Which DLC to buy?

This guide will help you to decide what DLC to buy. In my opinion, every single DLC is worth every penny you earned. However, I understand that you might not have the money or just want to want to consume the game bit by bit. Thus, I have decided to build this guide.

Version

Ver 1.0: The original.
Ver 1.1: Typo edit and Change the image of .338 championship.
Ver 1.2: Typo edit.
Ver 1.3: Added Achievement list (sort by DLC)
Ver 1.4: Added Silver Ridge Peaks
Ver 1.5: Added Te Awaroa

Reserve DLC before 2020

All my thought about the reserve will be put here


Medved-Taiga
It looked and sound like a winter apocalyptic wasteland. It's all-white due to all of the snow. The land contour is relatively flat with lots of frozen lakes. So, you can see the animal even from far away if you are on the frozen lakes.

The animals are not that unique plus the bonus weapon that you get from purchasing this DLC and finishing the quest is also not something you will use frequently.

Animals:
Musk Deer (Class 2)
Eurasian Lynx (Class 3)
Wild Boar (Class 4)
Reindeer (Class 6)
Brown Bear (Class 7)
Moose (Class 8)

Suggested weapon to bring:
1. Ranger .243 or the .30-30 Whitlock Model 86 or the .223 docent.
2. Pick one of these weapons: Eckers .30-06, M1 Iwaniec, 7mm Regent Magnum, .300 Canning Magnum, .338 Rangemaster, .338 Championship, Hudzik .50 Caplock, Martensson 6.5 mm, .270 Huntsman.

Bonus Weapon for purchasing this DLC:


Grankin Shotgun
A 12 g shotgun that can kill Class 1-8 (depending on what slug you feed to the shotgun). The highest accuracy shotgun, not saying its the best shotgun. It's just an OK-ish shotgun.



Vurhonga Savanna
Lots of people love this reserve, I personally love it too. The contour of the map is relatively flat (its a savanna after all) so you could see a lot of animals more easily. The animals in this reserve are also exotic, challenging (since every single animal here wants to kill you) plus the bonus weapon that you get from purchasing this DLC is a beast especially in short-range.

Animals:
Scrub Hare (Class 1)
Side-Striped Jackal (Class 2)
Springbok (Class 3)
Lesser Kudu (Class 4)
Warthog (Class 4)
Blue Wildebeest (Class 6)
Gemsbok (Class 8)
Cape Buffalo (Class 9)
Lion (Class 9)

Suggested weapon to bring:
1. Virant .22 LR express
2. Ranger .243 or the .30-30 Whitlock Model 86
3. Pick one of these weapons: 7mm Regent Magnum, .300 Canning Magnum, .338 Rangemaster, .338 Championship.

Bonus Weapon for purchasing this DLC:


King 470DB Zenith
A short-range rifle that can kill Class 9 with ease. The king surely can keep up with the name. The strongest rifle with the game with 100 penetration or 100 expansion. This rifle is a beast in short-range, perfect to kill charging lions or buffalo. With this weapon, you only need 1 bullet or 2 at the maximum to kill Class 9 animal. Don't expect to kill Class 9 from long range though since it doesn't have any long-range scope. The king can only be equipped with Marksman Exakt Reflex Sight.



Parque Fernando
The animals here are super crowded since they usually walk in a herd. This can be a pro and a con. If you find an animal most of the time there will be another animal near them, usually in a large pack. However, sometimes you don't find any animal at all, simply because the animal is in other areas. But the animal there, are surely fun to hunt. The land contour is kinda hilly with dense forest in some places and some dead forest in some area of the map, in which you can see the animals better.

You got 2 (TWO) bonus weapons that you get from purchasing this DLC and finishing the main quest and the side quest, although the 2 bonus weapons are just a reskin from the existing weapon, since it's free and you don't need a rifle and handgun score, I personally think its a win.

Animals:
Cinnamon Teal (Class 1)
Blackbuck (Class 3)
Axis Deer (Class 3)
Puma (Class 5)
Mule Deer (Class 6)
Red Deer (Class 6)
Water Buffalo (Class 9)

Suggested weapon to bring:
1. Virant .22 LR express.
2. Ranger .243 or the Solokhin MN1890 or the .30-30 Whitlock Model 86
3. Pick one of these weapons: 7mm Regent Magnum, .300 Canning Magnum, .338 Rangemaster, .338 Championship.

