The Achates Trial Guardian Raid in Lost Ark, despite its lower item level requirement of 920, is one of the most challenging raids to complete. Many players have found this Tier 2 boss exceptionally difficult to beat due to the complexity of its mechanics. This guide will break down these mechanics and provide suggestions for taking down Achates most efficiently.
What To Bring To An Achates Fight
When players are preparing to battle with Achates, they must be prepared. They will need to have the best consumables that meet the needs of fighting this boss.
They should bring the following items for the best results:
HP Potion Panacea Corrosive Bomb Destruction Bomb Flare
Achates’s Special Mechanics
Achates is most notable for the unique mechanics used that can quickly result in a player’s death or a team wipe. Players must familiarize themselves with these mechanics before heading into the battle to ensure they are prepared.
While the Achates Trial Guardian Raid is quite similar to the standard raid, players will find Achates has increased HP and more powerful damage and DPS checks. Having a solid action plan before heading into the raid is critical. These are the core mechanics to be on the lookout for.
Fire Breath
Achates will send white fire breath in a specific direction in this mechanic. This mechanic has three variants that players will need to be prepared for. In the standard variant, the attack will be a straight line in front of Achates. Players will only need to move away from this line. The second variant sends out an attack for everyone within 180 degrees in front of him. To avoid this, players will need to attempt to get behind him.
The third variant involves Achates moving backward while firing his breath attack in front of him. This is the most damage-causing variant of this attack and is very challenging to avoid. Players must try moving or rolling away from the attack to dodge.
Annihilation
Achates will use this mechanic to vacuum players toward him while gathering energy from his surroundings. Unfortunately, the resulting attack is a powerful AoE blast that can one-shot unlucky players. To avoid this, players must run away as far and fast as possible.
Luckily, it is evident when this attack is about to happen. Players will notice white energy pulsing around Achates. Next, light orbs will spawn and move toward him.
Curse
This mechanic is simple but interesting. At a certain point in the battle, Achates will mark two players, one with a blue mark and the other with a red mark. These marks indicate a curse that must be cleansed before the marks disappear.
The way to cleanse the curse is for the players to stand extremely close together until the marks are removed. Failing to do this properly will result in the one marked by red taking damage over time. This effect usually results in death. The blue player will not be penalized for failing to clear the curse.
Roar
When Achates is enraged, he will frequently execute a Roar maneuver. This mechanic will apply a power debuff that stacks on players. Players can keep track of this debuff on their status bar.
The only way to stop this mechanic is to stagger Achates. Doing so will remove the debuffs and remove the enraged state from the boss.
Power Up
When players reach the one-minute mark in the battle, Achates will begin to power up. He will be immobile and wholly exposed to receive significant damage. Players should take advantage of this opportunity to deal as much damage as possible.
Once he is done powering himself up, he’ll have channeled energy into his wings. This energy allows him to perform wing attacks, making him more challenging.
Stone Statues
Achates will move to the center of the arena, summon a shield that cannot be destroyed by regular attacks, and summon one, two, or four statues that can be seen on the mini-map. The goal of this mechanic is to bring down the color-coded shield with the same colored stones that come from destroying the statues. The barrier must be destroyed twice to get Achates to expose his wings. Once this happens, players must use items with Weak Point affixes or attack items to destroy them.
Failing to destroy the barrier or Achates’s wings in time will enrage him. Throughout the mechanic, light explosions will occur that will knock players down, causing damage. To take the barrier down, players must hit it four times, and after the second time, the shield will change color. Players must be careful only to hit the shield with the correct color, as making a mistake will result in a massive explosion with significant damage. In the one-statue variant, Achates will also fire color-coded orbs. Players who are holding stones like orbs can absorb them.
Achates’s General Mechanics
In addition to his unique mechanics, Achates has quite a few general mechanics that can be quite a pain to deal with. Understanding these mechanics is just as crucial to winning the battle against this boss.
These general mechanics include the following:
Flight Path: Achates will target one player and fly at them, knocking them down. When he disappears, he is planning another strike at the same player. Wing Attack: Achates will rise in the air, flapping his wings. This action knocks down all players beneath him, dealing damage. Marked Attack: One player will be targeted by a light circle slowly closing in. Once it reaches the player, it will apply a flame field that causes damage and the Scorch debuff. Light Pizza: Achates will fire a laser in a circle around him, highlighting areas affected by the attack. Light Explosion: Achates will summon two to three waves of exploding light circles. They will either be summoned around him or target players. Earthquake: Achates slams the ground, causing cross-shaped rifts to appear around him. These rifts eventually explode, knocking down players and causing damage. When enraged, he will jump multiple times, creating numerous rifts.
Lost Ark is available now on PC
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