Black zones: gathering and surviving the Outlands
The rules, why the resources are better, portals and Rests, what gear to risk, and how to get your loot home.
8 min read. Checked October 27, 2026.
Zone counts, tiers and enchant odds come from the game's world files. Check zones on the map before you go.
What the black zones are
The black zones are the Outlands, a separate continent north of the Royal continent. It is big: 276 open zones, against 124 on the whole Royal continent. Zones run from T5 to T8, and it's the only place in the open world with T8 resource nodes.
It's also where guilds fight over territories, castles and hideouts, so the population ranges from solo gatherers to 50-player zergs.
The rules out there
| Rule | Red zone | Black zone |
|---|---|---|
| Who can attack you | Players who flag hostile | Anyone outside your guild and alliance, no flag needed |
| If you die to a player | Full loot | Full loot |
| Your dropped items | Each one has a one-in-three chance to be destroyed; the rest go to whoever loots you | |
| Silver in your bank | Always safe | |
So the real difference from a red zone: nobody has to warn you by flagging. Anyone not in your guild or alliance is a possible enemy, and a group of them can be on you with no sign until they show up.
Why people go
- Better resources. T8 nodes exist only here, and enchanted nodes are more common. At T6 to T8, a black zone node is a .1 about 12% of the time on average, against 5% in red zones.
- Zone quality. Every Outlands zone has a quality from 1 to 6. A quality 6 zone makes .1 nodes 20% of the time, 4 times the red zone rate, and .2 and .3 nodes just as much more often. Only 20 zones are quality 6.
- Less competition per node. With more than twice the zones of the Royal continent, there's more room to find untouched nodes, mobs and chests.
- Guild content. Territories, castles, outposts and hideouts all live here.
Getting there and where to stay
- Portal towns. Each Royal city has a portal into the Outlands. It takes you to that city's own Portal town (Thetford Portal, Lymhurst Portal and so on), safe towns at the edge of the black zones. Each covers its own region of the Outlands.
- The three Rests. Arthur's Rest, Merlyn's Rest and Morgana's Rest are safe towns deeper in, with a bank and a market. They make a good home if you plan to stay.
- Hideouts. Guild bases built in the black zones. If your guild has one, it's the safest place to bank and respawn near where you gather.
- Smugglers' Dens. Markets in the black zones. They share one market across all Dens and charge a 1.5% setup fee instead of 2.5%.
Gathering in the black zone
- Pick a zone on the map with your resource at your tier. A higher quality zone has more enchanted nodes, but also more people.
- Prefer zones off the main routes. Zones between two busy hubs see constant traffic.
- Gather the enchanted nodes first. They're worth several times the plain ones; if you have to leave in a hurry, you want them already in your bag.
- Bank often. Decide on a value you're willing to lose (say, one gear set's worth) and go back to bank whenever your bag is worth more.
- Use a gathering set built to escape: a fast mount, gear with a speed or invisibility spell, and a cape or potion that helps you break away.
What to take: the risk budget
The most useful rule in the black zone: only wear what you can replace three times. If losing a set would hurt, it's too expensive for where you're going.
- Keep at least three copies of your set (or the silver for them) in the bank before you start.
- Use T6 or T7 equivalents. In open-world fights, numbers and skill matter far more than a few extra item power.
- Leave expensive capes, bags and mounts at home unless you know why you need them.
- Count your loot in the risk too. A full bag of T8 resources can be worth more than your gear.
Staying alive
- Watch the zone chat and the screen edges. Several names showing up at once usually means a group is moving through.
- Leave early. If you see a group, go immediately, before they're on top of you. Being too careful costs a few minutes; being late costs your set.
- Don't fight over a node. Someone gathering next to you might be bait.
- Learn your escape route before you start: which exit is closest and where the nearest safe town is.
- Go at quiet hours. Fewer players are online outside your server's evening peak.
Getting your loot home
- Sell in the Outlands at a Rest or Smugglers' Den if the price is close. You skip the trip, and the trip is where people die.
- Haul to a Royal city through a Portal town when the price gap is big. Royal city markets are much bigger, so large stacks sell faster.
- Refine in a Royal city with that resource's bonus. The Outlands towns have no refining bonus, so raw resources are worth more once they're through the portal.
Mistakes that cost the most
- Wearing gear you can't replace. Most quitting stories start here.
- Carrying too much for too long. Bank before it hurts to lose the bag.
- Waiting at portal exits and on roads. That's where gankers wait too.
- Staying to finish a node when players show up. Leave.
- Taking a fight you didn't need. A gatherer's job is to get home.