If you’ve had the displeasure of stumbling into him, you’ve probably been wondering how to beat The Butcher in Diablo 4. As far as boss encounters go, this one’s name is more than fitting. He cleaves and charges, likely leaving your geared-up and carefully specced character in a gory mound on those cold stone slabs. So what does it take to beat The Butcher in Diablo 4 and grab a high-quality loot drop?
Quite a lot, it turns out. In this guide, we’ll touch on where The Butcher spawns, dive into his move set, and offer some tips and tricks to help you best one of the Diablo 4 beta’s most challenging bosses.
The Butcher location – how to find The Butcher in Diablo 4
The Butcher spawns randomly in any side dungeon in the Fractured Peaks, so be sure to have a Fractured Peaks dungeon list on hand if you’re not familiar with them all. My colleague and I both had him spawn in at the Defiled Catacomb dungeon in the Desolate Highlands, but we put that down more to luck than any solid, coded pattern.
Ideally, you’ll want to go through all the dungeons, cross your fingers, and hope he spawns. We had him spawn as a replacement for a mini-boss that, when defeated, opened the door to the dungeon’s main boss. From what we’ve heard, he’s been known to spawn at random in corridors, halls, and rooms throughout dungeons. Again, there’s no clear pattern. Make offerings to the RNG gods and hope for the best.
All things considered, you’ll invariably bump into The Butcher as you make your way through the Diablo 4 beta, so we wouldn’t recommend actively searching for him. Enjoy what’s on offer, and he’ll appear at some point.
The Butcher move set
Here’s a breakdown of every attack The Butcher unleashes in Diablo 4:
- Basic Cleaver Attacks – The Butcher will swing his clever once or twice in the player’s direction.
- Stomp Cleave Attack – The Butcher raises his foot, stomps the ground, and unleashes a single cleave swipe.
- Stomp Headbutt Attack – Stomps the ground directly in front of him and headbutts forward.
- Hook Attack – The Butcher throws his chained meat hook, grabbing and pulling any character caught in its trajectory towards him.
- Charge Attack – The Butcher charges and bashes into the player at speed.
- AoE Roar Attack – The Butcher roars, releasing a red ring that travels outwards, damaging everything within its radius.
How to Beat The Butcher in Diablo 4
Strength in numbers
Going at it alone is a tough ask. While learning how to get Murmuring Obols and racking up some Whispering keys to open Silent Chests with might earn you some stronger gear for facing down this foe, even the best build-crafting is no guarantee for success. If possible, we recommend taking on The Butcher with some buddies. There’s strength in numbers, and that’s never been more true than when squaring up to The Butcher. Having a friend or three to draw The Butcher’s attention away from you while you heal or deal with mobs makes all the difference.Â
Conversely, you can get The Butcher to focus your character, run around and avoid his attacks, while your mates, especially ranged rogues and sorcerers, pummel him with everything they’ve got to chip away at that hulking health bar. If you’re playing with a Barbarian, have them tank most of the attacks, while ranged classes pick away at The Butcher’s health with focused attacks.
Keep your distance
Easier said than done, especially for melee classes and builds, but having some distance between you and The Butcher significantly ups your chance of success. He predominantly uses close-range range melee attacks that don’t have all that much reach. Play far and safe, using ranged attacks where possible. Make sure to refamiliarise yourself with the five classes if you need a refresher on what your class’ ranged capabilities might be.
Avoid The Butcher’s Charge and Hook attacks
Being the recipient of The Butcher’s charge and hook attacks tears through your health like there’s no tomorrow. Avoid these at all costs to have a fighting chance. They are both reasonably well-telegraphed. He’ll pause for a second before the charge attack, and you’ll see him wind up the hook attack briefly before unleashing it.
Have a full set of health potions before taking on The Butcher in Diablo 4
An obvious one and something you can’t always guarantee, given The Butcher spawns randomly, but try and have a full set of 5 health potions before starting the fight. Additionally, pick up any health potions that spawn as you’ll need them.
Apart from that, it’s down to sheer, dogged determination and patience. The Butcher is no walk in the park, soured further by the fact that if you die, there’s no guarantee where, when, or if he’ll spawn again. Cheers for that, Blizzard. In the meantime, you can always take a crack at one of the other tough-as-nails bosses in Diablo 4, like the Den Mother. Be sure to borrow our tips and tricks if you want to boost your chances of success.
How to find the Butcher in Diablo 4?
The Butcher spawns randomly in any side dungeon in the Fractured Peaks.
How to beat The Butcher in Diablo 4?
Don’t go in alone if you’ve got allies you can bring to the fight. Try to keep your distance from his melee attacks. Be careful to avoid his Charge and Hook attacks. Bring plenty of health potions.
