Despite what you may have heard, Roccia is an undeniably strong character in Wuthering Waves, but strength alone isn’t the only deciding factor when it comes to spending your hard-earned currency. The real question is: does she bring enough value to your account to justify the investment?

Is Roccia Worth Pulling in Wuthering Waves?

Roccia enters Wuthering Waves at an intriguing point in the meta. She is the best-in-slot (BiS) sub-DPS for two of the game’s most powerful damage dealers, Camellya and Havoc Rover. Her Concerto rotation is incredibly fast, and she boasts the best grouping abilities in the game by a significant margin. With all these strengths, why are some players hesitant to pull for her?

The answer is simple: competition.

The Sanhau Factor

Roccia’s biggest drawback isn’t her own kit but the existence of Sanhua, a highly accessible and extremely effective alternative. Sanhua, a 4-star character available for free by completing a specific Tower of Adversity stage, provides similar benefits to Roccia with some key advantages that make pulling Roccia seem like a bit of a gamble:

• Insane Concerto Speed – Sanhua arguably has the fastest Concerto rotation in the entire game, which benefits all teams, especially those reliant on Intro Skills for burst damage or applying self-buffs.
• Powerful Basic Attack Buffs – Like Roccia, Sanhua boosts Basic Attack damage, but thanks to the Moonlit Echo set and her innate strengths, her buffs are both strong and widely applicable. In fact, Sanhau's Bastic Attack buff is actually larger than Roccia's.
• Greater Team Versatility – Roccia’s buffs are specifically tailored for Havoc Basic Attack DPS units, which, at the moment, only include Camellya. Meanwhile, Sanhua's buffs work on a wider range of characters, making her a more flexible choice in many team compositions that may consider slotting Roccia in.

The Grouping Debate

Roccia’s unparalleled grouping ability is one of her major selling points and is certainly a significant factor to consider before pulling her. However, does the current endgame content of Wuthering Waves demand it? Honestly, no. Not really. The most difficult content in Wuthering Waves, the Tower of Adversity and Tactical Holograms, primarily feature single-target boss fights where grouping isn’t particularly useful. While her ability to gather enemies is impressive at first, its relevance to the meta remains questionable because of the current focus of the endgame. So then, what about her future?

Is Roccia Futureproof?

While this may all sound pretty iffy for Roccia, none of this is to say she isn’t a strong pull. She does far more damage than Sanhau and has access to far superior AoE. She absolutely is account-valuable, but meta relevance shifts over time, and right now, her role is somewhat niche. There is often another character that will fit better in her place on her team compositions. Five-star characters are expensive to acquire and even more expensive to build because of the intense RNG of Echo farming and limitations on Weekly materials. If you’re considering pulling for Roccia, ask yourself: Do I need Roccia right now for my current account?

If you have to pause before answering, it might be best to save your Asterite for a different character that better fits your long-term goals. That said, if you love her playstyle or enjoy her character like I do, there’s nothing wrong with pulling for favorites. Just ensure she aligns well with what your account needs, as there are future characters coming out that will likely be more valuable in the short term (Phoebe).

At the end of the day, Roccia is a strong character. But is she must-pull strong? Well, maybe in the future, when content involves AoE encounters and grouping, but certainly not right now. She is super fun to play, though.

The post Should you pull for Roccia in Wuthering Waves 2.0? appeared first on Destructoid.

In Path of Exile 2, damage conversion is a crucial mechanic that allows players to modify their skills' damage types, enhancing their effectiveness in different builds. With multiple damage types in the game, understanding how to convert one into another can lead to powerful build optimizations, which you may find quite useful.

How Path of Exile 2 Damage Conversion Works

Whether you're using passive skill nodes, unique items, or support gems, knowing how to manipulate damage types can drastically change how your skills function. Most Skills in Path of Exile 2 deal multiple of them at once, influenced by numerous in-game mechanics. Most abilities do not deal a single damage type; instead, they often convert a large percentage of Physical damage into an elemental type while retaining some of their original Physical damage. This is inherently tied to the skills.

For example, Freezing Salvo converts a portion of its Physical damage into Cold damage, with the remainder staying Physical. Because of this, the skill benefits most from Cold and Physical damage modifiers while still interacting with other elemental damage bonuses. If you have a ring that gives you added Fire damage, Freezing Salvo will deal a small portion of Fire Damage because it is not a pure element. The gains from this will be small, however, because the skill mostly does Cold damage, and any +DMG type that doesn't match it will not benefit or improve the DMG type.

Thanks to the unique mechanics of the Widowhail Unique bow, you can forcefully convert a majority of a damage type into a different one based on the most significant damage on your equipped quiver. This allowed me to turn Freezing Salvo into a skill that does mostly Fire Damage, and this is just one type of Damage Conversation available to you in Path of Exile 2.

Damage types can be converted into others using specific items, passive nodes, and support gems. Using Freezing Salvo as the example again, the Cold damage it deals can be converted into purely Fire damage using the Avatar of Fire capstone node in the passive skill tree. With Avatar of Fire, Freezing Salvo no longer deals any Cold damage or applies Freeze/Chill effects. Instead, it only deals Fire damage and gains the ability to apply Burn.

Avatar of Fire prevents you from dealing any type of damage that isn't Fire, thus, the above-mentioned methods of boosting damage or converting damage will not functionally work with the node active. The only way to increase your damage would be to purely focus on boosting Fire Damage. Using +Cold Damage items or skill nodes would have no benefit despite Freezing Salvo being tagged a Cold damage skill.

This is also the case with purely elemental skills, such as Flame Blast. These do not benefit from any damage type other than their default element. However, if you convert Flame Blast's Fire damage to another type, such as Cold, by using a unique item, it will no longer receive any benefits from Fire damage bonuses. This is even though Flame Blast was originally a Fire damage skill.

All Damage Conversion Methods in Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 is a massively complex game even without throwing Damage Conversion into the mix. With it there, though, you must actively consider when and how you want to convert damage into another type without suffering the potential penalties involved. Here are all the ways you can accomplish this goal.

• Using Unique Items - Unique items like Painter's Servant gloves convert all elemental damage into all three elemental damage types at the cost of potentially lowering the effectiveness of nearly pure elemental skills.
• Using Support Gems - While not a direct conversion, Support Gems like Chaos Infusion, reduce the amount of damage non-Chaos damage skills do to gain extra damage as Chaos damage. Depending on how your build works, this can be a huge benefit or a massive curse.
• Passive Tree Nodes - The capstone node, Avatar of Fire, converts all of your damage into Fire at the cost of some overall damage.

Damage Conversion Takeaways

Ultimately, Damage Conversion is an optional but powerful tool for your build. Some builds may not require it at all, so ensure it aligns with your playstyle and overall build strategy before committing. The key takeaways you must understand are the following:

• Damage conversion allows skills to change their base damage type, altering their effects and interactions with other mechanics and allowing for some truly unique setups.
• Most abilities are not purely one damage type, meaning they can benefit from multiple types of damage bonuses.
• Pure Elemental skills only benefit from their respective elemental damage type unless converted.
• Path of Exile 2 features a different approach to damage conversion compared to Path of Exile 1, making it a key mechanic to understand for optimizing builds that intend to use it.

The post Path of Exile 2 Damage Conversion, explained appeared first on Destructoid.

I’ve put over 70 hours into the Arknights: Endfield beta, and overall, it’s been a pretty good time. Sure, there are a few bumps here and there; some stuff could use a little polish, and things can slow down at times, but nothing that’s really snuffed out the fun. It’s a unique game with a ton of potential, and with a few tweaks, I think it could be really something special, something that stands outs out in a genre full of repetition.

The Narrative Soup: Hit or Miss

The narrative started with a bang and had me hooked, and then it kind of just... fizzled out over time. The initial world-building was intriguing, and there were some solid mysteries at play. Even by the time the story wraps up in the beta, there were still things to be ponderous about, as it's obvious there will be more to follow up. However, as things went on, the pacing started to really drag, and the narrative suffered as a result.

Eventually, I found myself simply skipping through the dialogue because it just couldn't keep me hooked anymore. The main cast? Honestly, they felt pretty forgettable. There was potential for some interesting dynamics, but something about the writing just didn’t bring them to life for me. They felt as if they knew they were just characters in a video game story. Odd as that sounds, it made them less engaging, turning what should have been memorable characters into ones I struggled to care about.

The story itself started off with some intriguing ideas, but soon fell into the trap of feeling pretty generic. It’s like Hypergryph was checking off all the standard boxes without ever really adding something new or engaging to keep me hyped for the next scene. Even the main antagonist was so forgettable that I can't even remember her name now, and I was still actively following the story when she came around. That’s a real issue, especially in a game where the narrative should be one of its driving forces since there is plenty of story to follow. For me, it felt like a missed opportunity.

One standout character, though, was Perlica. She's easily the most interesting of the whole cast. She’s the steadfast rule-follower type of character, which makes it all the more compelling when the group forces her out of her comfort zone, usually through comical moments. Her reactions add depth to her character, and even as everything else is dragging along, she remains the story’s relatable anchor.

The Combat Flow: Strategic Battles and Button Mashing?

Combat was another mixed bag for me. It starts slow. Very slow. Like, "Why am I just basic attacking all the time?" slow. At first, it feels like you’re just swinging away without much strategy, but as you unlock new abilities and mechanics, it starts to come together as a package.

The whole system revolves around the Skill Meter. You get three Skill charges, and once you’re out, you’re stuck with basic attacks until it regenerates (which is also quite slow). Final Attacks, attacks that end a character's combo, help refill it, but even then, there are points where combat just lingers because of the inability to do anything but basic attack while you wait.

I see what the developers were going for here, but honestly, I think Skill Meter does more harm than good to the overall combat experience. You end up using most of your Skill Meter right at the start of fights to get as many early advantages as possible. This works for shorter encounters, but longer ones really highlight the pacing problem caused by this system.

That said, the combo skills between your four-man team and the resulting status effects keep things from being completely dull. Timing and positioning matter more as you progress, and some enemies force you to actually think about what you're doing, which is more than what can be said about most games in this genre.

Overall, I wouldn’t say the combat is bad. It’s actually quite good when the flow gets going, but I can’t shake the feeling that it could be so much better. It’s trying to be a tactical action RPG, but the tactical part feels half-baked most of the time because of all the basic attacking. Still, I think it's far from beyond redemption. It’s fun/serviceable enough, and I do think feedback will result in improvements in the future.

The Factory Chain: Crafting the Perfect Machine

This is where Arknights: Endfield really shines. The Factory system is deep, complex, and absurdly rewarding if you love production lines and efficiency puzzles. Setting up automated workflows, optimizing material chains, and making sure everything runs smoothly is chef’s kiss. It’s the kind of system where you start thinking, just five more minutes, and suddenly, hours have passed. I spent hours figuring out the best ways to optimize my base, and it just never got old. If you enjoy games like Factorio or Satisfactory, you’ll feel right at home here.

The level of detail and customization in factory management is impressive. You need to balance power distribution, automate resource chains, and ensure you're producing the right materials at the right time. There are even bottlenecks you have to troubleshoot, and the satisfaction of fixing an inefficient production loop is immensely rewarding. You’re not just plopping down buildings and calling it a day; you’re constantly fine-tuning and adapting to make sure your factory runs at peak efficiency.

But if you're not into base-building, this game might not be for you. Progressing the story requires you to upgrade your factory, and there’s no skipping it. You'll spend as much time, if not more, managing your factory as you will exploring the overworld. It’s not just a side activity; it’s part of the core game experience. And honestly, I love that. Every upgrade and efficiency tweak feels meaningful, and if you’re the type who loves min-maxing systems, you’ll be in heaven.

The Character Progression: Grind or Glory?

Character Progression is honestly standard gacha stuff. You grind for time-gated resources with your limited stamina pool to level up your characters, skills, and weapons. Nothing revolutionary, but it gets the job done. If you’ve played any other gacha RPG, you know exactly what to expect here. There are some neat upgrade paths, and the customization options for builds through gear are decent, but I wouldn’t call it groundbreaking. It’s fine. Serviceable. More of the same. Let's move on.

The User Interface: Navigating the Game Without the Headache

For a game with so much going on, like tactical combat, gacha pulls, and factory management, you’d think the UI would be a mess, right? Surprisingly, it’s actually really intuitive and easy to navigate. It’s not every day you come across a gacha game with such a clean, well-designed interface. Switching between combat, base-building, and character management feels seamless, with no confusing menus to get lost in. Everything is laid out intuitively, so you can spend less time fussing around with the controls and more time actually playing the game.

The tutorials are smooth and to the point, with zero unnecessary fluff. The menus are super thoughtful and easy to use, making everything feel effortless. It’s one of those things that could’ve easily gone wrong but is actually a joy to interact with. Most importantly, it respects your time, something every game should do, honestly.

My Closing Thoughts

When I first jumped into Arknights: Endfield, I had no idea what to expect. The trailers made the game look cool, but I never fully grasped what the game was really about fully from them. Well, turns out it’s genuinely awesome. It’s like if Xenoblade Chronicles and Factorio had a love child, with a dash of gacha thrown in for good measure. It’s already a solid game, and I think it’s only going to get better from here. If Hypergryph can tighten up the combat and make the story more gripping in the long haul, this game could really become something special.

The game strikes that sweet spot between strategy, management, and RPG elements, and I’m totally here for it. I’m excited to see where it goes, especially once the official release hits and beyond.

The post Arknights: Endfield beta impressions: A surprisingly clean game with a surprisingly dull story appeared first on Destructoid.

With the release of the Free PC Modding Update for Hogwarts Legacy, the Dungeon of Doom opened its doors to all who dare venture near. The real challenge, however, lies in finding the entrance to this cursed dungeon, as its location isn’t exactly easy to spot.

How to enter the Dungeon of Doom in Hogwarts Legacy

The Dungeon of Doom is an officially sanctioned Mod that you must first enable through the Modding Catalogue available on Hogwarts Legacy's main menu. Making sure the Dungeon of Doom mod is enabled is a crucial step to finding its location, so make sure you've flipped the switch.

Once you have, load up your newly created modding save, and apparate over to South Hogsmeade using the world map.

You're next going to want to exit Hogsmeade using the southern entrance to the village, ensuring you cross over the bridge leading outward.

Follow the cobblestone road down the hill and take a left at the mishmash of Hogwarts signs. This direction leads you down a large set of cobblestone stairs specifically, so make sure you take the leftmost path, as taking any other will lead you completely astray at this junction.

Continue down the winding cobblestone stairs. If you stay on course, the stairs will eventually veer off onto a different path, but you don't need to go that far. Keep descending until you reach a point where, on your right, you’ll see a massive stone wall that is detached from the path itself. You should first see it looking down on it from uphill.

From your uphill position, jump over the stone wall onto the cobblestone road beside it. Follow the road North until you reach a strange cavern formation that appears to have no entrance. There will be a lamp post right in front of it.

This perplexing cavern entrance is actually the entrance to the Dungeon of Doom, and while there appears to be no way inside, turns out magic is the key. Simply walk up to the entrance and Interact with it.

The moment you do, you'll begin your perilous journey traversing the dreaded Dungeon of Doom. Have fun and good luck.

What is the Dungeon of Doom in Hogwarts Legacy?

The Dungeon of Doom is, for all intents and purposes, an endless dungeon that you can explore at any time by entering it. Inside, you'll find numerous enemies from throughout Hogwarts Legacy, thrown at you at you in groups, typically at random. Cave Trolls, Spiders, Goblins... you name it; it's in there. Some of these encounters can be tough, so make sure your spellcasting is sharp and you're fully geared up for the challenges ahead.

As you progress through the dungeon, you'll also encounter plenty of familiar puzzles presented before you in unique and interesting ways. These are solved using the tools and spells you've gathered throughout the game's campaign, though you'll still need to think about the best ways to manipulate the blocks making up these puzzles.

