How to Get Ancestral Items & Gear in Diablo 4 Season 8 (Legendary & Unique)

Ancestral items in Diablo 4 hold a vital position; they are highly sought after by players for enhancing character power and supporting build development. How to get ancestral items fast in the current season? This guide will cover the best way to farm ancestral gear in D4 Season 8.

How to Get Ancestral Items & Gear in Diablo 4 Season 8 (Legendary & Unique)

In Diablo 4, Ancestral items represent a higher-tier drop available starting from Torment I difficulty, serving as enhanced variants of existing Legendary and Unique gear, categorized as a quality tag rather than a rarity type. Each Ancestral item boasts an item power of 800, the highest in the game, which influences the base damage of weapons, the base defense of armor, and the range of affixes. Notably, Ancestral gear features at least one Greater Affix, which maximizes a stat line and boosts it by an additional 50%. While Ancestral Legendary items can have up to three Greater Affixes, Ancestral Unique items can possess up to four; however, these affixes do not appear on item implicits or aspects, and rerolling a Greater Affix via enchanting results in its loss. Ancestral items can be masterworked up to 12 times, surpassing the standard 8 times for regular gear, allowing for greater customization and power enhancements. Additionally, like other gear types, Ancestral items can be imprinted with Aspects. Importantly, Mythic Uniques now always drop as Ancestral gear, ensuring that every Mythic item includes Greater Affixes.

D4 Season 8 Ancestral Items Drop Rate

Drop rates for Ancestral items in Diablo 4 have evolved significantly across different seasons. Before Season 7, the "Loot Reborn" update introduced in Season 4 revamped the loot system, allowing Ancestral items to drop in Torment difficulties while removing Sacred items from the game; any Sacred gear previously owned was marked as "Legacy." In Season 7, the drop rate for Ancestral Unique items was tripled compared to earlier rates, enhancing players' chances of acquiring these powerful items. However, in Season 8, Blizzard eliminated the bonus Ancestral drop rate for Unique items, standardizing their drop rate to match that of Legendary items, which led to a marked decrease in the occurrence of Ancestral Unique items from that season onward. 

Best Way to Farm Ancestral Gear in D4 S8

The primary method involves participating in Infernal Hordes, which are events that yield high rewards, especially if you focus on defeating Aether Lords.

Steps

1. Obtain Compasses: Acquire compasses from Helltides or farm Supreme Belial to prepare for Infernal Hordes.

2. Join Infernal Hordes: Enter Infernal Hordes on the highest difficulty manageable to maximize your reputation gains.

3. Focus on Aether Lords: Prioritize choices that spawn Aether Lords, particularly those related to Aetheric mass, to significantly boost your reputation.

4. Collect Reputation: After completing the Infernal Hordes, head to the reputation board where you can redeem your accumulated reputation.

5. Claim Repeatable Cache: Use 72,000 reputation at the reputation board to obtain a repeatable cache that guarantees at least two ancestral items—one unique and one legendary.

6. Act Quickly: Since the current reputation gain is likely unintentional, take advantage of this method quickly before potential nerfs occur.

Other Methods to Get Ancestral Items in Diablo 4

1. Helltides

Helltides serve as a reliable method for farming Ancestral Unique items due to their frequent occurrence every hour. Participating in Helltides regularly allows players to engage in a structured activity that consistently offers opportunities for loot. While Unique drops are not guaranteed, players can collect valuable boss materials that are essential for targeting specific Unique items later on. These materials can be utilized to unlock Grigoire's Hoard and Duriel's Hoard, which are pivotal for acquiring Unique items.

2. Lair Bosses

Farming Lair Bosses has become an accessible option since Season 8, as summoning these bosses is now free of charge. This change allows players to farm Lair Bosses without any additional costs. To reap the benefits from Lair Bosses, players must open their respective Hoards using the materials gathered from the bosses. Among these bosses, Belial stands out as a top target, as he guarantees drops of Ancestral Unique items and boasts the highest chance of yielding Mythic Uniques.

3. Nightmare Dungeons

Although less efficient than Helltides and Lair Bosses, Nightmare Dungeons can still be a source of Ancestral Unique items. These dungeons are best approached when players aim to level up their Paragon Glyphs, as they provide a structured environment for this purpose. However, the significant time investment required to clear Nightmare Dungeons makes them a less optimal choice for farming Unique items compared to other methods. 

4. Purveyor of Curiosities

The Purveyor of Curiosities offers another avenue for farming Ancestral Unique items. Players can purchase items from this vendor, which may include Unique items among a randomized selection of wares. This method allows for more targeted acquisition of specific item types.