I logged into Season 11 expecting the usual grind—tweak a build, chase a few upgrades, maybe sweat a bit in Infernal Hordes. Then this new archetype happened. If you've been shopping your stash around Diablo 4 Items, you've probably noticed how fast people are pivoting, because once you play a few runs you realise the rules changed. It doesn't feel like "strong." It feels like the difficulty slider got quietly unplugged, and the game forgot to tell the monsters.

Damage That Stops Making Sense

First thing you'll notice is the damage readout. Not "big," not "pretty good," but the kind of numbers that make you blink and check you didn't misread a comma. Millions are gone in a flash, and you're living in the billions. I've watched crits jump past 12 billion and, honestly, the screen feedback can't keep up—everything's just exploding in a blur. Council waves don't get a moment to breathe. You aren't lining up perfect rotations or doing careful footwork. You swing, you proc, the room's empty, and you're already moving on.

Tanky Enough to Ignore the Scary Stuff

Normally, high-tier Hordes has that "one mistake and you're toast" energy. Not here. The defensive kit is the real eyebrow-raiser. Barriers roll in without you trying, healing ticks like you've got a faucet turned on, and Resolve stacking turns heavy hits into background noise. The Burning Butcher is the easiest example. He shows up to bully you, and you can just… stand there. No panic dodge. No desperate potion spam. Half the time you're barely reacting while your damage keeps chewing through him.

Hordes Farming Becomes a Sprint

And it's quick. That's what makes it feel unfair. Infernal Hordes is basically a race for Aether, so mobility matters as much as raw power. This setup has both. You're popping stealth, catching movement speed bursts, snapping between packs, and the resource engine never really sputters. Around Paragon 229, the build starts feeling "locked in," like every node and bonus finally clicks. There's no downtime. You're always doing something, always cashing in another pile of Fiends.

What It Does to the Meta

People aren't annoyed because it's fun—they're annoyed because it makes everything else feel slow. Boss mechanics turn optional. Mistakes don't get punished. The hardest content becomes a loop you can run half-asleep, and that's wild for a season that's supposed to push players. If you're trying to keep up with friends, climb, or just farm without friction, it's hard to argue against leaning into it and maybe even U4gm to get there faster, because once you've felt that pace, going back is rough.