Cold as Ice

Prove your worth once and for all by single-handedly defeating the mighty Glacial Griffon.

Objectives

 * Speak to Sif when you are ready to face the Glacial Griffon.
 * Destroy the Glacial Griffon and prove your valor to Sif. Earn your song!
 * See Sif Shadowhunter for your reward.

Reward

 * 500 Norn reputation points
 * Perfect Salvage Kit
 * Uses Remaining: 5
 * Uses Remaining: 5

Walkthrough
The Glacial Griffon is a level 28 spirit lord ritualist. There are several viable strategies to defeating him listed below.

Threats
The Glacial Griffon brings a combination of spirits that can shut down a wide variety of builds and deal plenty of damage. The spirits have long range and the Griffon uses the terrain to her best advantage.


 * Shadowsong shuts down martials;
 * Dissonance shuts down casters;
 * Bloodsong life stealing bypasses protection skills.
 * Pain is a major painful.
 * At melee range, the Griffon deals significant amounts of damage.

Vulnerabilities
The Griffon has no self healing or energy management skills. Further, her frequent use of Ritual Lord means that she will end up killing herself; if you can block her natural regeneration.

Tactics

 * Bring Anti-summon skills.
 * Take advantage of her lack of healing:
 * Health degeneration on its own might be enough.
 * Apply and maintain conditions to further lower her health.
 * Energy denial prevents her from renewing the spirits.
 * Bring your own spirits: the standard Spirit Lord works well.
 * Use a Longbow and attack at range.
 * Exploit the the various corpses in the area.
 * Interrupt her use of skills; Interupts will be difficult to use successfully after the cast times for spirits were reduced.
 * 55 builds can be effective, but beware of Bloodsong stealing half of your health & Dissonance interupting you.
 * Bring a self heal to help counter any damage you receive from the spirits.
 * Since the Glacial Griffon has natural health regeneration, skills or spells that cause degeneration are the key to countering his powerful self healing.
 * Many PvE skills apply a number of damaging conditions or provide an extra ally, for example:
 * Ebon Vanguard Assassin Support can knock down and be used as a meatshield for yourself.
 * Ebon Vanguard Sniper Support causes bleeding and has the potential to deal a massive amount of damage.
 * Summon Ruby Djinn inflicts burning.
 * Mental Block can help to block the Griffin and his spirit's attacks.
 * Display the Norn title for the Health Benefit.

Primary or secondary Mesmer

 * Maintain Illusion of Pain on the griffon, following up with Cry of Pain.
 * Replenish your energy with Energy Drain.
 * Snare the griffon if it gets too close for comfort.

Primary Assassins

 * It is recommended to use the secondary necromancer guide rather than the more challenging dagger builds.


 * Move immediately to where the griffon lands, and use skills 1-4 in that order. Spam your four attacks when it turns hostile.
 * Kite when health gets low, and you try to pull the griffon away from the spirits once they have been re-cast so you can avoid dissonance. Maintain Critical Agility & Critical Defenses with Malicious Strike.
 * Death Blossom can be changed for Critical Strike at the cost of a longer recharge.


 * Use your chain on the griffon. Once it has cast Dissonance you should let it attack once then use Consume Soul on it to heal and remove it.
 * Repeat the chain until the griffon dies.

Primary Elementalist

 * When the griffon drops down, cast your enchantments to reduce the damage you take. Then cast Ebon Vanguard Sniper Support, "You Move Like a Dwarf!", Conjure Phantasm, and Conjure Nightmare on Glacial Griffon in that order.  Move away from the spirits to the other corner of the zone. Keep recasting the hexes.
 * Use "You Move Like a Dwarf!" whenever the griffon gets too close.


 * An additional tactic would be to use Glimmering Mark and snare skills.

Primary Monk

 * Equip 55 health armor.
 * Bring either Shield of Judgment or Spoil Victor. If you choose Shield of Judgment bring Blessed Aura & Stonesoul Strike. The bleeding will negate his natural regeneration.

