Story Walkthrough — 13 Chapters
| Tag | What it means |
|---|---|
| MISSABLE | Reachable only in this window. Forging the Armageddon Blade closes the world for good. |
| ABYSSAL ARMOR | One of the ten armour pieces. All ten are needed for Legendary Form. |
| ARTIFACT | Sell to Vulgrim. 20 Soldier, 6 Champion, 1 Overlord; completing a set pays a bonus. |
| WRATH SHARD | Four shards make one Wrath Core. |
| LIFE SHARD | Four shards make one Life Stone. |
| ENHANCEMENT | Slot into a weapon. Ten are found in the world, two are bought from Vulgrim. |
| BLADE SHARD | One of the seven Armageddon Blade shards in the endgame chapter. |
| KEY | Opens a specific door or gate. |
| WEAPON | A new weapon or traversal ability. |
| ITEM | Chests, souls, keys to a single room and other one-off pickups. |
| BOSS | A fight. Strategy is in the Bosses tab. |
| ACHIEVEMENT | An achievement unlocks at this exact point. |
CH 1The ApocalypsePrologue — the Destroyed City
The Apocalypse arrives a century early. War answers a summons that was never sent, fights his way through a city being pulled apart by angels and demons, and is beaten by Straga in front of the whole thing. Everything here is tutorial — but one achievement in this chapter cannot be obtained anywhere else in the game.
Opening StreetDestroyed City — combat tutorial
1
War drops into a city that is already ending. Walk forward; a fireball tears apart the bus blocking the road and opens the way through.
2
Push through the gap and take the right turn at the intersection.
3
This stretch is the combat tutorial. Learn all four of these now, because every boss in the game is built on them: light and heavy strings with Chaoseater, the dash (your main defence — most boss attacks cannot be blocked), the jump into aerial combo, and the finisher prompt that appears over a weakened enemy.
Gatekeeper Streetthe chained giant — missable achievement
4
A chained stone giant — a Gatekeeper — drags itself down the road ahead. Enemies harass you the whole way.
5
MISSABLE “Open Air Parking” — grab a car off the street and hurl it at the passing helicopter.
MISSABLE Chaos Form disables object pickup, and once you transform here you stay transformed until the helicopters are gone. Throw the car at the helicopter first, and only then use Chaos Form if you want it. The section autosaves at its start, so a reload gets you another attempt.
6
When the Gatekeeper finally collapses, four flying angels drop in. They either charge with drawn swords or hover and shoot. Jump into them and use aerial attacks — fighting them from the ground wastes time.
The Climbcollapsing tower
7
Follow the Gatekeeper until a building collapse is scripted, then fight the mixed group of angels and minions at the intersection.
8
First demonic growth climb — the red-black organic wall surface War can scale. Kill the two enemies that come down at you before you start climbing; being hit mid-wall drops you back to the bottom.
9
Shimmy across the power lines strung between the buildings, then take a second growth section higher.
Sealed Roomclear-to-open
10
Entering the building seals the doors. Three minions hit you immediately, then roughly eight or nine more spawn. Every enemy must die to break the seal — this clear-the-room pattern repeats all game.
11
Leave through the elevator shaft: jump down and slide the rope to the bottom.
The Lava ArenaBOSS — Straga (scripted)
12
Clear the street group, then head right into the arena.
13
BOSS STRAGA — a colossal stone-and-lava golem chained at the far end. He never moves. The arena is the fight.
Straga — Prologue
Car throw. He drags cars out of the surrounding lava and hurls them. Dash sideways to evade — and note that the wrecks that land are your ammunition.
Fire wave. He slams the ground and a flame wave rolls outward. Move sideways, not backwards; you cannot outrun it in a straight line.
Grab and roar. He rears back and opens his mouth. Double jump to clear it.
Damage loop. Pick up a car he threw, hurl it into his face to stun him, sprint in and land a full sword combo, retreat before he recovers. Repeat.
Fire wave. He slams the ground and a flame wave rolls outward. Move sideways, not backwards; you cannot outrun it in a straight line.
Grab and roar. He rears back and opens his mouth. Double jump to clear it.
Damage loop. Pick up a car he threw, hurl it into his face to stun him, sprint in and land a full sword combo, retreat before he recovers. Repeat.
14
The fight ends on a prompt, not on an empty health bar — this is a scripted loss. War is beaten and stripped of his power, and the prologue closes.
✓
There are no collectibles in the prologue. The only thing worth reloading for is Open Air Parking.
CHAPTER 1 OF 13
CH 2Back to EarthCharred Council · Seraphim Hotel · The Crossroads
A hundred years later the Council sends War back to a dead Earth to prove his innocence. This chapter introduces the two systems the whole game runs on: souls as currency, and Vulgrim as the only place to spend them. It also plants the first batch of collectibles you cannot take yet — note them as you pass.
The Charred Councilcutscene only
1
War is put on trial, refuses the charge, and is bound to the Watcher — a leash that can kill him on a whim. He keeps Chaoseater, and Blade Geyser is already his Wrath power from this moment on. No combat, no items.
Seraphim Hotela hundred years later
2
Climb the demonic growth where War lands, follow the ramp up, and double jump the gap in the road when prompted.
3
At the top of the ramp, jump and grab the scalable ledge, then ledge-traverse right across the next gap and drop down.
4
Clear the Wicked here — the most common enemy in the game, and simple: ordinary sword combos handle them.
Tip. Duskwings (the flying bats, called “duskbats” in the achievement text) are the real shortcut: jump toward one and press the action button for a one-hit kill with no health depletion. Get in the habit now — it saves hours over a full run, and it is how High Flier is earned.
5
Continue until a Fire Golem blows out the walkway ahead. Jump and grab the exposed pipe to cross.
Careful. Fire Golems self-destruct when near death. Always back off once one is low, and never stand on top of one to finish it.
6
Through the door at the end; climb the demon growth inside the elevator to ascend.
7
Drop into the large room — one Fire Golem plus several Wicked. ITEM Green Soul Chest is directly across from the exit.
8
Take the far stairs, killing Wicked as you go.
9
Block push — Seraphim Hotel
Drag the large pushable block into the northern corner, stand on it, and jump to the ledge above. This is the game's first block puzzle and the template for a dozen more: if a ledge looks a fraction too high, there is a block somewhere in the room.
10
Use the pipe to cross the gap and land on the platform opposite. Fight along the balcony, through the door at the end, and climb to the next floor.
11
Enter the room — the floor gives way. Continue into the large chamber beyond.
12
A swarm of Wicked, then a Gholen (the blue dragon-type brute) appears. It uses two-hit melee strings, a ground slam with a fire shockwave, and ranged fire bolts that travel along the floor. Dodge the slam ring, punish the long recovery, and take the finisher. The door unseals when it dies.
13
Right-hand hallway, up the stairs — ITEM Green Soul Chest.
14
Walk to the edge to trigger the cutscene. ACHIEVEMENT Death Dealer (meet Vulgrim).
The CrossroadsVulgrim’s first hub — earn 500 souls
15
Vulgrim is the soul-eating merchant you will be dealing with for the rest of the game. He wants 500 blue souls for the Earthcaller. Everything below is the loop that pays for it.
16
Drop off the cliff south of Vulgrim — ITEM Blue Soul Chest. Climb back to street level.
17
Follow the street northwest to a Gholen. Kill it; ITEM Green Soul Chest nearby.
