Get ready because I'm about to reveal a bunch of important passing techniques that are often overlooked but are currently proving to be crucial in the EA FC 24 Team of the Season event. However, before we delve into these techniques, let's take a moment to enhance our understanding of passing fundamentals.
Passing is the cornerstone of gameplay in EA Sports FC 24. It's not just about moving the ball between players. An effective passing involves delivering the ball to a teammate smoothly, without disrupting the game's flow. An inaccurate pass can lead to missed offensive opportunities or the opponent gaining possession.
In the game, there are various types of passing, each serving different purposes:
Let's begin with the Ground Pass, the simplest passing method in the EA FC 24. Target a player with your Left Analog Stick and press your X or A button to send a Ground Pass directly to their feet. This is the most commonly used pass, but ensure there's no opponent blocking the passing lane.
The Driven Ground Pass, which is also called the Long Driven Pass, is a more forceful version of the normal Ground Pass. Hold R1 or RB button and power up a normal pass for a faster and stronger delivery. Use it when your passer isn't under pressure to speed up the play, though it relies on the skills of the passer and receiver.
Moving on to the Lofted Ground Pass, it's ideal for bypassing Defenders blocking Ground Passes. Double-tap the Pass button to lift the ball slightly, making it harder to intercept. You can employ this pass inside the box to evade Defenders.
Lastly, the 1-2 Pass adds dynamism to your attack. Hold L1 or LB and pass to a teammate, then watch as your initial passer makes a forward run. Use this to create new passing opportunities and confuse Defenders. It's effective when combined with other passing techniques, especially on the wing to exploit space.
However, not all passes need to go directly to where the receiver is. Sometimes, you need to send the ball to his running lane so that he doesn't lose any speed while catching the ball. Therefore, we have 2 passes that point out the direction your runner is heading to.
Through Pass: Power up the Through Pass with your Triangle or Y button while giving your passer a side angle towards the receiver. This increases the efficiency of the through ball and allows the runner to get behind the defensive line.
Lobbed Through Pass: If someone is trying to anticipate the passing lane and cut it off, allowing runners to get in behind the defense, you can use a Lobbed Through Pass to get the ball past them and into the path of the player. Watch the movement of players, identify the defensive behavior of the opponent. If not, hold down the L1 or LB button and step up the Through Pass.
Another Through Pass variation is a lofted one. It can easily dodge a Defender's interception and get the ball towards your running lane. It is much easier to control the ball with this method compared to the lobbed one. In short distances, double-tapping the Triangle or Y button will allow you to execute it.
The next one is known as the Driven Through Pass, which can be executed by holding on to both the L1 and R1 or LB and RB buttons together. The Driven Through Passes are particularly effective in wider spaces. If you spot a teammate making a direct run towards the goal with minimal defensive coverage, consider using a Driven Through Pass to swiftly deliver the ball to them.
Moving on to the Lob Pass section, by only using the Square or X button, you can achieve a lot of things, especially when facing pressure. Using a simple Long Pass easily lets you break the pressure. You can also switch sides consistently with the Long Pass to get your buildup in another direction.
If you want your Long Pass to get even higher, which can be very useful for players who have the Aerial PlayStyle. You can utilize your EA FC 24 Coins to acquire a player with this particular PlayStyle. Then you can hold on to the L1 or LB button before going for a Lob Pass. This higher Lob Pass will give your pass more height, making headers easier.
On the other side, the Driven Lob Pass does exactly the opposite. Your pass loses height but gains speed, which can be very practical if there's no one between your passer and his target. To be able to use it, hold on to both L1 and R1 or LB and RB buttons together and power up the Lob Pass.
Using this Driven Lob Pass while switching sides is very effective if you're not under any pressure. It allows you to get towards the other side rapidly and increase the pace in your buildup before the defense settles.
Here are a few passing techniques I suggest trying out in the EA FC 24 TOTS Weekend League. Have fun and win more games with them!
Recently, we discovered through developer chat some of the new changes coming to Diablo 4 Loot Reborn, including Helltide density, bosses, mechanics, quests, events, and even Andariel is making a comeback with Tormented Boss changes.
In this guide, we’ll summarize some of the key changes to help you quickly understand how Season 4 is different from previous seasons and get a head start on Loot Reborn!
For Helltide, the developers looked closely at player feedback and general experience gained from other popular activities that players seemed to enjoy, such as Blood Harvests in Season 2. So, what’s the difference?
When you step into Helltide, you’ll notice a new Threat meter on the right side of the screen. This one fills up as you kill demons and engage in content.
Threat levels are divided into three levels. Each level increases the rewards and difficulty of monsters. They will throw ambushes at you, and elites will start spawning. But it also means you’ll get more Diablo 4 Gold and loot from it.
Once the meter is completely filled, you become Hell-Marked. Hell-Marked triggers the final ambush, which means a full-scale wave of demons will be thrown at you, all culminating in the last battle against Hellborne. Hellborne is very challenging and actually resurrected the hero of Sanctuary.
Regardless, once the frenzy wave ends, or if you die, Threat meter resets.
Another new addition is the ability to collect a new material called Baneful Hearts. They mainly drop from Tortured Gifts around Helltide, which are basically Helltide Chests, and sometimes you may see them from various demons around the area, such as Doomsayers and Hellborne.
These Baneful Hearts are important because you can summon a zone-wide boss for each one, called Blood Maiden.
To find this demon, head to the demon head icon on the map. Summoning the big bad requires three Hearts, but if you’re leaching from a friend, you’ll need zero Hearts. Instead, contributors who summon Blood Maiden receive additional rewards. No matter what, everyone is a winner.
There are many other major changes, including new random pop-up Doomsayer, Iron Wolf, and Demonic events waiting to be discovered. Additionally, Helltide-specific Whisper Bounties are included here, and Whispers in general have been fully enhanced.
Next, let’s talk about some Tormented Bosses. Joining Boss Ladder is Maiden of Anguish, Andariel. She shares the same loot table as Duriel, so you can get some of the best items in the game from both sources.
Additionally, this encounter has been updated, so it should feel different than before. You can expect to encounter a variety of elements in combat, even her signature Poison Nova attack.
Andariel is located in Hanged Man’s Hall, east of Tasarak. You will need the summoning parts for Lord Zir and Beast in Ice.
Besides this, you can now summon level 200 versions of each Tormented boss, which are called Tormented Echoes. If you level them up to Echo, you’ll get five times more rewards than a normal Tormented Boss, but it only costs three times the materials and a new summoning item called Stygian Stones.
They can be summoned from the same altar as the normal boss, so just click through to Tormented version.
Stygian Stones can be found deep in Pit. After completing Nightmare Dungeon Tier 45, you will be given a priority task to unlock Pit. You can run them individually or in a team. Additionally, when you first kill any of these Tormented Echo bosses, you’ll gain a Resplendent Spark for your troubles, which can go a long way toward crafting some unique items.
Currently, Helltides can still be unlocked by completing the campaign or creating a campaign-skipped character. I’m guessing some of Season 4’s updates like Helltide expansions will cause them to appear in World Tiers 1 and 2 now. If you create a campaign-skipped character, you can use Helltides from level 1 to level 100.
So do Helltides’ changes now pose a threat? Undoubtedly, through the feedback of some PTR players, it is obvious that Helltides is actually more threatening than in any previous season.
Helltides are definitely the most effective upgrades we have in Season 4. Both Hell on Sanctuary and Demonic Invasions provide significant challenges for players.
Additionally, in Season 4 PTR, the developers actually increased the pickup radius of Aberrant Cinder, and they also stated that it will definitely still be there in Season 4.
As we all know, one pillar of Helltides upgrades is to find opportunities to maximize efficiency, and increasing Aberrant Cinder pickup radius is undoubtedly a huge quality of life change. Because you know, no one likes to backtrack and pick up Cinder and interrupt your flow.
