Best DLCs?

[The Chef]

I am a new player and I want to take advantage of the sale on the DLCs. I like the idea of the maps, one of the trophy cabins, 4x4, and weapon packs. Any I should avoid or any in particular I should get? Thank you

[Striker]

Wpn PK 2 and 3, tents and blinds, tripods and treestands, Saeseka Safari trophy lodge. As far as maps go it depends upon how you like to hunt. Vurhonga Savanna offers more long range shot opportunity, has more dangerous species (animals that can and will kill you) than the others and has the highest number of species (7). Plenty of room to ride that ATV in. One thing to consider is the size of the weapons you need to carry on a reserve based upon the sheer size of the animals you'll encounter. When you first start out in a game your options are rather limited. In MedVed, PF, CC and the Yukon you'll need at least the 7mm or larger. The .300 would be better for Moose, Brown Bears and Grizzly but it takes a while to build up the in game cash to buy it. The 30.06 that's part of a DLC is free so you don't haev to pay in game cash for it and it can be effectively used on things like Red Deer, Reindeer, Caribou, Kudu, Mouflon Sheep, all the varieties of Ibex, BlackTail and Whitetail deer and Black Bears.

IMO all the Maps have something to offer but some are best left alone until you've played long enough to build up the cash you'll need to get the right weapons to use on it. PF is a good choice for a new player since you can hunt anything but a Water Buffalo if you have the .22 rifle (free), .243 (free starter weapon) and the 30.06 (free with the DLC). Light enough load out to also carry some callers/lures, first aid kit etc...

You can actually kill any animal with any firearm in the game, it's just a matter of how many times you might have to shoot it how much time you want to spend following a blood trail.

[Hanuman]

If you want "mood" and thematic music, go for MedVed. Playing that map at night is thrilling.
I spent 300 hrs starting out in LL, I LOVE that reserve. I would recommend getting either 2019 Edition or just base game and play Layton Lake and Hirsh. 4x4 Are very useful, tents also. The tech pack is awesome and smoking barrels dlc.

[sakhlas]

weapon pack 2 : you can unlock all weapon in the game with this (not the bow) you ll can hunt very big animal(like buffalo),
vurhonga (9 types of animals to hunt) and cuatro colinas(9 differents animals to hunt) maps those maps have the most different animals.
if you like bow buy the higteck hunting pack, if you want crossbow weapon pack 1
Taiga is my favorite but it's little empty. only 5 types if animals

I buy all dlc because i love this game

[Shade]

Would require more information to give you the best advice.

If you absolutely want a lodge to fill with trophy grab Saseka, its the better option with more detailled options to put trophies down.
I never use ATVs, I prefer to explore new reserves via foot and get a grasp of different biomes and the animals therein. They spook animals from a mile away, their usefulness varies from reserve to reserve. In the end exploring the map is kinda the point, if you like to cheese the games mechanics and want some slaughter gallery they might be useful. If you play the game for relaxing in a roleplay´ish fashion you probably never need these.

Maps depend on your playstyle.. If you enjoy MP, all maps can be hosted and there are plenty of open lobbies so you dont really need them. Some reserves have pretty nice guns though to circumvent the necessary level grind.

I would highly advice to grab the Goose DLC. It is an excellent xp/weapon xp/money grinder.
Yes you can get geese and ducks without the DLC when they are on the ground.. but that is scarce, it is way more efficient to do it with the DLC equipment. Geese and ducks can not be hosted for you, you will need the DLC to see them in MP.

Geese are way easier to hunt than ducks and you can hunt some duck species in Parque Fernando and Yukon Valley who bring their own decoys. Duck and Goose DLc come with a shotgun which makes it easier to grind shotgun experience and you can use correct DLC ammunition.. so in short, less grind for shotgun. That being said for waterfowling you want to unlock the vanilla game Cacciatore.

I agree with autobot that Parque Fernando ist pretty good for newer players since there is more suitable game for starter guns. All other reserves require some form of higher caliber rifle to hunt most animals. That being said the 7mm from vanilla game is not such a terrible grindgoal and there is plenty to explore in Layton LAke and Hirschfelden.

Tent DLC is a useful one, depends on the type of hunter you are.. if you like ambush hunting you will get more out of it.

Weapon pack 1
offers an anti rabbit/geese/duck rifle that is not a shotgun.. primarily useful for rabbits. The crossbow is a pwerful weapon for 60ish meters that is a more silent option than a rifle but better range and easier handling than a bow. the recurve bow.. yeah hardcore bowhunting, if thats your style.

Weaon pack 2
is a very gimmicky mix. I dont see the point in the shotgun Drilling combination and neither in the handgun.. but they are fun I guess. The Solokhin however is a very interesting rifle since its suitable for a large range of animals and therefore allows for a more lightweight loadout. I personally find it a bit wonky but many swear by it. The Solokhin is really useful for lightweight loadouts in more diverse reserves (if you dont want a backpack that debuffs yourstealth). Other than that pretty useless.

Weapon Pack 3
A lowrange pretty silent rifle if for whatever reason bowhunting is not your thing and you want a more silent approach, another big-game rifle but ehh.. map DLC brings Martenson and .300 which do the same job. The real selling point imo is the .22 handgun which is a rapid firing option vs duck and geese or a lightweight option vs. rabbits in your loadout. Overall pretty specialized DLC.

High Tec Pack
Well nice scope for the bow.. never felt the need for the other stuff even in night hunting

Tree stands

more useful if you enjoy ambush hunting.. the tripods can be abused as safe spots vs predators like lions or wolves. The new reserves do not have that many trees to use treestands on. More valuable in MP setups.

Muzzleloaders
Not my cup of tea, but if you enjoy that kind of thing sure.


So for maps I try to compare them to the vanilla reserves to give you an idea.. or just go on MP and have a look.

Medved: snow only reserve. One side is basically snowy thick parts of Hirschfelden, Reindeer hunting is cool but an overabundance of the recycled moose makes that dense vegetation a bit meh. The other sight is very long range hunting on frozen lakes. Story puts an interesting detail on global warming effects and is solid but later reserves had some more tweaks.

Vurhonga:
After plenty of patches and free animals a horrible release turned around. I would compare this to Layton Lake.. plenty of viewing range for lang range shooting and some more thick bushes alongside pretty open forests around lakes. High grass limits view in some areas, overall a slower pace if you are ambush hunting due to the terrain being pretty noisy if you walk around. Imo the most unique story that fits quite well and adds a bit of "mystery supernatural" spark but not in an overdone way

Yukon:

Long range hunting in hills and open forests like later Hirschfelden areas e.g. Peterslahr. The dynamic snow is a cool feature, the story is okay but nothing special. The .300 in this DLC is a excellent high caliber gun.

Parque Fernando:

Open areas and forests of Layton meet pretty open hills from Hirschfelden. Quite diverse animals, I like this one. Large part of the map wasted with mountains not containing anything though. The story well.. didnt like the warden all that much and the big reveal was no surprise at all.

Cuatro Colinas:

a bit of a mix between Hirschfelden fields and open forests and hills from Parque Fernando. The Martenson is another pretty good more high calibre gun. Overall I personally am not a fan of this one.. there is not much change in the biomes, lot of animal recycling and some goats who are too much the same for me. But then again this might be the bittervet speaking who hoped for a more alpine reserve.

If I had to advice an order for the Maps I probably would go Vurhonga, Parque Fernando, Yukon, Medved, Cuatro Colinas but in the end that is so much on personal preference.

Hope I could help