18
Return trip. Note the blue crystals here. They cannot be broken until you have the Tremor Gauntlet from the Hollows. Every region you visit before then will have some — the Collectibles tab lists what is behind each one.
19
Enter the subway. Cross the water pool on demon growth — ITEM Blue Soul Chest on the far side.
20
Dive into the water and swim to the right side of the flooded area — ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier (1 of 20).
21
Back at street level, go east of Vulgrim and enter the building through the hole in the wall — ITEM Blue Soul Chest at the back.
22
Head back toward Vulgrim. A Phantom Guard attacks on the way. These block, so do not open with a combo — bait a swing and counter it.
23
Continue left for three more Phantom Guards and a Gholen. Drop down the cliff at the end — ITEM Blue Soul Chest at the bottom. Climb back up.
24
Take the side street to the right of the last building and follow it to the stairs. ITEM Green Soul Chest behind the stairs, ITEM Blue Soul Chest down them.
25
Tip. Secret. Destroy the five fire hydrants scattered around the Crossroads and an extra Blue Soul Chest appears. Worth doing while you are farming anyway.
26
Hand Vulgrim 500 souls. KEY EARTHCALLER — a demon-faced horn that wakes the chained Tormented Gates blocking routes across the world. It also works as a stun in combat, which matters in about ten minutes. ACHIEVEMENT To Move A Mountain.
✓
Crossroads items you cannot reach yet — a second Artifact: Soldier across the broken bridge (needs Shadowflight), a Life Stone Shard through an underwater tunnel in the library area, a Wrath Shard on a pole above the broken bridge (needs the Abyssal Chain), and the Hellfire enhancement behind blue crystals (needs the Tremor Gauntlet). All four are picked up in Chapter 12.
Ruins Passagethe road to the Scalding Gallow
27
Enter the ruined structure, take the stairs on the left and drop down at the end.
28
Kill the Fire Golem and Wicked. ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
29
Drop to the area below and clear it, then dive into the pool on the left and follow the underwater tunnel — LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard in the chest at the end.
30
Climb the demon growth on the far side and pass through the open doorway. ITEM Green Soul Chest, then follow the hallway out.
CHAPTER 2 OF 13
CH 3Scalding Gallow & Samaelthe hub, the prison, and Shadowflight
Short but load-bearing. You gain the ability that opens up half the map, meet the demon who drives the rest of the plot, and set up the Scalding Gallow as the place you will keep coming back to. Do the Shadowflight sweep at the end of the chapter while you are here — it is two collectibles for about three minutes of work.
Scalding Gallowthe hub for the rest of the game
1
This volcanic region becomes War's home base — a Vulgrim node, Samael, and the routes to most of the map all meet here.
2
Move forward to the ruins, climb the stairs on the left and jump the gap — ITEM Blue Soul Chest. Drop back down.
3
Red growth on the pillar — Abyssal Armor 1
A red growth clings to a pillar on the right. Pick up a car and throw it at the growth to detonate it, then climb the pillar. The chest holds an ABYSSAL ARMOR Abyssal Armor piece — the first of ten.
4
How the armor works. The Abyssal Armor is the game's hidden reward system. You collect all ten pieces during a playthrough but cannot wear the set on that same run — it becomes selectable at the start of your next game. Nothing else carries over. See the Collectibles tab for why that matters for the Apocalyptic achievement.
5
Head north up the ramp to Samael's Prison.
Samael's PrisonBOSS — Phantom General
6
BOSS PHANTOM GENERAL — the guardian of Samael's cage, fought in an open arena.
Phantom General
Moves. A heavy forward slash, a ground slam, a whirlwind spin, and a summon that brings in roughly six Phantom Guards.
Counter. Strict hit-and-run — dash in, land a short combo, dash out. Do not trade with him.
The shortcut. The Earthcaller stuns him outright, which opens a completely free damage window. This is the reason you bought it.
Blade Geyser clears his summons in one cast. Kill every summon before you go back to him — splitting your attention is what kills people here.
Do not use Chaos Form on his whirlwind; you will burn the timer on an invulnerable phase. (You do not have Chaos Form yet anyway — remember it for later fights with the same pattern.)
Counter. Strict hit-and-run — dash in, land a short combo, dash out. Do not trade with him.
The shortcut. The Earthcaller stuns him outright, which opens a completely free damage window. This is the reason you bought it.
Blade Geyser clears his summons in one cast. Kill every summon before you go back to him — splitting your attention is what kills people here.
Do not use Chaos Form on his whirlwind; you will burn the timer on an invulnerable phase. (You do not have Chaos Form yet anyway — remember it for later fights with the same pattern.)
7
The two gargoyles
Grab each of the two gargoyle statues flanking the arena and pull it toward the centre of the area. Both activated unlocks the prison.
8
Samael, the old demon king, agrees to help War reach the Destroyer — in exchange for the hearts of the four Chosen.
9
ABILITY SHADOWFLIGHT. ACHIEVEMENT Prison Break and ACHIEVEMENT Chasm Jumper.
Tip. Shadowflight is a double jump that sprouts wings and glides — but its real function is riding the blue shadow geysers scattered all over the world. Every unreachable high ledge you have walked past becomes live right now.
Scalding Gallow — Shadowflight sweepgo back for what you just unlocked
10
Travel north until a small building appears on the right of the road. Entering it activates a Vulgrim serpent-hole node. ITEM Blue Soul Chest inside.
11
Climb the demonic growth nearby — WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard in the chest.
12
Back on the ground floor, find the missing wall section to the right of the Blue Soul Chest and glide through it down onto the hidden path beneath Samael's prison. Follow it to the end — ABYSSAL ARMOR Abyssal Armor piece (2 of 10).
13
Ride the nearby shadow geyser back up to the road.
✓
Still out of reach in the Gallow: a Wrath Shard in the fan room (Abyssal Chain + Shadowflight), an Artifact: Soldier behind a fast-closing gate (Chronomancer), an Artifact: Champion in the rotating fan area, and the Death's Blessing legendary enhancement in the tunnel toward the Ashlands (Voidwalker + Chronomancer).
CHAPTER 3 OF 13
CH 4Choking Grounds & Broken Stairthe demon cemetery and the drowned freeway
Two open regions and the game's first Tormented Gate. This chapter hands you the Block Counter — genuinely the most important thing you learn all game — and contains two of the four missable achievements. Read the High Flier and Aerial Predator notes before you reach them, not after.
Access CaveScalding Gallow to the Choking Grounds
1
From the bottom of Samael's prison ramp, head left across the gap and kill the Fire Golem and Wicked on the far side.
2
Glide across the next gap into the crystal-lined tunnel and take the door on the left at the far end.
3
Descend the ramp. Before using the shadow geyser, grab the ITEM Blue Soul Chest sitting out over the lava on the right.
4
Ride the geyser up, cross the pit on demon growth, drop to the platform opposite and glide the gap. A chain of geysers carries you over the lava pit.
5
Climb the handholds at the end of the passage and exit into The Choking Grounds.
The Choking Groundsa demon cemetery
6
Straight ahead is a small building — activate the Vulgrim node.
7
North of Vulgrim, a small staircase leads down — ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
8
The three tombs
South of Vulgrim are three large tombs. Grab the centre tomb and pull it toward the Vulgrim node. A hidden staircase opens underneath. Go in, clear the enemies, and take the second ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
9
Near the three tombs another staircase leads down — ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
10
Tip. Secret. Destroy every gravestone inside the fenced area around Vulgrim. A chest appears on the raised ground to the left holding a LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard. Nothing signposts this.