On the subject of maximizing efficiency, one thing that wasn’t present in PTR but was present in Season 4 release is that the developers actually reduced the time required to interact with and open Tortured Gifts. As monster density increases, this could play a key role in a player’s endgame journey.
Finally, the developers also stated that they may add more encounters to Helltides, like a Butcher-style mechanic. While considering Helltides upgrades, these types of chance encounters, random encounters, or just the opportunity to add some novelty or surprise are definitely something to look forward to, and are definitely in the spirit of Doomsayer events.
To be honest, most of these changes are prompted by the community, and hopefully Diablo developers will hear more feedback. That’s all for today. See you at the Sanctuary!
Are you still troubled by some tough bosses in Elden Ring? Are you looking for a powerful build to dominate in the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC? If yes, then don’t miss this guide!
Today I’m going to show you an overwhelming Strength build. This build requires a significant investment in strength, but is easy to get started early in the game. Not only that, but players can transition from a pure strength build to many other variants later, making it an excellent starting build for Elden Ring DLC.
So, what does our build require? For weapons, we choose Executioner’s Greataxe. It has a solid 115 critical damage followed by strong strength scaling.
In addition, we need Ash of War Cragblade, brew Flask of Wondrous Physick, and obtain three Insignia Talismans each: Axe Talisman, Blue Dancer Charm, and Ritual Sword Talisman.
Don’t forget that the most important thing is to prepare enough Elden Ring Runes, whether it is to equip weapons or upgrade stats, this is crucial.
First, let’s start with the basics of farming Greyoll Dragon. But before we head to the dragon, let’s quickly get Lordsworn’s Greatsword, which we’ll later upgrade with Ash of War Sacred Blade to easily use our primary weapon.
On the way to Baron, we naturally grabbed the two halves of Dectus Medallion, all Souls, and other fun stuff at each campfire. For example, while riding to reach the first half of Fort Haight, we can grab Axe Talisman in Mistwood Ruins, which increases the damage of charged attacks. Just nearby, close to the gigantic tree, we can also find Crystal Tear.
In addition, we have to smash the lowly dung beetle north of Third Church of Marika to get Ash of War Sacred Blade.
Once we find Greyoll, quickly grab the back half of Medallion and take him down the usual way. You then need to divide your hard-earned Souls as follows: 20 for Vigor, and the remaining Souls for one real stat, Strength. Don’t forget to continue collecting Boss Souls during the rest of your journey.
Now we are ready to start farming our weapons. Imprint Ash of War on Greatsword, then travel to Liurnia of the Lakes. Ride past Stormveil Castle on the right and reach the first bonfire in Liurnia.
From there, you can already see a church, behind which the thugs with Executioner’s Greataxe are waiting. We can defeat him with Ash of War until he drops our axe. This enemy has a 5% drop chance, which may sound small at first, but it never took me more than 15 minutes.
We now have a coveted weapon that only requires the necessary leveling materials. Well, head to Liurnia of the Lakes and quickly get the key from the dragon, then head straight to Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel where we’ll get Smithing Miner’s Bell Bearing [1] and upgrade our Greataxe to +6.
When we were done, we could beat the crap out of our opponents. But we also need a proper Ash of War.
To the southeast of Fort Gael, at the bottom of Caelid, we will get Ash of War Cragblade, which gives our weapons 15% more poise and 10% more damage. This also makes this Strength build even crazier.
Also, don’t forget to upgrade your axe to heavy immediately for better strength scaling.
Now, there is another Talisman that is very important. It is a Blue Dancer. Head to Stormveil Castle, ride east to the bridge next to Mad Pumpkin Head, and cross the vortex into the depths. In the cave, after defeating the boss, we will find Blue Dancer Charm, which increases our damage at a low equipment weight.
Another high-level Medallion is Ritual Sword Talisman, which gives us an additional 10% damage when the health is full. Take the grand elevator to Altus Plateau. From there, head north to Lux Ruins, briefly applaud Queen, and pick up this gorgeous piece of gear from the chest.
We are far from done. From the ruins, enter Sealed Tunnel, go through the gate and climb the stairs, where you can obtain Smithing Miner’s Bell Bearing [2]. Now you can upgrade your axe to +12 and you will have B-scaling in strength.
Now that everything is ready, here comes the slightly tricky part. We will return to the bonfire in Fort Faroth and defeat Putrid Avatar under the tree. He’s a bit tricky in my opinion, but with focus, it can definitely be done.
It only took me about three or four charged attacks to break his stance, and after about two or three turns, he would die and drop Crystal Tear. Together with the previous one, we will brew a Flask of Wondrous Physick. It further increases the charged attack and stance damage dealt.
Now we want to bring the weapon up to A-scaling. We can find many Smithing Stones in Caelid’s Sellia Crystal Tunnel and Altus Tunnel. Once you have all Smithing Stones, you can upgrade your axe one last time to +18, with A-scaling. Now you are ready to start a glorious adventure!
These are all the tips you need to know to complete this Strength build. What do you think of this build? What do you think was helpful? In this spirit, my brave heroes, have a great time and have a great day!
Fallout 76 is an enduring adventure game, and developers continue to inject updates and new content into the game in an effort to keep it fresh. As they keep the game alive, new players continue to enter the vast world of Fallout 76. So, here we want to share 8 key tips to help players get familiar with the game and better enjoy their journey to Appalachia.
The most important tip is to treat the game like you’re playing Fallout 4. It’s better to just focus on completing the mission while avoiding multiplayer events until at least the major mission is completed.
Many public events are ending quests for main and side quest chains, and you must eventually complete them, but if you complete them before completing those quest chains, you will end up breaking your own quest line.
Another reason is that many multiplayer events tend to offer very generous Fallout 76 Bottle Caps and materials as rewards, which are easily better than what you’ll get from missions. If you participate in too many public events, you can easily become disappointed with the main quest rewards.
You can go back and complete quest lines after completing multiplayer events, but they do lose their charm. Therefore, it is best to avoid participating in daily operations, public events, and expeditions until you have completed your primary tasks. Otherwise, you’ll regret starting these multiplayer events too early after they become all that the late game has to offer.
Remember, you can only be a new player once. So before jumping into the multiplayer features, take the time to explore and understand the in-game story.
Also, don’t forget to enable Pacifist Mode after reaching level 5, as this will prevent anyone from PVP you and prevent you from accidentally starting PVP.
In Fallout 76, you can also find Watchtowers, and climbing to the top unlocks surrounding locations. Then, if you’re close enough, you can place them on your map and unlock them for future fast travel.
Note that enemies usually defend these towers, so be prepared to deal with some enemies. But with a little caution and stealth, you should be able to defeat even high-level enemies.
Once you climb the tower, you’ll see a number of new entries on the map. You still need to travel to them in person to fully unlock them for fast travel, and your map will now show these locations.
Additionally, joining a group will give you a stat bonus, depending on the type of group you join. If you are part of a group of four, the maximum is +3. Different groups provide different stat types, including:
Any other groups, such as Daily Ops Team, are for multiplayer events, so don’t join them yet. They are designed for higher-level players and group play.
Becoming a group member does not require you to do anything with any other players. You can simply join a group and run your business like a single-player game, but get some free stat points. So why not?
As we all know, you can fast travel to any location you’ve unlocked by paying a certain amount of Bottle Caps. Traveling to locations on the other side of the map can be expensive, though, and early caps can be scarce. But there are some locations that you can quickly travel to for free, no matter where you start from.
The first is your camp. You can always get to the campsite for free. This applies not only to your main camp, but to any inactive camps you may have. Not only that, but you can travel to any camps belonging to your teammates for free.
Besides camp, there are also some fixed locations that can be quickly traveled to for free, and Vault 76 at the beginning of the game is one of them. It allows you to travel to the forested area on the west side of the map. Rusty Pick will take you to Ash Heap to the south. Whitespring Resort and Foundation will give you access to the southern part of the map at any time.
