Stronghold Overview

The Cultist Stronghold is an important game content added as part of the "Stronghold Update" on July 4, 2025, in 99 NIGHTS IN THE FOREST. This is an extensive multi-story building filled with hostile cultists who will attack any intruder. The stronghold hides many valuable loot items, including chests containing precious diamonds.

Recommended Players
3–4 (not recommended solo)
Minimum Requirements
Basic ranged firepower + medical supplies
Main Rewards
Diamond chests, red chests (or gold chests), crafting scraps
Risk Points
Dense enemy spawns, melee surround, stairway blocking

Location & Finding Method

The Cultist Stronghold is a multiplayer structure in the game, garrisoned by numerous hostile cultists who are well-equipped and will actively attack any intruder.

Finding Method

To find the Cultist Stronghold, you need to:

  1. Increase Firepower Level: First, you need to increase your firepower level to 3 or 4 to unlock and access deeper areas of the map.
  2. Craft and Check Map: Craft a map at the crafting table (requires 3 wood logs). The map will show a diamond icon with a yellow exclamation mark indicating the stronghold's location.
  3. Navigate There: Follow the map's guidance to find the stronghold.
Tip: Place a teleporter at the entrance of the Cultist Stronghold and your base for quick access, minimizing travel time and allowing for quick return in case of failure.

Internal Structure (1F–3F)

The stronghold has three floors, with enemy numbers and intensity progressively increasing. Clear each floor before advancing to avoid being attacked from both above and below.

1F · Entrance Hall & Initial Spawns

  • Entering triggers difficulty notification and first wave of cultists; immediately establish formation.
  • Objective: Clear stairways and passages to ensure safe ascent.

2F · Barricades & Open Firing Lines

  • Concrete barricades and furniture provide cover; suitable for sustained backline ranged fire.
  • Higher enemy density; can have one teammate pull aggro while others provide covering fire.

3F · Final Floor & Reward Room

  • Highest enemy count, maximum pressure; utilize stairways to create bottlenecks for clearing waves.
  • After clearing, unlock reward room (Ruby/Gold & Diamond Chest, etc.).

Enemy Information

The stronghold's interior structure is complex, and the enemies pose significant threats:

Cultist Types

The stronghold contains numerous cultists, with approximately 10-15 enemies per floor. They use not only melee weapons like axes and spears but also ranged weapons like crossbows and rifles. These ranged attackers pose the greatest threat and have very accurate aim.

Enemy Type Weapons Threat Level Counter Strategy
Melee Cultist Axe, Spear Medium Maintain distance, eliminate with ranged weapons
Ranged Cultist Crossbow, Rifle High Priority target, use cover
Elite Cultist Various weapons Very High Focus fire, team coordination

Enemy Behavior

Cultists will actively attack once they detect you. They typically appear in groups. After defeat, cultists have a cooldown period before respawning, giving you a brief rest and reorganization window.

Difficulty & Refresh Mechanics

  • Difficulty Levels: 1–4, increasing progressively after completion (max 4).
  • Enemy Strengthening: Enemy numbers and health increase with difficulty; greater pressure on full servers.
  • Refresh Cycle: Resets approximately 20 minutes after each completion, allowing repeated challenges.
Recommendation: Use a timer (20:00) to track reset time for more efficient farming.
Team Dynamic Adjustment: Consider adding a Medic or increasing backline firepower ratio at higher difficulties.

Tactical Details (Floor-by-Floor Strategy)

General Principles

  • Clear Floors Before Advancing: Don't rush upstairs with enemies still present to avoid backstabs and pincer attacks.
  • Formation: Frontline tanks damage (Brawler, etc.), backline picks off targets (Hunter/ranged); maintain T-shaped/wedge formation.
  • Bottleneck Tactics: Fully utilize stairways, doorways, and narrow corridors to control enemy approach width.
  • Fire Distribution: Shotguns handle close-range group clearing, revolvers/rifles handle picking off charging units.

Team Coordination

Recommended to team up with 1-2 teammates, dividing roles and watching each other's backs. Medic and Assassin classes are best for raids:

  • Medic: Can quickly revive teammates with bandages
  • Assassin: Excels at stealth and ranged throwing knife attacks

1F Tactics

  1. Establish formation immediately upon entry, prioritize clearing enemies near stairs and corners.
  2. Maintain voice communication and visual coordination: backline calls out positions, frontline controls positioning.
  3. After clearing floor, have frontline advance to scout, only regroup and ascend when safe.

