Masks guide - Mimicry, mask level, Ascension and Red Crystals

Each mask has its own node tree; you level it by using it and spend crystals to repair nodes. Entering Mimicry costs 1 Yellow Crystal for every ruin and god mask, and the mask’s strongest skill unlocks at mask level 10 and is cast with V while in Mimicry. Turning on Mimicry Ascension upgrades that skill (not available in PVP). The full list of 19 masks with sources and skills is on the mask reference.

Getting more masks

Masks	Where
Civilization, Conquest, Rich	One at character creation; the others in the level-25 Ancient Ruins
Torch of Eternity	Rift Valley Holy Ruins (level 30)
Wilderness Mark	Jungle Cave Holy Ruins (level 40)
Tactical Guidance	Giant Crater Holy Ruins (level 50)
Shadow Walker	Scorching Volcano Holy Ruins (level 55)
Explorer	Frost Canyon Holy Ruins
Ironblood Guard, Nature Enlightenment	Found broken in Ancient Dungeons; repaired at the Mysterious Stone Table
Golden Legend	Free Steam DLC
Celestial Wings	Shifting Sands starting mask
Abyss Overlord, Doomsday Judgment, Glorious Hymn	Sobek, Anubis Hound and Onyx Scarab guardians
Enforcer, Shadow Hunter, Ruler of the Barren Sands	Burning Highlands Holy Ruins, Burning Highlands Pyramid, Star Plain Pyramid

Mask chests in relic ruins glow since 21 April. Since patch 8 (29 April), several players from the same tribe can open a mask chest within 10 minutes and each receive their own mask.

Restrictive Modules

Several newer masks also need a Restrictive Module before they reach full power, and the module can drop elsewhere:

Mask	Restrictive Module drop
Enforcer	Burning Highlands Holy Ruins (with the mask)
Shadow Hunter	Burning Highlands Holy Ruins
Ruler of the Barren Sands	Blackstone Cliff Ruins Dungeon
Glorious Hymn	Red Dunes Ruins (moved from Blackstone Cliff on 31 August)

Switching masks

1.0 added a shortcut to switch masks. Nodes of the mask you chose at character creation start unlocked. The Transfer node links your mask to other masks so you can use them; general nodes such as Connection Enhancement (tribesman limit), Energy Unit and Mask Hardening are shared by every mask, while each mask’s own tree has to be levelled separately.

Useful general nodes

Node	Effect
Control	Possess tribesmen; allows the first 3
Connection Enhancement I–III	Tribesman limit 9, 13, 18
Deter Enhance, Sync Enhancement	Faster Recognition when recruiting
Perception Enhancement, Minerals Probe, Habit Analysis	Longer detection; marks ores and animal habitats when you tap Q
Quality Assessment	Hold Q to read a target’s quality
Spatial Analysis (1.0)	Route guidance inside underground ruins
Multi-Functional Module	Opens the Red Crystal slot at the Mysterious Stone Table

Mimicry and Ascension

• Starting masks: 1.0 removed the Mimicry form of Civilization, Conquest and Rich and grants their Mimicry skills directly. Early Access guides describing a Medical or Slaughter mode for them are out of date.
• Ruin and god masks: press the Mimicry key to enter the mode (1 Yellow Crystal); the level-10 skill is cast with V.
• Ascension: with the Mimicry Ascension option on (save or server setting, on by default), Mimicry upgrades to level 2 and the level-10 skill gains its upgraded effect. Examples: Tactical Guidance revives a fallen tribesman after 3 s, Shadow Walker teleports behind a target, Torch of Eternity deploys a healing field.

Best mask for each playstyle

Playstyle	Mask	Mimicry and level-10 skill	Where it pays off
Bow	Wilderness Mark (level-40 ruins); Rich before that	Draw time −30%; Firepower Guidance homing arrows, plus a supporting strike when ascended	Saber-toothed Predator, Fogfrog and Tempest Griffin from range
Fighting beside tribesmen	Tactical Guidance	Deployed tribesmen are not actively attacked and take 50% less damage near death; Ionic Armor gives them Superarmor and revives one after 3 s	Group guardian fights, camp raids
Melee tank	Ironblood Guard	Reflects 30% of melee damage; Omni Guard absorbs damage up to 20% of max HP (40% ascended) for 60 s	Melee builds that trade hits with elites
Self-healing melee	Torch of Eternity (level-30 ruins)	20% of each hit taken converts to HP; High-Energy Crystal blocks external damage or, ascended, heals allies in a field	First iron-tier guardians; players beat the Vajra Ape with it
Hostile climates	Explorer	Strong protection from radiation, poison and temperature; Electromagnetic Barrier blocks slow projectiles	Mammoth, Central Core, Wasteland and volcano mining
Stealth kills	Shadow Walker	Backstab Deadly Blow; Optical Mimicry invisibility and teleport behind the target	Clearing camps and barracks
Beast companion	Nature Enlightenment	Small and medium beasts stop attacking; Nature’s Heart summons a beast that absorbs 25% (40%) of your damage	Solo players without fighters
Recruiting	Golden Legend	Shows quality and titles; Sunbird Blessing reveals talents in chosen fields	Scouting recruits (best tribesmen)
Flying on Shifting Sands	Celestial Wings	Flight speed +200%, no fall damage; Energy Wings lets vehicles and, ascended, tribesmen fly	Desert travel; not against Anubis Hound or Onyx Scarab, which hit flyers
Undead army	Doomsday Judgment	Heals when a creature dies within 20 m; Final Judgment executes weakened humanoids, who rise for you when ascended	Shifting Sands camps

Guardian-by-guardian mask and gear picks are on how to beat every guardian.

Red Crystals

Red Crystals (Redstone) add random affixes to a mask once the Multi-Functional Module is repaired. They drop from machine cores and mechanical constructs in dungeons and Holy Ruins. “Primordial” Red Crystals with unique abilities were tested on the public test branch in July and drop from the same mechanical enemies. Since 9 July you can search Red Crystals in your backpack and nearby boxes directly from the mask (Y) screen.