Bonus Weapon for purchasing this DLC:


.44 Gaucho Magnum
A reskin of the .44 Panther Magnum. It's light and powerful and you can kill Class 3-8 with this. Perfect, if you want to use this for self-defense against wolves. You will get this weapon by finishing the Parque Fernando main quest.



.338 championship
A reskin of the Rangemaster 338. The .338 is an extremely powerful long-range or short-range rifle. You may be asking if the 1 magazine size of this rifle will be sufficient? YES, it will. It could take down any Class 7-9 with ease. To get this rifle you need to finish the Carolina's Greatest Hits, Shot-For-Shot side quest. You can see how to finish it, on the guide below:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1596271417


Yukon Valley
Yukon is beautiful, mind-blowing even. The weather in that area changes from spring-like green to white winter every several minutes. Be aware though, due to the snow, it might bring an impact to your FPS. The land contour is a nice combination of flat grass fields, small hills with lots of lakes with dense forests in some places, and some burnt forests in some areas of the map. But, I guess the main reason people buy this map is because of the bonus weapon: .300 Canning Magnum

Animals:
Harlequin Duck (Class 1)
Red Fox (Class 2)
Gray Wolf (Class 5)
Caribou (Class 6)
Grizzly Bear (Class 7)
Moose (Class 8)
Plains Bison (Class 9)

Suggested weapon to bring:
1. Virant .22 LR express
2. Ranger .243
3. the .300 or the .338

Bonus Weapon for purchasing this DLC:


.300 Canning Magnum
Personally I would consider this as the "best" weapon in the game, especially to kill big animals. At least as powerful as the .338 but with more magazine size (4) plus its light for a big caliber weapon (only 4 kg), extremely high accuracy. What more can you ask?



Cuatro Colinas
if you want to snipe different types of goats from far away while being aware that wolves might eat you alive. This is the one for you. The land contour is relatively flat with lots of farm fields, lavender fields, and lots of tree plantation areas in one area. Other areas it's mountainous (not just hilly). So mountainous you could snipe goats from top of the mountain while sniping goats down there that is currently drinking on the lake. The bonus weapon is 6.5 Mårtensson Rifle.

Animals:
European Hare (Class 1)
Roe Deer (Class 3)
Wild Boar (Class 4)
Iberian Mouflon (Class 4)
Ronda Ibex (Class 4)
Southeastern Spanish Ibex (Class 4)
Beceite Ibex (Class 4)
Gredos Ibex (Class 4)
Iberian Wolf (Class 5)
Red Deer (Class 6)

Suggested weapon to bring:
1. Virant .22 LR express
2. Ranger .243 or the Solokhin MN1890
You could add another weapon if you like (Eckers .30-06 or the M1 Iwaniec or the .300 or the .338, or the Hudzik .50 Caplock, or the 6.5 mm), but this should be enough.

Bonus Weapon for purchasing this DLC:


6.5 Mårtensson Rifle.
For a long-range rifle, this weapon's accuracy is quite high, plus its effective range is 200 m (the longest if you compared it with another weapon). Too bad it lacks the firepower to kill level 8 animal instantly, although technically this weapon is able to kill class 4-8 with full integrity. So I guess the best use of this weapon is to kill class 4 up to class 6.

Reserve DLC 2020 and forward

Silver Ridge Peaks

Silver Ridge is very-very fun to play. This is one of my personal favorites, the animals usually gathers in the pack, so it is common to see several animal packs in 1 lake. The contour is relatively flat with wide grass plains making it easy for you to spot animals. The animals that live here are also fun to hunt.

Animal list
Turkey (Class 1)
Pronghorn (Class 4)
Mountain Goat (Class 4)
Bighorn Sheep (Class 4)
Mountain Lion (Class 5)
Mule Deer (Class 6)
Black Bear (Class 7)
Rocky Mountain Elk (Class 8)
Plains Bison (Class 9)

Suggested weapon to bring:
1. Virant .22 LR express.
2. Pick one of these weapons: Eckers .30-06, M1 Iwaniec, 7mm Regent Magnum, Hudzik .50 Capslock, Martensson 6.5 mm, .270 Huntsman.
3. Pick one of these weapons: .300 Canning Magnum, .338 Rangemaster, .338 Championship.

Bonus Weapon for purchasing this DLC:


Traditional Style Alexander Longbow
This bow is super light and uberly powerful for a bow class. Unfortunately, you cannot use any scope using this bow. To use this bow, you can use it like the Houyi Recurve Bow by using the arrow tip for reference.



