Dungeon Revamps - Archimedia 2 (Zeruel Border - Kounat's Collapse)

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Foreword:
This article features Zeruel Border, Zeruel & Kounat's Collapse.
Allow me to also apologize to my viewers. I have tried a lot of href codes for "Go to" links to make topic jumping easier but they keep going back to an empty blogger page after I close the browser. 

And then for no good reason it messed up the existing HTML on the pages I applied them to. It was not worth the damage-control I had to do so I scrapped the idea. (ノ ̄Д ̄)ノ彡┻┻   

Links*:
Once a new revamp article is published, the links to similar articles will be featured here.
Xenia 1 (Xenia Border - Wyrm's Maw)
Xenia 2 (Altar of Judgement - Fortress of Ascension)
Alcubra 1 (Goblin Work Site - Sands of Illusion)
Alcubra 2 (Deserted Town - Seth's Pyramid)
Archimedia 1 (Hammer's Reach - Relics of Kounat)

Once again,
1) I will liberally use made-up names for some of their attacks if I have to, and make them as easy to visually recall as possible.

2) I'm using my Lv85 Lire for damage-soaking experiments, thanks to her supposedly neutral balance of stats across the board especially in defense (Elesis would return false results because of her innately very high defense).

3) I will assess monsters by their Threat (Reactions) and Offensive (General attack strength) levels. it can be anywhere from levels ↓↓↓ to ↑↑↑ to (indicates null change/neutral).

4) Telegraphing is the action taken to indicate attacks., from the new indicative red lines to magical glyphs where the attack projects itself, or simply body language from the monster.

So are we cool? Let's go~ (*゜▽゜ノノ゛☆

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Zeruel Border

Regulars:


Dark Elven Scout
(Threat Level: ↑) (Offensive Power: ↑↑)
Scouts are highly agile and will quickly traverse terrain to find you. They can engage in a powerful melee combo, but not as dangerous without the bleeding effect now.
  • No longer uses the single slash attack
  • Attacks no longer cause bleeding.






Dark Elven Assassin
(Threat Level: ↓) (Offensive Power: ↑↑↑)
Assassins move with speed and are able to flash their way towards your position (when changing elevations) suddenly for an attack, making them deadly and surprising at the same time. They only use one attack and it hits very hard on you twice.
  • No longer uses the blink-stabbing attack behind you.
  • No longer uses the multi-hit dagger attack.
  • Whenever they fade out, they take only half damage.
  • Attacks no longer causes poisoning.





Dark Elven Magic Archer
(Threat Level: ↑↑↑) (Offensive Power: ↑↑↑)
By far the most dangerous Elf we've seen yet. The Archer hits like a brick fired out of a cannon and deals extremely high damage for a regular mob.
  • The Archer's reaction and attack speed is slightly slower but her attack power has been greatly increased.
  • They are only found after destroying any of the 2 Guard Towers in Zeruel Border. Be prepared to lay first strike as soon as they appear.
  • They only fire two ways, forwards and diagonally forward with their trajectories telegraphed for you.





Dark Elven Rider
(Threat Level: ↓) (Offensive Power: ↑↑)
Riders are armored cavalry enemies which take only 25% damage of your attacks from the front. Their attacks are no longer as lethal, but can still cause significant damage otherwise.
  • No longer uses the jousting charge, which was always fatal to be hit with.
  • The lance throw ("Danger") is extremely fast without delay, deals a single hit of high damage if struck instead of multi-hits
  • The turnaround lance attack no longer hits players at the bottom.





Mini-Boss:

Guard Tower *No Card Image* (Threat Level: •) (Offensive Power: ↓↓↓)
Fear not the tower but its inhabitants. The tower isn't a big deal since its arrows are really slow now and are just a nuisance. Its inhabitants, usually a team of 3-4 archers and 1-2 other elves that can be a Scout or Assassin, are your real problem.
  • Save your MP for those enemies hiding in there. The last thing you want is for Archers to scatter around and start crossfiring.
  • Riders will never appear from the Tower.



Boss:
Dahlia
(Threat Level: ↑↑↑) (Offensive Power: ↑↑↑)
A battle commander of the Dark Elves, Dahlia is versatile in all forms of weapons utilized by her kind, and you will fight her in 4 iterations wielding different weapons each time. While she also has reduced HP in each iteration, her attack power has been boosted significantly, and each phase makes her a different kind of threat each time.
     
