The Horadric Cube and Shaft: Recommended Level: 15-18 Quest Given By: Atma Location: Dry Hills, Far Oasis Difficulty: Moderately Easy Reward: Staff of Kings, Horadric Cube Objectives: Find the Horadric Cube and Shaft

Introduction:
The Horadric Staff is probably one of the longest missions in Diablo II, spanning a total of three dungeons; each of which contains one of the components you need to piece together the Horadric Staff. The Horadric Cube is located in the Halls of the Dead, the Shaft in the Maggot Lair and the Headpiece in the Claw Viper Temple.

This mission guide will brief you on how to obtain the first two of the artifacts above. You’ll get the Head Piece at the same time as you complete the third quest, Tainted Sun and hence it’ll be covered in our next guide. Unlike Act I, the wilderness of Act II contains a huge amount of monsters which deal poison attacks, so keep plenty of Antidote Potions Ready.

Locating Halls of the Dead:

Corpse Explosion remains as the most useful spell for the Necromancer. Once one monsters dies, you can start a chain reaction to kill the rest.

Now the easiest of three artifacts to obtain in the Horadric Cube, which rests in the Halls of the Dead and above Dry Hills. To reach it, take the gate out of Lut Gholein and start exploring the Rocky Wasteland.

The Rocky Wasteland hosts a whole new set of monsters, Saber Cats, Spear Cats, Giant Vultures and Leapers being the most abundant. While they are all fast and deal significant damage, they have comparatively small hitpoints and can be destroyed via any mass damage skill. There’s also a non-quest dungeon in the Dry Hills, which you should pay a visit to if you’re on the lower side of the recommended level. Once that done, proceed to find an exit into the Dry Hills.

The Dry Hills encompasses a large area, featuring two separate terrain levels. You’ll be fighting more Spear and Saber Cats here, as well as Undead Scavengers (Tougher Vultures). The Spear Cats now throw exploding potions, and can prove quite dangerous in groups, so make sure to either keep moving, or kill them first. Search around the Wasteland, and you’ll find a ramp upward somewhere on the opposite side.

The Upper level contains the same monsters, but also a waypoint and an entrance into the Halls of the Dead. Once you find both, take the entrance to the dungeon, you’re now well on your way in retrieving the first artifact.

Locating the Horadric Cube:

A Necromancer can use corpses in more way than one. Here he sends his foes into an explosive death.

There are three levels of similar size in the Halls of the Dead, where the Horadric Cube is located at the very end. Each level is excessively large, so it’ll take a while to navigate through. You’ll be faced with Dessert Wings, Decayed (Tougher Dried Corpses), Spear Cats, Hollow ones and in some cases, Death Beetles, Burning Dead Archers and Horrors.

The Monsters are tough here, so make sure you use the terrain to your advantage. Never charge right into an unexplored room unless you’re going to use a spell like Nova. Instead lead the monsters out so they face you one at a time. When combating Hollow ones, try to destroy their minions with cold so they can’t be resurrected. Cold also works well on the Hollow Ones themselves, slowing them down so you can deal with the lesser minions.

A Sorceress and a Necromancer charges for the Hollow One’s after their minions were cleared. Here the Sorceress Unleashes a Frost Nova to shatter her enemies.

Somewhere around level 2, you’ll encounter a room full of Hollow Ones that are led by a hero, this is perhaps the toughest part of the dungeon. There’ll be two shrines in the room, which can significantly help you out… so be sure to use them. Lead the monsters outside the room and deal with them without worry of the Hollow Ones before charging in. Then use the shrines to boost yourself, before engaging the dozen mummies or so. Before exiting the level, make sure to find the Waypoint, it’ll prove quite helpful if you die.

Once that’s done, the third level is comparatively easy. The Horadric Cube is guarded by a few dozen Cat Warriors and a random hero, but can be easily annihilated via any area of effect spell. If you’re a warrior, lead them outside, so they don’t have a chance to throw their javelins. The hero himself has only around 150 hitpoints or so, and can be easily dealt with. After you clear the monsters, enter the room, open the glowing chest, and collect the Horadric Cube.