For your explorative, dungeoneering efforts, you'll be periodically rewarded with chests that have random amounts of valuable loot inside. Many of these chests are splayed right in front of you. Many more are hidden way off the beaten pay, however. Make sure to search each area carefully if you don't want to miss out on the extra loot.

The post Where to find the Dungeon of Doom in Hogwarts Legacy appeared first on Destructoid.

Blight is an annoying obstacle you'll encounter throughout your exploration in Arknights: Endfield. Although it can be destroyed, you won't be able to do so unless you're aware of these methods.

How to clear Blight in Arknights: Endfield

If a Blight formation has a visible Blight Core, you can destroy it directly by attacking the core directly. Visible Blight Cores appear as bright red lights located somewhere within the Blight itself. Just be careful not to touch it directly, as it will kill with extended exposure.

In a lot of cases, the Blight Core will be within reach for you to attack with one of your characters, but many others won't be. Many Blight formations you come across will have Blight Cores you can't get to or won't be able to see at all. Fortunately, there is a solution for both issues.

How to destroy out-of-reach Blight Cores

For Blight Cores you can actively see but can't reach directly, you can use Industrial Explosives to destroy them instead.

Industrial Explosives are special consumables crafted at your base that can be thrown at the cores once you've made them.

How to destroy invisible Blight Cores

If you encounter a Blight formation with an invisible Blight Core, you won't be able to do a thing to them initially. Blight formations with no visible Blight Core cannot be destroyed until you've progressed the Main Story far enough to obtain the Blight Decryption Device, which will allow you to use the Scanner to expose undetected Blight Cores.

When you have the Blight Decryption Device unlocked, all you need to do is go near a Blight formation and use the Scan function to reveal its hidden core. Then, simply use the above-mentioned methods to destroy it and clear the Blight out of your way.

How to Craft Industrial Explosives in Arknights: Endfield

To even begin to craft Industrial Explosives at your base, you'll need to have progressed far enough to have unlocked the Basic AIC Plan mechanic, which allows you to research improvements for your overall base. Specifically, you need to unlock the Packaging Tech node under Basic AIC II to gain access to the Industrial Explosives blueprints.

Industrial Explosives are produced via a Packaging Unit structure. The reagants you need to funnel into for the craft are listed below:

• 5 x Amethyst Part - Process Amethyst Fibers at a Fitting Unit to produce these materials. Amethyst Fibers are made from refining Amethyst Ore at a Refining Unit.
• 1 x Aketine Powder - Process Aketine plants at a Shredding Unit to produce this material. You can find Aketine plants in the Valley Pass region, around the Abandoned Trail. They can also be grown using a Planting Unit or grown as crops directly via the Eco-Farm.

I highly recommend you automate the entire processing chain for producing the above materials, as you will need to use a lot of Industrial Explosives throughout your time in Arknights: Endfield, so having them mass-produced without your input is nothing but a benefit for you.

The post How to destroy Blight in Arknights: Endfield beta appeared first on Destructoid.

In Arknights: Endfield, making strategic use of Status Effects is ideal for success in combat. While team composition and character selection are undoubtedly important factors, understanding how to mix and match these effects can give you a genuine edge in battle.

How do Status Effects work in Arknights: Endfield?

Status Effects in Arknights: Endfield function off a Primer and Detonator system that requires using two tagged Skills.

To activate a Status Effect, you first need to apply an introductory Status, known as a Primer, to an enemy using a tagged skill. Primers are divided into two types: Physical and Elemental, determined by whether the skill used is Physical or Elemental in nature, which most abilities are.

All Physical Primers

There is only one Physical Primer in Arknights: Endfield, and it is called Vulnerability. Vulnerability is depicted as a white shield next to an enemy's health bar. Physical Skills with any sort of ability to apply a Physical Status will first inflict Vulnerability. Vulnerability causes enemies to suffer more Stagger damage than other attacks and serves as the Primer for causing any of the other available Physical Status Effects. Keep this in mind.

All Elemental Primers

There are several Elemental Primers in Arknights: Endfield, and unlike Vulnerability, they do nothing on their own. They serve as the Trigger to future Elemental Status Effects. Here is a list of them for your reference.

• Heat - Applied by any Elemental Skill with a Heat tag.
• Electric - Applied by any Elemental Skill with an Electric tag.
• Cryo - Applied by any Elemental Skill with a Cryo tag.
• Nature - Applied by any Elemental Skill with a Nature tag.

When an Elemental Primer is active on an enemy, an icon representing the respective Element will appear next to that enemy's health pool.

Once a Physical or Elemental Primer is applied to a target, it becomes vulnerable to a Status Effect. To trigger it, you must follow up with a concluding Status called a Detonator.

Applying a Status Effect

To trigger apply a true Status Effect, a Detonator skill is required. Detonators are Skills that 'trigger' the secondary effect of a Primer. Almost every Skill that functions as a Primer, can also be a Detonator because of their tags. This is important specifically for Elemental Primers, as the order in which you apply a Primer and Detonator will affect the final Status Effect outcome. Sound confusing? Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds. Here's an example of both a Physical and Elemental Status Effect:

Using Ember, a Fire character with primarily Physical Skills, you can apply the Vulnerability Status Effect by attacking an enemy with her Crusader of Cinders skill. If you use Crusader of Cinders again on the same target, the second application of Vulnerability it applies will trigger a Detonation, resulting in the Knock Down Status Effect. This occurs because Crusader of Cinders has the Knock Down tag.

• Any Physical Primer + Any Physical Primer = Physical Status Effect

On the flip side, if I wanted to apply the Combust Status using Laevatain's Blade of Conflagration, I would first need to apply any non-Heat Elemental Primer to a target. This is because Combust requires a Heat detonator to be triggered properly. Blade of Conflagration has the Heat tag, so the combination would look like

• Any non-Heat Elemental Primer + Blade of Conflagration = Combust Status

If a Heat Primer is first before anything else, the end Status Effect will be something different from Combust. This will become clear to you when I list all possible Status Effect combinations below.

All Status Effect Combos in Arknights: Endfield

There are many different Status Effects in Arknights: Endfield, and they are all the final result of a combination of Primers and Detonators.

All Physical Status Effects

Knock Back

Hitting an enemy afflicted with Vulnerability using a Skill with the Knock Back tag will cause them to be flung back while suffering a big loss to their Stagger bar.

• Physical Skill Primer + Skill with Knock Back = Knock Back Status Effect

Lift

Vulnerable enemies hit with a Skill with the Lift tag will cause them to be levitated in the air helplessly, unable to defend themselves for several seconds. They will also suffer extra Stagger damage.

• Physical Skill Primer + Skill with Lift Tag = Lift Status Effect

Knock Down

Vulnerable enemies struck with a Skill that has the Knock Down tag will cause them to be knocked prone to the ground while suffering significant Stagger damage.

Physical Skill Primer + Skill with Knock Down Tag = Knock Down Status

All Elemental Status Effects

Heat Burst

Enemies hit by two Skills with the Heat tag back-to-back will apply Heat Burst to that enemy. Heat Burst does massive Heat damage to the target.

• Heat Skill Primer + Heat Skill Primer = Heat Burst Status

Electric Burst

Enemies hit by two Skills with the Electric tag back-to-back will apply Heat Burst to that enemy. Electric Burst does massive Electric damage to the target.

• Electric Skill Primer + Electric Skill Primer = Electric Burst Status

Cryo Brust

Enemies hit by two Skills with the Cryo tag back-to-back will apply Cryo Burst to that enemy. Cryo Burst does massive Cryo Damage to the target.

• Cryo Primer + Cryo Primer = Cryo Burst Status

Nature Burst

Enemies hit by two Skills with the Nature tag, back-to-back, will apply Nature Burst to that enemy. Nature Burst does massive Nature Damage to the target.

• Nature Primer + Nature Primer = Nature Burst Status

Combust

Hitting an enemy with Any Elemental non-Heat tag Skill first, then following up with a Heat tag Skill second will result in the Combustion status. Combustion is a Heat DoT (Damage over Time) status that deals its damage based on the Attack stat of the character that triggered it.

• Any Elemental non-Heat Primer + Heat Skill Primer = Combust Status

Electrify

Hitting any enemy with Any Elemental non-Electric tag Skill first, then following up with an Electric tag Skill second will result in the Electrification status. Electrification deals instant Electric Damage to the target and causes them to suffer increased Arts Damage.

• Any Elemental non-Electric Primer + Electric Primer = Electrify Status

Solidify

Hitting any enemy with Any Elemental non-Cryo tag Skill first, then following up with a Cryo tag Skill second will result in the Solidification status. Enemies under Solidiificaiton are frozen solid and suffer increased Physical Damage. When dealt enough Physical Damage, they will suffer the Shatter secondary effect, which ends Solidification on the target but causes them to target a massive burst of Physical Damage, as a result.

• Any Elemental non-Cryo Primer + Cryo Primer = Soldiify Status

Corrode

Hitting any enemy with Any Elemental non-Nature tag Skill first, then following up with a Nature tag skill second will result in the Corrosion status. Corrosion gradually eats away the afflicted's Defense stat over time, and triggering a second Corrosion while the first is still active will maintain the Defense reduction.

• Any Elemental non-Nature Primer + Nature Primer = Corrode Status

The post All Status Effects in Arknights: Endfield beta appeared first on Destructoid.

In Arknights: Endfield, Attributes are special stats that boost the power of your characters, each doing something different depending on their preference. There's a level of nuance involved in building your character correctly. Here's how they work.

What are Attributes in Arknights: Endfield

Attributes in Arknights: Endfield function similarly to stats in other RPGs, but they come with added complexity. There are four of them in total, each offering unique benefits to your characters.

• Strength – Increases a character's Maximum Health pool.
• Agility – Increases a character's Physical Damage Reduction, meaning non-elemental attacks will deal less damage.
• Intellect – Increases a character's Arts Damage Reduction, meaning special abilities will deal less damage.
• Will - Increases a character's Treatment Received Bonus, meaning they receive more healing when healed.

Attribute stats are typically found on Gear, and since Gear is crafted, you can fully control how you want to build your characters. Want to make your healer a high-HP tank? Craft a bunch of gear with Strength as a core stat, and you'll have your HP tank. Easy as that. (But please don't.)

While all characters have these four Attributes on their stat page, you may notice one stat highlighted in yellow and another highlighted in gray. These are the Main and Sub Attributes of each character.

Main and Sub Attributes

The yellow-coded stat is that character's Main Attribute. Increasing a character's Main Attribute gives them a considerable Attack % bonus, one so significant that you should not ignore it, no matter what build you're trying to craft. The Main attribute is a character's primary way of gaining more damage, so you should focus on building it up as much as possible.

The Attribute highlighted in gray represents a character's Sub Attribute, and it functions similarly to the Main Attribute but it doesn't provide nearly as large of an Attack % bonus, but it does still give damage if you put points into it. The Main and Sub Attribute stats on a character also provide their Attribute-standard effects.

For example, Gilberta's Main Attribute is Will, and her Sub Attribute is Intellect. By stacking the Will Attribute on gear, you will directly boost Gilberta's damage and give her a massive Treatment Received Bonus. The same can be said about Intellect, only the damage bonus won't be quite as high, but she will still get a considerable boost to her Arts Damage Reduction.

You should generally focus on a character's Main and Sub-Attributes when optimizing their gear. However, you do not need to stick to this hard and fast rule if you have a nuanced case where stacking the Sub Attribute or an off-Attribute has higher value to your team composition.

Using Gilberta as an example again, her specialized Talent, Miss Navigator, allows her to heal the entire party whenever she uses her Skill. The healing scales entirely with her Intellect stat, so if you want to enhance her role as a healer rather than a damage dealer, prioritize stacking Intellect, her Sub-Attribute, over Will, her Main Attribute. I’ve found this approach to building her highly effective, especially against some of Arknights: Endfield's more difficult and demanding encounters. This optional approach works best for characters intended to provide support rather than deal damage.

The post All Attributes in Arknights: Endfield beta appeared first on Destructoid.

If you've played any other gacha games or JRPGs, there's a high chance you've seen the Trust system in some variety before. Even so, Arknights: Endfield puts its own unique spin on the mechanic, so here's everything you need to take advantage of it.

How does Trust work in Arknights: Endfield?

In Arknights: Endfield, Trust is a unique leveling mechanic, separate from the standard one, that applies to all playable characters except for the main character, the Endminstrator. It serves as the chief mechanic for unlocking information about the personalities and backstories of your characters, offering insight into who they are as individuals. If you enjoy exploring the lore and backend info about the characters you own, then leveling up Trust is already a worthwhile venture for you.

However, Trust also serves a true gameplay purpose that makes it a valuable mechanic to keep a note of. Every character in Arknights: Endfield (except the Endminstrator) has locked Attribute bonuses in their Ability Matrix, which can only be accessed by obtaining high enough Trust for that character.

For example, Arclight, the speedy Electric DPS, has a Trust-locked node called Skirmisher that increases her Agility Attribute by 10. This requires her to reach 50% Trust to unlock, however. Once that amount of Trust is reached, you'll be able to unlock the node like any other. The question then becomes: how do you increase the Trust of your characters?

How to Level Up Trust in Arknights: Endfield

The process of leveling up Trust revolves around giving special consumables items called Gifts to your characters on a daily basis. They are primarily obtained via direct purchase from the Ladonn, the Protocol Exchange vendor located on the OMV Dijiang.

Protocol Exchange sells an assortment of items ranging from generic experience consumables to Gifts, but all of them cannot be purchased through conventional means. Instead, you'll need Valley Convection Certificates, a special currency only obtainable by completing Outpost Orders regularly.

Each completed Outpost Order rewards a pre-stated amount of certificates, so I highly recommend automating this process as much as you can while having multiple Outpost Orders active at the same time. The more that are active and automatic, the more certificates you'll receive per minute. By completing Outpost Orders and visiting the Protocol Exchange, you’ll be able to constantly purchase Gifts to improve the Trust levels for your characters.

How to give Gifts in Arknights: Endfield

When you've obtained a few Gifts and are ready to increase the Trust of a character(s), you'll need to first give them the Gift directly. You can only give Gifts to your characters while you are aboard the OMV Dijiang, so make sure you're in the right place. Any playable characters you own will be actively walking around the ship, so locate them first and foremost. Once you've found them, speak with them and select the Offer Gift option.

When you do, you'll be presented with a scroll bar of potential Gifts you can give that character. Select the Gift(s) you purchased earlier, and click Confirm Gift. You'll notice that this act will increase the Trust level of the character. Note that characters can only receive up to five Gifts per day, so the process may take some time if you're aiming to reach a specific Trust level.

You want to ensure that you're giving your characters their preferred Gift to gain the most Trust from them. A preferred Gift is differentiated from a normal one by the yellow heart present on the icon. Different characters prefer different Gifts, so make sure you're aware of what you're giving, and to whom.

For example, Gilberta is my favorite character, and I decided to show my affection by giving her give her a Gift.

When I spoke with her and offered her a Gift, I, unfortunately, did not have any of the preferred Gifts she would like, so I had to improvise and give her a less favorable option. These Gifts still increased her Trust level, but since none of them were preferred, I didn't gain as much Trust as ideal. It is still worth giving your characters non-preferred Gifts if you will miss the Daily Limit by having it reset.

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Aerospace Material is one of the more obscure resources you can get in Arknights: Endfield, yet it's necessary for one of the game's most important mechanics. You'll need quite a bit of this special resource as you progress, so here's where and how you can obtain it.

How to get Aerospace Material in Arknights: Endfield

Aerospace Material is one of the key resources needed to upgrade your MFG Cabins aboard the OMV Dijiang. As such, it is extremely valuable, and you will need a good chunk of it to ensure your Cabins reach their maximum levels. However, unlike other resources in Arknights: Endfield, you cannot craft Aerospace Material, and it is not harvested from the world like Ferrium Ore would be.

