Thunderhead Keep

The Deldrimor Dwarves have lost the Keep, and they need your help to retake it from the Stone Summit and defend it against the Mursaat.

Objectives
Retake Thunderhead Keep.
 * Clear the City.
 * Clear the Fort.
 * Kill Dagnar Stonepate.
 * Help King Jalis Ironhammer hold Thunderhead Keep.
 * Speak with King Jalis Ironhammer.
 * *BONUS* Light the beacons to draw additional Mursaat forces into Thunderhead Keep.

Getting to the fort
When the mission starts, you'll see King Jalis and his guards standing in front of you. Talk to him and they will follow your team. There are two paths that lead to the Fort, shortest one is taking the bridge heading North-West.

Once inside the City, defeat all eight groups of Stone Summit (they will ping on the compass): two of the groups are stationary on the walls towards the north; the rest patrol small areas. Some parties find it easiest to clear the outer fort by proceeding clock-wise and pulling carefully. (Rushing the center usually requires you to confront too many mobs at once.)

After clearing the area, proceed to the side-gate; once you get close enough, Jalis will open it for you. (There are two gates: find the one starred on the map.) After entering the inner fort area, follow the path. Foes inside are dangerously close to each other, and it is very easy to accidentally aggro them. Pull them apart and be careful that Jalis does not aggro any.

If you have trouble keeping the king alive, run to the gate at the fort's right side. He will wait there for you until you have defeated each of the eight groups in the city. (However, he will rush in before it is completely safe, if you have left any of the other groups.)

Defending the fort
Waves of White Mantle and Mursaat will attack the Fort through both the eastern and western gates and head towards the King, who must be protected at all costs; you will lose the mission if he dies. You can use a pair of ballistae (located in the center of the eastern and western walls); they strike at the nearby darkened areas on the map, allowing you to wipe out any of the foes that gather there. Four shots will finish off any unit that doesn't heal. All enemy units spawn at a Mursaat teleporter in the north.

During this part of the mission, give priority to the teams fighting inside the Fort. Uncoordinated groups are likely to leave the King vulnerable.

The siege consists of three phases, with a brief pause in between each.
 * 1) Waves of Stone Summit Dwarves and Enslaved Frost Giants, including one of the six bosses.
 * 2) Waves of Mursaat and jade constructs, including one of their bosses.
 * 3) Waves of White Mantle; the final wave is a large group led by Confessor Dorian.

There are three main strategies for defending the fort, each of which has supporters and detractors:
 * Defend the gate: split the party and prevent the enemy from entering the fort.
 * Defend the king: group together; the enemy will be split into smaller groups by the pathing AI.
 * Attack the spawn: prevent the enemy from reaching the fort.

Defend the gates strategy
Split the team into two groups, each taking one of the two gates, keeping the King safely away from the attackers. The courtyard's width prevents the two teams from working closely together, although 1-2 members can run back and forth at critical moments. If possible, use the ballistae to weaken the waves before they reach the gate. Some of the team (without line-of-sight attacks) can operate from atop the walls, offering them some protection; traps set above the gate are just as effective as those set below. At least one player needs to keep an eye on the overall battle to make sure that none of the foes slip through.


 * Pro: The king is never at risk unless one team or the other fails.
 * Con: The split groups are weaker against a strong assault.

Defend the king strategy
Park the entire group in front of the king, just ahead of the stairs. Regardless of which gate foes enter from, they will always converge at the top of the stairs, making it almost impossible for any to slip through and reach the King. However, the king will be close to the battle and often decides to join in. If he does, he will remain in his new position and be more difficult to defend and sometimes drawing aggro from an incoming wave.


 * Pro: The enemy comes in more manageable waves and the party can operate at full strength.
 * Con: The King has a tendency to join the fight, putting him at higher risk.

Attack the spawn
If the party has sufficient power, it can push back the oncoming waves to the north where they spawn. They all must pass through a northern choke point, so if the players defend it, they can remain as a full party and keep the King a safe distance from battle. Any Jade along the way (but not the ones that actually spawn) can be safely ignored, as they are part of the bonus and will not attack the King. Focus on getting everyone up to the choke point, without allowing anything to get by (unless it will be killed by your Smoke Phantom allies).


 * Pro: Quick, allows party to be at full strength; can tackle enemy in relatively small groups. Reliable for hero/henchmen groups in normal mode.
 * Con: Difficult to reach the spawn point in Hard mode (due to nearby Giants and Mursaat from the bonus). Difficult to regroup if any foes get past.

Bonus
The bonus requires preventing the death of some Dwarven allies just outside the fort. You must protect them from an immediate threat of nearby Jade Constructs throughout the remainder of the mission. In practice, you will earn the bonus if you neutralize the Jade by lighting two Storm Beacons which will distract the Jade so that they leave the Dwarves alone. The beacons can be seen on the left and right fortress walls when you enter the area, just as you get your first glimpse of Dagnar Stonepate.

Clearing the fort and killing Dagnar Stonepate begins a cinematic the end of which marks the start of the siege. As soon as you can, head towards either beacon, pick up the torch in front of it, light the beacon, and drop the torch. Head across the courtyard to the pick up the other torch and light the remaining beacon. If you avoid the ramparts and do not linger, you have plenty of time to light both beacons, even in hard mode and/or running seven heroes/henchmen. Although speed boosts are not required, lots of groups designate a runner who brings one just in case. Nearby foes can cause knock down as you approach each beacon. You can still manage to light the beacons unless you are flattened multiple times.

