Tidemaster - Keegan is a Pinnacle Boss introduced in Torchlight Infinite's Season 1: Dark Surge release. Keegan is also encountered in the story, as Chapter 2's final boss. Keegan's endgame boss fight is among the most challenging encounters in the game, this guide teaches you everything you need to know about it.
Keegan has 2 difficulty levels. This guide focuses on the hardest, the 4 Edict variant of the fight. Challenge the Tidemaster by offering Edict: Dart, Edict: Dive, Edict: Ruin, and the elusive Edict: Doom to the Great Void. Edicts rarely drop from bosses summoned by the Dark Surge.
Defeating the Dark Surge Tidemaster can be very rewarding, he has a large pool of exclusive and powerful Legendary equipment. Keegan can sometimes drop a Familiar Nexus. This is used to perform the Darkest Corrosion, which can elevate 2 affixes on a Legendary item!
In addition, Keegan has a drop pool containing various exclusive Legendary items. This changes from season to season so be sure to check his drops in the Great Void. Remember the regular Keegan fight is T1, and the Uber Keegan fight is T2.
Skill Breakdown
Keegan swiftly slashes in front of him automatically in close quarters combat, dealing mediocre area damage in front of him while launching 3 Spikes into the ground that deal significant impact damage with little coverage. Spikes remain in the ground until launched by Keegan's other abilities. Avoid this attack by being behind or to the side of Keegan.
Keegan gains temporary invulnerability and teleports to the center of the arena before channeling up to 4 Lasers that strike the corners of the Arena, placing many Spikes. Keegan recalls all of the Spikes over a short time, causing them to fly towards him before being placed in the ground once more. After all Spikes are near Keegan, he launches them in nearly every direction. Spikes deal massive damage on impact while moving.
Avoid death by staying away from the grounded Spikes and their predictable path while Keegan is channeling Lasers and recalling their generated Spikes. Move to the Arena's edges to give yourself time to avoid the launched Spikes.
Keegan launches an energy blast forwards, dealing cataclysmic area damage after a short windup. This ability launches lingering spikes into the 4 cardinal directions. Moving spikes deal massive impact damage on contact.
This ability is similar to Spiked Cleave, the windup gives you more time to sidestep or move behind the boss to avoid taking lethal damage from the blast.
Keegan recalls all grounded Spikes and forms them into a triangle formation, before launching the triangle formation at you. Keegan can recall the triangle back to him and launch it once more. Spikes recalled by this ability are harmless while moving, Spikes launched by this ability deal lethal damage.
Avoid death quickly moving around the Arena to avoid the launched triangle formation altogether, or pay careful attention to stand within the formation's gaps.
4 Edict "Uber" exclusive enhancement: Whenever Keegan recalls grounded Spikes, he also creates two walls to the sides of the newly formed Triangle Formation. These walls impede movement, but can be bypassed by using certain movement abilities.
Keegan recalls all grounded Spikes and forms them into a triangle formation before channeling Lasers to strike the spikes, scattering them into the 4 cardinal directions. Avoid this ability's high damage by staying in the Arena's corners.
Keegan channels to drive a Ring of Spikes into the ground around you before striking the Ring with a Laser, causing a Ring of Spikes to be hurled into each of the 4 cardinal directions. Spikes individually do mediocre damage, the excessive quantity generated by this ability assures death if caught.
Avoid death by moving far away from the Ring as it is formed, giving yourself plenty of time to avoid the slow moving Spike projectiles as they are launched.
At 50% and 25% HP remaining, Keegan staggers and falls to the floor, he can be easily damaged but not killed in this time. After recovering, he teleports to the top of the Arena to begin channeling Enforced Entropy. A Divine Barrier forms at the bottom of the Arena, get behind this barrier before Keegan finishes channeling. If you are not behind this barrier, you shall die hundreds of times over in mere seconds.
If you die to this ability, do not respawn until it is over. After Keegan finishes using Enforced Entropy, he teleports to the center of the Arena.
Keegan uses this ability after channeling Enforced Entropy for the first time. He slams the ground to deal cataclysmic damage in a small area, sending 4 Energy Blasts across the Arena. These Energy Blasts leave behind a Trail, and the Arena becomes divided into 4 squares.
Stepping on a Trail grants brief immunity to their high damage over time. Use this to situate yourself into a quadrant of relative safety, and wait for them to expire while avoiding Keegan's other abilities.
Keegan gains this ability in Phase 2. Forming energy above, Keegan channels to rapidly launch Spikes onto your current position. Spikes deal damage on impact and remain in the ground until launched by Keegan's other abilities. Avoid this attack by constantly moving.
Keegan gains this ability in Phase 2. Extending his hands, Keegan fires 3 consecutive fast and cataclysmically damaging Energy Blasts to your location. Energy Blasts launch grounded Spikes, fork into 3 equally dangerous projectiles after a distance, and they leave behind a Trail as they travel. Stepping on a Trail grants brief immunity to their high damage over time.
Avoid death by staying close to Keegan and constantly moving around him, as he has reduced rotation speed while using this ability. It is very difficult to avoid Energy Blasts once they have forked.
Keegan gains this ability in Phase 2. Keegan teleports to the left wall and uses Spike Barrage, and then Calamity: Focused Blasts. Technique in avoiding these abilities is largely unchanged, but it becomes harder to avoid Calamity: Focused Blasts due to Keegan's positioning.
Avoid the Energy Blasts by quickly moving up and down the Arena while near Keegan as he uses this ability.
