Summary
With Season 15 only 17 days away, now is the perfect time to lock in your leveling plans. The goal is simple: when the season launches, you can hop on and go without having to think about your leveling strategy. Having a solid plan in place makes the experience smoother, faster, and far more enjoyable. You can also buy Diablo IV Items to get a quick gear boost. This guide covers three different methods to level from 1 to 70 using the Lord of Hatred expansion. Each method has been thoroughly tested with full 1-to-70 runs, and I've broken down the pros, cons, and step-by-step execution for each.
Note: A separate guide for leveling without the Lord of Hatred is also available on my website. All guides are completely free—no sign-up required.
Before You Start: Essential Setup
The Cube Quest
When you first create a brand new character:
You'll have a quest at the Cube – complete it for experience
Then talk to the Table or Tyrael – this will give you enough experience to hit level 2 immediately
This gets you an extra skill point before you even leave town
Unlock Your War Plans Tree
Unlock war plans in Scobos as soon as possible
This tree will be central to several leveling methods
Method 1: War Plans Only
Best for: Players who want a head start on endgame progression and enjoy variety in activities.
Overview
This method involves running war plans exclusively from level 1. You complete one war plan from start to finish, turn it in, and immediately start another.
Why Choose This Method?
Benefit | Description |
Endgame Head Start | Earns war plans tree points early – you'll have several nodes unlocked by level 70 |
Excellent Variety | War plans rotate through different activities (Hell Tides, Undercity, etc.), keeping gameplay fresh |
Plenty of Loot | War plan turn-ins are a great source of legendary gear while leveling |
Big Experience Turn-ins | Completing and turning in war plans grants massive XP chunks |
Material Generation | Earns crafting materials that set you up for endgame |
Step-by-Step Execution
Unlock War Plans in Scobos
Complete the initial questline to access the war plans table
First Priority: Wythe and Rot (Hell Tides Node)
Focus your first war plans points on reaching Wythe and Rot
This node causes experience globes to drop from maggots
This is the single most important node for 1-to-70 leveling
Run Hell Tides Using the Worm Method
The worm method is the optimal way to farm Hell Tides efficiently
[Link to worm farming guide – see description]
Your goal is to open chests, get experience, and complete objectives
Unlock Undercity and Jade Epiphany
Once Undercity is available (around level 25), focus on unlocking Jade Epiphany
This node gives experience orbs based on your attunement rank
Undercity Strategy
First few runs: Sprint straight to the boss. Ignore all monsters. Kill the boss and reset.
After unlocking Jade Epiphany: Activate braziers to increase attunement ranking
Attunement ranks grant experience orbs:
Rank 1: 1 orb
Rank 2: 2 orbs
Rank 3: 3 orbs
Rank 4: 4 orbs
Important: Pets do not pick up experience orbs. You must collect them manually!
Continue War Plans
Keep completing and turning in war plans
The experience from turn-ins is substantial
Potential Downsides
Some war plan objectives take longer than others (e.g., Infernal Horde runs)
You may occasionally be forced into activities you wouldn't normally choose
Limited options early on can slow progress
Method 2: Hell Tides Focus (Fastest Method)
Best for: Players who want to reach level 70 as quickly as possible and don't mind repetitive gameplay.
Overview
This is the fastest method of the three. By focusing exclusively on Hell Tides and optimizing the worm farming strategy, you can power through levels at incredible speed.
