How To Get Aetherhearts In Dauntless

In Dauntless, Aetherhearts are highly valuable upgrade materials used to unlock the maximum potential of your gear. Whether you’re upgrading your weapons, armor, or looking to enhance your overall power level, acquiring Aetherhearts is an essential part of your endgame progression. They can be somewhat rare and require specific methods to obtain, so understanding how to get Aetherhearts efficiently will save you time and allow you to build more powerful loadouts for tougher Behemoth hunts.

What Are Aetherhearts?

Aetherhearts are special upgrade items used in Dauntless to empower gear beyond its normal limits. Once you’ve leveled a weapon or armor piece up to +15, you can convert it into an Aetherheart. These items are then used to unlock high-tier upgrades, particularly with the Reforge system, which helps increase your Slayer level and enhances long-term progression.

The Role of Aetherhearts in Progression

Aetherhearts are not used for every upgrade, but they are crucial for endgame content. Their primary use is in reforging, which resets your weapon level to gain bonuses and continue leveling up. Each reforge requires one Aetherheart, making them a limited but important resource that players must manage wisely.

How to Get Aetherhearts in Dauntless

There are a few consistent ways to earn Aetherhearts in Dauntless. While the game doesn’t hand them out in large quantities, understanding the process makes collecting them much easier. Here are the key methods:

1. Reaching Level 20 on a Weapon Track

The most direct method of obtaining Aetherhearts is by leveling a weapon to level 20. Each weapon class (sword, axe, hammer, etc.) has its own progression track. When you reach level 20 with a weapon type, you unlock the ability to reforge it. The reforging process consumes the weapon level and gives you one Aetherheart.

To reforge:

• Open the Slayer’s Path menu
• Select your weapon progression track
• Reach level 20 in that weapon track by gaining experience in hunts
• Use the Reforge option to obtain an Aetherheart

After reforging, the weapon track resets to level 1, and you can level it up again to repeat the process for more Aetherhearts.

2. Leveling All Weapon Types

Each weapon class has a separate progression track, so you can gain multiple Aetherhearts by leveling different weapon types. If you’ve already reforged your sword, for example, you can switch to the axe or chain blades and level those up to 20 to earn additional Aetherhearts.

This method not only provides more Aetherhearts but also improves your overall Slayer Level, which is essential for unlocking late-game perks and new nodes in the Slayer’s Path tree.

Maximizing Weapon XP Gain

Since Aetherhearts are tied to weapon leveling, increasing your experience gain is essential for farming them efficiently. Here are tips to get weapon XP faster:

Focus on Escalations

Escalations provide some of the best experience gains in Dauntless. Participating in 10-50 level Escalation hunts will help you progress through weapon levels quickly, especially when combined with bonuses from patrols and boosts.

Use XP Boosts

XP Boosters, which can be earned or purchased, increase your weapon XP gain significantly. Activate them before going on hunts to maximize the efficiency of each run.

Play with Friends or Use Group Bonuses

Team play often results in faster kills and more consistent runs. Playing in groups can make farming XP easier and quicker, helping you reach level 20 faster and obtain Aetherhearts more efficiently.

How to Use Aetherhearts

Once you’ve acquired Aetherhearts, you can use them in the reforging process. Reforging increases your weapon skill and Slayer Level, and also grants passive bonuses that persist even after resetting a weapon’s level.

These long-term bonuses are especially important in high-difficulty content like Heroic Escalations and Trials. Each Aetherheart you spend strengthens your Slayer’s ability to deal with challenging Behemoths and complete hunts more efficiently.

Where to Reforge

You can perform the Reforge process in the main city, Ramsgate:

• Visit the Reforge terminal or menu in the Slayer’s Path
• Select the weapon track at level 20
• Choose to reforge and confirm your decision

Be aware that this process will reset the weapon level to 1, but you’ll gain the Aetherheart and a passive bonus specific to that weapon type.

Alternative Aetherheart Sources

While reforging is the main source of Aetherhearts, some special events, limited-time quests, or Hunt Pass rewards may occasionally offer Aetherhearts as rewards. These are rare and time-sensitive, but worth pursuing when available.

Event Rewards and Seasonal Content

Keep an eye on Dauntless events and seasonal updates. Sometimes, developers include Aetherhearts as part of event milestones or special currency exchanges. Participating in these can provide extra resources without grinding weapon XP.

Managing Your Aetherheart Supply

Since Aetherhearts are tied to time-consuming progress, it’s smart to manage them wisely. Don’t use them immediately unless you know what you’re planning to upgrade or reforge. Consider saving them for specific Slayer Path unlocks or when you want to boost a weapon class you use often.

Prioritize Your Main Weapon

If you favor a particular weapon type (like sword or repeaters), focus on reforging that track first. This allows you to stack bonuses specific to that weapon and make the most of your Aetherheart investment.

Track Your Slayer Level

Each reforge increases your Slayer Level by one. Higher Slayer Levels unlock new passive bonuses and additional options in the Slayer’s Path. Keeping track of your progress ensures you’re optimizing both your weapon builds and overall character power.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some common errors players make when trying to get Aetherhearts in Dauntless:

• Not checking weapon level before reforging: Only level 20 weapons can be reforged. Don’t waste time trying to reforge early.
• Neglecting Escalations: Regular hunts offer less XP compared to Escalations, making them less efficient for Aetherheart farming.
• Not activating XP boosts: Forgetting to use available XP bonuses slows down progress significantly.
• Reforging without a plan: Aimlessly reforging different weapons can spread your bonuses too thin. Focus on what you use most.

Final Tips

Getting Aetherhearts in Dauntless is all about smart planning and efficient XP farming. By focusing on Escalation hunts, using experience boosters, and reforging the right weapons, you can collect Aetherhearts at a steady pace. As you reforge more and level up your Slayer, the game opens up with new power levels, making each hunt more rewarding. With the right strategy, you’ll never run short of Aetherhearts again.