Ancient Tunnels

Discover the Ancient Tunnels in Diablo II: Resurrected! Learn how to find this Level 85 area, the best characters to farm it with, and the monsters you'll face.

Alright, so you're looking to dive into the Ancient Tunnels in Diablo II: Resurrected? It's a solid spot for farming, especially for certain builds. The good news is that the area leading to it, the Lost City, has a Waypoint. That's a big help. The tricky part? There's no clear sign pointing you to the entrance within the Lost City itself. You'll be hunting for a trapdoor, usually found near some ruins. Honestly, it doesn't narrow it down much, but thankfully, the area around the entrance is usually pretty clear of monsters, unless they decide to follow you in. Because finding the entrance can be a bit of a pain, characters with teleport abilities, like a Sorceress or anyone with the Enigma runeword, have a huge advantage. They can zip right past any mobs in the Lost City, or take them out if they prefer.

Keep an eye out in the Lost City ruins too, because you might stumble upon the super unique enemy called the Dark Elder. It's not a bad consolation prize for the effort it takes to find the Tunnels.

Monsters You'll Face

Once you're inside the Ancient Tunnels, expect a lot of undead. Three out of the four main enemies are undead. Horror Mages like to hang back and blast you with lightning, so having decent lightning resistance will really help take the sting out of their attacks. The Embalmed and Plague Bearer enemies can both hit you with poison, which can be a real nuisance. However, these guys are generally pretty slow, making them easier to deal with once you get close.

You'll also run into about 6 to 8 champion or unique monster packs in here, plus a super chest. While the Tunnels aren't quite as safe as, say, the Mausoleum, most of the enemies aren't too tough, and crucially, none of them are naturally immune to cold damage. This makes it a fantastic hunting ground for a Blizzard Sorceress with good lightning resistance.

Best Characters for the Job

Since there are no native cold-immune enemies in the Ancient Tunnels (though unique monsters can sometimes gain Cold Enchanted, making them immune), it's practically a playground for the Blizzard Sorceress. As she's a top-tier starter character for magic finding, the Ancient Tunnels are a prime spot for players to get their first real taste of endgame loot. The Meteorb Sorceress also tears through this area, only needing to switch gears from Fireball/Meteor to Frozen Orb when she encounters Invader enemies. If you prefer physical damage, characters like the Summon Necromancer and Wind Druid won't have too much trouble either, though the narrower passages can sometimes slow down your minions.

It's worth noting that while most builds do well here, the Ancient Tunnels can pose a challenge for specific ones. Plague Bearers are immune to magic, which is a bummer for a Hammerdin. Similarly, Embalmed are immune to poison, making them a headache for a Poison Necromancer, who usually breezes through areas thanks to rare immunities to their damage type.