Diablo 4 is actually bloody good again (see what I did there), and I've been having a blast taking down hordes of new enemies. As I've plunged into the dark world of Season 2: Season of Blood, a new menace has emerged in Sanctuary — an army of vampires led by the ancient Lord Zir.
To combat these fanged foes, you must wield the vampire powers within the Sanguine Circle. But what are the most potent vampiric abilities? Which powers should you prioritize for leveling up, and do certain powers suit specific classes better? In this article, I aim to answer these questions. So, without further ado, let's delve into the enigmatic Sanguine Circle and unravel its secrets
What is the Sanguine Circle?
Within your inventory, you'll discover a new tab called the Sanguine Circle, which unlocks as you progress through the seasonal storyline. As your journey unfolds, you'll find yourself afflicted by the vampire curse. Thankfully, thanks to the lingering blood of Lilith within you, you won't transform into a gruesome vampire. Instead, you can harness the powers of the vampire hordes through the Sanguine Circle.
There are a total of 22 Vampire powers at your disposal, but you can only equip five at a time. Once you've selected your preferred powers, they'll appear as 'inactive' unless you have enough Pacts on your armor. We'll explore Pacts in more detail later. For now, let's focus on how you can unlock these remarkable abilities.
How do I unlock all the Vampiric Powers?
To access all 22 Vampiric Powers, you must participate in specific seasonal activities to collect Potent Blood. This precious substance serves both to unlock and upgrade your Vampiric Powers. You can obtain Potent Blood by:
- Eliminating Blood Seekers within the Blood Harvest area or encountering them in dungeons.
- Opening chests in the Blood Harvest (known as Seeker's Cache) with Seeker Keys you acquire by defeating vampires.
- Completing the Blood Harvest event.
The Blood Harvest summoning event offers the quickest means to amass substantial quantities of Potent Blood, but it necessitates 150 blood lures in total to activate. In a group, each member can contribute 50 blood lures to the altar, which is a great way to share the load. If you're not in a party, simply hanging around the area can lead other players to join in.
Once you've accumulated 25 Potent Blood, you can select a power to unlock or upgrade. By the time you reach the midpoint of your seasonal journey, you'll likely have unlocked all of them.
Additionally, two powers are attainable by completing the Hunters Acclaim board in town, and five are offered as quest rewards for finishing the new Season story. This quest isn't particularly lengthy, so we recommend completing it to access the most potent vampiric enhancements.
What are the best Vampire powers to choose in Diablo 4?
These powers are accessible across all classes, but they vary in effectiveness, making some more coveted than others. To aid your selection, here's a tier list to consider when filling your Sanguine Circle with five powers and deciding which ones to prioritize for enhancement with Potent Blood:
This tier list provides a general ranking of power effectiveness across all classes and builds. The S-tier powers will benefit most builds and playstyles, but don't hesitate to make adjustments based on what complements your chosen abilities. We've also compiled a list of the best builds for each Diablo 4 class, featuring our recommended five powers for each build.
How do I activate my Vampiric powers?
When you place your powers in the Sanguine Circle, you may notice that some, if not all, are marked as inactive. This status is governed by Pacts on your armor.
Armor can either come with Pacts already applied, as shown in the image above, or you can add Pacts to your armor using tokens you'll acquire while playing the game. These tokens drop like any other loot, akin to slotting gems into your armor but far less costly.
All vampiric powers carry a Pact cost that must be met with equipped gear. These powers are divided into three categories:
- Ferocity
- Divinity
- Eternity
Each vampiric power can require varying combinations of these Pact types.
Each vampiric power can require varying combinations of these Pact types. Initially, it may seem complex, but in my experience, you'll stop worrying about Pacts and activation costs once you reach World Tier 4. Most endgame gear already has sufficient Pacts for your vampire powers to activate. Managing Pacts is mostly essential during the leveling process.
Cleansing acids offer the option to remove Pacts from your armor and replace them as needed, but with the frequent changes in armor during the game, I haven't found this feature necessary.
Go forth, and slay.
Vampiric powers serve as a fantastic way to enhance already robust builds, functioning like passive skills on your character's tree. While some are undoubtedly more valuable than others, don't let that deter you from experimenting. You'll effortlessly level up each of these powers throughout your season journey, so don't spend too much time deliberating in the upgrade menu. Upgrade them all and relish wielding your newfound vampire abilities!