You can use these locations as waypoints to make your fast travel even cheaper. It’s important to note that the faction headquarters requires you to be friendly with the faction, otherwise you may be attacked when you arrive.
Speaking of caps, early caps can be hard to come by. You can get it by looting locations and selling weapons and junk. But you can actually farm caps with minimal effort, it’s just farming crops.
Once you plant a crop, it will provide you with regular harvests. You don’t need to water them or take care of them in any way, and they will continue to give you regular harvests as long as enemies don’t shoot them.
If you also equip Green Thumb perk before harvesting, your harvest will be doubled. You can use these crops to make soups and teas to feed yourself. Alternatively, you can sell raw vegetables to NPC vendors in exchange for caps.
It’s not the most profitable way to make money, but it is an easy, reliable source of money that requires minor work. Basically, once you decide on a location for your camp, you should plant some crops.
What’s special about Fallout 76 is the use of level scaling on enemies. So as you level up, your enemies will also level up. This means they will be harder to kill as you play.
But as you explore, you’ll find missions that give you unique weapons to help you cope. But just as important as having an excellent weapon is using damage bonuses to enhance those weapons.
Typically, you have three levels of damage buffing perks: Basic, Expert, and Master. Each can be upgraded to three tiers, and if you upgrade them all, you’ll spend 9 perk points to gain an additional 60% damage.
Even gaining one level of each perk will give you 30% extra damage while only costing 3 perk points. That 30% extra damage is considerable, especially for some weapons that can deal a lot of damage.
Early radiation will be painful because you won’t have enough RadAway to throw around. On top of that, any food you eat and any water you collect will give you radiation. So as you play, radiation stacks up easily.
But there is a trick to eliminate radiation in the early game, which is to drink Brahmin Milk. Every glass of milk you drink eliminates 25 radiation.
The best place to find Brahmin Milk is in Flatwoods. There should be about 5 or 6 Brahmin between the building and the creek on the west side of town. Not every Brahmin will offer milk, but you should get at least 3 or 4 every time you come over. This is also the easiest way to reduce radiation early in the game.
Later, as you explore, you’ll find enough RadAways, especially since you can also use Pharmacist perk to maximize the effects of RadAways. But remember early on that you can drink Brahmin Milk as a cheap and effective way to get rid of radiation.
Note that early on, your stats and perk cards are randomized, and it’s easy to look like making the wrong choice has permanent consequences. But that’s not actually the case.
You can change the applied perk cards at any time, the only limit is which cards you can use. Once you reach level 25, you can freely change your special stats using punch cards at the train station or your camp.
After level 50, each upgrade lets you choose a card. You can still open perk packs every 5 levels, but in addition, you can choose your perks as you level up.
So if you don’t get good cards from the pack, or you think you made a mistake in your build, don’t worry, nothing lasts forever. The game doesn’t lock you into a certain build in any way. Once you reach level 50, you can customize your build to suit your needs.
Those are some tips you need to know when entering Fallout 76. By following this guide, you will have a better gaming experience effortlessly. Have a nice day.
In this guide, we’ll cover 5 rune farming tips in Elden Ring. These tips can help beginners master the basics of rune farming and make them more familiar with the rune farming methods of the land.
Since there isn’t a rune farming tutorial in the game, hopefully, this will give you an idea of some simple rune farming strategies to get you started by giving you some handy information to help you farm runes more easily. This way, your character will quickly become powerful and ready for Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which launches on June 21st this year.
I want to preface this section by saying that some players consider rune farming or exploiting glitches or exploits to get runes quickly to be cheating, and you shouldn’t do it.
However, I think anyone who plays the game has the right to decide how they enjoy it. This includes rune farming strategies, using exploits in the game, and even purchasing Elden Ring Runes from third-party sellers. No one has the right to tell you how to have fun.
One of the easiest places to farm runes in Elden Ring is Gatefront Ruins. Gatefront Ruins is located in Limgrave, just north of Church of Elleh. It’s filled with relatively easy-to-kill enemies, and with a little more strategy and caution, you can make a tidy profit here.
I’ll show you the route I took on the outside to get you the most bang for your buck. While I’m at it, I’d like to point out that there are a few things to pick up here, the first of which is Limgrave West Map. You can find it in a large stone steel in the center of Gatefront Ruins, which is guarded by several Godrick Soldiers.
Another item you can pick up is Whetstone Knife, which allows you to equip and change Ash of War on your weapon. It’s in a chest south of Ruins. You can also get Ash of War Storm Stomp from here.
You can also pick up two weapons, Lordsworn’s Greatsword and Flail. However, you can find other options from the enemies there.
The primary goal here is to kill as many enemies as quickly as possible and then reset them by resting at Sites of Grace. As long as you want to get ahead on some of your attributes, you can do that as often as you want.
I will mention that before thinking about increasing damage stats like Strength or Dexterity, I always recommend increasing your Vigor stat to 20 or 25 for increased survivability.
Another decent rune farming area is located in Caelid. To get there, you’ll need torrents, and you’ll need to start at Sites of Grace, just north of Agheel Lake. You then need to head south across the bridge and then northeast to Mistwood Outskirts Sites of Grace.
You can open the map and view Glintstone on the map. You can pick up the map if you want, but be aware that there are 3 giant Runebears nearby, and they may kill you if provoked.
You can also go around them, pick up the map, and go east to Third Church of Marika. Activate Sites of Grace, grab Flask of Wondrous Physick, Sacred Tear, and Crimson Crystal Tear, go through the hole in the wall on the northwest side of the church, and head to the back of the church.
You will then be transported to a distant place in Caelid, known as Bestial Sanctum. Be careful to avoid the huge Black Blade Kindred Creature here and continue heading south. Next, cross the bridge to Lenne’s Rise and capture Sites of Grace.
Our major goal is to farm the enemy here, Silver Sphere. There are two spawning sites just west of Lenne’s Rise, one close to it and the other a little further on the road to the west.
Each Silver Sphere will grant you 1,952 runes. You then continue to Sites of Grace and rest to reset enemies and rinse and repeat.
The third rune farming strategy I want to talk about is Dragon. This strategy is suitable for novice to intermediate players.
First, you need a weapon that causes blood loss. The most accessible and available to any class without stat investment is Morning Star. It can be found in a chest inside a broken carriage a little south of Limgrave.
Next, you’ll reach Lenne’s Rise using the strategy I mentioned above. Then head to the back of Lenne’s Rise via torrent. Go to Spiritspring and collect Golden Runes near the coffin.
Then head southwest down the hill and directly south to Fort Faroth to activate Sites of Grace. The target you want to kill is a dragon named Greyoll. If you get in the right spot, not only will nothing attack you, but you’ll also be able to kill the dragon.
If you are a Scholar or a class with a Strength below 12, you will need to use Morning Star with two hands. Get on the torrent and run towards the dragon, attack with Morning Star to trigger the blood and repeat until there is only a little health left.
Next, this is where you make your decision. Either you can kill the dragon and get about 50,000 runes in one go. Or you can use a glitch to farm the dragon repeatedly, essentially giving you infinite runes.
If you want to exploit this, get on Torrent while it has a little health left, but aim Torrent next to Greyoll so you can still hit her. If you do it correctly, you’ll gain 50,000 runes, and Greyoll will still be alive. If you do it wrong, then she disappears. You get the rune, and you get 5 Dragon Hearts.
The fourth rune farming strategy I want to talk about is Albunaurics and Birds. This rune farming strategy is suitable for intermediate to advanced players.
Albunaurics and Bird I’m talking about are both located in Mohgwyn Palace. The nearest Sites of Grace is Palace Approach Ledge Road. You need to either reach Consecrated Snowfield or complete Varre questline to reach Mohgwyn Palace.
