D2R 1-99 Fastest Leveling Guide (Solo & Group) 2023: Best Route & Areas For XP Farming

D2R 1-99 Fastest Leveling Guide (Solo & Group) 2023: Best Route & Areas For XP Farming

7/26/2023 10:37:24 AM

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Achieving a fast level-up in Diablo 2 is definitely possible, but it necessitates a good grasp of the game mechanics and supportive friends. If you find yourself playing solo and are new to Diablo 2, consider these helpful tips to avoid potential challenges and enhance your overall experience.

Diablo 2 Resurrected Fast Leveling Route

This article does not aim to tell you exactly where you should go from level 1 to 99. Reaching such high levels requires time, patience, as well as making good choices regarding skills and equipment. Reaching level 99 can be done as follows:

D2R 1-99 Leveling Method 1:

Levels 1 to 15: Clear Act 1. From level 6, start with the Stony Field and the Dark Wood. At level 11, proceed to the Black Marsh, and at level 15, go and defeat Andariel.
Levels 15 to 17: Farm the sewers in Act 2, ideally with a party of 8.
Levels 18 to 21: Complete the Arcane Sanctuary and the Halls of the Dead. A Halls of the Dead run means finishing all of Tal Rasha's tombs at the end of Act 2, including the false ones.
Levels 20 to 25: Run the Travincal Council, Mephisto, then Izual, and finally Diablo.
Level 25: The Ancients in Act 5.
Levels 25 to 40: Time for Baal runs.
Levels 40 to 50: Head to Nightmare difficulty with the Claw Viper Temple, Cain, Andariel, Radament, Arcane Sanctuary, Duriel, Council, Mephisto, Izual, and Diablo.
Level 51: The Ancients.
Levels 51 to 71: Baal runs in Nightmare and Hell difficulty.
Level 72: The Ancients in Hell difficulty.
Levels 72 to 99: Baal runs in Hell difficulty.

D2R 1-99 Leveling Method 2:

This is one method, but there are others, whether you're playing solo or, especially, if you're playing with friends. Of course, it also changes if you have players willing to rush you:

Level 1: Get rushed in Normal mode
Levels 1 to 13: Tristram runs
Level 13 to 20: Tomb of Tal Rasha runs
Levels 20 to 24: Cow runs
Levels 24 to 25: The Ancients
Level 25 to 39: Baal runs
Level 40: Get rushed into Nightmare mode
Levels 41 to 41: The Ancients
Levels 41 to 59: Baal runs
Level 60: The same, with a rush, then the Ancients and Baal runs.

Now that this is covered, there are many other things to discuss! As you may have noticed, the rush method may be faster, but it can be quite tiresome, especially if you're new to D2 and want to enjoy it without too much stress.

If you want to go even further, you can coordinate with other players. For example, you can team up with a Sorceress who teleports to the Throne of Destruction and leaves a portal for you to quickly join her. While you're fighting the monsters, the Sorceress starts another game and goes back to the Throne of Destruction. She creates a portal, waits for you to finish the previous battle, and then you join her again, and so on. Of course, the Sorceress player may not have the most fun doing this, but you can compensate by sharing the drops.

Diablo 2 Resurrected Fast Leveling Tips

Now, let's move on to more general advice to help you progress without solely focusing on being as fast as possible at all costs.

1. Experience Shrines

The first thing you should do is complete Normal mode as quickly as possible. However, there are important elements to consider. As you'll notice, you'll come across Experience Shrines. They are very useful as they increase XP gain by 50% for a limited time. Some players try to use these shrines during battles that yield the most experience, especially against bosses, but it requires certain tactics and, generally, the presence of other players.

In any case, Experience Shrines will be very helpful to you. Never waste them and use the buff to progress as quickly as possible and encounter a maximum number of monsters.

Attention: If you are cursed, you lose the effect of the shrine! If a unique monster is cursed, be extra cautious. This is particularly the case with Baal.

2. Stay Alive

Next, you must be careful not to die. It may seem obvious, but in Diablo 2, you lose experience if you die, amounting to 5% in Nightmare difficulty and 10% in Hell difficulty. While you can recover 75% of the lost XP by retrieving your corpse, the higher your level, the more significant the XP loss becomes.

In the later levels, dying even once requires more than 100 Baal runs to recover the lost XP. Not to mention that the path to your corpse is sometimes filled with obstacles. So, stay alive as much as possible!

The player's experience will inevitably come into play in your leveling speed. The first time you encounter certain enemies, you may not be cautious enough. Pay close attention to unique monsters with auras like Fanaticism, mana burn, fire enchantment, or extreme speed, as well as lightning-enchanted monsters that send lightning bolts all over the ground. Some specific enemies, with particular combinations of suffixes, can be deadly even for highly-leveled and well-equipped characters.

