Throne And Liberty: Cave Of Desperation Dungeon Walkthrough

As a seasoned adventurer who has battled countless creatures from the darkest corners of the realm, I must say that the fight against Lacune is one for the books. The strategy required to defeat this formidable foe is intricate and demands precise coordination among all party members.

In this rephrased version: The Cavern of Despair is the third labyrinth that awaits players in Throne and Liberty, and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. Its complex mechanics and high Area of Effect (AoE) damage can easily overwhelm an unready group. To help navigate through this daunting dungeon, here is a comprehensive guide covering everything from minor details to advanced strategies, aiming to minimize any unwarranted casualties at the hands of the Ant Queen Lacune and her swarm.

In addition to being essential for progressing through Codex Chapters 4 and 6, this dungeon yields numerous valuable items for collectors. It’s not just about the loot though; it offers a variety of challenges that reward players extra goodies. First, let’s examine the layout of the map and the types of foes you’ll encounter in this 6-player adventure drawn from the Dimensional Circle Co-Op Dungeon selection.

Cave Of Desperation Overview – What To Expect

From level 40 onwards, this dungeon becomes accessible to every player, and it’s quite straightforward. Beginning at the entrance, where you’ll find the area for using the Grappling Hook, players must vanquish a sequence of Elite Ant adversaries to advance into the initial Boss Stage.

To provide more insight before we proceed, let me share the types of foes players may battle in the Cavern of Peril:

Mutant Acid Ant: Spits poison in rows and attacks from range. Quite annoying — priority number one to take down.
Mutant Soldier Ant: Resilient and with an enormous HP pool, it doesn’t cause any considerable damage and doesn’t have any particularly annoying mechanics.
Exploding Larvae: Not too much of a threat, but if left unattended, it can explode and create a fire AoE.
Exploding Acid Larvae: Same as the one above, but creates a Poison/Acid AoE.
Exploding Acid Ant: Perhaps the most dangerous enemy in the Dungeon, it runs toward players and explodes. Those who are not paying attention will be instantly killed or badly hurt. Avoid it at any cost. Don’t waste time and skills killing it — just dodge or keep moving to avoid it.
Gem Ant: Buffs the rest of the Ants and provides other mechanics during the Final Boss Fight. More on this later.

Player Priorities During Exploration Between Boss Fights

During the exploration phases and encounters with lesser foes, every player ought to engage in the following activities:

Tanks: Focus on aggroing the Ants, avoid aggroing Exploding Acid Ants at any costs, and leave those for the DPS to handle.
Range DPS: Focus on taking down Exploding Larvae and Mutant Acid Ants; avoid Exploding Acid Ants at any cost.
Melee DPS: Try to off-tank whenever the main tank is overwhelmed; catch aggro from Mutant Acid Ants, as those will be the priority.
Healers: Keep as far away from the exploding ants and AoE as possible. Avoid unnecessary damage, keep a close look at the Tank’s health at all times, since the poison can cause serious damage — even if the player has the sturdiest of builds.

When players defeat enough opponents, they will encounter the initial boss in this dungeon, located slightly beyond where you engage the first group of enemies. Remember to kindle the campfire before proceeding to challenge the first boss.

How To Beat Mutant Princess Ant (First Boss)

The next room contains a handful of ants that must be eliminated prior to a group of larvae that need to be eradicated before the combat starts. After they’ve been wiped out, the Mutant Princess Ant will appear, marking the beginning of the boss battle. During the fight, take note of the skills the boss employs as they may offer clues on how to counter them effectively.

Cone Breath Attack: The Mutant Princess Ant breathes a cone-shaped AoE attack from its mouth. The best way to deal with this is to make the Tank fight the boss with his back against the wall so the AoE only targets him, and then he can block and prevent damage.
Summon Exploding Larvae: The Mutant Princess Ant summons a timed bomb in the shape of a larva and targets a player. Another player needs to run quickly and touch the player’s body to defuse it.
Summon Larvae Swarm: The Boss will shout and call for reinforcements. The red larvae will mature into Soldier ants, while the green ones will mature into Exploding Mutant Acid Ants. They need to be killed asap. Generally, using AoE does the trick.

To evade the destructive Exploding Acid Ants, follow a curved path, or a ‘C’ pattern, while attacking them simultaneously. Maintain constant movement at all times to keep these ants pursuing you. Use your dodge abilities as a last resort when cornered. As for melee DPS, prioritize managing the additional enemies, and when Exploding Ants appear, steer clear of squishier party members.

Combat Tips During Mutan Princess Ant Boss Fight

To help players understand their positions and strategies during the battle against the boss, here’s a summary of each role:

Tanks: Focus on aggroing the Ants until the Mutant Princess Ant appears, then aggro the boss and fight it facing away from the wall to prevent the boss AoE from hitting the party.
Range DPS: Focus on taking down Exploding Larvae fast to prevent more adds from spawning. Avoid the Exploding Acid Ants since they do loads of damage.
Melee DPS: Try to off-tank whenever the main tank is overwhelmed, catch aggro from stray adds, and protect the Range DPS.
Healers: Dodge the AoE’s on the Floor, stick close to the tank (but not in front of the boss) and everything will be fine.

Following the defeat of the Mutant Princess Ant, a section of the cave’s wall will collapse, allowing players to advance deeper into the nest. Immediately upon progressing, they will encounter another boss, the Mutant Giant Acid Ant, who shares similar gameplay mechanics.

