Since Vault Hunters season 2 starts tomorrow and there are so many new streamers (and therefore new viewers!), here's everything you need to know about the mechanics of Vault Hunters and the SMP in general!

This is based on season 1, so some things might change in season 2!

Vault Hunters is a modded SMP! By the end of the season (approximately 90 days) every hunter must gather 16 artifacts in order to complete the monument and open the Final Vault or they will lose the series. When a hunter defeats a boss, there is a chance to earn an artifact.

In order to open a vault, hunters must place a vault rock on the vault altar. In order to create the vault crystal, specific amounts of random materials must be placed with the vault rock. Vault crystals have four different rarities that determine how difficult the vault is.

Vaults are entered by lighting a nether portal made of Blackstone with the vault crystal. Entering the vault, there's a 25% chance that the vault will be locked. If this happens, the boss must be defeated in order to leave the vault. If not, they can leave through the portal.

Vaults have a strict time limit. You can only spend 25 minutes in the vault before it is locked and you are trapped in the vault. You will respawn at your respawn point with none of your items. Eating specific fruit (lemons, kiwi, and oranges) will extend the time limit.

The hunter must navigate through the labyrinth of the vault in order to find the boss room. Treasure rooms spawn randomly throughout the vault and can be opened with the corresponding key. If the hunter dies in the vault, they will lose everything they had on them.

In the vaults, subs will appear as hostile mobs. Gems used to make treasure room keys will spawn in certain rooms of the vaults. Chests are spawned throughout the vault full of loot. Keep an eye out for hidden cakes. They will show secret easter egg quotes and give absorption.

In order to spawn the boss, the hunter must place up to four obelisk inscriptions into the obelisk at the center of the room. This will spawn a random boss in the room, unless it is a raffle vault, which will spawn the minecraft skin of the subscriber the crystal is named for.

Upon leaving the vault, if you defeated the boss, you will receive a vault crate which will contain loot, and there is a chance there will be an artifact inside.

Perhaps the most entertaining part of the Vault Hunters experience is the viewer participation. Any subs, bits, or channel points spent will spawn as resources for the hunters to use in game! More on this in the next tweets.

Every sub (not including gifted subs) gives them vault experience (the yellow bar on the screen). When the level increases, the hunter gets one skill point. Skill points are used to learn skills that will help them in vaults. Vault stew and vault burgers also increase this level.

5 or more gifted subs will give them a gift bomb (of varying tier based on the amount of subs gifted). Gift bombs give vault experience and either a legendary treasure, stacks of common items, or a rare item like vault burgers or skill orbs.

20 or more gifted subs will give the hunter a gift bomb and a gifter statue. Gifter statues are a statue of the gifter's minecraft skin. When placed on top of a chest, the statue will spawn a random block. This is extremely helpful for making vault crystals!

All subs will increase the arena bar (on the right side of the screen). When the arena bar fills up, a sub arena will start. Minecraft skins of subscribers will fight against the skin of a developer of the mod. If the subs win, the hunter will receive an arena crate and statue.

A donation with bits only (monetary donations do not count!!) will give the hunters an equivalent amount of in-game bits. These are used as currency in traders (kind of like emeralds).

A donation of 2500 bits or more will spawn a trader circuit with the name of the viewer. Trader circuits are placed in vending machines where the streamer can buy valuable items using the bits or vault gold. The vending machine will even display the minecraft skin of the viewer!

Viewers can purchase Relic Booster Packs with channel points. The cost of them vary depending on how much the streamer sets the price at. Relic booster packs will give vault experience (which fills up the yellow bar) and have a chance of spawning a pandora's box or relic.

At the end of every stream the streamer will start a raffle. Every viewer who supported the stream with bits, subs, or gifted subs will be in the raffle. Whoever is chosen will have a vault crystal of varying rarity. When the vault crystal is used, their mc skin will be the boss.

And that's pretty much all you need to know! It seems a little confusing at first, but once you see it in action, it's easy to catch on. It's a really fun series. I hope this was helpful for anyone who is new to the series or just needed a refresher! -