Diablo 4 Dark Citadel Guide | Vessel of Hatred
Published on: 6 October, 2024 | Last Updated on: 14 December, 2024
Oh… You know what? It’s super exciting to talk about new stuff, like Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion. The Dark Citadel raid is a big deal! We’ve played through it, watched streamers, and learned all about the raid bosses to help you out. Just remember, Blizzard might change things in future updates, so we’ll do our best to keep this guide fresh and helpful.
In our Dark Citadel guide, we’ve split things into two easy parts:
- How to unlock the raid and prepare for it.
- Tips for dealing with each raid boss and their mechanics.
- How to work together with your team.
- Rewards you can earn, like legendary aspects, Citadel Coins, and exclusive loot.
In the second part, we’ll go over the three wings of the Dark Citadel and what you’ll face there. We hope this guide makes it easier for you to win!
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Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred Dark Citadel | Overview
The Dark Citadel is a special dungeon in Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion. It’s a co-op dungeon that requires at least two players, but it’s better with four. You’ll fight through three different wings, face tough raid bosses, and solve complex puzzles. The Dark Citadel is filled with dangerous mechanics, and each wing ends with a boss fight. Players can earn Citadel Coins, health potions, and exclusive cosmetics as rewards. Communication and teamwork are key to beating the Citadel’s bosses.
| Feature | Description |
| Number of Players | Minimum of 2 players required, but the raid is best experienced with 4 players for full teamwork. |
| Wings | The dungeon is divided into three wings: left, right, and middle, each with unique challenges. |
| Bosses | Multiple bosses, each with distinct mechanics, requiring cooperation to defeat. |
| Rewards | Citadel Coins, exclusive cosmetics, health potions, and more rewards for completing the dungeon. |
| Weekly Cache | Receive a special cache with valuable items and rewards upon first completion each week. |
| Party Finder | Use the Party Finder system to form a group for cooperative gameplay in the Dark Citadel. |
| Final Boss | The final boss, Zagraal, has multiple phases and combines mechanics from earlier parts of the raid. |
| Complex Mechanics | Includes solving puzzles, reflecting projectiles, managing boss abilities, and timed challenges. |
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Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred Dark Citadel | attunement
To unlock and enter the Dark Citadel in Diablo 4, you first need to complete the introductory quest called Priestess Cualli’s Call, which becomes available when you reach level 60. This quest is your key to gaining access to the Dark Citadel. Once unlocked, gather your party of at least two players (but ideally four for better teamwork) and use the Party Finder feature to find other players. You’ll then be able to enter the Citadel, where you’ll face powerful bosses, farm Citadel Coins, and earn weekly rewards.
| Step | Description |
| Reach Level 60 | The Dark Citadel requires you to be level 60 to access the quest. |
| Complete Introductory Quest | Talk to Priestess Cualli in Kurast City to receive the introductory quest, which unlocks the Citadel. |
| Gather Your Party | You need at least two players, but it’s recommended to form a group of four for better coordination in boss fights and mechanics. |
| Use Party Finder | The Party Finder system helps you team up with others to tackle the Dark Citadel. |
Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred Dark Citadel | Wings
The Dark Citadel has three separate wings that you need to complete to face the final boss. Each wing has its own mechanics, enemies, and challenges. You will fight powerful bosses, collect Citadel Coins, and work with your party to overcome difficult puzzles. Make sure to bring your group members and coordinate well, as this co-op endgame activity requires teamwork!
