Activating the Gate to the Stars: Nomad Highlands Dungeon in Enshrouded
To clear the Nomad Highlands dungeon for the Gate to the Stars in Enshrouded, glide in from Kindlewastes, ride the rails, and beat the Ancient Construct. Stepping on the teleporter after the fight activates the Nomad Highlands beacon, one of six you need for the Activating the Gate to the Stars quest.
The team here at MetaForge played through the full dungeon after the 1.0 launch, starting from the Kindlewastes beacon dungeon entrance. Every route step, button position, and boss attack below comes from that run, current as of Hotfix 1.0.0.3.
How to Complete the Nomad Highlands Dungeon
The Nomad Highlands dungeon in Enshrouded runs in two stages: a short first hall that ends at a teleporter, then a tall main chamber where you open a two-button door, ride rails beneath the boss, and climb to its platform. The full run follows these seven steps.
Reach the entrance: Glide from the Kindlewastes dungeon entrance between the twin peaks ahead, then follow the jump pads and road.
Clear the first hall: Dodge the spike traps, kill the ancients and scorpions, and take the teleporter.
Open the two-button door: Press the buttons on the left and right sides of the upper hall.
Grab the Miniature Piece: Climb the stairs on the right of the main boss room to reach its chest.
Ride the rails: Run the rails to the section below the boss, then climb past the alarm and spawning ancients.
Defeat the Ancient Construct: Step onto the top platform to spawn the boss and fight it.
Activate the beacon: Loot the boss, then step on the teleporter to light the beacon.
Requirements and Preparation for the Nomad Highlands Dungeon
You need the Activating the Gate to the Stars quest from Loraine Crim, which follows the Land of the Sky Islands quest (TBC). The dungeon also has its own entrance inside the Nomad Highlands, so you can walk in without the gate once you know where it is.
Pack these before you leave the Kindlewastes entrance.
Food buffs: Eat before the glide for extra stamina and health. The stamina carries the glide, and the health helps against the scorpion swarm.
Shield or block-capable weapon: Most of the Ancient Construct's attacks can be blocked for little damage. That saves stamina for the two attacks you must dodge.
Archaic Lockpicks: The 1.0 changelog introduced Archaic Lockpicks, starting in Cinder's Cradle. Carry a few in case you find locked chests.
Flame Altar materials: You will place an altar at this dungeon's entrance for fast travel later.
Example Scenario (hypothetical): Say you bring a one-handed weapon, a shield, and stamina food. That kit covers the whole run, because you block the boss's basic strikes and spend stamina only on the glide and dodges.
With your kit packed, fast travel to the Kindlewastes beacon dungeon entrance to start the route.
Route to the Nomad Highlands Dungeon from Kindlewastes
The fastest route starts at the Kindlewastes beacon dungeon entrance, where the Nomad Highlands entrance is already visible on the skyline up ahead. Eat food, jump off, and glide between the two small peaks ahead, then follow the jump pads and road to the dungeon.
Glide between the twin peaks: Aim for the two small peaks sticking up ahead and glide through the gap between them.
Ignore the enemies at the landing: Run past them and head straight for the jump pad.
Jump pad and grapple: Use the jump pad, grapple up, and follow the road.
Second jump pad: Hit the next jump pad, and you land on the path without needing to glide.
Head straight, then left: Keep going straight, then bear left. The dungeon appears on your right as you come down.
Clear the entrance: Kill the ancient guarding the entrance and loot the area.
You can also trace this route on the Enshrouded Interactive Map. Map positions are estimates, so they do not guarantee your path will match ours exactly.
Place a Flame Altar at the entrance before you head inside. The 1.0 changelog raises the limit to 16 Flame Altars once you unlock Flame level 11, so you can keep one at every beacon dungeon.
Clearing the First Hall and the Scorpion Swarm
The first stage is a short hall with spike traps, a group of ancients, and a scorpion swarm that spawns after them. Clear both waves, loot the bodies, then slip past the rotating spikes and through the door to the teleporter that takes you to the main stage.
Spike traps: Dodge through the small spike traps near the entrance before engaging anything.
Scorpion swarm: Stay mobile once the scorpions spawn, and use area attacks if your build has them.
Side room: Skip the room off the hall, since it holds only more ancients and no loot.
Rotating spikes: Time your run past them, then take the teleporter behind the door to reach the main stage.
How to Open the Two-Button Door
After the teleporter, clear the ancients on the first upper level, then continue up to a sealed door that needs two buttons pressed. One button is on the left side and one is on the right, and each side has its own group of ancients guarding it.
Press the left button: Take out the ancients on the left side, then press the button on the wall.
Press the right button: Cross to the right side, clear the ancients, and press the second button.
Clear the next hall: Go through the door, kill the ancients, and keep to the right.
Optional zigzag chest: Before the next door, turn right and follow the zigzag path to a chest. In our run, it held only low-value loot.
Head upstairs: Go through the door and up the stairs, then run straight past the rotating spikes into the main boss room.
Where to Find the Nomad Highlands Miniature Piece
The Nomad Highlands Miniature Piece is in a chest behind a door at the top of the stairs on the right side of the main boss room. Jump, double jump, and glide across, pass the lightning bolts, and kill the ancient that spawns beside the chest.
