The Sluice

“	Tread carefully and quickly. This is swine country.	„
	~ The Academic

The Sluice is an optional Region in Darkest Dungeon II. It does not count towards the number of regions required to reach The Mountain; rather, it is a short 'bonus' area that offers extra rewards at the cost of increased difficulty. There are a number of differences between the Sluice and other regions:

• The Sluice is completely unmapped—all route choices must be taken blindly.
• The Sluice does not have a region modifier, a quest, or a Lair.
• A number of Nodes do not appear in the Sluice, including Assistance Encounters, The Hoarder, and Watchtowers, making it more difficult than usual to rest and resupply between fights.
• Certain enemies that appear in road fights, like Gaunts and Pillagers, do not appear in the Sluice.
• Clearing the Sluice rewards extra Candles of Hope when completing a run.

Enemies

The primary enemies encountered in the Sluice are the Swine. Other enemies, primarily Creatures, may also appear.

Enemy	Region	Types	Tiers
Swine Skulker	The Sluice	Creature Swine		18	5	0	20%	40%	30%	10%	20%	10%
Swine Skiver	The Sluice	Creature Swine		22	4	0	30%	40%	20%	20%	20%	20%
Swine Brute	The Sluice	Creature Swine		50	0	2	20%	40%	20%	60%	50%	20%
Fulgore	The Sluice	Creature Swine	Champion	29	4	0	40%	60%	20%	40%	20%	20%
Wilbur	The Sluice	Creature Swine	Champion	56	0	3	20%	40%	20%	75%	50%	30%

Related Quirks

	Negative Quirks		Positive Quirks
Chthonian Fearing	Combat Start: vs Swine or Slime: 1 (50%)	Chthonian Hater	vs Swine or Slime: -20% DMG Taken, +15% DMG Gain On Hit: -1 (25%)
		Chthonian Slayer	vs Swine or Slime: +5% CRIT, Execution 2
		Chthonic Scrounger	"Knows where to find resources in underground regions." Higher Rewards from Academic Studies in The Sluice or The Catacombs 2 Bear Traps, 2 Crow’s Feet, or 4 Oil Flasks after banter in The Sluice or Catacombs.
		Chthonic Tactician	In The Sluice of Catacombs: +5% CRIT Round Start: Dodge+ (15%)

Strategy

• As with all Creatures, the Swine are highly resistant to Blight.
• Swine Skulkers receive more DMG and CRIT with Stealth. Since this gives them a potential for heavy damage, it is advisable to carry some form of Stealth removal when entering this region
• Fulgore is a high-Priority Target as it has one of the most devastating moves in the game able to one shot most heroes in one turn: Skewer. Killing this enemy first is highly recommended.
• Swine Brutes and Wilbur deal heavy cleave damage and apply lots of Stress. It is advisable to kill these enemies first if possible and use Blind and Weak debuffs to keep them at bay.
• Swine Skivers are very dangerous enemies; they deal heavy damage and apply Vulnerable debuff and Move to disrupt the Party. If possible, they should always be killed on sight.

Narrator Quotes

• When selecting The Sluice at an Inn:
  • "Unmapped, unexplored. A risky proposition."
• Upon arrival in The Sluice:
  • "Tread carefully and quickly. This is swine country."