Quote (Kerygma @ Oct 10 2021 03:11am)

In order to help all the returning players and to add to the content that D2 streamers have so far missed recently, this post is a guide for getting to Nihlathak quickly in order to farm Keys of Destruction.

Note that the portal no longer closes when you both get the waypoint to the Halls of Pain and kill Nihlathak in D2R. So there's no need to teleport from Pindle anymore.

In any case, getting to Nihlathak is really quite simple.

The Halls of Pain
There are three set maps with the following layouts. You'll get the hang of these quickly.

https://i.imgur.com/OAgxw18.png

https://i.imgur.com/uBUQXI7.png

https://i.imgur.com/Cnkrbms.png

The Halls of Vaught
Now, to find Nihlathak you need to be familiar with the "eyes" graphic that looks like this:

https://i.imgur.com/sBibjpz.png

Nihlathak is always located down the hall that has this graphic in one of these red locations on the map:

https://i.imgur.com/yKqIozN.png


This information is also available elsewhere (like mephiztophelez's guide on Diablo Wiki), but nobody has yet put it in a single post with the updated graphics of D2R of which I am aware. I hope that you find this guide helpful.

Quote

So I've been getting to know old Nihl quite well this week, and he told me a little secret. His location can be determined as soon as you walk through the door; no need to check the four walls for the eye markings. This is a micro optimization that could help shave off a couple seconds for Nihl runners with some practice.


The torch. There's a torch to the left and the ground around it could be cluttered or clean.

Clean ground = lower paths

Messy ground = upper paths

I remember this as "clean torch, clean run" because I have better luck fighting him when he's in a lower chamber.


2. New eyes. Immediately to the right of the door there is a wall that might have eyes on it. From what I can tell, these were not there in classic D2. Follow these new eyes to have a chat with Nihl.

**New eyes = SE**

**No new eyes + clean torch = SW**

"Follow the new eyes"


3. Bone snapper. If the torch is cluttered, things are going to get messy. This one is hard to see, especially if there is any glare on your screen. There's a wall around the corner to the right that has two versions. The normal version has three prominent, mostly intact skeletons. The other version has scattered bones embedded in the wall.

**Scattered bones = NW**

**Whole skeletons + messy torch = NE**

"Run away from bone snapper"

[IMG]https://preview.redd.it/6e6e40hqjgs71.png?width=2170&format=png&auto=webp&s=a20a5ca0af30db92aeb032c3b941b9ddc631bcf9[/IMG]