Achates Introduction
Achates is the last Raid Level 3 Guardian and you need to be at least 920 Item Level to enter this Guardian Raid. This Guardian drops Tier 2 Accessories, Upgrade Materials and Ability Stones as well as rare drops including Runes, Engraving Books and Cards. It takes 15% more damage from Dark Element skills.
Achates is a cooperation mechanics heavy Guardian. You need to work as a team to prevent him from enraging. Additionally, Achates breath and fire attacks apply a stacking Scorch debuff on the player. This debuff reduces the healing received and deals damage over time (DoT). Once you get the 4th stack of the debuff, you are surrounded by a flame circle which deals damage to any nearby teammates and applies the Scorch debuff. To prevent a chain reaction, the player with 4 stacks and the flame circle around him needs to move away from teammates. This leads to a huge damage drop, especially if a melee class is affected by it.
This Guardian guide assumes you know the basics of a Guardian Raid. Check out the General Guardian Raid Guide to learn more.
Special Interactions & Patterns
Counterable Attack
Counter attack is possible during this specific attack pattern. At the start of this attack animation, the Guardian glows blue. The player has a short window to cast a skill with a Counter Attack affix while standing in front of the Guardian. If you manage to pull this off fast enough, the Guardian's attack will be interrupted and staggered for a few seconds. This gives you and your team a short window to use buffs and deal additional damage.
Stone Statues
The Stone Statues mechanic has 3 different variants. This mechanic either starts once the Guardian has lost around 20% HP or after a certain amount of time. Achates becomes invincible and teleports to the center of the battle area. Make sure to fight either close to the center or to move immediately towards the center once the Guardian is invincible.
Once the Guardian is in the center he spawns 1, 2 or 4 Stone Statue(s) around him, which are marked on the mini-map. Upon destroying a statue, it drops yellow, green and blue stones. At the same time, Achates surrounds himself with a shield which is either yellow, green or blue. To destroy the shield, you have to pick up a stone of the same color and throw it at him twice. Be careful, the stones disappear after a few seconds, you have to act fast! After destroying the first shield, the shield renews and either remains the same color or changes into one of the other 2 colors. At the same time, the Stone Statues respawn at a new location and you have to repeat this process once more. If you succeed at doing this twice before the Guardian enrages, the shield is fully destroyed and the Guardian and his wings will be exposed. Be aware, throwing the wrong stone at the shield causes a shockwave which deals high damage and knocks down nearby players.
Once the Guardian's wings are exposed you must destroy them by using Combat Items and Skills with the Weak Point affix. Make sure to throw a Corrosive Bomb before you use your Weak Point related Combat Items and Skills, it increases the chance of success. If you fail at either of those, Ashates will enrage. Destroying the wings forces the Guardian into a weakened status for a few seconds before he escapes to a different battle area. Use this opportunity to deal as much damage as possible.
It is important to know that multiple Light Explosion circles spawn at random locations around Achates during the entire mechanic. Don't get hit by them, otherwise you will take damage and be knocked down. This might cost precious time and could lead to enrage if you can't destroy the shields on time.
This is the easiest out of the 3 variants. After teleporting to the center of the battle area, 4 stone statues spawn around the Guardian. Spread out and destroy the stone statues to pick a stone matching the shield's color! But be aware that only 2 stones are needed to destroy the first shield. After destroying the first shield, 4 new statues spawn which drop stones to destroy the second shield. To avoid throwing too many stones, communicate with your teammates and let them know if you picked up the corresponding color.
This variant is more difficult than the 4 statue variant but is still manageable. To clear this mechanic, you have to send party member to one of the statues alone and the remaining 3 needs to go to the other statue.
The solo player destroys their statue, picks up the stone matching the color of the shield and throws it at the shield. If this is done fast enough, after throwing the stone at the shield, jump immediately back and pick up one of the remaining stones. If you are lucky, the 2nd shield might have the same color as the second stone you picked up.
The 3 players destroy the other stone statue together and everyone needs to pick up one of the 3 stones dropped! The player with the stone corresponding to the shield's color needs to throw it at the shield. After the first layer is destroyed, the shield color will change and one of the other 2 players should have the corresponding stone on their hand to throw it at the shield. At the same time one new statue spawns which needs to be destroyed to pick up the last stone needed to destroy the shield.
