Level 86 Expansion Teaser Part 3 - Deadly dangers of the Elder Woods!

[Cinco]

There have been some great questions about the difficulty of the Level 86 Expansion content.
In a nutshell: the "Elder Woods" is quite a bit tougher than Elite Zodias but a lot easier than Arcane Catacombs.
Soloing is relatively easy for full Kraken or with Kraken and/or Zaarus pieces that have great awakes + jewels.
Soloing is possible for full Zaarus set users but the time to clear is a bit long given the monster hp / armor.
Duos recommended for players with Legendary or mixed Legendary / Zaarus pieces with middling jewels.
Full group recommended for those with mixed-level sets with absent or bad jewels... 'cause:


The Elder Woods is not for the faint of heart!



Our third (and final) Elder Woods Level 86 Expansion preview teaser will make her appearance in Windmoore this Thursday.
Speak with Yuti about the perils of the Elder Woods environments and you will learn about a new terrible threat: the toxin!



Beware the Toxins!

Unlike the instantly-active traps and hazards found in Labyrinth and Arcane Catacombs, toxins build up slowly over time (if you remain exposed to their source).
During build-up the toxin effect is minimal. Once it reaches full "affliction," though - you're in a lot of trouble and will need to act fast or perish!
Acting in this case means using an anti-toxin that is suited for the type of affliction you have acquired.

Trap-like but not 'Traps'
After watching our most OP Legends storm the Arcane Catacombs we made adjustments to how the 'hazards' in Elder Woods would function.
Instead of instantly smacking you with a debuff, we chose a new method that gives you time to act (or wait for the toxicity to dissipate).
This makes the toxic hazards in Elder Woods feel trap-like without being actual "traps."
It gives you a lot more control over how you deal with environmental threats.

There are three types of 'toxins' currently known in Elder Woods. They are...

Rot Slime


Found throughout the Hollow Grove and Ash Forest environments this affliction 'creeps up on you.'



Standing in the midst of a Rot Slime pool will gradually increase your toxicity... with minimal effect - until you are fully toxified.
Once this happens you'll need to imbibe a (looted / crafted or purchased) "Purifaction" elixir to cure yourself.
Ingredients for this are very easy to find.




Fatal Fungi


The Fatal Fungi are native to the Indigo Caverns and the Blue Abyss. Their effect applies much faster than Rot Slime.



And likewise, the Fatal Fungi will be "fatal" if it reaches full affliction. You must clear it with the "Arcazole" remedy:



Ingredients for the Arcazole are also very easy to find - in the Indigo Caverns and Blue Abyss.


Star Blight


An confounding cosmic corruption...



Much faster with far more debilitating effects when accumulating than the others - and an even more lethal affliction!
It can be alleviated with a special "Blackstar Atomizer" concoction:



This one requires a bit more searching as the components are dropped from monsters in various Elder Woods maps.


MORE NEW WEAPON INFO

Last preview mentioned the new weaponry that you will encounter in the Elder Woods.
Here are some of these powerful gears in action:
(combat numbers / damage stats shown in these .gif are not final)

CHAKRAM
Dual flying 'boomerang' blades

Shown above: a Level 86 "Razor Wheel"

ORB
A beam-blasting focus

Shown above: a Level 84 "Electric Eye"

CHAIN SWORD
Whipping slashing tearing

Shown above: a Level 80 "Golden Stinger"


Please check out our other recent threads on buffs to Ultimate Skills and new Passive Skills!
As always, thanks for the feedback and your continued support.
We can't wait to see you in the Elder Woods!