The Stranger’s Dream/History Books: Who Knows Where 4 (Bastion Guide)

The fourth and final Who Knows Where is the Stranger’s Dream. It’s only available in a New Game Plus.

Once you start that mode, a pile of History Books will appear near the Bastion’s Monument. Interact with those to enter the Stranger’s Dream.

It’s the longest and most difficult of the four Dreams.

It has 30 waves of combat instead of 20. Plus it also features all enemy types that you’ve fought throughout the entire game.

Unlike the other Dreams, this one doesn’t delve into the backstory of Rucks (a.k.a. the Stranger/Narrator). You’ve already learned that during the final story levels.

Instead, Rucks will read to you an alphabetized history of Caelondia and the world in general.

Many of his lines are cryptic, and his final statement hints at his authorship of the book.

This is reinforced by the achievements you get after completing the Dream:

All in the Mind
About the Author

The achievements acquired after beating the Stranger’s Dream

Strategy + Tips

The same upgrades used in the previous Dream will still help you in this one

Tip #1: Equip the Brusher’s Pike and the Galleon Mortar

Once again, the Pike and the Mortar are the premier weapons here.

You can swap out the Pike for the Pistols if you prefer. The point is to have a fast weapon that can ignore armor. It’s going to be your sidearm against armored enemies.

Your main one will be the Mortar. Its high damage area-of-effect attack can damage enemies without you needing to aim it.

You can also blast foes while you’re behind cover.

Lure mobile enemies away from the stationary ones to kill them one by one

Tip #2: Be patient and methodical; don’t try to rush things

The Dream challenges are a marathon — not a race.

The Stranger’s Dream has 30 waves.

This requires patience.

Rushing a wave often results in failure, and then you’d have to redo all 30 waves again. So take it slow. Strike down your enemies one by one. You’re more likely to reach the end by being patient.

Lobbing Mortars on the 4 Elite Marksmen while hiding behind a spire

Tip #3: Use the western spires as cover

Spires will rise up around the Dream after clearing specific waves. Most of them are concentrated on the left side of the area.

You’ll want to use them as cover, especially against the Ura Gunners and Marksmen.

You can even use your Mortar to attack enemies while you’re behind a spire.

The Gunners and Marksman may sometimes teleport behind you after they take damage. But that still works to your advantage. ‘Cause if they do, then they’ll be alone with you.

They’ll be in reach of your sidearm, and you can finish them off.

Tip #4: In waves with Anklegators, defeat other companions first

Anklegators with full health are slow. You can outrun one with your evasive rolls.

With that in mind, avoid them and go after any other enemies first.

When the Anklegator’s the only one left, you can then attack it without fear.

Fighting the Ura while avoiding the Anklegator

List of Enemies

Wave	Enemies
1	7 Elephant Squirts
2	8 Dark Teal Turrets 2 Laser Turrets
3	5 Scumbags
4	1 Scumbag 6 Yellow Turrets 2 Huge Corn Bins
5	14 Blue Turrets 3 Dark Teal Turrets
6	2 Mechanical Pyths 2 Small Scumbags
7	8 Red Turrets 5 Yellow Wallflowers
8	22 Squirts 2 Lunkheads
9	1 Huge Scumbag 2 Scumbags 2 Bootlickers
10	4 Ura Marksmen 3 Blue Pincushions
11	2 Ura Swordsmen 3 Green Wallflowers 2 Purple Pincushions
12	1 Lungblossom 6 Yellow Turrets 3 Laser Turrets
13	1 Huge Lunkhead 2 Scumbags 2 Red Stinkweeds
14	10 Elephant Squirts 6 Red Wallflowers
15	3 Ura Halberdiers 2 Bootlickers
16	1 Ura Swordsman 2 Ura Marksmen 1 Anklegator
17	1 Ura Elite Gunner 1 Huge Scumbag 3 Purple Pincushions
18	1 Ura Elite Swordsman 2 Mechanical Pyths 2 Red Stinkweed
19	2 Ura Gunners 2 Small Anklegators 4 Green Pincushions
20	4 Ura Elite Marksmen
21	6 Elephant Squirts 2 Bootlickers 3 Huge Corn Bins
22	3 Ura Marksmen 5 Dark Teal Turret 4 Laser Turret
23	3 Ura Gunners 4 Small Scumbags
24	1 Ura Elite Halberdier 5 Blue Pincushions
25	1 Ura Elite Marksmen 6 Green Wallflowers 3 Red Stinkweeds
26	2 Ura Elite Swordsmen 7 Red Wallflowers
27	2 Huge Lunkheads 4 Corn Bins
28	2 Ura Elite Gunners 2 Ura Marksman 1 Huge Scumbag
29	3 Ura Swordsmen 1 Lungblossom 6 Yellow Wallflowers
30	1 Ura General 1 Ura Elite Marksman 1 Anklegator

