Guild Wars 2 news » A Guide to Twilight Assault

Welcome to the Twilight Assault Release! If you’re ready to start fighting Aetherblades and exploring the shadowy recesses of Twilight Arbor but aren’t quite sure how to go about it, this spoiler-free guide will get you started on the right path!

Starting Tuesday, October 1:

• Upon logging into Guild Wars 2, you’ll receive a message from Lionguard Turma (or from Caithe, if you are sylvari) urging you to head to Twilight Arbor to help the Lionguard mount an attack and investigate the elusive Scarlet Briar.
• The “show me” button in the mail you receive will highlight the Twilight Arbor waypoint in Caledon Forest, which is the closest waypoint to the dungeon entrance.
• Warden Idon is stationed outside the dungeon and will be able to give you the latest intelligence on the situation inside.

Twilight Arbor Dungeon: Aetherblade Path

Antechamber

• Inside the dungeon, you’ll find Lionguard preparing for an assault and Caithe talking with Lionguard Turma about coordinating their efforts.
• Speak with Caithe to find out more about the Aetherblades and Nightmare Court. Morrigu is also standing by to tell you more about the Nightmare Court’s activities.
• To follow the new level 80 path, talk to Caithe and choose to “take down the Aetherblades.” The root gateway to the west will then open up and your adventure will begin!
• Choosing to fight the Nightmare Court will open up the gate behind Morrigu, allowing you to play the original level 55 Leurent and Vevina explorable paths.

Phloem Meander

• Your first real challenge in infiltrating the Aetherblade base will be getting into it! The door mechanism at the entrance to the facility has been jammed.
• Listen to Caithe; she’ll have hints on how to open the gate. It’ll take careful coordination to continue.

Ferndog Backwoods

• Sparki, an asura in a firestorm suit, and Slick, a norn with a penchant for throwing oil about, are working to clear out more space for Aetherblade operation – they also double as a handy security team when interlopers like yourself show up. These paired bosses are a deadly force; you’ll have to figure out how they work together in order to take them down.

Outlook of Woe

• The Aetherblades have come up with a cunning plan for cheap, effective guards: holographic Aetherblades! As you move deeper into the facility, you’ll encounter holographic projectors that will keep spawning more guards until you find a way to shut them down.
• Proceeding deeper into the facility will present you with challenges of brawn and brain. Overpower the Foreman, puzzle your way through a deadly security trap, and finally come face-to-face with the evil that lurks at the heart of the Aetherblade base.

New Items and Rewards

• Finishing the final boss will award gold, Deadly Blossoms, and Empyreal Fragments, with additional Deadly Blossoms and Empyreal Fragments awarded the first time you complete that path each day.
• For completion of the Twilight Assault meta achievement, you’ll receive the Slickpack back item skin,  a replica of Slick’s mechanized backpiece.
• Finishing all the achievements in the Dungeon Twilight Arbor Aetherpath category will earn you a miniature version of the Aetherpath’s final boss.
• In the open world, tradable Aether Key Pieces will have a chance to drop. Combining five of these pieces will form an Aether Key, which can be used in the optional event after defeating the final encounter of the new Twilight Arbor path.

New Achievements

• A new set of daily challenges will rotate during this release to award points for things like dungeon path completion, creating Aether Keys, and defeating Aetherblades. These dailies will count towards the Living World Twilight Assault Meta achievement.
• Dungeon category Twilight Arbor Aetherpath achievements reward your progress through the new Aetherpath. These achievements also count towards the Living World Twilight Assault meta achievement.
• Some of the Twilight Arbor Aetherpath achievements are meant to pose a challenge to veteran players. Your party will need to come prepared to coordinate as they divide and conquer.