Tactical Solutions:
There is one possibility of killing her extremely fast if you have a high damage skill combined with long usage, such as Ronan's Tempest Blade in Erudon Sword mode. If timed right with a pet attack, it can kill off 2 or even 3 of her iterations in a single onslaught (You gotta "X" through the conversations quickly as well)


Claw Stance:
Attacks the same way as the Scout does, but covers more ground when attacking due to her large body frame. She is still able to utilize her "Bleed" attack through the special attack that causes her to blink in and out from behind you.
  • Said special attack does no damage on its own, but causes bleed to occur if struck by it.
Dagger Stance:
Just like the Assassin, except she prefers running and jumping instead of blinking around. She also no longer uses the backstab attack but uses the powerful long-distance close-in stab here.
  • Her special, the somersault cross-slash now deals signifcantly less damage that it is tolerable to most players.
  • Her ability to meld into the shadows also allows her to phase through you while "invisible". You can walk pass her as well.
Bow Stance:
Even deadlier than the Archers is Dahlia herself wielding the bow and arrows. Dahlia in this iteration is extremely deadly due to the enhanced damage that is already present in normal archers.
  • Her powershot is extremely powerful and should be avoided when you see it's telegraphed trajectory coming.
  • The 5-arrow spreadfire should also be avoided, they can no longer be shot down and inflicts a lot of pain if taken point blank carelessly.
  • Dahlia is nearly immune to skill delay in this form. It is very difficult to catch her using skills unless you intercept her jumping trajectory, when she is the most vulnerable.
Rider Stance:
Dahlia mounts her steed and comes at you full throttle. There are no extra dangers except that once again, her damage capabilities are significantly higher than the regular Riders.
  • Her lance throw is very lethal and it should be avoided to stay level with her too long lest she suddenly uses it while running towards you.

Note:
The spike traps on the stages are no longer present. And while it's extra work, go for the attack buff hidden in the jump stage. It is much rewarding and makes the rest of the fight easier later on.

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Zeruel

Regulars:

Guardian Spirit
(Threat Level: ↓) (Offensive Power: ↓)
A little less threatening, the Spirits are mostly idle until an electrical buzz appears on them - That's when you run, because you can't stop their attack until the buzz fades away.
  • Attack speed is increased, meaning the electrical attack occurs immediately after the buzzing sound unlike previously where there was a long delay.
  • It also no longer causes bleeding, but one instance of moderate shock damage.
  • Fake Guardian Spirits summoned by the Dark Elven Mages have a more transparent purple shade. Also, they can mock an attack  by buzzing although nothing will actually happen. Destroying them is not necessary for stage progression.
  • If you kill a transmogrified ally as a Guardian Spirit, that player dies immediately upon it's death. Watch for indicators and don't attack carelessly!


Royal Elven Guard
(Threat Level: ↑) (Offensive Power: ↑)
Reminiscent of Ryan's Sentinel, these Elves attack swiftly with a crescent blade in hand. They have relatively high attack power and attack speed as well.
  • They'll always recover with an attack, so do not stand too near for too long them after they have been felled.








Dark Elven Mage
(Threat Level: ↑↑) (Offensive Power: ↑↑)
As deadly as the Elven Archers were, these Mages fire magical arrows that deal significant damage per shot as well as provide quick support for their allies. Despite being Mages, they are actually quite hard to kill
  • Able to cast a healing sphere that recovers 100% of an enemy's life, and a transmogrification spell that turns you into a fake Guardian Spirit for a few seconds.
  • Their magic arrows are powerful, especially if you allow them to fire directly above or beneath you. (because you take 2x no. of hits) They fire them rapidly as well so keep moving.
  • The shield that they cast around them is subject to damage threshold (not hitcount). The stronger the attack, the faster it collapses.





Mini-Boss:

Golem
(Threat Level: ↓) (Offensive Power: ↑↑↑)
The Golem is a magically animated and enforced enemy, attacking only with spells of it's own. It rarely moves and waits till his enemy is near to respond. It also teleports to change elevation and suddenly too.
  • They no longer use the Magician Arme's replicate spell of Energy Ball.
  • Getting hit by the shockwave attack it produces no longer drains your MP/AP
  • Its Ring of Holding replicate spell damages and traps you if you were on the ground, damage is only taken if you were jumping instead.



Tactical Solutions:
The Golem is a little tough to bring down especially with its recoiling magic and high attack strength. But in general it is less threatening than before.




Boss:
Quoronnos
(Threat Level: ↓) (Offensive Power: ↑↑↑)
Quoronnos as a threat has declined but his attacks should not be brushed off like before. Reworked for higher damage with every blow, Quoronnos can easily wear you out faster than you can probably recover.
  • The blood rain that falls now has a shorter duration and deals significantly less damage.
  • Quoronnos' jump attack will only deal massive on the ground if he lands flat on you. At a height, most of that damage is negated
  • Speaking of heights, Quoronnos no longer uses his OHKO skill of deadly firebombs when he can't reach you. He simply continues using blood rain and jump attacks.
  • No longer uses its dark shield to negate damage, Quoronnos is fully vulnerable to damage at all times except when initiating its jump attack.

