Dauntless | Complete Guide for Beginners, Tips

Dauntless | Guide for Beginners. Set in a world of floating islands and populated by behemoths with elemental powers, Dauntless Phoenix Labs is a cooperative role-playing game in the style of Monster Hunter. The player, alone or with a group of friends, is tasked with hunting large monsters called behemoths and creating potions or tools using their remains. However, as simple and familiar as the concept is, not all mechanics are obvious.

So, to familiarize yourself with the dynamics of Dauntless read this beginner's guide, full of tips and tricks to better master the game.

Duantless | Explanation of all game mechanics

Character Creation

The first thing to do in Dauntless is create your own avatar. When you create your character, you are asked to choose from 12 ancestors, both male and female, to generate your character - you can also choose two characters of the same sex. The initial appearance of your character will be a combination of these two ancestors, and you can then customize it further by moving the cursor at the bottom of the screen, left or right. This will allow you to make it look more like one ancestor than the other.

Once you've chosen your ancestors, you have the normal options, such as hairstyle, makeup option, facial hair and face paint.

It's also important that you're completely satisfied with the character you've created because you can't go back once you've made up your mind.

Start the hunt - Where to find the Behemoth

Once you've created your character, you'll be cast in your first hunt. Dauntless does a good job in giving you a mini-tutorial on battle mechanics, but some details need to be analyzed better, such as how you should find the behemoth to hunt.

Keep in mind that behemoths leave Dauntless no trace and that there is also no in-game map to control current targets. So the only way to find the behemoths is to go around looking for them. If you are in a group, this process is accelerated because there are more people to cover more ground. However, when you play alone, this can take a little longer (and you only have 30 minutes per hunt).

The best tactic if you don't see the behemoth right away is to reach an elevated area. You should try to reach the highest possible area so that you can scan the entire landscape. Sooner or later you'll see a big beast to kill. If you don't see it, raise your ears because the music usually changes when you approach a behemoth.

Fighting a behemoth

The basic mechanics for fighting behemoths in Dauntless are quite simple: hit, dodge, and repeat. Each behemoth in the game has its own set of specialized attacks that you'll use in series. After a while, it will be easy to understand the patterns and prepare for them.

Key objects in battle are lanterns. To emerge victorious, you need to know when and which lanterns to use.

Each lantern in the game has a different skill - a health boost, attack boost or something else. To use your lantern, hold down V. It will slowly reload once it runs out.

You also need to make sure you use your special attack, which you access by pressing Q. The power bar of these abilities fills up every time you hit the behemoth - a bit like the end of Overwatch.

Another thing to note is that within each area where you will find a beast, there is a large glowing blue crater, usually in the middle of the battlefield. The craters are actually points for restoring health - keep in mind that to restore it you have to hold and wait for all energy to regenerate. In the meantime, the behemoth could attack you. Each of these craters has at least four charges to help you heal. You can find them anywhere a behemoth is, even if it moves on the map.

Roll, roll, roll

In games like Dark Souls, dodging with rolling is crucial. Dauntless it's not a souls, but dodging is still very important during a fight against the behemoth. When you roll, it's harder for the enemy to do you harm because for a small frame the character becomes untouchable.

The best way to avoid damage is to dodge rather than walk away from the enemy. So when a behemoth is hurling at you, roll in the opposite direction. This will move you out of danger and make sure you stay as healthy as possible. Timing is crucial.

Look at the weapon you're using, the numbers displayed will be four different limbs physically detached from the creature. Continuing to attack a specific part after it's broken won't help cause further damage, so it's better to focus on other anatomical parts.
The blue numbers are for repeated damage to a behemoth's head that will cause him to stagger, paving the way for your comrades who may inflict further damage.
The red numbers represent wound damage. By inflicting enough wound damage on a body part, you debuff the behemoth, allowing your team to inflict more overall damage.

What to do after killing a behemoth

After your first behemoth hunt, you will be sent to the city of departure: Ramsgate. This is where you can accept additional missions, craft potions, equipment and upgrades. It's a pretty small town, but it can be a bit confusing to navigate without a map.

Fortunately, there's a compass at the top of the screen for players to follow. This will not only show you where you're going, but also the direction to take other missions. There are also large signs located outside most of the city's factories that can help you get your bearings.

At first, the armor store, gun shop and potion master are really all you need. After your first hunt or two, you should be able to upgrade all your armor and weapons. You'll also be able to choose weapons other than the sword you started with.

It's a good idea to try at least each weapon separately, as they all have their own special attacks and can really change your approach to gameplay. For example, the axe is great for heavy damage, but it's no good if you want to make quick attacks, while the blades are ideal for anyone who wants to keep some distance. To learn more about the weapons in the game, read our weapons guid Dauntless e from .

Back to the hunt

Once you've upgraded your gear and picked up a new mission or two, it's time to get back to the hunt. To access your missions and choose a hunt to participate in, find one of the hunting boards scattered throughout the city.

These will give you the chance to select one from your mission list or "find a hunt" where you can join other players. Whichever option you choose will take you to a loading screen where you can wait for the other party members to get ready.

This is a guide for novice players who aren't familiar with the mechanics yet Dauntless , but some points may differ in the future due to the constant updates and improvements the game receives cyclically. These guidelines are however valid for those who start now and want to understand the dynamics of the game right away.