Diablo 4 Season 14: Can War Plans and the Undercity Get You to Level 70 in Under 3 Hours?

Summary

Diablo 4 Season 14 is approaching, and efficient leveling is the key to a strong start. This guide outlines a tested leveling strategy using War Plans and the Kurast Undercity, achieving Level 70 in approximately 2 hours and 52 minutes without tempering, enchanting, vendor purchases, or using pre-earned seasonal skill points.

The Core Strategy: War Plans + Undercity

The strategy combines two systems introduced in the Vessel of Hatred expansion: War Plans and the Kurast Undercity.

What Are War Plans?

War Plans function as an endgame activity playlist. After completing the campaign, you can access the command table beside Tyrael in Temis (Skovos) to create a playlist of activities such as Nightmare Dungeons, Helltides, the Undercity, and the Pit . Completing each node in your War Plan rewards Activity Points, which can be spent on skill tree upgrades that modify activities with more enemies and better rewards .

What Is the Kurast Undercity?

The Kurast Undercity is a timed, multi-level dungeon introduced in the Vessel of Hatred expansion . Players race against a timer—starting at approximately 100 seconds—through three levels before reaching a boss encounter. The timer stops once you reach the boss floor .

Key mechanics:

Attunement Rank: The higher your Attunement (up to Rank 4), the better your rewards. You must reach at least Rank 1 to receive loot .

Timer Extension: Defeating Afflicted monsters and destroying Afflicted objects adds seconds to the timer .

Beacons: Lighting Beacons and clearing the surrounding monsters provides significant Attunement boosts and temporary speed buffs .

The Test Setup: No Shortcuts

To provide a realistic leveling benchmark, the run was conducted under strict constraints:

No enchanting

No tempering

No vendor purchases

No runes or gems

No pre-earned seasonal skill points (only points earned from leveling were used)

No aspects from the enchanter (only aspects found on dropped gear were used)

The only allowed gear source was items picked up from the ground.

Why This Strategy Works

Undercity Timer Is Manageable Without Tributes

Running the Undercity without Tributes gives you the most generous timer. The default 100 seconds, combined with time extensions from defeating Afflicted monsters, provides ample time to complete each run . One player noted: "I like the Undercity mostly during the level process and to get my first set of Ancestral items" .

XP Globes Provide Massive Leveling Boosts

At the end of each Undercity level, XP globes drop that grant significant experience. Collecting all four at each level contributes roughly two and a half levels per run. The key is remembering to collect them—the Undercity's fast pace makes it easy to run past them.

War Plan Synergy Accelerates Progression

Filling out War Plan nodes through activity completion unlocks progress toward the Undercity. The test unlocked the Undercity at approximately Level 36 and continued running it efficiently to Level 70 .

No Tempering or Enchanting Is Not a Handicap

The test proves that high damage output is achievable even without crafting upgrades. Using a Whirlwind Barbarian build, the damage from Dust Devils and Vulnerable procs was sufficient to clear content efficiently. "As soon as you unlock Dust Devils, it's like game over," the tester noted.

Step-by-Step Leveling Guide

Phase 1: Early Levels (1–20)

Focus: Complete early War Plan nodes to unlock the Undercity.

Start with a mobile clear skill. For Barbarians, Whirlwind combined with Lunging Strike provides excellent mobility and area damage .

Prioritize movement speed on boots. Movement speed is critical for faster clears .

Complete the Vessel of Hatred campaign to unlock War Plans .

Progress through War Plan nodes—the test used Nightmare Dungeons as the primary early-level activity.

Key milestone: Unlock the Undercity at approximately Level 36 .

Phase 2: Mid Levels (20–50)

Focus: Transition to Undercity runs as the primary leveling method.

Run the Undercity without Tributes for the most forgiving timer .

Skip unnecessary fights. Focus on Afflicted monsters (which add time) and Beacons (which add Attunement) .

Collect every XP globe—these are your primary experience source.

Increase difficulty when comfortable. The test moved from Normal to Hard, then Expert, as damage output increased.

Efficiency tip: Speed is essential. Equip boots with Movement Speed and consider Elixirs that boost speed .

Phase 3: Late Levels (50–70)

Focus: Continue Undercity runs for rapid experience gain.

Use all available skill points—the test completed runs with 19 unused points, suggesting even faster clears are possible.

Monitor your gear—although the test used only found items, replacing weapons with higher-level drops significantly boosts damage.

Increase difficulty to Expert or Penitent once comfortable to maximize experience per run .

Key milestone: Level 70 achieved in 2 hours 52 minutes.

Build Recommendations

Whirlwind Barbarian

The Whirlwind Barbarian was used successfully in this test for its mobility and area damage.

Core Skills: Lunging Strike, Whirlwind, War Cry, Challenging Shout, Wrath of the Berserker .

Key Aspects (if found):

Aspect of Might (damage reduction on Basic Skill use)

Battle-Mad Aspect (Berserking proc via weapon swapping)

Aspect of Channeling (damage increase while channeling) 

Stat Priorities:

Movement Speed (boots)

Fury Regeneration

Cooldown Reduction 

Bro'Barian Alternative

If considering a different Barbarian approach, the Bro'Barian (Ancients summoning build) is expected to be strong in Season 14, with variants supporting high damage and speed .

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting XP globes—the test nearly missed several globes that provided substantial experience. Always wait for them to drop and collect them.

Over-investing in unnecessary fights—only Afflicted monsters add time. Clear Beacons and move on .

Running the Undercity on too high difficulty early—if you're struggling, drop down a tier. It's better to complete runs consistently than fail them .

Ignoring gear upgrades—even without enchanting, higher item power weapons provide significant damage increases .

Final Thoughts

The War Plans + Undercity strategy achieved Level 70 in under 3 hours without using any crafting systems, vendors, or pre-earned seasonal resources. This makes it a reliable and repeatable leveling method for Season 14 launch.

The strategy is accessible regardless of skill level—the test deliberately avoided speedrun techniques and was conducted with the goal of finding a practical, approachable path for any player .

Key takeaways:

Run the Undercity without Tributes for the easiest timer

Collect every XP globe

Increase difficulty as your damage scales

Don't waste time on non-Afflicted monsters

With Season 14 launching in early July, having a tested leveling route can save hours of valuable playtime, and securing the right Diablo IV Items along the way can dramatically accelerate your progression. For players who want to skip the farming grind and jump straight into endgame content, MMOEXP provides a trusted marketplace for acquiring Diablo IV Items to complement your leveling strategy. Good luck, and may your drops be plentiful.