Alexis Kestler
If you‘ve been playing Diablo IV, you may have heard whispered rumors of an ominous, maze-like dungeon hidden away in the northern reaches of Scosglen known as the Wretched Delve. In this guide, I‘ll provide everything you need to know to successfully locate and ultimately plunder the Wretched Delve of its precious treasures and gear.
Overview of the Wretched Delve
The Wretched Delve is a sprawling, multi-level dungeon filled with poisonous abominations, diseased wildlife, and corrupt druids. According to Scosglen lore, the dungeon was once a sacred grove tended by ancient druids. However, an infestation of hive-like creatures warped the wildlife and drove the druids to madness. Now the hallowed glades have become the Wretched Delve, consumed by pestilence and overrun by monstrosities.
Despite the dangers, seasoned treasure hunters whisper of potent new magics and valuable alchemical formulas locked away in the delve‘s depths. The horrors that dwell within also guard fragmentary accounts hinting at long-lost druidic secrets. For demon slayers like yourself, the risks of the Wretched Delve are well worth uncovering its secrets and treasures.
Prerequisites for Accessing the Wretched Delve
Before you can descend into the Wretched Delve, you first need to clear the Túr Dúlra Stronghold main quest. Túr Dúlra bars the passage north to the Wretched Delve, so you‘ll need to battle through the fort and defeat its boss to open the way. I‘d recommend being at least level 25 before attempting the stronghold.
Once you‘ve crushed the stronghold boss, head north to the area where you fought the corrupted druid mini-boss Thornlash. There you‘ll find a shrine; activating it will unlock the cavern leading down to the Wretched Delve depths. If you‘re unsure of the exact location, refer to the map below:
With the dungeon entrance unsealed, you‘re finally ready to begin your descent into the Wretched Delve!
Enemies You‘ll Face in the Wretched Delve
Make no mistake, the Wretched Delve is crawling with dangerous foes. Here‘s a breakdown of some of the deadly encounters you‘ll face within the dungeon:
Corrupted Druid Warriors
These former protectors of Scosglen have been twisted by dark magics into feral combatants. They still wield potent nature spells andabilities.
- Health: 18,000
- Attacks: Claws (melee), Thorn Volley (ranged), Entangling Roots (snare)
- Weakness: Fire
Plagued Dire Wolves
Massive diseased wolves stalk the delve‘s passages in hunting packs. Their coordinated attacks can quickly overwhelm the unprepared.
- Health: 8,000
- Attacks: Infected Bite (melee), Rabid Charge (leap), Toxic Howl (poison AoE)
- Weakness: Bleed
Blighted Treants
These living trees have become infested with toxic sap and ooze corrosive acids from their bark. They can also unleash dangerous spray attacks.
- Health: 33,000
- Attacks: Thrash (melee), Acid Spit (ranged DoT), Toxic Spores (poison AoE)
- Weakness: Fire
Varot the Misshapen
A gigantic gluttonous abomination stitched together from countless fused corpses. It vomits lethal poison bile and radiates disease waves.
- Health: 95,000
- Attacks: Vile Belch (ranged DoT), Festering Slam (AoE knockdown), Contagion (passive poison/disease aura)
- Weakness: Bleed
The Wretched Queen
A monstrous insectoid hive-mother who rules the deepest levels of the delve. She summons swarms and spawns twisted minions.
- Health: 200,000
- Attacks: Stinger Flurry (melee), Acid Glob (ranged), Summon Swarm (spawns grubs)
- Weakness: Fire
As you can see, the dungeon‘s enemies have a diverse set of attacks and dangerous capabilities. I highly recommend bringing resistances, immunities, and cleansing skills. Don‘t let the delve catch you unprepared!
Effective Builds and Strategies
Given the many poison and disease attacks of the Wretched Delve‘s inhabitants, stacking poison/disease resist, running aura skills like Plague Ward or Antivenom, and using cleansing potions helps mitigate the damage-over-time effects.
Against the wooded corrupted druids and blighted treants, prioritize fire damage to swiftly burn through their natural defenses. Slows and snares also help contain these fast-moving plant foes. For The Wretched Queen, ranged builds fare best for kiting her deadly up-close attacks. Necromancers can counter her swarms with their own superior minion horde as well.
Here are some examples of effective class builds and tactics:
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Barbarians – Max out passives like Born of the Flame for increased fire damage against wooded enemies. Equip gear with bleed chance to shred Varot‘s massive health pool. Use War Cry and Ignore Pain to tank hits.
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Rogues – Stack poison damage gear alongside Antivenom Aura for strong DoT and resistance. Utilize traps like Caltrops and Sentry Turret for snares and kiting. Keep mobile and use Hilo‘s Wind epic bow to dish out nature/lightning damage.
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Sorcerers – Prioritize fire skills like Flame Blades and Meteor Storm. Spec into the Chronicler of Ages mastery for cooldown reduction on Inner Sanctuary shields. Use Teleport for mobility.
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Necromancers – Army of the Dead can spawn legions to counter The Wretched Queen‘s swarms. Curses like Weaken help your minions survivie. Use Poison Nova and both cold and fire skills to hit all enemy weaknesses.
The key is adapting your build and tactics to counter the different monster types you‘ll face. A well-rounded build with both strong offense and defense is ideal.
Notable Loot in the Wretched Delve
Here‘s a preview of some of the enticing treasures you can obtain by cleansing the Wretched Delve of its vile infestation:
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Plaguerot Regalia – A complete armor set themed around exploiting diseases and poisons. Grants aura skills like Contagion and Plague Circle.
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The Hivemind – A legendary mace that calls forth insect swarms to fight on your behalf. Excellent for necromancers and pet builds.
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Gem of Pestilent Power – Can be socketed into gear to boost poison damage. Grants the Pestilent Beam spell – a channeled DoT beam that also reduces enemy resistances.
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Formula: Panacea – This alchemical recipe teaches you how to brew Panacea, an extremely rare potion which cures all poisons, bleeds, and diseases. The ingredients are well guarded by the delve‘s monstrosities however!
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Dark Druidic Grimoire – This tattered book details ancient druidic rites used to manipulate poisonous energies. Also contains passages hinting at forgotten secrets yet to be unearthed…
As you can see, the Wretched Delve offers generous rewards for those brave enough to descend into its toxin-filled depths. The loot you obtain can empower poison and minion builds tremendously.
Closing Thoughts on Conquering the Wretched Delve
The Wretched Delve stands as one of the most lethal, yet rewarding, dungeon challenges that Scosglen has to offer. By using the strategies outlined in this guide, you‘ll be well prepared to locate the delve, overcome its horrors, and claim your just rewards.
While certainly challenging, especially on higher difficulties, toppling the Wretched Delve bosses unlocks powerful new gear and class progression. I‘d recommend attempting the delve as soon as you‘re able after finishing the Túr Dúlra Stronghold. The loot and crafting materials also scale with your level, so revisiting the dungeon at higher levels can continue to offer relevant rewards.
Of course, more precious than mere loot, purging the Wretched Delve could provide insight into the fate of Scosglen‘s ancient druids. Perhaps you may yet lift the veil on their forbidden knowledge and restore a piece of Scosglen‘s history. For lore hounds and achievement hunters, the quest for answers provides its own appeal.
I hope this guide has provided enough insight to inspire you to brave the Wretched Delve‘s dangers and discover its secrets for yourself. Let me know if you have any other questions! Until then, stay safe, have fun, and may your adventures yield legendary rewards.