Instead, Aerospace Material is only obtainable from Recycling Stations scattered across all regions of the game. These unique nodes become accessible only when they're ready for interaction. You'll recognize them by their distinctive appearance: a small, owl-like creature perched on the station, wearing a yellow box around its neck. When you approach, the owl and node will rise from their resting positions, signaling that the node is ready to be harvested.

On the map, Recycling Stations have a flag as part of their symbol, making it easier for you to identify them from the many other icons present.

By interacting with a Recycling Station, you'll acquire some much-needed Aerospace Material, but the Recycling Station will also go into a dormant mode that tends to reset with the game's Daily Reset time. Once a Recycling Station has been harvested, it won’t produce any additional Aerospace Material until the Daily Reset. You can tell a station is dormant if you approach it and the node remains still in the ground.

Interacting with a single Recycling Station typically won't provide enough Aerospace Material for immediate use. Fortunately, every region in Arknights: Endfield is home to several Recycling Stations. I highly recommend making it a habit of visiting them daily, as skipping them will eventually hinder your overall progression.

What is Aerospace Material used for in Arknights: Endfield?

There are two variants of Aerospace Material, each serving a distinct function despite sharing the same overall purpose: Aerospace Material 1 and Aerospace Material 2.

• Aerospace Material 1 – Used to upgrade basic Cabins on the OMV Dijiang. You'll need this one to upgrade all of your Cabins beyond level one.
• Aerospace Material 2 – Used to upgrade advanced Cabins on the OMV Dijiang. You'll need this to upgrade all of your Cabins beyond level two.

Both types of Aerospace Material come from the same Recycling Stations, and you'll often receive both types when you interact with one. However, obtaining Aerospace Material 2 requires you to have a higher Area Status before it starts to appear, so don't be alarmed if you only get Aerospace Material 1 early on.

Upgrading Cabins

You can use your Aerospace Material to upgrade your Cabins. There are two types aboard the OMV Dijiang:

• Growth Chamber – Used to grow plants that aid in direct Character Promotion.
• Manufacturing Cabin – Used to craft Experience consumable items for leveling up characters.

Both facilities play a critical role in maintaining a steady supply of resources for upgrading your characters in Arknights: Endfield. By upgrading these facilities, you can grow more advanced plants and craft stronger experience consumables, streamlining character progression and making the process significantly easier overall.

The post Where to find Aerospace Material in Arknights: Endfield beta appeared first on Destructoid.

Ferrium Ore is a critical yet seemingly scarce material for upgrading your character’s gear and evolving your AIC base in Arknights: Endfield. By the time you need it, you might be unsure where to find it, so here’s everything you need to know to secure this resource for your Factory.

How to get Ferrium Ore in Arknights: Endfield

Ferrium Ore is not as plentiful or accessible as the easily obtained Originium Ore, found in almost every region in Arknights: Endfield. That's because Ferrium is a high-tier resource, required for you to produce Blue Rarity gear and many other important crafts, and their importance isn't that aren't apparent until later.

As mentioned, you'll probably need Ferrium Ore long before you actually run across it, which is certainly a problem. Fortunately, the solution to this is to follow the Main Story until you unlock the Originium Science Park region. This is where you will find your first Ferrium Ore nodes which you can harvest like any other ore.

However, if you plan to collect Ferrium Ore in large amounts, simply hitting the nodes won't cut it. You'll need to place an Electric Mining Drill Rig Mk II on a Ferrium Mining location. You read that correctly: a normal Electric Mining Drill will not work for Ferrium Ore.

Additionally, you're going to need to have an active Power Grid in the Originium Science Park region to power the drill, which means you'll need a sub-AIC base set up. How do you set up a sub-AIC base in the region? The answer, once again, is to follow the Main Story. You'll eventually be prompted, toward the end of the Originium Science Park region's story, to set up an outpost base, and thus, a useable Power Grid.

How to get an Electric Mining Drill Rig MK II in Arknights: Endfield

Electric Mining Drill Rig MK IIs are craftable at any AIC Unit (Main or Sub). In order to gain access to the schematic, you must first research and unlock Mining III in the Basic AIC Plan menu. Once you do, the schematic will appear in the Construction option at any AIC Unit.

To craft an Electric Mining Drill RIG MK II, you'll need the following materials:

• 1x Portable Originium Rig
• 10x Ferrium Parts

Ferrium Ore Locations

Even after reaching Originium Science Park, Ferrium Ore is still quite a sparse resource to find just by looking around. To make things easier for you, here is where you can find the nodes in the region.

West of Transport Nexus

This is likely the first set of nodes you'll come across in the region, as you enter it through Route 5. You'll need to do some Relay footwork to get to mining the nodes.

Northwest of Infra-Station

This node is located directly across from your sub-AIC base in the region, separated by a massive valley. Fortunately, Zipline (Pylons or Towers) technology makes accessing this node quick and effortless for future visits.

Northeast of Cliffside Trail

This is the third and last node location, but it is, unfortunately, off-limits to you thanks to a Blight wall blocking the path. You'll need to progress the Main Story further to be able to reach this one, but when you do, you can add even more nodes to your Ferrium Ore mining operation.

Once you get one or two of these nodes on lockdown, you'll have more than enough Ferrium Ore flowing in to do whatever you need to with it.

What is Ferrium Ore used for?

Ferrium Ore has a lot of uses in Arknights: Endfield, so here's everything you can do with the resource, for your reference.

• Blue Rarity Gear - Provides a stark power increase over the Green Rarity scraps you've probably been making do with. You'll be required to convert Ferrium Ore into Ferrium Components, which requires a bit of effort, but is well worth the expense.
• Outposts - Some of your outposts require you to mass-produce Ferrium-related materials.
• Ferrium - The hallmark resource of the ore, Ferrium is made by dumping Ferrium Ore into a Refining Unit. You must convert Ferrium Ore into Ferrium for the next items on this list.
• Ferrium Powder - Used in conjunction with other materials to produce Condensed versions. Crafted by inputting Ferrium into a Grinding Unit.
• Ferrium Components - Used primarily for crafting gear, as mentioned above. It is crafted by combining Ferrium with Origocrust in a Gearing Unit.
• Ferrium Parts - Used to create advanced structures and items. It is crafted by inputting Ferrium into a Fitting Unit.
• Ferrium Bottle - Used in the creation of various consumable items. It is crafted by inputting Ferrium into a Moulding Unit.

The post Where to find Ferrium Ore in Arknights: Endfield beta appeared first on Destructoid.

The Area Status of a region in Arknights: Endfield determines the value of almost everything you'll find within it, so increasing it is something you'll want to actively pursue. Increasing the Area Status, however, is not an easy task, especially if you're unaware of all the methods you can, and the effort you'll need to put into the process.

How to rank up Area Status in Arknights: Endfield

To go into a bit of specifics here, ranking up the Area Status of a region influences the materials, resources, and enemy levels you'll find while running around it. Each region has four potential ranks that you can upgrade, allowing you to face off against more difficult enemies and find more rare resources, all for the sole purpose of increasing your account's overall power. These four ranks are the following:

• Stable - This is the default Area Status for every Region. Rare resources spawn in small amounts, and enemies are typically low-level compared to the region's maximum level. What's more, the amount of AIC buildings you can construct is standard.
• Active - Enemies become stronger than the previous rank (Stable), and Rare resources spawn in slightly larger amounts. You also have increased AIC structure limits. Additionally, Elite enemies will begin to spawn at this rank.
• Bustling - Enemies are even stronger than the previous rank (Active), and resources spawn in significantly larger amounts. The AIC structure limitation is also further increased. Elite enemies become more common and spawn with packs of other enemies.
• Prosperous - Enemies are at their maximum strength at this rank, and resources are also spawned at max capacity. The amount of AIC structures you can build is also greatly increased. Finally, all enemies, including Elites, spawn at their maximum threat level for the region.

Efficiently speaking, you want to reach the Prosperous Rank in every region as quickly as possible. This is due primarily to the daily limitations you have on collecting rare resources like Red Bolete, a core material necessary for Promoting your characters. Rare resources spawn once a day, and will only respawn on Daily Resets. The higher your Area Status in a region, the more Rare resources will spawn. So, how do you actually go about increasing the level? There are two ways: by boosting Outpost Prosperity and Completing Region Quests.

Increasing Area Status through Outpost Prosperity

Most regions in Arknights: Endfield will only allow you to increase its Area Status by first gaining Outpost Prosperity with the outpost in the Region. This is done by setting up an outpost in a region and providing its needs using your AIC Factory.

Outposts are set up by progressing the Main Story to a point where you get a secondary mission that requires you to "Raise Outpost Prosperity to the current limit."

You'll eventually set up an outpost in the Valley Pass region, which is the first region you'll gain access to outposts in Arknights: Endfield. This outpost will begin life at Outpost Prosperity Level 1, and to level it up, you'll need to mass produce and give the outpost its required materials.

For example, my Valley Pass outpost is at level 3, and in order for me to further increase its level, I must provide the outpost with Buck Capsule [C] at regular one-minute intervals. This can be done manually, but that is extremely inefficient, as progress continues even when offline. Instead, I have Buck Capsule [C] being produced endlessly at one of my sub-AIC bases, which is being funneled to my Depot.

All materials are sourced directly from your Depot, so design your Factory setups with this in mind. To streamline production, place a Protocol Stash at the end of your production lines to route finalized materials back to the Depot. Additionally, ensure your Yield meets or exceeds the Needs displayed in the Outpost Menu to maintain full automation in your production.

Once you have the requested material being produced and secured in your Depot, toggle the Auto button in the Outpost menu to on, to allow the outpost to obtain it without your intervention. Once the experience bar is full, your outpost will contact you and request the completion of a short quest. After doing so, it will rank up to its next level. This is a long process, so patience and efficiency are required.

As your outposts rank up, you’ll have the option to supply a different, more challenging material to boost your experience gains. While this approach is more demanding, it offers greater rewards. However, as your outpost progresses, it will eventually no longer require the initial resource, forcing you to switch to producing the more advanced material. Keep this in mind as you progress.

Upon leveling up an Outpost in a region, you'll be able to upgrade its Area Status to the next rank. Some regions may require more than one Outpost level up to boost Area Status.

Increasing Area Status through Questing

While most regions in Arknights: Endfield require you to level an Outpost to increase Area Status, regions like the Aburrey Quarry will allow you to increase it by completing its Regional Quest, at least for reaching the Active status. This is as simple as it sounds. Follow the main questline for the region to its conclusion, and you'll be able to boost its Area Status once.

Using Aburrey Quarry as an example, once you complete the Regional Quest, the only way to further boost its Area Status is by increasing your Total Outpost Level. This is calculated by adding up the levels of all your available outposts. For instance, to unlock the Prosperous Rank in Aburrey Quarry, you’ll need a Total Outpost Level of eight. This requires you to work on your other outposts and return at a later time.

The post How to increase Area Status in Arknights: Endfield beta appeared first on Destructoid.

Your base's Power Grid is like your overall influence over the overworld in Arknights: Endfield, and expanding it is a key component of the overall game. You need an ever-increasing Power Grid to even solve some of the game's overworld puzzles, so here's how you expand it when needed.

How to increase your Power Grid in Arknights: Endfield

Building up your Power Grid is directly tied to the core base-building aspect of Arknight: Endfield, and you'll need to use the mechanics to accomplish this goal. The core to Power Grid expansion is the use of Relay Towers. Relay Towers are like powerlines. They connect your grid to anywhere else you've placed a Relay Tower, but you need to make sure they are all connected together to formulate your grid. This is very easy to do, but since Arknights: Endfield is rather complex at times, I'll go ahead and walk you through the process.

How to place Relay Towers

First, make sure you have a few Relay Towers in your Backpack. If you don't have any, you'll need to make some at any AIC (Main or Sub). They only require a bit of Origiocrust to craft.

Once you have a few, make note of the location you wish to expand your grid to and start placing the Relay Towers from your Backpack. A visual silhouette will appear to inform you of exactly where the tower will be placed.

Once placed, you next need to connect the Relay Tower to your existing grid. If you don't do this step, no amount of Relay Towers will expand your Power Grid. To do this, click the Start Transmission option.

This will give you a Power Cord that trails behind your active character. It can only extend out to 80 meters, so you'll need to make sure the Relay Towers you place never exceed this distance. With the Power Cord active, head to a Relay Tower or an AIC Base already in your grid, and interact with it using the Plug Transmission Cable option.

This will connect your new Relay Tower with the rest of your base, effectively expanding your Power Grid. This, naturally, allows you to construct additional structures away from your main base, and power them with pylons.

As a core expansion mechanic in Arknight: Endfield, you can repeat this process as often as you like to expand as far as you want, as long as you have not hit base capacity. Now, if Power Capacity is getting in the way of your expansion efforts, there is a way to increase the capacity maximum.

How to Increase Power Capacity in Arknights: Endfield

Most structures in Arknights: Endfield require Power to function, even if fully built. There is a limit on how much Power can be used at any given time, and if you exceed this limit, your base will basically shut down into a Low Power state. You can build a special structure called a Thermal Bank to overcome this limitation.

Thermal Banks generate power by consuming Fuel, which increases your Power Capacity. However, Fuel is not free, and must be inserted into the Thermal Bank to function. The best source of Fuel to use is Originum Ore, as it is extremely common and easy to mine in excess.

How to unlock the Thermal Bank in Arknights: Endfield

To start building Thermal Banks in your base, you must first unlock it in the Basic AIC Plan. This is a mechanic that is not unlocked at the start, so if you're not sure what it is or how to get it, simply progress the Main Quest, and you'll earn the ability to use it.

The Basic AIC Plan is where you unlock various technologies to build in your base, and the Thermal Bank is one of the said technologies. To unlock it, open the Basic AIC Plan and look for the Power 1 node in the tree.

Unlocking Power 1 gives you access to Thermal Banks, which will allow you to build and place them in your base. However, you'll also need to use a Basic AIC Index to do so. This particular resource/currency is exclusive to unlocking technology in the tree, and you'll need a lot of them as you progress.

How to get Basic AIC Index in Arknights: Endfield

As mentioned, you'll need a lot of Basic AIC Index to upgrade your base as you progress through Arknights: Endfield. Fortunately, they aren't difficult to obtain. To get them, you must interact with VR Simulator devices in your area. These look like yellow foam tube men and appear as a broken oval on your world map.

Simply interact with the VR Simulator to get a Basic AIC Index. You get only one Basic AIC Index per VR Simulator device, but each map tends to have a healthy share of them scattered around it. If you cannot interact with VR Simulator, all you need to do is progress the Main Story until you gain access to the Basic AIC Plan mechanic.

The post How to expand your Power Grid in Arknights: Endfield beta appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the earliest roadblocks to progress in Arknights: Endfield is the need for Amethyst Components, a resource that is exactly obvious to find, like some others. If you're having issues getting this resource, here's where you can locate it.

How to get Amethyst Components in the Arknights: EndField beta

Amethyst Components are essential for crafting gear in Arknights: Endfield. Without them, your characters will be left defenseless and unprepared for battle. Despite having access to Amethyst Crystals fairly early on, you'll probably notice no obvious method of crafting Amethyst Components specifically, even using a Refiner or Scrapper. After all, refining Amethyst creates Amethyst Fiber, while shredding it creates Amethyst Powder; neither is what you need.

In my experience, the best way to obtain Amethyst Components is to simply loot the overworld. Break open every crate and open up every chest. I've found this material to be fairly common from wooden crates, especially in the Valley Pass area, the second major one in the game.

