Conan Exiles Isle of Siptah: Gameplay Guide (2026)
Isle of Siptah is the standalone expansion map for Conan Exiles. It plays differently from the Exiled Lands — instead of a single sprawling map with fixed spawns, Siptah revolves around the Maelstrom (a periodic storm event) and Surges (lightning rituals that spawn enemy waves). This guide covers the gameplay loop, progression milestones, and how Siptah differs from the Exiled Lands.
Setting up a Siptah server? See our Siptah server setup guide for the server-side configuration.
The map: a tower-centered island
Siptah is a single circular island with a massive central tower. The map is smaller and denser than the Exiled Lands, which means more PvP encounters per unit time and tighter base placement competition. The southern beaches are starter zones; the central highlands and the tower are mid-to-endgame.
The Maelstrom storm event
Every few hours of in-game time, a storm called the Maelstrom rolls across the central island region. Inside the storm:
- Lightning strikes deal area damage
- Spectral enemies spawn from the storm
- Visibility drops dramatically
- Storm-only crafting materials drop from killed spectral enemies
The Maelstrom is the primary mid-game content. Survive it long enough and you collect Eldarium fragments and storm-specific resources used in higher-tier crafting. Storm timing is configurable via ServerSettings.ini.
Surges: how you get thralls
Siptah doesn't have NPC camps full of named thralls like the Exiled Lands. Instead, you summon them through Surges:
- Gather sigils (dropped from killing wild thralls in the storm).
- Place a Sigil at one of the lightning-receptor spires scattered around the map.
- The Surge triggers: a wave of NPCs (Stygian, Khitan, Lemurian, Aquilonian, etc.) spawns near the spire.
- Knock them out with a truncheon (same as Exiled Lands taming) and drag back to your wheel.
The faction you get is randomized but biased by the spire location. Wild thralls from the Maelstrom storm itself drop better tiers but come at higher difficulty.
Eldarium: the new endgame material
Eldarium replaces Star Metal as the top-tier crafting material on Siptah. It comes from:
- Fragments dropped by storm enemies
- Refined at a special workbench using Maelstrom-only ingredients
- Used to craft the highest-tier Siptah-exclusive gear
Eldarium gear is comparable in stats to Exiled Lands legendary tier but follows a different aesthetic. Pure-Siptah characters never need Star Metal at all.
Vaults: Siptah's dungeons
Vaults are short instanced dungeons scattered around the map. Each Vault has:
- A unique boss at the end
- Themed loot (relics, recipes, eldarium fragments)
- Resettable cooldown so groups can re-run them
Vaults replace the larger fixed dungeons of the Exiled Lands (Wine Cellar, Warmaker's Sanctuary, etc.) with a denser, instance-style design. Best done with a small group of 2-4.
Building on Siptah
Same building system as Exiled Lands. The smaller map means base placement is more competitive on PvP servers — good claim spots near supply routes get fought over. Many groups build on the southern beaches early then relocate to the highlands at endgame for closer Maelstrom access.
Progression compared to Exiled Lands
| Stage | Exiled Lands | Isle of Siptah |
|---|---|---|
| Tame thralls | Knock out at NPC camps | Summon via Surges at spires |
| Mid-game material | Hardened Steel | Eldarium fragments |
| Dungeons | Open-world fixed (Wine Cellar, Sanctuary) | Vaults (instanced, resettable) |
| Endgame ritual | Bracelet removal at the south wall | Activate the central tower |
| Endgame material | Star Metal | Eldarium |
| Repeating event | Purges (occasional) | Maelstrom (cyclical) |
Common Questions
Can I move a character between Exiled Lands and Siptah?
On official servers, yes via a one-way character transfer. On private servers, the admin chooses whether transfers are enabled (ServerSettings.ini). Each map keeps its own buildings; only the character moves.
Do mods work on Siptah?
Yes. The same Workshop mods that work on Exiled Lands also work on Siptah. Some mods (like Emberlight) add Siptah-exclusive recipes when Siptah is the active map.
Which map is better for new players?
Exiled Lands is friendlier for first-timers — bigger map, gentler difficulty curve, more obvious progression. Siptah rewards established players who like the Maelstrom-driven loop.
Can I host both maps on one server?
Not from a single instance — each instance runs one map. You can host two parallel server instances (one Exiled Lands, one Siptah) with cross-clan transfers if your provider allows multi-instance setups.
Want to host both maps as parallel servers? Rent Conan Exiles servers with Supercraft — multi-instance setups are supported.