A to Z 2016 : INCURSIONS

The Division is receiving its first free Downloadable Content (DLC) tomorrow (April 12, 2016) and it's a big one! Besides a slew of bug fixes, there are some major upgrades coming to both the Open World and the Dark Zone (DZ), changes to the Crafting system, and one of the most anticipated additions to the game with Update 1.1: Incursions.

Technically, only one Incursion for now. Falcon Lost. So what are Incursions? They're the new, extremely difficult PvE (Player Vs Environment) End Game events for groups of four agents. You can go in with less, but the enemies are always scaled to the max, so it's unlikely you'll survive.

Developers have been boasting the difficulty of Incursions, stating there will be Gear Score recommendations (a new feature where gear pieces have level ratings) to enter and the necessity of tight teamwork, skill, and unique tactics in order to succeed.

Little is known about the specifics of Falcon Lost, the first of many planned Incursion missions, except that you gain access to it from the Stuyvesant District and that the Last Man Battalion (LMB) will be the main enemy faction you will be locked in combat with. It also may be a continuation of the main storyline. So aside from needing to be Level 30, you will have to have completed the "General Assembly" mission as well.

From what I gleaned from a live stream announcement about the events, Incursions will have both Hard and Challenging modes available. Developers highly recommended going through Falcon Lost on Hard a few times to collect some of the newer loot that can drop and/or be awarded from its completion before attempting the Challenging difficulty. The main focus being on Set Gear (originally planned to be my "S" topic, but alas...), which are new gear options that grant agents powerful Skills/Bonuses and Talents for wearing multiple pieces of the same Set.

As you can see above, there are four different Gear Sets available: Striker's Battlegear (focused on assault), Path of the Nomad (a DZ specific set, focused on lone wolves), Tactician's Authority (focused on Electronics and Support), and Sentry's Call (focused on Marksmanship). You can mix and match, or go all out and collect just one set to unlock its special Talent!

While the rewards may be very worthwhile, don't expect an easy fight. Developers claim it will take even the most seasoned veterans (I know, a month, am I right?!) of The Division multiple attempts before managing to conquer Falcon Lost. While most missions allow for respawning and checkpoints, Incursions will have neither (I can't recall if only on Challenging mode, mind you, but still), so once your team wipes that's it, game over man!

I'm really excited to try this new game mode/mission and I can't wait to get my hands on some Gear Set pieces! Hopefully there are enough people in my group of family and friends that play who feel up to the task and are ready to rock!

There are many more great features of Update 1.1, some of which I'll highlight (some I already have), and by then I should know more about how these new mechanics function. Less than 12 hours to go until the update lands on all platforms.

This Update 1.1 trailer was just uploaded online, so I'm adding it here even if it spoils some future A to Z content!

Are you excited for Incursions? Do you have a dedicated group ready to try Falcon Lost? What other changes coming with Update 1.1 are you excited for?