Exquisite Blood stands out as Diablo 4's most coveted resource due to its exclusive tie to Lord Zir, one of the game's premier endgame bosses for chasing ultra-rare Uber Uniques and build-defining legendaries. Unlike more common materials, it serves as the direct currency to unlock Zir's reward hoard after each defeat, with 12 required per chest, making sustained farming sessions essential for players optimizing their gear.
Lord Zir's appeal elevates the material's status, as he remains a top target for items like Ring of Starless Skies, Harlequin Crest, and other chase Uber Uniques that dominate endgame builds across classes. His fight in The Ancient's Seat demands high player power, but the payoff justifies the grind—Zir's loot table includes some of the highest-value drops, often selling for massive gold stacks or direct trades. This creates a constant demand loop where top players stockpile hundreds of Exquisite Blood to spam runs, while others trade gold or excess mats just to keep up.
Scarcity Fuels the Hype
Exquisite Blood drops less frequently than equivalents like Shards of Agony or Living Steel, leading to persistent shortages even among dedicated farmers. Helltides via Blood Maiden offer the surest path, but reliance on Baneful Hearts limits chaining summons, and post-Season 4 changes shifted efficiency away from Legion Events toward more variable sources like Undercity Tributes. Players report stacks of other boss mats dwarfing their Blood reserves, forcing strategic pivots to gold farming or trading at 5-17 million gold per unit.
Trading Economy Amplifies Value
The tradeable nature turns it into Diablo 4's de facto endgame currency, with prices fluctuating based on Helltide uptime and Zir meta shifts. Efficient gold farmers convert Infernal Hordes or Stygian Stones into Blood purchases, bypassing RNG for 50+ per hour indirectly, while duping concerns and PTR shortages highlight its bottleneck role. This economy makes it indispensable for alts, group carries, or pivoting builds without resetting farm routines.
Endgame Progression Gate
Beyond loot, Exquisite Blood gates Pit leaderboards and high-tier content, as Zir clears fund further pushes via his drops and sales. Free summons post-Season 4 concentrate value into the hoard cost, ensuring every run consumes stacks and rewards preparation—cementing its spot as the resource separating casual play from optimized dominance.