Start with the seasonal story
The quest introduces the Prime Evil echoes and the Splinter system before the activity loops make much sense. Complete that introduction on the character you intend to play, inspect the power and drawback on the Splinter you receive, and then choose a repeatable activity. The point is to know what is being progressed before optimizing a route.
Choose one Splinter for the next goal
Each Splinter changes the cost and benefit of combat. A quick farming character may value a different tradeoff from a character learning a boss. Write down the activity, survival constraint and desired reward first. Test that Splinter in several runs before replacing the whole build around an apparent first-run improvement.
Connect activity and reputation
War Plans provide the longer account progression; Waking Nightmares and the three Prime Evil tracks give seasonal objectives. Follow one track long enough to understand its reward and modifier before switching. Shared War Plans points respect Seasonal or Eternal, Hardcore or Non-Hardcore, and Normal or Solo Self Found partitions, so an alternate character may share progress only inside the same partition.
Read the season rank as an account checklist
Blizzard describes nine ranks and 125 objectives, with some expansion-dependent tasks. Do not assume an expansion task is needed for every early reward. Review the rank you are pursuing, identify its remaining objective types, then pair them with the activity your build can clear consistently.
When a patch changes the route
The official patch record is maintained after the season announcement. Recheck class tags, crafting eligibility and encounter fixes before committing rare materials or replacing a working build. QuestBase's route is a planning guide, not a promise that a specific drop or numerical interaction has stayed constant.
Build routes for this decision
Sources and verification
Official Blizzard material establishes named mechanics and access. QuestBase labels progression and build advice as editorial judgment. Exact live values should be checked in the client and maintained patch record.
Last updated
Reviewed 2026-10-06. Official Blizzard announcements establish the named systems and access. Practical route selection is QuestBase editorial guidance; check the current client for exact costs, rewards and item rules.