Hello, Raiders!

This December promises to be generous indeed, and it will introduce one of the biggest RAID features to date. The new Grim Forest game mode will entirely dominate Update 11.00 and our Update Highlights, but we also have a few QoLs on top of this massive new challenge.

Let’s take a closer look at what the RAID Team has in store!

Grim Forest

Grim Forest is a new game mode available to players of Level 55 and above. It’s designed with various complex mechanics, and we can’t cover them all in the Highlights article - expect a dedicated Feature Guide video and a variety of Content Creator guides to match.

Your Champions will brave the so-called Gloom Lands, a cursed wilderness filled with peril of every imaginable kind, and fight for their very lives as well as whatever treasure they can find. This game mode features an immense map of interconnected Stages, seven unique Bosses, two Difficulties, and more.

Like the Doom Tower or the Cursed City, Grim Forest will work on a monthly rotation: once the time is up, all progress gets wiped, and you begin the journey anew. However, unlike those two modes, the Grim Forest map will not stay the same - each rotation will bring about changes as Stages shift and adjust their position. Furthermore, the maps on Normal and Hard Difficulties will differ as well.

Team Decks

At the beginning of each rotation, you’ll need to gather a Squad of Champions who will brave the malign gloom. Each Squad consists of two Team Decks: 10 Champions per Deck on Normal Mode, 20 Champions per Deck on Hard Mode. You can pick the same Champions for your Squad on both Difficulties, but once they are locked in, the Decks cannot be changed without a special item obtainable during gameplay.

When you enter a Grim Forest Battle, the game will choose a set number of Champions from both Decks, and you’ll only be able to build a Team from that selection. The exact number of Champions depends on the game mode Difficulty, and how hard the Stage in question is.

You’ll have two daily Redraw Tokens that allow you to reshuffle the Champion selection. This number can be increased up to four if you locate dedicated Altars on the map. 

Grim Forest Map

Your Champions always begin their journey in the Old Camp. However, as mentioned earlier, the paths and Stages around them will differ from one rotation to the next. Most of the map is concealed by an unnatural fog that only retreats when you clear a Stage, and even then, it only reveals the immediate vicinity. But you do see the location of other Stages on the map, even if their contents remain unknown until you approach.

To advance, you must spend Distorted Energy - a specific Grim Forest resource required to take various actions on the map. You’ll receive 30 Distorted Energy each day, shared across both difficulties, and there are no refills. Keep in mind that leftover Distorted Energy does not carry over to the next day, so you either use it or lose it.

The Stages scattered across the map can be separated into several types. Empty Stages might be exactly as they appear (but will still consume Distorted Energy to clear), or they might hide an enemy ambush. At other times, they will contain reward Chests or Grim Charms. The latter are essential - gathering 15 Grim Charms over the Gloom Lands will unlock a Treasure Hunt Chest that yields some of the best loot in this game mode.

Other Stages will involve a battle of some kind: waves of enemies, a Boss-tier Champion, or a Mythical foe that might be guarding a Grim Crown. You’ll have to gather 3 Crowns to unlock the final Grim Forest Boss.

You can also find Grim Chests during exploration - opening them yields a variety of rewards, but beware the Mimic! This ravenous monster conceals its true nature until the time to strike is nigh, and will try to devour any Champions foolish enough to fall for its lure. Still, Mimics do gobble up valuables that can be looted after the monster is dead.

Other than Grim Chests, you’ll also find Curio Chests. These contain Curios, as the name suggests, which we’ll cover later in the article.

Finally, there are Altars that you can seek out and consecrate. Five Curio Altars unlock new Curio Slots, two Redraw Altars increase the number of Daily Redraw Tokens you have in this rotation, and the Aid Altar will let you draw an additional Champion whenever you are about to enter Battle.

Phrygius the Trovemaster & Vendor

You may come across Phrygius the Trovemaster while traversing the Gloom Lands. This perfidious thief has killed and robbed countless treasure hunters, and will certainly try to do your Champions harm as well. He is, however, a coward and will run off after a set number of battle turns.

Your job is to deal as much damage as possible: the more you dish out, the higher milestone you reach, and the more Grim Gold and Grim Coins you get at the end of each encounter. These can be spent at the Vendor: Coins can buy resources such as more Curios, or a Squad Reshuffle item that allows you to replace up to 5 Champions in your Squad. Grim Gold, on the other hand, can be used to purchase Chests that contain Mercurial Gear and other goodies.

You can also earn Grim Coins and Grim Gold by completing Quests in this game mode, completing Battles, and looting Grim Chests.

Leshun the Entangled One

Once you have secured 3 Grim Crowns, you can take on the final Boss of this game mode - Leshun the Entangled One. But rushing straight to this fight may be unwise as Leshun calls upon four minions to aid him: Isheth the Crimson Siren, Maximoz the Weeping Blade, Tauraze the Bestial Flame, and Draugnell the Eternal Gatherer. Facing all 5 Bosses at once will be quite the challenge, but you can make your life easier if you hunt down each of Leshun’s minions on the map and defeat them separately. Any minion Boss you take out like that won’t show up for the final fight.

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Squad Profile & Curios

Though you will face many challenges in the Grim Forest mode, we have various mechanics to help you survive and prevail.

Firstly, each victory and opened Chest will reward you with XP that increases your Squad Progress Level. In turn, each new Level unlocks a selection of Trait Cards - boons that increase your Champions’ Stats. Although these only apply to Grim Forest Battles, the Stat boost will help you deal with the many formidable enemies that lurk in the mist.

Curios are another mechanic that will be of use. These powerful items resemble Relics in some ways, but the boons they provide affect all Champions in your Grim Forest Squad. The number of Curio Slots is limited and can only be increased by locating Curio Altars. In order to upgrade Curios, you need to loot a duplicate or purchase it for Grim Coins in the Vendor menu.

Both the Squad Progress Level and Curios will be wiped clean with every new rotation. They are also separate for each Difficulty, even in the same rotation.

Rewards

Grim Forest Rewards can be obtained by clearing Stages, finding Grim Chests, purchasing Chests from the Vendor, and unlocking Treasure Hunt Chests. On top of the usual goodies, you can expect Gemstones, Basalt, Soulstones, and more. This is also the second game mode where you can obtain Cursed Remnants.

Bloodbriars are a Relic Crafting Material for a new Relic Group.

Mercurial Gear is also obtainable only in the Grim Forest and provides stacks of a new buff called Total Guard. A single stack prevents an instance of damage or negative effect that targets the wearer - perfect for the Arena.

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You can also find Champion Fragments to summon Anaxia the Reborn - a Mythical Champion unique to the Grim Forest mode.

Finally, you’ll get to feature in the Grim Forest Rankings and unlock a new Avatar Frame and two dedicated Badges.

Miscellaneous

• With the Holiday Season upon us, it’s time to decorate your Bastion! You can enjoy the winter visuals as soon as Update 11.00 goes live.
• Artifact and Accessory Storage will be increased by 400 slots each.
• Champion Filters will be added to the Team Setup menu (creating Team Presets). You’ll also be able to access this menu even if you lack the resources required to begin the Battle.
• The Maintenance warning pop-up will automatically close after 30 seconds.

Rebalance: Champions

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