DF2 Anniversary Cultist guide

quick guide to the new anniversary event with the cultists.

Happy 5 year anniversary dead frontier 2

Just thought i'd get this out of the way. Every anniversary the devs add in a new event or something nice. Usually it's around August - September (21st Sept. was when beta launched i remember).

Autumn Haven

The new anniversary event features a new raid location (red text areas like palehaven city archives and comer and sons).

It's an apartment layout.

It has a falling hope debuff which is just like Comer and sons only difference being zombies do not have higher damage nor higher health and you'll see why in a bit.

as usual +100% find buffs
-200% debuffs for bacterial infection bleeding etc.

oh and a nice good ole -15% movement speed debuff that's also new.


the location for this area is bottom right of wolfstable on the right most column of streets ( vertical | not horizontal - ) about 3-4 blocks from the bottom of the map corner north. It will be highlighted in red.

bonus buffs

outside of Autumn Haven outpost the seasonal buff ongoing right now is:

+500% elite find chance (which caps at 300% so what? lol)

+100% xp gain

+looting buffs. By this i take it as zombies have actually been lowered. Some areas 100% devoid of zombies. Honestly a cool buff as it really does buff looting and makes it much easier and faster.

even comer and sons has less zombies go check it out.

Cultists

New mini boss of sorts: The Cultists

talking to the exterminator npc at greywood in the white exterminator outfit he'll tell you about Autumn Haven which was an outpost that was overruned by smart Cultists which are just infected that are smart and can control other infected or manuever better (least that's what he says).

They're regular male zombies with dark hoods over their heads and each has a unique setup.


as far as we or I rather know atm cultists take boss damage
not infected even though they look like infected
nor
human damage since the exterminator NPC says humans are controlling the zombies.


if anyone can back this up please feel free to comment in the comments.

Cultist 1

The first cultist you'll find at Autumn Haven is in the Lobby LDD 3LSD or last LSD

which is an abbreviated version of how they make the guides in DF2 haven which means you enter the lobby, turn to the left double door, and it'll be the last left single door at the end of the hallway.

1st lobby is just normal zombies
2nd area with the left double door is a cystic choir you can run past or i suggest killing first.
Afterwards the last single door is where the 1st cultist will be

this cultist is a quick jogger with the Stalker enemy movements. It'll be armored and have scythes for hands.

It will be VERY HIGH HEALTH HIGH HITTING AND HIGH STUN/KNOCKBACK RESISTANCES just like the stalker. It will not run thank god.

Best to do em in groups to save ammo but again this is the least harmful of all the 3.


Once you kill it you'll be able to loot the cultist remains aka a skull
collect all 3 and turn into the exterminator npc at the greywood hotel outpost.

Cultist 2

The next cultist #2 will be located lobby 1up TR RDD SDA

which is code for lobby then go up 1 floor to the 2nd floor turn right it'll be the right double door then the last single door ahead at the end of the hallway.

on the 2nd floor there is a burning spined titan which can be dealt with easily

inside the double door is a tentacle fingerhead which should also be killed to avoid dealing with it in the future.

the last single door at the end of the hallway will have the next cultist

Cultist #2 is a doozy

this cultist is a quick SPRINTER with the ols Stalker enemy movements. It'll be normal no extra mutations but it will spit acid like the spitter. It will also sprint at fast speeds and for long durations like the old school stalker.

Again It will be VERY HIGH HEALTH HIGH HITTING AND HIGH STUN/KNOCKBACK RESISTANCES just like the stalker.

recommendation again is best to do em in groups to save ammo. This one is tougher than the 1st b/c of the running duration and speed. Best to get someone with high -%incoming damage and dodge or fast speeds and duration to outrun it. Thankfully this one will be easy to dodge since it doesn't have contact debuffs.


Once you kill it you'll be able to loot the cultist remains aka a skull
collect all 3 and turn into the exterminator npc at the greywood hotel outpost.

Cultist 3

Probably the hardest of all 3 cultists is #3

you can find this one on the 4th floor TR DDA and 2LSD or the single door before the last door on the left side (idr if it's 1st 2nd or 3rd so again it's the 2nd to last door on the left side)

On the 4th floor you'll find a burning hysteric in the entrance

inside the double door hallway you'll find another burning hysteric

then inside the room you'll find the last cultist #3

this cultist is a quick SPRINTER with the old Stalker enemy movements. It'll be tentacled which is bad news. It will also debuff you with a panic debuff if you stare at it or if it hits you which people recommend highly to get anti anxiety medications to prevent this from happening (called it awhile back lol)

Once again It will be VERY HIGH HEALTH HIGH HITTING AND HIGH STUN/KNOCKBACK RESISTANCES just like the stalker.

And as usual it is best to do em in groups to save ammo. This is THE HARDEST OF THE 3 because of the tentacles and panic debuff. It is also in a slightly smaller room layout wise and you can easily kill or get others killed if you accidentally run into them with it and the tentacles touch them or it shifts focus and goes after someone else.


Once you kill it you'll be able to loot the cultist remains aka a skull
collect all 3 and turn into the exterminator npc at the greywood hotel outpost.


edit: no it's not a gaze it's a silent scream which rumbles the room. Idk why it's silent though and doesn't make any noise.

rewards from quest

After you get all 3 skulls you can turn them into the exterminator npc in greywood

his dialogue will be one of shock and awe. He will praise you and give you about 1.5k cash and 100k xp which is nothing to sneeze at. He will also give you a soul bound (can't trade) proof of effort trophy which you can collect during the event.

After you collect 11 and have 50k cash you can craft one of the following discontinued seasonal items:
-fatman's enforcer (shotgun 10 gauge)
-fatman's all purpose gloves
-Fright mask
-reaper's scythe
-flowing rabbit

or

say you can only get a few or have all the items already. No matter!! With 3 trophies you can craft:
-1 elite enhancer

edit:
new craft option:
-unique key
with $1k and 4 trophies you can craft a unique key to open the unique chests

i honestly recommend going for those instead of elites since they're usually 1 grand and you can get good stat stick uniques. If you got farm accounts or multiple characters or just wanna risk it all.

[Fumo Bnnuy n Frends]

note 2: autumn haven changes. it's still in wolfstable but now bottom left 3 left 1 up from the southeastern most corner of the map

[Fumo Bnnuy n Frends]

also edit: the layout stays the same but the bosses rotate
atm we got twins in the 1st floor ldd
reaper in the 2nd floor rdd
4th floor has no boss ironically at least one that i saw anyhow
reaper in 3rd floor on the way up
bacterial tendril 4th floor going into the hallway to the last cultist

[Fumo Bnnuy n Frends]

i say in order b/c you can farm the events on multiple accounts or with multiple characters. The only downside is you cannot trade them between them as they are soul bound to your character only.

[Fumo Bnnuy n Frends]

for anyone asking i'd recommend getting, in order of importance: reaper's scythe, fright mask, fat man's all purpose gloves, FM enforcer, and flowing rabbit. Scythe has the best stat stick stats. Fright mask 2nd but others can fill in. Same with FMAP gloves other clothing can fill in. Enforcer is mostly for shotgun users. Flowing Rabbit is mostly for smg users to priority goes from more generalized / useful to more specific / niche.