What Are Guild Castles?
Guild castles are large, fixed-location strongholds scattered across the world of Verra. There are five guild castles total, and each one exists in a specific location with its own terrain, layout, and history.
In general, guild castles are not player-built. When a guild captures a castle, they are taking over a ruined, ancient structure tied to Verra’s past civilizations. You inherit the castle as it exists, rather than constructing it from scratch. This makes each castle feel different and forces guilds to adapt their strategies.
Most players will experience guild castles either as attackers, defenders, or indirect participants through server politics and trade.
How Many Castles Exist, and Why That Matters
There are only five castles on the entire server. This alone makes them extremely competitive.
Because of this limit:
Only a small number of top-tier guilds can hold castles at any given time.
Castle ownership creates power imbalances that affect nearby regions.
Rivalries between major guilds are almost guaranteed.
In practice, most guilds will never hold a castle themselves. Instead, they usually ally with castle-owning guilds, oppose them, or benefit indirectly from the systems that castle owners influence.
What Makes Each Castle Different?
Each guild castle has a static layout, meaning the walls, towers, and internal structure do not change. However, the environment around each castle varies a lot.
Differences usually include:
Terrain (mountains, plains, islands)
Chokepoints and entry paths
Defensive sightlines
Access by land or sea
One castle is located on an island and can be affected by naval combat, which changes how sieges work entirely. Weather, time of day, and even seasons can also affect visibility and movement, which most commanders will consider when planning sieges.
Just because a guild successfully takes one castle does not mean they will automatically succeed at another. Each castle rewards preparation and familiarity with the terrain.
Who Owns the Castles at the Start?
When players first arrive in Verra, all guild castles are already occupied by high-level NPC enemies. These NPCs are level 50+ and are considered major antagonists in the storyline.
In general:
Castles start as dangerous raid zones.
Players must clear the NPC occupants before claiming ownership.
The first guild to successfully defeat the castle NPCs earns control.
This creates a race early in the server’s life. Guilds usually spend time leveling, gearing, and organizing before attempting a castle assault. Most players should expect castles to remain NPC-controlled for a while after launch.
How Do You Capture a Guild Castle?
Capturing a guild castle is not about grabbing a relic or clicking an objective.
Instead:
A raid boss is tied to castle ownership.
The guild that contributes the highest total DPS to that boss earns control.
This means damage contribution matters more than final hits.
In practice, this encourages organized raids and discourages last-second sniping. Most successful guilds will plan sustained damage strategies rather than chaotic zergs.
How Do Castle Sieges Work?
Castle sieges happen in the open world, although instancing has been discussed depending on testing results. During Alpha-1, castle sieges were accessed via an NPC teleporter to a specific zone.
Key points most players should understand:
Castle sieges are large-scale PvP events.
Both attackers and defenders can bring significant numbers.
Performance and coordination matter more than raw numbers.
Defending guilds can prepare the castle before a siege begins, which gives them a major advantage.
Castle Defenses: What Can Defenders Actually Do?
While the castle’s structure is static, defenders have meaningful customization options.
Defensive options usually include:
Placing traps inside the castle
Deploying blockades to alter movement paths
Hiring mercenary NPCs to guard specific areas
These choices affect how attackers move through the castle. In practice, most defending guilds will funnel enemies into choke points, slow advances, and protect key positions rather than trying to hold every area.
Defensive preparation often decides the outcome before the siege even starts.
Do Castles Have Settlements Around Them?
No. Castle settlements do not exist around NPC-run or player-run castles.
This is important because:
Castles are not tied to normal node progression.
You won’t see towns or housing automatically forming nearby.
The area remains focused on conflict rather than civilian gameplay.
Most players will visit castle regions for PvP, raids, or political reasons, not daily crafting or questing.
Can NPCs Retake Player-Owned Castles?
This is still undecided.
Originally, the idea was that if a player-held castle was not challenged by other players during a siege cycle, NPCs might attempt to reclaim it. However, developers have stated that this system is still under discussion.
In general, players should assume:
Monthly castle sieges are expected.
Player conflict is the primary threat to castle ownership.
NPC retaliation may or may not exist in the final design.
Until confirmed, most guilds will plan as if other players are the real danger.
What Benefits Do Guild Castles Provide?
While not all rewards are fully revealed, guild castles are expected to offer:
Strategic power and prestige
Influence over regional politics
Potential storage expansion in the future through crafted furniture
These benefits usually matter more to guild leadership than to individual members. For regular players, the value often comes from being part of a dominant guild rather than direct rewards.
Some players who don’t want to commit to long-term guild politics may choose to focus on other progression paths, while others might look for indirect ways to stay competitive, such as choosing when to invest resources or even deciding whether to buy Ashes of Creation gold from U4N to keep up with server economics.
How Most Players Will Interact with Guild Castles
In practice, most players will:
Participate as attackers or defenders during sieges
Support castle-owning guilds through alliances
Avoid castle regions outside of siege windows
Follow server politics rather than control them
Guild castles are designed to be rare, contested, and impactful. They are not casual content, and that is intentional.
Guild Castles
Guild castles represent long-term, high-stakes gameplay in Ashes of Creation. They reward preparation, coordination, and strategic thinking rather than individual power. Most players will never own one, but almost everyone on a server will feel their impact.
Understanding how castles work helps players decide where they fit in the larger picture, whether that’s joining a competitive guild, supporting allies, or simply knowing when to stay out of the way.
