Many Diablo 4 players finish an Infernal Hordes run with only 600–800 Burning Aether, while experienced players regularly earn 3,000–5,000 in the same activity.
The difference isn't gear alone. It's understanding Chaos Surge events, Infernal Offer priorities, and when to spend Burning Aether efficiently. With Season 13's War Plan system and Chaos Surge mechanics, Infernal Hordes has become one of the fastest ways to farm gear, materials, and Burning Aether.
This guide explains everything beginners need to know while also showing the strategies that dramatically increase rewards in Season 13.
What Is Infernal Hordes?
Infernal Hordes is a timed wave-based endgame activity.
Think of it as a small arena where enemies continuously spawn while you survive increasingly difficult waves. During each wave, you'll choose special modifiers called Infernal Offers that strengthen enemies but also increase potential rewards.
As you defeat monsters and complete events, you'll earn Burning Aether, the primary currency used to unlock rewards at the end of the run.
The basic loop looks like this:
- Use an Infernal Hordes Compass.
- Enter the arena.
- Complete multiple waves of combat.
- Collect Burning Aether.
- Defeat a final boss.
- Spend Burning Aether on reward chests.
How to Enter Infernal Hordes
To start an Infernal Hordes run, you must consume an Infernal Hordes Compass.
Using a Compass instantly opens access to the activity through the world map.
If you don't have a Compass, you can obtain one from:
- Tree of Whisper Caches
- Helltide Chests
- Nightmare Dungeons
- Boss rewards
- War Plan rewards
- Seasonal activities
Tyrael also provides a free introductory Compass for new players.
However, there is one major difference:
|
Entry Type |
Total Waves |
|
Free Tyrael Compass |
6 Waves |
|
Normal Compass |
10 Waves |
Because Burning Aether scales heavily with wave count, the 10-wave version is significantly more rewarding.
How Infernal Hordes Works
Before each wave begins, you'll be offered several Infernal Offers.
After selecting one, a timer starts, and enemies begin spawning throughout the arena.
Defeating enemies fills the Aether Extraction bar.
Once the bar is full, an Aether Event appears at one of several fixed locations around the arena. The minimap highlights these locations with flashing indicators.
Completing events rewards Burning Aether.
When the timer ends:
- All remaining enemies disappear.
- The current wave ends.
- A new Infernal Offer selection appears.
This process repeats until all waves are completed.
After the final wave, you'll choose a boss encounter and then spend your accumulated Burning Aether on rewards.
Burning Aether Reward Chests Explained
Many new players make the mistake of spending Aether in the wrong order.
At the end of a run, the primary Equipment Chest costs 400 Burning Aether.
Additional options allow you to spend all remaining Aether on:
- Materials
- Gold
Always open the Equipment Chest first.
Example:
You finish with 500 Burning Aether.
Correct:
- Spend 400 on Equipment Chest
- Spend remaining 100 on materials or gold
Incorrect:
- Spend all 500 on materials
- Lose access to the Equipment Chest
The Equipment Chest usually provides the highest overall value.
Understanding Infernal Offers
Infernal Offers determine the type of events you'll encounter during the run.
Several event categories exist:
Aetheric Masses
Aetheric Masses immediately spawn in the arena.
Simply destroy them to gain rewards.
They are fast, easy, and extremely efficient.
Some upgrades can cause:
- Automatic respawns
- Additional Hellborne spawns
- Additional Aether Fiends
- Additional Aether Lords
These combinations can generate enormous amounts of Burning Aether.
Hellborne
Hellborne enemies spawn instantly during events.
Because killing Hellborne also contributes to event progression, stacking Hellborne modifiers significantly accelerates wave completion.
For most players, Hellborne-focused runs are among the strongest options.
Aether Lords
Aether Lords have much higher health and more dangerous abilities.
However, they provide larger Burning Aether rewards.
If your build has strong damage output, Aether Lords become one of the most efficient sources of Aether.
Aether Fiends
Aether Fiends require players to approach them before they fully emerge.
This delay slows overall efficiency and often reduces Aether gains compared to other event types.
Soulspires
Soulspires create a circular zone.
To complete the event:
- Your character must remain inside the circle.
- Enemies must die inside the circle.
Many players consider Soulspires the least efficient event because they interrupt movement and significantly slow down farming.
Chaos Surge Is the Best Choice
In Season 13, Chaos Surge has become one of the most rewarding Infernal Hordes mechanics.
Whenever Chaos Surge appears, it should almost always be your priority choice.
Chaos Surge can generate:
- Treasure Goblin waves
- Additional Aether Lords
- Rift encounters
- Large protected Aetheric Masses
- Orb collection objectives
- Various high-density combat events
Compared to traditional Infernal Hordes mechanics, Chaos Surge rewards dramatically more Burning Aether.
A normal run may generate around:
- 600–800 Burning Aether
A strong Chaos Surge run can easily produce:
- Several thousand Burning Aether
The difference is enormous.
In practical terms, a good Chaos Surge run often generates more Burning Aether than two or three standard Infernal Hordes runs combined.
Why Chaos Surge Changes Everything
The biggest mistake many players make is evaluating Infernal Offers only by their individual rewards. In Season 13, Chaos Surge completely changes the reward curve. Instead of relying on a single event type such as Hellborne or Aether Lords, Chaos Surge can generate multiple high-value objectives during the same run, dramatically increasing Burning Aether generation.
