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Atherian Archive Trial Guide

Tiarna de na Iolair Corcra
Jairone
Tiarna de na Iolair Corcra
  • GW2: Jairone.6270
  • ESO: @Ytterin
Posted On: 10/15/2015 at 09:53 PM
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Atherian Archive (AA) is the domain of the Mage celestial.  There are several times when the mage talks at you through this trial, usually to insult mortals who can't possibly understand this or that.  Before we worry about the Mage, there are a number of obstacles in the way.  Let's start at the first door.

The first door in AA puts you right in the action, so you should prepare prior to going through the door.  Additionally, there are nice tables near the door which can be used to split your raid into three groups of four, a left group with dps and a healer, a center group with the tank and dps, and a right group with the second healer and dps.  This preparation will help you on your way!  Have somebody designated to running Rapid Assault from the AvA assault skill line.  Use it just prior to entering the first door.
Entering the first door starts the corridor of fire event.  A short run up some stairs and into Fire Atronachs is waiting just for you!  There are three fire walls that pop up in order, roasting people.  Technically you could work on avoiding them, but there's really no need to do so.  Everyone except the tank should run past the atronachs, then turn around and defeat them.

This brings you to the second door.  This time you will run an ice themed gauntlet.  Here is where Rapid Assault is very important, because the whirls of cold in this hallway cause root effects.  Using the skill, you can avoid this being an issue for everyone at once.  At the end, two Frost Atronachs are waiting.  Again, dps and healers should run past, then turn to engage.

The final hallway of elemental based neopolitan harm is filled with lightning.  Again, use Rapid Assault and just run through.  This time, however, you reach an area that is somewhat more open, and face a large pack of humanoid foes.  The tank should run in, and everyone should kill these foes en masse.  Getting close together will minimize the demands for attention on your healers, especially if everyone has enough health not to melt when hit with a little heat.


Lightning Storm Atronach:

The Lightning Storm Atronach will show up once the group drops down into the lower area, and moves close enough to the summoning platform.  There are two approaches to the fight, either clustered together in front of the boss while running to light beams, or clustered together in front of the boss while healing hard.

Abilities:

-Shocking Blast:  A single hit attack against everyone in range, this attack is of minimal threat so long as you are grouped up.

-Light Beam:  The light beam shows up as a safety against the storm attack of this boss.  You can ignore this if you are trying to heal through the storm.

-Harsh Storm:  The boss unleashes repeated attacks causing a massive amount of damage to everyone for ~8 seconds.  Having an off healer, and using Nova or Veil at this time is important to group survival.  Extremely powerful healers may manage without off-healing, but the off healer really doesn't hurt.


Platforms!  This mechanic will show up multiple times in AA.  In this case, you need three groups, as the twelve platforms are set up as three distinct groupings.  Remember that all twelve platforms must be activated for them to work.  Each platform should have one member of the designated group on it, with the center group crouching.  You can verify that you activated your platform by watching it sink slightly when you step onto it.

-Left and Right:  Kill everything immediately.  When done, run down to join with center.

-Center:  Wait for the all clear on both left and right side groups.  The enemies you face will simply keep respawning unless both sides are clear.  Once you have the clear, you may kill your foes.

More Platforms!  This time they are all one big cluster.  Activate them, and you will arrive back at the Lightning Storm Atronach area.  A bridge will form as the rocks that were floating pull together for you.  Give it enough time, as trying to jump onto these bridges (also a repeated mechanic) can cause you to fall off the side to your death (yep, been there, done that.)

Even More Platforms!  After a little fight with some foes, you arrive at yet another set of platforms.  They are a twelve cluster, porting you to the next boss.


Foundation Stone Atronach:

This boss fight requires some fairly clear coordination, and having discussed the methods of dealing with the Chainspinner's vile circle of harmful chains prior to engaging is very useful.  You will once again be grouping on the tank.

Abilities:

-Adds:  Regularly throughout the fight, new Chainspinners and Nullifiers will be summoned.  The Nullifiers are a minor issue at best, but the Chainspinners must be addressed at this time.
--Chainspinners:  Chainspinners place a circular effect on the ground, harming anyone within.  These target a spot near a random member of the group.  This means you will have two possible locations for the chains.  The first is almost directly under the boss.  The second is essentially centered on the group.  Clustering helps control these attacks, such that you do not get trapped.  No more than 2 Chainspinners should be alive at any time the boss is above 20% full execute health.  Reactions to the area attack will make or break your healers on this fight, and again an off healer can be very useful to allow a little time for mana regeneration for a main healer while learning to get out of the bad swiftly.
---Under the boss:  Step back slightly, so that you are out of the area, unless one is also on the group.
---On the group:  Circle the boss either to the left or right, with your group.  You should be moving just far enough to get out of the area, then clustering again.
---More than 2 and boss >20% health:  You are not killing enough Chainspinners with built in splash damage and area attacks.  Focus a few down.

-Pound:  The boss slams the ground several times, dealing damage to all members of your group.  Healers should be using area heals for this, making the fight far less painful.  This ability is not really a threat unless you are not clustered, although it can bug to deal massive damage.  If it bugs, reset the trial.


