Introduction to Rainbow Goblins
Rainbow Goblins are elusive little rascals that leave behind portals to a special level called Whimsydale (not to be confused with other rainbow level, Whimsyshire, accessible via the Plan: Staff of Herding). This is the only way to access the secret level which contains the rarest item in the game, the Cosmic Wings! Farming for this glorious cosmetic has plagued many Diablo 3 players, causing them to give up before earning the ultimate prize. You, however, have come to the right place, as the guide below will teach you everything you need to finally meet the Princess!
Before you begin, decide if you're going for pure speed or overall value. If your goal is to find the most Rainbow Goblins, then you should farm based on speed. Utilizing this method will not strengthen your character as you'll farm on Normal difficulty and receive minimal items. If you want to make your character stronger while farming, then you should simply do T16 Bounties. This will lower the probability of finding Rainbow Goblins, but you'll be powering up with Bounty Caches and get far more legendaries. Regardless of the option you choose, always farm in Adventure Mode with as many teammates as possible. If you typically play solo or do not have anyone to play with, we recommend joining a Diablo 3 Community dedicated to farming Rainbow Goblins.
Rewards
Wings (Only drops in Whimsydale)
Cosmic Wings drop from the unique monster Princess Lilian. She has roughly a 1% chance to spawn and is guaranteed to drop the wings on death. This is the rarest item in Diablo 3 and the main reason we're hunting Rainbow Goblins.
Transmogs (Drops in both)
Super Awesome Sparkle Cake (and other unique monsters) drop Spectrum, the Rainbow Sword, while Piñatas and Happy Clouds drop The Horadric Hamburger. Both require you to be level 30 or higher.
Portrait (Only drops in Whimsyshire)
Sir William drops the Rainbow Portrait. He has a low chance of spawning, but is guaranteed to drop the portrait on death.
Tips & Tricks: Rainbow Goblins
- Rainbow Goblins cannot spawn in:
- Greater Rifts
- Nephalem Rifts
- The Vault
- Bandit Shrines
- Although they spawn in Campaign, you are much more likely to find them in Adventure Mode.
- If you spawn multiple Rainbow Goblins in the same game, all Rainbow Portals lead to the same instance of Whimsydale. This means you should leave and make a new game after exploring it once (unless you have bounties to finish!)
- Never farm Rainbow Goblins with the intention of obtaining materials, gems or gold. You are much better off doing Nephalem or Greater Rifts for those items.
- Turn on your sound to listen for the unique laugh goblins make when nearby. Turn down all volume sliders, except Effects and Master Volume in the gameplay menu.
Builds for Farming Rainbow Goblins
Below are the best builds for two different farming styles for each class to hunt Rainbow Goblins:
- The bounty option allows you to power up your character while farming, at the cost of finding fewer Rainbow Goblins. They can all crush T16 bounties effortlessly and are the build to use if you want to power up while hunting for the wings. Our recommendation for the best bounty build is the GoD Demon Hunter listed below.
- The speed option is the fastest build available with no regard for power. This farms on normal difficulty (which doesn't affect Rainbow Goblins or Cosmic Wing drop chances) and gives up any chance of improving our character. Our recommendation for the best speed build is the Raiment Monk listed below.
Barbarian
Crusader
Demon Hunter
Monk
Necromancer
Witch Doctor
Wizard
Follower - Enchantress
Strategy and Locations for Farming Rainbow Goblins
Gather 3 friends (and remember there are Rainbow Goblin hunting communities!) and plan your routes. Assign 1 player to Acts I through III, and put the final person searching both IV and V.
- Act I (Assigned to Player 1)
- Cathedral Level 1 ➔ Leoric's Passage
- Leoric’s Hunting Grounds
- Northern Highlands
- Royal Crypts
- Southern Highlands ➔ Cave of the Moon Clan 1-2
- Act II (Assigned to Player 2, who should then help Player 3)
- Ancient Waterways: Eastern and Western channels, 2 levels each
- City of Caldeum
- Stinging Winds
- Act III (Assigned to Player 3)
- Arreat Crater level 1-2
- Caverns of Frost 1-2
- Keep an eye out for the unique monster Chiltara in Level 2. She has a low chance to drop the Gibbering Gemstone which is needed to craft the Plan: Staff of Herding
- Core of Arreat
- Rakkis Crossing
- The Bridge of Korsikk
- Tower of the Cursed 1-2
- Tower of the Damned 1-2
- Act IV (Assigned to Player 4)
- Silver Spire 1-2
- Silver Spire 1-2
- Act V (Assigned to Player 4)
- Pandemonium Fortress 1-2
- Each level has either 0 or 2 goblins, so if you find 1, keep looking for the 2nd
- Pandemonium Fortress 1-2
Whimsyshire: How to Craft the Staff of Herding
Whimsyshire is another Rainbow Level often confused with Whimsydale, but is only accessible via the Plan: Staff of Herding. To get to Whimsyshire, you must first gather several items then craft it at the Blacksmith.
Items Needed
- Black Mushroom - Act 1, Cathedral Level 1. Located on the floor.
- Leoric's Shinbone - Act 1, Leoric’s Manor. Located in the fireplace (not required on Console).
- Wirt's Bell - Act 2, Hidden Camp. Sold by Squirt for 100,000 gold.
- Liquid Rainbow - Act 2, Mysterious Cave Level 1. Reset the game until you get the "Clear the Mysterious Cave" Bounty in Act 2. Located in the Mysterious Chest (not required on Console).
- Gibbering Gemstone - Act 3, Caverns of Frost Level 2. Reset the game until you get the "Clear the Caverns of Frost" bounty in Act 3. Dropped from Chiltara on floor 2 (she has a low chance to drop the gemstone).
- Plan: Staff of Herding - Act 4, Silver Spire 1. Dropped by Izual.
Instructions
After obtaining all of the items above, take the Plan: Staff of Herding to the blacksmith, Haedrig. Once you teach him the plan, he will have the option to craft the Staff of Herding under “Forge Weapons.”
Getting There
With the Staff of Herding in your inventory, port to The Old Ruins waypoint and head northwest. Follow the path until you get to the glowing red chasm (pictured above). When you get close enough to it, The Ghost of the Cow King will appear. Talk to him and the chasm will change to a glowing rainbow that you can click on to enter Whimsyshire.
Video Guide
Summary
Hunting for Rainbow Goblins may seem like a daunting task, but hopefully this guide makes your journey as easy as possible. Decide if you're going for pure speed to net the most amount of goblins, or whether you'll farm bounties to strengthen your character simultaneously. Remember that the Rainbow Portal to Whimsydale is the only way to get the Cosmic Wings, and the Staff is the only way to get to Whimsyshire which drops the Rainbow Portrait. Good luck in your endeavor to find the game's rarest reward!
Credits
Written by Raxxanterax
Contributions by Narcissa
Reviewed by Northwar, wudijo