Keegan can rarely use this ability. After gaining temporary invulnerability, Keegan creates 4 orbs of destructive energy around him, which erupt forwards into a perpetual laser with cataclysmic contact damage. The Lasers then rotate clockwise, and Keegan can use his other abilities while Enforced Despair is active.
Avoid death by rotating with the Lasers along the Arena's edge. Disengage Keegan and focus on your own survival, this ability is devastating.
Keegan uses this ability after channeling Enforced Entropy for the second time. Energy is prepared throughout the top and bottom borders of the Arena in an array, and after a delay the Energy erupts and travels upwards and downwards. Erupted Energy deals damage guaranteed to kill you on contact, and leaves behind a Trail.
Avoid death by heading to the bottom left or right of the Arena. The bottom left has little wiggle room but is completely safe from the Energy eruptions. The bottom right's Energy erupts prematurely, letting you move into where it was prior occupying. Wait within these areas of relative safety until after the residual Trail dissolves.
After reaching 5% HP remaining, Keegan becomes immune and splits into 4 copies of himself. 3 of which are significantly smaller than the real Keegan. All of which channel Enforced Entropy. Divine Barrier does not appear, instead seek shelter behind the small Keegan opposite to the real one, all other positions erode away when subjugated to Enforced Entropy.
After using this Final Stand , Keegan regains 20% of his maximum life. No more immunity phases remain. Finish the fight.
Keegan Boss Mechanics
Keegan awaits in the center of the Arena. Keegan deals damage in every damage type, so we recommend having maxed out resistances, potent damage mitigation, and defensive measures against Physical damage. Keegan's direct attacks can be mostly avoided by staying behind him or rotating around him quickly. Almost all of his abilities revolve around Spikes. Spikes are harmless while embedded into the floor, but abilities can launch them into the 4 cardinal directions, making them dangerous.
The fight itself is split into 3 Phases, separated by his transitional ability: Enforced Entropy. Keegan grows in strength with each passing Phase.
Phase 1
Keegan rotates through his Spike Gathering, Calamity: Blast, and the 3 Spike Formation abilities. Keegan can rarely use his Enforced Despair ability. This Phase ends when Keegan reaches 50% HP remaining, he then teleports to the top of the Arena to cast Enforced Entropy.
Transition
At 50% and 25% HP remaining, Keegan staggers and falls to the floor, he can be easily damaged but not killed in this time. After recovering, he teleports to the top of the Arena to begin channeling Enforced Entropy. A Divine Barrier forms at the bottom of the Arena, get behind this barrier before Keegan finishes channeling. If you are not behind this barrier, you shall die hundreds of times over in mere seconds.
If you die to this ability, do not respawn until it is over. After Keegan finishes using Enforced Entropy, he teleports to the center of the Arena. This marks the beginning of the next Phase.
Phase 2
After using Enforced Entropy for the first time, Keegan begins Phase 2 by using Calamity: Divide. Keegan adds this ability to his existing ability rotation. He also gains the Spike Barrage and Calamity: Focused Blasts abilities that can be used individually or combined. Keegan now has a higher chance to cast Enforced Despair. This Phase ends when Keegan reaches 25% HP remaining, he then teleports to the top of the Arena to cast Enforced Entropy.
Phase 3
After using Enforced Entropy for the second time, Keegan begins Phase 3 by using Calamity: Entrapment. Energy is prepared throughout the top and bottom borders of the Arena in an array, and after a delay the Energy erupts and travels upwards and downwards. Erupted Energy deals damage guaranteed to kill you on contact, and leaves behind a Trail.
Avoid death by heading to the bottom left or right of the Arena. The bottom left has little wiggle room but is completely safe from the Energy eruptions. The bottom right's Energy erupts prematurely, letting you move into where it was prior occupying. Wait within these areas of relative safety until after the residual Trail dissolves. Keegan has an even higher chance to cast Enforced Despair in Phase 3.
Uber Keegan initiates his Last Stand - Reinforced Entropy after reaching 5% HP remaining. After gaining temporary invulnerability, Keegan splits into 4 copies of himself. 3 of which are significantly smaller than the real Keegan. All of which channel Enforced Entropy. Divine Barrier does not appear, instead seek shelter behind the small Keegan opposite to the real one, all other positions erode away when subjugated to Enforced Entropy.
20% of Keegan's maximum life is restored after the Final Stand concludes, and no more bouts of invulnerability remain. Finish the fight quickly, you are close. Keegan's rotating abilities in Phase 3 are identical to Phase 2.
Note: You can use Elimination or other execution modifiers to speed this Phase up.
Summary
Defeat bosses spawned by the Dark Surge to acquire Edicts.
Offer Edict: Dart, Edict: Dive, Edict: Ruin, and Edict: Doom to the Great Void to challenge 4 Edict "Uber" Keegan.
Keegan always drops Touch of the Dark Surge and the invaluable Familiar Nexus.
Keegan also drops a wide variety of exclusive Legendary equipment.
Having maxed Fire, Cold, Lightning, as much ErosionResistance as possible, and defensive measures against Physical damage is highly recommended.
Keegan has 3 phases, and the transitionary Enforced Entropy ability to separate them. Stay behind Keegan to avoid his direct attacks.
Seek shelter behind the small Keegan opposing the real one when Keegan undergoes his Last Stand.
Many of Keegan's abilities embed numerous Spikes into the ground, other abilities can launch these Spikes into the 4 cardinal directions.
Keegan can rarely use the devastating Enforced Despair ability, finish the fight quickly so that you may not witness it.