Next choose Albunaurics or Bird. If you choose Albunaurics on the slopes, then you can attack them all at once or in large groups using your maximum range weapons or magic. Sacred Relic Sword excels in this regard. On your first playthrough, you can get around 70,00 runes per run, or 150,000 runes if you use Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot.
If you choose Bird, face the edge of the cliff, equip a bow, switch to first-person mode and shoot him to attract him and lure him off the cliff. On your first playthrough, you’ll get around 11,000 runes per run, or 26,896 runes if you use Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot. This is also by far the most efficient and fastest way to farm runes in Elden Ring.
Which brings me to the last strategy for farming runes, which is collecting Golden Runes. This strategy is suitable for beginners to experienced players. It depends on which Golden Runes you get from which coffins.
Golden Runes can be found in several locations across the land, but the most important way to find them is to look for cemeteries with coffins or sarcophagi inside. Every place with these will have Golden Runes, so keep your eyes open when exploring. There are quite a few of them, and the best part is that you can collect them as you go through torrents.
That’s it for today’s guide. I hope these tips help you farm as many runes as possible to get your character ready for the expansion coming in June!
The launch of WOW Classic SOD Phase 3 introduces a new level cap of 50, the new world events, and a host of improved content. As standard with each phase release, each class also has a new set of runes to discover.
In SOD Phase 3, Warlock has access to 6 new runes, which can be equipped on Bracer and Head gear to provide additional buffs to the character. So when players reach level 40 and above, they will desperately need tips to find the runes they need.
This guide covers all the new Warlock Runes introduced in Season of Discovery Phase 3, including details on each rune’s effects and how to obtain them. Let’s get started quickly!
First, Immolation Aura is an important rune for Warlock class known as masters of dark magic. It burns nearby enemies every 2 seconds and reduces all magic damage taken by 10% until canceled.
To obtain this rune, players need to find three Reagents scattered around Ashenvale on different types of demons. In this case, we will defeat them and ask for specific materials.
These demons are located within Emerald Portal in Ashenvale, also known as Bough Shadow. Here, you need to defeat Dreamyre Imp to get Dreamyre Fire, Emberspark Dreamsworn to get Dreamsworn Horn, and Dreamhunter Hound to get Dreamhunter Fang.
Once you have all three items, combine them to get your Immolation Aura Rune.
Unstable Affliction is a very easy to obtain Warlock Rune and is arguably one of the most powerful runes for Warlock. It may become the rune of choice for Affliction Warlock builds in the future.
To find it, all you need to do is build a Friendly reputation with Emerald Wardens. You can then buy it from any Quartermasters for 1 WOW Classic SOD Gold and 60 Silver.
You can participate in Nightmare Incursions in different areas through four portals and complete tasks assigned by Field Captain NPC to gain the reputation of Emerald Wardens. Missions can include defeating enemies, gathering resources, or defeating bosses, some of which require teamwork.
I would like to remind you that these portals have specific level ranges and completing higher level missions alone is risky. Therefore, I would recommend you to just choose one that suits your level.
Currently, you can start in Duskwood at level 25, Ashenvale at level 40, and Feralas and Hinterlands at level 50.
To get Summon Felguard Rune for your Warlock in Phase 3, you first need an Explorer Imp. This is also Warlock companion introduced in Season of Discovery Phase 3.
Whenever you defeat certain mobs with Drain Soul, you have a chance to receive an Explorer’s Soul, which summons an Explorer Imp for you. You can use them to explore Fel Slivers, Fel Tears, Fel Scars, Fel Rifts, and Fel Cracks scattered around the map.
Note that you must keep exploring these until you get Summon Felguard Rune. Their exact locations vary, but here are a few that can currently be found:
Pandemic is an extremely powerful Warlock Rune for SOD Phase 3 endgame content. Its ability to make your damage critical cannot be underestimated.
But it’s also a relatively easy rune to find. Your first task is to find two specific monsters in Feralas and loot their belongings. The items you need can be found in containers near the corpse. Among them, you can find Grimtotem Necklace on Dead Diseased Grimtotem Shaman, and Broken Woodpaw Staff on Dead Diseased Woodpaw Mystic.
Combine these two items to create a Diseased Nature Staff. Then, head to Woodpaw Camp near (72, 50) and use it on the nearby Diseased Forest Walker. Once it’s awakened, loot its Pandemic Rune.
Backdraft is a viable rune for any DPS and Tank Warlock. To obtain the runes, you need to interact with four Leyline Confluxes scattered across Azeroth.
You still need Explorer Imp, though, so you can get 4 Worldcore Fragments from their exploration. Backdraft Rune can only be obtained by collecting all four and combining them. These four Leyline Confluxes can be found at:
Just a reminder, in the last location you have to fight a level 47 elite. It’s immune to Arcane Damage, but that’s not a big problem for Warlock.
Vengeance is Head Rune added in SOD Phase 3. As a Warlock Tank, this is a very useful rune that provides temporary HP and makes your wings slowfall under Metamorphosis Form.
Players need to complete Wild Gods quest chain to unlock this rune. Everyone in your party will need to obtain Wild Gods from Shadowtooth Emissary in Emerald Sanctuary in Felwood. However, only one person needs to travel to Jintha’alor and farm Troll Elites.
Please note that one person in the party needs to have Wildwhisper Draught in order to travel to Razorfen Downs. Then you need to find Amnennar the Coldbringer and clean his room, drink Draught and accept his quest.
The quest requires you to go to three dungeons and claim Wild Offerings from Delirious Ancient using the items he gives you. When you see “You feel a shadowed presence” on the screen, use the item near the creature. You can only kill these souls once per lock, so many players reset the dungeon over and over. The three dungeon missions are:
Zul’Farrak: Defeat Gahz’rilla, clear the area, find the spider ghost, use Agamaggan’s Roar to spawn a level 52 elite, defeat it, and collect Wild Offering.
Maraudon: Defeat Princess Theradras, clear the area, and find the ghost in the upper-level water. Use Agamaggan’s Roar again to spawn a level 52 elite, defeat it, and collect Wild Offering.
Blackrock Depths: Kill Houndmaster Grebmar, High Interrogator Gerstahn, and complete Ring of Law. Find the basilisk ghost on Dark Iron Highway and use Agamaggan’s Roar to spawn a level 52 elite, defeat it to collect Wild Offering.
Finally, bring these Wild Offerings back to Shadowtooth Emissary to claim your new Vengeance Rune.
In any case, WOW Classic SOD Phase 3 has officially started, and we need to find the necessary runes as soon as possible to upgrade our Warlock gear so that we can be prepared before entering the new raid!
Do you want to be invincible in Last Epoch Arena? If so, then don’t miss this guide. Here you will find everything you need to know about Arena. Without any further ado, let’s dive right in!
First, you may be wondering, how do you actually get into the arena? To do this, you need to reach Champion’s Gate located here in Divine Era.
To find that waypoint, you just need to right-click on the arena key. This way, the map will automatically open at Champions’ Gate Waypoint, so you don’t have to manually search for it on the map. But the first time you want to reach the arena, you need to reach Champions’ Gate without teleporting to unlock the waypoint.
Champions’ Gate is actually a nice Hub-like town with Target Dummies inside that you can use to test your character’s DPS.
The next question we want to answer is: what is Arena and how does it actually play?
Arena is an endgame activity. It’s exactly what you’d expect: a closed area with waves of monsters spawning. Arenas have different layouts, with different visual themes, but they all essentially function in the same way.
There are four portals on the map from which mobs spawn. After entering the arena map, Shrines may spawn at the edge of the arena. So it’s usually best to start by moving a little from the center and see if there are any Shrines you can use.
Some arenas also have environmental hazards in the middle of the map. As you advance through the arena, monsters gain higher levels, health, and damage.
After every five waves of monsters, a few barrels will appear on the map, and you can destroy them to get Last Epoch Gold and loot. Keep an eye on them to avoid missing them like I did at first. At this time, stash and shop NPCs are also available, so you can store items to avoid full inventory.
