Hostail Sectors in Xterium — Ruins, Barbarians, Pirates, Ravagers, and Bosses

Hostile is the expedition’s combat mode: instead of peacefully searching for treasures, you battle a computer-controlled opponent for rewards. There are four sectors, arranged in order of increasing difficulty: Ruins → Barbarians → Pirates → Ravagers. The further you advance through the levels, the stronger the target and the more valuable the loot. Let’s break down the system using the game’s code—all the numbers come from the engine.

Where do these numbers come from? All values are taken from the expedition’s combat sector codes and game settings (the files that calculate target strength and rewards). Explanations in plain language and tactics come from the player community (wiki, forum thread, authors Storm22073, Shataev, Kara). For specific strategies on how to defeat bosses, see the guide “How to Defeat Hostail’s Bosses”.

Four sectors in ascending order

In the game code, the Hostail sectors are listed as follows:

1. Ruins are abandoned structures. Fight for guaranteed resources; the enemy has no upgrades.
2. Barbarians are the first enemies to offer upgrades. They provide control modules for creating and upgrading these upgrades, and the bosses are Class I cores.
3. Pirates offer more advanced technology. They provide dispensers for powerful upgrades, and bosses drop Class II cores.
4. Devastators are the strongest and most technologically advanced enemies. They drop reactors for the most powerful upgrades, and their bosses are Class III cores.

Each sector is a chain of points (goals). Within a sector, you move from point 1 onward in numerical order, and the goal becomes more challenging with each point.

The power of a goal grows with every step

Each target has "fleet points"—a measure of its strength. In the code, these are calculated based on the point number. The base values for the first point in a sector are:

The farther away the point is, the higher these stats become, because they are multiplied by the point’s number. On top of that, a difficulty multiplier is applied, which further increases the enemy’s stats (armor, shields, accuracy) at each subsequent point. In Ruins, this increase is significantly steeper (in the code, the step is 1.225), while in the three combat sectors, it is gentler (1.12). Therefore, Ruins “accelerate” in difficulty faster than the others as you progress.

How to Open Your Next Location

You may not be able to proceed to the next step right away. Conditions from the code:

• The first point of the sector is open without restrictions;
• For each subsequent point, you need at least one win on the previous one;
• You need to have reached a sufficient level in the "Expedition" research tree: Ruins—level 1, Barbarians—level 3, Pirates—level 6, Ravagers—level 8;
• You need the minimum combat power: Ruins — 5, Barbarians — 100, Pirates — 500, Ravagers — 1,000.

In other words, progress depends not only on victories, but also on the player's development: without the necessary research and power, the next checkpoints are simply off-limits.

Bosses — every tenth checkpoint

Every tenth point in the sector (10, 20, 30, and so on) is a boss. It is significantly stronger than a regular target:

• In Ruins, boss points are multiplied by 2.5; in other sectors, they are multiplied by 1.5;
• With Ruins, resource drops from bosses increase sixfold;
• The enemy's stats receive an additional bonus.

An important requirement from the code: bosses beyond the first ten require a leveled-up “Aggression” skill—a separate research project for each sector (Barbarian Aggression, Pirate Aggression, Ravager Aggression). Without it, the next ten bosses are unavailable.

After defeating the boss, a cooldown begins—you cannot immediately return to the same spot:

• Ruins — 6 hours;
• Barbarians, Pirates, Ravagers — 18 hours.

What Drops from Targets and Bosses

Production varies by sector:

• Ruins provide resources (metal, crystal, deuterium)—that is their main purpose. The breakdown is approximately 47% / 36% / 17% among the three resources.
• Barbarians drop control modules (upgrade components), while bosses drop Class I cores.
• Pirates drop dispensers, and bosses drop Class II cores.
• Raiders drop reactors, and bosses drop Class III cores.

Modules, distributors, and reactors are “parts” for the arsenal: they’re used to create and upgrade fleet enhancements. Cores are a particularly valuable reward dropped by bosses, and their class increases from sector to sector. For more details on upgrades, see the article “How the Arsenal Works”].

How to Apply This

• Don't skip sectors. Unlocking them depends on the "Expedition" research and combat power—first meet the requirements, then launch an assault.
• Ruins are for resources; the other three sectors are for upgrade parts and cores from bosses.
• Bosses are the main objective of the long-range mission. To get the cores, level up “Aggression” in the appropriate sector; otherwise, the next bosses will be locked.
• Keep in mind the boss cooldown (6 hours for Ruins, 18 for the others)—plan your runs in advance.
• Keep in mind the connection to “Endless Horizons”: this is all part of the same expedition, but the peace track operates differently—see “How the Expedition Works”].

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the differences between Ruins, Barbarians, Pirates, and Ravagers? Difficulty and loot. Ruins offer weak enemies and resources. Barbarians, Pirates, and Ravagers are increasingly powerful enemies that drop parts for upgrades (modules, distributors, reactors) and cores from bosses (Class I, II, and III, respectively).

How do I open the next location in this sector? You need at least one victory at the previous point, a sufficient level of "Expedition" research, and the necessary combat power. The first point in each sector is unlocked immediately.

Where are the bosses? A boss appears every tenth checkpoint (10, 20, 30…). It is stronger than a regular target and drops cores. Bosses beyond the first ten require a leveled-up “Aggression” stat for that sector.

How long does the cooldown last after defeating a boss? Ruins have 6 hours; Barbarians, Pirates, and Ravagers have 18 hours. You cannot re-enter the same boss location until the cooldown ends.

What's the best way to build core strength? Cores drop only from bosses, and their class increases from sector to sector: Barbarians drop Class I cores, Pirates drop Class II cores, and Ravagers drop Class III cores. To access bosses beyond the first ten, you need “Aggression” for the corresponding sector.

What to Read Next

• How the "" Expedition Works — The "Endless Distances" Peace Initiative]
• How to Defeat the Hostile Bosses in — A Practical Guide]
• How the arsenal works — improvements from parts and cores
• How to download Arsenal
• How Combat Works in — Rounds, Shields, and Rapid Fire
• Arsenal — an encyclopedia section at and Glossary of Terms at