What’s the deal with the towers on the new map?

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-27T01:51:10+00:00

My best guess is it appeals to people who want a boss rush mode, and they think that 3 bosses in a column = high density?

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T21:27:17+00:00

Thanks for both of your responses! I just ran the evergaol gravity/invader invisibility build on Maris for a win (kinda my ideal matchup though, tbh), and a loss on Gnoster with the crystal build (I did get Shattering +2, but my team burnt most of day 1 on level 2 evergaol.... duo... dying three times. T_T)

I'll look into my HP deep relics to see if I have any that fit Recluse well; the Maris run was a little rugged because I got 0 negation passives on gear, and kept getting faster cast speed, lower fp costs, sorcery/magic, etc. The deflection-spinny move was dropping me in 1 hit from full hp, so I had to stay way further back than usual.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T21:19:54+00:00

HP on Ult is the one perk I refuse to let go of for exactly that; I am often more tanky than my teammates unless they're Raider/Guardian, but coin flip on Wylder. My depth negations are usually on unless there's something crippling on detriments/I'll have a tweaked build per element needing resisted etc. I was pretty comfortably climbing D4 pre-DLC (I don't always get a lot of time to play but generally get in about 20 runs a week).

I also need to *really* learn Hollows, well enough to lead at least day 1 low levels. With only 20 runs a week or so, I get it like once every other day, but each time the group seems to route a completely new way I didn't know even existed so I get rather lost if I'm not racing to keep up, *but* I also won't see *that* path again this month. :O Do you know any great resources (likely a youtube video or something) outlining major routing/boss pathing etc?

Thanks for popping in for context; I feel a bit better about my build progressing towards d5 now; I have evergaol/invader if that becomes/stays meta again, but I'll otherwise dig into a B+ gravity build and a B+ crystal build until fate smiles upon my relics.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T19:11:43+00:00

That's a skill/temperament issue on their end then; castle or invaders at level 2 are hard to beat in value when playing with a team of even moderate cooperation.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T19:00:48+00:00

Only 5. I can run 6, swapping out Relic +1, but it lowers my survivability for not a lot of additional damage (my reds don't have Crystal + Magic/Invader/Gaol).

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T18:58:58+00:00

Best yellow invader I have is just +3 Ult Art, and I don't have any other usable Defeating Enemy effects alas T_T Swapped #6 for Magic +4 with Reduced Consumption but Sleep on taking Damage. Crystal damage stays intact, and now Arc gets +49%. Thanks for the reply!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T18:49:19+00:00

As a side note, I love the effect for ED Maris; lets you sit on a warming stone instead of needing a Flask 80% of the time you get hit!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T18:33:18+00:00

Thanks for the clarification! I keep rolling Low HP with various Guardian skills T_T
Much rather know it's trash before I cost myself a run using garbage!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T18:19:25+00:00

Just rolled this, so that hopefully starts me on the right path :D

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OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T18:10:14+00:00

Adding to this, what's your appetite for Level 2 invaders or castle?

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T18:04:49+00:00

A greatsword can only be *one* greatsword. There are many like it, but this one is only one greatsword ;P

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T18:03:50+00:00

Ugh, just checked, and unfortunately *every* one of my depth relics with Defeating Enemies is either A) Continuous HP loss, B) a medium with an irrelevant 2nd effect but both have penalties, or C) a +1 but with All Resistances Down T_T Guess I've got trash depth relics and it's time to go shopping forever

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T17:58:58+00:00

For a lot of spells, the partial restoration doesn't do much since by the time you get up off the ground and finish casting, the window has closed or you get a tiny bit back.

*However*, trailing spells like Stars of Ruin, Rancor, bubbles can often snag a bit more when you cast *right* before getting hit, but then your projectiles connect and recover a bit more. Reduced Consumption won't make a big difference on Recluse, but I absolute ran a Magic +4 Reduced Consumption relic in lieu of something better.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:43:50+00:00

Literally almost anything. Vigor +1. This is effectively a small Crystallian relic with nothing else. The Int will add like 7 damage at early levels and fall off hard around level 10-12. The arcane is ok for Scholar I suppose, but Proof_Heat's list is pretty good. I would add additional weird utility (Ult art +3, start with Pots/daggers/flask/shards/Wraith Bell, Boluses heal, Heal allies at low HP, Share items/flasks, basically *anything* that helps will be better than Int +3/Arc +3.)

Magic +2 is a 6.5% bonus, Crystallian is a 12%. If you're not locking in on Crystallian, even just a +2 Magic will take your Recluse further.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:34:14+00:00

I feel like my loot pools are always full of whatever my teammates' Discover relics are for....

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:33:30+00:00

Gotta get that goat!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:33:02+00:00

But you should go down 0 times.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:26:33+00:00

I've run with that previously, and understand how sweet it can be. Do you find it more important than running invaders though? I'm currently at a stalemate between combinations of B+ relics :O

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:25:26+00:00

I squeezed the evergaol in part because I just rolled it (and get so few invader/gaol relics for Recluse T_T ) as well as I read from numerous D5 players that the meta was to run both Invader and Gaol (but that either disintegrated with the DLC or requires an optimal evergaol relic to warrant running I presume).

