The moment you turn on Hard Mode in 99 Nights in the Forest, everything changes. The forest fills with corruption, and your usual gear won’t cut it anymore. That’s when Corrupted Tools come into play. These vine-covered weapons and armor are your best chance to fight back and survive the spreading corruption.
How to start Hard Mode and trigger the Corrupted Tools
Hard Mode doesn’t start by itself. First, you need to level up your campsite to Level 2 to unlock the Research Outpost. Then, before Day 3 ends, go to the basement of the Research Outpost and pull the lever with your Roblox username on it. This activates Hard Mode and the Corruption System across the map.
Once active, you’ll notice glowing purple cracks called rifts, surrounded by corrupted trees and animals. These rifts spread harmful effects like faster hunger drain and stronger cultist waves if left alone. Your job is to clear these rifts by destroying corrupted trees and defeating corrupted animals nearby. Doing this lowers the corruption level and makes the forest safer.
Where to find corrupted tools and what they do
Corrupted Tools only come from Corrupted Chests. These chests glow purple and are covered in vines, just like the tools inside. They spawn randomly but appear more often in heavily corrupted areas deep in the forest. You can only open these chests after clearing nearby corruption threats like rifts, mutated trees, and corrupted animals.
Exploring is key here. If you’re playing with friends, sharing chest locations helps everyone get better gear faster.
Here’s what you’ll find inside those chests:
| Tool | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Corrupted Axe | Tool | Deals very high damage to corrupted trees, great for clearing corrupted areas quickly. |
| Corrupted Thrown Axe | Weapon | Powerful ranged weapon with strong burst damage and no ammo cost. |
| Corrupted Revolver | Weapon | Accurate, high-damage gun effective against corrupted animals and cultists. Uses ammo. |
| Corrupted Shotgun | Weapon | Heavy burst damage at close range, perfect for groups of enemies. Uses shotgun shells. |
| Corrupted Armor | Armor | Offers better protection than normal armor but speeds up corruption buildup. Use carefully. |
How to use corrupted tools well
These tools are made for aggressive play. Since they disappear when your Hard Mode run ends, don’t hold back. Use the thrown axes to hit enemies from a distance without worrying about ammo. Save the shotgun for close fights where you need heavy damage fast. The revolver is great for picking off tougher enemies from afar.
Watch your corruption level closely. If it hits 100%, you’ll take damage and your Corrupted Tools will explode. Wearing corrupted armor early helps survival but remember it increases corruption faster, so keep clearing rifts regularly.
Keep track of corruption and rifts
A must-have item is the Research Monitor Blueprint, found in Research Outpost chests. It lets you craft a monitor that shows active rifts, your corruption level, and any debuffs. This helps you decide when to fight, clear rifts, or retreat.
How to farm corrupted chests safely and work as a team
The safest way to farm these chests is to clear rifts immediately by destroying corrupted trees and defeating corrupted animals nearby. Fire-based weapons help manage your hunger while fighting. Playing with friends makes controlling cultist waves and hunger easier, letting you explore and find chests more safely.
Remember, Corrupted Tools increase corruption buildup when used deep in rifts, so balance aggressive fighting with regular rift clearing.
Since Corrupted Tools vanish after your run ends, use them aggressively instead of saving them.
The Corrupted Tools update changes how you play 99 Nights in the Forest. It pushes you to explore deeper, fight harder, and manage corruption carefully. Activate Hard Mode early, hunt corrupted chests, and use your tools smartly to turn a tough challenge into a powerful advantage.
If you want to master survival strategies, check out how to survive The Deer in 99 Nights in the Forest for night-by-night tactics and how to revive the Mother Tree to unlock rare rewards. You can also explore all classes and craftable items to build the best setup for your playstyle.
With the right approach, you’ll be ready to face whatever the forest throws at you.
