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Conan Exiles is a unique game with a phenomenal set of DLCs. All manner of cultures and creeds inspire the DLC packs, from the Byzantines to the Romans. Today in this Conan Exiles DLC Guide we’ll be looking through Conan’s DLC packs to help you decide which ones are best for you. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
The Imperial East
The Imperial East DLC was Conan’s first DLC, released on the 22nd of June 2018. The pack includes the following:
- 39 new building pieces
- 15 armor pieces across three sets
- 25 placeables
- Nine weapons
- Five warpaints
This DLC pack represents the culture of ancient China, aiming to emulate their style in the items included in the pack. The building pieces are named after the Khitan, a race of proto-southeast Asian peoples who occupy the country of Khitai.
The building pieces in this set consist of redwood, with stone-based foundations and tiled roofs. The armor, of which there are three sets, takes similar inspiration from the ancient Chinese and is as extravagant as they are effective. The placeables include musical instruments, furniture, and traditional Chinese lanterns, and the warpaints represent the culture of the Khitan people.
As the oldest DLC in the bunch, The Imperial East shows its age, especially compared to newer offerings. However, it hits the mark in attempting to offer something unique and intriguing and is a spectacular choice if you love ancient Chinese culture.
Jewel of the West
The Jewel of the West DLC was released on the 2nd of August 2018 and remains popular amongst the player base. The DLC includes the following:
- 39 new building pieces
- 15 armor pieces across three sets
- 25 placeables
- Nine weapons
- Five warpaints
This DLC pack represents the country of Aquilonia, one of the most well-represented cultures in the extended Conan the Barbarian lore. The DLC takes heavy inspiration from the culture of the Roman Empire, and for that reason remains popular even years after its release.
The building pieces of this set consist mainly of marble and Roman concrete with gold and blue accents. The three armor sets also borrow heavily from Roman culture and are incredibly well-designed. The new placeables include statues, pottery, and furniture, perfect for any Roman villa. Finally, the warpaints are also nicely designed.
The Jewel of the West, though old, is still regarded highly amongst Exiles. It’s a clean, effective, and well-designed DLC. When paired with Architects of Argos, which we’ll cover later, The Jewel of the West shines even brighter.
The Savage Frontier
The Savage Frontier DLC was released on the 9th of October 2018. The DLC includes the following:
- 39 new building pieces
- 15 armor pieces across three sets
- 5 Pet Skins
- Nine weapons
- Five warpaints
This DLC pack represents the Picts, a dark-skinned tribal race that Robert E Howard designed as a mix of American Indians and the Picts of Scotland. This DLC seems somewhat controversial in the Conan community, as while many people love this pack, many others hate it. That is especially true for the building pieces.
The building pieces of this set consist of a lavish wooden interior with a spiked wooden exterior, highlighted by metal roof pieces. The three armor sets play heavily into the Pictish history of war and magic, representing their warriors and shamans. This pack includes no placeables but does offer five pet skins, each of which imposes a Pictish influence upon your animal companions. Finally, the warpaints also represent the animal-like nature of the Picts.
The Savage Frontier is like a marmite. Some love it, some hate it. The armor, weapons, and warpaints are beautifully designed, but most people dislike the building pieces. They can still be used to great effect, but it’s something to consider if you’re a bit picky. Furthermore, this DLC is unfortunately let down by its lack of placeables.
Seekers of the Dawn
The Seekers of the Dawn is another fan-favorite DLC released on the 12th of December 2018. The pack includes the following:
- 39 building pieces
- 15 armor pieces across three sets
- Five pet skins
- 12 weapons
- Five warpaints
This DLC pack represents the Yamatai people, a scarcely-explored race of people that seem to be proto-Japanese. Thus, the set is based heavily on ancient Japanese culture, one of the reasons it remains so popular.
The building pieces of this set consist of timber-framed materials with stone-based foundations and clean grey shingles on the roofs. The three armor sets are based on Japanese farmers, ashigaru (foot soldiers), and Samurai. The five pet skins also emulate Japanese culture, as do the warpaints, heavily including Japanese iconography and themes.
