As an avid Diablo gamer and content creator, I‘ve developed an intricate understanding of Sanctuary‘s many secrets over the years. The darkened depths of the Onyx Hold continue to lure heroes with promises of forbidden knowledge and long-lost artifacts.
Having braved its twisting corridors across countless playthroughs, I‘m ready to illuminate everything you need to know about finding and surviving this cryptic dungeon.
Pinpointing the Dungeon Entrance in Dry Steppes
Before you descend into the Onyx Hold, the first step is actually locating its obscured entrance above ground. As mentioned on Blizzard‘s official website, the dungeon can be found tucked away in Diablo 4‘s vast Dry Steppes region.
But simply combing through the desert plains on your mount won‘t reveal the location. You must first meet a key prerequisite…
Liberating the Onyx Watchtower
To gain entry into the Onyx Hold, your primary objective is to capture the nearby Onyx Watchtower Stronghold. This small fortress is situated west of the Kikuras Rapids within Dry Steppes.
As you approach the Watchtower, expect resistance from the bandit leaders and their cronies who currently occupy the structure. Fighting through them systematically and defeating their captain will successfully clear the fortress.
With control regained, the Watchtower transforms into a safe haven with amenities like:
- Waypoint – Fast travel to Dry Steppes
- Bestiary – Monster codex records
- Prison – Cages for banishing enemies
More importantly, a flight of stairs opening up west of the Watchtower will now lead straight to the Onyx Hold dungeon entrance!
What to Expect Inside Onyx Hold
Having met the prerequisites, you can finally step into the Onyx Hold‘s ominous depths. Littered with ransacked torture chambers and unnerving occult paraphernalia, the cavernous corridors down here clash with the desert terrain above.
Stay vigilant as you explore further. The damned that wander these halls are no ordinary fiends. And they were certainly not expecting guests…
Populated by the Forgotten Occult
The Onyx Hold serves as one of many secret gathering places for the occultist Forgotten faction. These mysterious zealots dabble with forbidden magics and make pacts with dark entities from beyond the veil.
Based on in-game lore texts, the Forgotten‘s current experiments seem concentrated on uncovering an ancient source of power hidden within the dungeon through esoteric means.
Enemies you‘ll face belonging to the Forgotten include:
- Death Speakers (Necromancers): Command undead minions and employ poison attacks
- Chaos Heralds (Offensive Casters): Bombard you with Arcane projectiles that inflict Chaos damage
- Blade Dancers: Specialize in melee attacks and slice apart unwary adventurers
While the Forgotten may initially seem disorganized, do not take them lightly when exploring Onyx Hold. Their unpredictability and tenacity will test your combat readiness at every corner.
Dungeon Features and Mechanics
Navigating the multi-layered Onyx Hold presents additional challenges too. expect to come across the following hazards:
- Corruption Growths: Destroy these pulsating pods to earn extra XP and prevent ambushes
- Languishing Corpses: Suspended cadavers provide bonus XP when interacted with
- Blood Seal Barrier: Grants access to special chests when certain enemies are slain
- Elemental Affixes: Enemies gain random property boosts like Flame Touched, Toxic, Frozen etc.
I recommend destroying the Languishing Corpses as soon as possible to avoid leaving potential enemies at your back later. The same strategy applies to Corruption Growths.
As for barriers, use skills like Sanctuary or Smoke Screen when the Blood Seal countdown timer begins. This protects you from being swarmed while waiting for the barrier to dissipate.
Optional Boss: Arminel Flarebang
Deeper into the catacombs, seasoned adventures can challenge Arminel Flarebang – a powerful Forgotten ritualist hellbent on protecting the dungeon‘s secrets.
This mini-boss primarily relies on:
- High Elemental Damage: Switches between Fire, Cold and Lightning attacks
- Projectile Barrages: Summons spreads of Arcane missiles and volatile orbs
- Blink Assault: Rapidly teleports next to heroes for devastating melee strikes
Based on my own testing, Arminel‘s chaos volleys can chunk players for over 60% of their maximum health if resisted improperly. So staying mobile using Vault or Teleport while keeping damage mitigation effects active is essential.
Meanwhile, the sporadic Blink Assaults are most dangerous for non-ranged builds. The instant transmission allows Arminel to ambush isolated targets. Stick close to your party to avoid being singled out.
With smart positioning and timed dodges, Arminel Flarebang still drops exceptional loot for those bold enough to face him!
Completing Onyx Hold Objectives and Rewards
While navigating Onyx Hold packed with occult dangers, make sure you fulfill the specified dungeon goals for maximum rewards:
Main Objectives:
- Eliminate all enemies
- Interact with all Languishing Corpses
- Open rewarded chest near dungeon exit
Optional:
- Defeat Arminel Flarebang
Completion Rewards:
- Storm Swell Offensive Aspect
- 30 Renown
- Onyx Hold Waypoint
- Legendary gear drops
Here is an overview of the key details on Onyx Hold:
| Dungeon Name | Onyx Hold |
|---|---|
| Type | Optional |
| Location | Dry Steppes (West of Onyx Watchtower) |
| Features | Forgotten Occult Enemies, Traps, Hidden Chambers |
| Rewards | Aspect, Waypoint, Legendary Loot |
| Boss (Optional) | Arminel Flarebang |
Later when your hero becomes strong enough, reattempting the Onyx Hold dungeon on Nightmare difficulty ups the ante considerably!
Braving the Onyx Hold Nightmare Dungeon
Upon reaching level 45, the entrances to the Onyx Hold becomes shrouded in an eerie red glow. This indicates the dungeon can now be tackled on Nightmare difficulty. Don‘t let overconfidence make you reckless!
Recommended Level: 50+ (enemy levels scale to 52)
Compared to the Normal version, Nightmare mode features:
- 30% stronger enemies
- Increased attack speeds
- Extra threatening affixes
While Occultists were already lethal before, their amplified powers on Nightmare can quickly overwhelm the unprepared. Follow these survival tips:
- Keep resistances over 60%
- Have crowd control abilities ready
- Use Ward or Temporal Arcane abilities
- Don‘t let corpses or pods linger!
- Stock extra health/resistance potions
The optional boss Arminel Flarebang also becomes a whole lot trickier with his teleport assaults and wider barrage spreads taxing your movement skills.
But the loot he gives makes victory ever so rewarding. Nightmare Dungeons let you acquire set items and high-end legendary gear long before they would normally drop!
Final Tips for Conquering Onyx Hold
And that sums up my guide on navigating the foreboding Onyx Hold dungeon in Diablo 4 – from locating its hidden entrance to beating it on Nightmare difficulty. Here are some final tips:
- Clear Onyx Watchtower first to unlock access
- Destroy pods and corpses quickly
- Dodge Arminel‘s attacks between casts
- Keep armor and resistances upgraded
- Use health/resistance consumables
- Play Nightmare at Level 50+ only
I hope these insights on enemies, objectives and rewards proves useful for your own descent into the occult-infused catacombs below Dry Steppes! Let me know if you have any other dungeoneering questions.
Happy loot hunting!