11
Go to the northwestern part of the map to find the Gatekeeper. Take the door to the left of it first: kill the Wicked and Undead, ITEM Blue Soul Chest; ride the shadow geyser up; kill the Fire Golem and Wicked above; chest with a WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard. Note the red crystals up here — those need bombs, so it is a Chapter 12 return.
12
Back at street level, stand in front of the Gatekeeper and use the Earthcaller to wake it. Speak to it and it sends War into the Shadow Realm.
Shadow Realm — Arenas 1 to 4four challenge fights
13
Four arenas, each marked by an orange pillar of light. Stand on the pad and press the action button. Green and Yellow Soul Chests sit at each exit.
14
Arena 1 — aerial combos. Kill 5 enemies with aerial combos. Hit an enemy on the ground a few times, hold the heavy attack to launch it, then juggle and finish in the air.
15
Arena 2 — Venomous. Kill 50 enemies while poison gas fills the arena. Order is Wicked → Minions → Phantom Guards → a Gholen. The green chests around the room are the whole point — ration them, do not open one at 90% health.
16
Arena 3 — The Gory End. Kill 30 enemies using finishers only, on a timer. Normal kills do not count. Duskwings first, then Phantom Guards, then Gholens.
MISSABLE MISSABLE “High Flier” — chain five Duskwing finishers without touching the ground. The Duskwing wave that opens this arena is the standard place to do it. Jump into one, finish it, and use the momentum to reach the next without landing.
17
Arena 4. Kill 40 enemies — Phantom Guards, Wicked, Fire Golems. A straight fight; speed is the only variable.
18
Clearing all four grants the Block Counter passive.
Tip. The Block Counter (Devil's Cross) is the most valuable defensive tool in the game. Press block immediately before a melee attack lands and War counters and stuns the attacker. It only works on melee — you cannot counter projectiles. It is the answer to every enemy that guards heavily, and it is essentially mandatory against Wicked K and Fallen Abaddon.
19
Return to the Gatekeeper and use the Earthcaller again. It hands over ENHANCEMENT Ravager (guarantees souls from destroyed scenery and massively boosts thrown-object damage) and opens the blocked tunnel.
Access Tunnelto the Broken Stair
20
Through the open tunnel, exit via the door on the right and follow the passage around, vaulting where required.
21
Drop into the highway tunnel at the end and turn left — ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
22
Tip. Duskwings sleep on the ceiling and walls along here. Throw cars at them while they are asleep — free kills, and it feeds the Improvised Kills achievement.
23
Cross the gap on shadow geysers and enter the door on the right. The doors seal — clear every Phantom Guard to open them, then exit into The Broken Stair.
The Broken Staircollapsed freeway over a drowned block
24
Out of the tunnel, go through the hole in the wall near the top of the right-hand ramp and follow the passage to its end — ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
25
Back out, climb to the top of the ramp and clear the enemies, then cross the makeshift bridge to the right and descend the small staircase.
26
Activate the Vulgrim node here. ITEM Blue Soul Chest nearby.
27
Find the pool with the submerged tunnel and swim it — LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard.
28
Enter the large building on the southwestern side. Up the steps to the second floor; kill the Phantom Guards and Minions. To the right of the hole in the wall: ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
29
Jump through the wall hole and use the shadow geysers to reach the raised highway remnants. Fight up to the hilltop through Duskwings and Wicked.
30
MISSABLE At the hilltop, turn to face away from the direction you need to go. There is a dead end behind you holding a chest with a second LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard. Almost everyone walks straight past it.
31
Turn back and cross the broken highway segments.
32
BOSS TRAUMA (the scythe-armed brute) — a mini-boss, and the first of many. He recurs as a normal heavy enemy later, so learn him properly now.
Trauma
Opening. He hurls cars at you as he approaches. Dash to evade — and note the wrecks become throwable ammunition.
Moves. A single wide sweep, a two-part melee string, and a heavy overhead smash.
Counter. Dash-time each sweep. The overhead smash has the longest recovery and is your main punish window. Get behind him and past the arms — standing in front and blocking does no damage and he outlasts you.
Later on. Once you have the Scythe its wide arcs are the best answer to Traumas, and in Chaos Form one dies in about five hits.
Moves. A single wide sweep, a two-part melee string, and a heavy overhead smash.
Counter. Dash-time each sweep. The overhead smash has the longest recovery and is your main punish window. Get behind him and past the arms — standing in front and blocking does no damage and he outlasts you.
Later on. Once you have the Scythe its wide arcs are the best answer to Traumas, and in Chaos Form one dies in about five hits.
33
A shadow geyser appears on the left after the kill. Hop and glide to the rooftop, then enter the building opposite — you hit the game's first blue locked door.
34
Take the nearby stairs down onto a balcony — ITEM Blue Soul Chest. Down a second staircase, kill the Phantom Guards, and open the guarded chest for the KEY Beholder's Key.
35
Return to the blue door and open it. Up the stairs for a cutscene.
Echo Gorgethe Angelic Beast flight — missable
36
MISSABLE SAVE HERE. This is the last checkpoint before the only mount-flight section in the entire game, and it carries a missable achievement.
37
War hijacks an Angelic Beast for an on-rails flight through the city and a lava cavern. Right trigger fires; left trigger multi-locks. Steer slightly to dodge incoming fire.
38
MISSABLE “Aerial Predator” — 160 kills during this one section.
Tip. Ignore the large single targets. Lock-on-spam the dense swarms of small enemies, especially from the midpoint onward — that is where the count actually comes from. If you land short, reload the save you just made.
39
The flight ends with a Hellion encounter and a landing at the Twilight Cathedral.
CHAPTER 4 OF 13
CH 5The Twilight Cathedralthe first real dungeon — Crossblade, the Jailer, Tiamat
The Cathedral is where Darksiders becomes Darksiders: a single self-contained dungeon built around one key item, with a hub room and three locks. It also hides more easily-lost items than any other area in the game — the Champion artifact overhead, the artifact behind you, the Life Stone Shard through a window, the Bloodthirst torch puzzle, and the block you have to leave in the right place forty minutes in advance.
1
How this dungeon works. The dungeon in one line: a central chamber holds three empty-handed angel statues. Each needs a Crystal Sword. All three opens the way to Tiamat. Everything else in the Cathedral exists to get you those three swords.
Entrance Hall
2
Clear the entrance enemies and activate the Vulgrim node outside.
3
Walk the hallway to the statue in the middle of the room, turn right, and take the Crystal Sword from the statue there.
4
Place it in the hands of the statue to the right of the door at the end of the hallway. The door opens.
First Lava Room
5
Jump across the lava, kill the Duskwings, and exit through the door on the right.
Sealed Arena
6
The doors seal. Wave 1 is Undead; wave 2 is Undead backed by Duskwings.
7
Come back here. There is a blue locked door in this room. Remember it — you come back with a Beholder's Key in a few minutes.
8
Take the door on the south side.
Bomb Growth Corridorthe bomb mechanic
9
ITEM Green Soul Chest in the corner.
10
Crystal colour code. Bomb Growths. Pick one up and throw it at red crystals to destroy them. Memorise the colour code, because the whole game runs on it:
• Red crystal = bomb.
• Blue crystal = Crossblade (as a switch) or Tremor Gauntlet (as a wall).
• Blue rock = Tremor Gauntlet only.
• Red crystal = bomb.
• Blue crystal = Crossblade (as a switch) or Tremor Gauntlet (as a wall).
