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Spend Shards of Agony when your build guarantees fast, consistent Duriel clears, as they unlock the boss's high-value hoard containing Uber Uniques and top-end gear after defeat. Hoard them aggressively during early farming phases until you hit that reliability threshold, treating shards like premium currency that demands stockpiling for optimal returns.​

Signs You're Ready to Spend

Pull the trigger on spending once you can solo or group-clear Duriel in under five minutes on Torment tiers, with full survivability against his poison and adds. Duriel requires exactly three Shards of Agony per hoard open, so aim for batches of nine or more to chain multiple runs without pausing to farm more. If your clear rate exceeds 80% success and you have spare boss materials like Mucus-Slick Eggs or Shards of Hatred ready, convert shards immediately to maximize loot velocity.​

When to Hoard Instead

Stockpile shards if your Duriel win rate dips below 50%, as failed attempts waste three shards with no hoard access and reset your progress. Early endgame players often hoard too little then overspend prematurely, leading to dry streaks—maintain at least 12-15 shards before any Duriel push to cover failed runs and sustain momentum. Pause spending entirely during gear upgrades or Pit pushes, redirecting farm time to Grigoire hoards for Living Steel conversion until your damage and defenses align.​

Opportunity Cost of Bad Timing

Spending shards on unoptimized runs locks you out of better alternatives like Andariel or weekly Uber rotations, where similar currencies yield comparable uniques without the same grind intensity. Hoarding excessively past readiness, however, caps your progression; once geared, circulating shards through Duriel every session compounds loot exponentially via targeted Uber Unique farms. Balance by tracking your shards-per-hour farm rate against Duriel loot quality—spend when the math favors output over accumulation.​

Strategic Stockpile Targets

Target 20-30 shards as a comfortable buffer for dedicated players, splitting usage between Duriel (primary) and occasional Grigoire/Varshan hoard experiments if drops underperform. Reassess weekly based on seasonal changes or Pit leaderboards, hoarding extra during events that boost Living Steel drops to capitalize on temporary efficiency spikes.​