Once you've progressed far enough in the game, you can begin crafting Amethyst Components using a Gearing Unit. This is a special building, similar to the Refiner and Shredder, that you can use to make this material. However, it must first be researched, and the 'recipe' must be discovered by participating in the VR Simulator next to your Core AIC Area.

This mode gives you a basic rundown of how to make use of the Gearing Unit before giving you the ability to use it at your base. If you cannot yet access it, progress your Main Story until you get access to the Electric Mining Drill Rig.

Once you've played your Gearing Unit, you will need the following materials to produce one Amethyst Component.

• 5 x Origocrust
• 5 x Amethyst Fiber

Place the above materials into the Gearing Unit, and you'll be able to make Amethyst Components in no time.

Crafting gear using Amethyst Components

You can craft Gear, once the feature is unlocked for you, by going to any PAC structure (Sub-PACs included) and choosing the Gear Assembly option.

All but the lowest level gear requires Amethyst Components to be crafted, which is why you need a ton of it if you're planning to upgrade your characters.

The post Where to get Amethyst Components in Arknights: Endfield beta appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the most significant ways to empower your character's progress in Path of Exile 2 is by using the Anointment process on your Amulet. Most Notables on the game's massive Skill Tree can be anointed, so here's a list of some of the best ones you can use.

Best Amulet Notables in Path of Exile 2

The most effective Amulet Anointments are those that provide substantial benefits to your build without requiring you to path over to the Notable in the passive tree. After all, if the Notable is already close to your current investments, anointing it on an amulet becomes unnecessary. With the wide variety of viable builds in Path of Exile 2, there are several Anointments worth considering. Here are some of the most potent ones to prioritize.

Pure Power

This notable rewards Intelligence-based builds that utilize Lightning damage. For every 10 points of Intelligence invested (through gear and Passives), all Lightning damage is increased by 2%. This scaling mechanic provides a means for Intelligence to offer up a significant boost in Lightning damage, encouraging gear and passive selection that bolsters Intelligence to maximize damage output.

In practice, Pure Power is most effective in setups prioritizing intelligence as a primary attribute, ensuring consistent damage growth through passive stat investment. It is one of the best Notables to have as a Lightning character, whether you're playing Melee, Ranged, or Spells as your focal point.

Lightning Rod

Lightning Rod enhances the reliability of Lightning Damage by treating non-critical hits as Lucky, meaning they roll damage values twice and use the higher result. This significantly boosts overall damage consistency, particularly for strategies that rely on frequent Lightning strikes but lack critical strike scaling. Consistency is important for Lightning builds because Lightning Damage has the largest Damage Range of any elemental damage type in the game.

This Notable is a solid pick for setups focused on rapid lightning-based attacks, where consistent Lucky hits can improve damage output without requiring heavy investment in Critical Strikes.

Coming Calamity

This Notable dramatically increases Elemental Damage (Fire, Ice, Lightning) by 50% when the corresponding Herald skill (Herald of Fire, Herald of Ice, Herald of Lightning) is active. The most potent value of this Notable is that it makes the Herald skill viable for boss encounters, thanks to the major damage boost they provide.

Coming Calamity is especially valuable for setups that integrate multiple elemental effects, ensuring a high damage boost for both area clearing and single-target encounters.

Drenched

Drenched offers dual benefits: a 40% increased chance to Shock enemies and a conversion mechanic, granting 5% of Lightning damage as Cold damage. This synergy enhances elemental interactions, enabling Lightning builds to inflict both Shock and Chill, increasing overall crowd control and damage potential.

This Notable functions well in hybrid elemental setups, ensuring consistent application of multiple Ailments for added utility and damage scaling.

Volcanic Skin

Volcanic Skin enhances Fire damage by granting an 8% bonus as Extra Fire Damage and provides 20% Fire Resistance. This dual offensive and defensive benefit makes it a must-have for fire-focused builds seeking increased survivability against fire-based enemies and makes reaching the '75%' Resistance threshold much easier to reach without relying on gear.

The Extra Fire Damage portion of this Notable is also valuable because the damage that results from it scales separately from all other multipliers. Instead, it sits closer to an addition to other multipliers rather than being affected by multipliers, meaning that it provides you with a lot more damage than a standard boost to Fire Damage normally would.

Branching Bolts

With a 60% chance for Lightning Skills to chain an additional time, Branching Bolts increases the reach and efficiency of all Lightning-based attacks. It is ideal for clearing groups of enemies and adds flexibility to both single-target and area-of-effect strategies.

This notable is particularly strong for setups focused on chain mechanics, providing excellent utility for clearing tightly packed enemies, but it is still a strong pick-up for the majority of Lightning-focused builds.

Power Conduction

This Notable improves the Shock Ailment, increasing both its duration (25%) and magnitude (25%). Builds that rely on shocking enemies will benefit from greater damage amplification and longer debuff uptime, making it a key choice for lightning specialists.

Power Conduction is a cornerstone for setups centered around frequent Shock applications, ensuring maximum efficiency in both crowd control and damage amplification.

Breaking Point

Breaking Point balances duration and potency by reducing Elemental Ailment durations by 10% while amplifying non-damaging Ailments by 30%. It is highly situational, favoring strategies that maximize Chill, Shock, Freeze, or other control effects for utility over prolonged ailment uptime.

This notable feature is best suited for setups focusing on controlling enemy movement or amplifying non-damaging effects for tactical advantage. Since Shock Magnitude increases damage taken, this Notable directly boosts your damage output if you're utilizing the Ailment.

Lay Siege

Lay Siege provides a scalable damage boost by converting your block chance into damage, with a 1% increase in damage per 1% block. It is perfect for tanky offensive builds that emphasize Block mechanics, blending defense with strong offensive capabilities. It also works exceptionally well for casters using Wands or Spectres that want even more damage while boosting survivability.

Shield-based setups benefit the most from this notable, turning their defensive investments into an offensive edge during combat.

Offensive Stance

Offensive Stance mirrors the effects of Lay Siege, offering the same damage-for-block conversion. This redundancy suggests potential stacking opportunities or alternative placement, allowing flexibility in choosing Notables within different tree branches.

It is particularly effective for builds combining high block with melee-focused strategies, enhancing damage output while maintaining strong defenses.

Mental Perseverance

This notable mitigates incoming damage by redirecting 10% to Mana before Life. It is an excellent choice for mana-stacking builds that prioritize Mana Regeneration and sustain, reducing direct life damage and improving survivability in longer engagements.

Mental Perseverance pairs well with strategies utilizing high mana recovery, making it a defensive cornerstone for builds reliant on mana sustain.

Adverse Growth

Adverse Growth trades Life Regeneration for Mana sustain, reducing Life Regeneration by 20% but recouping 20% of Damage taken as Mana. It is an interesting trade-off for builds that focus on Mana recovery and utility over traditional health sustain.

This Notable is ideal for builds that use rapid Mana Regeneration or large mana pools to offset the loss of health recovery.

Roil

Roil increases spell Area of Effect (AoE) by 30% but reduces Area Damage by 10%. This trade-off benefits builds focused on crowd control or clearing large packs of enemies, sacrificing raw damage for increased coverage. 10% Damage loss is also easily made up via other means like gear and other Passive nodes.

It works best in setups where maximizing area control is a priority, ensuring wide coverage for consistent crowd management. Breaches and Dellerium runs are great reasons to consider using this Notable.

Ruin

Ruin does the opposite of Roil, reducing Spell AoE by 10% but amplifying Area Damage by 30%. This is ideal for concentrated area damage builds that prioritize burst damage over wide coverage. Spells like Flameblast benefit massively from this Notable.

Ruin is a powerful option for strategies that emphasize single-hit potential in confined areas, ensuring maximum impact.

Briny Carapace

Briny Carapace enhances Stun Resistance, increasing the stun threshold by 60% each time you’ve been Stunned recently. It is a defensive tool for builds vulnerable to stuns, offering greater resilience during intense combat situations.

This Notable is a strong choice for builds that do not have large health pools and must find other means to mitigate the stun Ailment. It is a strong defensive option for most general builds, anyhow.

Master Fletching

This notable amplifies the bonuses from equipped quivers by 30%, making it a vital choice for Bow builds that rely on quiver stats for damage, defense, or utility. The unique Bow, Widowhail, also stacks with this Notable, considerably increasing effectiveness.

Master Fletching is most effective in setups that prioritize Bow builds with strong, well-invested quivers.

Alternating Current

Alternating Current rewards Shock-focused builds by increasing Mana Regeneration Rate by 25% if you’ve Shocked an enemy recently. Additionally, it increases the Magnitude of Shocks inflicted by 20%, bolstering both resource sustain and damage amplification.

Lightning-focused setups benefit the most, maintaining consistent resource pools and damage enhancements.

Greatest Defense

Greatest Defense synergizes offense with defense, granting a 2% attack damage increase for every 75 Armor or Evasion rating on your shield. This is ideal for shield-based characters aiming to convert defensive investments into offensive power. As another scalar node, it has the potential to be build-defining.

Setups leveraging high-armor shields see the best results, turning their sturdy defenses into potent attacks.

Towering Shield

Towering Shield boosts shield-based defenses, increasing defenses from the equipped shield by 50% and granting a 25% Chance to Block if you’ve blocked recently. It is a cornerstone notable for tanky, block-centric builds thanks to the extra Block chance gained from blocking previous attacks.

This notable is essential for builds using shields to mitigate damage, providing both sustain and survivability at the same time.

Fulmination

Fulmination significantly enhances all Damage against Ignited enemies, increasing ignite chance by 40% and Hit damage against ignited targets by the same amount. This synergy is highly effective for Fire-based builds, but almost any build can benefit from the considerable damage boost so long as the enemy is Ignited.

This Notable is notably out of the way for many Spell-based builds, so it is a strong option to consider for the Annulment process.

Pile On

Pile On amplifies damage against enemies with Fully Broken armor, increasing it by 60%. It is an excellent choice for builds that rely on the Armor Break mechanic, ensuring substantial payoff during the window of opportunity. Powerful skills like Flameblast or Hammer of the Gods benefit most from this Notable.

Additionally, this Notable is best utilized in strategies focusing on weakening enemy defenses, ensuring maximum damage output.

How to add Notables to your Amulet in Path of Exile 2

The process of Anointing your Amulet and unlocking one of the above Notables is done using Distilled Emotions earned from participating and progressing Delirium Events on the Atlas World Map. This means you need to have completely finished the campaign and have access to the Atlas following its events.

Each Distilled Emotion listed above has a special effect when applied to a Waystone, enhancing it by adding additional mechanics. For now, just make a note of this as it's not important for putting Notables on your Amulet.

For Anointing, you must combine three Distilled Emotions together in the correct order to obtain the Notable you desire. The process is started by clicking on a Distilled Emotion in your inventory.

Doing so will open the Instilling Window with four slots available to you. The top slot is where your Amulet will go, while the bottom three are where you need to place Distilled Emotions. When you place any three Distilled Emotions into the window, you will be shown what Notable you'll be able to put on your Amulet. Some combinations will result in nothing, and you'll be informed as such in that scenario.

In order to pinpoint the Notable you desire in the tree, you need to open your Passive Tree and find the Notable you're looking to add to your Amulet.

For example, if you wanted to put Pure Power on your Amulet, find it in the Passive tree, and before rolling your cursor over it, hold the ALT modifier key. While holding it, roll your cursor over Pure Power you will be able to see which Distilled Emotions you need to add to your Amulet in the right order.

Pure Power requires the Distilled Emotions: Suffering, Guilt, and Suffering, in that order. Knowing this information now, you can place these in the Instilling Window and put Pure Power on your Amulet.

What are Distilled Emotions?

Distilled Emotions are specific items that drop randomly following a Delirium Event's conclusion. There are several different types, and each one plays a role in helping you get the Notable you want on your Amulet. They are the following:

• Distilled Isolation: Players in the area are 50% Delirious.
• Distilled Ire: Players in the area are 7% Delirious; 20% increased Magic Monsters.
• Distilled Guilt: Players in the area are 9% Delirious; 8% increased Pack Size.
• Distilled Greed: Players in the area are 10% Delirious; 8% increased Rarity of Items found in this area.
• Distilled Paranoia: Players in the area are 12% Delirious; 15% increased number of Rare Monsters.
• Distilled Envy: Players in the area are 15% Delirious; 30% increased Waystones found in the area.
• Distilled Disgust: Players in the area are 18% Delirious; 30% increased Precursor Tablets found in the area.
• Distilled Despair: Players in the area are 20% Delirious; 30% increased stack size of Simulacrum Splinters found in the area.
• Distilled Fear: Players in the area are 22% Delirious; Rare Monsters have a 25% chance to have an additional modifier.
• Distilled Suffering: Players in the area are 25% Delirious; Unique Monsters have 1 additional modifier.

Some Distilled Emotions are considerably rarer than others, so if you're looking to obtain one of those, you may need to farm Dellirum Events quite a bit. The better you perform during an event, the more likely you'll see a rare Distilled Emotion drop.

Lastly, the modifiers listed are the effects that will be added to a Waystone if you decide to Instill a combination of Distilled Emotions to one, instead of an Amulet. This results in a much more enhanced Waystone, which can result in better loot if you're lucky.

The post Best Amulet Anointments in Path of Exile 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite being available throughout the 1.0 versions of Wuthering Waves, the Lootmapper tool is locked to you in Rinascita from the moment you arrive there. Thankfully, this useful tool can be unlocked, but it's going to require a bit of effort on your part.

How to get the Lootmapper License in Wuthering Waves 2.0

If you attempt to use the Lootmapper tool while in Rinascita, you'll be greeted with a message informing you that you need a license to make use of it. Unfortunately, this is where the in-game information ends on the matter which can leave you scrambling for knowledge aimlessly. Fortunately, the method of obtaining the said license is simple.

To unlock the Lootmapper of usage within Rinascita, you must first raise your Rinascita Sonance Casket Collector Level to 6. This is, naturally, done by collecting the many Sonance Casket: Ragunnas you'll find floating all around Rinactita's wilderness.

Sonanace Caskets are usually found floating in mid-air, so they can be somewhat annoying to find. However, they appear on your mini-map when you are near one, so at least you know when you're close. Search high and low and use the Grapple and Flight tools to pick them up as you come across them.

Once you have some, you need to give the Sonance Caskets to the Plushie Village, in order for them to count. After enough have been obtained, you'll earn the Lootmapper Use Permit: Rinascita item, which must be consumed from your inventory to function. This is a permanent action, and doing so will allow you to use your Lootmapper anywhere within Rinascita boundaries.

Where to find the Sonance Casket Collector in Wuthering Waves 2.0

Unlike the first major area in Wuthering Waves, the Sonance Casket Collector in Rinascita is not located within the main hub: Ragunna City. Instead, you must find the collector in order to submit your Sonance Caskets. Thankfully, I have that information for you as well. The Sonance Casket Collector is located within the Plushie Village I mentioned earlier, but more specifically, within the Garden of the Lost area of Rinascita.

The Garden of the Lost is located far from Ragunna City, so if you've not yet ventured from it yet, you'll have a bit of a journey on your hands. If you already have access to the Flight tool, though, you can reach this area within a few minutes pretty easily.

Once you've arrived in the Garden of the Lost, you'll automatically receive a side quest tasking you to restore Plushy Village, which is done by giving up the Sonanace Caskets you find to the collector there. The collector can be found directly Southeast of the Garden of the Lost waypoint, just up the stairs.

Depending on your progress, the collector may be a pair of hands or Teensy Weensy, a rabbit-looking Echo.

Regardless though, speak with the NPC present there to submit your Sonance Caskets. When you have enough, you'll receive the permit. All you need to do, then, is use it from your Consumables inventory, and you're good to go!

