Hunters, Tide of Desolation starts today! A new event means more rewards, an eerie new story to unlock, a new set of Pacts, and a new Wildcard Condition to explore. Ash Bloom will be taking over the bayou with its paranormal fog, challenging even the most seasoned Hunters. The featured Pacts for this event include a number of exciting Traits, each of which offer new ways to play and strategize on the Hunt. And finally, you can slash your way through the bayou with a killer new weapon, the much-anticipated Katana!
The event starts today—December 13th, 2023—and will run all the way through February 14th, 2024.
New Wildcard Condition: Ash Bloom
Ash Bloom is our brand-new Wildcard Condition for Tide of Desolation, offering yet another exciting new way to experience Hunt. Flurries of ash drifting up from the Land of the Dead will combine with blankets of fog to take over the bayou, transitioning between light and heavy phases where visibility will vary. Make sure to watch out for animals—they will all be in a high state of alert, and caged dogs will bark throughout the heavy phase of Ash Bloom.
Pacts
Tide of Desolation features three Pacts: The Demented Pact, The Drowned Pact, and The Grounded Pact. Each Pact offers players different advantages, which they can choose depending on their playstyle. Let's take a closer look at the details, broken down per Pact!
The Demented Pact
The banishing of the Murmurstone has thrown the Demented Pact into disarray. Their new leader, The Cowl, rallies their cult into an unstoppable swarm. They seek the Graven Path that leads to the Targets they revere.
Pledging to this Pact will make the following Traits available to you:
Berserker Trait (1 Pledge Mark) - All melee attacks will do double damage.
Rampage Trait (2 Pledge Marks) - Killing an enemy Hunter while at least one Health Chunk is empty will trigger a Restoration for your Hunter. (Rampage is a Burn Trait that can be stacked up to 3 times.)
The Drowned Pact
Unleashed from the Land of the Dead, The Drowned Pact roams the bayou. They are plagued with bloat and the curses of sunken ships. Each Drowned struggles to save their fate from sinking once more.
Pledging to this Pact will make the following Traits available to you:
Mariner (1 Pledge Mark) - Health and Stamina regeneration is greatly increased while in water and marginally increased while exposed to heavy rain.
Remedy (2 Pledge Marks) - Using Dark Sight, interact with a Trait Spur to Trigger a Restoration effect similar to banishing for your team's Hunters. (Remedy is a Burn Trait that can be stacked up to 3 times.)
The Grounded Pact
The Grounded Pact fights harder than ever to save the bayou from being devoured. As new forces vie for power, the Daughter of Decay leads the Grounded in search of the source of Desolation and what it feeds.
Pledging to this Pact will make the following Traits available to you:
Shadow Leap (1 Pledge Mark) - Using Dark Sight, channel a monster within range to jump to its location and kill it instantly. Excludes Targets.
Final Gasp (2 Pledge Marks) – Looting a Hunter while at least one Health Chunk is empty or missing triggers a Restoration for your Hunter. (Final Gasp is a Burn Trait that can be stacked up to 3 times.)
Note: Event Traits are only available during the event. Once the event is finished, they will be removed.
Pledge Marks
A maximum of 3 Pledge Marks can be gained per Mission, with each Hunter being able to hold up to 4 total. They are tied to each Hunter and are brought out when extracting. They are not physically carried by Hunters, and therefore cannot be directly taken from others. Your current amount of Pledge Marks gained can be viewed in Mission and in Roster.
Sources of Pledge Marks
Each time a Pledge Mark is gained, it will also be rewarded across the team. All three sources can only be gained once per Mission. The sources are listed below:
- Reaching the Event Point (EP) Threshold –Gaining 30 EPs for the first time will reward 1 Pledge Mark.
- Looting your first Hunter—Only the first Hunter looted will give 1 Pledge Mark, with all loots afterward only giving EPs.
- Banishing your first Boss Target or Wild Target—Only the first Banish will give 1 Pledge Mark. Banishing the second Target will only give EPs.
Event Points
By earning Event Points (EPs,) you progress through the event and unlock valuable and time-limited rewards. Event Points can be earned both inside and outside of Missions from the following sources:
- Interacting with an Event Clue or Rift – 10 EPs
- Banishing a Boss or Wild Target - 12 EPs
- Extracting a Bounty Token - 30 EPs
- Interacting with an Altar - 6 EPs
- Destroying an Altar – 3 EPs
- Looting an enemy Hunter – 12 EPs
- Becoming the “Soul Survivor" - 30 EPs
- Dark Tribute – 200 EPs (1st milestone, daily)
- Challenges – EPs vary
Spine Altars
Spine Altars are the event objects spawned in the world for Tide of Desolation. Like previous events, these objects can reward Hunters with Event Points. Active interaction with Spine Altars will give the most Event Points and is also the quietest method. However, they can also be destroyed, in exchange for less points. This results in an explosion which, after a short fuse time, deals moderate damage to nearby Hunters and causes bleeding.
Altars will glow red and produce a sound in the same manner as a Clue, while both you and enemy Hunters or Beetles are nearby. The detection range is also the same as a Clue.
Rewards:
New Legendary Hunter: The Beekeeper
Third in a generational line of apiarists, but the first to develop forbidden, esoteric practices. Her devoted mania saved her brood from the tar seeping into their nectar, but no known witchcraft can reclaim a daughter's lost love.
You can unlock this Legendary Hunter via the free Battle Pass path.
New Weapon: Katana
Introducing the Katana, a two-handed sword refined over hundreds of years to slice and pierce even the sturdiest of armor, making human flesh effortless to rend. If you equip it with the new Martialist Trait, you'll also be able to unlock a special melee attack which deals increased damage to those who dare to fight you.
You can unlock the Katana via the free Battle Pass, but you can also acquire a Legendary Skin for it, Ancestor's Wrath, via the Battle Pass Bundle.
New Weapon: Caldwell Pax Trueshot
This iconic single-action six round revolver makes its way into the bayou and comes with an extended barrel that increases muzzle velocity. Robust, powerful and accurate, you'll be wanting to equip your Hunters with this Legendary weapon. You can unlock this via the free Battle Pass, with a Legendary Skin, Last Line, available via the Battle Pass Bundle.
New Weapon Variants: Dolch 96 Claw & Dolch 96 Deadeye
The Dolch 96 Claw is a semi-automatic pistol with a robust hooked blade which is great for hand-to-hand combat. The Dolch 96 Claw is able to be used for dual wielding. Another variant is the Dolch 96 Deadeye, which has a short scope that allows you to fully utilize the weapon's power at mid-range. The Dolch 96 Deadeye can also be used for dual wielding.
New Weapon Variants: Drilling Hatchet & Drilling Handcannon
The Drilling Hatchet is a powerful multipurpose weapon that comes with two medium rifle barrels, a shotgun underbarrel, and a large axe blade. Enemy Hunters should keep their distance from this one!
The Drilling Handcannon also comes with the signature two medium rifle barrels and a shotgun underbarrel, with all three barrels shortened to make a smaller, more compact package.
Note: While some of the new weapons being added are highlighted above, you can get the full detailed list of what's new by visiting our patch notes here. Other updates coming with the event include new Custom Ammo for the Dolch, the new Martialist Trait, new controller behavior, and more!
Good Luck, Hunter
Will you strategize your way to victory in the throes of Ash Bloom, or will you get lost in the fog? Which Pacts will you pledge your Hunters to? Head into the bayou and discover what Tide of Desolation has to offer today!