Te Awaroa National Park

Te Awaroa is amazing, it got beaches, plains, hills, mountains dense forest that is so dense you need a flash light in day light. Some area are very easy to hunt, some are very hard. Its not an easy map to play with if you are a beginner, but it sure is rewarding.

Animal list
Turkey (Class 1)
European Rabbit (Class 1)
Chamois (Class 3)
Feral Goat (Class 3)
Fallow Deer (Class 4)
Feral Pig (Class 4)
Sika Deer (Class 4)
Red Deer (Class 6)

Suggested weapon to bring:
1. Virant .22 LR express.
2. Solokhin MN1890.

Bonus Weapon for purchasing this DLC:


F.L. Sporter .303
Beautiful, strong, light weight, and tameable. This weapon is easily had become my favorite weapon. One of the best if not the best weapon in class 4-8.

Weapon DLC before 2020

All my thought about the weapons will be put here. Everything that included weapons in the DLC pack will be put here, with reserves as an exception. The format of this section It is sorted out based on their release date.



Weapon Pack 1
You will get:


Virant .22LR Semi-Automatic Rifle:
Perfect for Jackrabbits and other small games (Class 1), the Virant is not used to hunt larger animals.

By default you can use the Virant’s iron sight: However, for improved aiming at a distance, this rifle supports multiple scope attachments: Red Dot Sight, 1-4x24mm Rifle Scope, 4-8x42mm Rifle Scope, and 8-16x50mm Rifle Scope.


Crosspoint CB-165 and its scope Hawken 1-5X30 Crossbow Scope:
A crossbow with 165 foot-pounds of draw weight and with 4-arrow quiver, comes along with the scope that has three duplex crosshairs and variable zoom settings up to 5x.

The Crossbow is more powerful and offers a greater range than any other bow currently in the store. However, reloading the crossbow is slower than most other weapons so make sure you make each shot count!


Houyi Recurve Bow:

The lightest bow of them all (only 2.5 kg). However, you cannot put any scope at all. Plus you can only bring 1 type of arrow (the 540 gr to kill class 4-8)

Thought on the DLC:
This DLC is valuable if you want to hunt class 1 animal using the .22 rifle or you want to use the crossbow. The Houyi? only if you want to challenge your self.


Wild Goose Chase Gear
You will get:


Strecker SxS 20G:

You can kill Class 1-7 with this weapon, especially duck and geese. However compared to other shotguns, this shotgun surely isn't the best choice. It would be better if you use any other shotgun than this. Plus it can only be equipped with Marksman Exakt Reflex Sight

Decoys:
It will help you a lot if you want to kill geese.

Incognito Deluxe Layout Blind - Field Camo:
There is a better option than this. You are better to prone than burdening yourself with this.

Thought on the DLC:
Buy it only for the decoys and you are very serious on geese hunting.


Duck and Cover Pack
You will get:


Nordin 20SA:
The better option compared to Strecker SxS 20G. Although it uses the same slug. The extra magazine does help a lot when hunting ducks and geese. The fire rate also feels faster compared to any other shotgun. You could kill class 1-7 with this shotgun, plus you can use the shotgun scope with this weapon. Thus, making it way more accurate.

Decoys:
It will help you if you want to kill ducks, but not a game-changer.

Waterfowl Blind:
When deployed, it allows the hunter to blend in better with the surrounding scenery, while still retaining a high degree of mobility and freedom to aim.

Thought on the DLC:
The DLC is OK-ish. You might want to get this DLC for the blind. This is an alternative for the Treestand & Tripod if you want to stay close and hidden with the animal. Plus you get a nice weapon.


Weapon Pack 2

You will get:

Grelck Drilling Gun and its Falcon 3-9x44 Drilling Scope:
A two side-by-side 16 gauge shotgun barrels atop a single rifle barrel chambered for the powerful 9.3x74R big game cartridge. If you want to kill class 1 up to class 9, this gun has you covered. Although very powerful (you can 1 shot buffalo and bison with its rifle), this weapon is heavy (5kg) plus it got its own custom scope, which means extra weight to bring.


Solokhin MN1890:

With 5-shot magazine capacity, medium recoil, and high target penetration. Combine with the Ascent, Hyperion, or Argus rifle scope, and you will be a hunter to be reckoned with (if you want to kill class 3-7 of course).


Mangiafico 410 / 45 Colt Revolver:

A small handgun for all small game. You could kill everything in class 1-5 with ease.

