The Battle for Lion's Arch
The Battle for Lion's Arch | |
---|---|
Section | Kryta Quests |
Storyline | Beyond: War in Kryta |
Required campaigns |
Prophecies and Eye of the North |
Given by | Princess Salma in Lion's Arch Keep (Kryta) |
Part of | The War in Kryta |
Preceded by | Mustering a Response |
Type | Secondary quest (Difficulty: Master) |
Quest information[edit]
Objectives[edit]
- Speak with Bartholos in Lion's Arch Keep to assist with defending the city.
- Order Firstwatch Sergio to open the front gates.
- Defend Lion's Arch from the White Mantle onslaught pouring into the city.
- Kill High Inquisitor Toriimo and his men.
- Kill Confessor Isaiah and his followers.
- Kill Lucent the Spectral.
- Kill Oizys the Miserable and the two Cairns.
- Kill Ambrillus the Guardian and Talios the Resplendent.
- Defend Princess Salma with your life. Her death is your defeat.
- Report to Princess Salma.
Reward[edit]
- 30,000 Experience
- 5,000 Gold
- 5 Royal Gifts
- 3 Medals of Honor
Environmental changes[edit]
- After the completion of this quest, explorable areas in Kryta will return to their pre-War in Kryta versions. However, if you have any active Wanted bounty, every Krytan zone will include the WiK foes. Dropping the bounties (or accepting the reward for their completion) will restore the original spawns.
- You can continue to accept Wanted bounties.
Walkthrough[edit]
Enter Lion's Arch Keep and talk to Bartholos to be transported into a new instance and begin the quest. Once there, the front gate will not open until you speak to Sergio; this gives you time to familiarize your team with the area and discuss strategy. If Princess Salma dies at any point, you will fail the mission. However, you will succeed if you can efficiently defend the various choke points along the path to the Keep.
Phase One[edit]
After Sergio opens the gate, White Mantle groups will approach the city. Throughout the mission, enemy mobs will travel down a set path, making their way towards Salma.
- High Inquisitor Toriimo
The first few groups will be made up of White Mantle only, beginning with a mix of martial classes. After a number of waves, High Inquisitor Toriimo will launch his attack, reinforced by spellcaster groups.
- Confessor Isaiah
After a couple more waves, Confessor Isaiah's troops will arrive, attacking primarily using ranged attacks. His group also includes the first Jade Construct (the only foe in the first phase that can cast Spectral Agony).
Phase Two[edit]
After the Mantle bosses die, the mobs will start to include more Jade constructs and fewer humans. As this happens, Blimm will activate their secret weapon which gives all allies in Lion's Arch (including spirits and minions) Spectral Infusion, an effect that protects them from Spectral Agony and reflects back some damage. This shield lasts for a set duration and will not affect allies created after it is initially used.
- Lucent the Spectral
Jade Armors and Jade Bows will begin to replace the White Mantle mobs until only Jade constructs spawn. A Perfected Armor and Perfected Cloak will spawn in different waves, one before and one after Lucent the Spectral's wave.
Phase Three[edit]
- Oizys the Miserable and the two Cairns
Jade Cloaks will begin to spawn in addition to the Armors and the Bows. After a couple waves Oizys the Miserable and the two Bow constructs, Cairn the Malignant and Cairn the Vengeful, will spawn.
- Ambrillus the Guardian and Talios the Resplendent
A few more groups will spawn, with the second to the last consisting of mainly Jade Cloaks and a Perfected Aegis. The final wave will include Ambrillus the Guardian, Talios the Resplendent, six Jade Cloaks, four Jade Armors, and four Jade Bows. Once they are defeated, a one minute timer will begin before the entire party is transported to a post-battle Lion's Arch.
Tips[edit]
- General concepts
- If your party wipes, it will resurrect next to Princess Salma.
- Since the foes do not take advantage of this, if you lose more than 2-3 party members, it is usually more efficient to completely wipe and resurrect rather than try to use a reduced team to fight.