Also, if you’re playing with other players who die during your run, they can respawn during the break after every fifth wave. Once you complete ten waves, you can move on to the next arena map.
Now, this is where the differences between the two different types of arenas begin.
Fixed forty waves of enemies in Arena of Champions. After every ten waves, you can choose modifiers for loot, enemy damage, and health.
Since this arena type has 40 waves of enemies, you have three modifiers to choose from in waves 10, 20, and 30. After wave 40, the boss of the arena appears.
Currently, Champions are divided into three types: Sentinel, Rogue and Primalist-like Champion. You need to kill Champions to complete the arena, which will reward you with loot and unlock higher difficulty levels in Arena of Champions.
And then for the second type of arena in Last Epoch, Endless Arena. The arena is what you’d expect, with endless waves of enemies. After 90 waves, you will face one of the arena’s champions.
Of course, Arena Keys also come in two types. So you might be wondering what exactly is the difference between them?
Normal arenas can be used to access either arena type. Arena Key of Memory is only useful for Endless Arena, as it allows you to start from wave 100, or half divide the highest wave number you have reached (rounded to 10). For example, Arena Key of Memory will allow you to start at wave 110 if you reached wave 215 before.
Note that you can also use Arena Key of Memory at any level of Arena of Champions, but it will have no effect in this arena type. Since Arena Key of Memory has a much lower drop rate, using it for Arena of Champions will be a waste of keys.
Sadly, the loot rewards you can earn in Last Epoch Arena are rather lackluster. The amount of useful loot you get is very low. Considering the time it takes to get the loot, you’re better off running Monolith or dungeons in the high tier.
Enemy and arena design also often result in a slow and boring experience. Sometimes enemies will spawn quickly and reach you instantly, making the arena feel like a dynamic and fast-paced experience. But unfortunately, you’ll also encounter enemies that are painfully slow.
The biggest enemy here is Drowned Husk. They take a long time to move anywhere. So you’ll experience some unpleasant downtime in the arena.
It would actually be great if all arena maps were as simple as Arena of Champions map. It was so small that we could take out ten waves of enemies easily.
Arenas provide a large amount of XP, but unfortunately, the time required to complete them does not make them an effective way to level up your character.
Hence the number one reason to visit Arena: a change of pace. If you’re tired of running Monolith repeatedly, maybe jumping into the arena for a while will give you a unique experience.
You can then also use it to test your build. Since the arena has an endless mode with scaling difficulty, it’s a great place to test how strong your character build actually is.
In addition, the online arena mode also has a ranking list, and players with the highest number of passes can become famous in the Last Epoch community. So it adds this competitive aspect to the game.
The last reason to run an arena is for the unique loot drops like Penumbra, Omen of Thunder, and Vaion’s Chariot. These items can only be obtained through Arena. Keep in mind that each of them can be obtained from specific Arena Champions.
Finally, I’ll share with you my final tips for playing in the arena.
First, keep moving. There’s a lot of visual chaos in Last Epoch, especially the more flashy character builds. Sometimes, when there’s a lot going on the screen, you simply don’t see AOE highlights of enemy attacks. To avoid dying from this attack that you can’t see, you can constantly move around, making your character a really hard target to hit.
Also, remember to open the barrel with loot and collect it every fifth wave so you don’t lose it.
Be sure to check out Shrines and use them strategically. Remember, you can stack buffs in Shrines. For example, if I see four Shrines available, I will choose the reward from two of those Shrines at the start of the map and leave two for the sixth wave of enemies on that map.
Next tip, keep your character close to the center to avoid being idle for long periods of time while waiting for enemies to slowly crawl out of the portal on the other side of the map.
Note not to use Arena Key of Memory on Arena of Champions, as this key type is less common and does not bring any benefits to that arena type.
One final tip: know your enemy. Some enemies are particularly dangerous and attack very hard. Over time, you’ll learn which enemies to attack with burst skills or which enemies to use defense cooldowns against. Pay attention and remember to kill your enemies for future runs.
This concludes Last Epoch arena guide. Of course, you’ll also encounter arena nodes as you progress through Monolith. For these nodes, some tips here apply as well. I hope you found this guide useful. See you next time!
Welcome to this new build guide for the swift Ghostflame Lich in Last Epoch 1.0. The primary objective of this build is to swiftly navigate through the Monolith to target farm various echo rewards efficiently such as the Uniques and Exalted Items, as well as to farm Exile Mages for experimental mods.
The main skill we’re using is Ghostflame, and it deals with fire and chronic damage to us while also draining our mana when we are channeling. For this setup, we’re looking to scale the initial hit of the Ghostflame, not the ailments from it, to one-shot enemies as we go.
To deal damage and be fast, we need a lot of points for the Ghostflame skill to grab all the damage multipliers. The great thing is that the skill has so many tags on it, scaling from a lot of different sources like fire, Necrotic damage over time, spell channeling, and movement.
With this build,we can get over 200% movement speed, and we can basically stay in Ghostflame all the time without having to worry that much about getting our mana drained.
With mana, finish with Ghostflame, and this will lower the overall cost of the skill. By also using Wandering Spirits and picking up the Infuse Soul passive, provide a 15% chance to gain 12 mana whenever a spirit expires. Then, we’re also using Transplant with a Pale Blood passive, which will give us 30 flat mana when we use Transplant.
Telf'un's Mirage is a small source as it also provides us 2 mana gains when we dodge while channeling potions is a huge part of this build as well. By using Divine Girdle with the experimental mod 'mana gained on potion use', we can grant us up to 40 flat mana whenever we use a potion. While on the subject of potions, it sits very well with all the other things we’re using for this build.
One of them is a Grimoire of Necrotic Elixirs, which will give us up to 40 Necrotic damage to melee attacks and spells. It also takes up to 4% less void, Necrotic, and poison damage for 4 seconds on potion use. Exsanguinous is another item which also will grant us up to 30% attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed if we have used a potion in the past 4 seconds. Some other gear you can choose depends on your amount of Last Epoch Gold.
Ghostflame: Wraith Form grants additional dodge rating per intelligence while channeling Ghostflame. Spectral Menace reduces the channel cost by up to 70%. Spirit Of Dread provides extra movement speed while channeling Ghostflame and converts it into a movement skill.
Doom Surge adds further movement speed. Fiery Desecration allows Ghostflame to deal damage in a full circle, albeit with an increased channel cost. It's beneficial if mana can be sustained. Domain Of Torment increases the damage multiplier. Disdain reduces damage taken while channeling the Ghostflame skill.
Atrocity provides an extra damage multiplier. The Decrepit Mortals release a curse on enemies for a short duration, causing them to take an additional 15% more damage over time. When triggers Banshee, enemies will also fear, and Ghostflame will deal more direct damage to them, up to 75%.
Reaper Form: Soul Shroud gives us armor per point of intelligence. Vile Shroud provides Necrotic resistance and poison resistance per point of intelligence. Soul for a Soul increases damage. Reaper's Curse adds additional increased damage. Death Comes Quickly grants the Swiftness buff upon killing an enemy.
These buffs will increase movement speed by 1% and can stack up to 10 times. With the Haunting, we have a chance to apply Mark for Death on enemies on hit. This is triggered by using Death Seal as it counts as a hit.
Transplant: Pale Blood gives us 30 mana when using Transplant. When hitting an enemy with Transplant, we gain mana per hit. Acolyte's Fervor grants the Haste and Frenzy buff upon using Transplant.
Squeamish applies fear on departure, while the other option applies fear on arrival. Fleeting Form provides extra cooldown recovery. Bone Armor grants the Bone Armor buff, providing extra armor, less damage taken, and increasing the duration of the Bone Armor.
Death Seal: This is another skill that we're using. This will seal our health, preventing us from going above the current value and deal damage to us. Moratorium increases the duration of Death Seal. Soul Stability prevents health loss from effects draining a percentage of current health.