How To Beat Mutant Giant Acid Ant (Second Boss)

Initially, players must shatter a solitary Empty Poison Sac located centrally in the room to trigger the fight. Upon destroying this sac, four additional sacs will appear, along with numerous Mutant Soldier Ants and Gem Ants. The gameplay is reminiscent of the previous battle, and for the boss to emerge, players must eliminate the ants until they spot a Giant Acid Ant Egg appearing in the room’s center. Breaking this egg will summon the second boss, the Mutant Giant Acid Ant, signaling the commencement of the intense combat phase.

Important Fight Mechanics In The Mutant Giant Acid Ant Boss Fight

Poison Spit AoE: The boss spits poison that drops on top of the targeted players and creates an AoE damaging area on the ground. To control the fight, the Tank must aggro the Mutant Giant Acid Ant and make it spit the goo on the same spot, preventing it from spreading throughout the arena.
Stun and Pull: The Mutant Giant Acid Ant will roar and launch a blockable attack. The players who didn’t manage to block it in time will be pulled towards the boss and are at risk of falling in the Poison AoE.

During battle, Exploding Acid Ants will continuously spawn, and if players do not evade them, they can be effortlessly eliminated – especially those with high Ranged Damage Per Second (DPS) and fragile Healers, who are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of Poison Area of Effect (AoE) and stray additions seeking blood.

Combat Tips During The Mutant Giant Acid Ant Boss FIght

Roles should be allocated among players with clarity, ensuring that everyone is aware of their responsibilities to minimize avoidable losses.

Tanks: Aggro the adds and prevent Exploding Mutant Ants from jumping on their backs. When the boss spawns, aggro it and direct it towards the northern part of the arena to better control the acid spit of the boss.
Range DPS: Focus on taking down Gem and Soldier Ants when they spawn, and help Melee DPS with the boss damage. Stay away from the Spit AoE, and avoid the Exploding Acid Ants.
Melee DPS: Try to off-tank whenever the main Tank is overwhelmed, catch aggro from stray adds, and protect the Range DPS.
Healers: Dodge the AoE and Exploding ants, and keep the team alive. Prioritize healing the Tank, as they will be receiving the most damage.

When your leader growls loudly, it’s a signal for the Team Tactics, meaning players should get ready to shield against the whip-like attacks or, if they can’t block them, to evade if they land in the Toxic Area of Effect. The remainder of the battle is relatively simple, and when the Mutated Giant Acid Ant is defeated, the wall will collapse again, exposing the route to the final boss within the Cavern.

How To Beat Lacune (Final Boss)

Prior to engaging Lacune, players must first eliminate 3 eggs situated on distinct platforms scattered across the arena. Remember these platforms as they’ll play a significant role later. Now, focus on destroying the three Gem Ant Eggs to initiate the boss battle. Keep in mind that once the boss appears and combat ensues, you should pay close attention to the following mechanics that will unfold throughout the battle:

Swipe Attacks: Lacune will have an indicator similar to a ‘Rage Meter,’ which looks like a purple bar below its health. Once it’s filled, it will commence a sequence of fury swipes in the direction of the player who is doing the most damage. Players should avoid it at any cost.
Paralysis/Poisonous Ants: Ants that paralyze and poison players will enter the arena periodically, and every available DPS should destroy them on sight. This is crucial to avoid a wipe.
Red Pillar of Death: Lacune shouts and begins charging a wiping red AoE. At the same time, red circles will appear on the ground. Move on top of the circle, and pillars will elevate players above ground level, also buffing their damage. If players fail to reach the pillars and are near some of the platforms, they should climb there instead. Staying on ground level means death.
Gem Ants Spawn in Platforms: When the Red Pillars crumble, Lacune will summon 3 Gem Ants that will attack targets on sight. Those available players should quickly kill the Gem Ants before they target the Healer or divert the attention of the Tank.
Slam Attack: Lacune will slam the ground and send players flying. If they do not morph into their Gliding forms, they will receive fall damage.
Summon Exploding Larva: Once Lacune drops below 50% health, it will begin infecting players with the same ticking time bomb-larvae as in the fight against the Mutant Princess Ant. Players can remove these in the same way — by walking near another player.

Combat Tips During Lacune Final Boss Fight

In this intricate battle, here are the optimal strategies for every position. Please concentrate carefully as it will help minimize wasted time and avoid unnecessary hardships.

Tanks: Aggro the boss and keep Blocking and facing the team. Instead of directing the boss toward the center, lean a little bit toward one of the pillars, so Melee DPS can have a little bit more time to get on top of them and avoid the Death AoE when it comes.
Range DPS: Focus on dealing damage, look for the Red Pillars, and climb on top when the AoE attack comes. If they cannot find a pillar or platform to climb on, this means game over, so they need to pay attention to when the boss roars and starts charging the AoE of Death. When Gem Ants spawn, kill them as fast as possible.
Melee DPS: Try to off-tank whatever comes and might distract the Tank, stay clear of the Gem Ants on the platforms, and instead go for the Paralyzing Ants and let Range DPS take charge of the other adds.
Healers: Focus on healing the Tank, and if possible, keep the Melee DPS at least over 50% health at all times. The Healer’s role is crucial, and their death means a guaranteed wipe for the party. Stick close to a Melee DPS and also near a Red Pillar spawning zone — or a platform to guarantee surviving the Death AoE.

Players should gradually deplete Lacune’s health until she begins to emit Ant Bombs. Once that happens, assist your teammates in removing the debuff by simply being nearby them. With a bit of cooperation and persistence, this battle will soon be won, allowing players to claim the rewards for their dedication.

2024-10-04 17:54