Unlocking Gnosis in Witchfire: A Complete Guide

Introduced in January 2024, Gnosis is a new stat in Witchfire designed to enhance game balance. To access, level up, and utilize Gnosis, players must complete an extensive list of tasks.

Locating Gnosis Unlock in the Hermitorium

When you return to the Hermitorium, take a right from the portal leading to the outside world to face the witch. Right by the entrance to the building that contains your armory and mirror, turn left to discover a newly lit red hallway. Descend the stairs into the church where a large table with a massive book awaits you. To access this area, you must pay 2,500 Volatile Witchfire.

Understanding Gnosis

According to the developers, The Astronauts, Gnosis enhances your comprehension of dark magic, uncovering concealed paths and events. To progress through each Gnosis level, you will need to fulfill a series of increasingly difficult tasks. This system operates independently from your overall character stats. While leveling up is not mandatory for achieving success in Witchfire, advancing your Gnosis levels is essential.

Notably, your character level now does not influence the difficulty of encounters within the witch’s realms. Although advancing your character level will cause the witch to adjust her defenses, the actual challenge level of the game escalates with each Gnosis level increase, introducing new foes, traps, and greater challenges.

When is the best time to level up Gnosis?

Given that increasing Gnosis levels heightens enemy difficulty and introduces new, formidable challenges, it is crucial to be adequately prepared before progressing. Once you upgrade your Gnosis level, reverting to a previous one is not possible. Consequently, if you are under-leveled with minimal weaponry and upgrades, you may find the game significantly more challenging outside the Hermitorium. Therefore, aim to reach a comfort level with the current content before advancing to a higher Gnosis level. Below are some tips for leveling Gnosis effectively:

Level 1: Reaching Gnosis level 1 will noticeably impact the difficulty. You can achieve this as soon as you have the necessary Volatile Witchfire.
Level 2: I recommend being at least level 20, having unlocked some Mysteriums on your weapons, equipping a favorite fetish, and having both a powerful and weaker spell at your disposal. Additionally, a well-upgraded long-range weapon is essential for fending off aerial threats.
Level 3: Aim for levels 28-30, ensuring you have invested points into Luck. One of your preferred weapons should be upgraded to Mysterium III. Equip a comfortable set of rings, maintain a fetish in each of your three slots, and have a demonic weapon you favor ready as well. Also, unlock Arcana before reaching level 3.
Level 4: It’s best to be around level 40, distributing points into health and acquiring additional healing flasks. Ensure you have three fully upgraded weapons (while demonic weapons don’t upgrade, be sure you are adept with them), along with a fully developed fetish, relic, ring, and high-tier spells.

After leveling Gnosis, I highly recommend revisiting the Scarlet Coast to familiarize yourself with the new enemies, traps, and other features you’ve just unlocked before tackling more challenging content. Although this step isn’t strictly necessary, understanding the various traps in a less risky environment can be quite beneficial.

Complete Gnosis Levels in Witchfire

Witchfire will eventually feature 10 Gnosis levels. Currently, in update 0.4, only four levels are available. As each Gnosis level escalates the challenges faced outside the Hermitorium, players must engage with the newly unlocked areas during their gameplay.

Level 1 Gnosis

To achieve Gnosis level 1, you must be in possession of 12,000 Volatile Witchfire; it is not spent during this unlocking process, but must be available in your inventory as you approach the book. Additionally, discover the Shipwrecks within the first two maps.

Shipwreck Locations on the Scarlet Coast

Two shipwrecks must be found to unlock the first level of Gnosis:

The first shipwreck is located in the southeastern part of the Isle of the Damned; navigate south-east until you encounter a cliff that overlooks the ocean. A large ship can be seen protruding from the cliff, making it hard to miss.
The second shipwreck appears on the Scarlet Coast, also in the southeast region of the map. A beach filled with small boats and a large barge farther out to sea can be found here. Simply observing the ships from the shore counts, as you cannot swim to board them.

Benefits of Level 1 Gnosis

Gnosis level 1 primarily increases map difficulty. While it does not unlock a great deal in the outside world, it does facilitate the acquisition of numerous new weapons, fetishes, and other items from the mirror. Some map locations will begin to illuminate, allowing you to spend Volatile Witchfire to uncover treasures, lore, and shortcuts hidden behind these areas.