Why This Is the Fastest
Advantage | Description |
Double Hell Tides | Refresh war plans until you get double Hell Tides for maximum efficiency |
Early Unlock | At low levels, fewer options mean more Hell Tide availability |
Minimal Killing | Kill only enough to open chests, grab XP, and reset |
Penitent Difficulty Trick | Farm cinders on Normal, then swap to Penitent for chest opening XP |
Insane Worm XP | Worm experience far exceeds monster farming |
Step-by-Step Execution
Create Character and Talk to the Cube
Hit level 2 immediately (as described above)
Unlock War Plans Table
Open it and refresh until you get double Hell Tides
Low-Level Strategy (Before Level 25)
Kill as little as possible – just enough to open a chest
Get experience from chest opening
Return to town, turn in war plans
Refresh for another double Hell Tide
Cinder Optimization Trick
Farm cinders on Normal difficulty
Once you have enough, swap to Penitent difficulty
Run to the chest and open it
You get the experience for opening it on Penitent even though you farmed on Normal
War plans experience is based on the difficulty level you complete them on
Continue Through All Difficulty Tiers
Normal → Hard → Penitent → Torment tiers
Each tier gives progressively more experience
Full Worm Method Farming
Once you're strong enough, farm on Penitent in Hell Tides
Use the worm method: ride between worm spawning points
Do not kill monsters once you've activated enough threat to spawn worms
The XP from worms far exceeds what you get from killing regular monsters
Important Warning for Hardcore Players
The monsters that spawn from worms are very strong and can one-shot you at low levels. Hardcore players should avoid this method.
Potential Downsides
Extremely repetitive – you'll spend all your time in a single activity
Slower war plans progression – you won't advance your war plans tree as efficiently
Challenging at low levels – Hell worms are dangerous
Method 3: Undercity Focus (Favorite Method)
Best for: Players who enjoy feeling powerful while leveling and want the smoothest experience.
Overview
This was my personal favorite method. The Undercity offers unique buffs that make you feel like you're playing an endgame build from level 25 onward.
Why This Method Feels Great
Advantage | Description |
Empowering Buffs | Beacons grant faster movement, cast speed, and resource regeneration |
Feels Like Endgame | You don't feel weak while leveling |
Very Little Investment | Only need Jade Epiphany node unlocked |
Minimal Downtime | Run after run with almost no interruption |
Step-by-Step Execution
Level 1 to 25
Use any method to reach level 25
The Undercity is not available before this
Unlock War Plans Table
You need to unlock the Undercity via war plans
Focus on Jade Epiphany Only
This is the only node you need for this method
It unlocks experience orbs based on attunement rank
Run Undercity Optimally
Activate braziers to build attunement
Always collect experience orbs – pets will not pick them up!
Once you reach attunement rank 4: stop killing monsters
Run straight to the end and kill the boss
Reset and start a new Undercity run
Ignore War Plans
You don't need to do war plans at all for this method
Simply chain Undercity runs back to back
Gear Management
You'll still find enough gear upgrades to keep things smooth
If you're skilled, you can equip gear while moving to minimize downtime
Potential Downsides
Not available until level 25 – you need to level up first
Fewer crafting materials compared to Hell Tides or war plans
Limited gear drops – though I found it was still more than enough
No war plans progress – if you care about the tree, this isn't for you
Repetitive – especially over longer sessions
Method Comparison Table
Feature | War Plans Only | Hell Tides Focus | Undercity Focus |
Speed | Moderate | ? Fastest | Fast |
Variety | ? Highest | Very Low | Low |
Endgame Prep | ? Best | Moderate | Minimal |
Materials | ? Best | Good | Limited |
Difficulty | Moderate | High (risky) | Low |
Available From | Level 1 | Level 1 | Level 25 |
Best For | All-around players | Speedrunners | Smooth experience |
What's Coming After Level 70?
Once you hit level 70, your focus should shift to:
Optimizing your build
Pushing higher difficulty tiers
Participating in endgame activities
The war plans tree progress you made (especially with Method 1) will give you a significant head start.
Final Thoughts
All three methods are viable and tested:
Method | Best For |
War Plans Only | Players who want variety and endgame head start |
Hell Tides Focus | The absolute fastest way to 70 (not for hardcore) |
Undercity Focus | The smoothest, most fun leveling experience |
Pick the one that fits your playstyle. And remember – the goal is to have fun and enjoy the journey. Whether you want to speedrun to endgame or casually work your way through, there's a method here for you. If you're looking for Diablo IV Items for sale, MMOEXP is a trusted place to check out—they offer a wide selection to help you gear up quickly and skip the grind when you need a boost.