• Blue rock = Tremor Gauntlet only.
11
Through the hole in the wall, jump the gap, and climb the handholds to the top of the room. Jump to the left ledge — ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
12
Jump back to the main platform and go through the door.
Upper Balconythe statue push
13
You come out on a balcony above the previous area, facing a statue. Check the alcove behind it first — chest with the Dungeon Map.
14
Push the statue off
Grab the statue and push it off the ledge into the courtyard below. It punches a hole through the courtyard floor that you will drop through.
15
Move along the balcony; the door on the right holds ITEM Blue Soul Chest. Then return to the courtyard and drop through the new hole.
Sub-Courtyard
16
Jump the gap, then handhold-traverse to the far side and look for the glowing collectible marker.
17
MISSABLE The artifact is behind you, not ahead. Jump onto the demon growth, climb to the very top, then jump backwards off it and glide to reach ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier. This is one of the most commonly missed items in the dungeon because the natural instinct is to climb and go forward.
18
Clear the area, glide the next gap, and follow the passage to the end. Open the door — guarded chest with a KEY Beholder's Key.
19
Backtrack all the way to the sealed arena and unlock the blue door there.
Circular Chamberfirst Iron Giant
20
Cross the platforms into the large circular room.
21
First Iron Giant. Heavily armoured axe-wielder, double forward slashes and overhead swings.
Tip. Iron Giants take an absurd amount of damage to kill by health alone. Break the armour instead — once it is off, the finisher becomes available and the fight ends immediately. Dash in behind, two or three hits, dash out. Never block one.
22
ITEM Crystal Sword at the far end, plus a Green and a Blue Soul Chest.
23
Return to the main building and place the sword in the statue by the opposite door.
Second Courtyardthe Goremaw
24
On entering, look right: a Crystal Sword sits under a Goremaw — the hanging hand-demon suspended in green slime.
Careful. Goremaws cannot be killed. Stand under one and it grabs War and squeezes, triggering a QTE that costs serious health if you lose. They are obstacles, not enemies.
25
Stun the Goremaw
There is a bomb growth at the far end of the room. Grab a bomb, throw it at the Goremaw to stun it, and take the Crystal Sword while it is coiled into its shell. Later, the Crossblade and Mercy do the same job faster.
26
An Iron Giant and several Undead arrive. Clear them, then place the Crystal Sword on the statue to the left of the other courtyard door.
27
MISSABLE Turn a full 180° from that statue. There is a window, and through it you can see a red crystal. Pick up a bomb growth and lob it through the window at the crystal. That reveals a chest with a LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard. Nothing in the room points at it.
28
Head through the newly opened door.
Shadowflight Chamber
29
MISSABLE Look up the instant you enter. ARTIFACT Artifact: Champion is visible directly overhead. Ride the shadow geyser to reach it. Walking straight through this room costs you one of only six Champion artifacts in the game.
30
Use the geyser again to reach the platform, then out onto the balcony, and handhold-traverse the right-hand wall to the far side.
Block Push & Descentremember where you leave this block
31
Push the stone block off into the courtyard below and follow it down.
32
MISSABLE Grab the block and push it as far east as it will go, and remember exactly where you leave it. You need this specific block much later, at the very end of the dungeon, to reach an Abyssal Armor piece and a full Wrath Core. If you leave it in the wrong place you cannot get up there.
33
Use it to jump to the ledge above and take the door on the right.
34
At the end, throw a bomb at the Goremaw holding a stone block. The block falls and blows a hole in the floor. Drop through into the basement.
The BasementTHE CROSSBLADE
35
Follow the tunnel down. Phantom Guards ambush you from behind — keep moving until you have room to turn and fight.
36
Drop into the large open area. On the right is a floating three-headed demon chest. Smash it with your sword.
37
WEAPON CROSS-BLADE. ACHIEVEMENT Elemental Thief.
Crossblade mechanics. Three things make the Crossblade the most important tool in this dungeon:
1. It locks onto up to four targets in sequence and returns — hold to queue them all, release to throw once.
2. It can be charged for a stun.
3. Critically, it carries elemental state. Throw it through a lit torch or a burning gas pipe and it becomes a flaming Crossblade that ignites inert bomb growths and unlit pipes. Almost every remaining puzzle in the Cathedral is a fire relay.
1. It locks onto up to four targets in sequence and returns — hold to queue them all, release to throw once.
2. It can be charged for a stun.
3. Critically, it carries elemental state. Throw it through a lit torch or a burning gas pipe and it becomes a flaming Crossblade that ignites inert bomb growths and unlit pipes. Almost every remaining puzzle in the Cathedral is a fire relay.
Crossblade Tutorial Fight
38
Four Duskwings rise from the lava — lock all four and throw once.
39
Phantom Guards spawn behind you.
40
A Rot Mauler (poison demon) appears, wrapped in a green toxic cloud that damages you if you melee inside it. Hit it with a charged Crossblade to stun it and dispel the cloud, then close with Chaoseater during the gap. Repeat.
Careful. Blocking is specifically weak against poison, fire and magic. Dash these, do not block them.
41
There is a blue crystal above the nearby door — hit it with the Crossblade to unlock it. This is the first blue-crystal-as-switch.
Lava Statue Room
42
The hidden back crystal — exact order
a. Crossblade the bomb plant sitting on the crystal in front of you.
b. Climb the ledge on the left and use the windows there to hit the bomb on the red crystal at the back of the statue — you cannot see or reach it from the floor, which is why this stalls people.
c. Return and hit the switch.
d. A crystal appears — Crossblade it to open the gate.
b. Climb the ledge on the left and use the windows there to hit the bomb on the red crystal at the back of the statue — you cannot see or reach it from the floor, which is why this stalls people.
c. Return and hit the switch.
d. A crystal appears — Crossblade it to open the gate.
43
Vault up the left side, note the blue locked door (later), and go through the open gate.
44
The two toppling pillars
The first pillar has two bombs on it — Crossblade both to topple it into a platform. Jump aboard.
The next pillar has inert bombs, which will not detonate cold. Look right for a flaming torch: Crossblade the torch first to pick up fire, then the bomb.
The next pillar has inert bombs, which will not detonate cold. Look right for a flaming torch: Crossblade the torch first to pick up fire, then the bomb.
45
Follow the ledge around and take the door on the left.
The Three Statuesthe dungeon hub
46
Three empty-handed angel statues in the centre, three doors leading off. Handle the left door first.
West Room — the Lava WaterfallCrystal Sword 1
47
A cutscene shows the goal: get behind the molten waterfall at the far end of the bridge. There is a switch to your left you cannot use yet.
48
Lava Waterfall — full sequence
1. Move to the circular platform at the centre of the bridge. An inert bomb growth is left, a red crystal is right.
2. Jump down-left to grab a bomb.
3. Use the rotating cogs above the lava to carry the bomb across the room to the crystal.
4. Stick the bomb on the crystal, then light your Crossblade at the nearby torch and detonate it.
5. With the crystal gone, jump across the cogs and double jump up to the ledge behind — ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
6. Return to the bomb platform and climb the left handholds and demon growth back to the entrance.
7. Hit the switch and ride the rotating bridge to the southern ledge.
8. In that tunnel is an active bomb and a red crystal out of throwing range. Lay a line of inert bombs between them to form a chain, then Crossblade the active bomb — the chain detonates down the line.
9. Hit the second switch behind the destroyed crystal.
10. Grab another inert bomb, ride the bridge to the opposite side, light it from the torch there and blow that red crystal.