2F Tactics

  1. Use cover as axis to establish firing sectors, concentrating fire on approach routes.
  2. Designate 1 "aggro puller" to gather enemies, others focus fire to eliminate.
  3. No solo flanking maneuvers to avoid being isolated and surrounded.

3F Tactics

  1. Set up first defense line at stair exit, eliminate in batches; retreat to 2F to regroup if pressure is too high.
  2. After final clearance, open chests: one person operates, others provide covering fire to prevent stray enemies or accidental refresh trigger.
  3. Confirm retreat route is clear before full withdrawal.

Team Composition & Roles

Recommended 3–4 player team ensuring frontline damage absorption, sustained firepower and healing sustainability.

Role Class/Character Responsibilities Preferred Weapons
Frontline Tank Brawler Position holding, damage absorption, suppressing stairway/doorway bottlenecks Shotgun / Heavy melee weapons
Main Damage Hunter Eliminating charging targets, cleaning up scattered small groups Revolver / Rifle
Healing Support Medic Healing and revival, supply management, emergency止血 Revolver / Light shotgun
Logistics Scavenger Scavenger Collecting loot, managing supplies, ammunition resupply Pistol / Backup melee

Recommended Equipment & Supplies

Weapon Configuration

  • Primary Ranged: Revolver, tactical shotgun, rifle (choose two)
  • Melee Backup: Axe/polearm for finishing or close-quarters division
  • Ammo Carry: 2–3 times normal amount (high difficulty)

Medical & Survival

  • First aid kits ×2, several bandages,止血pack
  • Torches/lighting (improve visibility in dark areas)
  • Small amount of food and stamina recovery items

Team Tools

  • Timer (20:00 reset)
  • Simple markers (mark retreat routes/rally points)
  • Backup melee to conserve ammo
Important Note: Since facing cultists can be difficult, keep your campfire burning; have teammates monitor it, or if solo, teleport back to replenish supplies.

Loot & Retreat Strategy

Main Rewards

  • Special chests: Iron bulletproof vest, tactical shotgun, riot shield
  • Diamond chests: 5-10 diamonds (key currency for unlocking new classes)
  • Cultist gems: For crafting rare structures
  • Cultist experiments: For crafting bolts
  • Infiltration badge: Awarded after clearing all cultists

Additional Drops

  • Mossy Coins
  • Ammo
  • Cultist gems (always dropped by last defeated cultist)

Retreat Strategy

  • Chest Opening Process: Designate 1 person to operate, 2–3 others provide external security, prioritizing stairways and doorways.
  • Retreat Recommendation: Scout external movements first, confirm safety before full withdrawal; transport in two trips if necessary.
Repeated Challenges: After conquering the stronghold, you can raid again after a brief cooldown, but each successful raid increases the dungeon's difficulty level, making subsequent encounters more dangerous. This makes repeatedly attacking the Cultist Stronghold an effective but risky method to accumulate diamonds.

Advanced Tips & Common Mistakes

Don't Rush Upstairs: Advancing with uncleared lower floors is the primary cause of pincer attacks.
Maintain Ammo Redundancy: Bringing twice as much as "just enough" is usually safer.
Voice Communication & Callouts: Unified commands (e.g., Clear 1F / Up 2F) improve execution.
2F Buffer: When 3F pressure is high, retreat to 2F to regroup, recover in batches.
Cover ≠ Safety: Flanking shots and passing enemies still threaten, mind movement and视角.
Utilize Traps: Place bear traps at entrances or key passages to effectively hinder cultist advances.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can it be done solo?

Theoretically possible but highly not recommended. Due to high enemy density and supply pressure, solo players easily get surrounded. Recommend at least 3 players.

What's the most critical equipment?

Shotgun (close-range group clearing) + revolver/rifle (picking); plus sufficient medical supplies (first aid kits/bandages).

Why do I always get blocked at stairways?

Wrong advance timing or loose formation. Clear floors first, then advance; have frontline hold position, backline provide cross-angle fire, retreat and pull if necessary.

Do chests respawn after being opened?

The entire stronghold resets after approximately 20 minutes. Recommend using a timer for循环 challenges to improve efficiency.

Is the Stronghold Update time-limited?

The initial "Stronghold Update" started on July 4, 2025, and ended on July 11, 2025. But note that the Cultist Stronghold itself as game content is likely permanently available in the game, check the latest in-game information for details.

Note

This article is a player-oriented tactical and experience summary. Specific values or details may vary slightly due to version updates or server settings. Please refer to your actual game experience and adjust accordingly.