Level 2 Gnosis

For unlocking Gnosis level 2, you need to acquire two out of the three required items. The checklist includes:

Holding 30,000 Volatile Witchfire
Executing Force Manifestations
Defeating the first Shieldbearer Familiar

Executing Force Manifestations

To trigger a Manifestation, you must locate a ‘Dangerous’ area on the map. Slaying an enemy in a location infused with red Witchfire leads to Force Manifestations, allowing additional foes to be summoned which you must also eliminate.

Locating and Defeating the Shieldbearer Familiar

The Shieldbearer is a primary adversary found on the Scarlet Coast. You must achieve Gnosis level 1 to access its cave located at a spot marked on the map with a skull crossed by a line. Pay Volatile Witchfire to enter.

First Familiar location in Witchfire. — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Despite the rising level of Gnosis, the Shieldbearer remains manageable to defeat, even at Gnosis 4; understanding its patterns is key. A useful strategy involves applying freezing effects, so keep potent and subtle ice spells on standby to simplify your battle. High-tier spells, such as a Mysterium III Hunger, a robust Echo, and Frost Cone, are advisable for this encounter. Additionally, utilizing the Ring of Excreta on Mysterium III can provide crucial benefits.

Phase 1

The Shieldbearer launches a rapid jump attack reminiscent of the Swordsman’s attacks. It alternates between airborne movements and melee strikes when you’re in close range. Dodge using the jump or dash; however, keep an eye on your stamina.

Phase 2

Depending on your Gnosis level, when the Shieldbearer reaches approximately 70-80% health, it will summon Revenant enemies to join the fray. These melee-only fighters can be evaded with relative ease.

Phase 3

At 50% health, the Shieldbearer transforms into a green Swordsman complete with a shield. This new form can attack using slow-moving, green projectiles similar to the shielded Swordsman and envelops itself in a toxic bubble. To avoid persistent damage, you must be inside the green bubble the Shieldbearer generates. Clear out some Revenants to create space and get close to the Shieldbearer. Stuns, such as Frost Cone, will alleviate this phase of the battle.

What can you unlock with Gnosis level 2?

Advancing to Gnosis level 2 provides access to Prophecies, enhancements to the Arcana received when absorbing Witchfire Manifestations. Prophecies are applied to specific Arcana lines and vary based on selected options. This level additionally enables access to the Wailing Tower’s basement on the Isle of the Damned, various spots on the Scarlet Coast, and initiates preparations for Gnosis level 3 related tasks.

Level 3 Gnosis

Witchfire gnosis lab. — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Level 3 Gnosis, much like its predecessor, requires you to meet three out of four specific criteria to unlock. The choices include:

Possess 35,000 Volatile Witchfire
Have 30 Gold
Unlock all Arrival Portals within the Castle
Defeat a Faithful enemy in the Castle

Where to acquire Gold in Witchfire

Where to find Gold in Witchfire. — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Gold can be found in various types of chests scattered across the maps, such as Ammo chests, locked ones, and accessible chests. Typically, only small amounts of gold appear at a time, though you might also discover valuable relics by looking for bags around the map or by pursuing lost spirits.

Exploring the Arrival Portals in the Castle

In Irongate Castle, Arrival Portals function differently than in other areas. Upon beginning this map, you will always spawn at the same portal. However, utilizing any of the green or yellow portals to return to the Hermitorium enables you to start from that location in future attempts. This is how you unlock Arrival Portals; three are present on the Castle Map.

Irongate Castle map in Witchfire. — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Finding the Faithful in Irongate Castle

In Irongate Castle, you can find the Faithful enemy in the far eastern section of the Castle, marked by a skull with a cross.

Level 4 Gnosis

To access level 4 Gnosis after completing level 3, you once again need three out of the four criteria. Here are your options:

Amass 50,000 Volatile Witchfire
Unlock four Mirages
Defeat the Castle’s Familiar
Achieve Mysterium III on any weapon (better to complete this prior to entering level 3, as the foes may become exceptionally challenging).

Unlocking Mirages in Witchfire

Mirages are barriers within Witchfire that can be lifted using Volatile Witchfire. The four Mirages relevant for reaching level 4 Gnosis are exclusively located within Irongate Castle. The specific locations of these Mirages seem to be randomized, to some extent.

Finding the Castle’s Familiar

The Familiar can be found at the northwestern corner of Irongate Castle. To reach it, enter the castle through the main door to the south and navigate your way to the throne room.

Gnosis Levels 5-10

As of update 0.4, levels 5 through 10 of Gnosis have not yet been implemented. With Witchfire remaining in early access, The Astronauts are diligently developing the content expected for these higher Gnosis levels, likely alongside some formidable new enemies. More details will emerge with future patches.

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