So, you’ve gotten into Defiance and you’re going about your business
when you notice these odd red circles on the map and wonder what they
could be. Never fear, Ten Ton Hammer is here! We’ve got everything you
need to know about arkfall, including why you should go out of your way
to participate in them.

Why Care?

In short, you’re playing a greedy ark hunter who’s in search of his
next payday. Arkfall tends to provide great farming for resources, and
some even provide gear after you’ve cleared them. One of the best
resources you can earn will be the key codes used to purchase lockboxes
at the vendor for a chance at nicer gear.

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Arkfall comes in different levels.
Large ones like this will require dozens of players working together,
but the rewards are enough to draw them.

The mobs are a lot tougher, so they’ll often take more people to kill.
With that extra difficulty come better drops, however. If you read our href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/defiance/guides/basics/new-player">New
Player Guide you know that the loot system promotes assisting
other players with killing mobs, and this is a prime opportunity to
take advantage of that. It’s important to damage as many things as you
can, so that when they die you have more opportunities for loot.

Preparing to Ark Hunt

Preparation is pretty straight forward, but there are a few things you
need to know. First, equip the best shields you can find. You might PvP
or PvE with shields that have a lower capacity in exchange for lower
recharge delay and higher recharge rate, but you want the opposite in
arkfalls. In the difficult fights, mobs hit harder per shot, but often
get taunted off by other players, or are fairly easy to kite. Heavier
shields with poorer recharge allow you to take that shot and keep
moving.

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Some falls are smaller and don’t take
long to clear, but larger falls will be made up of several of these
small ones.

Weapons. You want lots of them. And by lots, I mean a metric crap ton.
You want as many weapons that use as many types of ammunition as
possible, because arkfall fights tend to get drawn out and running out
of ammo is fairly common. Early on, before I picked up more weapons, I
spent the last part of several of my arkfalls throwing grenades because
that was all I had left. Even now, ammo can still be a problem, so
weapons tight, folks!



Maybe one of the most important keys to success with arkfall is
grouping. If you can, find a few fellow ark hunters to travel with, and
then spend a few moments comparing notes on EGO perks you may have
unlocked. There are several perks that give bonuses to loot and ammo
drops, and it’s handy if someone in the group has them equipped.
Remember, you won’t be engaging in melee very much, so switch to perks
that help with ranged combat.

Sounding the Hunt

Arkfall usually starts off with a darkening sky and flaming debris
falling through the clouds. If you’re close to the fall, you’ll notice
burning embers floating in the air around you and a distinctive shadow
across the landscape. Check the map, pick your fall, and start heading
that way.



Nearly any arkfall will require multiple people, but since falls are a
great way to get loot, you’ll typically have more than enough people
around to help you. As you close on a fall, you’ll want to make sure
you have some backup before engaging. Larger arkfalls will have
multiple small falls inside of them at the beginning. A good way to
approach them is to go for the fall closest to a main road, because
that’s where you’re most likely to find other players already working
to clear them.

Working the Large Falls

Large arkfalls will require that you clear all the smaller ones inside
the larger circle first. Once they’ve all been cleared, there’ll be an
icon showing where the final large fall will take place. You’ll want to
head that way, but don’t be surprised if you don’t see anything when
you get there. The last fall typically gets marked well before it
actually occurs, so there’s time for everyone to get into position.

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The hellbugs you run into during an
arkfall are hard to take down, but they’re worth the effort.

The fall will start off with several bits of debris falling in a circle
around the marked point. Then, you’ll see a main mob start to work its
way out of the ground at the center. This will be the main objective in
clearing the fall. There are a few different types of these mobs, but
they all have some specifically vulnerable points on them, and that
will be what you need to aim for in for the first part of the fight.



As you start to damage these vulnerable points, other elite hellbugs
will spawn around the area and start attacking. I usually try to get at
least a few shots at all the mobs that are in range so I increase the
chance of getting drops, but I focus on hellbugs in my quadrant and try
to team up with other players to take them down faster. Periodically
however, I’ll make a run around the whole area, collecting up loot
because these guys drop fairly well.

Slaying the Hellion

At some point in the fight, the hellion larva will emerge from the
hellion, and at that time you’ll want to focus as much fire on it as
possible. Killing the larva kills the hellion, and that’s how the fight
is ended. I’ve seen the hellion larva behave in a couple different
ways. In some arkfalls, it sits on top of the hellion and spits poison
at you, but I’ve also seen it leave the hellion and fly around. Either
way, focus on it and take it out every time it emerges.

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When the hellion has taken enough
damage, a larva will appear above it or fly around. Focus as much fire
on it as possible when it does.

A good tactic to use when fighting these hellions is to use a good
solid ranged weapon. For example, you might like an assault rifle to
engage hellbugs at range and shoot at the hellion’s vulnerable areas,
and then you’d switch to something like a shotgun for helping other
players with hellbugs in your immediate area. Once you’ve destroyed
enough of the hellion’s vulnerable spots to get the larva out, switch
to another loadout with a heavier weapon like a rocket launcher or
sniper rifle and another type of weapon with an ammo type you’re not
using much of (I normally use my pistol) to take the larva down.

Autobots, Loot Up and Roll Out!

As you finish off the hellion, you’ll get several popups with whatever
items you were rewarded with and then a screen telling you what
additional resources you’ve earned by securing the arkfall. Take a
moment to do a final sweep around the area where the fight was in case
any other mobs died and left loot while you were fighting the larva.

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Being late to the party doesn’t mean
you have to skip it. Join in for even the last part of the fight for
some quick loot.

Typically, by the time you’ve finished this sweep, there will be
another major fall in the area and all the other players will be
pulling vehicles to get to it. If you have time, go along with them for
another arkfall. It’s common to get in mid-way on your first one, but
then chaining them with all the other players is a great way to get
some nice gear and earn a little scrip.



Don’t be shocked if you find something other than bugs at your next
one, though. There are other types of fall that attracts all sorts of
baddies. Hellbugs seem to be the most common, but I’ve seen mutants and
raiders as well. As far as I know, all the major arkfalls are all bugs,
or at least that’s the most common by far.

But Wait, There’s More!

Well, no there isn't. I mean there is, but not for this article.
Hopefully you’ve gotten some good information out of this quick guide
to arkfall. Check out some of our other href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/defiance">guides to
Defiance if you’re feeling a little lost. The game isn’t
completely intuitive, but it’s worth investing the time to get into.
Good hunting!