Tactical Solutions:
On a positive note, Gilberta does not die so quickly now due to reduced poison damage and maybe increased HP? On the negative note though, Quoronnos' attacks are quite powerful this time, dealing a lot more damage with each attack than it used to. It is also thankful to note he no longer uses his OHKO attack when one silly ally decides to climb up high and shy from combat. On the same note, if Quoronnos is wearing you out too fast, climbing up the platforms for potion recovery or a breather will be good, although you may still take blood rain damage occasionally when the shield is off.

Note:

The pink crystals that periodically fire out slowing spheres of magic should be destroyed post-haste. Not only does it hinder movement it also puts anyone and allies within it at risk of open attack. Earring effects can temporarily nullify those effects if they are active.

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Kounat's Collapse

Regulars:

Commander "The Dark Sword"
(Threat Level: •) (Offensive Power: ↓)
While nothing about this Commander has actually changed, his attack strength has seemingly decreased.
  • His stomp attack combo usually fails due to the stage's layout. You end up invulnerable while recovering from the fall on a higher platform instead of taking the second hit from his swords.
  • During his special attack, the 5 large fireblasts are distributed evenly amongst teammates, or all on you if you're solo. Controlling your footwork or using Dodge is key to make you don't run out of ground too fast.






Commander "The Dark Staff"
(Threat Level: ↓) (Offensive Power: ↑↑)
Similarly, nothing about this Commander has changed except that his main attacks, the Lightning and Ice spells have reduced damage somewhat. His special attack remains significantly powerful in damage.
    • His Ice spell can still cause an unknown glitch that makes you take rapid damage as you are frozen, by significant amounts too.
    • ^ The splash range of his Ice spell is larger than it looks. Charging in too early before the frost spreads further can get you frozen.
    • With the Dodge skill available, it is easier and safer to dodge those spear-like weapons as they come down the center. Do not try this anywhere else as those spears are too long for Dodge to outlast their length and range.



    Dahlia
    (Threat Level: ↑) (Offensive Power: ↑)
    Dahlia's last stand as normal enemy in her Rider stance. No new changes except slightly higher damage due to level differences between Kounat's Collapse and Zeruel's Border.
    • There's more ample space for you to play around with Dahlia this time.










    Highlander's Illusion
    (Threat Level: ↓) (Offensive Power: ↓↓)
    Highlander Illusions are only troublesome in numbers, and pose little threat in damage to you. These illusions leave behind a soul sphere each time they are defeated, which the player must strike at thrice for them to be completely destroyed, otherwise they will regain their corporeal forms and the process repeats.
    • Fight tactically, if your character is not the kind with good AoE or crowd control, don't get overzealous by crowd attacking and neglecting any open soul spheres to destroy.
    • Don't let them crowd around and attack you. Their attacks leave you stunned heavily and can only get difficult to escape if the rest follow suit with their attacks. 
    • Although soul spheres take 3 singular hits to destroy, an attack with a prolonged swing animation can destroy them in one strike. Experiment with various attacks on each character to see what attack type works best for this result.


    Mini-Boss:

    Graham's Illusion
    (Threat Level: •) (Offensive Power: ↓)
    A stronger illusion than the regular Highlanders, Graham specializes in both sword and magical assaults and takes 3 iterations to destroy him completely. His attacks are completely different from Highlanders and should be faced with caution.
    • Graham is only dangerous if he suddenly takes off into the air and starts bombarding the space with his magic shots.
    • Anywhere in front of where he faces and downwards, he will unleash a series of magical shots in 4 general directions or more that deal damage instances if a player gets caught. More than one stance of damage can be taken depending on how saturated the zone is.
    • Graham's attacks are highly telegraphed before he attacks so there is actually little reason to get hit at all, especially during his special attack where he takes his time flying to the corner. Being able to die despite the telegraphing would look pretty stupid really.


    Tactical Solutions:
    Anytime after Graham has idled after moving, he may suddenly take off into the air to use his special attack. The best time for skill use is when he finishes a movement, quickly catching up to him and unleashing it (Bear in mind delay rarely works on Graham, so swiftness is key) Especially during that same attack he is performing, his shots can go vertically down enough to catch you under him. Only characters with high-ranged otto or other safe attacks should try to engage Graham at that time, for safe measure.


    Boss:
    Ashtaroth's (Human?) Form
    (Threat Level: ↓↓) (Offensive Power: ↓↓)
    Ashtaroth in his enhanced (Human?) form. He's not all that dangerous and just takes a while to put down. Most of his attacks are too well telegraphed to be hit by, especially the sword combos of his. His magic attacks though on the other hand...
    • When he starts illuminating the ground with the magic swords, there are about 2 safe spots completely unaffected, Lires can snipe him from those points if within range.
    • Those swords have lingering presence and sensitive contact points even after they fade, don't be tempted to move in too early or you will get hit.
    • That said, there are only 2 patterns to this attack, and they may or may not alternate each time. Just observe carefully where not to run into.
    • Ashtaroth uses his second special which sends 12 swords diving straight to the ground on your position. Dodge makes it very easy to evade them backwards if you run out of running space.
    • He is also impervious to damage during this skill, and uses it whenever he feels like it.


