IN BRIEF

Path of the Slayer arrives April 24th

Progression has been completely reworked

New tutorial cards added to early progression

New map screen and hunt structure

Dire and regular gear now share a single upgrade track

New upgrade materials: Orbs and Arcstones

New End of Hunt screen

STARTING FRESH

The world of the Shattered Isles is changing. With the Path of the Slayer update on April 24th, you’ll gain access to a completely reworked progression system, with new quests, a new map, new patrols, a new End of Hunt screen, and more. Whether you’re new to Dauntless or a veteran Behemoth-basher, this is a patch to look forward to.

NEW PROGRESSION

War pikes wound. Hammers stagger. Aether wisps give you a boost of energy.

If you’re a veteran Slayer you know these things like you know your name … but how did you learn them? Chances are it wasn’t from Kat Sorrel.

With our rework of quests and progression, Slayers will now get the info they need to start mastering skills early on. We’ve structured our starter quests to put rookies through the basics and updated our tutorial cards with new graphics and cleaner instructions.

By the time you exit the Sheltered Frontier and start to consider your first real hunt, you should (as Kat would say) know your axe from a pole in the ground. If you don’t, let us know.

VETERAN QUESTERS

When the Path of the Slayer update lands on April 24th, you will immediately gain access to the new quest and progression system. Slayers who have already completed the tutorial will be able to skip it this time around and go right to the Maelstrom. Behemoths and hunts you unlocked before Path of the Slayer will remain unlocked.

HUNT CHANGES

As you walk the Path of the Slayer in OB 0.7.1, you’ll be referencing a new map as you play. Here’s what you’ll see when you hammer that ‘M’ key:

The Sheltered Frontier remains intact, but many of the islands beyond have been pulled into the larger Maelstrom. Don’t worry — you will still have access to the same Behemoths you hunt now, though some of them may be in different locations.

THREAT LEVELS

Not sure if you’re up to a hunt? Now you can check a hunt’s threat level from the map. Selecting a hunt will break it down even further, showing you a recommended gear score and your current target’s strengths and weaknesses. You do not have to meet a hunt’s gear score to proceed, but it’s a good way to get a feel for how easy or hard a hunt will be.

HUNT TYPES

The old system of Patrols, Pursuits, and Expeditions has been revised in Path of the Slayer. Expeditions have been removed from the hunt board, new Elemental Patrols have been added (check the New Materials section below for more info), and Pursuits have been reorganized to make it easier to find Behemoths. Just go to Pursuit, select an element, and choose the Behemoth you want to hunt.

CRAFTING CHANGES

ONE PATH

What do you get when you combine a Gnashmasher with a Ragehammer? A Raging Crash hammer.

Upgrading the Gnasher hammer.

Instead of upgrading both a regular weapon (Gnashmasher) and a separate Dire weapon (Ragehammer), you will now move along a single track as you progress in-game. Weapons will start at Level 1 and can be upgraded to Level 15. Any progress you’ve already made on your weapons and armour will be applied to your new gear, though power levels may be slightly different. You’ll have to trust us on the math.

NEW MATERIALS

Upgrading weapons in Path of the Slayer involves some new materials as well. Elemental orbs have replaced many of the more Behemoth-specific parts required to upgrade low-level gear. You can earn them from elemental patrols or by slaying Behemoths that share an orb’s element.

Arcstones have also been added to the loot list. Dull arcstones are earned from Dire Behemoths and used to upgrade mid-tier gear; Moyra will send you on a quest to fetch your first handful. Once you reach even higher gear levels, you’ll be collecting shining arcstones (Heroic) and peerless arcstones (Heroic+).

END OF HUNT

Always last but never least: The End of Hunt screen is being redone.

The End of Hunt rewards screen.

Instead of the old-style break part display, you now have access to all kinds of information. On the left, loot is broken down into parts, gatherables, and bonus rewards, while the right panel shows your progress on quests and Mastery objectives.

MAXIMIZING REWARDS

The Path of the Slayer comes with new opportunities to maximize your hunt rewards. Breaking Behemoth parts is still the best and most reliable way to earn the unique materials you need, but if you want to earn a little extra, there are now three ways to score bonus rolls:

Stay alive. Slayers now start every hunt with three bonus loot rolls. Every time you’re downed, you’ll lose one roll. In the hunt above, the Slayer stayed up the entire hunt and earned all three of her rolls!

Stay active. Daily quests are gone, but daily rewards are alive and well in the form of patrol chests. Slayers will earn a set number per day, and can open them by going on patrols. Chests will cap out after a bit, though, so don’t wait too long to crack them open!

Go Elite. Owning the Hunt Pass Elite Track will also grant you a bonus loot roll. Just a little something to say “thanks” for supporting us.

EXTENDED MAINTENANCE

In preparation for this very big patch (which also includes Mastery!), Dauntless will be undergoing an extended two-day maintenance. During this time, we’ll be updating every Slayer’s account to make sure their weapons, armour, and other items are safely translated to the new progression system. That means that you will not be able to sign in to your account (or Dauntless) from 10 AM PT on April 22nd to 10 AM PT on April 24th. We know – it’s long – but we promise it’s worth it.

In the meantime, we’d love to hear your thoughts on everything included here. Hit us up on the official Dauntless forums, leave a comment on /r/Dauntless, or tweet at us @PlayDauntless. We’re incredibly excited for Path of the Slayer, and we hope you enjoy it.

Clear skies, Slayers.