In this post, I will show you everything new in the latest Dead Rails Occultists Update, including the reworked Sterling Town, the new Occultist enemies, the torch puzzle, artifacts, the sacrifice table, new currency, and the Vampire class changes.
The biggest part of this update is definitely the new version of Sterling Town. When I first entered the area, it was immediately clear that a lot had changed. There are new enemies, new structures, mysterious ritual areas, hidden items, and a puzzle that can reward you with powerful new artifacts.
If you are wondering how the new Sterling Town works or what you need to do to complete the new puzzle, I have gone through everything below. I will explain it step by step so you know what to look for when you enter the area.
Dead Rails Occultists Update Guide – New Sterling Town, Logs
Sterling Town has received a major makeover in this update. As soon as you arrive, you will notice new crates, structures, and an entirely different atmosphere.
The town has also been taken over by a new group of enemies known as the Occultists. These enemies are connected to the new ritual and artifact mechanics added in the update.
One of the most noticeable new locations is the strange sacrifice table in the middle of the area. There is also new lore scattered around Sterling, so if you want to learn more about what happened here, make sure you look around the buildings and read the notes you find.
New Occultist Enemies
There are two main types of new enemies that I encountered in Sterling Town.
The first type is a regular Occultist-style enemy that attacks you using a staff. These enemies are fairly straightforward, but you will still want to clear them out before exploring the rest of the town.
The second type is much more interesting. These are the summoner enemies.
When you see one of these enemies performing gestures or a ritual, they can summon zombies to attack you. This means you should probably deal with the summoners quickly before they create even more enemies for you to fight.
As you defeat these new enemies, they can also drop the new currency items introduced with the update.
The New Sacrifice Table
One of the coolest additions in Sterling Town is the new sacrifice table.
The way this table works is surprisingly simple. You can place an item into it, and in return, you can receive a weapon.
I tested it myself and got a Flintlock from the table. Another time, I received a Springfield.
This makes the sacrifice table a potentially very useful mechanic, especially if you have items that you are willing to trade away for a chance at getting a better weapon.
The rewards appear to vary, so you may receive different weapons depending on your result.
Finding the Four Torches
The new Sterling Town also has a puzzle involving four different torches.
Before you can complete the puzzle, you need to find the correct torches scattered around the town. From what I found, you need the following:
- A Blue Torch
- A Red Torch
- A Green Torch
- A Normal Torch
The Blue and Red Torches can be found while exploring the main Sterling Town area.
I found the Blue Torch inside one of the buildings while fighting through the new enemies. Make sure you check the buildings carefully because there is also lore and other useful items around the area.
The Green Torch requires a little more work to obtain.
How to Get the Green Torch
The Green Torch is hidden behind some wooden planks.
To get it, you need to destroy or blow up the planks blocking the area. Once the path is open, you can enter and pick up the Green Torch.
After collecting it, you can carry it over to the puzzle area and use it on the matching torch location.
This is important because the puzzle requires the correct torch to be placed or used with the correct matching location.
If you try using the wrong torch, it will not light up.
How to Complete the Sterling Town Torch Puzzle
To find the puzzle area, head into Sterling Town and go through the usual tunnel entrance.
When you take the right path, you will eventually reach a new area with four torches outside a locked gate.
You need to collect all four required torches and use them correctly:
Use the Blue Torch
Take the Blue Torch and use it on the blue torch location.
Use the Red Torch
Next, use the Red Torch on its matching location.
Use the Green Torch
After getting the Green Torch from behind the destroyed planks, bring it back and use it on the correct torch.
Use a Normal Torch
Finally, you need a regular Normal Torch for the remaining location.
Once all four torches are correctly lit, the gate will open.
If something is not working, double-check that you are using the correct torch for each matching location. Mismatching them will prevent the puzzle from progressing.
What Is Inside the Locked Gate?
After completing the four-torch puzzle, the gate opens and gives you access to the artifact area.
When I entered, there were two artifacts available.
However, the update appears to have multiple possible artifacts, and only a limited number may spawn in the room during a run. You can apparently choose only one from the available artifacts, so you will need to decide which one you want to take.
This means you may not see every artifact at once.
New Artifacts and Relics
The Occultists Update adds several new artifacts to Dead Rails.
Some of the items shown include things such as:
- Oculus-related artifacts
- Commanding Sigil
- Cursed Ledger
- Oculus Seal
- Other new relics and artifacts
These artifacts can provide different effects when you carry them in your inventory.
Because only a limited number may appear in the artifact room at one time, you might need to return to Sterling multiple times if you are trying to find a specific one.
So, if you enter the room and do not see the artifact you wanted, it may simply not be one of the items that spawned during that run.
New Dagger and Artifact Selling
The update also introduces a new dagger that you can find in Sterling.
The interesting part is how artifacts can affect the value of your items.
When I tested selling the dagger while carrying one of the artifacts, it sold for 30.
Without an artifact in my inventory, the same item only sold for 15.
So, the artifacts can potentially increase the value of items when you sell them.
You can also sell the new currency-type items dropped by the Occultist enemies, giving you another way to make money from exploring the updated Sterling Town.
New Occultist Currency
The new enemies can drop a new type of currency item.
You will find these items while fighting through Sterling and defeating the Occultists and other enemies connected to the new update.
You can keep these items and sell them for money, making it worthwhile to clear out the new enemies instead of simply running past them.
Between the enemy drops, artifacts, weapons, and the sacrifice table, Sterling Town now has a lot more reasons for players to explore every part of the area.
Vampire Class Rework
The final major change in this update is the rework of the Vampire class.
The class now has a brand-new meter called Bloodlust.
You can see this meter at the bottom of your screen, and it plays an important role in improving your Vampire abilities.
How Bloodlust Works
To gain the benefits of Bloodlust, you need to fill the meter.
When your Bloodlust increases, your Vampire can gain advantages such as:
- Faster movement
- Higher melee damage
However, you cannot fill the meter with just any weapon.
You specifically need to use your Vampire Knife and defeat enemies using melee attacks.
I tested other weapons, and they did not increase the Bloodlust meter.
For example, using electric weapons or guns will not help you build Bloodlust. You need to get melee kills with the Vampire Knife to fill the bar.
Full Bloodlust vs Empty Bloodlust
The difference becomes much more noticeable when your Bloodlust meter is full.
With a filled meter, the Vampire class performs better in terms of movement and melee combat compared to when the meter is empty.
This means the new Vampire playstyle rewards you for staying aggressive and using the class’s signature knife instead of relying entirely on guns.
If you are playing Vampire, you will want to keep an eye on the Bloodlust meter and continue getting melee kills to maintain your advantages.
The new Dead Rails Occultists Update brings a lot more to Sterling Town than just a visual rework. We now have new Occultist enemies, summoners that can call in zombies, a sacrifice table that can give you weapons, a four-torch puzzle, new artifacts, new currency, and a completely reworked Vampire class.
The Sterling Town puzzle is probably the first thing I would recommend doing. Collect the Blue, Red, Green, and Normal Torches, make sure you use them on their matching locations, and open the gate to access the new artifact rewards.
The Vampire rework is also worth checking out, especially if you enjoy melee combat. The new Bloodlust mechanic changes how the class plays and gives you a reason to stay aggressive with the Vampire Knife.
Overall, there is plenty to explore in this update, and Sterling Town is now much more than just another location you quickly pass through.