How to Get The Butcher's Cleaver in Diablo 4
What is The Butcher's Cleaver
The Butcher's Cleaver is a Unique Axe available to all character classes except the Spiritborn. Its versatility and raw power make it a top-tier choice for many builds, especially those focused on melee damage. Like all Diablo 4 items, its stats and bonuses can vary slightly depending on the drop, but The Butcher's Cleaver typically provides significant boosts to damage output, crowd control, and bleed effects.
Weapons in Diablo 4 aren't just about raw damage—they're strategic tools. A weapon like The Butcher's Cleaver doesn't just let you hit harder; it gives you a tactical advantage against bosses, elites, and enemy players. This axe becomes particularly useful in late-game activities, such as Nightmare Dungeons and high-tier PvP zones, where performance and gear quality are critical.
How to Find The Butcher's Cleaver
Like many rare Diablo 4 items, the Butcher's Cleaver is acquired through the game's randomized loot system. This means there's no guaranteed way to obtain it—luck plays a big part—but there are certain activities and strategies that can increase your odds.
1. Loot Drops from Enemies and Objects
The Butcher's Cleaver can drop randomly from defeated enemies, elite monsters, bosses, or even from chests and breakable objects scattered across Sanctuary. While it can technically drop at any difficulty level, the chances improve significantly as you progress through higher World Tiers.
Difficulty Tiers Matter: The higher your World Tier, the better the loot. Starting at Torment Tier I and moving upward, your chances of finding Unique items like The Butcher's Cleaver increase noticeably. So, if you're farming for this weapon, aim for Tier III and IV dungeons or World Boss events.
2. Target Farming via Lord Zir
One of the more effective ways to farm The Butcher's Cleaver is by target-summoning and defeating Lord Zir. Lord Zir is one of Diablo 4's notorious endgame bosses, and while he's a tough opponent, the loot he drops can include several Unique items—The Butcher's Cleaver among them.
To summon Lord Zir, you'll need to gather the appropriate materials and navigate to his summoning location. These materials can usually be found through Helltide Events or other high-level PvE content. Defeating Lord Zir doesn't guarantee The Butcher's Cleaver will drop, but it significantly narrows the loot table, making this one of the best methods for farming it intentionally.
Why need The Butcher's Cleaver
The Butcher's Cleaver isn't just rare—it's deadly. It typically comes with special affixes that enhance crowd control, apply Bleed effects, or boost critical hit damage. It's also known for triggering fear in enemies or stunning them, which can turn the tide of battle during difficult encounters.
Combining this axe with other powerful Diablo 4 Items, like armor pieces that boost Bleed or Critical Hit Damage, can result in devastating combos. It's a favorite among Barbarian and Rogue players, but can work just as well with other classes, depending on your build.
Farming Tips
To maximize your efficiency while farming, keep these tips in mind:
Save Your Diablo 4 Gold: Farming high-tier dungeons, upgrading gear, and summoning bosses can be costly. Make sure you have a healthy stash of Diablo 4 Gold to support your endgame farming runs. Gold is also useful for enchanting gear and trading, which can help you acquire other powerful items to support your build.
Focus on Nightmare Dungeons: These dungeons not only drop high-level gear but can be tailored with Sigils that boost your chance of specific item types. Use this system to hone in on weapon drops.
Join Farming Groups: Teaming up with other players can make farming faster and safer. Many high-level zones are teeming with dangerous elites that can overwhelm solo players, but in a group, you can clear content faster and share loot drops.
Check Your Codex of Power: Sometimes, affixes that make The Butcher's Cleaver truly shine can also be unlocked and transferred to other weapons temporarily using the Codex of Power, while you continue to farm for the real deal.
Trading and the Diablo 4 Economy
While some items in Diablo 4 are account-bound, others can be traded. Keep an eye on the in-game trade channels or community marketplaces—Diablo 4 Gold and powerful gear often change hands here. If you're lucky, you might find someone willing to part with The Butcher's Cleaver for the right price.
Be wary of scams, and always verify the item's stats before trading. The community around Diablo 4 is vibrant, and trading can be a great way to round out your gear if RNG isn't on your side.
Whether you're a seasoned adventurer or new to Sanctuary, chasing down The Butcher's Cleaver is a worthy goal. This axe isn't just a weapon—it's a statement. With enough determination, the right farming routes, and a bit of luck (plus plenty of Diablo 4 Gold), you'll be swinging The Butcher's Cleaver in no time.
Happy hunting!