Glacial Tarn

Enemy Type: Ancient and Human

Weaknesses:  Ancient: 30% Lightning, 20% Strike, 15% Void. Human: 15% Slash

Note: there are multiple unique weaknesses in this expedition, see below for more details.

Empyrean Forge consumables and weapons

Consumables

Faction Missions:  Warden’s Rise in Great Cleav

Note: *Elemental damage gems in your weapons are simply recommendations based on the elements your enemies are weakest to. Your playstyle may suit non-elemental gems better and you are encouraged to continue using those if so.

Dropped by Snorok Ice Fist.

  • Chilling End: Frozen, rooted or chilled enemies take 15% additional damage (on both weapons).
  • Empty Socket: Attach a gem to add its effect.
  • [offense charm] Vicious: +2.4% critical damage.
  • Sundering Stacks II: Once every 0.5s, attack inflicts a stack of 3.2% Rend, each stack lasting 6s. (Max 5 stacks)
  • Empty Offense Slot

Strategy and tips

Partner to the Empyrean Forge, Glacial Tarn is the icy portion of the underground Great Cleave. You will see fire pits along your journey, which provide you with a buff that melts through ice-forged enemies. As long as one person with the buff has attacked the enemy, everyone will be able to do normal damage. If no one has the buff, your attacks become weak and the enemies take a long time to die. Sometimes the group needs to decide whether to go back for a buff or whether to run forward to the next one.

The puzzle rooms in the second half of the expedition require some coordination. Each door requires someone on the previous plate in order to unlock it. There are ice-forged enemies here and a sheet of ice that cleanses the fire buff, so again you’ll have to choose whether to fight or run. If you do run and jump down, make sure you step out of the archer’s line of sight.

Not only does Glacial Tarn have two enemy types, a number of the mobs have different weaknesses than normal Ancients and Humans do.

Main Damage Type: Ice/Strike

Snorok is categorised as an Ancient Guardian but has his own specific weaknesses – 20% Lightning, 15% Thrust, 15% Fire.

This Ice Troll throws plenty of temper tantrums, smashing the ground and bringing down stalactites on unsuspecting heads. Ranged weapons can be useful here, due to the slow and hypothermia effects from his large blizzard spell, although if you can stand the cold, melee will kill him more quickly. DPS should probably use a Frozen protection amulet in here, while the tank would be best off with Strike protection. While all his moves are predictable, it’s still easy to just miss one mechanic and get wiped out with one hit, so play carefully.

  • Frost Breath – Snorok will emit a cone of icy breath about half the arena’s length. Be aware that this will follow you as you move out of it, so you might need an extra dodge.
  • Charge – If a blue symbol appears above your head, get ready to move. Snorok will make a quick charge across the room and being hit generally results in death. He’ll usually do two in a row, not always to the same person.
  • Personal Pound – Stalactites will drop in the melee vicinity of the boss, doing strike damage.
  • Stalactite Storm – Snorok will rage and stalactites will drop everywhere in the arena. You have some warning of the drop zone by a circle appearing on the ground just prior to the drop. These do high amounts of ice damage, so do your best to avoid being hit.
  • Blizzard – Snorok summons a large aura of cold, that almost fills the arena. If you are playing ranged, look for the edge of the storm and stand outside it.

Main Damage Type: Slash/Ice

This is an interesting boss fight, because it includes multiple enemies. Our task is to defeat Ser Loth, but he is supported by the giant Ice Entity in the centre of the area and the four Spellcasters who bring it to life. Ser Loth does mostly slash damage with his giant sword, while the Ice Entity does Strike and Ice. The arena consists of four island platforms joined by bridges, that form a ring around the giant Ice Entity. It is possible to fall off, so watch your footing.

The four spellcasters spawn periodically, initially with a protective aura. When this aura drops, they can be attacked, and killing all four mages puts the Ice Entity to sleep temporarily. When this expedition was first released, there were many bugs, and if you killed the mages at the wrong time it could prevent the fight from being completed. So, many groups simply ignore the mages and dodge the Entity attacks.

  • Ice Javelin – a blue symbol will appear above the head of the player Ser Loth is throwing the ice javelin toward, warning you to dodge. Anyone else in the line of fire will be hit.
  • Ice Wave – same as the Ice Javelin but a wider wave.
  • Frost Breath – The Ice Entity will breathe on an island, making it slippery and spikey and causing damage – you need to get off the island!
  • Ice Bomb – The Ice Entity will throw a bomb onto one island – you need to destroy it before it explodes.
  • Break Bridges – a red symbol will appear above all bridges just before the Ice Entity breaks them. If you are on a bridge, you will fall and be out of the fight. After a period of time, bridges can be rebuilt by interacting at the edge of the island.
  • Weak Spots – three greenish discs will appear on the Ice Entity. While these are up, Ser Loth will resist most of your damage. Ranged attacks need to destroy the weak spots.

Interesting Loot

  • M3 – Verglas weapon set for skins – Acutely Empowered, Gem slot, Vicious/Blessed, Weapon Ability Perk/Mortal Fortification, Random perk.
  • Frigid Dawn Set – Heavy armour with Elemental Aversion and Enchanted Ward (illegal combo), upgradeable.
  • Powerful Empowered Talisman – mount charm – Provides the Empowered status effect when force dismounted through combat.

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