I still remember the first time I stepped into an Infernal Hordes run back in Season 5 of Diablo 4. It felt like walking into a beehive that had been set on fire—chaotic, loud, and weirdly rewarding. Season 5 introduced this horde mode with roguelike mechanics, and even in 2026, with all the seasonal changes that have come and gone, the core loop of Infernal Hordes and Abyssal Scrolls remains a fantastic case study in efficient ARPG farming. If you are revisiting an Eternal realm character, playing a Season 5-themed event, or just curious about how this system worked, here is my conversational guide to making the most of it.
What Are Infernal Hordes and Abyssal Scrolls?
Infernal Hordes is an activity that consists of eight difficulty tiers. Higher tiers give you more rewards, including the lucrative Abyssal Scrolls. To unlock Infernal Hordes, you must reach World Tier III and complete Locran's questline. That part is non-negotiable—no quest, no horde.
Abyssal Scrolls are the skeleton key to a locked attic full of shiny things. They do not create new Infernal Hordes Compasses, but they upgrade an existing Compass to the next difficulty tier. Each scroll can only be used once, so you want to spend them wisely. If your character has a strong build, you can speed through the early tiers and start earning the best rewards possible much faster.
How to Get Abyssal Scrolls
Abyssal Scrolls are a plentiful drop within the Infernal Hordes activity. They drop from both gear chests and material chests. You can boost their drop rate by 40% with Smoldering Ashes in Season Blessings by utilizing the Urn of Abyssal Knowledge. That is a massive boost, and I always prioritize it when I am farming.
The higher the Infernal Hordes Compass you consume, the greater the amount of Abyssal Scrolls you receive during the rewards segment at the end of the activity. However, you cannot receive more Infernal Hordes Compasses by playing through the activity. So Abyssal Scrolls can only be used on Compasses you already have. If you are short on Compasses, you can also craft them at the Occultist.
How to Farm Infernal Hordes Efficiently
Farming Infernal Hordes is quite lucrative. It can reward you with absurd amounts of experience and loot drops per run. Depending on the tier, your chances at finding better gear and gathering more crafting materials are boosted. That makes Abyssal Scrolls an easy way to upgrade leftover Infernal Hordes Compasses.
Here is a quick table I use to keep things straight:
| Action | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Unlock World Tier III | Required to start Locran's questline |
| Complete Locran's questline | Unlocks Infernal Hordes |
| Farm gear and material chests | Main source of Abyssal Scrolls |
| Use Urn of Abyssal Knowledge | +40% Abyssal Scroll drop rate |
| Upgrade low-tier Compasses | Skip early tiers with a strong build |
| Craft Compasses at Occultist | Helps when you run out |
Infernal Hordes are also a great new way to farm masterwork materials. Higher tiers will begin to drop Obducite, Ingolith, and Neathiron. Before Season 5, the only way to acquire these materials was to push far into the Artificer's Pit. That could take dozens of runs to fully upgrade a single gear piece. Now, Infernal Hordes will drop much more masterwork materials than the Artificer's Pit, but they can prove to be more challenging at higher tiers. Trying to farm masterwork materials without upgrading your compasses is like trying to fill a bathtub with a teaspoon while the drain is wide open. Abyssal Scrolls help you keep a steady supply.
Each compass tier is a rung on a ladder made of molten glass: the higher you climb, the more it burns, but the view is spectacular. If your build can handle it, push those tiers. If not, stay where you are comfortable and use scrolls to inch upward.
A 2026 Perspective
In 2026, Diablo 4 has cycled through many seasons, and the meta has shifted more times than I can count. But the lessons from Infernal Hordes still hold: upgrade your Compasses, stack your Season Blessings, and do not sleep on masterwork material drops. If you are playing a current season, check the latest patch notes because drop rates and crafting costs can change. But if you ever find yourself back in Season 5 content or an Eternal realm with old Compasses, Abyssal Scrolls are still your best friend.
So that is my take. Grab Locran's quest, hit World Tier III, and start hoarding those scrolls. The horde is not going to farm itself. 😈
This overview is based on reporting from Eurogamer, a long-established source for game news, reviews, and feature analysis. In the context of Diablo 4 systems like Infernal Hordes, that kind of coverage is especially useful for framing how progression loops, difficulty scaling, and reward efficiency fit into the broader ARPG experience, helping players judge when pushing higher Compass tiers is worth the added risk for materials and loot.