Diablo 2: Resurrected has added a new and challenging endgame content with the Reign of the Warlock update: Colossal Ancients. Today we'll introduce all valuable rewards you can get from D2R Colossal Ancients, as well as how to get these new Unique jewels and beat these pinnacle bosses.
D2R Colossal Ancients Pinnacle Bosses, New Jewel Rewards and Fight Tips (3.0)
Colossal Ancients are a new pinnacle challenge in D2R 3.0, added with the Reign of the Warlock update. They are not a single boss, but a brutal gauntlet with three powerful Ancient bosses. This challenge is designed to test your build’s strength, your control of the character, and your strategy. Unlike many other endgame targets that you can farm repeatedly for loot, Colossal Ancients focus on high-stakes, deliberate combat. It is not just about dealing high damage—you need good positioning, careful planning, and the ability to adapt. If your build has weaknesses (like low defense or poor crowd control), this fight will expose them easily. Colossal Ancients are considered an Uber-tier fight, meaning they are among the hardest content in the game. They are perfect for players who want more challenge after mastering Terror Zones and other endgame content, and they also offer exclusive rewards that make the fight worth it.
How to Unlock Colossal Ancients in D2R?
Unlocking Colossal Ancients is not complicated, but it requires time and effort. You need to follow these steps carefully:
First, play in Terror Zones. Terror Zones are special areas in D2R where enemies are stronger, but the rewards are better. With the Reign of the Warlock update, Terror Zones rotate every 30 minutes (down from 1 hour) to keep the endgame fresh.
Defeat a Terrorized Act Boss. At the end of a Terror Zone run, you will face an Act Boss that has been "terrorized". When you kill this terrorized Act Boss, there is a chance it will drop a special item called a "statue."
Collect all 5 statues. There are 5 different statues in total, and you need one of each. Each statue drops from a different terrorized Act Boss, so you will need to run multiple Terror Zones and defeat different Act Bosses to get all of them.
Combine the 5 statues in the Horadric Cube. Once you have all 5 statues, open your Horadric Cube (the special item that lets you craft and combine items) and place all 5 statues inside. Combining them will unlock the Colossal Ancients encounter.
Important note: The statues are one-time use. This means you need to collect 5 new statues every time you want to fight Colossal Ancients. This makes the challenge more meaningful, as you cannot repeat it endlessly without effort. Also, remember that Terror Zones now let you earn consumables to choose which Act becomes terrorized. This can help you target specific Act Bosses if you are missing a certain statue.
Colossal Ancients Mechanics (How the Fight Works)
The Colossal Ancients fight has unique mechanics that make it different from other boss fights in D2R. Understanding these mechanics is key to winning:
The fight gets harder as you progress. When you kill one of the three Colossal Ancients, the remaining two will grow stronger. They will gain more power and unlock new abilities that they did not have before. This means every kill changes the fight, and you need to plan your kill order carefully.
For example: If you kill Talic first, Korlic and Madawc will become stronger and get new skills. If you kill Madawc first, Talic and Korlic will get the boost instead. There is no "best" kill order for all builds—you need to choose based on your character’s strengths (e.g., if you struggle with cold damage, kill Korlic last to avoid his enhanced cold abilities).
As the fight goes on, the intensity ramps up. The remaining Ancients will use their raw power more aggressively, so you need to stay focused and avoid mistakes. One wrong move can lead to death, especially in the later stages of the fight.
D2R Colossal Ancients Bosses
The Colossal Ancients gauntlet features three powerful bosses: Talic, Korlic, and Madawc. These are the same Ancients you may have fought in the normal game, but they are now much stronger (colossal size and power) and have new abilities.
1. Talic
Talic is the first Colossal Ancient you will face (or one of the three, depending on your positioning). He is themed around fire and poison, which matches the jewels he drops. Talic is a melee-focused boss, but he can also deal elemental damage (fire and poison) to you.
When fighting Talic, make sure you have enough fire and poison resistance. His attacks are fast, so you need good defense or the ability to dodge his hits. If you kill Talic first, the other two Ancients will gain fire and poison-related boosts, so keep that in mind when planning your kill order.
2. Korlic
Korlic is themed around frost and stone. He is a tough, tanky boss with high defense, and he can deal heavy cold damage. Korlic’s attacks can slow you down or freeze you, which can be deadly if the other Ancients are still alive.
To beat Korlic, focus on breaking through his defense. Cold resistance is a must—without it, his attacks will quickly drain your health. Korlic also has strong area-of-effect (AOE) cold attacks, so try to stay at a distance if your build allows it.
3. Madawc
Madawc is themed around thunder and light. He is a ranged and melee hybrid boss, capable of dealing lightning damage and using light-based abilities to heal himself or damage you. Madawc is faster than Korlic but less tanky than Talic.
Lightning resistance is key when fighting Madawc. His lightning attacks can hit you from a distance, so you need good crowd control to keep him close or avoid his shots. Madawc’s light abilities can also blind you temporarily, so stay alert and have a way to recover quickly.
