Frostpunk 2 Chapter 2: Embrace or Conquer the Frost

Survival in Frostpunk 2 is a formidable challenge, but your decision regarding the Frost can significantly mitigate this difficulty—provided you make the right choice.

Upon completing the Prologue and Chapter 1, Frostpunk 2 presents a crucial decision: will you embrace or defeat the Frost? The implications of this choice may not be immediately evident when you reach the “Ambitions” screen, yet this decision profoundly shapes the gameplay and narrative in the subsequent chapters.

If you’re uncertain about which path to choose, you’ve arrived at the right guide. This article delves into both options comprehensively and offers insights on which might align best with your gaming style.

Should You Embrace or Defeat the Frost?

Choice: Embrace or Defeat the Frost in Frostpunk 2 — Image credit: dexerto/11Bit Studios

Your choice in this chapter shapes your entire story.

Your decision to defeat or embrace the Frost ultimately hinges on your playstyle.

If you prefer centralized control and technological progression, defeating the Frost is the optimal choice.
If you enjoy exploration and resource management via outposts, embracing the Frost offers a more adaptable strategy.

Consider trying both approaches: one during your initial playthrough and the other in a subsequent run. Personally, during my first playthrough, I opted to defeat the Frost, and I found that it was somewhat easier to navigate the challenges. Though, calling anything in Frostpunk 2 easy might be an exaggeration.

Defeating the Frost

Defeat the Frost Objectives in Frostpunk 2 — Image credit: dexerto/11Bit Studios

Conquer the cold.

Defeating the Frost is ideal for players who enjoy steering centralized urban management, enhancing technology, and securing the survival of New London through a streamlined operation.

Choosing to defeat the Frost allies you with the Stalwarts faction, which emphasizes progress and technological innovation. The primary objective here is to fuel New London’s generator using oil exclusively. This path underscores the importance of expanding oil production, involving the use of the old Dreadnought and researching oil-centric upgrades.

A significant advantage of this choice is the access to Deep Melting Drills in the Research Institute, which can yield virtually limitless food and materials from deep deposits. However, this oil-reliant strategy carries risks. Should oil production stall, your city’s fuel supply could dwindle, leading to dire consequences.

Embracing the Frost

Embrace the Frost Objectives in Frostpunk 2 — Image credit: dexerto/11Bit Studios

And if you can’t conquer it, join it.

While embracing the Frost allows for greater versatility, it isn’t without its downsides. This choice restricts your ability to extract resources from specific deep deposits around New London, which may hinder resource production in certain areas.

Conversely, embracing the Frost aligns you with the Pilgrims faction, known for their adaptability to adverse conditions. Opting for this path permits your generator to utilize a mixed fuel approach: coal, oil, or steam. Such flexibility is essential as you explore the Frostland to create and oversee remote settlements linked to New London via Skyways.

These outposts provide unlimited resources, offering an alternative strategy for fulfilling your city’s needs. Additionally, embracing the Frost unlocks research opportunities for settlement heating and other vital survival technologies, making it ideal for those who appreciate exploration and the management of multiple outposts.

If you require further guidance on navigating your choices, take a look at the best strategies for acquiring fuel and insights on whether to sacrifice the elders or seals during the Prologue.

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