In a typical Infernal Hordes run focused only on traditional events, reaching 800 Burning Aether is already considered a solid result. By comparison, a successful Chaos Surge run can easily exceed 2,000 Burning Aether, while optimized endgame builds can push well beyond 4,000. This difference translates directly into more reward chests, crafting materials, and gear opportunities.
Because of this, experienced players generally prioritize Chaos Surge over every other Infernal Offer whenever it appears.
Higher Burning Aether income also means more gear drops, crafting materials, and additional opportunities to accumulate resources that can later be converted into upgrades alongside your regular Diablo 4 Gold farming activities.
Why Players Ignore It
Many players still spend time comparing Hellborne, Aether Lords, and Aetheric Masses whenever an Infernal Offer appears.
However, once Chaos Surge becomes available, these choices become far less important. The Burning Aether difference between a successful Chaos Surge run and a traditional run is often larger than the difference between any two standard event types.
Best Infernal Offer Priority
For efficient farming, prioritize offers in the following order:
| Priority | Infernal Offer | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaos Surge | S+ |
| 2 | Event Spawn Speed | S |
| 3 | Aether Lords | A |
| 4 | Hellborne | A |
| 5 | Aetheric Masses | B |
| 6 | Aether Fiends | C |
| 7 | Soulspires | D |
Infernal Hordes Burning Aether Reward Comparison
Not all Infernal Hordes strategies generate the same amount of Burning Aether. The table below shows the typical rewards players can expect from different event focuses.
|
Farming Style |
Typical Burning Aether |
Difficulty |
Efficiency |
Recommended For |
|
Basic Hellborne Focus |
600–900 |
Low |
Good |
New Players |
|
Aether Lord Focus |
700–1,000 |
Medium |
Good |
High-DPS Builds |
|
Aetheric Mass Chains |
800–1,200 |
Medium |
Very Good |
Fast-Clearing Builds |
|
Chaos Surge Events |
2,000–4,000+ |
Medium |
Excellent |
Most Players |
|
Chaos Surge + Strong Offer Synergies |
4,000–6,000+ |
High |
Exceptional |
Endgame Farming |
The key takeaway is simple: while traditional event choices can improve efficiency, Chaos Surge has the largest impact on overall Burning Aether generation and should almost always be prioritized when available.
Which Boss Should You Fight?
After completing all waves, you'll choose between:
Fell Council
The standard boss encounter.
Typically rewards around:
- 15 Burning Aether
Battuk, the Infernal Beast
Requires spending 666 Burning Aether to summon.
Rewards:
- Approximately 66 Burning Aether
- Additional loot drops
- Better overall rewards
However, Battuk is not always worth summoning.
Use this simple rule:
Only summon Battuk if you have at least 1,000 Burning Aether.
The following rule of thumb can help you decide whether Battuk is worth summoning:
Why?
Example:
1,000 - 666 + 66 = 400
You still retain enough Burning Aether to open the Equipment Chest.
If you start with less than 1,000 Aether, you risk dropping below the 400-Aether threshold and losing access to the most valuable reward chest.
| Starting Aether | Battuk Worth It? |
|---|---|
| Under 800 | No |
| 800-1000 | Usually No |
| 1000+ | Yes |
| 2000+ | Always Yes |
Beginner Tips
Don't Test Builds Here
Infernal Hordes provides excellent rewards.
Use easier content to test experimental builds and save Infernal Hordes for efficient farming.
Farm One Torment Tier Lower
If you can comfortably clear Torment 10, consider farming Infernal Hordes on Torment 9.
Benefits:
- Faster kills
- Fewer deaths
- More Burning Aether per hour
- More consistent rewards
Faster clears not only increase Burning Aether generation but also improve overall loot efficiency, making Infernal Hordes one of the best activities for players farming gear, materials, and Diablo 4 Gold.
Common Infernal Hordes Mistakes
Spending Aether Before Opening the Equipment Chest
Always open the 400-Aether Equipment Chest first.
Summoning Battuk Too Early
If you enter the boss phase with less than 1,000 Burning Aether, Battuk can actually reduce your final rewards.
Choosing Soulspires Too Often
Soulspires slow down both event completion and Aether generation.
Farming at Too High a Torment Tier
Faster kills usually generate more Burning Aether than higher difficulty.
Final Thoughts
If you're consistently finishing Infernal Hordes runs with only 600-800 Burning Aether, the issue usually isn't your build. It's your event choices.
Prioritizing Chaos Surge, avoiding Soulspires, and knowing when to summon Battuk can easily multiply your rewards without changing your gear.
For most players in Season 13, mastering Infernal Hordes is one of the fastest ways to turn time spent into gear, materials, and progression.
FAQ
How much Burning Aether is considered good in Infernal Hordes?
A normal run typically earns 600–1,000 Burning Aether, while strong Chaos Surge runs can exceed 4,000.
Should I always choose Chaos Surge?
In most situations, yes. Chaos Surge provides significantly more Burning Aether than traditional event modifiers.
Is Battuk worth summoning?
Generally yes, but only if you have enough Burning Aether to still open the 400-Aether Equipment Chest afterward.
What is the fastest Infernal Hordes farming strategy?
Prioritize Chaos Surge, event spawn speed bonuses, Hellborne, and Aether Lords while avoiding Soulspires whenever possible.
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