This is the most difficult variant out of the 3. The statue drops 5 stones this time, 2 of them will match the Guardian's shield color. You need to assign 2 people to always pick up stones matching the shield's color. The other 2 who will act as protectors, each of them needs to pick up a different colored stone from each other. So if the shield color is blue, one of them needs to pick up yellow and the other one the green stone. These 2 protectors needs to position themselves between the shield and the 2 other party members carrying the stones matching the shield's color. This is important because Achates frequently shoots waves of big colored orbs which have a color other than the shield's color. If these orbs hit a player who has a stone of the same color as the shield it will disappear on contact, deal damage and knock up the player. To prevent this from happening, the protectors needs to be in front. One of the protectors should always have a stone which matches the orbs color. They can get hit by those orbs without taking any damage or being knocked up.
Once the first shield is destroyed, the shield's color might change and match one of the protectors stone color. In that case, throw it at the shield. Otherwise, drop the stone and move together as a team to the new stone and repeat the entire process of protecting, throwing and destroying once more to get rid of the second shield.
Power Up
Around 1 min after re-encountering the Guardian Achates starts to gather energy into his wings. While doing so he is completely exposed, use this opportunity to deal uninterrupted damage. After this channeling process the guardian is able to use his wing related attacks.
Roar
While enraged, the boss roars in frequent intervals to apply a stacking Attack Power debuff. This debuff can be only removed by incapacitating the Guardian using skills and Combat Items with Stagger affix. By doing so, the debuff is removed and the Achates returns to his normal state.
Annihilation
Achates can only use this attack while he is enraged. The Guardian pulls nearby players towards him and starts to gather energy. Before this gathering process completes, you need to run away from him. Upon completion, the Guardian unleashes a devastating attack which one-shots players close to him. Pay attention to the light orbs spawning at the edge and moving towards Achates, on contact these will knock you up.
Curse
The Guardian marks 2 players with a Curse, putting a blue or a red icon appears above the player's head. These players need to move close to each other and remain like that for a few seconds to lift the curse. If the curse is not lifted in time, the blue curse will disappear and the player with the red curse will be stuck with theirs. This causes them to take damage over time usually leading to a slow death.
General Patterns
Earthquake
The Guardian slams on the ground once and summons cross shaped rifts below and around him. After a slight delay, he will slam once more and cause the rifts to explode. Players standing on the rift cracks take damage and are knocked up.
While enraged, Achates slams multiple times while turning during this attack pattern.
Wing Attack
Achates lifts up and flaps his wings to deal damage and knock up everyone below him. After returning to the ground, he may rotate 90° and repeat the same attack once more.
This attack is modified to a 360° version while the Guardian is enraged. Achates remains in the air much longer and flaps his wings multiple times while turning. It is hard to rotate with him while dealing damage. It is much safer to move out and wait until the attack animation is over.
Flying Charge
The Guardian flies towards a player and knocks down everyone in his path. Upon reaching the final destination, the Guardian can disappear. This is a sign that a second attack targeting the same player will follow. This attack is very difficult to dodge. The easiest way to avoid the 2nd attack is to wait 2 seconds and move/dodge towards a perpendicular direction to the initial flying path.
Eg.: If Achates flew from left to right, then either dodge towards the top or the bottom to avoid getting hit by the 2nd attack.
Light Explosions
Two to three waves of Light explosion, which either occur around the Guardian or target a player. If It happens around the Guardian, in most cases you are safe if you stay close to the guardian. But if it targets a player, the second wave of the explosion aims at the player. In that case, the player needs to move or dodge away after the first wave explodes.
Breath
The Guardian Breathes towards a target in front. On hit, this attack applies the scorch debuff. Dodge towards left or right side of the guardian to avoid getting hit.
This is a slightly modified breath attack which hits everyone in a 180° angle in front of the Guardian. Either dodge away or towards the Guardian.
This attack is deadly and hard to dodge if you are right in front of the Guardian. Because the Guardian moves backwards while breathing. If your movement speed is too low to move with the guardian, jump towards the opposite direction and wait until this pattern is over.
Light Field
Achates fires in a circular area around him light hails 2 consecutive times. Within the circle are small cone-shaped safe spots which are highlighted shortly before the hails strike the ground. If you react fast enough, you can use the gaps to avoid getting hit. If you want to play it safe, just run out of the circular area.
Scorch Mark
A light circle surrounds 2 players and a small light ring in the circle will slowly get smaller until it touches the player. Once it reaches the player, a flame field will appear below the player. It remains on the ground for a few seconds while dealing damage and applying the scorch debuff to nearby players. If you are surrounded by the light circle, make sure to run away from your teammates and place the circle at the edge of the battle area.
Guide Video
Credits
Written by Perciculum
Reviewed by Facefoot