If you want to level up your character and defeat Ashava in Diablo 4 Open Beta as quickly as possible, then this guide is for you. However, if you're looking for a more leisurely experience, then you might want to skip this guide. In this guide, we'll explain why you should avoid choosing the barbarian or the druid for the service lamp, and which classes are the most efficient for the server slam.

• Why You Should Avoid Choosing Barbarian or Druid
• Choosing the Right Class
• Choosing the Difficulty Level
• Reaching Kyova
• Farming Dungeons
• Strongholds
• Public events in the West of Cuba Shot
• Potion brewer
• Play with other players
• Teaming up with others

↖ Why You Should Avoid Choosing Barbarian or Druid

In the beta, both the barbarian and the druid had a slow and cumbersome start, although they were buffed after the beta. Despite these buffs, they still heavily rely on appropriate legendary affixes. The drop rate of legendaries has been significantly reduced compared to the beta, making it less likely to get the right legendary. As a result, if you're short on time and unwilling to grind for gear, it's best to avoid these classes.

Additionally, the barbarian and the druid will not have their class specialization during the server slam. The barbarian's quest is located in the dry steps outside the playable area, and the druid's animal spirit attunement is also outside the playable zone in Skosglen. Furthermore, both classes have the lowest base movement speed, making them less efficient choices in the server slam. Instead, the other three classes would fare better.

↖ Choosing the Right Class

If time is of the essence, you could begin your journey with the spellbinding sorcerer equipped with a hydro build, or you could opt for the nimble rogue. The other option is the powerful necromancer, which allows you to summon skeletons and a mighty golem. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide which class to choose.

↖ Choosing the Difficulty Level

Once you've chosen your class, the next crucial decision is the difficulty level. If you're confident in your ability to survive the veteran mode without frequent deaths, then you should choose the higher difficulty level to earn extra experience points while leveling up. However, if you find that the higher difficulty level is too challenging, you could consider adjusting the difficulty.

↖ Reaching Kyova

Once you're finally in the game, your mission is clear-cut: reach Kyova as swiftly and directly as possible. Forget about collecting gear, opening chests, chopping logs, or inspecting piles of stone unless you literally stumble upon them. You'll likely out-level these items in minutes, so they're not worth the distraction. Proceed through the prologue at breakneck speed, arrive in Kilbershad, and then forget about side quests and the main story completely. While the main quest yields a hefty amount of experience, it's also a slow process.

↖ Farming Dungeons

Farming dungeons isn't quite the same as in the beta. You'll have to wait about a minute for the dungeon to reset automatically. However, it's still recommended to run a few dungeons for two particular reasons.

Firstly, completing certain dungeons can unlock codex of power aspects for your chosen class.

Secondly, you'll accrue renowned points which are crucial for reaching renown level 3.

This grants you an extra potion and, more importantly, two additional skill points, both of which are rewards you should aim to achieve.

↖ Strongholds

First, let's talk about strongholds. These locations yield a whopping 100 renown and can be conquered as early as level 15. They are definitely worth the effort, so don't hesitate to lower the difficulty level temporarily if you're having trouble. While the experience points gained from these strongholds are relatively minor, the 100 renown makes them well worth the effort.

↖ Public events in the West of Cuba Shot

Following the beta phase, it seems that the most efficient way to farm experience points now is through repeated participation in public events just to the west of Cuba Shot. There are three such events that are easily accessible. Simply get there and play the event, then teleport back to town and teleport back to the event to put you in a new instance where you can typically complete the event again.

This is a process you can often repeat several times, even when you occasionally teleport back and find no event in progress. Don't be disheartened, give it a few more tries of teleporting back and forth. Most of the time, you'll eventually find another instance with the event waiting for you to start, and from here on out, it's just simply rotating from one event to another. With this method, leveling up should be a breeze.

↖ Potion brewer

For even more XP, the potion brewer can concoct an elixir that grants bonus XP for about 30 minutes. Keep this potion active whenever you have the necessary ingredients to brew it.

↖ Play with other players

You'll receive a 5% XP bonus for shared world activities as long as other players are nearby. So it's absolutely worth your while to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other players battling against the legions of the underworld. 

↖ Teaming up with others

Cooperative play is definitely more rewarding if you all want to level up quickly. So maybe the official Diablo Discord server is a good place to find yourself some allies with whom you can tackle the slam together. For members of your own party, there is an even bigger 10% XP bonus, so consider teaming up with others to make the most out of your playtime.

Finally, if you're really keen on saving a significant amount of time, consider playing counter-cyclically. Don't play when everyone else is playing, as this will result in long queues and wasted time. Instead, log in early Saturday morning around 5 or 6 am, after the rush has passed and the servers have been patched. The same principle applies to a Shabba – consider waiting for the third or fourth instead of rushing for the first.