In the tactical open-world deckbuilder Death Howl, the needle cone serves as both a Fylge summon card and a specialized crafting material found in The Hidden Vale. Players encounter the needle cone as a defensive battle objective inside an eastern cave, which unlocks the stationary Cone summon upon completion.
Understanding how the summon behaves on the grid and which card recipes require the needle cone material helps optimize your deck construction throughout the Realm of Piercing Winds.
How to Unlock the Needle Cone Summon Card
The needle cone summon card—officially named Cone in the card collection—is located in a hidden cave within The Hidden Vale, situated on the right side of the map region.
To acquire the card:
- Travel to the eastern area of The Hidden Vale and enter the hidden cave marked as Spirit Encounter W.
- Defeat the spirits guarding the chamber: one Weeping Tusk, one Aurorite, one Elder Aurorite, and the hostile Cone unit.
- Interact with the needle cone inside the cave once the battle concludes.
- Watch the short cutscene to receive the Cone summon card into your permanent collection.
You must manually add the Cone card to your deck list before taking it into subsequent encounters.
Fylge Summon: Cone Stats and Grid Mechanics
Like all Fylge summon cards in Death Howl, the Cone card costs 2 mana to play and possesses the Realmless trait, meaning it retains a static 2 mana cost regardless of which realm you occupy. Summon cards carry the Exhaust property, restricting them to a single cast per encounter, and only one active summon can occupy the grid at any given time.
| Card Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Mana Cost | 2 (Realmless) |
| Health Points (HP) | 7 |
| Movement Range | 0 (Cannot move) |
| Card Trait | Exhaust (One use per battle) |
| Turn Effect | Gains +1 Block automatically each turn |
| Combat Reaction | Retaliates across all 4 adjacent grid tiles upon receiving an attack |
Because enemies prioritize player summons as valid targets, the Cone functions as a stationary tank. Positioning the Cone onto a choke point forces incoming melee units to strike it, absorbing hits with its regenerating Block while damaging adjacent foes through its four-directional counterattack.
However, the Cone suffers distinct weaknesses against specific enemy archetypes. Foes that possess push modifiers on their attacks can displace the summon, and agile enemies capable of striking and immediately retreating out of melee range will avoid the Cone's adjacent retaliation entirely.
Cave Battle Strategy: Defeating Encounter W
Encounter W places you in a restricted cave arena where positioning and range dictate survivability. The wild Needle Cone unit starts with 15 HP and punishes close-range engagements with automatic retaliatory strikes.
Key tactical considerations observed during this encounter include:
- Managing Retaliation: Attacking adjacent retaliating units causes immediate return damage before subsequent card combos resolve. Range attacks such as Line-targeting cards bypass this hazard.
- Line of Sight Obstacles: The cave features environmental obstacles such as boulders that block standard ranged firing lines, preventing straightforward long-range snipes.
- Cold Hazards: Cave environments in frost-afflicted zones threaten health pools directly if fights drag on, requiring efficient mana usage and rapid target elimination.
Eliminating high-threat companion spirits like the Aurorites while keeping your distance from the stationary Cone allows you to finish the battle without sacrificing excessive health.
Cards Crafted with Needle Cone Material
Beyond the summon reward, Needle Cone functions as an overland crafting ingredient collected across The Hidden Vale. Players turn in these items alongside Death Howls and monster drops to unlock cards in the Realm of Piercing Winds progression path.
| Card Name | Rarity | Mana Cost | Card Effects | Crafting Recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Thrust | Common | 2 | Deals 3 Damage (Line 1–3). Moves Ro to target after attacking. First: Gain +2 Block if played first this turn. | 2x Death Howl, 1x Needle Cone, 1x Horn of Horned Menace |
| Focus | Common | 3 | Draw 2 random cards from Draw Pile with -1 Mana Cost this turn. First: Gain +1 Mana action point if played first. | 2x Death Howl, 1x Needle Cone, 1x Fur of Frostgrowl |
| Frozen Spear | Rare | 2 | Deals 2 Damage (Line 1–2). Applies Frozen for 1 turn. Echo: Returns to hand once per turn. | 4x Death Howl, 3x Needle Cone, 3x Fur of Frostgrowl |
| Snowflake | Common | 1 | Self-target. Gains +1 Block and draws 1 card from Draw Pile. Echo: Returns to hand once per turn. | 2x Death Howl, 1x Needle Cone, 1x Fur of Weeping Tusk |
The crafting tier unlocks incrementally as you gather regional materials throughout the Realm of Piercing Winds, with recipes requiring between one and three Needle Cones depending on card rarity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Cone summon card be retrieved if I lose the cave battle?
Yes. Losing a battle in Death Howl permits retrying the encounter at the health level you entered with. The needle cone interaction remains available inside Encounter W until completed.
Does the Cone card move after being placed?
No. The Cone has zero movement capability. It remains on whichever unoccupied grid tile you select upon playing the card for 2 mana.
How many summons can be active at the same time?
Only one Fylge summon can be active on the grid at any given time. If a summon is already on the board, another cannot be played until the current summon is defeated.