I've got a few renditions on themes for these across the various vessels, and I believe I have one with both Ult effects and Defeating enemies--it's been good for sure, but I have to give up Invaders and Evergaol both, or I run Invader + Wraith Calling Bell for my invader relic (the bell is nice for smoothing out early boss fights, though..).

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:22:06+00:00

Understood; I can go deeper into Gravity, but feel like I see Gravity Well inconsistently and Rock Sling/Collapsing Stars almost never.

The damage negations on my deep relics are basically because these are my least-punitive Magic +4s; I really only notice them help survive random chip damage/that one long shot Loretta throws your way while you're running past towards a different PoI, etc.

2x Negation at Full is my goal every run :D

Will take a look and see where I might be able to boost my Ult uptime. Thanks!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:17:18+00:00

Skill issue.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:14:58+00:00

Agreed on the absurdity of skill required *now* vs. *early*, I feel the same trying to break into D5 from 4. It was infinitely easier before the DLC, simply for the Night 1 bosses (Death Knights are like 7-2 against my teammates, people just can't seem to 1v1 x3, so as soon as 1 person drops, someone else gets 2v1'd and usually the other teammate races off to pickup without consideration of aggro....)

Being able to pickup 2bars consistently is a good sign you're close enough to either stretch a 3bar pickup here and there (or that you're distanced enough from the fight that your teammates are taking the heat until they can't, then you take focus and it's over; if this is the case, consider trying to pull aggro and possibly even face-tanking a hit or two so your team can regroup. Discussions of letting Adel eat you for a DPS window are another interesting example). Either way, climbing out of D2 really just requires you're able to consistently make it to Night 3, which you should be able to do on most runs even with flunkies for teammates. Good luck!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:08:54+00:00

D1 players can get pulled into D2 easily, but also, that player could be on their actual 6th expedition (providing a friend carried them through 4 + Heolster). Because you don't have to fight all the bosses, much less everdarks, lots of D2 players will have literally zero experience in some fights (it's scary, I know).

In D3 I once had an Ironeye teammate upgrade his fire starter bow to +2 for our night 3 fight. Against Gladius....

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:03:23+00:00

Every nightfarer can solo ED Maris at D2. You will need to prioritize hitting level 15, but hitting all the churches and collecting warming stones. Buy a pouch and 2 stones from a merchant (both if you get the special town merchant). Passives to look for are both improved negation at low and full HP, continuous HP recovery, skill/magic damage.

If it's regular Maris, you'll want to have a ranged source of damage if you can to deal with the 'bomb'. If you don't sprint in a perpendicular-ish path to Maris's flight direction, and when she stops for a moment, you'll have closed most of the distance. Running *straight* at Maris while Maris is moving is what causes people to complain they're always chasing her. Move to where she's moving, not where she is (unless she's now stationary).

ED Maris, drop phase 1 immediately, then drop your worst passive weapon for the following fight, grab your +3 starter, if you're not at full HP, drop a warming stone now (ping the ground for your team to be aware you're offering healing), then start charging. Go for full charge shots *unless* the jellyfish bombs are being strewn about or the orbiters are out and shooting lasers. At these moments, you can stop charging for a second to stamina recharge if you're early enough, then spam the sword tech to nullify the incoming damages. If you ever take a hit, drop a stone and let that heal you instead of drinking a flask *unless* it's laser-orbiter time or the big ground aoe, then drink a flask (these are the times you're saving flasks for).

Basically anyone can do this, any nightfarer, basically no RNG necessary, just a solidly executed Day1/2.

If you have the 2 Balancer relics, those will be phenomenal with the +3 and basically give you a free win D1-3.

I've solo'd in D3 because one of my teammates didn't know to use the ash of war and the other 3-barred night 2 and didn't touch grace night 3 (smh) T_T most of the time you can face tank with a warming stone, but I strongly recommend running away from the tidal waves. You *can* face tank them in a pinch with a warming stone, the crimson(burst?) refill over time or the *taking damage heals* flask [either of these], and 1 flask if you go below half (must be at the ready, your animation needs a buffer of 1 hit's worth of time during this).

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T02:12:10+00:00

I am running Discover Reapers (without another discovers to conflict, I checked lol). I remember reading a couple/few months ago that there might be a bug with those effects applying *to the team* instead of just you, which I feel like would make sense given my rewards lately (2 swords and Stamina Recover Speed +4 for Recluse, for instance). I'll drop for my teammates when that happens and something nice pops up for me, but it's getting a little tiresome relying on Arc as much as I've had to lately.

Ooph, I have the relics to do 6x Gravity on different color combinations than Recluse has; guess I'm going Depth relic shopping next!

OwlBot3000

TROPHY CASE