The Seekers of the Dawn is one of the most popular DLC packs in Conan Exiles, commonly used in building years after its release. The building set is beautifully designed, as are the armor, weapons, pets, and warpaints. This set, like The Savage Frontier, does suffer from a lack of placeables. However, if you like ancient Japanese culture and architecture, this is the perfect DLC.
Treasures of Turan
The Treasures of Turan was released on the 15th of April 2019. This DLC includes the following:
- 15 armor pieces across three sets
- 39 building pieces
- Five warpaints
- Nine weapons
- Ten placeables
- Two new pet skins
This DLC pack is based on the Turanian people and culture, designed as a proto-Turkish culture. The style emulates the Byzantine empire, especially in the architecture, though does fall a tad flat on the technical side.
The building pieces in this DLC primarily use dark tones and gold, with occasional white highlights. This set also includes rounded rooftop pieces, the first real diversion from the regular building formula. The weapons and armor are both designed to represent the Byzantine style, which works well and suits the intended culture. This pack only includes 10 placeables, of which the statues are the stand-out offerings, being incredibly well designed. Finally, the two pet skins evoke the feeling of trading caravans, which is a nice change of pace from the usual.
The Treasures of Turan DLC falls into a strange place. It’s well-designed and attractive, but it seems many people don’t use it. That may be due to a lack of interest, or just an abundance of other options. The return of placeables is welcome, though 10 is a fairly small number. The main downside of this DLC is that a true Byzantine architectural style, including domed roofs, is unfortunately just not possible. The DLC set is decent overall but stumbles on the architecture it’s trying to emulate.
The Riddle of Steel
The Riddle of Steel was released on the 9th of May 2019. It’s a smaller DLC than others, breaking the usual format to offer something a little different.
This DLC pack aims to pay homage to the classic Conan the Barbarian movies. Included in the pack are the following:
- 18 statues of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan
- Five helmets
- Five placeables
- Six statues of Valeria
- Six statues of Subotai
- Three decorative warpaints
The Riddle of Steel is a strange break from tradition for Conan’s DLCs thus far. Rather than offering a cultural pack, this pack is more aimed at fans of the movie. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, considering this DLC is cheaper than the rest, but it’s a more niche offering. The statues and placeables are the main standouts, being well-designed and fitting nicely into a lot of scenarios. However, this set is a niche interest, and might not pique your interest as it would others.
Blood and Sand
The Blood and Sand DLC was released on the 3rd of September 2019. This DLC includes the following:
- 15 armor pieces
- 15 banner placeables
- 19 new weapons
- 29 new building pieces
Rather than being based on a culture in the Conan universe, this DLC is designed for building arenas. The building pieces are the stand-out offerings in this pack, allowing you to create attractive buildings. Included in that selection are the first vaulted ceiling pieces, which have remained a favorite for architects across Hyboria. The armors are very nicely designed too, as are the weapons and banners.
The Blood and Sand DLC is a great offering that manages to fill numerous niches it likely was never intended to fit within. That being said, the building pieces can fall flat for some, as they don’t include roofs or sloping sides. The placeables are somewhat weak too, as they only have banners and nothing else. Overall, this is a solid DLC with a few pitfalls that hold it back, but it is a great pack nonetheless.
Debaucheries of Derketo
The Debaucheries of Derketo DLC was released on the 8th of October 2019. It includes the following:
- Ten building pieces
- 29 tavern placeables
- 12 emotes
- 20 outfit pieces
- Six warpaints
- 12 jewelry pieces
This DLC pack is heavily targeted at the roleplaying community, especially the folks on Playstation and Xbox that don’t have access to mods. This niche interest group these DLC targets are a small portion of players. This pack won’t be for everyone, but the items included are well-made.
The building pieces are particularly interesting, including rope bridges, half-height stages, and even a treehouse foundation. The stage and treehouse foundation offers impressive building utility, though if you’re not much of a builder, this won’t appeal as much to you.
