Diablo 4 is the latest installment in the legendary action RPG series that promises to deliver a dark and gritty experience with deep character customization and endless replayability. One of the most important aspects of Diablo 4 is the Paragon Board system, which allows players to further enhance their skills and attributes beyond the level cap of 50.

The Paragon Board system is a new feature that replaces the Paragon Points system from Diablo 3. Instead of allocating points into four categories, players can now explore different boards that offer various bonuses and legendary powers. Each class has a starting board and eight additional boards to choose from, but players can only access a limited number of boards depending on their Paragon level.

In this guide, we will explain how the Paragon Board system works, how to choose the best boards for your build, and how to optimize your pathing and glyph placement to maximize your power.

What are Paragon Boards?

Paragon Boards are circular grids that contain different types of nodes that provide stat bonuses or special effects. Each board has a theme and a name based on its legendary node, which is located at the center of the board. The legendary node grants a unique power that can alter your gameplay or synergize with your skills.

Each class has a starting board and eight additional boards to choose from, but players can only access a limited number of boards depending on their Paragon level. Players unlock the Paragon Board system at level 50 and can work their way from the center of their starting board outwards, up to level 100. At the edge of each board is a gate tile, where players can choose which new board they want to attach to their current board. Players can also rotate the new board before placing it, creating different possibilities for pathing.

Each board has four types of nodes:

• Normal nodes: These are the most common nodes that provide a small and meaningful boost to one of the four attributes: Strength, Willpower, Intelligence, or Dexterity. Each normal node provides a +5 stat bonus.
• Magic nodes: These are less common than normal nodes and provide a potent and more diverse set of benefits, such as increased damage, critical chance, attack speed, armor, resistance, health regeneration, etc.
• Rare nodes: These are the most powerful nodes on each board, providing significant boosts to power. Rare nodes also have additional powers that unlock once a player has raised an attribute to a sufficient level. There are six rare nodes per board.
• Legendary node: This is the single node at the center of each board that grants a new legendary power. Legendary powers are usually multiplicative and can have a huge impact on your build.

In addition to these nodes, each board also has glyph sockets, which are red circles where players can equip their Paragon Glyphs. Paragon Glyphs are items that confer unique attributes and allow for deep-level build customization. Paragon Glyphs also unlock a secondary attribute depending on their exact placement on a board.

How to Choose a Board

The first step in mastering the Paragon Board system is to decide which boards you want to build into. Each class has eight boards (plus a starting board), but you won't have enough points to invest in them all (similar to the skill tree). Therefore, you need to scan over the boards and create a priority list based on your build goals and preferences.

Here are some factors to consider when choosing a board:

• Legendary node: This is the most important factor for most builds, as it dictates the general theme and direction of the board. You should look for legendary nodes that fit well with your skills, playstyle, and gear choices. For example, if you are playing a Barbarian that focuses on using Frenzy as your primary skill, you might want to choose the Frenzy board that grants you an extra stack of Frenzy and increases its damage by 10% per stack.
• Rare nodes: These are the second most important factor for most builds, as they provide substantial and diverse stats that can make a big difference in your performance. You should look for rare nodes that offer stats that you need or want for your build, such as increased damage, critical chance, attack speed, armor, resistance, health regeneration, etc. You should also pay attention to the bonus powers that rare nodes unlock when you reach a certain attribute threshold. These bonus powers can be very powerful and synergistic for your build if you plan ahead and invest in the right attributes.
• Magic nodes: These are less important than rare nodes but still provide useful benefits that can complement your build. You should look for magic nodes that offer stats that you need or want for your build, such as increased damage, critical chance, attack speed, armor, resistance, health regeneration, etc. You should also consider the placement and clustering of magic nodes, as they can affect your pathing and glyph placement.
• Glyph sockets: These are where you can equip your Paragon Glyphs, which are items that confer unique attributes and allow for deep-level build customization. Paragon Glyphs also unlock a secondary attribute depending on their exact placement on a board. You should look for glyph sockets that are close to the nodes that you want to reach, as well as glyph sockets that offer secondary attributes that you need or want for your build. For example, if you are playing a Sorceress that uses a lot of fire skills, you might want to choose a board that has a glyph socket near the legendary node that grants you 100% fire penetration, as well as a glyph socket that offers increased fire damage as a secondary attribute.

How to Optimize Your Pathing and Glyph Placement

The second step in mastering the Paragon Board system is to optimize your pathing and glyph placement. Pathing refers to the route that you take to reach the nodes that you want on each board, while glyph placement refers to the location where you equip your Paragon Glyphs. Both of these factors can have a significant impact on your power and efficiency, so you need to plan ahead and make smart choices.

Here are some tips and tricks for optimizing your pathing and glyph placement:

• Plan ahead: Before you start investing points into a board, you should have a clear idea of which nodes you want to reach and which boards you want to attach next. This will help you avoid wasting points on nodes that you don't need or want, as well as avoid locking yourself out of certain boards or nodes due to poor placement or rotation.
• Be flexible: While planning ahead is important, you should also be flexible and adaptable to changing situations. Sometimes, you might find a better board or glyph that changes your priorities or goals, or you might encounter a challenge or opportunity that requires a different approach. You should be willing to adjust your pathing and glyph placement accordingly, as long as it doesn't compromise your overall build vision or power.
• Balance offense and defense: Many players tend to overvalue offensive nodes and undervalue defensive nodes, resulting in glass cannon builds that can dish out a lot of damage but can't survive long enough to do so. You should aim for a balance of offense and defense on your boards, as well as on your glyphs. You should also consider the difficulty level and the type of content that you are playing, as they might require different levels of offense and defense.
• Use glyphs wisely: Paragon Glyphs are items that confer unique attributes and allow for deep-level build customization. Paragon Glyphs also unlock a secondary attribute depending on their exact placement on a board. You should use glyphs wisely and strategically, as they can make a big difference in your power and efficiency. You should look for glyphs that offer attributes that fit well with your build, playstyle, and gear choices. You should also look for glyphs that offer secondary attributes that you need or want for your build. For example, if you are playing a Rogue that uses a lot of poison skills, you might want to use a glyph that grants you 20% increased poison damage, as well as a glyph that grants you 10% increased Poison Duration as a secondary attribute.
• Experiment and have fun: The Paragon Board system is designed to offer a lot of depth and variety to endgame progression, but it is also meant to be fun and rewarding. You should experiment with different boards, nodes, glyphs, and combinations to see what works best for you and your build. You should also have fun with the system and enjoy the process of discovering new possibilities and powers.

Conclusion

The Paragon Board system is one of the most exciting features of Diablo 4, as it allows players to further enhance their skills and attributes beyond the level cap of 50. The system offers a lot of depth and variety to endgame progression, but it also requires careful planning and strategy to get the most out of it.

In this guide, we explained how the Paragon Board system works, how to choose the best boards for your build, and how to optimize your pathing and glyph placement to maximize your power. We hope this guide helps you master the Paragon Board system and enjoy Diablo 4 even more.

Happy hunting!