The post How to unlock the Lootmapper in Wuthering Waves 2.0 appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the most horrifying things you’ll encounter as a newcomer to Fallout 76 is being perpetually over-encumbered. While it’s tempting to pick up every item you come across, your stash is limited to 2000 pounds, and that will get filled up more quickly than you expect. So, what items are useful to pick up as a low-level character in Fallout 76?

Items to repair your gear in Fallout 76

Of utmost importance will be those items that you can scrap for components to repair your weapons and armor. Up until level 15, you’ll first use Wood, Leather, or Raider Armor and eventually Metal. For the most part, your weapons will likely be a pipe pistol/rifle, regular pistol/rifle, a melee weapon, and maybe a laser pistol/rifle.

All these items require Adhesive to repair, and it will be your most valuable junk item for a while. Keep an eye out for any form of Duct Tape, Wonderglue, Handmade Glue, and Vegetable Starch. Grab it all up.

Steel is your second most important junk item, as it’s used to repair most of the gear you’ll be sporting through your teens and beyond. It can easily be found from a range of items, so you’ll likely never find yourself running short. However, some items have a better weight-to-yield ratio and are more plentiful.

The items listed below include the variations you’ll come across in post-nuke Appalachia. For example, both Wonderglue and Sealed Wonderglue yield Adhesive. The lists are also not exhaustive; these are the items you’ll encounter most often while wandering around. Bold lettering indicates a junk item that yields multiple useful components.

Other junk you’ll want to hold onto are Screws, Cloth, Rubber, and Leather for armor repairs; Lead for some melee weapons like pipes; Copper if you’re using pipe pistols/rifles; Springs for your shotgun and laser pistol/rifle; and Crystal, Plastic, and Circuitry for your laser weapons as well.

For Wood, Leather, Raider, and Metal Armor repairs

For weapon repairs

What else should I keep in Fallout 76 as a lower level player?

Generally, you want to keep around 100 each of these important junk items, and you’ll be fine keeping 50 of everything else. Any excess can be sold. Also note that other than Aluminum and Lead, bulking doesn’t decrease the weight of your items. You will need to bulk items, which requires Plastic, to sell them to vendors, though.

Similarly, you don’t have to hold onto every meat, flower, and plant that you come across. Use it to make food for the experience, then sell most of it to a vendor. Much of it will spoil anyway. In Fallout 76, you will happen upon enough Nuka-Cola, Sugar Bombs, Canned Dog Food, and other such goodies in to keep your hunger and thirst satiated. Grilled Radstag is also a good dish to keep on hand for its carry-weight boost. For extra security, carry a small pile of any Soup and some Tea, and you’ll be good to go.

You likewise don’t need to hold onto every healing item or chem that you find. Carry a handful of Rad-X along with 15-20 Stimpaks, and keep a similar amount in your stash. Through level 20 or so, you won't be getting hurt that much, even if you wander into areas you probably shouldn’t, and most of the radiation you take will come from eating/drinking.

Now that you've cleaned up your backpack and stash, you can go back to merrily picking up everything you see.

The post A beginner in Fallout 76: What junk items should you keep? appeared first on Destructoid.

The Lifer is a difficult boss to find and an even harder one to defeat in Wuthering Wave's Rinacista, thanks to his unique location and his various buffs. Here's a walkthrough on how you can find and defeat it.

Where to find the Lifer in Wuthering Waves

The Lifer is at the center of the massive maze located at the heart of the Fagaceae Peninsula zone, within Oakheart Highcourt. This location makes up most of the entire zone in size, and it is difficult to navigate, especially since some illusionary trickery is involved with reaching the center. More on that soon.

Upon laying eyes on this huge maze, your first instinct might be to use the Flight Utility tool to soar over the walls. Unfortunately, those illusions I just mentioned will prevent you from doing so: you'll get to the center, but reach a dead end every time. Instead, you have to enter the maze at its designated entrance and follow the breadcrumb trail laid before you to get to the proper center.

Navigating the maze

Begin by heading to the Fagaceae Peninsula, Oakheart Highcourt Resonance Beacon. Teleporting to it puts you directly in front of the correct entrance.

You'll know you're in the right place if you see this ominous-looking statue in front of you.

Make your way through the entrance behind the statue and interact with the stone tablet before advancing further.

The tablet talks a bit about the lore of the maze, but the important part is in parenthesis: you need to follow the path of tablets littering the maze to reach the Lifer in the middle.

Once you're done looking at the tablet, advance past it, following the pathway. Do not take the leftmost detour area.

You want to continue to head toward the inner section of the maze for now, so make sure the path you take is doing just that. You will likely encounter several enemies on your way, so take care of them as they appear. Keep following the path until you reach the next stone tablet on the ground, then interact with it.

This is where things can get confusing. The path to follow now is cut off thanks to three Overflowing Palettes in the area, which you must solve to progress. Make a mental note of how you reached the tablet before proceeding.

Now, the first Overflowing Palette is at the top of the tree above the maze, in the center platform it holds up. Climb the tree (or use Flight) until you reach the platform itself.

The last two Overflowing Palettes are located outside the maze entirely, in the towers overlooking and surrounding it. Enter the tops of each and solve the puzzle in the middle.

Once all three Overflowing Palettes have been solved, you will get a cutscene depicting the return of color to the area. Gameplay-wise, golden swirls will surround the entire area above the maze, allowing you to use Flight indefinitely as long as you stay within the golden track. This is the key indicator that you're ready to enter the inner section of the maze and face the Lifer.

Return to the tablet you left behind earlier. Head back through the main entrance and retrace your steps if you're having trouble navigating back to it from above. From the tablet, head left and take the first left turn you come across.

The moment you take the turn, head right and follow the path around. Do not continue left once you've cleared the walls surrounding the turn. Follow the path around and take the next right you come across, heading toward the innards of the maze.

Ignore the next left turn and walk past the maze door on your right until you reach the second left turn in the area. You'll know you're in the right place when you see another stone tablet near you.

Interact with the tablet, then follow the path leading away from the center of the maze. Once you hit the back wall, take the next right.

From here, follow the path all the way around until you see the next stone tablet you'll be interacting with. You'll know you're in the right place if the area is lit with golden light.

Follow the path toward the golden light, making your way to the final stone tablet. Beyond it lies an open doorway leading into the heart of the maze's depths. Step through, and you will find yourself face-to-face with the Lifer.

How to defeat the Lifer in Wuthering Waves

The Lifer is an extremely powerful enemy in Wuthering Waves, thanks to the ridiculous amount of buffs he can access at any given time. However, before you can face it in a fight, you'll need to play its game first.

The game is an odd combination of Tic-Tac-Toe and chess. The Lifer controls the white pieces while you control the black ones. Your goal is to line up your pieces. You can either beat the Lifer at its game to reap the rewards—a tough task that will likely require several attempts—or the tried and true method of combat. After a few rounds of failure playing the game, you'll be given the option to fight it out directly instead.

Selecting this option will initiate direct combat, but before you do, notice that the Lifer has 300% Enemy Strength. This means that fighting it now will result in a very difficult encounter you will likely lose. However, you can weaken him significantly by disabling most of its buffs.

How to turn off the Lifer's buffs

Disabling the Lifers' buffs is directly tied to playing its Tic-Tac-Toe game, though your goal is not to win this time. If you look around the Lifer's room, you'll notice several doors, including one behind it. These doors all lead to different previously inaccessible areas of the maze. Some also lead to locations where you can remove a buff from the Lifer. You can determine which doors lead to areas tied to the Lifer's buffs by using Sensor and following the purple path it reveals.

These doors can be opened by lining up your black piece with any of them. Doing so will open up the initial door and clear a full path to the outer portion of the maze to an area that was not accessible to you before. You can do this for any of the doors at the center.

Once you've opened a door, follow the path all the way to the back and look for a terminal in the area.

Interacting with the terminal will let you disable a number of the Lifer's buffs. You may need to find a key piece around the area with the terminal before you can do so. Each terminal has one, located in the same room.

Fighting the Lifer

Once you're satisfied with the number of buffs removed from the Lifer, you can engage him in combat and defeat him pretty easily. Ignoring the buffs, the Lifer is just an empowered Chop Chop, with an extremely similar move set.

Of course, if you're looking for a challenge, you can also engage the Lifer with all of his buffs enabled. This will require a lot of firepower and constant DPS, as the Lifer will heal himself if you take too long to deal damage. He is also extremely durable, able to tank some of the most powerful attacks in the game with ease.

The post How to reach and defeat the Lifer in Wuthering Waves 2.0 appeared first on Destructoid.

Overflowing Palettes are a brand new type of puzzle found throughout all of Wuthering Waves 2.0, and they can be quite tricky to solve. If you're having trouble with them, here are a few tips and tricks you can use to get yourself closer to the solution.

How to Complete Overflowing Palettes in Wuthering Waves

Overflowing Palette puzzles can be difficult to solve because the solution to them is not always obvious. More often than not, the color you need to switch all the blocks to is not the color you want to start using immediately. In most cases, the objective color is the last one you want to use after you've prepared all the other blocks to swap to that color.

The best way to approach these puzzles is with a focus on connectivity. Blocks are only recolored if they are, in some way, connected to each other. Since you only have two to three moves you can make, it is important to recognize how you can connect disconnected blocks in as few moves as possible.

You're aiming to connect everything together, in an Overflowing Palette puzzle, so that you can change all the disconnected blocks into one connected color. When everything is connected and colored, the puzzle becomes significantly easier to decipher because you know exactly which blocks will have their color altered when you aim to paint another color over them.

Another key aspect of this puzzle is reducing the number of colors in the puzzle itself. The more blocks of a different color present, the more difficult these puzzles are to finish. Ideally, this is your primary goal over everything else initially, and it ties in directly to what I mentioned earlier about coloring disconnected blocks.

These tips will help you solve every single Overflowing Palette puzzle available in Wuthering Waves 2.0, as they all follow the same core aspect of color control and connectivity.

The post How to solve Overflowing Palettes in Wuthering Waves 2.0 appeared first on Destructoid.

Of all the additions added in Wuthering Waves 2.0, the Flight tool is likely the most impactful regarding exploration. Normally, you cannot use Flight if you're too close to the ground, but there are two handy little tricks that will allow you to always circumvent this limitation.

How to fly from anywhere in Wuthering Waves

To be clear, Flight is only allowed within Rinascita, not Huanglong or The Black Shores, so 'anywhere' refers to any of the zones that make up Rinascita, including interiors.

With that clarification out of the way, Flight can be used from any position and any location as long as you meet the sole criteria of being high enough off the ground. At times, you may find yourself unable to use Flight because you simply cannot ascend enough. Elevation plays a big role in this, as climbing up a hill will often prevent standard use of the tool. However, you can overcome this obstacle by using the Grapple tool or the Superjump technique. One requires more technical skill than the other, but I will cover both so you can decide which you want to use.

Using Flight with the Grapple Tool

Since height is the only thing that prevents you from using Flight at all times, you can utilize the Grapple tool to remove this limitation. To do this, first, perform a standard jump, then use the Grapple to pull yourself higher into the air. Using the Tool Wheel, swap to Flight and press the Tool button immediately after. If you do this correctly, you'll be soaring from locations that were previously impossible to take off from.

The one downside to using Flight this way is that it requires you to constantly swap Tools every time you want to take off. Opening the Tool Wheel drastically slows down time, which allows you to easily access the Grapple Tool and swap to Flight, but it's still a cumbersome set of actions that might get old fairly quickly. The upside is that this method doesn't require any real technical know-how of Wuthering Wave's robust movement system.

Using Flight with the Superjump Technique

Alternatively, to using the Grapple to gain height, you can use a complex set of aerial motions to artificially ascend beyond your normal jump capabilities. This is the Superjump technique, and it is more efficient and effective to perform over using the Grapple, though it does require more effort to learn and understand initially.

First, select any character with a standard downward plunge. This is a requirement for the technique, as not all characters in the game can perform it. Characters like Yinlin, for example, cannot use Superjump because her downward plunge is unique to her. It needs to be a standard plunge attack.

Once you've selected your character, to perform a Superjump in Wuthering Waves, follow these steps in order:

1. Perform a single Standard Jump
2. While in mid-air, initiate a Downward Plunge attack
3. Before the attack executes, cancel with a mid-air Dodge
4. Initiate a Downward Plunge again
5. Use the Flight Tool

This technique exists because every one of the above-mentioned steps allows you to gain a small amount of height with each one. This is clearly more complicated than simply using the Grapple and may require some practical practice on your end. However, I assure you that after some lab time, you'll find Superjump to be a much more convenient method of activating Flight from anywhere you like. Practice this, and it will become second nature to you. Then, soar freely.

The post How to use Flight from anywhere in Wuthering Waves 2.0 appeared first on Destructoid.

After what's felt like an eternity, Wuthering Waves 2.0 has finally been released, and with it came the newest five-star Resonator, Carlotta. Carlotta packs a serious wallop and introduces a new style of play not seen before her release, so if you've pulled her, or are planning to, here's everything you need to know.

Best Carlotta Build in Wuthering Waves

Carlottla is a Glacio DPS character, and the first five-star Pistol user in Wuthering Waves. Her weapon type comes with certain expectations, but I urge you to put these aside because Carlotta does not play like any other Pistol character before her. Carlotta is a unique combination of a Burst and DPS character, in that she has solid consistent damage, with a very powerful burst coming entirely from her Ultimate ability. In fact, her goal is to reach the most powerful state of her Ultimate before using it for maximum damage output. This requires you to pay attention to a number of factors and fits right into her gameplan.

Carlotta's Gameplan

Despite appearances, Carlotta is a number-complex character, meaning the mechanics you need to be paying attention to often have little visual feedback. In Carlotta's case, her most important mechanic is Moldable Crystals, which ties to almost every other mechanic she has access to. Moldable Crystals is a stacking buff (max six stacks) that she gains when performing many of her numerous actions. Without getting stuck in the weeds on this, her most reliable ways to gain Moldable Crystals are the following:

How to get Moldable Crystals

• Mid-Air Plunge Attack - Earns her three Moldable Crystals. If not hitting a target, you must follow this up with a Basic Attack to earn the crystals.
• Basic Attack Two - Earns her three Moldable Crystals only when she does not have Moldable Crystals. This is because Carlotta will utilize her Enhanced Basic Attacks when she does have crystals, dealing more damage and charging her Forte faster.
• Resonance Skill - The first part of the Skill only. Earns her three Moldable Crystals
• Heavy Attack - Earns her three Moldable Crystals.
• Dodging - Earns her three Modlable Crystals

Carlotta consumes stacks of Moldable Crystals to charge her Forte. The more crystals consumed, the faster her Forte charges. This is important to understand, so make note of it for now. We will return to it later. Here are the main ways she consumes Moldable Crystals:

How to consume Moldable Crystals

• Enhanced Basic Attacks - Replaces standard Basic Attacks while you have Moldable Crystals. Consumes one crystal per attack.
• Resonance Skill - The second part of the Skill only. Consumes all available Moldable Crystals.
• Dodge Counter - Activates a special riposte ability that consumes following a Dodge. Consumes one Moldable Crystal.

You are doing all of this gaining and consuming of Moldable Crystals to charge Carlotta's Forte Bar to activate two special buffs upon completing filling: Tinted Crystal and Final Bow.

• Tinted Crystal - Allows Carlotta to use her enhanced Heavy Attack, which does massive damage in an AoE around her while reducing the cooldown of her Skill by six seconds. Tinted Crystal has a 22-second cooldown, but this cooldown only affects the AoE nuke, not the cooldown reduction portion. You will know if this buff is active if Carlotta's hair has crystalized
• Final Bow - Buff's Carlotta's Ultimate damage by 80%. This buff is depicted as an hourglass on your buff bar. Once her Forte bar is filled, she will receive this buff permanently until her Ultimate is used. While her Ultimate is active, she will gain the full benefit until it has concluded or she is switched out during it.