    Tactical Solutions:
    Whack away at him. When he starts illuminating the ground, it's time for melee attackers to bail unless they're superbly accurate with evasion timing. It can get real annoying since he likes to use it a lot, but it's just a matter of idle patience.

    *Interestingly at the beginning of this fight, All Sieghart players will enter Rage mode unconditionally.



    Ashtaroth's Demon Form
    (Threat Level: ↑↑) (Offensive Power: ↑↑)
    A tricky boss for most to handle, the Demon Form is menacingly large and has two strike points - the head and body cores, both of which are fortunately within range for all manner of attack.
    • In relation to "Jump" attacks, the left hand sweeps high at where his body core is. The right hand sweeps low around the bottom two platforms. Watch which hand is attacking and react accordingly. If both hands are attacking, trouble is coming.
    • ^ You will want to get on the ground as quickly as possible and observe the attack points. Fortunately the damage is much reduced so you won't die in just 3-4 hits. There is a tight pattern to this attack so it is difficult to evade everything 100%.
    • The eye beam attack he uses triggers explosions in a grid pattern, so if you know which pattern the explosions are following, you can evade it accurately.
    • Whenever Ashtaroth moves his body, the position of his cores move with him. Setting skills off at the wrong time can cause them to miss completely!


    Tactical Solutions:
    What you want to worry about is whether he will pull out the "Jump" attack with both his hands. That's nothing but trouble because you can't attack him without being whacked from below. It can be prevented if you finish him off fast enough but most players don't have that kind of overwhelming capacity and because Ashtaroth's cores are non-solid targets. Telegraphy gives him away so just stay calm and attack only with effective skills that will hit properly. Times like these are also why otto is highly effective.



    Ashtaroth's God Form
    (Threat Level: ↑↑↑) (Offensive Power: ↑↑↑)
    The final, God Form of Ashtaroth's battle. He is impervious to all attack except from Kassias Grandiel's Klara Libri spell blasts, which takes 5 shots in total to finish him. God Ashtaroth has only 3 attacks which he uses while stationary all the time, of which 1 is OHKO, one being lethal and another being an annoyance.
    • It is a matter of rinse & repeat in this fight, and with good practice and a sharp mind, you can get away unscathed from Ashtaroth. Maybe not from the Highlanders since they'll be random and persistent.
    • When Ashtaroth decides to unleash his entire arsenal- RUN and just RUN (evade if you must too). Distraction to attack approaching Highlanders usually leads to disaster.
    • Every time Ashtaroth attacks, the game checks if any Highlanders still remain. If all 3 have already been defeated, a new trio is summoned -food for Klara Libri- and this can speed up Grandiel's charging significantly.


    Tactical Solutions:
    It's a game of endurance and repetition here folks. The Highlander's attacks can decrease Grandiel's charge on the Klara Libri. The faster your ability to kill them off each time, the faster you bring about his defeat. Depending on your character's strengths, you may want to play either defensive or offensively. More about Ashtaroth's attacks:

    If you start hearing "booms", watch the skies and evade according to the open gap you can see. There are 2 patterns to this, but it is just a matter of evading left or right, again depending on the gap that you find. Be very careful with the timing of your evasion. You may simply get away with a scratch if you fail but being caught high in mid-air can result in disastrous results. This is the lethal attack.

    If you hear an electrical zap, prepare to watch your elevation and change accordingly. Electrical bolts will fire across either the top half or bottom half in random order, and getting struck means a prolonged shock status to you. This is the annoyance attack.

    If an orange-colored vortex appears on Ashtaroth, keep running and do not let yourself go right under or near the vortex - As it will pull you up/in and kill you instantly. And this is obviously the OHKO attack. 

    Finally, every time Grandiel strikes Ashtaroth with Klara Libri, Ashtaroth floats towards the center of the stage and unleashes all 3 of his attacks at the same time, and this may be accompanied by annoying Highlanders while you evade them. As long as you are within Grandiel's circle you will be safe from everything and even the Highlanders. Because the pulling effect is stronger than normal here, some faster characters can simply hold dash to resist while others must step a little to keep up the pace. If for any reason you are pulled out into the open of danger with no way to return safely to the circle, it is best if you can tank/escape whatever damage you can avoid without jumping. A single jump under Ashtaroth's vortex will pull you right in and kill you instantly. (Standing idly is safe because the vortex is projected higher in his triple unleash sequence)

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