Changes

A The "'''Secret Cow Level'''," a favorite joke/absurd rumor from [[Diablo I]], the "Secret Cow Level," packed full of [[Hell Bovine]]s, is a reality in [[Diablo II ]] -- an Easter Egg/joke that's actually quite fun and profitable. It was so profitable that the Cow Level was the most popular area to "run" in v1.09, thanks to the huge cow herds, good experience, and low danger to players. In v1.10 and later the experience was nerfed and the area is no longer so popular, but can still provide players with some fun and profitable play experiences. It's also an amusing area to visit, if only for the sight gag of walking cows with polearms, and to hear the voices of the cows. They were recorded by various {{iw|Blizzard_North Blizzard North}} employees, and must have required many takes to edit out the laughter.{{quests}}

[[Image:Quest-cows-early.jpg|thumb|300px|First look at Cows, April Fools, 1999.]]There were player-created rumors/jokes about a Secret Cow Level The cow level in Diablo I, based on the cows final game does not take place in the pasture in Tristram, that would moo, or cause your character to say something amusingAct One caves, if you clicked the bovines long enough. There is no secret level or anything related to nor are any of the cows other than an Easter Egg style joke brown in Diablo: Hellfirecoloration, and Blizzard repeatedly denied its existence in both serious and humorous ways, such as the Starcraft cheat code "so clearly there is no cow level." However, the Diablo II team apparently drew upon the rumor for inspiration, and worked the whole level into Diablo IIwere some changes made during development.

[[Image:Quest-cow-recipeportal.jpg|framethumb|155px|right]]You must finish Prior to v1.02 you could go to the game first (Kill Diablo Cow Level as many times as you wanted to, so if you really love it in D2single player, you could uninstall, Kill Baal in D2X)reinstall Diablo II, and then go back play do the Cow Level with your open or single player characters as many times as you want to Act One on , as long as you don't upgrade past v1.01. In the same difficulty levelcurrent version, and execute you may repeat the recipeCow Level as often as you like, Wirt's Leg + a Town Portal tome, while your character is standing in the Rogue Encampment. You providing you do not need to carry around Wirt's Leg forever; just go back to Tristram any time and click his corpse to get a new onereceive quest credit for killing the [[Cow King]].

[[Image:Quest-cow-portal.jpg|thumb|155px|right]]Prior to v1.02 you could go to As for the Cow Level as many times as you wanted toitself, so if you really love it in single player, 's about what you could uninstallwould expect. Cows and more cows, reinstall Diablo IIcalled [[Hell Bovine]]s, and then play do the Cow Level with your open or single player characters as many times as you want toappear in huge, as long as you don't upgrade past v1.01almost never-ending herds. In By far the current version, most tightly-packed monsters you may repeat see anywhere in the game can be found in the Cow Level as often as you like. Every cow looks the same, there is no variation in coloration or weaponry at all. They all have massive polearms, providing and do quite heavy damage when they strike you do not receive quest credit for killing the cow kingwith their very fast attacks.

As for The level is all on the Cow Level itselfsurface, itthere aren's about what you would expect. Cows and more cowst any sub levels or dungeon or cave areas, but there is a main wooden stockade sort of area, called with walls just like those in the [[Hell BovineRogue Encampment]]s. It is square in shape, with openings on all sides, and a number of dead Rogues lying around, appear in hugeand others tied to stakes, almost never-ending herds. By far the most tightly-packed monsters as you often see anywhere them in Act I. It's not a real good place to fight in , since the game approaching cows can easily fill every exit and you do not want to be found in the Cow Levelcornered by them. Every cow looks the same, there is no variation in coloration Being cornered or weaponry at all. They all have massive polearmstoo surrounded will get you scenes like this, and do quite heavy damage when they strike as you with their very fast attackscan imagine, body-retrieval can be a challenge.