Resonance Skill and Liberation

I've talked a bit about Carlotta's Resonance Skill and Ultimate already, but there is a bit more to say about them separately.

Carlotta's Resonance Skill, Art of Violence, is a two-part skill that requires two inputs to execute. The first part rewards you with three Moldable Crystals but also applies a very powerful debuff on the enemy hit called Dispersion. This debuff completely freezes any enemy hit by it for 1.5 seconds. This also works on bosses.

Her Ultimate Era of New Wave is the source of her Burst damage, but the initial hit also applies a powerful debuff called Deconstruction on any enemies hit by it. Deconstruction causes your damage to ignore 18% of the enemy's defense, and this is the case for your entire team.

In Summary

With all of that said, in a nutshell, Carlotta gameplan is to:

• Generate and Consume Moldable Crystals to fill Forte
• Fill Forte to activate Tinted Crystal and Final Bow
• Use Ultimate with Final Bow active
• Use Forte to reduce Skill cooldown
• Use Tinted Crystal buff to launch a powerful AoE nuke
• Repeat

Any additional buffs that support the above flow, like intro skills, weapons, or team composition mechanics, enhance Carlotta's ability to perform.

Best Echoes for Carlotta in Wuthering Waves

With the release of Wuthering Waves 2.0, a slew of new Echo sets also came into the picture, and one of them is extremely ideal for Carlotta. She has three options to use, with the newest set being the best choice.

• Frosty Resolve - This set gives Carlotta an abundance of additional Resonance Skill damage, which is why it is the most potent set for her. A majority of her damage is considered Resonance Skill damage, making it the best option by a decent mile.
• Lingering Tunes - Lingering Tunes is one of the original sets in Wuthering Waves, but it still packs the generic punch it always has by offering Carlotta a large amount ATK% the longer she remains on the field. Generally speaking, Carlotta likes field time, so this is a solid set to consider while you're farming up the new one.
• Freezing Frost - As a Glacio character, Carlotta also reaps the benefits from the significant Glacio damage Freezing Frost offers her. It simply requires Carlotta to attack with her Basic Attack to gain the full benefit of this set, so while it is technically the weakest set number-wise, it is still an excellent option for her while farming the new set.

Carlotta is built like any other DPS character, so the ideal Echo setup for her is '43311', which refers to the Echo Costs for all five Echo equipment slots.

• 4-Cost Echo (Crit DMG, Crit Rate)
• 3-Cost Echoes (Glacio DMG Bonus or ATK%)
• 1-Cost Echoes (ATK%)

Best Weapons for Carlotta in Wuthering Waves

As the first five-star Pistol character in Wuthering Waves, Carlotta doesn't have many options for weapons to choose from. In fact, she only has two. The most recommended weapon is, naturally, her signature, The Last Dance. This Pistol gives her unconditional ATK% while significantly buffing her Skill Damage when her Intro Skill or Resonance Liberation (Ultimate) is cast.

The second option is the generic Static Mist, which serves as a solid stat stick for Carlotta thanks to its Crit Rate substat. However, Carlotta is a main DPS character and cannot really take advantage of Static Mist's ally buffing ability in any real way. Also, as a Standard five-star weapon, it will never compete with The Last Dance in any Echo setup, making it always the worst five-star option.

If you do not have The Last Dance or Static Mist, I strongly urge you to reconsider pulling for Carlotta, as there are no viable four-star weapon choices for her, and her performance will greatly suffer if you try to use one.

Best Team Compositions for Carlotta in Wuthering Waves

Carlotta likes to have a lot of field time to perform her combos and stack up her Moldable Crystals, but she isn't required to be glued to it. Thanks to her versatility, she is actually rather flexible with several teammates and is a preferable option for hypercarry and quickswap setups.

Carlotta/Zhezhi/Shorekeeper

This is the premium Carlotta team composition, and it performs extremely well thanks to both Shorekeeper's and Zhezhi's buffing mechanics. Carlotta naturally serves as the hypercarry, but before she takes the stage, you'll want to open with Shorekeeper's Ult into an immediate swap to Zhezhi. Zhezhi then generates her Concerto very quickly and, thus, provides Carlotta with a significant boost in Glacio and Skill damage with very little delay. By the time Carlotta switches in to dish out damage, all buffs should be active, which is ideal for Carlotta's Ultimate, which should be used with Final Bow active.

If you prefer a quicker buff cycle, Shorekeeper can be swapped out with Verina for a similar effect.

Carlotta/Changli/Verina

This is Carlotta's premium quickswap team composition, and it works well thanks to Carlotta's and Changli's longer-than-normal animations during combat. Long animations are a positive for quickswap teams because as long as a character is performing an animation, they will remain on the field and can be swapped back to without losing most buffs. This setup doesn't really use a rotation as much as others, only needing Verina to perform her chores to get her ATK% buff going. Carlotta and Changli then swap between each other's long animation attacks, performing their chores until it is time for them to unleash their big bursty attacks.

If Carlotta has activated her Ultimate while Final Bow is active, do not quickswap during it. If you do, Carlotta will lose the massive 80% damage buff to it, which is not good.

Carlotta/Sanhau/Shorekeeper

This is a strong hypercarry team composition that focuses on the extremely quick Concerto generation of Sanhau to get both Shorekeeper's and Carlotta's buffs up and going ASAP. Sanhau plays the role of sub-DPS buffer here and should be using the Moonlit Clouds set for the additional buffs.

The traditional rotation for this comp is opening with Sanhau via using her Skill/Ultimate, then swapping to Shorekeeper before Sanhau's Concerto is full. From here, Shorekeeper builds her Concerto and uses her Ultimate. With a full Concerto, swap back to Sanhau, who should already have a full Concerto, then immediately swap to Carlotta. Carlotta then remains on the field until it's time to renew her Ultimate buff.

Sanhau does not buff Carlotta in any meaningful way outside of the Moonlit Clouds set, but the Basic Attack buff she does provide is not entirely useless to her; it is just not ideal.

Best Sequences for Carlotta in Wuthering Waves

Carlotta is a decently strong character at S0, and does not require Sequences to clear any of the content in Wuthering Waves. That said, she certainly does benefit considerably from her first few, and you may want to consider going for them, thanks to their effects. Without a doubt, S3 is your best stopping point, but that is not exactly easy to get. If you're interested in knowing what her Sequences do, then here they are, condensed for your clarity.

• Beauty Blazes Brightest Before It Fades (S1) - When hitting a target with the Deconstruction debuff, those hits have an additional 12.5% Crit Rate. When hitting a target with the second portion of her Skill, Carlotta gains 30 additional Forte. Great Sequence that increases her damage a bit while speeding up her rotation speed.
• Fallen Petals Give Life to New Blooms (S2) - More than doubles the damage of her Ultimate (126% Damage Increase). Considering her Ultimate is a large bulk of her damage, it is a strong Sequence to consider.
• Adelante, Cortado, Spinning in Grace (S3) - Carlotta gains a second mechanic to her Outro Skill, allowing her to dish out 1032.18% of her ATK to any enemies hit when she swaps out with a full Concerto. This one has huge potential and is a large buff to her quickswap playstyle. If this wasn't enough, though, it also buffs her entire Resonance Skill damage by 93%. This Sequence gives Carlotta a considerable spike in damage and should be the stopping point if you're investing in her.

• Yesterday's Raindrops Make Finest Wine (S4) - Whenever Carlotta uses any form of her Heavy Attack, she buffs herself and her entire team with 25% Resonance Skill Damage for 30 seconds. This is actually a rather strong Sequence because Resonance Skill Damage buffs are rare in Wuthering Waves. This also helps future-proof her as she can now play a sub-dps role for characters like Jinhsi, who like Resonance Skill Damage.
• Toast to Past, Today, and Every Day to Come (S5) - Buffs her Forte-empowered Heavy Attack by 47%. Decent, but not worth investing in unless you're going straight to the bottom with S6.
• As the Curtain Falls, I Remain What I Am (S6) - Massively buffs the damage of her Ultimate while also enabling it to inflict the Scattering debuff on targets hit. Scattering functions almost exactly like Dispersion, freezing enemies hit for 1.5 seconds. The difference is that the next hit will break Scattering's freeze, but this isn't an issue since all shots of Carlotta's Ultimate will inflict it. Effectively, this ensures that no enemies will be hitting her while it is active. Very strong, very effective.

The post Best Carlotta build in Wuthering Waves – Weapons, Echoes, team compositions, and Sequences appeared first on Destructoid.

It is the Support Gem that makes the Skill in Path of Exile 2, and there is quite a huge variety to choose from. The sheer volume available may be intimidating (and for good reason), but there are some Support Gems that you should absolutely not ignore.

Strongest Support Gems in Path of Exile 2

Support Gems are the backbone of your Skills, and the best ones can turn a good build into an amazing one. Here are the most potent; the ones that ultimately define or unleash a Skill's potential.

Controlled Destruction

With Controlled Destruction equipped on any Spell, it gains 30% increased damage at the cost of causing it to be unable to hit critically. If you're building raw damage, this Support Gem is one of the most powerful thanks to its multiplicative nature. It is best used on Spells with high base damage, but it will still be very strong on any of your main spell-based Skills. Just remember that it's only for Spells. Attacks cannot make use of this one.

Martial Tempo

Any build that uses a Martial Skill/weapon (a Skill/weapon swung or used physically) can make use of Martial Tempo. This powerful Support Gem provides any Skill that it is attached to with a free 25% Attack Speed, which is huge in terms of stats. This means that your slowest Skills can become quite fast when it's equipped. Attack Speed is a major DPS factor, so this Support Gem is a must-have staple in many builds.

Unleash

Unleash can be a game-changing Support Gem for any spell it is linked to thanks to its incredibly potent effect. Without getting into the mud of things, it effectively lets you cast a spell twice with a single cast, with the second spell suffering a large 50% damage decrease. Even so, Unleash is a flat DPS increase as the mana cost for said spell does not change despite it being cast a second time, effectively for free. That all said, Unleash should be on one of main DPS spells, as the damage increase is especially immense in burst-based scenarios.

Considered Casting

If Controlled Destruction wasn't enough Damage for your Spell, then consider Considered Casting instead. Considered Casting provides your Spell a monstrous 40% Damage Boost at the significant cost of 15% Cast Speed. The penalty here is huge and is something you should try to account for before using this Support Gem. If you can find a way to dampen the negative though, then this gem is absolutely insane for your damage.

Inevitable Critical

There are numerous factors that critically hitting a target can trigger, but without enough Critical Hit Chance, you won't be seeing them activate. Enter Inevitable Critical, a Support Gem that grants you 25% Base Critical Strike Chance per second for the Skill it is equipped to, up to a max of 100% Crit. This effectively means that every four seconds, your Skill is guaranteed to land a Crit, which can be incredibly useful on a main DPS ability. Alternatively, you can also use this Support Gem on a Skill that you don't use unless the Critical Strike is stacked to 100%.

Impetus

If your build relies heavily on Energy generation for Meta Skills like Cast on Ignite or Cast on Shock, Impetus is a highly useful Support Gem to consider. Impetus can only be equipped on Meta Skills, as it provides an unconditional 40% increase to its Energy gain.

Primal Armament

Your DPS (Damage per Second) is very important to increase, especially when playing the endgame, and Primal Armament is one of the best in class Support Gems to use for this purpose. When equipped on an Attack-based Skill, it provides an unconditional 25% Damage boost at all times, no strings attached. There are also no negatives associated with Primal Armament, making it one of the most impactful Support Gems for any of your main damage Skills.

Cannibalism

Cannibalism is a potent Support Gem that allows you to recover 4% of your Maximum Life every time you score a kill. This is fantastic for sustain-based playstyles that rely on scoring kills, which is something you'll need to be doing a lot of to survive the endgame. It can only be slotted into Buff-based Skills and has a Spirit Cost associated with using it, so you may have to plan a bit in advance. However, if you can, Cannibalism is an incredible Support Gem to use.

Deadly Poison

For any build making use of Poison-based damage, Deadly Poison is an irreplaceable Support Gem to slot. Equipping it to a Skill dramatically boosts the potency of the Poison in inflicts (75% Magitude) at the cost of 25% less damage with direct hits. This negative is painful, but if your goal is to dish out damage using Poison DoT (Damage over Time), then Deadly Poison is a defining aspect of your build. Make use of it.

Searing Flame

At the cost of 25% of the Supported Skill's damage, Searing Flame compensates with a massive Ignite Magnitude increase of 75%, making this Support Gem a go-to for Ignite-based builds. Magnitude increases for Ailments are not exactly the easiest to come by, so to have such a large increase on a Support Gem makes this one, one you should not ignore.

Elemental Focus

Elemental Focus is another Support Gem that does nothing but increase the damage of the Skill you slot it into. It boosts damage by a sizable 25% and can be stacked with other similar Support Gems like Primal Armament for even greater effect. The only notable downside to using Elemental Focus is that it prevents the Skill it is attached to from inflicting Ailments, which can be problematic if that's your goal.

Mastery Supports

Every single damage type in Path of Exile 2 has a Support Gem dedicated to improving the overall level of the Skill it is attached to by one. If you're unaware, level boosts on Skills provide more benefit than most other mechanics in the game (including other Support Gems), making these Gems extremely important to slot on the Skills most integral to your build/gameplay style. There are no downsides associated with using them, so make sure to do so.

Immolate

Immolate is one of the absolute most potent damage Support Gems in the game. It provides the slotted Skill with 30% Extra Fire Damage against Ignite enemies, which is ridiculous for a Support Gem. That 'Extra' part is especially important because it means that the damage this Gem provides comes after all other damage calculations are completed as a stand-alone modifier to your other damage. In simple terms: it boosts your damage much more than other Support Gems are capable of. 'Extra' damage, in general, is incredibly hard to come by, so for this gem to provide it so easily is insane. If you want to see a significant damage boost, make use of Immolate.

Elemental Exposure Supports

All the elemental forces in Path of Exile 2 have access to an Exposure Support gem that inflicts a debuff on an enemy struck by the skill it is attached to. The debuff reduces the resistance of said type by a considerable amount, allowing you to deal more damage with that elemental against that target. This is highly valuable for stripping the high elemental Resistances common on endgame enemies, letting you deal with them much more easily. What's more, Exposure debuffs stack with Curse debuffs, allowing you to further strip Resistances with ease.

Bloodlust

If you're making use of the Bleed Ailment, then you should consider using Bloodlust Support Gem on your main damaging Skill. Bloodlust provides the Skill it is attached to with a significant 30% Damage boost, at the cost of the ability being unable to inflict the Bleed status. More damage is always a good thing, so use this one if Bleed is your thing.

Vitality

Self-sustainability is more important in Path of Exile 2 when compared to its predecessor thanks to the incredibly punishing endgame. After all, you can't dish out damage when your health pool is at zero. There are many ways to improve your survivability, and vitality is a near-free easy way to do so. It lets you regenerate one percent of your Maximum Health per second. While this will obviously not save you from high amounts of burst damage, it is fantastic for keeping yourself healthy over extended periods. The only real limitation to it is its high Spirit Cost, which can make it difficult to slot in if you're unprepared to do so.

Arcane Tempo

Arcane Tempo functions identically to Martial Tempo in functionality, only it's for Spells instead of Weapon-based Skills. It provides the slotted Spell with 25% increased Cast Speed, making it a considerable DPS increase to use overall Support Gems for your main damage ability. Like Martial Tempo, it comes with no downsides to speak of, making it one of the best Support Gems you can use to boost your overall DPS.

Mobility

Mobility is a strong option as a Support Gem because it allows you to more safely position yourself in combat, without suffering most of the negatives associated with attacking from range in the first place. While the entire movement penalty is not negated with this Support Gem, most of it is, and it is very noticeable against Path of Exile 2's most difficult content.