Primary Ranger
One of the hardest classes to do this with, there are a few good builds to accomplish this quest. The first two are strictly degenerating the griffon's health. For the first two builds, you lay on the conditions (and whatever else you have to drain its health) and run away. You just have to make sure his health never stops going down. The Beast Mastery build is more straightforward but harder to do. All of these builds have worked multiple times its just a factor of which one you are more comfortable with.


 * Max marksmanship and wilderness survival, and use a long- or flatbow.
 * Stay far away from the Griffon most of the time. Use Read the Wind and Poison Tip Signet while out of range, approach, use hunter's shot, and run away.
 * Wait for Lacerate and Toxicity conditions to take effect; repeat. Poisoned and bleeding together are enough overcome her natural +3 health regeneration.
 * You can also use Archer's Signet or Lacerate as your Elite.
 * Signet of Infection helps this strategy.
 * With your leftover energy, you can add other health degeneration skills, e.g. Conjure Phantasm or Immolate.

Primary Dervish

 * Obtain a speed buff like Harrier's Haste,Featherfoot Grace or Drunken Master for slot 5.
 * The technique is to use a degeneration skill on the griffon then to use Cry of Pain and then quickly run away from it. Repeat until it dies.
 * Bring a wand/staff or any weapon that can increase your energy. (Gwen's default weapons are fine).

can also use that build


 * Keep Grenth's Aura+Onslaught for self heal on griffon only,Attacker's Insight+Vow of Piety for defense.
 * Wait griffon use his spirits, and pull him with a spear or a bow over range ofShadowsong and attack griffon , when he cast new Shadowsong run with Harrier's Haste and Repeat until he dies.
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 * Can use Victorious Sweep for slot 5

Primary or secondary Necromancer

 * There are 6 exploitable corpses on the ground near where the griffon spawns.


 * Skills you may also wish to bring are Mark of Pain, Ebon Battle Standard of Honor & a skill to inflict weakness such as Enfeebling Blood.
 * Move into range of the corpses & make some minions. Its most effective if you summon your minions 1-2 seconds before the griffon arrives and move to the griffons spawn so they body block it completely. Use your Barbs on the griffon, and Mark of Pain if you brought it. Minions benefit from the bonuses of the Standard, so set the ward up around the griffon. Use Death Nova on dying minions.
 * Other corpse exploitation skills such as Animate Flesh Golem, Animate Shambling Horror and Animate Vampiric Horror can be used instead of Aura of the Lich.
 * Consider bringing Great Dwarf Weapon to use on minions, the knock down will help the minions to bodyblock the Griffon.


 * Combine Animate Bone Minions with Spoil Victor. Use Death Nova as appropriate on dying minions. You will need at least one skill to finish off the griffon, consider "Finish Him!" & Ebon Vanguard Assassin Support.


 * Summon 6-8 minions while you wait for the Griffon to appear. Use Blood of the Master to heal your minions and lower your own health, then use Grenth’s Balance to quickly damage the Griffon and heal yourself. Repeat until Griffon dies.
 * Once he's too low on health for you to use Grenth's Balance on him any further, finish him off with whatever skills you brought.
 * Bring a self heal to use when the Grenth's Balance stops healing you.


 * Fill the first spot with an elite knockdown from your secondary profession. or fill it with Life Siphon.
 * When the Griffon spawns, use Life Siphon, YMLaD, Necrosis, EVAS,Signet of Spirits.
 * Other skills should be heals or energy management like Signet of Lost Souls.

This worked very well for me, I would like to say at least 30-40 seconds.

Primary or secondary Ritualist

 * Use the spirits before the griffon arrives. Use Painful Bond on the griffon and Warmonger's Weapon on yourself to interupt the griffon. Use your spirit destroying skill on any of the spirits it summons.
 * Variants include switching Shadowsong for Signet of Midnight, Consume Soul for Gaze of Fury, and Warmonger's Weapon for Dissonance.
 * Use Spirit Siphon, Essence Strike or Glyph of Lesser Energy for energy management.


 * Get out of range uphill.
 * Cast Boon of Creation.
 * Cast spirits in order.
 * Hit the Griffin with Painful Bond.
 * Gaze of Fury just in case that random spirit makes it through Dissonance.
 * Retreat to high ground - summon spirits if they are not shooting.

