MMOexp: How to Maximize Your Progress in Diablo IV

[Anselmrosseti]

Diablo IV Season 11 introduces the Season of Sanctification, a system-heavy but extremely rewarding season that gives new and returning players powerful tools to level faster, gear smarter, and transition smoothly into the endgame. If you’re starting fresh at level one, the early hours can feel overwhelming—but with the right priorities, Season 11 is one of the most forgiving and efficient seasons diablo 4 gear has offered.

This guide walks you step by step through what to do from the moment you create your character: where to go, what to unlock, how to use mercenaries, how Divine Favor works, and which activities matter most from level 1 to 60.

Starting Your Character: First Settings That Matter

As soon as you load into the game, set your difficulty to Normal. While higher difficulties promise more rewards, early efficiency matters far more than challenge. Faster kills mean faster experience, quicker seasonal progress, and smoother gearing.

Before fighting anything, head to the Wardrobe and equip a pet. This is a small but crucial step—pets automatically pick up gold, saving time and mental energy throughout the entire leveling process.

One thing you may notice in videos or guides is extra skill points at level one. These come from Seasonal Journey progress, which new characters won’t have yet. You’ll start with zero bonus skill points, and that’s completely normal.

Unlocking Mercenaries: Your First Power Spike

With the expansion content active, your next stop should be the Den, accessible from the top UI menu. This is where you unlock mercenaries—AI companions that provide passive bonuses and active abilities.

Best Mercenary to Start With: Veriana

For most players, Veriana is the best first choice. She provides attack speed, which benefits nearly every build in the game. Faster attacks mean smoother combat, better resource generation, and faster leveling overall.

Veriana also offers branching paths:

If you’re playing a bleed or attack-speed-focused build, lean into her attack-speed bonuses.

If not, the shockwave route is a solid alternative for general damage.

You’ll earn mercenary points as she levels, so don’t worry about perfect optimization early on.

Second Priority Mercenary: Ryer

Once Veriana is progressing, focus on Ryer next. Ryer’s standout ability is Bastion, which provides healing when you take damage. This is especially valuable for new characters and hardcore players.

A popular setup is assigning Bastion to trigger when injured, giving you a safety net during difficult encounters.

Important Rule: Level All Mercenaries to Rank 10

Eventually, you want every mercenary at rank 10. Once they reach this threshold, they begin awarding Pale Marks. These are extremely valuable later, so do not spend Pale Marks early. Save them until you reach tournament tiers and endgame systems where their value skyrockets.

At this point, you should have:

A pet equipped

At least one mercenary unlocked

A clear path forward

Now it’s time to start the season properly.

Always Start with the Seasonal Objective

Open your map and locate the Seasonal Objective marker. This is the most important rule of any Diablo IV season:

Always do the seasonal objective first.

Following the marker will lead you to Hadriel, the NPC who introduces the Divine Favor Board, which is the backbone of Season 11 progression.

Understanding the Divine Favor Board

The Divine Favor Board is your seasonal progression track. Completing objectives and defeating specific enemies around the world grants Divine Favor, which unlocks powerful rewards.

These rewards include:

Seasonal buffs

Access to Divine Gifts

Unlocks tied directly to Hell Tides and Undercity content

Your goal early on is simple: fill out this board as efficiently as possible.

The Heavenly Forge: Season 11’s Defining Mechanic

One of the standout features of Season 11 is the Heavenly Forge, part of the Season of Sanctification.

Why the Heavenly Forge Is So Powerful

From level 1 to 60, using the Heavenly Forge is completely free. The only limitation is that:

You can only sanctify one item at a time

You must find a Heavenly Portal to access it

Using the forge allows you to sanctify an item, rerolling or replacing stats with powerful modifiers.

For example, replacing Strength with Physical Damage might sound bad at first—but physical damage is a multiplier, just like Strength. In many cases, this is actually a strong roll.

During leveling:

Use the forge often

Experiment freely

Don’t stress about “perfect” rolls

Once you hit level 60, sanctification becomes more limited, so take advantage while it’s free.

Where to Level: Undercity and Hell Tide

After starting the seasonal questline, your entire leveling path revolves around two locations:

The Undercity

Hell Tides

These are the fastest, most efficient sources of:

Experience

Divine Favor

Gear upgrades

Seasonal progression

Hell Tides: Always Choose the Whisper Zone

Hell Tides rotate between zones, but always go to the one that has Whispers active. From levels 1 to 60, Whispers are one of the strongest leveling tools in the game.

In Hell Tides, focus on:

Slaying demons

Harvesting venomous foes

Collecting cinders

Defeating bosses like Duriel

Every action contributes to Divine Favor and Whisper completion.

Once you complete 10 Whispers, go to the Tree of the Dead, turn them in, and immediately return for more.

If other players are fighting Duriel, join them. Group kills provide massive XP and help complete objectives faster.

Divine Gifts: What to Choose While Leveling

As you progress your Divine Favor Board, you’ll unlock Divine Gifts, which provide targeted rewards.

Best Divine Gift for Leveling

Your first choice should almost always be:

Experience Boost

Faster leveling compounds everything else—gear, power, and seasonal progress.

Best Purified Rewards

For the purified slot, prioritize:

Royal Gems

Legendary Runes

These resources become critical in the endgame, and stockpiling them early gives you a massive advantage later.

Undercity Rewards: Go for Opals

In the Undercity, prioritize Opals. Early in the game, Opals are rare, and this is one of the best ways to acquire them.

Opals reward:

Random legendaries

Early power spikes

Gear upgrades that smooth leveling

Always check reward restrictions—once you select a gift, the UI will clearly show where it can and cannot be used.

The Seasonal Rank Board: Don’t Ignore This

Open your Season Tab to view the Seasonal Rank Board. This system grants:

Bonus skill points

Paragon points later on

Additional progression rewards

Many of the early tiers can be completed naturally just by playing in:

Hell Tides

The Undercity

Prioritize completing as many early objectives as possible, as these bonuses dramatically improve your character’s power curve.

Capstone Dungeons and Difficulty Scaling

Capstone Dungeons unlock progression to higher difficulties, but there’s an important catch:

While playing on Normal, you cannot view capstones on the map

You must switch to Hard difficulty to see them

Don’t rush this. Focus on:

Completing seasonal objectives

Finishing Divine Favor tiers

Gearing comfortably before attempting capstones

When you’re ready, capstones will naturally fit into your progression flow.

Final Tips for a Smooth Season 11 Start

Spend skill points every time you level

Use the Heavenly Forge often while it’s free

Save Pale Marks until endgame

Always prioritize seasonal objectives

Stick to Hell Tides with Whispers active

Group content whenever possible for XP boosts

Season 11 rewards players who follow its systems instead of rushing blindly. By focusing on Divine Favor, mercenaries, and efficient farming routes, you’ll hit level 60 faster, stronger, and better prepared for Diablo IV’s endgame than ever before.

If you’re ever unsure about skill allocation, having a solid starter build—such as a Barbarian leveling setup—can make the entire journey smoother and d4 gear for sale.

Good luck in Sanctuary, and enjoy one of Diablo IV’s most player-friendly seasons yet.