The Quick and the Dead grants the Haste Buff upon releasing Death Seal. Doomcall amplifies the damage of Death Seal waves for each stack of Damned on us. Mortal Pulse triggers death waves every second while sealed. Tachycardia increases the frequency of death waves.
Desperate Shroud provides additional armor and stun avoidance per 10 missing health. Deadlock makes it so if our health is above 33% of your maximum health when we activate Death Seal, this will reduce it to 33% of our maximum health, making us able to stay on low life.
Wandering Spirits: Infusing Soul allows us to gain mana. We get a 15% chance to gain 12 mana per Spirit when they expire. Sheltering Spirit provides extra Ward and medium just for increased mana efficiency for the skill. Thin Veil ensures we get more spirits. Terrifying Presence ensures enemies near Spirits are also feared.
Drained Will makes Wandering Spirit also Shred resistance of nearby enemies. This helps with half of our damage from Ghostflame, as the skill is both fire and Necrotic-based. Sins of the Forgotten makes Wandering Spirit now also inflict enemies around them with the Damned ailment.
For the idols, you want to pick up mana efficiency with the Ghostflame. For the suffix, you could go with either resist, health, or Ward retention. The chance to apply fear is amazing, as we also get a 75% damage multiplier from the Ghostflame passive to feared enemies, and this will help to sustain that debuff when Death Seal is hitting enemies.
We also have 2 Grand Bone Idols with Ward per second when channeling Ghostflame and also with increased spell damage while on low life.
Next, for blessings, I recommend using Grand Echo of Solarum, Grand Light of the Moon, Grand Survival of Might, Grand Defiance of Yulia and Grand Patience of Herkir.
With Path of Exile 3.24 launching soon, here we’ll review everything we know so far about Necropolis League mechanics and rewards, as well as the implications of this League mechanic on what build and farming strategies you should be playing. If you want to get a head start when entering the league, be sure not to miss this guide. Let’s get started!
First, let's talk about everything we know so far about the league mechanics.
Necropolis is a crafting league that has many similarities to Bestiary, Harvest and Delve.
Before entering each area, you’ll see a UI pop-up, Lantern of Arimor. This UI will show you some Spirits, their associated monster modifiers, and each monster pack that can be spawned locally in the area.
Using this UI, you can move spirits onto any monster you want and assign modifiers to parts of those monsters. Lantern UI also displays detailed information about monster packs in the area, including key information such as pack density. It allows you to assign modifiers to monsters to diminish or reduce effects, or maximize bonuses from high-tier or beneficial modifiers.
It is worth noting that this league mechanism affects all zones, including league zones such as Heist Contracts and sub-zones such as Abyssal Depths.
What I really want to emphasize about this mechanic is that it is mandatory. You cannot opt out of this mechanism. Every area you enter has Haunted Spirits, which make monsters stronger and more dangerous. But you do want to make sure your build can handle these difficult spikes.
There are two types of Spirits you can find in Lantern: the more common Haunted Spirits and the rare Devoted Spirits.
Haunted Spirits come in various tiers. The higher the tier, the stronger the monster modifier, and provide better rewards for slain monsters haunted by those spirits. These better rewards come as increased chances for monsters to gain “Unresolved Anguish”.
This simply means that monsters will drop collectible corpses when slain, increasing the drop chance of Embers of The Allflame, and increasing the chance of getting Devoted Spirits for each haunted monster killed for future Lanterns.
It’s worth noting that all of this only applies to monsters that spawn locally in the area. Later, monsters spawned from the league mechanic will not be haunted, and in fact will not even appear on Lantern.
The second type is Devoted Spirits. Unlike Haunted Spirits, these Spirits grant modifiers with beneficial effects on the player. This can include Magic Find, increased XP, and monster spawning things like Lesser Shrines, Strongboxes, and Nameless Seers.
Your chance of gaining Devoted modifier increases based on the number and level of haunted spirits you killed in the previous area. This means that placing higher level, more difficult modifiers on a high density of monsters will result in more Devoted Spirits appearing in subsequent areas.
If you’re not interested in the crafting part of Necropolis, this could very well be a way to flesh out your map and get extra rewards. Not only are you likely to have highly profitable Devoted Spirits, but it’s worth noting that these modifiers may increase the monster’s item count and rarity. Whatever modifier you gain will allow you to expand your loot.
Next up is Ember of The Allflame. These are consumable items that drop haunted monsters, and can be used with Lantern UI to replace monster packs with different special monster packs. Most of these special monsters have additional items to drop, including some very exciting ones that drop tattoos!
It’s worth noting that these special monster packs will inherit the density of the monsters they replace, so you may want to use them on the densest monster packs available to maximize the number on the map.
The important thing about Embers of The Allflame is that at least some of them can only be dropped from specific content or even specific monsters. It’s possible these items will be linked to specific maps or content types, but that’s unclear at the moment, and it’s something we’ll have to figure out once the league goes live.
The ultimate effect of Haunted Spirits is Unresolved Anguish. A certain percentage of haunted monsters will have this modifier, which makes them collectible corpses when killed.
These corpses have a crafting modifier and inherit the monster’s name, monster type, and monster level. In addition, the developers also stated that at least some monsters from Embers of The Allflame have exclusive crafts associated with them.
If this applies to all monsters, and popular crafts only come from specific monsters or maps, then much of the league’s strategy will revolve around trying to farm those specific crafts.
Finally, it’s time to talk about the crafting part of this crafting league, Exorcism Crafting.
The corpses you collect from slain, haunted monsters can be consumed in large quantities to create single items. Each corpse has a crafting modifier that affects the items created.
How it works is that you’ll travel to Necropolis Graveyard, bury any number of corpses, and then exorcise all of them, and the items you craft will gain all of their combined effects.
It is said that there are many graves, and if you are willing to invest more POE Currency, you can craft an incredibly powerful item.
However, this design is far from deterministic. You can’t even choose the item base of the item you’re crafting, only broad categories like “Shield” or “Boots.”
In order to get the item base you want, you will need to use corpse modifiers that affect the item base. One of the new corpse modifiers is called “Modifier Tier Rate”. This is a new way to make items have higher level affixes.
While this modifier allows you to gain higher-level affixes, it doesn’t actually ensure that you actually gain that affix. This means you need to combine Modifier Tier Rate with other modifiers to increase your chances of rolling that type of affix.
Another interesting use of Modifier Tier Rate is to use it on affix types you don’t want, to reduce the chance of getting that affix in your item. Using them in this way is like using a much weaker version of Fossil that prevents certain types of affixes from rolling on items.
So what farming strategy is best for Necropolis? Since the endgame got a huge overhaul in POE 3.24, with the addition of tier 17 maps and a massive scarab rework. Compared to previous leagues, it feels difficult to make any reliable predictions this time around.
However, I do believe we can glean some important insights from all this.
For one, the rewards associated with crafting don’t match other league mechanics. Only monsters local to the map will be haunted, which means other league mechanics spawning in monsters not only won’t give you any corpses to craft, they’ll even just slow you down.
Embers, on the other hand, seem to be designed specifically for players who want to ignore crafting elements and focus solely on farming drops. Embers and their rewards will probably increase as the number of items increases. So if you decide to focus on corpse collecting, you’ll need to find ways to maximize the number of local monsters on the map.
As far as taking advantage of league mechanics, most will just slow you down. The only league mechanic that has the potential to increase the number of local monsters on a map is Shrine, but I’m not 100% sure it actually works. However, some of the new Scarabs will definitely come into play and can add additional haunted monsters to your map.
Embers farming has two parts: farming Embers themselves, or using embers to farm the monsters they spawn in the map. The details of Embers drops are currently unclear, so it’s difficult to assess whether players focused on farming Embers will do both, or just one or the other.