The piece belongs to the Embervale Miniature Model, which you display in the Embervale Miniature Showcase. Loot the chest and the ancient, then head back down to the main room to start the rail route.
How to Ride the Rails and Avoid the Alarm
From the main room, run along the rails to the section below the boss, since you can stand and run on them directly. Hop off at the platform with the lore piece and respawn point, then climb past the lightning bolts without tripping the alarm, ignoring the shielded ancients.
Follow the first rail: Jump onto one of the moving rail platforms, or step off and run along the rail itself.
Cross and turn left: Jump across to the next rail, step off, and take a left.
Lore piece and respawn: Grab the lore piece on the small platform and activate the respawn point.
Climb past the lightning: Avoid the lightning bolts on the way up, and move carefully so you do not set off the alarm.
Run through the first spawn room: Ignore the barrier-shielded ancients, jump the beams, and keep heading upstairs.
Pass the alarm room: The room on your right holds the alarm switch, so open it and turn the alarm off only if it is sounding.
Run through the second spawn room: Keep running, jump the beams, and open the door at the end.
Close the door behind you: This stops the ancients from following, so you can step onto the boss platform alone.
How to Beat the Ancient Construct
The Ancient S.P.D.R. Construct spawns when you step onto the top platform, and it uses only three attacks in a simple rinse-and-repeat cycle. Block its basic strikes, dodge the beam and the teleport slam, and keep chipping away at its large health pool in the openings between attacks.
These were the only three attacks we saw across the full fight.
Attack | What it does | How to counter |
|---|---|---|
Basic strikes | Light hits that make up most of its pattern | Block, saving stamina for the other two |
Beam | Leaves a burn on you if it connects | Dodge out of its line |
Teleport slam | Teleports and drops down on top of you | Dodge as soon as it disappears |
Ranged and mage builds can handle the fight too. Keep enough stamina in reserve to dodge the beam and the slam, since you will not be blocking.
Example Scenario (hypothetical): Say you fight with a one-handed weapon and shield. Hold block through the basic strikes, roll out of the beam's line, and dodge the moment the Construct vanishes, then counterattack before the next cycle starts.
Once the Construct falls, loot its body before you go near the teleporter.
Nomad Highlands Dungeon Rewards
Clearing the Nomad Highlands dungeon lights its beacon, adding one of the six required for Activating the Gate to the Stars. The Ancient Construct also drops the Ancient Construct Eye, used for your next Flame level, plus gear such as the legendary staff that dropped in our run.
Reward | Where it comes from | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
Beacon activation | Teleporter after the boss | Counts toward the quest's six beacons |
Ancient Construct Eye | Ancient Construct drop | Use it to raise your Flame level |
Legendary staff | Ancient Construct drop in our run (may vary, TBC) | Equip it if it suits your build |
Nomad Highlands Miniature Piece | Chest up the right-side stairs | Place it in the Embervale Miniature Showcase |
With everything looted, step on the teleporter to light the beacon and clear the dungeon.
Light the Remaining Beacons and Finish the Gate to the Stars
Use the altar you placed at this entrance to fast travel to your next beacon dungeon, and take your Flame to its next level with the Ancient Construct Eye. Once all six beacons are lit, return to Loraine Crim to finish Activating the Gate to the Stars.
Additional reading: Enshrouded Database
FAQs
Is the Nomad Highlands beacon dungeon the same as the Nomad Highlands Hollow Halls in Enshrouded?
No, the Nomad Highlands beacon dungeon and the Nomad Highlands Hollow Halls are separate dungeons in Enshrouded. The Hollow Halls opens with a Nomad Highlands Bone Key, while the beacon dungeon belongs to the 1.0 Activating the Gate to the Stars quest and ends with the Ancient S.P.D.R. Construct boss.
Can you do the Nomad Highlands dungeon in co-op in Enshrouded?
Yes, Enshrouded supports co-op with up to 16 players, so a group can clear the Nomad Highlands dungeon together and split the ancients in the alarm and spawn rooms. Whether the beacon and quest progress count for every player, rather than only the world host, is TBC.
What happens if you miss the Miniature Piece or boss loot in the Nomad Highlands dungeon?
You can return to the Nomad Highlands dungeon without the Gate to the Stars, because it has its own entrance inside the Nomad Highlands region. Whether opened chests and the Ancient S.P.D.R. Construct's drop stay available after the beacon is lit is TBC, so loot everything before the final teleporter.
Where do you respawn if you die to the Ancient S.P.D.R. Construct in Enshrouded?
You respawn at the respawn point on the lore piece platform along the rail route, as long as you activated it on the way up. From there, climb back past the lightning bolts, alarm room, and spawning ancients, then close the final door before stepping onto the boss platform.
Does entering the Nomad Highlands dungeon without the gate still light the beacon?
It is not confirmed whether clearing the Nomad Highlands dungeon from its regional entrance lights the beacon for Activating the Gate to the Stars (TBC). MetaForge's tested run entered through the Kindlewastes gate route, so use that route if you want the beacon progress guaranteed.
