How to Achieve Legacy in State of Decay 2: A Comprehensive Guide
The core gameplay loop of State of Decay 2 revolves around community survival in a zombie-infested world. But the game offers a much deeper experience through its Legacy system, providing long-term progression and replayability. So, how exactly do you achieve a Legacy in State of Decay 2? You earn a Legacy by completing the main storyline of a map with a chosen Leader in your community. Each leader type—Sheriff, Trader, Warlord, or Builder—has a unique set of final missions that unlock a specific Legacy Boon. This boon then becomes available for use in all subsequent playthroughs, offering powerful starting advantages. In essence, achieving a Legacy means successfully leading your community to a defined conclusion based on your leadership style, permanently altering the way you begin future games. Let’s break this down further.
Understanding the Legacy System
The Four Leader Types and Their Boons
The first step to achieving a Legacy is electing a Leader within your community. You do this by promoting a survivor who has reached Hero status with the community. Different Leader types emphasize different aspects of survival:
- Sheriff: Focuses on protection and community wellbeing. Their Legacy Boon, the Sheriff Boon, often involves enhanced safety or resources in future games.
- Trader: Concentrates on economic development and resource management. Their Trader Boon offers significant economic advantages in future playthroughs, such as increased starting resources or enhanced trading options.
- Warlord: Emphasizes combat prowess and aggressive community expansion. The Warlord Boon typically provides starting firepower, military resources, or powerful weapons in new games.
- Builder: Centers on community infrastructure and defensive capabilities. The Builder Boon usually provides a pre-built facility in your base at the beginning of new games or other construction benefits.
How to Activate a Leader’s Legacy
Once you have chosen your leader, you will begin to notice new storyline missions appear that are specific to that leader’s type. You must complete each of these missions in order to proceed and eventually unlock the leader’s respective Legacy. This involves several tasks, such as eliminating specific hostile threats, trading with other groups, or setting up a supply chain depending on your Leader’s focus.
The Endgame
The final step towards achieving a Legacy is the endgame. This is only unlocked after you eliminate every Plague Heart on the map. Once the last heart is destroyed, a final mission based on your leader type will appear. Completing this final mission cements your community’s Legacy and grants you the associated Legacy Boon. This boon is then added to your account and can be selected during the setup of any new game.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do I choose a leader in State of Decay 2?
You choose a leader by promoting a survivor in your community to Hero status. Once they are a Hero, an option to elect them as Leader will become available in the community menu.
2. Can I change my leader type mid-game?
No, once a leader is elected and their storyline missions have begun, you cannot change the leader type for that playthrough. If you wish to unlock a different Legacy Boon, you must start a new game.
3. How do I know which missions belong to my leader?
Leader missions are distinct and have different names based on the leader type (e.g., “Sheriff Justice,” “Trader Ambition”). They will clearly point you towards the appropriate story progression for your chosen leader.
4. Do I need to complete all side missions to get a Legacy?
No, only the primary leader-specific storyline missions and elimination of all Plague Hearts are required for a Legacy. While side missions can help your community, they are not required to complete the game.
5. How many legacy boons can I unlock?
You can unlock all four Legacy Boons by completing the game with each of the leader types at least once.
6. How do I use my unlocked Legacy Boons?
When starting a new game, you will have the option to choose two Legacy Boons from those you’ve unlocked. These are selected during the difficulty and map selection screen.
7. What happens if a Legacy survivor dies in a new game?
If a survivor from a previous completed community (a Legacy survivor) dies, they are permanently lost and can never be used as a Legacy character again.
8. How do I send survivors to the Legacy pool?
In the community menu (Default hotkey is ‘N’), select the survivor you wish to add to the Legacy pool and hold down the appropriate hotkey which is the ‘=’ button to then add them to the pool. This is done when you end your current community’s run.
9. How many survivors can I bring into a new game from my legacy pool?
You can bring up to three survivors from your Legacy pool to any new game.
10. Do I need to complete all the maps to unlock every Legacy Boon?
No, Legacy Boons are tied to leader types, not the map itself. You can unlock all four on the same map if desired by starting new communities.
11. Which Leader is best for beginners?
This can be subjective but the Builder and the Sheriff Legacy Boons are generally considered beginner-friendly as they offer a more stable start to the game. The Builder boon provides free facilities for new communities, and the Sheriff boon provides starting resources and benefits.
12. What happens if I exile a survivor?
Exiled survivors may reappear later, sometimes attempting to attack your community. Their aggression can vary depending on their traits.
13. What is the maximum number of survivors in my community?
The maximum community size is 12 survivors. After reaching 9 or more, recruiting new survivors becomes less frequent.
14. What is the best map for a new playthrough?
Meagher Valley is a good all-around map for both new and experienced players, as it’s densely packed with resources. The layout is also straightforward and easy to navigate.
15. Can I continue playing after I achieve a Legacy?
Yes, you can continue with your current community or disband it. Disbanding allows you to send survivors to the legacy pool and lets you take your legacy boons into your next game. Continuing will allow you to retain all your items and characters but will not unlock any legacy boons.
Achieving a Legacy in State of Decay 2 is a rewarding experience that adds significant depth and replayability to the game. By understanding the nuances of each Leader type and strategizing your approach, you can unlock powerful boons and create a lasting impact on your future playthroughs. So, take charge, survive the apocalypse, and forge your own unique Legacy!