Today marks the release of our first content expansion since the launch of Dauntless on Xbox One a little over a month ago. Called High Skies, this update delivers a thrilling new game mode, stylish rewards, leaderboards… and the Stormchaser corsairs, a band of badass sky pirates who have hauled an entire island along with them to Ramsgate.
The High Skies season also heralds the arrival of Trials, a challenging new experience that will put you to the test. Think you’ve mastered the Bloodfire Embermane hunt? Try taking it on as lightning storms crackle around you and bolts of shock aether fly across the arena. And with a fresh challenge every week, you’ll need to learn to adapt if you want to survive.
Ready to slay and test your strength against the challenges in High Skies? We’ve put together 10 tips essential for survival.
Team Coordination
Being a Slayer is not for the faint of heart. The Trials represent some of the most brutal challenges in the Shattered Isles – you’ll need a coordinated team effort to survive. That means taking advantage of voice chat communication. Make sure you enable it in your options menu so you can coordinate with your team before and during the hunt. It can also help to assign roles and call them out. If you’re breaking Skraev’s storm totems, make sure your team knows. If you’re frozen and in danger, let your team know so they can break you loose. Time is of the essence, and every second counts.
Pre-Game
When you first arrive at the Island of Trials, take a moment to ensure that everyone is ready before riding the aether jet into the fight. Your hunt begins once the first Slayer enters the battleground, so take advantage of the prep window before the fight to drink potions and apply your buffs. The timer starts when the first player enters the arena, even if that means you still have some Slayers lagging behind.
The Importance of Part Breaks
Every time you break a behemoth part during a Trial, you earn back seconds on your hunt timer. Talk to your teammates to focus each part one at a time. Creating windows of opportunity via staggers and debuffs can also create critical opportunities to dish out damage, break parts, and buy back precious time.
Optimize Your Build
Cells play a critical role in any build. If you are going for part breaks, make sure to socket cells that amplify your part damage. If you are struggling with specific status debuffs, bring along some cells to shore up your defenses. Pay close attention to cells that reach +6, as they often come with special bonuses. For example, the Warmth Cell at +6 not only prevents Frozen, but actually protects you from being Chilled as well. Now would be a good time to visit the Middleman!
Coordinate Your Consumables
Be strategic about which consumables each member of your team will bring to the hunt. But don’t stop there. Call out the order in which your team will drop each pylon. Remember: Pylon effects don’t stack, so you don’t want to waste precious resources by doubling up. And keep an eye on your potion timers while you’re at it — as soon as the effects of one wear off, drink another. Keep those buff timers up!
Respect the Elements
Every Slayer worth their salt knows that picking the right element is a key to success on the hunt. But Trials can introduce multiple element types. Winterhorn Skraev may be weak to fire, but that won’t help you when an umbral destruction orb shows up. Coordinate with your team to make sure you’re equipped for each elemental threat, and be liberal with your dodge roll. If you’re finding that your gear simply isn’t up to snuff, it can also be worth revisiting some earlier hunts to shore up your armoury.
Get Your Gear to 550
By now you’ve probably realized that Trials isn’t for novice Slayers. You’ll need to get your gear up to 500 to even set foot in the arena. That means surviving a hunt with each behemoth in Dauntless — Rezakiri and Shrowd included. But did you know you can increase your gear score beyond the 500-level cap through behemoth mastery? Check your mastery cards to see what you need to do to unlock higher-level gear for each behemoth. The higher your gear score, the better your chance of survival.
It’s OK to Retreat
Before you start worrying about climbing the Wall of Champions, set a goal to beat Trials regardless of time. You’ll still earn valuable Marks that you can exchange for rewards in Lady Luck’s store. Bring a defensive build while you learn the ropes. Then, once you become more comfortable, go on the offensive. And remember that it’s ok if you wipe a few times while you learn. Keep a positive mindset and focus on improvement.
Revive Your Team
This may sound like a no-brainer (every Slayer knows to help their hunting party), but just in case: Revive your fellow Slayers as quickly as possible. Each member of your team can contribute valuable damage and utility to the fight. More importantly, it will become increasingly more difficult to revive your team as modifiers start to stack up. If you wait until you’re the last Slayer standing, you may not be standing for long.
Learn from the Community
Head to the Dauntless website to check out our Partners and content creators. Whether they’re on Twitch or YouTube, chances are they have pro-level strats, builds, and tips to share — and maybe even a critical tip for overcoming a particular week’s Trial.
See you in the High Skies, Slayers!
Dauntless is available now as a free to play title on Xbox One via the Microsoft Store. Click here for details.
See the rest of the story on Xbox Wire
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