Overall, the Debaucheries of Derketo DLC includes a bunch of nice but niche items that may not appeal to everyone. If you’re an avid roleplayer, builder, or decorator then you may find this DLC useful, but regular PvE or PvP players may wish to pass on this pack.
Riders of Hyboria
The Riders of Hyboria DLC pack was released on the 5th of December 2019, alongside horses. It includes the following:
- Two mount skins
- Six saddles
- 25 building pieces
- 15 armor pieces
- 11 weapons
- 14 stable-themed placeables
This DLC pack is heavily themed around the introduction of rideable mounts into the game, aiming to help you cultivate the proper atmosphere of stables and mounted knights. The main cultural inspiration comes from Poitain, the southern province of Aquilonia. The province is famous for its knights and cavalry, which lends itself well to the introduction of horses.
In my opinion, the Riders of Hyboria DLC is hit or miss. The armor, weapons, and placeables are wonderful, though the building set falls slightly flat, as do the mount skins and saddles. That being said, many of the building pieces included in this DLC are highly regarded for their utility, often being used to manipulate Conan Exiles’ building system to work in alternative ways.
Overall, Riders of Hyboria is a decent DLC pack that does an excellent job of heralding the introduction of mounts into the game. I find the building pieces a bit lackluster stylistically, but for their utility in other builds, that is unmatched. The DLC is very subjective in terms of taste but is one to consider if you’re interested.
Architects of Argos
The Architects of Argos DLC was released on the 7th of May 2020. The pack includes the following:
- 18 placeables
- Three saddles
- 15 armor pieces
- Nine weapons
- 49 building pieces, including the second iteration of vaulted ceiling pieces and brand-new large pillars.
This DLC is based on the nations of Argos, a place themed heavily on ancient Greece. That inspiration is evident in the design of the armor and building pieces, evoking an undeniably Greek style in their aesthetics. Due to the similarities in design, the building pieces work well when mixed with those from the Jewel of the West DLC, especially the vaulted ceiling pieces. The placeables are elegant and beautifully designed, borrowing from Greek mythology with statues of trident-wielding warriors and fountains bearing Greek iconography.
Overall, the Architects of Argos is an impressively well-made DLC that should appeal to any architect out there. The building pieces are the star of the show, managing to synergize well with the Aquilonian elements whilst standing out enough to be used on their own. This DLC pack is a fan favorite for a reason and is a great choice if you’re a fan of ancient Greece.
The Isle of Siptah
The Isle of Siptah DLC was released on the 27th of May 2021 and is Conan’s biggest DLC. This DLC features the following:
- A new map
- New monsters
- World events
- One new mount
- Two new building sets
- 14 dungeon-style vaults.
- New armor, weapons, and tools
The Isle of Siptah’s release was preceded by a lengthy early access testing period on PC. The DLC functions as an expansion to the game, offering a new gameplay loop that has proven popular for PvP. The map is based on a location in Robert E Howard’s Hyboria, a small island of the same name. The map has its own story, playing with Lovecraftian themes. The map is slightly smaller than The Exiled Lands with much less diversity. The island features mountain ranges, grass plains, and a vast redwood biome. South of the main isle, you’ll find an extensive Savannah, a large floodplain, and an ashen island of dusk.
Aside from the map, Siptah adds other new and intriguing things. Lovecraftian monsters roam the plains, and foes drop from the sky in the form of sorcerous surges, an interesting spin on the usual method of gathering thralls. The new rhino mount offers a more war-focused approach to mounted combat, and the 14 vaults are perfect for any dungeon crawler.
The two build sets included in this DLC are Flotsam and Stormglass. Flotsam is unique, in that it is the first Tier 1 DLC building set, designed as an alternative to Sandstone. It’s a rough, wood-based set inspired by salvaged ships, reliant on repurposed natural materials and fabrics. The second set, Stormglass, is a fan favorite and has been since its release. It’s a dark, almost gothic set that includes full-length windows and vaulted ceilings. Both of these building sets offer something unique, but Stormglass has been a favorite amongst architects.