More Platforms again!  This is another split set, the main difference with last time being that once both sides are cleared center must fight alone.  All three sides will have rock bridges built to move on to the next boss.  Sides should pull slowly, as there are far more foes this time, making a much tougher fight if you try to rush too hard.


Varlariel:

Varlariel looks like a wispmother, and uses a few abilities reminiscent of them.

Abilities:

-Many Drops:  The boss is constantly throwing out attacks that land at random in the area.  These attacks hit hard, and need to be avoided.  They do not specifically target players, so you may or may not have to move at any given time.

-Split:  Varlariel splits off fragments that must be killed.  Each time she splits, the number of fragments increases by one, starting at three.  They don't have a ton of health, and a few good dps should kill them in short order.  Each fragment goes to a pillar in the room, starting at the pillars away from where the group enters, and each new fragment addition will fill in back toward the entry as the fight goes on.  See the attached image.

-Explode:  After splitting off fragments, Varlariel will explode.  The damage of this attack grows as more fragments are left alive.  Killing some is better than killing none, although ideally she will be dead before there are enough fragments to be an issue.





The Mage:

The Mage aspect fight is a little different from the other fights leading up to this point.  One thing to note is that there are two sets of foes to deal with prior to the mage, with the boss spawning and engaging once both sets are down.  Generally, grouping and killing is the course of action for these foes, although saving a single enemy for a while allows you time for recovery of stats.  However, that time seems to be limited, and if it takes too long the mage kills the remaining enemy and shows up when you aren't expecting it.  Preparing prior to the fight is suggested, and keeping that last enemy up for long enough to get in position and call for the kill certainly is a good idea.

Abilities:

-Axes:  The Mage calls upon magical axes to attack the group.  These are the job of the tank, who must taunt them and hold them.  The axes hit hard when unblocked, but dps and healers can easily survive while waiting on the tank to pick up axes by blocking.  As the number of axes grow, the tank will need both more healing and frequent shards to keep stamina high.

-Mines:  Mines will appear throughout the fight, randomly placed in the battle area.  Those with a strong damage shield can remove them without dying, although caution is still needed as they can be stacked in one spot throughout the fight.  In general, with solid dps, you can ignore most if not all of the mines.

-Mini-Mage:  Every so often, a mini-mage will appear, falling from the sky.  The landing impact causes damage, and can fling you away or off the battle area... even to the point of flying you well up into the sky where you are useless and floating until eventually you fall and die.  Not standing in these landing spots is only good sense.
--Dark Beam:  The mini-mages fire three dark beams out at random members of the group.  These beams cause heavy damage, and cannot be interrupted or avoided.  Kill the mini-mage quickly to save your healers from having to heal through this attack.

-Growing Corruption:  The Mage also uses a wide area attack, throwing a small glob of darkness on the ground.  This glob will expand, taking up a large area and dealing heavy damage to any within.  It does start to dissipate, and upon having spread long enough fades away.  When forced to move by this effect, you may group up with no more than two other group members, but ideally you want to be near only one other at most.

-Chain Lightning:  This attack targets a random player, and leaps to anyone within a given distance.  It will only hit each player once at most.  This mechanic ensures the group spreads out.  See the attached image.

-You shall not Stand!:  At ~ 30%, the Mage slams down with her staff.  This causes a wave of force to knock down and push slightly back all players.  At this time, players need to get in close, as the Mage will swap to attacking the entire group with damage every second.  Healers will be using area healing effects to keep everyone alive.
--Mines do not disappear, so be careful about where you go.  If she is surrounded by mines, a single player may need to sacrifice in order to clear her feet.
--This is a very healing intensive part of the fight.  DPS needs to burn as fast as possible to defeat the Mage prior to healers running out of mana.





With a little final lore, the trial of Atherian Archive is conquered.  You will find a portal spawned which takes you back to the start, where you can turn in your quest and enjoy your loot.

Last Edited on: 10/16/2015 at 11:12 AM
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Response:

Laoch de na Ulchabhan Dubh
verve
Laoch de na Ulchabhan Dubh
  • ESO: @verve
Replied On: 10/16/2015 at 03:47 AM PDT
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Looks great, nicely done Sir.

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Tiarna de na Iolair Corcra
Jairone
Tiarna de na Iolair Corcra
  • GW2: Jairone.6270
  • ESO: @Ytterin
Replied On: 10/16/2015 at 11:14 AM PDT
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Thanks, it is now finished for the first drafting.

Anyone with changes, corrections, or additions you would like to see in here, please provide me with your feedback!

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Fili de na Aracos Corcra
Eiahn
Fili de na Aracos Corcra
  • GW2: Eiahn.5347
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Replied On: 10/17/2015 at 05:30 AM PDT
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Great job! Thanks for all the work you put in those guides! Very useful for everyone! Keep it up!

"Those Who Judge, Do Not Matter. Those Who Matter, Do Not Judge."
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Seaimpin de na Iomproidh Gorm
Lavum
Seaimpin de na Iomproidh Gorm
Replied On: 11/17/2015 at 10:47 AM PST

Outstanding write-up. Might want to mention that the Mage will slam her staff 3x. 3rd slam will clear any/all Mines, Axes, and Mini-Mages that are up.

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