Andariel (Act 1) Farming Guide - Diablo 2
How to Reach: Catacombs Level 2 (WP) > Catacombs Level 3 > Catacombs Level 4
Boss Level: Nightmare: 43 -- Hell: 73
Golden Chest: No
Boss/Champ Packs: 1 - 4 & Andariel
Hell Immunities: Fire (Dark One & Dark Shaman, Ghoul), Afflicted (Lightning)
Andariel is one of the earliest possible farms in Diablo 2 since she is the first Act boss that you will encounter in the game. For more information about farming The Catacombs (the dungeon Andariel is in) check out my Diablo 2 Catacombs Farming Location rather than this page. This page is solely dedicated to Andariel and the mobs on her floor.
On the same floor with Andariel you'll typically also find one or two Boss/Champ packs; one always spawns in the room just before Andariel with the pool of the blood. The second one can spawn in this room too or in the back of Andariel's room and I have even seen them in the room you enter on, but that was quite rare.
Before starting the fight with Andariel it's recommended you clear out as much of her room as you can. You should also clear out the room just before hers with the blood pool in the center. Alternatively, you can run into Andariel's room and close to the door behind you to avoid clearing the room with the blood pool. To trigger the fight with Andariel step on the rug that leads up to her throne, she'll come stomping down from the top of the screen and engage you once you do.
If you are having trouble with Andariel it's recommended you either equip a bunch of Poison Resist (most of her damage is Poison) or pull Andariel out of her room and into the previous one with the pool of blood. You can quite easily kite Andariel around this pool of blood which will give you time to heal yourself with Potions in between taking a lot of damage.
Weaknesses: Andariel is weak to fire
Resistances: Andariel is heavily resistant to poison
She is one of the most commonly farmed bosses on Nightmare difficulty for the fabled Stone of Jordan, a ring with + Skills that Andariel has a better chance of dropping than any other area that you can farm. If you'd like to increase your chances of getting this item off of Andariel then I would recommend quest bugging Andariel. For more information on that keep reading...
Andariel is one of the easiest bosses in the game for you to 'quest bug' and the only boss that you can quest bug solo. When you defeat a boss for the first time (when you complete the quest for them) you'll always get better drops. No white items, no arrows or bolts or potions will drop your first time taking down a boss. Quest bugging allows you to get these sorts of drops every time from the boss.
Step by step how to Quest bug Andariel:
1. Start a game with the character you want to bug the quest on (Can't have finished the Andariel quest yet)
2. Defeat Andariel or be next to her when she dies if someone does it for you
3. Wait for the automatic Town Portal to open up after she dies
4. Go through the Town Portal - from this step on any improper action can mess the whole thing up
5. Talk to Warriv and select Go East
6. Immediately Save and Exit after arriving in Act 2