11. Hit the third switch inside.
12. With all three thrown, two blue crystals appear flanking the platform in front of the waterfall. Ride the bridge there and Crossblade both — the lava stops.
2. Jump down-left to grab a bomb.
3. Use the rotating cogs above the lava to carry the bomb across the room to the crystal.
4. Stick the bomb on the crystal, then light your Crossblade at the nearby torch and detonate it.
5. With the crystal gone, jump across the cogs and double jump up to the ledge behind — ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
6. Return to the bomb platform and climb the left handholds and demon growth back to the entrance.
7. Hit the switch and ride the rotating bridge to the southern ledge.
8. In that tunnel is an active bomb and a red crystal out of throwing range. Lay a line of inert bombs between them to form a chain, then Crossblade the active bomb — the chain detonates down the line.
9. Hit the second switch behind the destroyed crystal.
10. Grab another inert bomb, ride the bridge to the opposite side, light it from the torch there and blow that red crystal.
11. Hit the third switch inside.
12. With all three thrown, two blue crystals appear flanking the platform in front of the waterfall. Ride the bridge there and Crossblade both — the lava stops.
49
Walk through. ITEM Crystal Sword plus two Blue Soul Chests. Return to the hub and arm a statue.
North Room — Rising PlatformsCrystal Sword 2
50
From the statues, ride the shadow geyser across the lava pool, land on the platform above, and take the north door.
51
Rising Platforms — full sequence
1. On entry, two blocks with bombs hang from a rope. Crossblade them.
2. Slide down the rope to the bottom and hit the switch.
3. Jump to the platform that appears, then jump left, then to the furthest platform.
4. Hit the crystal in front of you, then glide west to the new platform.
5. Crossblade the crystal nearby and immediately jump north to the platform as it rises. This is a timing jump and it is the single most common failure point in the dungeon — do not line the shot up first, throw and jump.
6. Hit the blue crystal here; a bomb plant appears in the centre. Jump to it.
7. Use that bomb plant to destroy the two red crystals.
8. Return to the western platforms and double jump into the new hole in the wall.
9. Climb the handholds, jump to the rope, shimmy along it above the door, and drop into the next area.
2. Slide down the rope to the bottom and hit the switch.
3. Jump to the platform that appears, then jump left, then to the furthest platform.
4. Hit the crystal in front of you, then glide west to the new platform.
5. Crossblade the crystal nearby and immediately jump north to the platform as it rises. This is a timing jump and it is the single most common failure point in the dungeon — do not line the shot up first, throw and jump.
6. Hit the blue crystal here; a bomb plant appears in the centre. Jump to it.
7. Use that bomb plant to destroy the two red crystals.
8. Return to the western platforms and double jump into the new hole in the wall.
9. Climb the handholds, jump to the rope, shimmy along it above the door, and drop into the next area.
52
ITEM Crystal Sword (2 of 3). Turn around and Crossblade the two blue crystals in the lava to open the exit.
53
Back in the pit room: hit the switch, go to the far eastern platform, hit the blue crystal, and glide to the centre platform with the bomb.
54
Go to the raised platform left of the switch and enter the alcove that was blocked by red crystal — ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
55
Hit the crystal to raise a staircase out of the pit, climb the rock columns, and arm the second statue at the hub. A door unlocks.
Ambush Room
56
The door locks behind you and a treasure chest visibly vanishes. Kill every Phantom Guard and the chest reappears — KEY Beholder's Key.
57
MISSABLE Look behind a pillar in this room for a chest holding a WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard. It is not visible from the doorway.
Route to the Jailer
58
Exit to the statues, climb back into the preceding room, work around to the locked blue door, and use the Beholder's Key.
59
Kill the Duskwings. Jump to the handhold on the right-hand pillar, work around it, jump to the next pillar, then to the wall beyond, then drop.
60
Open the door at the end of the hallway and walk forward.
61
BOSS THE JAILER
The Jailer
An enormous armoured construct — and it is driven by an Undead riding a cabin on its shoulder, which is why the weak points are up top.
Phase A — yellow sores. Bright yellow sores appear across its body and shoulder. Lock every yellow sore you can target with the Crossblade and throw. It kneels — sprint in and hammer it with Chaoseater until it recovers.
Phase B — rage. The sores turn red. Do not approach; the sores cannot be exploited and it is far more aggressive. Keep distance and dodge.
Phase C — summons. It calls in Phantom Guards. Kill every summon before returning to the boss — splitting your attention here is what kills people.
Cycle A → B → C until the execution prompt appears.
Phase A — yellow sores. Bright yellow sores appear across its body and shoulder. Lock every yellow sore you can target with the Crossblade and throw. It kneels — sprint in and hammer it with Chaoseater until it recovers.
Phase B — rage. The sores turn red. Do not approach; the sores cannot be exploited and it is far more aggressive. Keep distance and dodge.
Phase C — summons. It calls in Phantom Guards. Kill every summon before returning to the boss — splitting your attention here is what kills people.
Cycle A → B → C until the execution prompt appears.
Torch Roomthe hidden Bloodthirst enhancement
62
Behind the Jailer a door opens onto an elevator. Ride it down. The room below has a red crystal right, an inert bomb plant left, and a lava pool ahead.
63
MISSABLE Turn around after entering. There is one lit torch and several unlit torches scattered around this room. Crossblade the lit one first, then relay the flame to every unlit torch. Lighting them all spawns a chest with ENHANCEMENT Bloodthirst (converts weapon damage into health). Absolutely nothing signposts this, and it is one of the best early enhancements in the game.
64
Throw a bomb at the red crystal on the right and detonate it with a flaming Crossblade. Throw another at the crystal at the far end of the lava pool.
65
Enter the room behind the first crystal — Rot Mauler plus Phantom Guards. ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
66
Jump the lava pool to the room opposite, handhold-traverse the pit wall, drop down, and hit the switch to raise a rock bridge.
67
Detonate the bomb on the crystal here, enter the room behind it, and hit the switch on the right.
68
Take the lift back up. In the room before the Jailer, activate the switches on either side of the platform overlooking the lava pit — two platforms rise and the far door unlocks. Cross and go through.
The ArenaCrystal Sword 3
69
Crossblade the two crystals, go through, and drop into the circular arena.
70
Wave 1: an Iron Giant plus Phantom Guards. Wave 2: a Rot Mauler plus Phantom Guards.
71
ITEM Crystal Sword (3 of 3) at the far end. Turn around — two Iron Giants at once.
Tip. Do not let them converge. Hit one, run, engage the other, and keep drawing them apart so you are never sandwiched. Chaos Form is not available yet, so this is purely a patience fight.
72
A platform rises on their death. Backtrack to the three-statue chamber and place the final sword. A platform rises into the courtyard and the Tiamat door opens.
The Detourdo this BEFORE the Tiamat door
73
MISSABLE Do not walk through the Tiamat door yet. Turn 180° from it and find the stone block you pushed into the corner much earlier. Jump onto it, then up to the balcony above.
74
Turn left — a door guarded by a Goremaw. Crossblade the Goremaw to stun it and go through. On the balcony inside: ABYSSAL ARMOR Abyssal Armor piece (3 of 10).
75
Drop to the floor: chest with a full WRATH CORE (not a shard — a complete core, one of only three that come outside the shard system), plus a Blue Soul Chest.
Cathedral RooftopBOSS — Tiamat
76
BOSS TIAMAT, THE BAT QUEEN — fought on the circular cathedral roof, ringed with bomb growths and torches. Those two props are the entire fight; Chaoseater cannot touch her while she is airborne.