- As soon as you spawn, return quickly to the fight; the more distance you can keep between Salma and your opponents, the safer she will be.
- Party-wide and area of effect (AoE) skills are especially effective for both you and the besieging forces; make sure you ball them up and keep your own team spread out.
- Party composition
- The design of Lion's Arch lends itself well to Rangers: from the bluffs, they can use a flat- or longbow to do large amounts of damage before mobs reach the first staircase.
- Minion masters have plenty of fleshy enemies from which to summon allies, even during the middle waves of mostly Jade constructs (when allied NPCs are dying fast enough to fodder).
- Take advantage of the areas natural choke points: the main gate and the stairways.
- Tanks can keep mobs at choke points (or elsewhere), forcing them to ball up; this maximizes the effectiveness of AoE skills, especially with other team members applying defensive skills, e.g. from a Bonder.
- Minion and spirit walls are effective at blocking incoming mobs.
- Combine walls and/or tanks with snares, slowing down the enemy and getting to focus on the renewable defenses (walls) or well-armored ones (tanks), e.g. Grasping Earth, Ward Against Foes, or Tryptophan Signet, or "Save Yourselves!".
- Skill ideas
- AoE skills like Panic, Spiteful Spirit, Ancestors' Rage, and Barrage with Splinter Weapon are very useful due to the large mobs players will face.
- Defensive skills which limit damage taken are especially helpful to tanks, e.g. Defy Pain, Dervish avatars, or various Weapon Spells.
- Armor of Unfeeling helps to maintain spirit walls.
- Since you remain stationary for long periods of times, ward spells are useful for protecting and buffing your allies.
- Traps are very effective at the choke points, notably the main gate and the staircases. Using Trapper's Focus enables you to plant traps before and during combat.
- Bosses have Natural Resistance and are especially susceptible to hexes with an effect on end, e.g. Wastrel's Worry.
NPCs[edit]
Allies[edit]
- 20 (20) Deep Root
- 20 (20) Dian Fermati
- 20 (20) Bartholos
- 20 (20) Gavin
- 20 (20) Firstwatch Sergio
- 20 (20) Gareth Quickblade
- 20 (20) Lionguard x8
- 20 (20) Shining Blade Warrior x2
- 20 (20) Snakebite
- 20 (20) Sorim
- 20 (20) Watchman Arad
- 20 (20) Master Scout Braden
- 20 (20) Master Scout Shelby
- 20 (20) Ralph Bronwell
- 20 (20) Saphir
- 20 (20) Scout Melthoran
- 20 (20) Shining Blade Ranger x10
- 20 (20) Mary Farson
- 20 (20) Princess Salma
- 20 (20) Shining Blade Monk x2
- 20 (20) Livia
- 20 (20) Nola Sheppard
- 20 (20) Dinas
- 20 (20) Koro Sagewind
- 20 (20) Councilor Vaylor
- 20 (20) John Bronwell
- 20 (20) Lawrence Crafton
- 20 (20) Shining Blade Elementalist x5
- 20 (20) Rigo Bolan
- 20 (20) Alari Doubleblade
- 20 (20) Magi Malaquire
Foes[edit]
Humans (White Mantle)
- 20 (26) White Mantle Knight
- 20 (26) White Mantle Zealot
- 20 (26) White Mantle Scout
- 20 (26) White Mantle Seeker
- 20 (26) White Mantle Abbot
- 20 (26) White Mantle Priest
- 20 (26) White Mantle Fanatic
- 20 (26) White Mantle Ritualist
- 20 (26) White Mantle Sycophant
- 20 (26) White Mantle Adherent
- 20 (26) White Mantle Savant
- 20 (26) White Mantle Enforcer
- 20 (26) White Mantle Ritualist
- 20 (26) White Mantle Champion
- 20 (26) White Mantle Zealot
- 20 (26) White Mantle Devotee
Jade constructs (Mursaat)
- 24 (26) Jade Armor
- 24 (26) Jade Bow
- 24 (26) Jade Cloak
Bosses[edit]
Humans (White Mantle)
Jade constructs (Mursaat)
- Perfected Armor → Devastating Hammer
- Cairn the Malignant → Magebane Shot
- Cairn the Vengeful → Prepared Shot
