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One ofDiablo 4’s best pieces of endgame content is its Lair Boss ladder, which saw an overhaul in Season 8 with the addition of Belial as its pinnacle boss. Now in Season 9, the Lair Boss ladder continues to be the best way forDiablo 4players to farm for the game’s rarest Unique and Mythic gear while putting their builds to the test in challenging boss combat. However, not every Lair Boss is created equal, and as players work their way up the boss ladder, they’ll find that some bosses are far more trouble than they’re worth.
This tier list will rankDiablo 4’s Lair Bosses based on how useful their Loot Tables are in Season 9, along with how difficult or frustrating the bosses themselves are in comparison.
S-Tier: Diablo 4’s Best Lair Boss in Season 9
Belial
Despite being thehardest Lair Boss forDiablo 4players to access and defeat, Belial remains at the top of the ladder for a good reason. Defeating this boss grants players access to the Lair Boss Hoard of their choice, meaning players can potentially get anyDiablo 4Unique or Mythic. While obtaining the necessary Betrayer’s Husk boss materials from lower tiers on the ladder can be a grind in itself, the payoff is worth it for Belial’s potential rewards, making this boss the best source for farming Mythics inDiablo 4’s endgame.
A-Tier: Worthwhile Season 9 Lair Bosses
Varshan
Although Varshan is an Initiate Lair Boss, meaning players will only need Malignant Hearts to open Varshan’s Hoard, this boss can drop some really great Uniques right off the bat. In particular, Varshan’s Hoard has the potential to drop the Druid’s new Rotting Lightbringer Unique, as well as theSpiritborn’s fantastic new Balazan’s Maxtlatl Unique. As an Initiate Lair Boss, Varshan isn’t as difficult as some ofDiablo 4’s other Lair Bosses, and players who can max their Shadow Resistance shouldn’t have too much of a problem defeating him.
Urivar
Urivar is a great Lair Boss for players looking to farmDiablo 4Season 9’s new Uniques, as not only does the boss have the potential to drop the Rotting Lightbringer and Balazan’s Maxtlatl, but theBarbarian’s Hooves of the Mountain Godand the Rogue’s Deathmask of Nirmitruq as well. Fighting Urivar can be somewhat tricky, though, as his ability to summon his knights to shoot trails of fire at the player can get overwhelming if the player doesn’t have enough Fire Resistance. Another downside is that Urivar is exclusive to Vessel of Hatred owners, but looking past these deficiencies makes the Lair Boss one of the best options for Season 9 farming.
Andariel
The fight against Andariel can be long and difficult, requiring players to survive three phases wherein she uses a variety of powerful magic attacks that make anticipating her movements and having maxed out Resistances to multiple elemental damage types vital. As a Greater Lair Boss, Andariel also requires players to have Pincushioned Dolls and/or Stygian Stones to open her Hoard after defeating the boss, which can be farmed from Lord Zir and The Beast in the Ice. However, Andariel is a fantastic source of some ofDiablo 4’s best Uniques for all classes, like theShroud of False Death, Heir of Perdition, and Harlequin Crest, making this boss worth the difficulty to beat.
B-Tier: Frustrating But Solid Season 9 Lair Bosses
Duriel
AlthoughDuriel shares a very similar Loot Table to Andariel, the boss fight itself is much more frustrating. Duriel also features three phases for players to overcome, but his constant barrage of attacks that can leave players Poisoned or stunned and open for another hit means that dodging each attack is a must, even with max Poison Resistance. As such, players are better off farming Andariel for their desired Unique or Mythic.
Harbinger of Hatred
Like Urivar, Harbinger of Hatred has the drawback of being aVessel of Hatred exclusive Lair Boss, while also being a Greater Lair Boss like Duriel and Andariel. Compared to the other two, the Harbringer of Hatred fight is just as difficult, but requires players to obtain Abhorrent Hearts from Urivar to open its Hoard. With largely the same loot as Duriel and Andarial on offer, Harbinger of Hatred isn’t a better option than the others simply due to its limited accessibility, being locked behind a paid expansion. If players happen to be farming Urivar, then Harbinger of Hatred may be a decent alternative to Duriel or Andariel.
The Beast in the Ice
The Beast in the Ice can be one of the trickier Initiate Lair Bosses inDiablo 4, but it does offer decent rewards. Players can earn some of Season 9’s new Uniques, like the Hooves of the Mountain God andDeathmask of Nirmitruq. However, The Beast in the Ice uses several AoE attacks that can Freeze players and leave them open for further damage if they don’t avoid them, making the fight a lot more tedious and requiring players to learn the boss’s attack patterns for success. The Beast in the Ice remains the better option for farming Pincushioned Dolls for Andariel, so it still has some utility in that regard.
C-Tier: Season 9 Lair Bosses Only Worth Fighting in Very Specific Situations
Lord Zir
Lord Zir’s main drawback inDiablo 4Season 9is that the boss doesn’t have the potential to drop any of the new Uniques. While the boss may be worth it for some players looking to farm other specific Uniques, there are better options out there, by and large. Players looking to access Andariel’s Hoard can get Pincushioned Dolls from Lord Zir, but The Beast in the Ice remains the better option for this task, given its better Loot Table.
Grigoire
Like Lord Zir,Grigoire’s Loot Tablesimilarly lacks new Season 9 Uniques. While Grigoire isn’t as complex a boss as the other Initiate Lair Bosses, there is little incentive to fight him outside of farming a very specific Unique like the Spiritborn’s Loyalty’s Mantle. Players can get Shards of Agony needed to access Duriel’s Hoard from Grigoire, but are better off farming Varshan for the same material.