Tiamat
Phase 1 — aerial fireballs. She circles the arena spitting fireballs. They are unblockable — dash. Tell: after every three fireballs she stops and hovers.
The damage loop. During that pause, grab an inert bomb growth and throw it so it sticks to her. Then Crossblade a torch to pick up fire and immediately Crossblade the bomb on her body. The explosion drops her onto the roof — sprint in and unload.
Phase 2 — swoops. She switches to low claw passes. Dash laterally; do not try to jump them. Again she pauses after three — same bomb-and-fire routine.
Phase 3 — grounded. She lands and stalks the roof. This phase is about spacing: too close and you eat wide claw swipes, tail sweeps and ground slams; too far and she fires a volley of four fireballs. Stay at mid-range.
The counter that matters. She winds up a charge. When she commits, an action prompt appears — mash it. War catches her and punches her across the arena. Attack while she is stunned, but do not overcommit; she recovers fast in this phase.
The damage loop. During that pause, grab an inert bomb growth and throw it so it sticks to her. Then Crossblade a torch to pick up fire and immediately Crossblade the bomb on her body. The explosion drops her onto the roof — sprint in and unload.
Phase 2 — swoops. She switches to low claw passes. Dash laterally; do not try to jump them. Again she pauses after three — same bomb-and-fire routine.
Phase 3 — grounded. She lands and stalks the roof. This phase is about spacing: too close and you eat wide claw swipes, tail sweeps and ground slams; too far and she fires a volley of four fireballs. Stay at mid-range.
The counter that matters. She winds up a charge. When she commits, an action prompt appears — mash it. War catches her and punches her across the arena. Attack while she is stunned, but do not overcommit; she recovers fast in this phase.
77
Rewards: the first Heart of the Chosen and a full LIFE SHARD LIFE STONE (a whole extra health bar, not a shard). ACHIEVEMENT Like A Bat Outta Hell.
78
Take the portal out. Serpent Holes unlock — from now on every Vulgrim node is a fast-travel point. Use one to return to the Scalding Gallow.
79
Samael takes the heart and grants CHAOS FORM. ACHIEVEMENT Don't Make Me Angry.
Chaos Form. Chaos Form fills from kills and combos with Chaoseater. When full, War becomes a giant flaming demon — effectively invulnerable, massively increased damage, most enemies dying in one or two hits. It is the intended answer to Ulthane, Silitha and the arena waves. It fails against Fallen Abaddon, who blocks the transformation outright, and it is wasted on bosses with long invulnerable spins.
80
Samael names the next target: find Ulthane the Black Hammer.
CHAPTER 5 OF 13
CH 6Drowned Pass & Anvil's Fordthe search for Ulthane
A connective chapter with a lot of water in it, four more shadow arenas, and the second of the game's two Old Ones. The important thing here is the angel-killing contest — it carries a missable achievement and a genuinely useful enhancement, and the trick to winning it is a weapon you have to know to pick up.
Scalding Gallow Exit Tunnel
1
Head toward the Vulgrim node — red crystals block the path on the left.
2
Gas-pipe relay
There is an inert bomb next to a flaming gas pipe. Crossblade through the flame first, then the bomb, to detonate it and clear the crystals.
3
Follow the tunnel down and right, killing whatever blocks the exits.
4
The fan
Jump onto the stationary fan blade, then to the left blade, and into the small room. Kill the Phantom Guards, then hit the switch to start the fan turning. Ride the blade around and hop off at the western doorway.
5
Follow the path out, killing as you go. ITEM Blue Soul Chest in the alcove on the left. Exit into The Drowned Pass.
The Drowned Passsunken buildings and underwater tunnels
6
Dive in and check the tunnel behind the waterfall on the north side — ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
7
Swim the north-eastern underwater tunnel, then dive again inside it to reach a hidden chamber. Kill the Phantom Guards and the Shadowcaster — kill the Shadowcaster first, it is the ranged threat and it cannot be juggled. Chest: ABYSSAL ARMOR Abyssal Armor piece (4 of 10).
8
ITEM Blue Soul Chest behind the rocks on the opposite side of the pool.
9
Swim into the northernmost sunken building and climb its stairs — ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier. Surface, find that building's entrance from above — ITEM Blue Soul Chest inside.
10
Head south to the Gatekeeper and use the Earthcaller.
Shadow Realm — Arenas 5 to 8
11
Arena 5 — Defender. Protect the undead soldiers for 5 minutes against Phantom Guards, Fire Golems and Gholens. Stay physically close to your allies — leaving the cluster to chase a kill is how this fails.
12
Arena 6 — environmental. Kill 15 enemies using cars. Soften each target with normal attacks first; a car thrown at a full-health enemy usually will not finish it.
13
Arena 7 — Chaos Form. Kill 30 enemies in Chaos Form. Pop it immediately, then use finishers to recharge the meter so you can re-enter.
14
Arena 8 — Counter Killer. Kill 5 enemies with counter-attacks. Damage one until the prompt appears, then wait for it to swing and press block on the beat.
15
Return to the Gatekeeper and use the Earthcaller again — ABYSSAL ARMOR Abyssal Armor piece (5 of 10).
✓
Still out of reach in the Drowned Pass: a third Artifact: Soldier, two Life Stone Shards (one on a Crossblade-raised platform, one grappled from Vulgrim's position), and a Wrath Shard behind blue rocks. All collected in Chapter 12.
Exit to Anvil's Ford
16
Enter the tunnel behind the Gatekeeper, jump in the water and follow the path, killing the Demon Fish.
17
Surface, climb out, and climb the demonic growth.
Careful. Some demonic growths explode. Dash to avoid them mid-climb rather than trying to power through.
18
At the top, jump to the rope, cross the chasm and drop to the opposite platform. The left tunnel is a new Vulgrim node; the right exits to Anvil's Ford.
Anvil's FordUlthane — and a missable achievement
19
A hammer is planted in the centre of the clearing. Approaching it starts the fight.
20
BOSS ULTHANE — a scripted grudge match rather than a puzzle. Enter Chaos Form and beat him down; he shrugs off normal damage badly enough that Chaos Form is the intended solution. ACHIEVEMENT One Tough Cookie.
21
The Hellguard arrive and Ulthane turns it into a contest.
22
MISSABLE MISSABLE “Who's Counting?” — kill more angels than Ulthane across the whole running battle. The reward is the ENHANCEMENT Combat Lore enhancement. Save before you touch the hammer, because reloading means redoing the Ulthane fight too.
23
The battle is a running fight — Ulthane smashes blue crystal barriers to open the route and you follow through two more door passages, fighting angels at each.
24
After the third angel encounter Ulthane hurls War across a gap into a building. Kill the angels inside to unlock the sealed door. ITEM Green Soul Chest.
25
Drop down the hole and go to the far end of the lower chamber. Pick up a bomb and throw it at the bomb cluster opposite to bring the bridge down for Ulthane.
26
Tip. This is how you win the contest. An angel smashes through the wall during the bridge descent. Kill it and pick up its Redemption Cannon. It fires rapid bursts and charged area blasts, and it lets you snipe angels before Ulthane reaches them. Trying to out-melee him is a losing game.
27
Exit and go down the path, using the cannon at range as angels approach. Retreat to the Green Soul Chest inside if you get low.
28
Clear the ruins around the corner; a cutscene brings in Storm Wardens (the cannon-carrying flying angels). Prioritise them — their ranged pressure is the dangerous part of any angel fight.