Launch a portal from your location and talk to Cain. He’ll give you some rather useful formulae for the Horadric Cube. However there’s another useful one he failed to mention. Three gems of one kind and quality can be transmuted to one Gem of higher quality. With flawed gems being so much more abundant than the rest, here’s you’re chance to get some better ones. Other formulae are also available, but they ain’t exactly useful.

The Horadric Cube also helps enlarge your inventory, as it takes up four squares but offer 12 squares inside. So keep it in your inventory and get ready to retrieve the Horadric Shaft

Locating the Maggot Lair:
The Shaft of the Horadric Staff is located in the Maggot Lair, a dungeon found in the Far Oasis. Use the waypoint to get you back to the Bitter Hills and search for a second exit, it’ll most likely be located on the upper level of the Hill. Take the exit and you’ll be in Far Oasis.

The swarms of insects can be real hindrance in Far Oasis, however one or two Nova spells can send them to hell.

The Far Oasis is populated with Black Raptors (like Tougher Blood Hawks), more Saber and Spear cats, as well as Scarab Beetles and Itches. Scarab Beetles of tough things that spit acid, and can deal Poison Damage in melee. These guys are probably best dealt with via far range. The Itches, consist entirely of Insect Swarms, are quite deadly in numbers. They can stack up, deal massive damage and drain your stamina. For mages, it’s essential you don’t get near them or they’ll tear you apart. Warriors have more options, although a bow is preferred.

Like the Bitter Hills, Far Oasis is also split into two defiant heights. The waypoint is usually found on the lower level while the entrance to the maggot layer in on the upper one. If you stumble across a second exit (it leads to The Lost City), it’s recommended you don’t take it. As soon as you enter that area, you’ll enable the Tainted Sun quest. This will curse the whole outside area with eternal darkness, which can hinder you quite a bit if you’re a mage. Instead stay away and search for a whole in sand.

Locating the Maggot Lair:

The Narrow Passageways causes flying creates such as the Black Locust to bunch up into tight swarms. There must be around ten separate swarms in the bunch shown here.

Once you find the entrance, proceed down cautiously. It may pay now to make sure you have enough antidote potions since many of the monsters you’ll be fighting dead little physical, but serious poison damage. Always have the antidotes on your belt for quick access. Once ready, start exploring.

The Maggot Layout consists of a huge network of passageways, dug out by the Mother of all Scarab Beetles. They are so narrow that you’ll only be able to fit single file. This is a mission where you should not hire mercenaries, as they’ll serve only to block your escape. There is however one advantage to tight fit, and that is you always know where your enemy is going to be. If you use a missile weapon, retreat after sighting enemies and then attack the ground in front of you. Your missiles always fly straight, and will hit the monsters that are well beyond your viewscreen! Necromancers will have a hard time, and should perhaps only summon Golems for on spot battles. More on that in our character tips…

The monsters here are Scarab Beetles, Rock Worms (Tougher Scarab Beetles) and Black Locusts (Tougher Itches). As a Dozen Locust Swarms can fit into one square, do not be fooled by appearances. Shoot them down with an area of effect skill or spell immediately. Both the Scarabs and Rock Worms lay eggs, and so are tough opponents.

In this fashion, explore each level till your on level 3. After more exploration, you’ll come across a chamber that’s filled to brim with beetles. You’ll recognize it as soon as you see the gigantic borrower worm that’s in the center.

A Sorceress Charges into the Middle of Mayhem to deliver a shocking death to the Beetles.

The entrance of the room is trapped, and will poison you as soon as you enter. The poison is deadly, and will take down more than 70hp of life, so make sure you have antidote potions ready. Leading out the beetles this time won’t work so well, since the adults release a continuos stream of young beetles at you. Instead, charge in and deal mayhem! Details are in our character tips.

Once everyone is dead, you’ll find the Horadric Shaft in the room. Upon being identified, it’ll be renamed to the ‘Staff of Kings.’ It’s a powerful artifact, acting as a Battle Staff, which attacks at very fast speeds. It’s an ideal weapon for your Sorceress.