But the goal is to grow more Embers as you use them, and maybe even over-maintain to sell the excess Embers! Because you are replacing monster packs with Embers, you need to make sure to always replace high-density monster packs.
You may even want to consider running a map with a less efficient layout and more monster packs overall in order to maximize the value you get from your expensive Embers.
Finally, let’s talk about the factors you need to consider when creating Necropolis league builds.
What I really want to emphasize here is that this league will be more rigorous than the standard league. This league mechanic is mandatory. It makes monsters stronger, and you can’t opt out. On top of that, this patch introduces a lot of new and challenging endgame content. Therefore, I highly recommend you play with proven meta builds.
Because this is a crafting league focused on crafting powerful rare items, builds that use a lot of unique items will be at a disadvantage here. They won’t be able to take full advantage of the powerful crafting options Necropolis offers.
As for the specific type of build you should be playing, you have to take a bit of a gamble here. The fact that corpses don’t scale with the loot-increasing effect of increasing difficulty means that a clear speed build that clears the map as quickly as possible at the expense of high-end power is probably the right choice.
However, we still don’t know much about how the endgame will play out. If the best corpses come from side content like Heist or Delve, then clear speed may not be king. But a full build is probably a safe bet.
That’s all for this guide. I’d also love to hear your thoughts on Necropolis. Are you going to focus on corpses or embers? Any thoughts on all the new Scarabs we’re receiving? See you next time!
After dedicating 100 hours to playing Enshrouded, I’ve compiled 15 advanced tips to optimize your gaming experience.
To begin with, unlocking everything and discovering new Enshrouded Items in the game will also unlock the recipes associated with them.
During my initial gameplay, I encountered difficulty finding Goo because I hadn’t crafted Bug Dust, despite having it unlocked as a recipe. I failed to make the connection between the two, so I highly recommend thoroughly exploring all craftsmen and crafting one of each item as a precaution.
While many enjoy leaping off an Arcane Tower, it can lead to unfortunate outcomes, such as carelessly tumbling off a mountainside into lava or plummeting to one’s demise.
To mitigate such mishaps, you can cancel various actions, like mid-air movement, by right-clicking just before reaching the ground. This technique can be incredibly beneficial in preventing accidents.
Some players relish navigating through intricate traps, but at times, it’s more practical to bypass them entirely. Whether by leaping onto a nearby ledge, circumventing obstacles, or devising alternative routes around a base, leveraging the environment’s features can simplify traversal.
Utilize terrain advantages and remember, you have multiple options for overcoming obstacles — whether by digging, flying, or dismantling structures — rather than solely relying on conventional methods like finding switches.
During the initial 20 hours of gameplay, I relied solely on wooden arrows as a Ranger due to their affordability and ease of resource acquisition. However, I reserved rarer arrows for encounters with bosses.
Yet, resources are plentiful in this game, making it a prudent choice to opt for arrows that deal 21 damage over those inflicting only eight, even if it requires slightly more resources. The significant increase in damage output justifies the additional preparation time, resulting in a smoother gaming experience.
Did you know that crafting a Lockpick on the go consumes double the resources? Hence, thorough preparation is essential.
Although metal scraps are relatively abundant, certain items prove more resource-efficient to craft. For instance, utilizing a spinning wheel instead of a hand spinner doubles the resource output, making it worthwhile to explore alternative crafting methods for frequently used resources or recipes.
While this method may be addressed in future updates, my experience with games like Skyrim has taught me a valuable lesson: with the right approach, you can ascend any mountain.
Whether through strategic jumping and rolling or utilizing double jumps, this technique can significantly reduce the time spent navigating mountainous terrain and expedite exploration efforts.
Certain skills are indispensable in this game and warrant careful consideration. I highly recommend acquiring the Double Jump skill, which not only aids in evading danger but also facilitates exploration.
Additionally, the Desert Stomach skill provides an extra food slot, significantly enhancing character buffs. Another valuable skill is Updraft, simplifying exploration and granting access to elevated areas with ease.
For solo players, investing in resource gathering skills proves highly advantageous, particularly for those inclined towards construction. On dedicated servers, it’s beneficial for each player to assume a specific role. I strongly advocate for tanks to select the Earth Aura skill, reducing damage by 10% for all players. It would be intriguing to explore potential synergies if this effect could be stacked among multiple players.
In cooperative gameplay, the Water Aura skill offers team members free healing, further augmented by pairing it with Waters of Life.
When embarking on exploration endeavors, it’s prudent to carry altars or the necessary resources for their construction. In later levels, certain biomes lack stone, crucial for building altars. Hence, if you intend to utilize teleportation points or return to base as needed, it’s essential to have these resources on hand.
For extended journeys where altars may not suffice, consider bringing a campfire along. Placing it in a sheltered area grants a short rested bonus, enhancing your travel experience.
Optimize your comfort level at your main base to capitalize on the rested bonus it offers. This bonus significantly boosts stamina and stamina regeneration.
With sufficient investment, you can enjoy an hour-long rested bonus, provided you avoid perishing during your travels, as death resets the bonus.
While swords and staves excel at striking multiple enemies simultaneously, arrows wielded by Rangers possess similar capabilities.
When ammunition is scarce, precise timing allows a single arrow to damage multiple adversaries. Positioning enemies closely before releasing the bow maximizes the efficacy of each shot.
To enhance your damage output, prioritize consuming meals tailored to your objectives rather than relying on basic foods, especially in later stages of the game.
Crafting hearty meals with significant buffs can substantially boost attributes.
For future base or farm development involving dirt roads, ensure efficient resource allocation by placing a few resource blocks and using a rake to spread them out. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the extent of coverage, saving considerable resource-gathering efforts.
Regarding the rake, there’s a current bug preventing its crafting for players above level five who haven’t done so already. In such cases, creating a new character, obtaining the necessary resources (likely spring twigs and stone), crafting a rake, and transferring it to the primary server temporarily is the workaround.
While resources replenish regularly, the absence of an option to disable respawning hampers gameplay difficulty.
To aid resource management, meticulously mark resource locations on your map for future reference, facilitating efficient retrieval.
To refresh resources and items swiftly, exit and relaunch the game or, if on a server, stop and restart it.
Although regarded as an exploit, this method enables players to exploit item acquisition by repeatedly entering and exiting the game. While not recommended, placing a Flame Altar near a gold chest or Flame Sanctum allows for resource farming or continual item rolling.
Given the game’s recent release to Early Access, its optimization remains incomplete, resulting in suboptimal enemy pathfinding.
However, this flaw presents strategic opportunities for players seeking to exploit enemy weaknesses. Whether confronting isolated soldiers or formidable bosses, evading their attacks using the Double Jump ability and engaging them from a distance can offer a tactical advantage.
You can swiftly equip a weapon by right-clicking it and selecting “Equip,” enabling seamless weapon transitions using the Q key. This eliminates the need for manual weapon swapping, allowing for rapid weapon changes during combat scenarios.
This method proves particularly advantageous for Rangers, facilitating quick bow shots followed by a swift transition to a sword and shield setup for close-range defense, potentially preserving one’s life by promptly raising the shield.
Last Epoch has been accessible as an early access title for an extensive period. Initially launched with a single-player focus, the game underwent significant updates that introduced online multiplayer functionality and a plethora of additional content. This includes intricate dungeons featuring unique mechanics and fresh endgame challenges.
Nearly 5 years following its initial Early Access debut, Last Epoch has transitioned into a complete game with its robust 1.0 patch. So is Last Epoch worth playing in 2024?
Understanding the allure of Last Epoch requires insight into the ARPG genre's fundamental appeal and current trajectory.
Despite its recent surge in popularity, the genre remains largely shaped by diverse yet influential IPs. Some titles prioritize providing players with an exhilarating power fantasy, enabling them to effortlessly decimate hordes of foes, while others emphasize meticulous gear selection and skill tree optimization before achieving such prowess. Naturally, this endeavor necessitates a substantial investment of Last Epoch Gold, thus it's essential to prepare an adequate amount beforehand.