Thought on the DLC:
This DLC is amazing. You could kill every single animal in this game using this DLC alone. All of the weapons in this DLC pack is powerful and accurate.


Weapon Pack 3
You will get:


Vasquez Cyclone .45 Big Bore Air Rifle:

Can't say much about this rifle. If you want to kill class 2-4, then this could be an option. However, it would be way better if you just use the .243


Eckers .30-06 Bolt-Action Rifle:

This weapon could help you kill class 4-8. Accurate, and high powered especially if you just want to kill class 4. The recoil is tameable, and the fire rate is really good, so good it feels almost like using a semi-automatic. Too bad its quite heavy (4.5kg)


Andersson .22LR Semi-automatic Pistol:

The Andersson .22LR is a small caliber semi-automatic pistol. Its compact size, negligible recoil, and impressive firing rate make it practical for small game hunting. A lighter option compared to the Virant .22LR. The Andersson .22LR only weighs 1 kg, albeit it also means a reduced effective range. Perfect if you just want some weapon that can assist you if you suddenly meet a diamond potential Class 1.

Thought on the DLC:
The Eckers .30-06 Bolt-Action Rifle is enough reason to buy this DLC.


High-Tech Hunting Pack
You will get:

5X50 Night Vision Binoculars
A Night Vision binoculars, designed to increase both visibility and contrast in the dark while leaving depth perception and shapes unaltered. A game-changer if you want to hunt at night.

GenZero 1-4x20 Night Vision Rifle Scope:
Sounds good on paper, but since its range view is not that far. It really doesn't help that much. It would be better if you just spot the animal first and then shoot the animal while the spotlight is still on.


Koter CB-65 Bow

The best alternative if you can't decide between Bearclaw Lite CB-60 and the Hawk Edge CB-70.

Brightsight Rangefinder Bow Sight

The technology of this sight helps the hunter with the biggest challenge in archery hunting: distance estimation. With the single press of a button, the Brightsight calculates the distance of the target and projects a precise, virtual LED pin that is only visible to the archer, without the clutter of multiple physical pins. This is the MAIN REASON to buy this DLC. Too bad it' very heavy for a scope (2kg)

Tracer Arrows:
At night, the Tracer Arrows will help you a little bit by glowing in the dark. Allowing you to track down the animal more easily. Too bad the light is not that bright and due to the high nature of the arrow, the animal will be dead with 1 shot anyway.

Thought on the DLC:
Rangefinder Bow Sight will boost any accuracy of bow hunting hands down. A must-have for a serious archer.

Weapon DLC 2020 and forward

Due to the limitation of what I can write in each section, all weapon DLC from 2020 and onwards will be put here.


Smoking Barrels Weapon Pack
You will get:


HUDZIK .50 CAPLOCK:
This weapon can kill from Class 3-7 (Round Ball) or Class 4-8 (mini’e ball) although very powerful (Moose are downed just in 1 shot) is only accurate up to 150 m and even less using the round ball. It also has a very long reload time. I would suggest you only use the mini’e ball if you want to use this weapon.


M1 IWANIEC:

The other rifle that uses the .30-06 ammo. The M1 Iwaniec is very deadly especially in short-range, it can easily kill a moose with 1 shot, plus it's very light for a class 4-8 rifle (only 3.5 kg). However, the very high recoil is something that needs to be considered.


MILLER MODEL 1891:

This lever-action shotgun with its 10 gauge brass shells, is the strongest shotgun in the game. The Miller Model 1891 is also the only shotgun that can kill Class 9 with full integrity. Too bad you cannot put any scope on it, and the lever-action actually make it fire rate slower than any other shotgun.

Thought on the DLC:
This DLC is amazing. All of the weapons are powerful and at the very least bring a unique new play style.

Equipment DLC

All my thought about equipment DLC will be put here.


Tents & Ground Blinds

You will get:
TENT:

Setting up tents will create fast travel points almost anywhere you wish (although remember that in-game camping fees apply) which makes it great for exploring new areas and traveling to parts of the map that are particularly dense in the animal species you would like to hunt.

GROUND BLIND:

The ground blind offers the ultimate portable camouflage. Once deployed, it provides excellent visibility concealment and unrestricted shooting angles in almost every direction. The most notable features include the ability for it to be deployed almost anywhere, decreased visibility, and room for up to 2 hunters inside.

Please remember that setting up a ground blind does create noise and might spook nearby animals.

