Nightmare dungeons in Diablo 4 are randomized endgame dungeons that become available once a player reaches level 60 and enters the Nightmare difficulty level. Read our Diablo 4 Season 3 Nightmare dungeon tier list, we're ranking the best NMD for leveling and glyph.
Diablo 4 Season 3 Best Nightmare Dungeon - D4 S3 NM Dungeon Tier List & Ranking
There are different Nightmare dungeons spread throughout the Diablo IV that unlock as the player progresses through the story. The best D4 Season 3 NMDs will provide the fastest experience gains through optimal monster density and layout efficiency. This allows players to level and progress their seasonal characters at the quickest pace. Faster clearing in high-density NMDs means more drops and chances at upgrades per hour. Players can gear up their character more quickly by targeting the best Nightmare dungeons in Diablo 4. Now, let's delve in to our D4 S3 Nightmare dungeon ranking!
D4 Season 3 Leveling NMD Tier List
We rank the best Diablo 4 Season 3 leveling Nightmare dungeons based on optimal monster density, positioning, and layout efficiency for fast and steady experience gains during leveling runs.
| Nightmare Dungeon | Ranking | Reason |
| S Tier | Mercy’s Reach | Provides very good density and monster packs that give good experience. Located close to waypoints as well. |
| S Tier | Blind Burrows | Also has excellent density and mob packs. Can be cleared quickly. |
| S Tier | Uldur’s Cave | Effective layout with mobs packed close together, leading to fast clearing and XP gain. |
| S Tier | Mariner’s Refuge | Similar to above dungeons in having optimal mob density and positioning for effective leveling. |
| S Tier (Glyph) | Ghoa Ruins | Super interesting for glyphs farming |
| S Tier(Glyph) | Guulrahn Canals | Super interesting for glyphs farming |
| A Tier | Dead Mans Dredge | Slightly lower density than S tier but still offers good XP return. |
| A Tier | Bastion Of Faith | Decent density and space allows for efficient clearing. |
| A Tier | Deserted Underpass | Layout isn't as dense as top picks but monster density is high enough for quick runs. |
| A Tier | Aldurwood | While spread out, monster types provide steady stream of XP. |
| A Tier | Champion’s Demise | May be slightly less packed than S tier but still solid XP gains. |
| B Tier | Maugan’s Works | Density drops off a bit compared to above. More running between packs. |
| B Tier | Betrayer’s Row | Similar to Maugan's Works with slightly lower density that impacts clear speed. |
| B Tier | Charnel House | Layout less efficient for quick clearing compared to optimal density of top picks. |
| D Tier | Kor Dragan Barracks | Very spread out layout makes clearing inefficiently slow compared to denser options. |
| D Tier | Akkhan’s Grasp | Monsters not packed closely together, requiring more running between packs. |
| D Tier | Faceless Shrine | Odd corridors and configurations lead to time spent navigating instead of damaging. |
| D Tier | Light’s Refuge | Open areas mean monsters aren't as concentrated for AoE damage potential. |
| D Tier | Serpent’s Lair | Paths double back frequently, increasing non-combat time spent traveling. |
| D Tier | Collapsed Vault | Ruined state leaves monster placement disjointed without clear flow. |
| D Tier | Prison of Caldeum | Divided chambers separate mobs, diminishing effectiveness of group clearing potential. |
| D Tier | Shivta Ruins | Mazelike design leads to disorientation and backtracking as optimal paths aren't immediately clear. |
| D Tier | Tomb of the Saints | Narrow corridors bottleneck movement while lacking suitable mob densities. |
| D Tier | Komdor Temple | Vast spaces see mobs thinly spread out, lowering effective kills per hour. |
| D Tier | Path of the Blind | Blind corners throughout make effective rotations difficult and dangerous without visual cues. |
Best Diablo 4 Season 3 Nightmare Leveling Routes
1. Leveling Strats
Follow the season quest as far as possible
Do your class quest as soon as possible (lvl 15 or 25 depending on the class)
After the class quest, go look for your main affix (some specs don't need this step at all)
Equip the affix if you can (on an amulet, not a weapon), this step shows the importance of properly disenchanting everything at the enchanter
From this step there are 2 'schools'
2. 1st school: the brutes
Underground Realm tunnels until lvl 42-48, this depends on your class and confidence in the tunnels, advancing too quickly to T3 can generally slow down your XP speed
Capstone Dungeon between 42-48, pay close attention to items dropping in Cathedral of Light as they can be HUGE upgrades
Underground Realm tunnels in T3 until around 58-62
Gear enchanting/leveling
Capstone Dungeon
Beginning of T4, we strongly advise doing outside in order to recover an ancestral item set, helltides can be a bit rough at 60 so see the new seasonal zones. Supplement with Underground Realm tunnels until 65-66
Catch up on any delay in the seasonal mechanic
Beginning of Endgame rotation between helltides/Nightmare Dungeon/Vaults, prepare components for Grigoire/Vasharn/Zir according to desired unique items, all until reaching lvl 100 (you'll likely finish in full Nightmare Dungeon)
3. 2nd school: those who became claustrophobic and don't like tunnels
Everything will take place in the outside world, the goal is to complete World Tree quests in locations where the seasonal mechanic will be present, World Tree quests provide very reasonable XP + good gearing
Don't hesitate to rotate between dungeons that function as World Tree quests too
You'll have much better gearing than the first method and your pet should be much further along making capstones much simpler, We'd aim for lvl 40-44 to transition to T3
Once in T3, repeat the method with the added ability to begin Helltides which will allow starting your aspect collection
T3 complete, seasonal quests should allow further progression, make them your absolute priority
T4 transition around lvl 60
In T4 we should have access to the end of the seasonal mechanic, it's possible more leveling is needed before tackling the very last boss but do it as soon as possible.
