Difference between revisions of "Dreams and Nightmares/Descent into Darkness"

• Void Wolver
• Void Lumber
• Void Thwacker
• Void Gel
• Void Zombie
• Void Soul
• Swarm Turret

• Vaelyn accompanies the player

In the final area, six monster gates blocking the exit each count for a wave of The Swarm that must be defeated in order to progress.

• 

  Map of Descent into Darkness.

Strategy Disclaimer

These tactics are developed by players who have experimented extensively with various options regarding this endeavor. Strategies are therefore opinionated - what works best for a player or squad might not be best for another. There are many biasing factors such as control preferences, experience with the attack style of items, and the individual's connection to the server - not to mention the player's personal goals. This section attempts to consider the most popular goals with the most reasonable strategies.

Once the behavior of enemies and obstacles in this mission is understood, playing on elite difficulty is ideal to get the best loot in Refuge. Refuge is a kind of Treasure Floor in Depth 28. The potential loot there, particularly Radiant Fire Crystals, is desired by many players. The mission is often repeated by players seeking crystals to forge their Tier 3 items. It is a very quick way to obtain radiants, but this mission does not have a high crown payout compared to other "end game" areas such as Firestorm Citadel or deep arcade arenas, which have both crowns and radiants, but typically take more time to complete than Dreams and Nightmares.

Run through preceding areas as quickly as possible. Void monsters don't drop anything other than hearts, so only defeat them when necessary. There are arsenal stations at the start of each combat floor, so change up as needed for speedrunning or fighting. You might run into some nasty mini-fights along the way, or you might not. The final fight in D27 takes place in a simple arena. Void Souls constantly spawn. The area is a large square-shaped platform with several removable obstacles and a few permanents - 4 Swarm Turrets in the corners and orbital chains attached to these turrets are hazards the player must avoid in addition to defeating the six waves of monsters. Victory for the entire mission boils down to success in this fight.

Void monsters retain certain characteristics of the creature type they seem to be, with a few differences. Check the monster lists on this page and read up on their offenses and defenses. Most void monsters in this fight are limited to close-range attacks. The only projectiles in this fight are from Swarm Turrets, certain Void Thwacker swings, and the poisonous spikes of spinning Void Gels.

Establish an attack formation. If you are alone or in a squad, maintaining this pattern is important. Make sure Void Gels do not focus on Vaelyn (who is stuck to the north of the arena and unable to deal damage during the fight), because you do not want random spikes shooting around unexpectedly.

Kiting Strategy: Avoid dashing, as this resets aggro. Dash only to save your life. Once you have the attention of the void monsters, walk counter-clockwise around the edge of the arena, firing bullets behind you and setting off bombs as you move. It is important to keep the monsters following you, but not too close. For this strategy, do not use weapons that inflict freeze or knockback, as this breaks the enemy patterns and increases the time it takes to get things done. This strategy is ideal for a quick victory but can be problematic for players who lag. If there are two or more players in the party, try to stay on opposite sides of the arena so you don't walk into enemy attacks triggered by another player. For example, if a player is in the north area of the arena, stay in the south, or if they are in the west, stay in the east. Maintain this as all players circle around the arena.