Cultists at a glance
| Role | Supporting antagonists, a cult that worships the Deer |
| Where | Strongholds and other loot camps, plus nightly campfire raids |
| First raid | Night 4 (both wikis). A red warning appears the day before |
| Raid size | Grows each raid; the Fandom wiki gives a maximum of 8 Cultists |
| Health | 100 to 150 in the wild and raids; strongholds 120 to 300 by level (Fandom wiki) |
| Walk speed | 12 melee, 16 ranged (Fandom wiki) |
| Drops | Mossy Coin, Revolver and Rifle ammo; Cultist Gem from the last one of a group |
Types of Cultist
| Type | What to know |
|---|---|
| Melee Cultist | The most common. Deer skull on the head. Uses an old axe, then a spear or a morning star in later raids. |
| Crossbow Cultist | Second most common, bright red jacket. Shoots from range; the first raid has none. |
| Juggernaut | Rarer and about twice normal size. Typically in a level 3 Stronghold or a Hard Mode raid. |
| Cave types | Shadow Cultists, Darkstring Cultists (two shots per attack) and Brute Cultists appear in the Caverns. |
| Jungle | Jungle Cultists use a poison spear or a blowpipe and wear poison armor. |
| Others | Resurrected Cultists come from the Necromancer class and the hedge maze. Mega Cultists are spawned by admins in Update Parties. |
Cultist raids
The day before the first raid, the info bar flashes red: “Something evil is approaching your campfire... it arrives tonight”. Just before dark the game says “You will be attacked tonight, return to your campfire” and drums start. Cultists then spawn by your campfire and attack the nearest player. The first raid is melee Cultists with old axes only.
Later raids bring more Cultists and better weapons, including crossbows. The wikis disagree on spacing: the Fandom wiki says about every four days, Miraheze says every three nights. Plan for one every 3 to 4 nights.
If the raid isn't finished by morning, the campfire burns down faster for each Cultist left. After night 99 the last Cultist drops a Cultist Gem and a Gem of the Forest fragment. Hard Mode raids use tougher types such as Juggernaut, Darkstring and Shadow Cultists.
The Deer watches raids from near the campfire and doesn't attack you during them.
How to beat Cultists
- Use a spear and strafe in a tight circle. Melee Cultists turn slowly, so you can hit them without taking damage.
- Kill crossbow Cultists first. They snipe while you are busy, but they are weak up close because they have no melee attack.
- Strafe or keep jumping against crossbows: they fire at where you are standing and the bolts are slow. Jumping drains hunger fast, so save it for big hordes.
- Let them walk into traps. Their pathfinding doesn't avoid stakes, barbed wire or bear traps.
- Players on Reddit build a shelf next to the map or a log-wall ring with a small gap leading into bear traps, and hit Cultists through the shelf with a spear.
- Stand on something tall in camp, such as the map, a wood rain storage or a lightning rod. The Fandom wiki says Cultists can't see you up there, but you need a ranged weapon.
- The Cyborg class's laser cannon splash makes the first raid easy (Fandom wiki).
FAQ
When is the first Cultist raid in 99 Nights in the Forest?
On night 4 for both wikis. You get a red warning the day before and a second message just before night.
How many Cultists come in a raid?
The number grows with each raid. The Fandom wiki gives a maximum of 8 per raid.
What do Cultists drop?
Mossy Coins and sometimes revolver or rifle ammo. The last Cultist of a group can drop a Cultist Gem.
What if I don't finish the raid by morning?
The Fandom wiki says the campfire burns down faster for every Cultist still alive.
What are the Cultists doing in the forest?
They worship the Deer. The wikis say they are believed to be former humans of the forest; the game doesn't say more, and the Miraheze wiki's former-scientists line is a theory.
More 99 Nights in the Forest pages
- 99 Nights in the Forest Deer
- 99 Nights in the Forest Owl
- Best Classes in 99 Nights in the Forest
- 99 Nights in the Forest codes
- 99 Nights in the Forest badges
- 99 Nights in the Forest wiki: live stats
Sources
Checked Nov 4, 2026. Community wikis are edited by players, so numbers marked “per” one wiki may change after an update.