Is The Secret Cow Level Worth It? A Comprehensive Guide
The short answer? Yes, absolutely! The Secret Cow Level in Diablo II: Resurrected is undeniably worth your time, especially for players looking to bolster their characters with essential gear and resources. It’s not just nostalgia; this legendary level remains a powerful farming ground for a variety of items crucial for progression and character optimization. Whether you’re a veteran player or new to Sanctuary, understanding the benefits and nuances of the Cow Level is key to your success. Let’s dive into why the Secret Cow Level continues to be a favored destination for Diablo II: Resurrected players.
Why Farm the Secret Cow Level?
The allure of the Secret Cow Level lies in its unique combination of monster density, item diversity, and relatively straightforward mechanics. Unlike many areas where enemies are sparse and difficult to manage, the Cow Level is packed with a horde of Hell Bovines, making it incredibly efficient for mass farming. Here’s a breakdown of the specific advantages:
Abundant Item Drops
The Cow Level is notorious for dropping a wide range of items, including:
- Socketed Normal Items: These are fundamental for creating powerful runewords, making them highly sought after.
- Runes: Essential for crafting runewords, runes are a staple of the Diablo II economy and character development, and the Cow Level has a decent drop rate.
- Jewels and Gems: Valuable for crafting and socketing, these items add additional customization to your gear.
- Set Items, Uniques, and Rares: While not the primary focus for most Cow Level runs, these items still have a good chance of dropping and can significantly enhance your character’s strength.
Efficient Farming
The high density of cows ensures that you’re consistently engaged in combat and generating loot. This makes Cow Runs incredibly time-efficient, maximizing your returns in a given play session. Moreover, the simple AI of the cows makes them relatively easy to defeat, allowing players of all character builds to farm this zone effectively.
Less Emphasis on Magic Find
Unlike some areas where Magic Find is crucial for maximizing rare item drops, the Cow Level is most often farmed without it. This is because it’s optimized for finding socketed normal items, runes, jewels, and gems, which aren’t primarily affected by Magic Find. This means you can prioritize damage and survivability over magic find equipment, making your character more efficient at killing quickly.
How to Access the Secret Cow Level
Before you can experience the rewards of this infamous level, you need to fulfill a few requirements:
- Complete the Main Questline: You must defeat Baal in the same difficulty you intend to run the Cow Level. This means completing Quest 6 of Act 5 in that difficulty.
- The Key Item: You’ll need Wirt’s Leg and a Tome of Town Portal. Wirt’s Leg is found in the Stony Field by interacting with Wirt’s Corpse.
- The Horadric Cube: Combine Wirt’s Leg and a Tome of Town Portal in the Horadric Cube and transmute them. This will create a red portal to the Secret Cow Level, which opens in the Rogue Encampment.
Important Considerations
- The Cow Level portal can only be opened once per game.
- The Cow Level portal stays open for the duration of the game even after the level is fully cleared.
- In Diablo II: Resurrected, unlike classic Diablo II, killing the Cow King will not prevent you from opening future cow portals.
The Rewards in Detail
While we’ve covered the general rewards, let’s dig deeper into why these items are so important:
Socketed Normal Items
These items form the foundation of many powerful runewords. The ability to find good base items (e.g., Crystal Sword, Monarch Shield, Archon Plate) with the correct number of sockets is crucial for gearing up your character. The Secret Cow Level provides a relatively consistent supply of these base items.
Runes
Runes are essential for creating some of the most powerful and influential items in the game through runewords. While not the most efficient area to find the very highest runes, the Cow Level has a respectable drop rate for runes of all levels, and consistent farming can net you a decent supply over time. On average, you might find a high rune roughly every 350 runs.
Jewels and Gems
Jewels are versatile items used to add stats to your gear, while gems can be used for crafting and socketing. The steady flow of both gems and jewels from the Cow Level is valuable for improving the overall power of your character.
Set Items, Uniques, and Rares
While not as frequent as other drops, these items provide that extra bit of excitement for players, and the chance for these items makes farming the Secret Cow Level even more exciting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many times can you do the Secret Cow Level?
You can do the Secret Cow Level as many times as you want in Diablo II: Resurrected. The previous limitation where killing the Cow King would prevent further portals no longer exists.
2. How many cow runs does it take to get a high rune?
On average, you will find a high rune approximately every 350 Cow Runs. However, this is based on probability and can vary significantly.
3. When can I access the Secret Cow Level?
You can access the Secret Cow Level after you have killed Baal and completed Quest 6 of Act 5 on the same difficulty you want to farm it in.
4. Is the Cow Level a lie?
The Cow Level originated as a hoax in the original Diablo, but became a real hidden level in Diablo II, making it one of the most famous and well-known urban legends in video gaming.
5. Can you repeat Secret Cow Level after killing Cow King?
Yes, in Diablo II: Resurrected, killing the Cow King does not prevent you from opening new portals to the Secret Cow Level on the same difficulty.
6. What are the odds of getting a Jah rune?
The odds for a Jah rune drop are 3:3962 from the highest rune drop pool (Runes 16), or approximately 0.0757%.
7. Is the Cow Level good for rune farming?
The Secret Cow Level is a good spot for farming Runes, especially for lower and mid-level runes. High runes can be acquired over time, but other areas may be slightly more efficient. It’s best farmed without Magic Find gear when focusing on runes.
8. How do you open the cow level portal?
You open the Cow Level portal by using Wirt’s Leg (found in the Stony Field) and a Tome of Town Portal in the Horadric Cube and transmuting them in the Rogue Encampment.
9. Can a Monarch shield drop in Nightmare cows?
No, a Monarch Shield cannot drop in Nightmare. It can drop in Hell difficulty. The Hell Cow Level and Hell Act 1 areas like the Pit are great places to find it.
10. What is the best Diablo class for farming?
The best class for farming in Diablo 4 depends on the specific build and patch. However, Barbarian and Druid classes have some very strong and efficient farming builds. For Diablo II: Resurrected, Paladins, Sorceresses, and Javazons are often favored for their effectiveness in the Cow Level.
11. How rare is a Gul rune?
A Gul rune has a 1 in 11 chance to drop as part of the Hellforge quest on Hell difficulty.
12. How rare are Zod runes?
The chance of a rune dropped by a lvl 81+ monster being a Zod is 1:5171. Creating a Zod through cubing requires an immense amount of resources, around 14 trillion El runes through Horadric Cube transmutations.
13. What does the Cow King drop?
The Cow King drops various Stamina Potions. Killing the Cow King will not affect the ability to open future cow levels in D2R.
14. Does the Cow Level Portal stay open?
Yes, the Cow Level portal stays open for the rest of the game session, allowing you to enter and exit as many times as you wish even after the zone is fully cleared. It only closes when the game is exited.
15. What’s the best way to farm the Secret Cow Level?
The best way to farm the Secret Cow Level is to use a character build that has good area-of-effect damage and can quickly kill groups of cows. Focus on finding the best socketed bases, runes, jewels, and gems. Avoid magic find gear, and be consistent in your farming strategy.
Conclusion
The Secret Cow Level in Diablo II: Resurrected is not only a nostalgic nod to the past but also a legitimate and highly valuable farming location. Whether you’re searching for that perfect socketed base item, aiming to collect as many runes as possible, or looking for consistent drops, the Cow Level is a destination you should frequently visit. Its ease of access, efficient farming capabilities, and variety of rewards make it a staple of the Diablo II: Resurrected experience. So, gear up, grab your Wirt’s Leg, and prepare to face the bovine horde – the rewards are most certainly worth it.