Rift hunting is a captivating feature introduced with the latest expansion of Guild Wars 2, titled Secrets of the Obscure. Engaging in rift hunting is essential if you're planning to craft the highly anticipated new legendary armour, which will become available in the coming months. Additionally, participating in rift events can yield substantial profits. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into everything you need to know about rifts, their mechanics, and strategies to maximize your success.

 

• Essence and Legendary Armor Crafting
• Unlocking Rift Hunting
• Rift Event Phases
• Navigation and Waypoints
• Identifying Rift Locations
• Rift Tier Differentiation
• Crafting and Motivations
• Motivating Rift Events
• Enhancing Rewards

 

↖ Essence and Legendary Armor Crafting

During rift events, you will acquire Essences, a vital crafting material required for forging the new legendary armour. These Essences are of varying types and tiers, including blue (Essence of Despair), green (Essence of Greed), and yellow (Essence of Wealth). Each type corresponds to a tier of rift event.

 

↖ Unlocking Rift Hunting

Upon completing chapter 2 of the story Hell Breaks Loose, you will unlock the first Mastery line from the Obscure research. By advancing through the Rift Guidance Mastery, you gain access to a new skill called Scan for Rift. Activating this skill sends out a visible beam that directs you toward the location of the next rift event. Furthermore, when you open the map, you might notice a red circle highlighting the event's location, simplifying your quest.

 

↖ Rift Event Phases

A rift event unfolds in three phases:

Phase 1	Mob Elimination	The first phase necessitates defeating mobs to summon the event's boss.
Phase 2	Boss Battle	Phase two involves confronting and defeating the boss.
Phase 3	Rift Closure	In the final phase, you must close the rift to conclude the event.

 

↖ Navigation and Waypoints

To streamline your participation, assign a hotkey for the Mastery skills. This will eliminate the need to open the Mastery Skills menu every time. While engaging in rift hunting, you will primarily find rifts in Skywatch Archipelago and Amnytas, though other maps might be introduced in future updates. You can also use the Mastery skill on any map to discover which rift events are available in that area.

 

↖ Identifying Rift Locations

Rifts of all tiers have designated spawning locations. To swiftly locate rifts, align your character with the direction indicated by the Mastery skill's beam. After that, consult your map to pinpoint the closest Waypoint. This technique helps you efficiently reach rift events even without red location icons.

 

↖ Rift Tier Differentiation

There are three tiers of rift-hunting events:

• Tier 1: These are common and manageable solo events that grant blue Essences.
• Tier 2 and Tier 3: These more challenging events require groups. Tier 2 offers green Essences, while Tier 3 yields yellow Essences.

 

↖ Crafting and Motivations

To craft Essences into motivations for rift hunting, you'll require Cryptic's Motivation recipes. You can find these recipes at the Outfitter Vendor near the spawn Waypoint in the Wizards Tower map. Alternatively, purchase them from the NPC named Lair nearby. Additionally, rare cryptic motivations can be bought directly from the trading post.

 

↖ Motivating Rift Events

Uncommon cryptic's motivation initiates tracking for Tier 2 rift events, while rare cryptic's motivation allows you to track Tier 3 rift events. Once tracking is enabled, the Mastery skill guides you to the next rift location. Keep in mind that these motivation items are only consumed upon spawning the rift's boss.

 

↖ Enhancing Rewards

Cryptic motivations can also be employed to enhance rewards. If you're part of a squad where someone else initiates the boss spawn, you can interact with the rift and use your motivation item to boost your GW 2 Gold and rewards. This applies to both Tier 2 and Tier 3 events. Additionally, investing in Rift Mastery within the Astral World category increases your rewards incrementally.

 

Conclusion:

By following this guide, you're primed to excel in rift hunting, secure Essences of various tiers, and work towards crafting the new legendary armour. If you're keen on generating profits instead, consider crafting and selling Cryptic's motivations. Remember that consistency is key, and with enough dedication, you'll be well-prepared to conquer the rifts and seize the treasures they offer. If you have any queries, feel free to leave a comment, and thank you for using this guide to enhance your GW2 rift hunting experience!