If you're chasing something as stubborn as the Hand of Naz, you'll figure out fast that "just keep playing" isn't a plan. RNG is RNG, sure, but your odds change a lot depending on what you're feeding it. I like to treat it like a loot schedule, not a mood. I'll do a short loop of the activities that consistently spit out high-end drops, then reset before it turns into a slog, and I keep my build and stash set up for quick swaps. If you're also sorting through D4 items and trying to understand what's actually worth your time, that mindset helps a ton.

Nightmare Dungeons That Actually Pay Off

Nightmare Dungeons are still the main grind, but you can't run them like a tourist. Be picky with Sigils. Go for layouts where elites come in waves and you're not backtracking through empty rooms. If you're spending more time jogging than fighting, toss that Sigil. A lot of players make the same mistake: pushing the highest tier they can technically survive. Don't. Drop a few tiers and aim for clean, fast clears where you're never stopping to kite for your life. Your best metric is elites per minute, not bragging rights, and the run should feel like a steady sprint, not a boss fight.

Helltide Routes And Chest Discipline

When Helltide pops, I pivot immediately, even if I'm mid-dungeon mood. The density is the whole point. You want a simple route you can repeat: big packs, quick events, no downtime. Scoop Cinders nonstop and don't blow them on whatever chest is closest just because it's glowing. Save for Tortured Gifts of Mysteries when they're up, or weapon-type chests if you're narrowing your loot pool. It's also worth glancing at a community map so you're not doing laps in the wrong subzone. That one habit alone can turn a "meh" Helltide into a proper haul.

Boss Timers, Whispers, And Stacking Rewards

World Bosses are annoying to wait for, but the actual kill is usually quick, and the loot is basically a free swing at your target. I'll often plan my play session around the next spawn, then fill the gap with Tree of Whispers objectives in the same region. That way you're not doing separate chores for separate rewards. If a Whisper dungeon lines up with a Nightmare Sigil you like, even better. You're stacking rolls on top of rolls, and it feels less like grinding and more like being efficient on purpose.

World Tier, Group Speed, And Cutting The Grind

For the best odds you really want to be in World Tier 4, but staying there only matters if you can farm smoothly. If Torment turns every pull into a panic, you're losing time. Grouping fixes a lot: faster clears, fewer deaths, and you can swap duplicates when luck lands on the wrong person. And if you're short on time or just sick of waiting on drops, it's not weird to look at services like eznpc for things such as buying currency or picking up specific items so you can get back to playing the fun parts instead of living in the loot lottery.