In Wild Hearts, you’ll notice that there are these grayed-out icons on your map that sort of look like Dragons. These are called Dragon Pits, and they are essential to your survival and getting around faster in the game.
To do things like deploy Dragon Karakuri on the map, you’ll need to have a Dragon Pit activated. These are resource containers, that you’ll fill by adding crystals that you’ll find throughout the maps. Then you’ll dip into a Dragon Pit every time you use a Dragon Karakuri.
You can find large and small crystals in the corpses of deceased Kemono after a while. They just pop up over time. You’ll also find smaller crystals around the map, and you’ll be awarded larger and smaller crystals for completing questions and objectives.
As indicated in this map, you’ll see several Dragon Hearts; some grayed out and some red. The ones in grey are the ones that haven’t been lit yet, while the ones in red have been activated and upgraded. However, having just one activated isn’t enough, as you’ll find out.
Sometimes, you’ll notice that you don’t have enough space with just one Dragon Pit, so you’ll need to enlarge (upgrade) it or find more to activate. Otherwise, you’ll get messages when you do try to deploy Dragon Karakuri. For example, when you try to deploy a tent, you’ll be told that the Dragon Pit isn’t strong enough.
So, what do you do? Well, you get to work activating Dragon Pits. That’s what you do.
How to activate or upgrade a Dragon Pit
Activating a Dragon Pit will require various resources you’ll collect around the maps. Each location will require resources that are unique to its map. The good thing is that these resources are usually ores, crystals, and various other resources you’ll pick up while you’re looking for Kemono to fight.
Once you have those, head over to the nearest Dragon Pit, and attempt to activate one. You’ll know if you have the resources required as indicated by the requirements. If you do, you’ll be able to activate the Dragon Pit.
When you activate the dragon pit, you’ll see that it also adds capacity to your Dragon Pits; Plant, Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. Then as mentioned prior, you’ll fill these. With these in tow, you’ll be able to deploy Dragon Karakuri, such as tents. Tents are important, as they act as travel points that you can use to get around maps faster.
However, there will be a point where you don’t have enough resources, so you’ll need to either add another level of your already active Dragon Pit or activate other Dragon Pits around the map to satisfy those requirements.
As seen below, this is an upgraded Dragon Pit, which has added capacity to my existing Dragon Pit.
Another benefit to activating Dragon Pits is that once you have, you merely have to open your map and click on it to upgrade it. You don’t even need to be the location anymore. Well, unless you want to plant Dragon Karakuri at the site.
What if that’s not enough?
If you find that activating and upgrading a Dragon Heart isn’t enough, you’ll need to find more Dragon Pits to activate and upgrade. Doing this will allow you to deploy the Dragon Karakuri you need eventually.
Find, activate, and upgrade as many as you can. Doing so will make your time in Wild Hearts that much easier.
Check out our Wild Hearts review and our other Wild Hearts guides.