Launch a portal and talk to Cain, you are now missing only the Headpiece. Now take the exit to the Lost City via the waypoint to Far Oasis, you’ll get your third quest. Its reward is the headpiece, so information in completing both quests can be found in our next walkthrough.

Class Specific Tips:

Only Corpse Explosion can cause so much Carnage... As with before, your two primary spells are again Iron Maiden and Corpse Explosion, both of which should be at least level 2 by now. Spear Cats, Itches and their kin all deal a lot of damage for their hit points, which makes them ideal targets for Iron Maiden. This and Corpse Explosion, along with 2-3 Bone Mages and a Clay Golem will se eyou through the Halls of the Dead. As the Hollow Ones as simply weaker replicates of Radament, the same strategies will kill them. The Maggot Layer proved to be much more difficult, as your minions will be more hindrance than help. They’ll block your route of escape and sometimes even trap you completely, and hence forcing you to unsummon them before you can do anything else. Bone Mages are probably the best of the bad lot, as they are the only ones who can attack from behind you. When you use golems, you’ll need to summon them on the spot so that they appear in front and unsummon them after battle. In this case, use Iron Maiden on all the beetles and swarms. As soon as one dies, you can launch a trigger reaction to kill them all. If you are level 18, Bone Spear will be you savior. It’s ability to penetrate through many foes in a straight line can create miracles here (Still use corpse explosion after one of them dies).

A Sorceress uses Nova to annihilate all things in the maggot infested tunnels. The Sorceress should rely on Nova and Ice Blast (Fire Mages should use firewall). Cast Ice Blast on the Hollow Ones and use Nova to take care of the rest. Frost Nova is also great for slowing them, so that your nova bolts will shatter all the corpses. This’ll leave nothing for the Hollows one’s to raise. In the Maggot Layout and Far Oasis, Nova is the best spell against those pesky insects. If you get overwhelmed, run back and cast Ice Blast in their general direction. Due to the confined space, you’ll always hit. One you reach the final lair, run in can cast Frost Nova till they’re all dead.

The best way to deal against hollow ones here is with a roar. This will leave his minions fleeing, leaving a gap for you to charge through and quickly dispatch the Hollow Ones. Once they’re dead, the minions are cannon fodder. Roar in the Maggot here is very useful, since the confined space often causes the monsters to have no where to run. Instead of fleeing, they’ll be left trying to walkover their brethren. These gives you chance to score free hits, while they do nothing at all.

By the time you reach Halls of the Dead, you should be at a level where your Zeal is should be used as your primary attack for the most of the time. Using Zeal as primary attack, and using the lightning aura can be a good combo for dealing out a lot of damage when surrounded by a ot of enemies. Going for the Hollow Ones always a good first hit, careful not to get surrounded though. Plow through the dungeon using potions to refill you when you need. When you make it to the room with the "Cube's Chest" in it, switch to the thorns aura to take out the hero and minions that are in there. In the Maggot Lair, again use Zeal as your primary attack, and either of the Fire Aura, Cold Aura, or Lightning Aura. The auras will deal the damage to take out the Rock Worm Young, while you attack on the Rock Worms themselves. Since the Maggot Lair halls are thin, it is very rare that you will be surrounded. Once you arrive at the Maggot Lair Hive where the "Horadric Shaft" is, make sure your belt is full of potions. Charge in using the same aura, and Zeal. Clear a path to the "Mother Bettle" and kill her, and her minions - Zeal will automatically attack anything that gets to close to comfort. After the gory guts paint the walls, collect your prize and voila.

Use a stream of Fire Arrows to pick off the Hollow Ones in the Halls of the Dead. If there’s too many minions in the way, lead them out and dispatch them. In the Maggot Layout, a bow or a throwing javelin is your best friend. Whenever you turn into a new passage, fire into the darkness. It’s likely that you’ll hit something. Keep throwing if you do, and you’ll be able to kill them before they ever catch sight of you.

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