A Book of History as Read by Rucks

Rucks going over a blueprint

This ain’t about me, though you might as well know where I’m coming from. I ain’t much for worldly things. Though all these years I’ve held onto a stash of books from when I was young. There’s one old book in particular that I still like to read from time to time. It covers the important things, in a manner of speaking.

Here we go…

A is for Acobi, the Goddess of oath and abandon. Make a promise, and the Chastened Maid will hold you to it.

B is for Breaker. He’s faster than a fork of lightning, and his aim is always true. If news needs spreading, tell it to a Breaker.

C is for Core. A perfect bit of stone found deep underground. It makes the City shine, day and night. Is there anything it can’t do?

D is for Dreadrum, a potent spirit brewed from a foul-smellin’ plant that grows in the Wilds. One taste will sharpen your senses.

E is for Evacuation. In an emergency, stay calm, leave your belongings, and make your way to the nearest safe haven.

F is for Foundation, a solid plot of land for buildin’ anything you can imagine. Even grand ideas start small.

G is for Garmuth, the God of purpose and folly. The Crippled Duke reminds us that good intentions are nothing on their own.

H is for Hense, Goddess of pain and pleasure. You can’t have one without the other. The Veiled Widow makes sure of it.

I is for “In Case of Trouble”, a song grown famous across the land, and dedicated to the pioneering spirit of Caelondia.

J is for Jevel, the God of health and atrophy. We each have the Tower Keeper’s strength in us, until that strength runs out.

K is for Kid, a guy or gal just like you. Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up, since there’s nothing a kid can’t do.

L is for Lemaign, the God of hope and despair. The Mason King knows success and failure are all in the mind.

M is for Micia, our Goddess of loss and longing. We all are born from the Lorn Mother; and in the end, we all return to her.

N is for Nordy the Bird Boy, who’s always there to bring a smile at the Hanging Gardens, thanks to his feathered friends.

O is for Olak, our young God of chance and whim. The Carefree Son lives forever in the moment. The rest of us can only try.

P is for Pyth, God of commotion and order. When the Wakeful Bull is calm, let’s all do our part to keep Him that way.

Q is for Queen Anne, the notorious Anklegator of the Wilds. She can even dig her way into rotten children’s dreams.

R is for Roathus, the God of thirst and plenty. The Gorging Host reminds us to always know when we’ve had enough.

S is for Scumbag, a big lumpy old fella who sidles about. He loves eating trash! Just be sure to keep a healthy distance from him.

T is for Trigger, the Army’s sharpest shooter. Take pride in Caelondia’s mounted soldiers. They risk it all to keep us safe.

U is for Ura, our pale neighbors to the East, whose homes are underground. Each day, we learn to live in harmony.

V is for Vigil, an act in remembrance. The sacrifices of our forefathers gave us a new beginning here in Caelondia.

W is for Weeping Nellie, the Langston River’s fastest little ferrybarge. We couldn’t have crossed that river without her help.

X is for . . . nothing! Strangest letter in the mix. Yet even the strangest letter has its use, as you couldn’t have a mailbox without one.

Y is for Yudrig, the God of impulse and bravery. Each time the Morning Stallion stamps his hoof, somebody out there makes up his mind.

Z is for Zulwood, a tough old plant whose gourds make great target practice. Whatever you do, don’t eat them.

The end. There’s nothing after Z. Used to be one more page in here though, before someone tore it out. Know what it said … ? The last page of this book was about the author. Didn’t say much. But the imagination has a way of filling in the gaps.

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- The Stranger’s Dream/History Books: Who Knows Where 4 (Bastion Guide)

Louie Nelson Zafico

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As a frustrated otter who dreams of getting published, Louie instead wastes his life cuddling his cats. He spent his childhood playing Suikoden, grew up with Total War, and matured (somewhat) with EU4. He hopes to someday find a geopolitical JRPG with the 4X systems of a Paradox game.

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