D2R Colossal Ancients Rewards: New Unique Jewels (Reign of the Warlock)
The main reward for beating Colossal Ancients is exclusive Unique Jewels. These jewels are powerful, and they can only be obtained from this fight—making them highly valuable for endgame builds.
How to Get New Colossal Ancients Jewels in D2R?
When you defeat these Colossal Ancients, you will get one Unique Jewel. The jewel you get depends on which Ancient you killed last. Each Ancient drops one of two possible Unique Jewels—you cannot choose which one you get; it is random. If you kill Talic last, you will get either Defender’s Fire or Defender’s Bile. If you kill Korlic last, you will get either Protector’s Frost or Protector’s Stone. If you kill Madawc last, you will get either Guardian’s Thunder or Guardian’s Light. All Unique Jewels require Level 75. You cannot equip them if your character is below Level 75, so make sure you level up before farming these jewels.
List of All New Unique Jewels in D2R RotW
Name | Base Item | Req Level | Quality Level | Treasure Class | Stats (Including Cast Chance) |
Defender's Bile | Jewel | 75 | 110 | 3 | 1% Chance to cast level 25 Bone Armor when struck +5–10% to Poison Skill Damage Adds 95 Poison Damage over 1 Second -5–10% to Enemy Poison Resistance +3–5% Experience Gained 15–35% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items 25–50% Extra Gold from Monsters |
Defender's Fire | Jewel | 75 | 110 | 3 | 1% Chance to cast level 25 Blaze when struck +5–10% to Fire Skill Damage Adds 20-60 Fire Damage -5–10% to Enemy Fire Resistance +3–5% Experience Gained 15–35% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items 25–50% Extra Gold from Monsters |
Protector's Frost | Jewel | 75 | 110 | 3 | 1% Chance to cast level 25 Frozen Armor when struck +5–10% to Cold Skill Damage Adds 10-30 Cold Damage -5–10% to Enemy Cold Resistance +3–5% Experience Gained 15–35% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items 25–50% Extra Gold from Monsters |
Protector's Stone | Jewel | 75 | 110 | 3 | 1% Chance to cast level 15 Fade when struck +30–50% Enhanced Damage Adds 10-30 Damage -5–10% to Enemy Physical Resistance +3–5% Experience Gained 15–35% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items 25–50% Extra Gold from Monsters |
Guardian's Thunder | Jewel | 75 | 110 | 3 | 1% Chance to cast level 25 Cyclone Armor when struck +5–10% to Lightning Skill Damage Adds 1-75 Lightning Damage -5–10% to Enemy Lightning Resistance +3–5% Experience Gained 15–35% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items 25–50% Extra Gold from Monsters |
Guardian's Light | Jewel | 75 | 110 | 3 | 1% Chance to cast level 25 Psychic Ward when struck +5–10% to Magic Skill Damage Adds 15-35 Magic Damage -5–10% to Enemy Magic Resistance +3–5% Experience Gained 15–35% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items 25–50% Extra Gold from Monsters |
How to Use Colossal Ancients Jewels?
You can only equip one of these Unique Jewels at a time. They work like Gheed’s Fortune Grand Charm—even if you have multiple of these jewels in your inventory, you can only wear one across all your items (weapons, armor, helms, etc.). This rule does not affect how many you can keep in your inventory or stash. The jewels have powerful, fixed stats (with small random ranges) and are strictly better than their Facet counterparts. Each jewel boosts a specific element (or physical damage for Protector’s Stone) and comes with extra benefits like more gold, better magic find, and extra experience gain. These effects can greatly improve your build’s strength and farming efficiency.
Tips for Beating Colossal Ancients
Even if you understand the mechanics and have the right build, Colossal Ancients can still be tough. Here are some extra tips to help you succeed:
Use the right build. Some builds are better suited for this fight than others. S-tier builds like Blizzard Sorceress, Fist of the Heavens Paladin, and Hydra Sorceress can handle Colossal Ancients with ease, thanks to their strong damage and survivability. These builds have good area damage for crowd control and single-target damage for the bosses.
Prepare your gear. Make sure your gear has high resistances (fire, cold, lightning, poison) to handle the Ancients’ elemental attacks. Also, focus on defense and life—you need to survive their powerful hits. Items with life steal or mana steal can also help you stay alive longer.
Bring a strong mercenary. A good mercenary (like an Act 2 Defender with Insight) can deal extra damage and tank hits for you. Make sure your mercenary has good gear too—ethereal armor and weapons can make them much stronger.
Practice makes perfect. Colossal Ancients are not easy to beat on your first try. Take time to learn their attack patterns, adjust your kill order, and fix any weaknesses in your build. Each attempt will teach you something new.
Do not rush. This fight is about patience, not speed. Take your time to position yourself, heal when needed, and avoid unnecessary risks. Rushing in will likely lead to death, especially when the Ancients get stronger.