Today, on May 26, the new episode “No Mercy” was released in Guild Wars 2. MeinMMO author Alexander Leitsch was able to play it in advance with the developers. He is thrilled about the episode because it is truly brutal.
What kind of update is this? The new episode “No Mercy” continues the story of the Icebrood Saga. It is available for about 3 months for free and brings a host of new content, including:
- The new map “Mistwood Coast”
- A new assault mission
- New weapon and armor sets
- A new emote “Play Dead”
- A new mastery related to the map
This update offers what players are accustomed to from previous episodes.
But “No Mercy” differs from other updates. The new map brings features from World vs. World into PvE for the first time. The civil war among the Charr escalates, and things get quite brutal at times. Even beloved characters suddenly stand against me.
A constant feeling of war
What happens on the map? The new map “Mistwood Coast” is completely geared towards war. There are a total of 9 zones, one of which represents our base, while 7 others can be conquered by us. Only in the middle is a neutral zone with calm fauna.
The meta-event is entirely about dominance on the map:
- From the Umbral Cave, players launch a campaign against the camps of the Charr Overlords. This is the new alliance of the Charr that takes up arms against our four known legions.
- They spread out over 2 “lanes”, one team goes left through the forest along with the Ash and Flame Legion, while another team goes right over the beach alongside Iron and Blood.
- The objective is to conquer 4 outposts of the Charr.
- In the fifth and final area, the finale of the meta-event will take place, provided all other areas are controlled.
The special thing about the map-wide event is that the outposts are constantly under attack. Sometimes Charr appear for recapture, and sometimes there are airstrikes. You can also be pushed back in progress if an outpost is lost.
The sieges: For the war atmosphere, I use siege weapons from WvW on the map such as battering rams, ballistae, or arrow carts. These can be built and purchased using Charr supplies, the currency of the map.
The currency can be obtained through:
- Mining nodes (also for the home instance)
- Event rewards
- and as random drops.
Friends become enemies: The war on the map is a civil war of the Charr. Some familiar faces from the allied legions have defected to Bangar Bloodfist, the former leader of the Blood Legion.
The outposts are partially held by well-known Charr, against whom I must battle. Even the Steel Brigade, whom I got to know better in the visions of the past, becomes a direct enemy.
A special moment: If I succeed in the meta-event, I can first go hunt champions on the map, similar to Dragonfall.
However, after a timer expires, a special spectacle occurs: With the help of airstrikes, the enemy Charr retake the entire map. This is accompanied by the howling of sirens and many explosions.
This, combined with the warlike atmosphere, leaves me with an exciting but somewhat oppressive feeling. And that even without sound. Because at launch, there will be no voiceover due to Corona. But it will be added later.
From 2013 until early 2020, he was also responsible for the GW2 fansite Guildnews.de.
The civil war is a challenge, even for the commander
At this point, we would like to briefly summarize what has happened so far and how the entry into the episode proceeds. We won’t reveal anything about further content and possible twists.
What happens in the story? I am summoned to the camp of the Charr because there is a problem: deserters. Many supporters of the allied legions wonder if Bangar is not the better leader.
The Charr boasts a victory over the dragon champion Drakkar, one that I actually achieved. At the same time, his apparent goal of fighting the Elder Dragon Jormag seems more impressive than the waiting attitude of my allies and me.
Accordingly, Bangar’s troops have grown significantly, and his army is advancing further and further. Now it’s up to me to turn the tide.
Upon arriving at the Charr camp, I should help restore morale. But upon my arrival, the Iron Legion immediately executes 3 deserters. Not a good starting point for restoring morale.
At least some humans pledge allegiance to the alliance with the Charr and send reinforcements. Two familiar faces reappear: Kasmeer Meade and Logan Thackeray.
Deserters, war, fear, and the senseless dying of the Charr preoccupy me throughout the episode. Even I find myself facing a questionable decision in the course of the story:
How far am I allowed to go in war?
Mastery brings new PvE skills
What does the mastery of the episode bring? Through the new masteries, each player receives two special skills that can only be used in PvE:
- The Electromagnetic Pulse deals damage, stuns enemies for 2 seconds, and slows them for 5 seconds. It can hit up to 10 targets.
- The Remote Detonated Charge can be placed and triggered when an enemy steps on it. It deals damage and burning, and also throws targets up. Here too, 10 targets will be hit.
The skills come with 3, or 5 uses for the explosive charge from the “Special Action” slot. You can obtain them for 10 War Supplies each at way stations.
The cool thing about it is: You can purchase a portable way station from the vendor for 25 War Supplies. With this, you can use the skill on other maps as well. However, each way station can only be set up once, but it can be used by all players.
Many rewards round off the episode
What rewards are there? As a reward for the meta-success, you can earn the new emote /playdead. In this, your character dramatically falls to the ground. The developers told me that there are some interesting interactions with this emote.
However, how exactly these interactions look is something the players should find out for themselves.
In the episode, you can also earn two new weapon sets:
- The Tengu weapons
- The Stormcaller weapons
Both also have a collection with corresponding rewards and achievement points.
Gallery of the Tengu weapons:
Axe 
Dagger 
Torch 
Focus 
Rifle 
Greatsword 
Hammer 
Horn 
Shortbow 
Longbow 
Pistol 
Shield 
Sword 
Staff 
Mace 
Scepter
Gallery of the Stormcaller weapons:
Axe 
Dagger 
Torch 
Focus 
Rifle 
Greatsword 
Hammer 
Horn 
Shortbow 
Longbow 
Pistol 
Shield 
Greatsword 
Staff 
Mace 
Scepter
Additionally, you can earn new backpacks appropriate to the legions, new Charr war masks, and two exclusive weapon skins in the episode.
Furthermore, there are 4 pieces of the Ceremonial Bear Armor, which you already know from a screenshot from the developers.
One of the best episodes of the Living World ever
Is the new episode worth it? “No Mercy” is an interesting episode that brings many story highlights and interesting twists. The truly well-designed map offers what many have wished for since HoT: a cross-map event that requires coordination from players.
Although I still don’t know how difficult the event will actually be or whether players will find ways to bypass the map mechanics as effectively as possible. But during the first playtest, it felt like there was finally a challenge again. Added to that is the overall setting and the use of siege weapons. These are all things I have always wanted for a map.
The episode is rounded off by the new assault mission associated with the final battle of the meta-event, as well as many rewards I can earn.
I am very much looking forward to enjoying the episode again in all its brutality and experiencing the meta-event with many players.
