Diablo III‘s Challenge Rifts are a great way to learn about other classes and gear setups while providing some rewards for progression. Every Monday at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT/Tuesday at 4 AM Central European, a new Challenge Rift goes live. Each Rift has a predetermined class setup with abilities and items. The dungeon itself is also pre-set, so the layout and locations of elite enemies will always be the same in the same Rift. Challenge Rifts are modeled after real players’ builds during Greater Rift clears, and are different between regions. Here’s our guide on Challenge Rift 294 NA/EU regions inDiablo III.
Diablo III: Challenge Rift 294 NA/EU – Guide
Challenge Rift requirements
First, let’s discuss the requirements to start a Challenge Rift. You must have cleared at least one Greater Rift on your account to access the Challenge Rifts. Of course, you need a level 70 character to access the Greater Rifts. Additionally, if you have accounts in multiple regions, you’ll need to ensure you meet the requirements on that account to start a Challenge Rift.
Challenge Rift rewards
Completing aDiablo IIIChallenge Rift grants you a Challenge Rift cache. These caches can be claimed on any character, though most players tend to claim them on fresh characters. This is because of the cache’s contents include a large amount of crafting materials used to jumpstart the leveling process. The contents of a Challenge Rift Cache are always the same:
These materials are more than enough to level all three Artisans to the max and craft some powerful gear.
Challenge Rift 294 NA
Diablo IIIChallenge Rift 294 in North America uses a Crusader build with the Roland’s Legacy set. The set bonus grants significant buffs to the abilities ‘Shield Bash’ and ‘Sweep Attack,’ but we only have access to Sweep Attack. Of course, Sweep Attack will be our primary damage dealer, and several other notable items will buff it further. Other abilities used in the build include ‘Steed Charge’ for movement, along with ‘Iron Skin’ and ‘Akarat’s Champion’ for defensive buffs. ‘Law of Valor’ grants an attack speed buff, and the final skill, ‘Condemn,’ has the Vacuum rune to suck up enemies and group them together.
The main idea of the build is to move around with Steed Charge while using Condemn to suck enemies in, then pulverizing them with Sweep Attack. Law of Valor can be activated for increased attack speed and reduced Wrath cost on Sweep Attack. Iron Skin and Akarat’s Champion are mainly there as defensive buffs, but Iron Skin also grants movement speed if you take damage while it’s active. Meanwhile, Akarat’s Champion buffs your damage, armor, Wrath regeneration, and a cheat death mechanic. One of the build’s passives, Indestructible, also provides a cheat death mechanic. Akarat’s Champion is on a 90-second cooldown, while Indestructible is on a 60-second cooldown.
Challenge Rift 294 EU
Diablo IIIChallenge Rift 294 in Europe also uses a Crusader build but with the Aegis of Valor set. The set bonus provides significant buffs to the abilities ‘Fist of the Heavens’ and ‘Heaven’s Fury,’ both of which are equipped for this Challenge Rift. As you can probably tell, these two abilities are our primary damage dealers. Some similar abilities to the NA Challenge Rift are also slotted, such as Steed Charge and Law of Valor. Also slotted are the abilities ‘Phalanx’ and ‘Punish.’ Note that one of the cubed items in this build buffs Phalanx to last indefinitely, which you should take advantage of.
This build’s main idea is also to run around with Steed Charge and use Fist of the Heavens and Heaven’s Fury to deal damage. Fist of the Heavens has a larger area of effect, so use the skill primarily, with the occasional Heaven’s Fury thrown in. Due to your set effect, using these abilities buffs your next cast of the other. Punish is only really there if you run out of Wrath using the Heaven abilities, but remember to cast Phalanx at the beginning. Remember that you also have Law of Valor, which increases attack speed and reduces Wrath cost on your abilities.
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Matt Henzel
Matt is a Contributing Writer with PC Invasion, having started in December 2022. His favorite genres include RPGs of any kind (MMOs, ARPGs and straight up story based, like Mass Effect) and Shooters. Matt has a Certification in Digital Marketing from Montclair State University, and loves to work out and experience nature when he’s not gaming.