| Wing Name | Description |
| Labyrinth of Souls | Filled with dangerous puzzles and intense boss mechanics. You’ll need to work with your allies to fight enemies and solve puzzles to advance. |
| Enclave of Strife | Expect fierce enemies and incredible AoE attacks. You’ll be battling through tormented boss rotations while keeping an eye on your core skill heals. |
| Dominion of Zagraal | The final wing with the hardest boss mechanics. You will need to reflect boss projectiles, defeat contained goblins, and survive boss projectiles. |
Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred Dark Citadel | Raid bosses
The Dark Citadel in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is an intense co-op dungeon featuring five main raid bosses. These bosses test players’ understanding of dark citadel boss mechanics and demand coordination with party members. Each encounter will push players’ limits, requiring maxed out resistances and smart use of abilities like the lightning storm landslide druid or blood wave necromancer. You’ll be farming tormented boss rotations, using tactics to drop health potions and obtain citadel coins from boss kills. Here’s a quick overview of the bosses and their key mechanics:
| Boss Name | Description | Key Mechanics |
| Gorschak | A brutal tank-like enemy with high defense. | – Uses brute force and can stun nearby players with powerful strikes. Players need to maintain max health and avoid close proximity. Ideal for whirlwind twister barbarians to handle with single target damage. |
| Faeroch | A flying creature that controls lightning. | – Summons lightning storms. Players must spread out to avoid incredible AoE capabilities. Lightning spear sorcerers can counter its attacks, while nearby allies can provide support. |
| Lorzuul | A dark sorcerer who manipulates shadows. | – Casts shadow projectiles. Players must dodge or reflect these projectiles to avoid massive damage. Be prepared to revive a nearby dead player if mechanics go wrong. |
| Vorshok & Hurstt | Twin bosses that work together. | – One uses fire and the other uses ice. Party members must manage both elemental attacks. Teamwork is key here, and coordinating with the long awaited party finder can make the fight smoother. |
| Zagraal | The final boss of the Dark Citadel, a mighty Khazra overlord. | – Zagraal has phases where he becomes invincible. Players need to solve puzzles, manage boss mechanics, and avoid AoE attacks. The group leader should guide the team, ensuring everyone understands all the mechanics and positioning. |
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Dark Citadel difficulties
In Diablo IV, World Tiers have been replaced by a new Difficulty system. There are 4 Standard Difficulties — Normal, Hard, Expert, and Penitent. Normal is easier, great for slower play. Hard and Expert get tougher and faster, while Penitent is very hard, pushing players to reach the new Torment Difficulties. As you move up, you’ll earn more Gold and experience, when you complete the dark citadel difficulty harder than normal.
Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred Dark Citadel | Rewards
In the Dark Citadel of Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, you will find tons of different rewards after completing the raid. Each run offers a chance to collect Citadel Coins, rare materials, and unique items. The weekly cache contains legendary aspects, cosmetic items, and other rewards like exclusive scrolls and incenses to boost your stats and help with future runs. As you battle through the highest difficulty, you’ll also find crafting caches, gem caches, and more. Team up with other group members to maximize your rewards, especially when farming legendary aspects.
You can buy them, from a dark citadel vendor.
| Reward | Description |
| Khazra Power Incense | Boosts all your stats by +30 for 20 minutes. After each kill, you get +2 more to all stats for 5 seconds. Plus, a nice 5% XP boost! |
| Fortitude Incense | Increases your damage by 5% for 20 minutes. If a teammate dies nearby, you can gain an extra 5% damage, stacking up to 15%. Also gives a 5% XP boost. |
| Swift Revival Elixir | For 30 minutes, your healing goes up by 15% and revive speed by 25%. After reviving someone, enjoy a quick +10% movement speed for 5 seconds. Experience gain boosted by 8%! |
| Sacrifice Elixir | Your next Core Skill heals you and nearby allies for 10% max health every 10 seconds. Get an extra 5% healing per nearby ally (up to 25%). Experience gain increased by 8%. |
| Generosity Scroll | Need a hand? This scroll lets you revive up to 3 teammates at once. |
| Restoration Scroll | Fix up your gear in no time! Use this scroll to restore all Tempering Charges on an item. |
| Abundance Scroll | Restore 30% health and drop health potions for your buddies. Share the love! |
Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred Dark Citadel | Lore
The Dark Citadel is a very old place in Diablo 4, connected to the Mage Wars, a big magic fight from the past. It is now controlled by the First Khazra, who are powerful demon-like creatures. They use the Citadel to do bad experiments on people they capture. These experiments are meant to help them bring back their dark god
Conclusion
The Dark Citadel in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is a tough co-op dungeon that needs good teamwork. You’ll face big bosses like Gorschak and Zagraal, each with their own tricky mechanics. To succeed, players need to work together and use skills like the lightning spear sorcerer or the whirlwind twister barbarian to deal with nearby enemies. The first raid in this expansion comes with some great rewards, like legendary aspects and cache cosmetic items from the weekly cache.
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As you dive into the highest world tier for a bigger challenge, expect to find valuable materials, gem caches, and even a crafting cache. The reward pool includes cool stuff like incenses, elixirs, and exclusive scrolls that boost your stats and help during fights. Whether you’re exploring nightmare dungeons or just farming for the next big drop, the cooperative nature of this dungeon is key to mastering the endgame content.