The post Best Support Gems in Path of Exile 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

When Grinding Gear Games dropped the announcement for Path of Exile 2 (PoE2), it wasn’t just about continuing the series. It was about shaking things up in a big way, making changes that fundamentally alter the way players would engage with the sequel to one of gaming's most impactful ARPGs.

One of the biggest, most defining changes? The approach toward difficulty. From the slower, Souls-like campaign to the highly punishing Endgame, this topic is a firey one for the community. So, let’s talk about it: is the difficulty a bit too much, or is it exactly what the franchise needed to evolve?

Path of Exile 2 - Prepare to Die Edition

If you’ve played the campaign in PoE2, you’ve probably noticed it’s got some serious Souls-like vibes. It’s slower, more deliberate, and really makes you think about how you’re playing. Unlike the original Path of Exile, where you could just speed through and nuke everything in sight, PoE2 wants you to slow down, take your time, and actually strategize.

Boss fights aren't just scaled-up enemies with special names anymore. They’re not just about how much damage you can pump out. You’ve got to watch, learn patterns, and adapt, or else end up a corpse. It’s a breath of fresh air for someone like me who loves a good challenge, and if you enjoy the thrill of mastering tough encounters, you’ll probably love this shift.

The campaign in Path of Exile 1 wasn't exactly memorable for its story, nor was it engaging in combat encounters. The community treated it as a character progression stepping stone for reaching the 'Endgame' as fast as possible. While I do not doubt that this scenario will be a recurrence in Path of Exile 2, at the very least, the slower pacing and more methodical combat will make you think about what you're doing; what you're up against, allowing for the potential for a more memorable experience. It is for this reason that I applaud Grinding Gear Games for taking the gameplay of PoE2 to this juncture.

The High Stakes of Endgame Mapping

Now, let’s talk about the Endgame, where things get really… intense. Mapping in PoE2 isn’t just about clearing enemies. Every run feels like you’re gambling with your progress. You die? You’re losing the map, 10-15% of your XP, and any resources you poured into it. Ouch. Not exactly forgiving, but not totally foreign to those who played the previous title.

And then there are the Waystones. These things are crucial for keeping your mapping progression going, but they’re not exactly plentiful. If you have a bad streak, you can find yourself completely out of maps at your level, which means starting over from scratch. It’s brutal, no doubt about it. Some think its far too much a tax, but I think it's fine... or at least the idea of it is.

Here’s the thing, though: I think this tension is kind of the point. Knowing that every run could make or break your progress adds an edge that PoE1 just didn’t have. When you succeed, it feels amazing. But yeah, the penalties might be a little too harsh right now. Maybe dialing back the XP loss or making Waystones a bit easier to come by would help without totally removing the tension.

That said, I’m on board with the direction Grinding Gear Games is taking. They’re clearly trying to make endgame progression meaningful, and I respect that. It’s better than feeling like nothing’s at stake, right?

A Challenge To Be Sure

So, with everything out in the open, the question remains: is Path of Exile 2 honestly too hard? I don’t think so. The campaign’s slower pacing is a great change of scenery when compared to the near decade of instant-blasting screens in the game's predecessor. The high stakes in mapping also give the game's 'Endgame' a sense of weight, a sense of danger.

Every move you make on the Atlas Map must be deliberate, or else you'll find yourself scrambling for Waystones to progress and not an experience point to your name. Sure, it’s not for everyone, and a few tweaks and balance changes might be needed, but overall, I’m loving the challenge. I love that I have to use my brain beyond just character-building.

That said, I get why some players might feel overwhelmed. If you’re used to the speed and efficiency of Path of Exile 1, or you're new to the franchise entirely, this new methodical pacing and the heavier penalties can feel like a punch in the gut. But here’s the thing: games like this are supposed to push us. When you overcome a brutal boss fight or finally beat a tough map, the sense of accomplishment is unparalleled, even if it doesn't feel like it initially.

I think the real question isn’t whether Path of Exile 2 is too hard, but whether you’re ready to embrace the challenge. For me, the tension and stakes make every victory sweeter. Could it be adjusted a little? Are things a tad overtuned (probably an understatement)? Sure. But do I think the difficulty is fundamentally a problem? Not at all. Grinding Gear Games is walking a fine line between frustrating and rewarding, and while they might need to adjust here and there, they’re really onto something great. Lightning in a Bottle.

If you’re willing to lean into the difficulty and adapt your playstyle, Path of Exile 2 offers a rewarding experience that few games can match. And honestly, isn’t that the point of a game like this? To test your limits and see how far you can go? For me, the answer is clear: bring it on, putrescent warts and all.

The post Is Path of Exile 2 Really Too Difficult? appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the more creepy mutants lurking around Falllout 76’s Appalachia is the Mothman, which inevitably gave rise to a loyal cult. Almost equally unsettling are the clusters of black and red Mothman Eggs that can be found near Cultist settlements. These barnacle-looking ova are hard to miss, given their distinctive color pattern and the fact that they’re always grouped in conspicuous clumps on walls and floors.

Where can Mothman Eggs be found?

Besides a couple of Mothman-adjacent seasonal events in Fallout 76, the critter's eggs can be found in several Cultist encampments, meaning you’ll probably have to fight to get to them.

Clancy Manor

From Vault 76, one of the closest locations to grab Mothman Eggs is Clancy Manor, a two-story building with several Cultists prowling about. This area offers the most Mothman Eggs, which can be found in the central room on the first floor and in the dormitory upstairs. A recipe for Bloodbug Pepper Steak might be in the kitchen; you’ll find nothing on the roof except a few hostiles with guns and perhaps some useful loot.

Crossroad

Crossroad is in the northeast corner of Fallout 76's map, rather out of the way, but there are five bunches of Mothman Eggs in the main structure. Other than that, there’s not much to find here.

Enclave Research Facility (Transmission Station 1AT-U03)

This source is more trouble than it’s worth just to get some Mothman Eggs. To enter the Enclave Research Facility, you must first gain access to Transmission Station 1AT-U03, which sits on top of it. Prior to the release of the Steel Dawn update for Fallout 76, getting inside merely required picking a 0-skill lock. Now, you must progress sufficiently in the story to complete the Enclave questline that begins with “Forging Trust” and ends with “Over and Out.”

But once you’ve done all that and have delved into the depths of the Enclave Research Facility, head to holding cell Z01, where a Mothman was once held. While you’re in there, it’s worth taking the time to read the very interesting lore sprinkled around the facility.

Kanawha County Cemetery

If you’re in the area, the Kanawha County Cemetery is an easy place to grab some Mothman Eggs, though there are only three clusters. A few Cultists are also skulking about. However, if approaching from the north, the eggs can be found in the first little hut with a Mothman statue inside. There’s no need to investigate the rest of the area, though you can find Pastor’s Vestments and a Grognak the Barbarian magazine inside the church.

Moth Home

Moth-Home in Fallout 76 is located in The Mire. If it’s your first time here, you’ll get a warning about toxic fumes and the need for a gas mask. However, Moth-Home is not located in a toxic area. The Mothman Eggs can be found in several clusters on the lower floors, but venturing higher will uncover a Scout’s Life 9 magazine and Suspenders and Slacks apparel.

Point Pleasant

One of the more obvious places to begin your Mothman Egg hunt in Fallout 76 is Point Pleasant, home to the Mothman Museum. Contrary to expectations, however, they won’t be found in any of the buildings. When approaching from the east side of the town, fight your way across the bridge and then skirt around to the left along the water. You’ll find a Mothman shrine, a gaggle of Cultists, and several groupings of eggs. No need to delve further into Point Pleasant if that’s all you’re looking for, though there is some useful loot, a couple of recipes, and a Police Uniform and Hat sprinkled within.

What are Mothman Eggs used for in Fallout 76?

• Complete the daily challenge “Collect Mothman Eggs”
• Complete the daily challenge “Sell Mothman Egg Omelette to an NPC vendor”
• Sell to a vendor for 2 Caps
• Eat raw for

  • A chance to proc the Carnivore mutation, which grants double the benefit from eating meat with no chance of disease, but vegetables are no longer satisfying
  • A chance to gain the following Perks:

    • Good with Salt -Food in your inventory will spoil 30/60/90% slower
    • Iron Stomach – Increased Damage Resistance based on END while not diseased
    • Lead Belly – You take 30/60% less or no radiation from eating or drinking
    • Slow Metabolizer – All food satisfies hunger by an additional 25/50/75%

• Make a Mothman Egg Omelette for +2 CHA for 30 minutes

  • Mothman Egg x1
  • Wood x1

• Make Brain Bombs

  • Brain Fungus x3
  • Mothman Egg x2
  • Purified Water x2
  • Sugar Bombs x3
  • Wood x1

The post Where to find Mothman Eggs in Fallout 76 appeared first on Destructoid.

There are numerous defensive options available to you in Path of Exile 2, with two of the best to focus on being Armour and Evasion. Both stats are competitive, but which one actually edges out between the two?

Is Armour or Evasion better in Path of Exile 2?

While it would be very easy to give you a direct answer to this question, the truth is: Path of Exile 2 is a complex game, and there is no clear-cut answer thanks to the sheer volume of options available to you. There are countless scenarios where Armour is better than Evasion, and Evasion is better than Armour, so rather than directly comparing these two defensive stats, I'll explain their use cases along with their strengths and weaknesses, for your information.

Armour

The value of building for Armour on a character in Path of Eixle 2 is pretty straightforward, though the weaknesses of doing so may not be. Armour is a damage mitigation stat, meaning it directly interfaces and interacts with all other forms of damage mitigation. These refer to additional stats like resistances and physical damage reduction. With higher amounts of Armour, physical damage reduction increases, though it is a separate modifier to your actual damage reduction. Confusing I know, but hear me out without all the mathematical jargon.

When stacking Armour, you value significantly reducing damage taken (specifically burst damage), allowing you to stay in the thick of battle without concern for your own safety. A character with high Armour shrugs off even the most powerful physical blows and can take quite a beating before being put down. Armour is at its highest value when built with high resistance and health, making you extremely tanky and consistent with health loss in a fight.

The downside to building Armour is that it is purely a damage reduction stat, and not an avoidance one. Ideally, you'd flat out never want to take any damage, as no damage taken means no health loss. Characters that focus on Armour, however, sacrifice this aspect to make sure the damage they do take is manageable. They do not care about avoiding it, and this can be a big downside when the damage being dished out is so high that Armour is not enough.

Evasion

In contrast to Armour, Evasion is a very powerful Avoidance stat meant to prevent you from taking damage outright. A character with Evasion built as the focus avoids almost all damage taken by simply dodging it. The more Evasion is stacked, the more powerful the stat becomes, as every point reduces the odds of suffering a blow. If you're not taking damage, you're not using your limited flasks, which is highly beneficial in the endgame of Path of Exile 2. In terms of power, Evasion is stronger than Armour, but with a much larger drawback when compared to it.

Evasion's greatest weakness is the accuracy of your enemies. Even with capped-out Evasion, you can never build a character with so much of the stat that you become untouchable entirely. This is because enemies have an Accuracy stat that is rolled against your Evasion stat in the background; if the enemy's Accuracy wins, you'll suffer a blow, and because you aren't built with Armour, the blow will hurt a lot.

While stacking Evasion, you won't get hit often, but when you do, you'll need to immediately hit your potion button, especially during the endgame. Speaking of which, suffering a blow from an Atlas map enemy could kill you outright without allowing you to recover, so keep this in mind when stacking Evasion.

So, while Evasion is technically better as it prevents damage, this is only the case in a situation where you cannot be hit, which is impossible to achieve. Meanwhile, Armour is the consistent, constant option that you cannot go wrong with.

The post Should you build for Armour or Evasion in Path of Exile 2? appeared first on Destructoid.

Starting off Path of Exile 2 with a Witch can be a rewarding experience assuming you're using the most useful early-game spells. The best ones allow you to rip the life from your foes while your undead engage the enemy head-on.

Strongest Early Game Witch Spells in Path of Exile 2

Despite all classes sharing access to the same passive tree, each one starts at a different location that typically favors their standard playstyle. By choosing the Witch, an Intellect class, you'll begin life around Minion Damage and Mana-related nodes, and using skills that reflect these nodes is ideal.

Skeletal Warrior

Skeletal Warrior is one of the first skills a Witch will have access to, and its usefulness in the early game cannot be understated. Skeletal Warriors have high health pools and can block attacks, making extremely valuable tanks for you while you cast from the backline. What's more, Skeletal Warriors have a naturally higher threat, meaning enemies will more often than not ignore you in favor of your undead minion. You'll need to make use of the Spirit resource to summon Skeletal Warriors, but even having one out near the beginning can be enough for you to get your casts off, uninterrupted.

Essence Drain

Early-game witches are all about undead minions and Chaos Magic, and Essence Drain fits the Chaos department. As a spell, Essence Drain launches a small chaos bolt at whatever you're aiming at. If the bolt connects with an enemy, it will begin to drain life from them, dealing massive Chaos AoE (Area of Effect) damage while it is active. Essence Drain has no inherent cooldown, so it is the perfect go-to spell for any situation where you need to cast offensive magic against the enemy.

Unearth

Despite Witches being all about using minions in the early game, you really don't have enough Spirit to create that undead legion you're probably wondering about. Skeletal minions require significant amounts, and in the early game, you'll only be able to summon one or two. That's where Unearth comes in. This spell lets you summon a hoard of undead scorpions from the corpses of foes it hits. It launches in a cone in front of you, summoning the beasts all at once if several corpses are hit at the same time. While these creatures are quite weak, you can have a hoard of summoned at any given time, making it perfect for supporting you while you cast.

Skeletal Arsonist

In terms of raw DPS, the Skeletal Arsonist is difficult to compete with for an early-game Witch. This minion requires even more Spirit than the Skeletal Warrior, but if you can summon it, you'll get a pet that will dish out high AoE fire damage at a constant rate, allowing for better wave clear.

The true power of the Skeletal Arsonist lies in its special ability to detonate other undead minions under your command. This ability hits extremely hard, and it is a potent tool for a young up-and-coming Witch looking to dish out some death and destruction.

Flame Wall

Just because you're playing a Witch doesn't mean you have to stick to casting Occult spells all the time. Enter Flame Wall, one of the best spells in Path of Exile 2, and it's available early on as well. Flame Wall dishes out significant Fire damage while also applying a guaranteed Ignite to any targets that are foolish enough to walk through it. Even better, if you, or your minions, are using projectiles of any kind, if they pass through your Flame Wall, they'll be buffed up with additional Fire damage. I'm an end-game Witch, and I'm still using Flame Wall as one of my main abilities, so don't underestimate it.

Spark

In terms of raw damage, Spark pretty much outclasses every other early-game spell due to its sheer natural AoE power. Its damage is no joke, and its tiny mana cost makes Spark an incredibly valuable option for any Witch. The Witch's greatest weakness is AoE at the start, so take Spark to make sure that weakness is properly covered.

Contagion

Returning to the Occult spell set, Contagion functions similarly to Essence Drain in that it is a potent DoT (Damage over Time) spell that rots away the enemy. However, unlike Essence Drain, Contagion does much less damage to a single target, but when that target dies, it spreads to all enemies nearby. Every time it spreads, Contagion gets a big damage boost, spreading endlessly until everything in the vicinity is dead or dying. It is a great AoE primer spell for setting up wave clear for the Witch and functions well when combined with Spark.

The post Best Early Game Witch Spells in Path of Exile 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Castlevania is a very personal series for me.

I grew up with the franchise from the very first game's wondrous release, through my utter confusion with Simon's Quest, all the way full circle to the newest iteration of the franchise, Lords of Shadow -- Mirror of Fate.

Symphony of the Night was there for me during one of the toughest times of my childhood. My wife and I bonded over the original Castlevania, and it was one of the first games we ever beat together.