Unfortunately, the game does not provide any direct confirmation if the Dwarves survive the Jade. The quest log does not update and your allies do offer their thanks. However, if you fail to light the beacons in time you will hear the Dwarves cry out, "The end is here! Great Dwarf save us!", after which your allies will be killed and the bonus lost.

The Jade that you distract are hostile to the Mantle-aligned troops; they will walk up the stairs towards the beacons and then towards the king. You can let them fight the first waves of besiegers, which makes the primary mission easier to complete if you attempt the bonus.

Time markers
The whole mission usually takes at least 30-40 minutes no matter how fast and efficient you are, due to the scripted arrival of the enemies at the fort. There are several timed remarks from King Jalis Ironhammer once you have entered the keep:


 * "The Mantle followed you! Stand fast friends! This will be our finest hour!" (about 17 minutes left until Confessor Dorian arrives)


 * "Be on your guard. The left hand of Grenth himself comes for us." (about 12 minutes left)

Allies
Dwarves (Deldrimor)
 * 20 (20) Dwarven Soldier
 * 24 (24) King Jalis Ironhammer

Foes
Avicara Dwarves (Stone Summit) Elementals Giants Griffons Humans (White Mantle) Mursaat
 * 24 (26) Avicara Brave
 * 24 (26) Avicara Fierce
 * 24 (26) Avicara Ardent
 * 24 (26) Avicara Guile
 * 24 (26) Avicara Wise
 * 24 (26) Stone Summit Carver
 * 24 (26) Summit Giant Herder
 * 24 (26) Stone Summit Ranger
 * 24 (26) Dolyak Master
 * 24 (26) Stone Summit Gnasher
 * 24 (26) Stone Summit Heretic
 * 24 (26) Siege Ice Golem
 * 24 (26) Enslaved Frost Giant
 * 22 (26) Blessed Griffon
 * 20 (26) White Mantle Zealot
 * 18 (25) White Mantle Seeker
 * 20 (26) Confessor Dorian
 * 20 (26) White Mantle Priest
 * 16 (25) White Mantle Ritualist
 * 16 (20) White Mantle Sycophant
 * 16 (20) White Mantle Savant
 * 24 (26) Jade Armor
 * 24 (26) Jade Bow
 * 24 (26) Mursaat Monk
 * 24 (26) Mursaat Necromancer
 * 24 (26) Mursaat Mesmer
 * 24 (26) Mursaat Elementalist

Bosses
Dwarves (Stone Summit) Elementals Mursaat
 * 28 (30) Gornar Bellybreaker &rarr; Cleave (50% chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Ulhar Stonehound &rarr; Melandru's Arrows (50% chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Bolis Hillshaker &rarr; Mark of Protection (50% chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Riine Windrot &rarr; Offering of Blood (50% chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Fuury Stonewrath &rarr; Crippling Anguish (50% chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Dagnar Stonepate
 * 28 (30) The Judge &rarr; Water Trident (50% chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Perfected Armor &rarr; Devastating Hammer (1 in 6 chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Perfected Cloak &rarr; Oath Shot (1 in 6 chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Demetrios the Enduring &rarr; Aura of Faith (1 in 6 chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Argyris the Scoundrel &rarr; Life Transfer (1 in 6 chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Pantheras The Deceiver &rarr; Energy Surge (1 in 6 chance of spawning)
 * 28 (30) Chrysos the Magnetic &rarr; Thunderclap (1 in 6 chance of spawning)

Intermediate

 * Vizier Khilbron: "You have taken the keep, but your fight is not yet over. The Mursaat and their White Mantle counterparts are headed this way. They drive before them the denizens of the Shiverpeak Mountains. I grant you this boon and the aid of these undead servants. Today you must prevail, for the tale does not end here. Your destiny lies to the west."

End

 * King Jalis Ironhammer: Not even death will save you from my wrath.
 * Vizier Khilbron: If you will allow me this indulgence, King Ironhammer. Perhaps the confessor can still be of some use to us.
 * King Jalis Ironhammer: Never give me the opportunity for revenge.
 * Vizier Khilbron: This is just as it was written in the Flameseeker Prophecies. An opening will be given to the disciples of the Unseen. The peaks and valleys of the Shiverpeaks will be painted in blood. At this time, the Ascendants will rise, and the way to the Door will be clear. The time of our judgment is near. We must prepare. Today's was a great victory, but now your true challenge begins. You must go to the Ring of Fire island chain. In the caldera of the largest volcano you will find the power you need.
 * King Jalis Ironhammer: The Ring of Fire? A more treacherous land in Tyria there is not.
 * Vizier Khilbron: True enough, but that is where we will find the Door of Komalie. Behind it lies the secret to defeating the Mursaat.
 * King Jalis Ironhammer: You're a brave lot, but you'll not make it past the beachhead.
 * Brechnar Ironhammer: Not without some Dwarven help. I will go with them.
 * King Jalis Ironhammer: Brechnar, do you know what you are saying?
 * Brechnar Ironhammer: Yes, brother.
 * King Jalis Ironhammer: A mission to the Ring of Fire would be suicide.
 * Brechnar Ironhammer: Then may we meet each other in the afterlife.
 * Vizier Khilbron: Through this portal awaits your destiny. Do not let it linger. Seize that which you were born to do.
 * Brechnar Ironhammer: Until we are reunited in the Great Forge.
 * King Jalis Ironhammer: Go with honor, my brother. Fight bravely in the name of Deldrimor.
 * Undead Lich: It won't be a long now. Not long at all!

Objects

 * Firing lever
 * Storm Beacon