Diablo 4 is finally here, seeing the player follow in the footsteps of the Wanderer as they fight against the Mother of Sanctuary and her horde of demons. Though there are plenty of demons to slay in the game, you’ll need a way to generate resources to keep the onslaught going. That’s where the Aspect of the Umbral comes in.
This Aspect is simple to obtain, but it’s one of the most versatile and effective items in the game. It’s locked behind a quick dungeon clear, and you can also luck into higher-powered versions of it in the wild. Here’s what you need to know about this Aspect and how to use it.
What does the Resource Aspect of the Umbral do?
The Resource Aspect of the Umbral replenishes your primary resource whenever you apply a crowd-control effect to an enemy. Its value depends on how you obtain it, with a lot of luck required to get the most powerful version of the aspect, but players can expect between one and four of your primary resources per crowd-control effect.
This Aspect is a versatile tool that can be particularly handy in the early game before your class synergies and Paragon Board bonuses start to kick in and show their full power. This doesn’t mean you’ll ditch it after reaching World Tier three, though—this Aspect is meta in some of the most powerful builds. Most builds bring some form of crowd control anyway, so you might as well get some resources out of it—as long as you know how to get your hands on this Aspect.
Where to get the Aspect of the Umbral in Diablo 4
There are two ways to obtain the Resource Aspect of the Umbral in Diablo 4. The simplest is by finishing the Champion’s Demise dungeon in the Dry Steppes, just west of the Jirandai waypoint and east of the Ruins of Qara-Yisu teleport point. This will give you the base, weakest version of Aspect of the Umbral, which restores one unit of your primary resource whenever you crowd-control an enemy.
The second method relies on luck, but it will yield the best results. You can find rings with Aspect of the Umbral as an enchantment from anywhere in the world. These rings have a bigger chance of dropping from Elite mobs, dungeons, bosses, Helltide chests, and even the Purveyor of Curiosities. If you’re looking to farm this specific Aspect, we recommend spending your Murmuring Obols and your Aberrant Cinders (which drop from Helltide activities when they’re available) to focus your drops into rings.
Related: What is Item Power in Diablo 4?
The found version of the enchantment can range from one to four of your primary resource per hit, and this is what you’ll aim for. Some of the best builds in Diablo 4 put this Aspect to work as a key tool. Twisting Blades and Death Trap builds dominate the scene for Rogues, and both can use Aspect of the Umbral to generate energy more quickly.
Druids can also use this Aspect if they want to generate Spirit more quickly, and finding a ring with Aspect of the Umbral was a game-changer for our Bone Spear Necromancer build, which is among the best Necromancer builds in the meta. Since Bone Necromancers benefit from high Essence, having an Aspect of the Umbral with a high value is essential.
Even if ultra-end game slots are a bit more restrictive, Aspect of the Umbral can work as a resource generator on all levels of play. Slotting it into most builds is easy since you’ll usually be applying some form of crowd control anyway, and if you’re ever lacking your primary resource, this is a quick and powerful fix.
How to extract the Aspect of the Umbral from an item
Once you’ve found the Aspect of the Umbral in an item you don’t plan to use anymore, you can just extract it from the Occultist. Find the Occultist in any hub city, then look for the Extract Aspect tab in their menu. This should be the second tab on their vendor menu. From there, select the item with the Aspect, but keep in mind it comes with a price.
You’ll have to pay a fee and destroy the Legendary item with the Aspect, so don’t use this option lightly. We recommend only extracting the Aspect if you’re sure you won’t use that item anymore. Even lower-level versions of this Aspect can be serviceable, especially since you may not be upgrading rings as often as you’d upgrade weapons.
