The Altar of Ruin Stronghold in Diablo 4 is all about defeating the tricky boss Dark Cardinal Maldul to rid the area of the cult that has seen the people of the village worship Maldul as a god.
Conquering the Altar of Ruin Stronghold in Diablo 4 also gives you a chance to unlock the Sepulcher of the Forsworn dungeon, so here’s how you can do so.
Where to find the Altar of Ruin Stronghold in Diablo 4
Getting to the Altar of Ruin stronghold may require you to do a bit of excessive traveling in Diablo 4. Firstly, there are no towns nearby since Zarbinzet (the closest town) is located pretty far from the Altar of Ruin.
There are multiple ways of getting to the Altar of Ruin depending on which direction you are approaching from. If you are coming in from Dry Steppes, you can travel from the Scarred Coast all the way down to the Altar of Ruin.
Otherwise, you can cross the Amber Sands to reach the stronghold from the south.
How to complete the Altar of Ruin in Kehjistan
The recommended level for attempting the Altar of Ruin Stronghold is level 48 in Diablo 4 since the enemies that spawn within its premises are Level 45.
Obtain all three Keystones
As follow along the route to the Altar of Ruin Stronghold and reach the location, you’ll notice that your entry to it is restricted. The entrance doors have been blocked off so you’ll need to find an alternate path inside.
Head on over to the route to the side of the main entrance to find a narrow space through which you can crawl inside. As you take this alternate path, you’ll need to continue forward until you find yourself inside the inner chamber.
You’ll be welcomed by several worshippers of Baal who will confront you. You’ll need to eliminate these cultists before you can proceed. Notice that all of these enemies will be protecting themselves with shields which will make taking them out just a little more troublesome.
As you clear out the entire area of enemies, you’ll complete the objective and receive all three of their Ritual Chamber Keystones. You’ll need them to unlock the door and grant yourself access.
So, pick them up, approach the large doorway, and head on inside the Altar of Ruin stronghold of Diablo 4.
Defeat Dark Cardinal Maldul
After you open the door by using the three Ritual Chamber Keystones, you’ll confront Dark Cardinal Maldul in a boss fight. But before you get a chance to exchange blows with him, you’ll be confronted with two waves of his subordinates.
The enemies you face here include three Unholy, an Annihilator Shaman, and several Fallens. You’ll need to make quick work of them and then proceed onto the actual boss fight.
After you defeat the enemy waves, you’ll notice that you have knocked off Maldul’s shield meaning you’ll be able to damage him. This will be far from a solo encounter as Maldul will continually spawn Fallens to aid him in battle.
You’ll need to maintain your distance to avoid his attacks and continue to damage Maldul and take out the enemy Fallen spawns using range attacks. His magic circles are especially deadly so be sure to avoid them.
We suggest you should avoid Melee-focused builds as it will be a nightmare to handle them. Some useful tips are to opt for a Necromancer class and use your army of the dead to keep the Fallen occupied.
Hydra and Inferno teleportation is another good escape strategy from Maldul’s attacks if you are running a Sorcerer class build.
After Maldul has been taken care of you can return to the stronghold entrance and interact with the Wanderer Shrine to rekindle it and conquer the Altar of Ruin Stronghold in Diablo 4.
A waypoint will unlock and you’ll also be able to access the Sepulcher of the Forsworn dungeon.