I have a million of these stories, and for good reason. The art of Castlevania is always beautiful, the music is practically unparalleled, and the series itself moved the entire industry forward on a number of occasions.

To celebrate this amazing franchise, here are the five best games that it has to offer.

As a side note, I have been playing Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate as of yesterday. Reviews are all over the place, and personally, I find it to be a serviceable 2D platformer.

No, it's not the classic Castlevania you know and love, but just like Lords of Shadow, it manages to strike a decent compromise and acclimate itself to the genre to the point where most people would have fun with it. There are exploration elements, but they feel limited -- and as a warning, yes, there are some QTEs.

I wouldn't consider it even close to worthy of this list, but then again, these are some of the best games of all time on offer here.

As usual, the following list is in no particular order.

Super Castlevania IV (Super Nintendo - 1991, Virtual Console - 2006)

What Castlevania list would be complete without Super Castlevania?

A revolution at the time, Super brought Castlevania into the new era of 16-bit, with a mind-blowing array of graphical prowess, and an incredible soundtrack to boot. Protagonist Simon Belmont could now whip in eight directions, hold out his whip to utilize a new attack and grapple select hooks. You could also (gasp!) control your character while jumping, and crouch walk.

As a result, players had more control over Simon's actions, creating a more action-oriented feel. In short, it sought to keep the franchise from being antiquated, and it succeeded.

If you haven't played it yet, definitely make time soon to do so -- it still holds up, even if Egoraptor thinks that all of these new freedoms of control result in a less complex game overall.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PlayStation 2, Xbox - 2005)

I love the art direction for Curse of Darkness, to the point where visually, it's probably my favorite in the franchise. Although the level designs weren't always up to par in the first portion of the game, the art and character designs are so beautiful, that they ended up spawning a two volume manga spinoff.

Another reason why I enjoy Curse of Darkness is how original it is, and how Konami managed to keep the game fresh, yet distinctly Castlevania. Instead of yet another Belmont, this game features Hector, a former Devil Forgemaster for Dracula. Hector's quarrel deals with his former friend, Isaac, who murdered his wife.

There's a ton of content here, including a fully explorable castle, tons of items to collect, a complex level system involving familiars, and a fully playable Trevor Belmont. It plays like a mix of Lament of Innocence and Symphony of the Night, which is incredibly unique from a gameplay perspective.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (PC Engine - 1993, Wii Virtual Console - 2010, SNES [remake] - 1995, PSP [remake] - 2007)

The release schedule of Rondo of Blood is a confusing riddle that took me years to decipher. Originally, it was released in 1993 as a Japan-only title for the PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16). It had multiple paths, a super ability that lets you go berserk with sub-weapons, some of the best level design in any Castlevania game, and the ability to play as both Richter Belmont and Maria, his lover's sister. In short, it was hectic, and one of the better games from a pure action standpoint.

Not content with keeping the game in Japan, Konami remade the game on the SNES into the version most Americans are familiar with today -- Dracula X. When Dracula X was released, critics were divided, some calling it a serviceable remake, and others calling it an inferior port. Years later having played the original Rondo of Blood, I tend to agree with the latter sentiment, but Dracula X is still a very playable game if you haven't tackled it already.

Even still, Konami wasn't done with Rondo. Years later, they released Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles [pictured], a 2.5D PSP remake that also included the sequel, Symphony of the Night in one package. Chronicles as a port is closer to the original, and it's a better experience than Dracula X.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Game Boy Advance - 2003)

Choosing a favorite portable Castlevania game is torture. They're pretty much all good in their own way, but one in particular stuck out: Aria of Sorrow.

As weird as it sounds, Soma Cruz is one of my favorite protagonists in the franchise, mostly because of how crazy he is conceptually. I mean, a teenage reincarnation of Dracula? How much wackier can you get?

Gameplay-wise, it plays out pretty much like Symphony of the Night. There's a fully explorable open world, an experience system -- the whole shebang. Hell, even the life meter looks 1:1 like Symphony of the Night.

But it's the tactical soul system that sets it apart. Soma is one of the more unique heroes in that he can absorb the souls of his fallen foes to gain new abilities (think Blue Mages in Final Fantasy). You could trade these souls through a Game Boy Advance link cable, and collecting them was as addicting as Pokémon.

Also, an optional New Game+ Mode is never a bad thing, nor is an additional Hard Mode, Boss Rush, or a mode in which you can play as Julius Belmont. As a spiritual successor to Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow delivers.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PlayStation - 1997, PSN - 2007, Sega Saturn - 1998, Xbox Live Arcade - 2007)

I know I said this wasn't in any particular order, but I can't resist making the following statement: Symphony of the Night is easily my favorite Castlevania game ever. Full stop.

It has one of the best soundtracks of all time, incredible level design, and one of the most classic twists in all of gaming. Alucard is also one of the most enjoyable videogame protagonists I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. He's incredibly versatile, fun to play, and an all-around badass.

From start to finish, Symphony of the Night reminded me why I even like playing games in the first place. Everything wasn't painfully obvious and the difficulty was at just the right setting, to the point where it took actual effort to persevere. When everything was said and done, you felt like you actually accomplished something, rather than feel like the developer held your hand through the entire experience.

To have such an Earth-shattering revelation as an entire second castle that's different enough, yet familiar, after you obtained a secret ending that essentially doubled your game length, was mind-blowing. I've been enamored by a lot of 2D platformers over the years, but it's distinctly possible that none of them have captured my attention as well as Symphony of the Night.

It's that good.

Best Castlevania Games Honourable Mentions

There were so many Castlevania games over the years that coming up with 5 was pretty difficult. For that reason, I do want to show a little love to some of the games that didn't make the list but were somehow still crucial in this franchise's journey.

Castlevania Bloodlines (SEGA Genesis - 1994)

I remember when the Sega Genesis reached our shores. Everyone in my neighborhood thought it was the next best thing, and every kid begged to have their NES replaced stat. And while a large part of that was because of Sonic's exploits, Bloodlines is what sold it for me.

Castlevania (Famicom - 1986; NES - 1987)

If this one didn't exist, this list wouldn't exist, so it really does deserve a spot somewhere. The original Castlevania was great when it launched, playing into the popular platformer genre of the time. It's not all that playable these days unless you're after some simple nostalgia.

So while it's no longer "good enough" to make a top-five list, it still stands as the grandfather of this entire franchise.

Castlevania III Dracula's Curse (NES - 1989)

Where are the days when we could get a brand new entry to a franchise every year? On second thought, maybe those days are better left in the past.

While Castlevania II Simon's Quest began to change the way platformers were viewed, it wasn't until Castlevania III that the non-linearity started to click into place. Being able to branch off and "follow your own path" made this an interesting title at the time. It had its flaws, for sure, but it was the innovation in those early years that earns it an honorable mention.

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Using Cast On Gems successfully in Path of Exile 2 can be a very confusing task due to sure complexity of the systems surrounding them. Still, if you want to use them like a pro for some devastating effects, here's everything you need to know about them.

What are Cast On Gems in Path of Exile 2?

Cast On Gems are Meta Gems that allow you to utilize a Cause and Effect clause to cast spells without needing to use them on your skill bar. When used well, they are extremely powerful, allowing for some absolutely insane combinations that will no doubt be a power spike. To actually use them though, you need to be aware of two additional mechanics that use them: Energy and Spirit.

Energy

Energy is a Meta-gem only resource that exists to be the sole mitigator of Cast On spellcasting. The way it works is directly tied to these gems. Most Cast On skills require Energy to actually trigger. Energy is built up by making use of the Cast On Gem's mechanic you're trying to use. To make use of Cast on Ignite, for example, you must first Ignite enemies enough times to reach the Energy cap. Once done, the next Ignite will trigger the spells attached to Cast On Ignite. More on this later.

Spirit

Spirit is primarily a resource for summons and buffs, and while Cast On gems are not your standard buff, they do count, and thus, make use of this resource. Like all buffs in Path of Exile 2, Cast On require a certain amount of Spirit and must be toggled on to function. When done so successfully, you will see a buff icon of the Cast On effect at the top left corner of your screen. If you don't have enough Spirit, you cannot use a Cast On skill.

How to cast a Cast On Skill in Path of Exile 2

With the fundamentals out of the way, it's time to actually make use of them. Before we start, the first thing you're going to want to do is choose which Cast On you're going to use. There are numerous types of Cast On gems you can incorporate into your build, so make sure you're picking one that meshes well. Cast on Ignite is a solid choice if you're playing a Fire Sorcerer, as an example.

Once you've selected a Cast On to use, drag it to an open slot in your Skill Page. It can be placed in any open Skill slot like any other skill.

Next, select a spell you wish to be triggered from the Cast On. Not every spell works on Cast On gems, but many do, so you have a ton of choices. You can input as many spells as you wish into the Cast On, so long as you have the space. However, this does come with a big caveat.

Slotting spells into a Cast On gem does not mean the spell is free. It will still cost the exact cost of the spell, whether you're casting it directly or it's being triggered by a Cast on effect. Because of this, you'll want to be careful which spells you want to be triggered. Throwing in a costly spell like Comet may run you dry quicker than you'd think since you have no direct control over it once it is in a Cast On.

What's more, you won't be able to use your Cast On skill if the slots on it are not full. I'm not sure why this is the case; there is a very real chance this will change. Even, so, if you have multiple spells slotted, all of them will retain their normal cost, including Spirit, so using them all together in a Cast On may not be feasible. Much of this depends on your build, but keep this in mind.

You also need to be aware of how much Cast Time your slotted spells have collectively. The amount of energy required to invoke a Cast On effect depends on this Cast Time, with longer casts making the Cast On require more Energy to cap. It also depends on the enemies you're attacking, as enemies have 'Enemy Levels' that determine Energy Build-up for Cast Ons.

Not all Cast On gems build Energy in the same way, and this is especially true for abstract ones such as Cast on Dodge (which basically requires you to Dodge Roll a lot to trigger effects).

The final step is to build the Energy necessary for your Cast On. If you're using Cast On Shock, then you need to Shock enemies enough to trigger it. The same can be said about Cast On Ignite and so forth. Once you have enough Energy, trigger the Cast On criteria once more to invoke the spells attached to it.

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Your Ascendancy defines your build and playstyle more than your starting class does in Path of Exile 2. You can only get eight points toward it, with the first four coming just from completing both trials, but how can you get more beyond that?

How to earn more Ascendancy Skill Points in Path of Exile 2

To earn your first four Ascendancy Points, all you needed to do was complete one full round of the Trial of Sekhamas and the Trial of Chaos. This was likely done during the first playthrough of your campaign, and each one rewarded you with two points, giving you a solid foothold in your Ascendancy progression.

The final four points, however, are a bit more elusive and demand a greater level of effort to get. They’re not handed out easily, but with some persistence, a bit of strategy, and a lot of determination, you’ll be able to unlock your full potential and take your power to the next level. Here's how you can earn them.

How to get your fifth and sixth Ascendancy Skill Points

To get your fifth and sixth points, you'll need to complete a much more difficult version of the Trial of Sekhamas, specifically one started using a level 65 or higher Djinn Coin. This is where the luck part of the equation begins because to get one of these coins, you must kill enemies within level 65 or higher areas. This can be any area in the game, so long as it is level 65. The coin is a fairly rare drop, so you'll need to get farming to get one within a reasonable amount of time.

Once you've got a coin, you've reached the hard part. You need to complete three entire rounds of the Trial of Sekhamas to earn your next two points. This means braving the Honour system through waves of enemies, traps, and bosses. Your only salvation is that there will be constant Honour refills along the way, but make no mistake that this is difficult. I highly recommend you run this solo because it is much harder to finish with a party.

If you manage to pull this feat off, when you reach the end, interact with the Ascendancy statue to receive your points.

How to get your Seventh and Eighth Ascendancy Skill Points

For the last two points in your Ascendancy, you will need to the Trialmaster in the Trial of Chaos. To enter this trial, you will need to obtain a level 75 or higher Inscribed Ultimatum from a level 75 area. Like the previous trial coin, Inscribed Ultimatums are a random drop with an average drop rate, but you're going to need it to undertake this trial.

Reaching the Trialmaster means enduring some of the brutal debuffs in the game because you will need to go through 10 areas within the trial. Then, you have to defeat him on that same run. Let me tell you: the Trialmaster is far from an easy boss, and like before, I highly advise soloing him due to the effects of group scaling.

The coins for both trials are finite. You get one chance per coin toward completion of these trials, and if you fail, you will need to farm up another. This is likely the biggest pain point, so before you enter a trial and use up a coin, be certain you're prepared for the long haul.

The post How to get more Ascendancy Points in Path of Exile 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Regardless of whether you prefer to run the Ascendancy Trial of Sekhemas or the Ascendancy Trial of Chaos in Path of Exile 2, you're going to need special coins to participate in them beyond the first successful run. Here's how you can get more, and the caveats behind the process.

How to get Trial Coins in Path of Exile 2

The Trial of Sekhamas (Act 2) and the Trial of Chaos (Act 3) are both trials that require their own respective coin to enter. These coins are similar to the ones you used to go through each trial for the first time. The first one was given for free, but to enter either of these trials more, you will need to get your own. Fortunately and unfortunately, getting these coins is a very simple task, but they are quite rare.

Trial of Sekhamas

The coin for the Trial of Sekhamas is called a Djinn and refers to the lore requirement of needing a Djinn's essence to enter the trial. Thankfully, you won't need to go through a boss fight every time you want to obtain one. However, getting your hands on a Djinn coin is difficult because it is a random world drop, meaning they won't be falling into your lap.

It is unclear where the best location is to farm these coins, but playing the Endgame of Path of Exile 2 tends to yield more of them in general.

Trial of Chaos

The coin for the Trial of Chaos is called an Inscribed Ultimatum, and it refers directly to the Vaal lore reasoning for appeasing the Trialmaster. The first one is obtained from a boss encounter near the trial location, but like with the Trial of Sekhamas, you won't need to fight one every time you want the coin. Sadly, also like the Trial of Sekhamas, Inscribed Utlimantums are a random world drop, so getting them will not be easy.

The Endgame of Path of Exile 2 is the best source for obtaining Inscribed Ultimatums, but if you're not quite there just yet, then you can try farming unique bosses in Act 3. There's no guarantee at all that the drop rate is higher, but unique bosses tend to have better drop tables than regular enemies, so it's worth the shot.

Due to how rare both these coins are, I highly recommend you use them with a group you are familiar with. Only the group leader in a party needs to insert a coin for each respective trial, so there is a level of efficiency that can be achieved if you're playing with a team. Nevertheless, if you're more of a solo player, feel free to use them as you see fit.

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One of the biggest power spikes you can have in Path of Exile 2 occurs when you properly equip your skills with potent Support Gems. At the start, you're limited to only two per skill, but it is possible to get more as you play through the game.

So here's how to get more Support Gem Sockets in Path of Exile 2.

How to earn Support Gem Sockets in Path of Exile 2

Support Gems are special gems that can only be slotted into one of your equipped skills. They allow you to customize your skills, allowing for crazy and wacky setups that are actually quite potent when tested. You'll want to kit out your favorite skills that define your build, but access to only two slots makes that difficult.

To get Support Gem Sockets, all you need to do is get lucky. Not kidding. A special currency called a Jeweler Orb can drop from any enemy you encounter. When used on a skill, it permanently unlocks an additional support socket for that skill only. You cannot undo this action, so think carefully before using one. Jeweler Orbs are not exactly common.

Depending on where you are in your socket progression, you will need to use either a Lesser Jeweler Orb or a Greater Jeweler Orb. Lesser orbs are for skills stuck at two slots, while Greaters are beyond that point. You'll start seeing Jeweler Orbs drop minimally starting in Act 3, and increasing in commonality as you progress (they are never 'common', however).

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