- Perfected Cloak → Oath Shot
- Perfected Aegis → Ward Against Harm
Mursaat
- Ambrillus the Guardian → Glimmer of Light
- Lucent the Spectral → Crippling Anguish
- Oizys the Miserable → Corrupt Enchantment
- Talios the Resplendent → Thunderclap
Dialogue[edit]
Initial dialogue[edit]
- Princess Salma
- "The White Mantle army is teeming around us. Rather than waiting until they break down the gates, we will strike first. If it all comes down to one fight, it's going to be on MY terms. Come midnight, we open the gates to draw them in, and then funnel them through that glorious choke point while our archers rain down the fury of the Krytan people upon their heads. Wave after wave, they shall feel the sting of our arrows. And when the Mursaat run out of fools to send, they will personally enter battle and our moment to end this will be nigh.
- Bartholos is organizing the defense. Speak with him to help fortify both the city and the people for battle. That is, assuming you do intend to help?"
Intermediate dialogue[edit]
- When loaded
- <Party leader>: "The city defenses are complete, your Highness."
- Princess Salma: "Excellent. Then we are ready. Order Firstwatch Sergio to open the front gates."
- When Toriimo appears
- High Inquisitor Toriimo: "Your archers are no match for my elementalists!"
- High Inquisitor Toriimo: "Before this night dies, I will see this city burn to the ground!"
- When Isaiah appears
- Confessor Isaiah: "People of Lion's Arch! Hear me!"
- Confessor Isaiah: "Unlike the Old Gods who have abandoned you, our gods are with us here today to ensure our victory!"
- Confessor Isaiah: "Surrender now or face your doom!"
- After Isaiah's defeat
- Blimm: "Now?"
- Zinn: "No, not yet."
- Blimm: "How about now?"
- Zinn: "No! We must wait for maximum impact. We can only do this once and I have no idea how long it will last!"
- Blimm: "Could have been whole golem. Never enough time. Waste. Waste of core energies."
- Zinn: "The client demanded adaptability and the client got it."
- Shortly after Lucent the Spectral's defeat
- Zinn: "Now! Bartholos, send in your warriors!"
- Zinn: "Blimm! NOW!"
- Blimm: "Now? But you said..."
- Zinn: "Yes, and now is the time! Activate the core you imbecile!"
- When Talios appears
- Dinas: "That's them! Talios and his pet physician. The Mursaat leaders."
- Dinas: "Kill them and victory is assured!"
Reward dialogue[edit]
- Princess Salma
- "Victory is ours!"
Notes[edit]
- After completing the battle, you will have an extra minute to pick up drops. Grab the gold, because any nearby/assigned items will be made available to you after zoning (via the Unclaimed Items window). You might also want to pick up valuables as the battle progresses — it lasts longer than 10 minutes, which is enough time for drops to become unassigned.
- The NPC counterparts of two heroes have roles during the battle and their names will appear differently in the party window:
- Gwen will display as Vanguard Mesmer, signifying that she remains stationed at the Eye of the North in Captain Langmar's absence.
- Livia appears as Shining Blade Necromancer, since she is present as an NPC near the Keep's entrance.
- You can leave your Medals of Honor in storage: they can be exchanged later in Lion's Arch Keep for War in Kryta related weapons. You may also exchange them in Lion's Arch immediately after the battle.
- Some players have used this mission to capture the 12 elite skills, via "Rinse and Repeat" of mission.
- Once the quest is over, take time to do additional exploration of a small ledge past the lighthouse (south) for the Tyrian Cartographer title.