29
Climb the nearby demonic growth — ITEM Blue Soul Chest at the top. From there look north for more growth, climb down it and travel under the structure you were just fighting on — WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard.
30
Rejoin Ulthane, follow him as he breaks another blue crystal (ITEM Green Soul Chest), and follow him up the ramp to the locked door. The contest tallies here.
The EnclosureBOSS — Uriel, first encounter
31
BOSS URIEL — Ulthane fights alongside you, and a ITEM Green Soul Chest sits in the centre of the arena.
Uriel — first fight
Charge. She rushes War in a straight line along the ground. Side-dash.
Spin Drop. She leaps and comes down in a spinning aerial slam that produces a shockwave. Dash the moment she jumps, not when she lands.
Strategy. Hit-and-run, let Ulthane pull aggro, and punish her landing recovery. Chaos Form works well on her. Save the centre chest for when you are actually low — it does not respawn.
She is not killed here; the fight ends in a cutscene and she withdraws. You meet her again in Chapter 12.
Spin Drop. She leaps and comes down in a spinning aerial slam that produces a shockwave. Dash the moment she jumps, not when she lands.
Strategy. Hit-and-run, let Ulthane pull aggro, and punish her landing recovery. Chaos Form works well on her. Save the centre chest for when you are actually low — it does not respawn.
She is not killed here; the fight ends in a cutscene and she withdraws. You meet her again in Chapter 12.
32
Exit through the door Ulthane opens and drop down the hole. Follow the water around the bend — ITEM Blue Soul Chest behind the waterfall on the right, and another ITEM Blue Soul Chest on the left as you leave the cave.
33
Follow the man-made tunnel out into The Hollows.
CHAPTER 6 OF 13
CH 7The Hollowsthe flooded subway — Tremor Gauntlet, the Griever
The largest dungeon of the first half and the one that punishes rushing. Two items here are lost for the rest of the run if you break the wrong crystal first — the Champion artifact under the bridge and the Wrath Shard on the ledge. Grab the Hoard Seeker as early as the route allows and the whole dungeon gets easier.
1
How this dungeon works. The dungeon in one line: the Hollows is built on water level manipulation — specific blue crystals raise or drain water, opening some routes and sealing others — plus the Tremor Gauntlet you find in the middle of it. It is the biggest dungeon in the first half, with around 27 chests, and it has two ordering traps that permanently lock items if you break the crystals in the wrong order. Both are flagged below.
Clock Hallthe Griever, first encounter
2
The Griever attacks on arrival. You cannot kill it yet.
3
A Redemption Cannon lies on the floor. Pick it up and shoot the Griever in the face while dodging its tracking laser beams.
Tip. The beams follow you. Circle in wide arcs rather than backpedalling in a straight line, and alternate dodge → fire → dodge. It flees after enough damage.
4
ITEM Blue Soul Chest behind the base of the fallen clock at the far end.
5
Through the left door and up the stairs — ITEM Blue Soul Chest. Out onto the balcony — a third ITEM Blue Soul Chest at the far end.
6
Drop down, enter the door opposite (ITEM Green Soul Chest), cross the pit on demon growth and take the left door.
Flooded Gas-Pipe Room
7
Jump into the flooded room and kill the green Duskwings.
8
Fire relay — exact order
a. Pick up an inert bomb and toss it onto the red crystal on the left balcony.
b. Dive northwest underwater to find demon growth leading to an upper platform.
c. At the top, activate the generator — this lights the gas pipe in front of you.
d. Crossblade the lit flame, then the unlit pipe to the left to spread the fire.
e. Drop back to the bomb platform and repeat the relay to reach the gas pipe beside the red crystal.
f. Climb the growth again, cross on the rope, then take the next rope down to the red crystal platform.
g. Crossblade through the fire into the bomb.
b. Dive northwest underwater to find demon growth leading to an upper platform.
c. At the top, activate the generator — this lights the gas pipe in front of you.
d. Crossblade the lit flame, then the unlit pipe to the left to spread the fire.
e. Drop back to the bomb platform and repeat the relay to reach the gas pipe beside the red crystal.
f. Climb the growth again, cross on the rope, then take the next rope down to the red crystal platform.
g. Crossblade through the fire into the bomb.
9
Enter the door behind the destroyed crystal.
First Pool
10
Down the stairs; drop left onto a ledge — ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
11
Drop into the water, kill the Demon Fish, and dive — ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
12
Surface, climb out on the striped scaffolding, and go through the door beside the blue crystal into the large fan area.
Fan Area & Seal Room
13
Kill three Spiny Minions to unlock the next door. Enter and turn right — a demon seal appears and Spiny Minions pour out of the pipes.
14
Keep fighting until a Gholen smashes out of a wall. ITEM Green Soul Chest inside the hole it made.
15
MISSABLE Once the room clears, find the other broken wall on the far side — the chest there is an ABYSSAL ARMOR Abyssal Armor piece (6 of 10). It is easy to leave once the fight is over and the pressure is off.
16
At the room's end, jump in, dive, kill the Demon Fish and swim the tunnel.
Tunnel Fork
17
Surface and climb out near a locked blue door and a second pool.
18
Jump into the second pool, ignore the platform, and dive to the bottom. At the fork: first right → surface → chest with ENHANCEMENT Reaper (more souls from kills, and a bonus on the Scythe).
19
Back in the water, second left → a room with WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard in the chest on the right and a ITEM Blue Soul Chest. Hit the switch here.
20
Return to the first water entry, kill the Demon Fish, and take the chest — KEY Beholder's Key. Open the blue door.
Tremor Gauntlet Chamber
21
Large circular room with blue crystals and a Demon Chest. Go down the steps and smash the demon statue lock — WEAPON TREMOR GAUNTLET. ACHIEVEMENT Tremor Bringer.
Tremor Gauntlet. Very high damage per hit, slow, short combos. It shatters blue crystals and blue rock, and a charged punch launches heavy objects — blocks, machinery, train cars. It also stuns heavy enemies, and a charged hit can stun a Grappleclaw so you can mount it.
Getting it retroactively unlocks every blue-crystal collectible you have walked past in the Crossroads, Choking Grounds, Drowned Pass, Anvil's Ford and Scalding Gallow.
Getting it retroactively unlocks every blue-crystal collectible you have walked past in the Crossroads, Choking Grounds, Drowned Pass, Anvil's Ford and Scalding Gallow.
22
An ambush follows — a Greater Dragon with Undead and Spiny Minions.
23
Use the Gauntlet on the blue crystals and climb to a chest — a second KEY Beholder's Key. Drop down, cross on demon growth, and open the locked blue door.
Machinery Platforms
24
Gauntlet the crystals on the left and dive into the pool beyond. Follow the passage, climb out, and go to the south-western stairs.
25
Machinery lift — exact sequence
a. Go up and punch the object down to the floor below.
b. Push it onto the platform and use the lever to raise it.
c. Move to the raised platforms on the left and punch the machinery between the railings on the first platform.
d. Punch it across to the second platform, angling so the railings do not block it.
e. Jump onto it, across to the third platform, and use the switch to lower it.
f. Jump back to the second platform and punch the block across to the third.
g. Use the button to raise the lift again.
b. Push it onto the platform and use the lever to raise it.
c. Move to the raised platforms on the left and punch the machinery between the railings on the first platform.
d. Punch it across to the second platform, angling so the railings do not block it.
e. Jump onto it, across to the third platform, and use the switch to lower it.
f. Jump back to the second platform and punch the block across to the third.
g. Use the button to raise the lift again.