Primary Warrior

 * Warriors can use a Grenth's Balance strategy. Bring Lion's Comfort or Healing Signet to keep your health up while your energy regenerates or to use after Grenth's Balance no longer serves a purpose.
 * Bring a finishing skill for use when the griffon's health goes below the Grenth's Balance threshold.


 * Alternate Grenth's Balance, not demanding PvE skills.


 * Use Dwarven Stability on recharge throughout the fight. Chain Gladiator's & Bonetti's Defense to maintain constant block through the fight. Use both ripostes as often as you can. Use Signet of Infection after Deadly Riposte.
 * Take either 12 in Earth Magic - in which case bring Sliver armor, or 12 in Swordsmanship to deal damage with your weapon attacks.


 * Always keep 1 of the 3 block skills on.
 * Flee from the Griffon's spirits, use Bonetti's Defense to block them.

Primary Paragon

 * Stand at the top of the hill, use Poison Tip Signet, then Anthem of Flame & Signet of Agression. Use Barbed Spear on the Griffon and then retreat back up the hill with Natural Stride.
 * If the griffon gets too close, use Maiming Spear and continue running away until it is safe to use Troll Unguent.


 * Use Pain Inverter on the griffon, letting him attack you until your health is low, then use Grenth's Balance. Run around with "Fall Back" during the time Grenth's Balance is recharging. When it is recharged, let him attack you again and use Grenth's Balance again. Repeat this to nearly kill him and then use your Ebon Vanguard skills to finish him off.

Profession-independent tactics
For those who prefer not to hobble themselves with the unnecessary challenge of using only skills from their primary class, the following builds also work well:

Ebon Vanguard attacks only (any profession)

 * Bring any long range attack of your choice and some survival skills for yourself in the other slots.
 * Using the Assassin Support to distract the griffon's attention, followup with Sniper Support and then Signet of Infection. During this health degeneration stage you can feel free to attack from a distance.
 * Retreat should the griffon or spirits attack you. Use your self-healing ability to gain health anytime you aren't being attacked.


 * / Ebon Vanguard skills

With at least rank 6 in the EV Title track, use the sniper to apply bleeding (and a potential spike), the assassin for snares, and Signet of Infection to add disease. As with the other builds, keep out of reach of the spirits and the Griffon and let degeneration do the work for you.


 * / Mesmer secondary
 * Mesmer

Maximize Illusion and Inspiration magics and then your primary attribute (if helpful). Otherwise, the build works the same as above: Start out far away using Mantra. Apply the hexes and run. Wait for Dissonance to die and repeat.


 * / Ranger secondary

Max marksmanship and wilderness survival, and use a long- or flatbow and works the same for secondaries: keep out of range most of the time. Prepare before approaching, use Hunter's Shot to apply conditions, and hide; repeat.


 * / Ritualist secondary

Max Channeling magic and set up spirits. Use YMLAD to kite the Griffon, move around the area to escape the Griffon spirits and draw the Griffon in to your spirits. Use any Ritualist or Primary skills to augment damage and healing.

Bosses

 * 28 (30) Glacial Griffon → Ritual Lord

Initial dialogue
Sif Shadowhunter
 * "Are you ready to tackle a worthy quest, ? In the highest icy reaches live the glacial griffons. They are deadly and prey mostly on wolves, bears, and other large game. I have spread wolf carcasses around the village to attract one of these beasts. Your task is simple: single-handedly slay a glacial griffon. Only then will your deeds be worthy of song; only then will your fame rise to the level of a true Norn."


 * Yes I am ready.
 * ingame I am not ready.

Reward dialogue
Sif Shadowhunter
 * "What a welcome sight! I didn't expect you to return, . At least, not in one piece. Slaying the glacial griffon is a deed worthy of many songs, starting with this one.


 * Hail! Hail! Witness the skill!
 * Body parts stewn, fresh from the kill
 * , you are second to none
 * May your legend ring true from dusk 'til sun


 * Catchy, eh? Well... it's a work in progress."

Trivia

 * "Cold As Ice" is a song by Foreigner.