightmare Dungeons. You can typically receive one or two per dungeon run. Treasure Goblins also drop this material, though farming them can be less predictable.

Summoning Beast in the Ice, a dangerous boss, requires 27 Distilled Fear. You can find this boss in the Glacial Fissure dungeon in Fractured Peaks.

 

 

Living Steel

Living Steel is dropped by opening Tortured Gift chests in Helltide events. Regular chests give one Living Steel, but Gift of Living Steel chests drop five and are found twice per Helltide.

To summon Tormented Grigoire, you'll need 27 Living Steel. Grigoire is a formidable automaton located in the Hall of the Penitent dungeon in Khejistan.

 

 

Malignant Heart

Malignant Hearts drop from Whisper Caches, Elite enemies in Helltide, and occasionally from World Boss fights. Each cache or enemy might drop a heart or random body parts that can be traded for hearts.

You need 15 Malignant Hearts to summon Tormented Varshan, found in the Malignant Burrow in Hawezar.

 

 

Pincushioned Dolls

Pincushioned Dolls drop exclusively from Beast in the Ice. A normal kill drops one doll, while a Tormented kill provides five.

To summon Tormented Andariel, you need six Pincushioned Dolls. Andariel is the toughest pinnacle boss and is located in the Hanged Man's Hall within Kehjistan.

 

 

Sandscorched Shackles

Sandscorched Shackles drop from Lord Zir. A normal kill drops one shackle, and Tormented kills drop five.

You'll need two Shackles for a normal summon and six for a Tormented summon of Andariel.

 

 

Shards of Agony

Shards of Agony drop from Grigoire kills. Normal kills drop one shard, while Tormented kills provide five.

Summoning Duriel requires six Shards of Agony along with six Mucus-Slick Eggs. Duriel is a tough boss located in the Gaping Crevasse dungeon in Kehjistan.

 

 

Mucus-Slick Egg

 Mucus-Slick Eggs drop from Varshan. A normal kill drops one egg, and a Tormented kill provides five.

You'll need two eggs for a normal summon and six for a Tormented summon of Duriel.

 

 

Conclusion

Farming Boss Summoning Materials might seem daunting at first, but understanding where to find each material and which bosses they summon can significantly improve your efficiency. Focus on the activities and events that yield these materials, and don't forget to prepare for the tough battles that lie ahead. With the right strategy and a bit of persistence, you'll be on your way to securing those Mythic Uniques and strengthening your Diablo 4 experience. Happy hunting!