Overall, The Isle of Siptah is an impressively sized expansion that offers a lot of content, especially if you’re a PvE or PvP player. It has courted controversy for its fast-paced PvP nature, with some comparing it to a Battle Royale. The early access period was also regarded as a low point for Conan, something I refer to as the ‘Siptah Drought’. However, almost two years after its release, I think Siptah has settled into place and is a good option if you’re looking for a break from the usual.
People of the Dragon
The final DLC in this list is the People of the Dragon pack. This DLC was released on the 21st of October 2021. The DLC includes the following:
- Three saddles
- 32 placeables
- 15 armor pieces
- 12 weapons
- 48 building pieces.
This DLC is based in the country of Nemedia, located east of Aquilonia. Nemedia was a strong country, resisting the influence of Aquilonia for many years, taking up occasional alliances with Brythunia and Hyperborea. The items included in this DLC use Nemedian through the lens of Medieval Germanic culture, especially in its architecture.
The armor pieces and weapons in this DLC are nicely designed, though I’ll admit, some of the weapons look a little too flat for my tastes. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but that’s my opinion. The saddles are attractive, as are the placeables, of which there’s a good amount. The building set is the star of the show here. Designed for constructing castles and forts, Nemedian is one of the best building sets in the game. Black tiled roofs, vaulted ceilings, and clean white bricks are the main characteristic of this set and are perfect for the medieval style.
Overall, The People of the Dragon DLC is one of the best packs added to Conan Exiles. If you’re a fan of the medieval style, it’s a great pack that synergizes well with lots of other DLCs. While the armor and weapons might not be perfect, there’s more than enough in this pack to meet the value of its price point.
The Future of DLC
As for future DLC, Conan Exiles has taken a different path as of late. When the Age of Sorcery Chapter 1 update landed in September 2022, Funcom announced there would be no more traditional DLC packs. Instead, new content would be broken down and offered in the Black Lotus Bazaar and the Battle Pass. This decision was made to help Conan generate more revenue, not only to stay afloat as a game but to prosper and help fund future content for the better. As a result, any future expansions and features, including maps and gameplay additions, will be free to everyone. A benefit of this is that you can also pick and choose what you want, meaning that if you’re only looking for armor or building sets, you can tailor your gameplay experience to those.
The Black Lotus Bazaar has been the source of a massive amount of controversy. Prices are predictably higher than in traditional DLC packs, which makes sense, as it seems Conan couldn’t generate enough revenue from the traditional DLC. However, prices for certain items and entries are much higher than they should be. Funcom is taking a slow but steady approach of bringing prices down to find a happy medium, but for many, that action is too slow. The new additions are almost entirely well made, so hopefully, Funcom take large strides to make the Black Lotus Bazaar a more fair and more balanced storefront for all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How Much do the DLC Packs Cost?
Answer: Most DLC packs sit at the price point of $9.99. The exceptions are The Isle of Siptah at $19.99 and The Riddle of Steel at $6.99. Fortunately, Conan Exiles is included in many sales on Steam, and I believe the same is true for Xbox and PlayStation. If you’re patient, you can usually save a few dollars by waiting for seasonal sales.
Question: Do the DLC Packs Give you an Advantage?
Answer: No, they don’t. All of the DLC packs that include building materials, aside from Flotsam, are reskins of base game Tier 3 structures. While some pieces don’t exist in the base game, like vaulted ceilings and full-length windows, the DLC building sets have the same health and defensive values as those in the base game. The same is true for armor sets and weapons. They are all equivalent to base-game alternatives.
Question: Which DLC is the Best?
Answer: That question is a subjective one, as it depends upon your tastes. My favorites are Stormglass from Siptah and Nemedian from People of the Dragon. However, many people like many different things, so the best thing to do is look through the DLCs and see which one you like best.
Conclusion
And there we have it, every DLC in Conan Exiles. Seeing as these packs are all cosmetic, it’s hard to say anything objective about the design and style of these pieces. However, there’s something for everyone in this vast selection of DLC packs, and regardless if you like the Middle Ages or the Roman Empire, you should be able to find something you enjoy.