D4 items are much easier to target when you understand how the current Lair Boss system distributes rewards. Boss fights themselves are free to attempt, which removes one of the biggest barriers from the older summoning system. However, the Hoard that appears after the fight requires a Lair Key before you can claim its rewards.

For players farming D4 items, that means the key is now part of the actual planning process. In a group, each player must contribute their own key to receive Hoard rewards. Rather than jumping into every available boss fight, it makes more sense to decide which items you want and then choose your route accordingly.

Start With the Loot You Want

The easiest way to improve your farming routine is to work backward from your build.

If you need a class-specific Unique, check the relevant Initiate boss first. Grigoire is useful for Paingorger's Gauntlets, while Lord Zir is an important target for Sorcerers looking for Fractured Winterglass.

Beast in the Ice is another useful Initiate target because its pool contains several valuable Unique gloves and boots. These items can have a major effect on certain builds, so running the correct boss can save a lot of time compared with relying on random drops.

Understand the Three Tiers

Initiate bosses are the entry point to the current key economy. Normal Lair Keys can come from Helltide chests, War Plans, Mercenary Bartering, and Kurast Undercity.

After defeating an Initiate boss and opening its Hoard, you can obtain a Greater Lair Key. Those keys are then used for Greater bosses such as Duriel, Andariel, Harbinger of Hatred, and Bloody Butcher.

Exalted bosses sit at the top of the system and use special materials. Belial is the major target here, and his encounter is especially interesting for players chasing Mythic Uniques. However, his required materials are considerably harder to maintain.

Use Duriel and Andariel for Broader Farming

Not every farming session needs to focus on one class-specific item. Sometimes you are rebuilding a character and need several useful Uniques at once.

This is where Duriel and Andariel become attractive. Their pools contain several popular general targets, including Godslayer Crown and Razorplate. They are also useful when you want more opportunities to improve an almost-complete build.

Universal drops such as Fists of Fate, Crown of Lucion, Tibault's Will, and Banished Lord's Talisman can also influence your decision. If you do not have a single item that absolutely defines your next upgrade, broader boss farming can make more sense.

Treat Belial Runs as Special Sessions

I would keep Exalted farming separate from ordinary boss rotations. Belial requires special resources such as Betrayer's Husks, so wasting them on an unplanned run can be frustrating.

His Mythic-focused rewards make him worth preparing for, but preparation matters. Gather enough special materials first, then run the encounter when you can commit to a proper farming session.

This approach also prevents a common mistake: spending rare resources simply because you have them. A few minutes of planning can make a limited supply last much longer.

Build Keys While You Play

Mercenary progression offers one of the easiest ways to maintain your supply. Once Sububo, or SUO, reaches Level 8, Boss Summoning Caches become available through Fira's bartering vendor.

Pale Marks from mercenary rapport can be exchanged for these caches, which can contain multiple normal and Greater Lair Keys. The advantage is that your key farming does not always have to involve another dungeon or dedicated grinding route.

Helltides are the more active alternative. Using three Mindcage stacks and selecting Helltide-focused War Plans nodes can improve your access to key-generating activities. Elite Hellwyrms can provide additional keys, and normal Lair Bosses can also appear during Helltides.

Maximize Keys Per Hour

When farming Greater Keys from Initiate Hoards, I would prioritize kill speed over unnecessary difficulty. If your character can destroy the boss quickly on a lower difficulty, there is little reason to make the fight take several times longer.

The goal is not to prove that your build can handle the hardest available version. The goal is to open as many useful Hoards as possible within your farming session.

That same mindset applies to the entire system. Farm normal keys efficiently, convert them through Initiate Hoards, save Greater Keys for worthwhile targets, and reserve Exalted materials for specific goals. If you are short on preparation resources, you can also look into cheap Diablo 4 materials to fill gaps before starting a focused Lair rotation.