The level is all on Somewhere inside or just outside of the surface"fort" as it's called, there arenyou't any sub levels or dungeon or cave areas, but there is a main wooden stockade sort of area, with walls just like those in ll find the Rogue Encampment[[Cow King]]. It He is square in shape, with openings on all sidesalways [[Lightning Enchanted]], and a number of dead Rogues lying around, and others tied should be avoided if you wish to stakes, as you often see them in Act One. It's not a real good place retain the ability to fight in, since open the approaching cows can easily fill every exit and you do not want portal to be cornered by them. Being cornered or too surrounded will get you scenes like this, and as you can imagine, body-retrieval can be a challengethe level.

[[Image:Quest-cow-king.jpg|frame]]You can open the red portal to the cow level as many times as you like, providing you don't get credit for killing the king. Credit is given if you kill him yourself, or he dies at the hand of another player who has never killed him before, while you are in the Cow Level. Being partied or not has no effect on the credit for the quest, it only matters who actually gets '''the last hit''' on King. If they have previously gotten credit for completing the cow quest (which means they can '''not''' open the red portal) then nothing will change. If the character who gets the last hit on the [[Cow King]] can open the red portal, then they will receive credit for completing the quest and no longer be able to open the red portal. Worse yet, everyone else in the Cow Level, whether they are partied or not, will also receive credit for completing the quest (if they didn't have it already) and will no longer be able to open the red portalRed Portal.

You can see full stats for the [[Cow King]] here. He doesn't differ in appearance from the other cows in any way; no crown or different coloration or longer horns, though on hell he often is [[Aura Enchanted]], so you'll spot him by that. There are often random Cow Bosses and champions scattered throughout the area, and with them all identical in appearance it's hard to tell if a monster is the king or not until you kill some to clear out the mob. The King is always [[Lightning Enchanted]], so that's one way to tell him immediately. Prior to v1.08 the Cow King was a guaranteed special drop, like the [[Act Boss]]es, though only two items. [[Uniques]] and [[Set]]s were almost guaranteed from him with some [[Magic Find]]. In v1.09 he was toned down a bit, but he still has the ability to drop a random array of up to five magical, rare, set, and/or unique class items as well as a half-dozen stamina potions (milk anyone?). On Hell his [[Treasure Class]] is much lower than that of the normal cows, so while he will never drop top level items, he can drop quite a few low level [[Elite item]]s such as [[Bramble Mitts]], [[Dusk Shrouds]], [[Shakos]], etc.

The best characters for the cow level have ranged attacks that can strike multiple targets at the same time. Javazons [[Javazon]]s might as well have been designed specifically to excel in the Cow Level, thanks to [[Lightning Fury]], which is more effective the more targets there are in range. Other highly useful skills against the Cows include [[Nova]], [[Corpse Explosion]], [[Multishot]], and [[Death Sentry]]. Anything that hits many targets per use will come into its own against the cows.

 The hardest part is when you first arrive: The red portal [[Red Portal]] appears in some random location, usually against one of the outer stone walls. Sometimes you are in a safe spot, but other times there will be cows galore right away. As many as 30 or 40 coming at you immediately, from all directions. You need to try and kill them without moving too far in any direction, since if you do you'll get into sight of more cows, and another 20 or 30 will move in. The cows can see farther than the edges of your visible screen, so get used to them moving deliberately towards you, "moo-moo'ing" all the time.

It's always a good idea to not die near the red portalRed Portal, and ideally to have a blue and the red available, so you can always get back there without cows hitting you the instant you appear. Retreating through the red portalRed Portal, or a town portal[[Town Portal]], will probably be required a number of times, either to get a mana refill or more red potions, or arrows/javelins if you are using a projectile attack.

The best equipment for the cow level is magic find [[Magic Find]] gear, or else defensive stuff. Especially useful is a high defense, and equipment with -% damage. [[Shaftstop]], [[Rockstopper]], [[Stormshield]], etc. If you can cut the physical damage you take, you'll be much more likely to survive attacks. A high blocking percentage is very useful as well, as are [[Dodge ]] and [[Evade ]] for Amazons.

[[categoryCategory:Special quests]][[categoryCategory:levelsQuests]][[Category:Levels]][[Category:Easter Eggs]]