For the most part, Diablo 4 follows the same style of gameplay that players have come to know and love in the Diablo series. While Diablo 4 still features the traditional isometric style of dungeon crawling and loot hunting, it does add its own unique features into the mix. One exciting new feature is Strongholds.
Strongholds are like outdoor dungeons. For one reason or another, a group of enemies has taken the area over. Once players clear out the opposition and reclaim the space, Strongholds change into a new space that will either become a Waypoint to fast travel to or unlock additional content for players to engage with. There are only three Strongholds in Scosglen, but the rewards make them worth doing.
All Other Stronghold Locations |
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Tur Dulra
One of the first Strongholds that players will likely encounter is the Tur Dulra Stronghold. This Stronghold is located northwest of Firebreak Manor along the coast. The objective of this Stronghold is to release the three druid spirits being held captive and tortured by demons. Once the druids have been released, the boss will spawn nearby.
Once this Stronghold has been beaten, players will unlock a Waypoint, three vendors, two side quests, and two dungeons. In addition, players who are druids will have a side quest to clear Tur Dulra. This is followed up by another side quest that unlocks the Spirit Boon mechanic for druids. Finally, completing this Stronghold (or any, for that matter) will reward players with 100 Renown.
Hope's Light
This Stronghold is at the north most edge of Scosglen. At Hope's Light, the objective is to reach the top of the lighthouse and investigate why it is unlit. Players will have to jump along a winding series of islands and wrecked ships to reach the top. Along the way, players will have to deal with Elites and also finding a missing winch to form a path to the top of the lighthouse.
The boss near the top is not particularly difficult, but players will want to stay out of the puddles and quickly deal with adds (additional enemies) as they spawn. The reward for clearing Hope's Light is 100 Renown and it also unlocks the Flooded Depths dungeon.
Moordaine Lodge
The third and final Stronghold in Scosglen is the Moordaine Lodge. The Moordaine Lodge is north of Tirmair. For this Stronghold, players must investigate the hunting grounds and discover what happened to the hunters there. Start by going to the lodge and then search for three bodies scattered across the hunting grounds. Just before finding the third body, the boss will attack but will retreat when it reaches 75% health.
Of the Stronghold bosses Fionnir, the boss of Moordaine Lodge, is the most difficult of the trio. During the first phase, Fionnir starts as a werewolf. When the second phase begins, he turns into a human and casts spells. During the final phase, Fionnir turns into a werebear and unleashes a storm of earth spells and tornadoes while adds constantly spawn and harass players.
The best way to beat Fionnir is to stay out of the tornadoes that spawn, move out of his others spells, and constantly be on the move to avoid getting killed. Once players beat the Moordaine Lodge, they will unlock the Ferals' Den and Twisted Hollow dungeons.
Diablo 4 releases on June 6th for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Early Access is available now.