How to Quickly Level in Diablo 4's Server Slam Weekend

The long-awaited Diablo 4 Server Slam Weekend is upon us, going live from May 12th to 14th, starting at 12 PM PDT. During this exciting event, players will have a rare opportunity to earn the Cry of Ashava, a special mount trophy made from one of Ashava's horns.

Keep in mind that this trophy can only be earned during this weekend, so you'll want to move fast to get as much time with the boss as possible.

To help you out, we've put together a guide to help you get through the early stages of the game as quickly and easily as possible. Following through this guide should easily get you to level 10, when you will need to make some decisions about how to navigate Diablo 4's open world on your own.

We've gone back and looked at our own experience with Diablo 4's past beta play, checked out streams and VODs from other players and we think we've found the best strategies currently available.

Of course, without access to the game or its new changes, there's always going to be room for further improvements and optimization!

What is our Server Slam goal?

The goal is simple: Collect any resources you need to level & fight without interruptions. This means getting XP elixirs from Kyovashad and collecting every opportunity to improve your character along the way.

We do not want to overextend and go exploring; we can do that after the game comes out. As far as this guide is concerned, Server Slam is all about collecting Ashava's prizes.

Passing the first Diablo 4 dungeon

Now, let's get started with the first dungeon. You need to group up as many enemies as you can. Try kiting them around as you move toward objectives, only turning to eliminate them once you can kill many in one go.

After entering the dungeon, head to the left room to find a named Elite, which should drop your first magical (blue item).

After defeating the Elite, proceed through the left door and make your way to the boss.

Be sure to check your gear for upgrades before engaging the boss, just in case you have some options.

X'Fal, the Scarred Baron (Boss 1)

Enter the Chamber of Calling and interact with the "Decapitated Priest" corpse in X'Fal's room, then immediately get out of the way.

You'll see a circle appear on the ground, which is where he will jump into the room and deal damage. Anytime you see that circle, get out of it to avoid damage.

X'fal's primary attack is a two-stage mace swing with long, trailing hits. His other significant attack is an overhead double mace hit, which you can easily dodge forward left or forward right, then deal damage to X'fal from behind.

He will also summon low-HP summonables called Hellstormers, which you should be able to kill as they are summoned. Don't let them build up or they can complicate the fight a lot. By the time he is done with his summoning circle, all the Hellstormers should be dead.

Always get around the his rear to deal fast, reliable and safe damage.

Once you've defeated the boss and completed the dungeon, it's time to return to the main story.

Continue with the main story objectives, speaking with Iosef and then collecting the key from the dead body.

Kyovashad, Altars, and Renown

The first thing to focus on when you reach Kyovashad is the Altar of Lilith, which provides extra stat points and Renown.

Renown is essential for various rewards that can be claimed through the map system.

The first reward grants bonus experience points, gold, and one extra skill point. The second reward provides bonus XP, 10,000 gold, and an extra potion slot, which is quite helpful. The third and final reward grants another skill point, allowing you to have a total of 21 skill points by the time you reach level 20.

To maximize your leveling efficiency, focus on making efficient paths, getting waypoints, side dungeons, quests, and collecting Altars. You'll end up at the Spider Cave, which you can pass before heading left off the main path.

Whenever travelling between objectives, always maximize your inventory by collecting Gallovine, Biteberry and other herbs whenever we come across them, which will be used later for crafting elixirs.

Elixirs and Side Quests

You will be about level 5 when you reach Kyovashad, where you can find Loarath Nahr. You will get a map indicator to him as part of the Missing Pieces questline.

Lorath will taunt you with the Cry of Ashava mount. After grabbing the waypoint and talking to the merchant, sell anything extra and buy Laura's polearm and grab the "Strange Amulet" from the counter.

Return the amulet to Lorath and head to the Alchemist.

Now, it's time to get your elixirs. Use your biteberry and gallowvine, plus any extra gold you earned up to this point, to make Weak Iron Barb Elixirs. These come in stacks of 5, and you'll want to buy at least six stacks.

While in the center of town, grab the first side quest and head towards the statue where you can change your world tier. Use the emote wheel to cheer on the Guard Captain and her troops to complete the side quest. After turning in the quest, you'll receive a materials cache.

Tips and Tricks

First, use the emote wheel for you Weak Iron Barb Elixirs. Add the elixirs to your wheel by pressing "E" and hitting "customize". Then click the consumables tab and click/drag the item to an empty emote slot.

There's an event that regularly spawns just outside of town, which can be farmed for additional rewards. To trigger this event, teleport back to town and then return to the event location. The event consists of killing shamans and a boss.

This is especially handy if you're partied up with a group, as it's a great way to farm experience efficiently, but it can be tough in a solo party.

Next, return to the main storyline, and make sure to grab the item on the altar in the temple. Continuing on the Tarnished Luster path, head down to the quest marker, and complete the objectives.

Side Quests and Efficient Routes

As you leave Kyovashad from the south gate, don't forget to visit the Altar of Lilith to the left, and participate in the event a bit farther down the path.

Utilize markers to help guide you through the quests and efficiently complete objectives. While running the main quest, consider having a party member run around completing other tasks to maximize efficiency.

In this part of your journey, you'll encounter numerous side quests and events. Focus on AoE abilities and generally ignore defensive abilities. Remember, in Server Slam, your only goal is the big level 20 boss! You won't need to finish the game with this build, so optimize for reaching Ashava.

With your AOE skills, continue focusing on keeping enemies in a group and killing them together.

Stopping to kill enemies one by one will add a lot of time to your run.

Melee classes may have a harder time with certain events, but with proper strategy and teamwork, they can be completed smoothly. This should be especially true now that the next server slam has been rebalanced to give melee fighters more options against bosses.

Yelesna, Whispering Keys, and Altars of Lilith

Once you reach Yolasna, one of the most compact towns, grab the waypoint and head up to the Hogshead where you can buy a Whispering Key from the vendor. These keys unlock Silent Chests, which you'll find randomly throughout the world.

One of the best side quests in Act 1 is found in Yelesna. Talk to Christina with two eyes, and help her find her old man. While completing this side quest, make sure you have a map of the Altars of Lilith to mark their locations and claim your rewards.

Dungeons and Events

Dungeons are essential for earning Renown experience. Dungeons feature events like cursed shrines and cursed chests, which grant great experience and loot, are vital to an efficient play-through.

Each dungeon has different objectives to complete, and bosses to fight.

For example, the Butcher in the dungeons has become harder in recent updates, so be prepared for a challenge. Halfway through the dungeon, you'll usually encounter a transition area that leads to a gauntlet of fights with unique mechanics.

Completing dungeons allows you to quickly leave by clicking on the entrance stairs on the map, a feature some players may not be aware of.

Remember to upgrade your potions and gear as needed, and don't be afraid to return to town to repair your equipment.

Also, be aware that as you unlock better potions and equipment, upgrade as you go. Always stay stocked up on healing so you don't need to return to town except when completing or starting new questlines.

Keep pushing through the world, staying focused on picking up rewards as they are along your way to avoid backtracking