In essence, ARPGs often inhabit a spectrum, ranging from offering an intense power trip to granting players extensive control over their character's development. Last Epoch finds its place comfortably amidst this spectrum, striking a balance between empowering players with fantastical abilities and allowing ample opportunities for intricate build customization. This middle-ground approach ensures players experience the best of both worlds within the genre.
The game presents abundant opportunities for indulging in power fantasies, particularly as you progress into the mid-game and witness the synergies between your various abilities intertwine. Concurrently, Last Epoch fosters an environment ripe for experimentation with these synergies, employing one of the most ingenious methods of build customization I've encountered in an ARPG.
As you advance through your journey within Last Epoch, acquiring new abilities mirrors the standard progression in any ARPG. However, what distinguishes the experience is the individualized skill tree accompanying each ability. This feature allows for meticulous tinkering with the functionality of your skills. For instance, with the Necromancer specialization, you might opt to delegate your killing to summoned minions. Further customization can be achieved by enabling Summon Skeleton to summon archers and mages. These customization options extend to various skeleton types, each endowed with unique abilities such as Fire Arrows for archers and a poison blast for mages, while regular skeleton warriors inflict bleeding with each strike.
Such extensive customization permeates every class, subclass, and ability. For example, the Sentinel class offers the flexibility to specialize as either a weapons expert, embodied by the Forge Guard, or delve into Dark Magic as the Void Knight. Conversely, the Rogue class provides options like the pet-centric Falconer, the archery-focused Marksman, or the stealth-oriented Blade Dancer. Similar diverse choices are available for the Mage and Primalist classes, significantly impacting your character's build based on your preferred playstyle.
However, any comprehensive discussion about ARPGs today necessitates an exploration of their endgame systems. Fortunately, Last Epoch offers several engaging options to explore.
The central aspect of endgame content is embodied in the Monolith of Fate. Unlocked upon completing the main storyline, the Monolith of Fate guides players through a sequence of procedurally generated zones. Each zone offers the opportunity for players to target specific equipment slots for desired loot. For instance, players may opt for a zone that rewards them with a weapon or one that offers a new pair of boots.
Another significant component of endgame content is the Arena, providing a competitive avenue for players. In the Arena, players confront endless waves of increasingly challenging enemies. Upon defeat, players earn placement on relevant leaderboards, showcasing their skills, class, and the number of waves survived. These leaderboards are further categorized into solo, group, softcore, and hardcore divisions.
However, among Last Epoch's most captivating features are its dungeons, which transcend mere cavernous pathways. Drawing inspiration from popular MMORPGs, these dungeons boast unique mechanics. Whether navigating light mechanics to impede the growth of perilous plant-based adversaries or traversing between distinct time periods within a single dungeon run, each dungeon promises distinctive rewards alongside the anticipated randomly generated loot.
Now, shifting gears to discuss time travel, let's delve into the narrative of Last Epoch. In terms of ARPG storylines, Last Epoch may not rank as the most captivating. However, it possesses a unique twist in the form of time manipulation.
As players progress through the narrative, they traverse various eras, including the Ancient, Ruined, and Imperial Eras. While the game incorporates intriguing attempts at environmental storytelling, particularly evident when revisiting locations across millennia, ultimately, the overarching plot simplifies to the pursuit of locating and defeating the primary antagonist.
Throughout the narrative, there are numerous enjoyable moments, as your actions contribute to significant events within the world of Eterra. Whether forging bonds with various NPCs or leading a campaign against an entire empire, these experiences add depth to the gameplay.
However, amidst these engaging moments, Last Epoch suffers from an excess of filler content. Players often find themselves traversing aimlessly through random zones, engaging in mindless combat until they must interact with an NPC to advance the storyline.
While the gameplay choices offer extensive customization and remain entertaining, certain decisions within the game's narrative introduce unnecessary padding. Nonetheless, the core gameplay maintains its enjoyment, particularly as players unlock advanced abilities that enhance the power fantasy characteristic of ARPGs.
In summary, Last Epoch strikes a balance among its peers in the ARPG genre, providing players with ample character customization while remaining accessible. Despite the meandering nature of its story, the endgame content proves enjoyable, with dungeons standing out as highlights within the game.
The Group Finder has been released again today, coinciding with the Year of the Dragon event in New World Season 4. So I am going to provide a concise summary to help you know eveything about this system.
The system primarily aims to facilitate group formation for low level mutations, tailored to new players. It offers greater flexibility compared to the OPR system. While M3 isn't included due to gear and gem requirements, the goal is to attract more players to M3 by simplifying group finding.
Although the old Lobby Finders system, their lack of Cross World functionality poses a significant drawback. A more balanced approach integrating Cross World features into the existing system would have been preferable.
Trading is disabled while you are in Cross World, so you can’t just influence other servers’ economies by trading through the Group Finder. And let’s dive a little bit more into what the Devs had to show us.
So, first of all, you have the activity finder system, where you can see all of the options, all of the activities, for the modes tab, there are the new screen which gathers all of any world’s instant content in one place for easy access, similar to Outpost Rush.
Any player from any world within the same region can be matched together to form a new instance. This means significantly less time spent finding groups and more time running Expeditions.
You also no longer need to build your own group by hand. These new activity screens finally allow you to view any Expedition entrance screen and Lobby Finder from a single list instead of the map, also very convenient.
You can also just random queue on the side here or select specific Expeditions. And what you also notice on the right side here is the allow in-progress joining, so participating in an Expedition that has already started.
They do also mention us that you can still build your own Expedition group and Expeditions manually and use the Lobby-based Group Finder if you prefer.
The next point here is how to play Cross World Expeditions. If you’re playing solo or in a group of 4 or less adventurers, you can enter the Cross World Expedition Group Finder in one of 2 ways: either you click random to enter a queue for every Expedition you can currently access, this is the quickest way to find a group and grants a bonus up in completion twice daily, or use the checkboxes on the left of each Expedition to make specific Expedition lists and then click the queue button.
There’s no daily bonus for this option, but you will have more control over the selected Expedition. This is what that selection would, for example, look like. Before you can enter the Expedition queue, you need to choose a role.
We introduced group roles along with our Lobby-based Group Finder, but they were optional. Now, they are mandatory since Expeditions are designed around the classic Trinity of DPS, Tank, and Healer, and there is no group leader to enforce this balance in the new system.
This means that each Expedition must consist of 3 DPS, 1 Tank, and 1 Healer. Any player who signs up as a Tank, go Healer will receive an additional role bonus when finishing the Expedition. In order to sign up as a Tank, go Healer, you must pass a requirement check. These vary depending on the Expedition.
When entering a group, all players must choose a role. The role selection screen will display each player’s selection. They have the DPS with any weapon, you have the tank with any weapon with a Corleone gem, and then you have the healer with a Level 9 Life Staff and 220 Focus. This varies depending on the Expedition.
In normal Expeditions, players receive Expedition bonus cash twice daily. Below Level 65, they obtain 50% XP of their current level upon completion, along with 3 ASO. At Level 65, they earn 125 gold and 2,500 Faction Tokens. Additionally, there's a roll bonus of 50 gold and 500 Faction Tokens, also available twice daily.
Mutated Expeditions offer more lucrative rewards: a daily mutator bonus of 150 gold and 10,000 Faction Tokens, a mutator roll bonus of 100 gold and 1,000 Faction Tokens, and a mutator carry bonus of 100 gold. Considering the potential rewards, especially the 350 gold and 11,000 Faction Tokens from a mutator run, it may be worthwhile depending on the speed and level of mutation.
As for improvements, adding M3 Cross World functionality to the old Group Finder system seems crucial. While the developers hinted at possible Cross World integration for different modes, like Arenas, the feasibility of such changes, particularly for modes like Wars, remains uncertain.