3. Equip Yourself Properly

When it comes to your equipment, it should obviously match your build. Focusing solely on offense may not always be a good idea, especially if you find yourself dying a bit too often. In this regard, I remind you that a mercenary should accompany you at all times. Some mercenaries are more attack-oriented, while others lean towards defense, like the excellent mercenaries from Act 2 who have the aura "Holy Freeze," capable of slowing down your enemies. These mercenaries are fantastic and will often assist you in slaying countless foes, even end-of-act bosses!

Pay attention to the gems and runes you collect, and consider activating runewords when possible. In Nightmare and Hell difficulties, they can be of great help as the skill bonuses they provide are significant. But even in Normal mode, you'll find that some runewords can be created quite easily and the bonuses they offer are appealing.

4. Best Gear To Equip & Best Areas To Run For Max XP Farming

We also advise you to gradually learn the game mechanics. Some are obscure, like synergies, but mastering them will make you a more efficient player, and thus, faster. This brings me to the immense amount of loot you'll be collecting. If you waste time picking up everything and selling it to merchants, you'll lose a lot of time. Learn to recognize which items are valuable and leave behind those that are worth next to nothing. Focus on certain daggers, staves, wands, charms, magic items, and unique items that sell for more.

Best Gear For Fast Leveling

When equipping yourself, pay attention to the following:

Do not underestimate the importance of blocking speed, casting speed, recovery speed after being hit, and attack speed.
Your magical resistances are essential, but some are more critical than others: Lightning > Fire > Cold > Poison.

Best Areas For Farming XP

Over time, you'll discover that certain locations are more profitable than others in terms of XP and items, such as:

The Forgotten Tower in Act 1
The Sewers and Tombs in Act 2
The Lower Kurast, the Council, and Mephisto in Act 3
The Chaos Sanctuary and Diablo in Act 4
Shenk, Pindleskin (he can drop anything), and Baal in Act 5

While playing, you'll often come across optional caves or mini-dungeons. Generally, you can skip them. Only tackle them if you feel like it or if you think your character lacks power for the rest of the adventure. However, in general, prioritize the main quest and storylines. That being said, be aware that some areas set aside during leveling become crucial later on as they can drop all types of items.

Note: Before an important fight, like the end of act bosses, open a city portal in a safe area. So if you die, you can quickly return to the scene.

The first 15-20 levels can be a bit tight when it comes to gold. But rest assured that gradually, your money problems will fade away. If you find yourself really strapped for cash, there's always the option to backtrack a bit and kill monsters to replenish your funds. Along the way, you'll gain some XP and might stumble upon items to equip yourself with.

We also encourage you to open every chest you come across in the game. All of them. Many magic items can be found inside, and just because you didn't find anything worthwhile in Act 1 on Normal difficulty, it doesn't mean you won't discover a treasure later on. Note that some chests are better than others, especially in the Kurast Bazaar in Act 3.

Areas To Run For Fast Leveling

As you progress through your quests, you'll also notice that some are much more rewarding than others, which can speed up your leveling:

Act 1 - Den of Evil: Free skill reset
Act 1 - Tools of the Trade: Enchant an item (save this for later as the item obtained is tied to your character's level, so it's best to wait until you're at a higher level)
Act 3 - Khalim's Will: A rare ring
Act 5 - Siege on Harrogath: Add a socket to an item
Act 5 - Rite of Passage: MASS XP
Act 5 - Nihlathak's Temple: +10% to all your resistances and a rare item

Note: If you play solo, you can type the command /Players X to simulate the presence of other players, which increases the power of the monsters but also the experience gained. /Players 8 is a must.

Best Acts (Spots) To Farm For Different Levels

Generally, you'll follow the quests, and if you get stuck, you can do some farming in the previous zone/act before moving on. But if you're not sure where to go, here's a hint:

Level 1-11: Act 1

Level 12-19: Act 2

Level 20-23: Act 3

Level 24-31: Act 4

Level 32-36: Act 5

Level 37-43: Nightmare difficulty, Act 1

Level 44-48: Nightmare difficulty, Act 2

Level 49-52: Nightmare difficulty, Act 3

Level 53-62: Nightmare difficulty, Act 4-5

Level 63-73: Hell difficulty, Act 1

Level 74-80: Hell difficulty, Act 2

Level 81-83: Hell difficulty, Act 3

Level 83-94: Hell difficulty, Act 4

Level 95-99: Hell difficulty, Act 5

We must remind you that this is a guideline, and you should consider certain factors, such as the XP penalty that can be quite high if you kill monsters that are too far below or above your level. Once you reach Hell difficulty, you'll know right away if you're ready for it, but it also depends on your equipment and build. A level 80 character can definitely do Baal runs in Hell difficulty. So, consider the above elements as indicative.

Diablo 2 is a game with immense depth, and leveling can be quite long, especially if your goal is to reach level 99, the level cap. This page has provided you with insights into leveling in D2R, but there is still much more to learn.