Heroes of Hammerwatch 2 offers a lot of challenges, but the Shadow Curse is one of its most fascinating mechanics.
This debuff might initially seem like a pain, but with the right moves, it could be your secret weapon.
This piece breaks down what the Shadow Curse does, how to make it work for you, and the best methods to get rid of its adverse effects when it starts building up.
What Is The Shadow Curse?
Every item you take from the shadow clouds adds Shadow Curse stacks, which come with ups and downs.
A big catch is that your armor and resistance go down, making you more likely to get hit.
Each curse stack chips away at your defense, making it harder to survive as they pile up. The curse makes its mark visually, too.
As the curse takes hold, your screen dims, and the colors go flat, making it trickier to find your way and spot enemies.
When curse levels are up, it can be hard to spot enemies, even on the minimap, so you’ll have to rely on your gut and keep your eyes peeled.
However, the Shadow Curse isn't all bad. The stakes are high, but so are the rewards.
Those clouds that curse you also drop stronger items the more curses you stack.
For example, Decaying Hand adds more weapon damage per curse stack, and Bent Knife raises your crit damage.
These items are handy for characters like the Rogue or Ranger, who can avoid damage more effectively and don’t rely as much on armor.
The Shadow Curse poses threats, but you can rid yourself of it if the effects are too much.
You can get rid of curse stacks by finding a Pyre in the Dark Citadel.
You'll lose a random number of curse stacks when you step into a pyre lit by purple candles.
You can count on a Pyre to clear about 10 curse stacks, making it easier to manage as you go.
If you’re after Pyres and want it quicker, unlock the Architect and get the right upgrades.
Thanks to these upgrades, at least one Pyre will spawn in your dungeon with these upgrades, and it might even reveal the map.
Bonfires do lower curse levels, but they're much less reliable and show up far more sporadically than Pyres.
Besides Pyres and Bonfires, you may come across Imps that can help lower your curse stacks.
Imps are random encounters that sometimes trigger with a "Huh, was that an imp?" message.
It’s not a guaranteed encounter, but when it does happen, it’s a nice way to escape the curse for a bit.
To help with the Shadow Curse, many trinkets, and items can either cut down its effects or make it easier to handle.
For example, Sanctified Water is a trinket that holds off new Shadow Curse stacks for 30 seconds.
The Sacred Cross also helps slow down curse gain and shrink debuff duration.
This is a piece from the Holy Relic Set, and collecting more items from the set will further lessen the curse’s effects.
The more pieces you stack up, the bigger the effects.