The Vessel of Hatred expansion in Diablo 4 introduces a materials problem that's frustrating players when it comes to gear upgrading, particularly with common materials like Iron Chunks and Rawhide Leathers. While rare and legendary materials are manageable through normal gameplay and salvaging, these basic materials have unexpectedly become the bottleneck.

Why Are Common Materials an Issue?

Demand Outpaces Supply:

Upgrades in Tempering, Masterworking, and Rerolling require dozens of Rawhide Leathers or Iron Chunks.

For example, a 5th Masterworking upgrade can demand 90 Rawhide Leathers, a substantial cost for materials that aren't easily farmed.

Disproportionate Salvaging Yields:

Players typically prioritize salvaging legendary or rare items, which yield plenty of high-tier materials but very few common materials.

Since common materials are often sourced from lower-quality gear, they're less frequent as players advance in content.

Limited Farming Efficiency:

Unlike rare materials, there's no dedicated method for efficiently farming Iron Chunks or Rawhide Leathers in high quantities.

Solutions and Strategies to Farm Common Materials

While Blizzard may need to address this imbalance in a future patch, here are some effective strategies for collecting these vital resources:

Target Low-Level Zones for Farming:

Running early-game dungeons or open world areas can yield a higher number of common gear drops, ideal for salvaging.

Focus on areas with fast respawn rates for efficient loot collection.

Vendor Farming Strategy:

Vendors often sell common gear at low prices. Buying and salvaging these items can rapidly build up your material supply.

Prioritize World Events and Helltide Chests:

These activities offer chests that may contain common materials, particularly when opening gear caches.

Efficient Salvaging Tactics:

Don't skip on salvaging blue (magic) and yellow (rare) gear - these provide significantly more common materials.

Consider keeping gear with low item power for bulk salvaging.

Switch Up Your Farming Routes:

Areas with heavy mob density and quick respawns, like Scosglen or Kehjistan, can generate lots of common gear.

Potential Developer Solutions

To improve material balance, Blizzard could introduce:

Increased drop rates for Iron Chunks and Rawhide Leathers.

Dedicated material caches in chests or vendors.

A conversion system that allows excess rare or legendary materials to be turned into common ones.

For now, adapting your farming strategy and salvaging habits will help mitigate the material shortage in Vessel of Hatred.

If you're looking to ease the material grind in Diablo 4's Vessel of Hatred, using your Diablo 4 gold and Diablo 4 items wisely can make a huge difference.