Thought on the DLC:
This DLC is valuable. Fast traveling will help you move back and forth to your hotspot. The ground blind is also useful. However your view is obscured with the ground blind pole, so it might be better to use other equipment.


ATV SABER 4X4

You will get:
ATV SABER 4X4
The SABER 4X4 gives you the ability to traverse rough terrain with unmatched comfort and style. Experience the rush as it takes you across fields, bogs, and hills at breakneck speeds (around 40-50km/h). The SABER 4X4 can be spawned for free at any outpost or tent. Please be aware when you start the engine, the animals will freak out and start running at full speed.


Treestand & Tripod Pack
You will get:

Deployable Treestand:

The Deployable Treestand allows you to bide your time until the perfect opportunity to catch the animal unaware. Check your environment for a fitting tree for your ambush, place your stand at an appropriate height and climb up to your new perch. You can also easily adjust and replace it if you are unhappy with your initial placement. Once you’ve ready, sit back, relax, and watch as you’re giving the opportunity to take that perfect shot. Additionally, it will keep you concealed.

Deployable Tripod Stands:

With a 360° rotation capability, the Deployable Tripod Stand allows you a better vantage point even when there are no trees around. The Tripod Stand is an excellent way to gain an overview of your surroundings and allows you to spot animals from a much greater distance. On top of that, they will keep you concealed.

Thought on the DLC:
This DLC is valuable. Especially if you are patient and more an ambusher type of hunter. The treestand is useful if you want to hide between the trees and if the land contour is kinda hilly. The tripod is useful if you can't find any trees, and the land contour is relatively flat.

Other DLC

All DLC that are not weapons, equipment, or reserve will be put here

Lodge

With the lodge You will be able to decorate the walls and rooms with your prized kills. Choose how you wish to present your trophies: mount them on a plaque or position them on platforms as full-body mounts around the lodge - creating the perfect centerpiece. Either method comes with several poses, allowing you to create the ultimate compositions in each room. And if you feel like it’s time for a change, you can freely remove, replace, and reposition your trophies. Invite your friends to your lodge at any time and share your evolving collection. If you want to theme your layouts without tearing down your existing decorations, you can create a duplicate of any owned lodge and showcase a completely different animal selection!


Trophy Lodge Spring Creek Manor

It's your very own small Trophy Lodge with a rustic theme. Perfect if you adhere to "small is beautiful".


Saseka Safari Trophy Lodge

It's your very own HUGE Trophy Lodge with Africa theme. I would say if you want to show off, you should get this lodge. It's huge, lots of mounts plaque and full-body mounts plaque. You can even put your weapon collection in this lodge, something that you cannot do in Spring Creek Manor.

ALL Purpose and ALL Area Weapon loadout suggestion

You have all weapon DLC, you have all the reserve DLC. With so many choices I understand that you might be confused about what to bring. I have prepared a specific guide for that. Feel free to check it out here:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2075749334

Achievement list (sort by DLC)

You could see all the achievement list that is sorted by DLC here:

https://www.xboxachievements.com/game/thehunter-call-of-the-wild/achievements/

I completely understand that it's for XBOX, but since there is no difference in XBOX and PC version, you could basically use it.

Thank You

I hope all of you could enjoy this guide. I also hope that this guide will help you to pick the right DLC for you. Feel free to comment or give any input about this guide. Don't forget also to put it in your favorite.

Once again, Thank You and Happy Hunting.

[layongod]

Absolutely agree with you

[Hotklou]

One big negative about the dog is that he can only follow trails once the animal has been shot. He can't even start to follow uninjured animals that you perhaps haven't shot at or did shoot at but missed. And he's only a tracker, he can't chase down and attack the prey.

[Hotklou]

Long story short: Doggo is 100000000% worth it. Having a companion on your hunts really completes it for me. Besides, he's good at following blood trails (and then chase the prey if their blood trails eventually stop and they're still alive), and they've helped me find numerous corpses and animals that had gotten away which I never would've found on my own.

[layongod]

when i have the time i will update it, very sorry for any inconveniences

[haletheconquerer]

you forgot dog

[layongod]

you are very welcome

[Pedro]

My hope when I got the game on release was that I wouldn't have to buy a bunch of DLCs... Thank you for putting in the work to make this guide though, very helpful.

[layongod]

If i remember right, they have patched it

[MMS]

The dog always puts his ass on my face, steps noise+licking sound are totally annoying. I bought, maxed, and keep in storage.

[layongod]

The next thing you want to add is the Blood Hound. It sure is a game changer. Will write about it soon.