Diablo 4 features many types of items, all closely intertwined with the game's mechanics and essential for progression. For example, if you want to Masterwork your gear, you must first farm enough crafting materials.
Among these materials, Obducite, Abstruse Sigil, and Forgotten Soul are used for Masterworking all types of gear, making them highly sought after.
It's worth noting that more than a week after the start of Season 11, the drop rate of Obducite from different sources seems to have changed, requiring you to adjust your strategy to obtain more. We will now introduce the details.
What Is Obducite?
As a rare crafting material in the game, the sole purpose of Diablo 4 Obducite is to help you Masterwork your gear at Blacksmith. This item can only be obtained after your character reaches level 60.
It's important to mention that Masterworking mechanism has undergone significant changes in Season 11. Previously, it enhanced gear by increasing the level of affixes, but now it only increases the gear's inherent attributes.
Masterworking allows gear to be upgraded to a maximum of level 25, with a random normal affix being transformed into a higher-tier affix after level 20.
Before level 20, material consumption is not based on Masterworking upgrade level, but rather on the number of rolls, as each roll can randomly increase the level by 1-4 levels.
Each roll before level 20 requires 50 Obducite, while subsequent affix transformations require 500 Obducite (and other materials). Additionally, resetting Masterworking results if you are unsatisfied requires 1000 Obducite.
What Are Obducite Drop Sources?
This item drops from various dungeons and events in Diablo 4, including Nightmare Dungeons, Infernal Horde, and Kurast Undercity. It's best to farm for it after reaching Torment 4 difficulty.
It's worth noting that due to the adjustments to Masterworking mechanism, the consumption of Obducite has decreased compared to before, and therefore its overall drop rate has also decreased in Season 11 to maintain game balance.
In Nightmare Dungeons
You can obtain Nightmare Sigils by playing the game. These sigils transform regular dungeons into Nightmare versions, altering the difficulty and loot quantity based on the affixes they carry. After completing a dungeon, you can obtain Obducite drops.
Season 11 also introduced several changes to Nightmare Dungeons. You may now obtain Nightmare Sigils with the new Mythic Prankster affix, allowing you to farm Mythic Uniques easier than before.
Besides, you can also farm Obducite in Horadric Strongrooms and Escalating Nightmare Dungeons.
In Infernal Hordes
The mechanism of this event requires you to first farm Infernal Compasses in other game events as unlock items, and then defeat waves of enemies and the final boss within a time limit.
During the battle, you need to collect enough of the limited currency, Burning Aether, to open the final chests at the end of the event and obtain Obducite.
In Season 11, the boss Bartuc, added in the previous season, remains in Infernal Hordes, but he no longer provides season-exclusive items, so we recommend choosing Fell Council as the final challenge.
In Kurast Undercity
First, you must own Vessel of Hatred DLC to access this limited-time dungeon. You need to continuously defeat regular enemies and bosses within a time limit to increase your Attunement until you unlock and defeat the final boss to receive rewards.
Additionally, you can earn tributes by completing other Diablo 4 events and then submitting them at Spirit Brazier to increase the final reward drop quantity.
What Are The Changes To Obducite Drop Rates In S11?
Due to an overall reduction in drop rates, running the above three dungeons now yields a maximum of only 50-100 Obducite per run, with one exception: Horadric Strongrooms.
This mechanism was originally introduced in Season 9 but was later integrated into the overall Diablo 4 game loop, so it is still available in Season 11. Surprisingly, running Horadric Strongrooms now yields thousands of Obducite!
While this might be a result of developers adjusting the rewards for this mini-dungeon due to its previously underwhelming rewards, this drop rate is still excessively high, leading to suspicions that it might be a game bug.
Although Diablo 4 has not yet responded to or modified this situation, this unusual circumstance should be noticed and corrected soon. Until then, you should seize the opportunity to quickly earn Obducite through Horadric Strongrooms!
How To Play Horadric Strongrooms?
This dungeon is essentially part of Nightmare Dungeon system and can only be accessed using a Nightmare Sigil with Horadric Strongroom affix. You can find it through visual and audio cues, or by following the directions of Horadric Wayfinder.
Once inside the strongrooms, you have 100 seconds to fill Horadric Attunement bar by defeating enemies. When the countdown ends or the progress bar is full, a boss will appear. Defeating the boss will reward you with a Grand Horadric Cache.
Additionally, there will be up to three Horadric Pillars distributed throughout the dungeon. Activating them increases the difficulty of the challenge, allowing you to earn more rewards after completing it.
That's all the information for now. Considering the essential nature of Obducite, it's best to farm it quickly before the development team modifies Horadric Strongrooms! Act fast!