26
MISSABLE South of the third lift is a small room holding ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier. It is off the puzzle path entirely.
27
Push the block as far north as possible, jump to the platform above, Gauntlet the blue crystals and enter the tunnel.
Ceiling Tunnel
28
Fight the green Locust Demons, then Crossblade the ones on the distant platform before you cross.
29
Cross the gap on the rope and enter the tunnel opposite.
Careful. The Griever punches its claws down through the ceiling along here, dropping debris. Keep moving — standing still to fight is what kills people in this corridor.
30
Fight the Spiny Minions to the end. The Griever tears the roof off and escapes; clear the Spiny and Fire Minions and take the left tunnel.
Drainage
31
Kill the Locust Demons and drop to the right-hand ledge.
32
Drain the room
Destroy the blue crystal here to drain the water from the next room. With it gone, take the previously unreachable chest — the Dungeon Map.
33
Exit through the gap where the blue crystal was.
Rail Yard
34
Cross the large area and destroy the blue crystal. Climb either staircase and activate the generator — this moves a rail platform and a flatbed.
35
The train — exact sequence
a. Drop down and pull the flatbed off the platform into the empty northern tunnel.
b. Grab the big train to the south and pull it onto the moveable platform.
c. Hit the switch to move the train east.
d. Push it into the northern tunnel and use it as a step to reach the demon growth on the right wall.
b. Grab the big train to the south and pull it onto the moveable platform.
c. Hit the switch to move the train east.
d. Push it into the northern tunnel and use it as a step to reach the demon growth on the right wall.
36
Climb to the next area, destroy the blue crystal blocking the entrance, climb back across the growth and exit through the door.
Wraith Waves
37
Wave 1: one Wraith. Wave 2: two Wraiths plus Phantom Guards. Wave 3: three Wraiths plus more Phantom Guards and a Spiny Minion.
Tip. Wraiths float and must be knocked out of the air before melee does anything useful. Crossblade or a launcher first, then combo.
38
Take the east-side door, up the stairs to the balcony, destroy the blue crystal, down the hallway, and drop into the water.
39
The rising platform
Strike the far platform with your sword to start it rising, then double jump immediately to grab it before it ascends out of reach. Glide from it across the gap to the door as it rises. Hesitating loses the window and you have to reset it.
Train Yard
40
Fire relay: light the fired gas pipe by the red crystal and the two unlit pipes with the Crossblade.
41
MISSABLE Look behind the trains to the right of the red crystal — LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard. It is fully hidden from the puzzle route.
42
Go down the opposite tunnel, kill the enemies, and check the left alcove — a locked door and an inert bomb plant. Grab a bomb, return to the red crystal, attach it, and Crossblade through the flames.
43
Follow the cleared passage up the stairs and out.
Bridge Roomnote this and come back
44
On entering look right — ITEM Blue Soul Chest. Turn left and kill the green Locust Demons.
45
MISSABLE The single easiest permanent miss in the dungeon. The pipe below the bridge holds ARTIFACT Artifact: Champion — but the water level is too low right now. You must come back after raising the water later in this chapter. Mark it mentally; if you leave the Hollows it is a very long backtrack.
46
Vault up the wall at the back and continue through the next room.
Geyser Room
47
Out onto a balcony — you can see an unreachable chest across the room. Dive in, swim the left tunnel, surface at the end and climb the nearby wall.
48
Use Shadowflight on the blue geyser and climb out into the next room.
Water Level Room
49
Go up the left-side platforms and destroy the blue crystal. Continue to the platform opposite the entrance and Gauntlet the crystals to uncover an inert bomb plant.
50
Throw the bomb at the red crystal on the opposite side. ITEM Blue Soul Chest nearby.
51
Three-pipe fire relay — exact order
a. From the ledge closest to the entrance, look up-left for a flaming gas pipe. Crossblade it.
b. Look up-right to a second, unlit pipe — light it from the first.
c. Swim back to the entrance, climb the left-side platforms, and use the newly flaming pipe to light the final pipe beside the entrance.
d. Use that flame to detonate the bomb.
b. Look up-right to a second, unlit pipe — light it from the first.
c. Swim back to the entrance, climb the left-side platforms, and use the newly flaming pipe to light the final pipe beside the entrance.
d. Use that flame to detonate the bomb.
52
Use the wall ledges to jump to the raised right-hand ledge and destroy the blue crystal there.
53
Return to the entrance and hit the switch — doors open and the water level rises in the previous room. Swim across to a chest — KEY Beholder's Key.
Back to the Bridge Roomcollect the Champion artifact
54
Backtrack to the bridge room. With the water higher, jump in and dive.
55
Enter the right-hand pipe on the wall opposite the entrance. At the dead end, swim upward into a hidden air pocket — ARTIFACT Artifact: Champion.
56
Resurface, backtrack to the locked blue door and open it.
Tentacle Corridor
57
A cutscene shows a train car destroyed by something in the dark. Take the left tunnel and get behind the train car.
58
The tentacle
Push the car forward until a tentacle grabs it, then wait for the tentacle to finish destroying it and duck past while it is occupied. The car is cover, not a weapon — trying to fight the tentacle does nothing.
59
ITEM Green Soul Chest in the small room on the left.
Dragons Arena
60
Take the opposite tunnel — two Greater Blue Dragons plus Phantom Guards and Spiny Minions. Use Chaos Form. This is the intended solution and the fight is genuinely dangerous without it.
61
MISSABLE Once clear, take the right tunnel to its end and jump up to a chest — the Hoard Seeker trinket. It displays every chest on the dungeon map. Grab it before you sweep the rest of the dungeon, not after — the time it saves is enormous.
62
On the way back, look left for a Blue Soul Chest guarded by a Goremaw. Crossblade the Goremaw and grab the chest during the stun.
63
Return to the arena, take the remaining tunnel and turn left. Kill the Wraith and Phantom Guards (ITEM Green Soul Chest), then move into the next room and activate the switch.
Final Water Manipulationordering trap
64
Head back to the entrance and go right this time. Swim to the end and exit into an open area for a cutscene.
65
Drop into the room below and move forward, ignoring the left alley for now.
66
Enter the left pipe and destroy the blue crystal — this raises the water. Swim back to the alley you ignored and dive under it, surface inside, and climb out onto the platform.
67
Exit through the hole in the wall, jump the gap and wall-ledge up and to the right.
68
MISSABLE ORDERING TRAP. Before you destroy the blue crystal on this ledge, jump across the gap for the WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard. Breaking the crystal raises the water again and permanently seals that route for this visit.
69
Then destroy the crystal. Cross to the far side, duck into the small room on the right (ITEM Green Soul Chest), kill the green Duskwings, climb the nearby wall and follow the tunnel down into the boss chamber.
Boss ChamberBOSS — The Griever
70
BOSS THE GRIEVER
The Griever
Setup. Laser beams sweep and track across the room — keep circling, never backpedal in a straight line. Destroy all the blue crystals in the room with the Tremor Gauntlet while avoiding them. Watch out: the beams temporarily change the crystals' colour, which makes intact ones look already destroyed — go by the map, not by colour.
Then retreat into the starting tunnel and push the flatbed rail cart out into the arena. It doubles as cover.
Damage loop. Get near the flatbed and use a charged Tremor Gauntlet punch to launch it into her. Immediately move to the right side of the room — she kicks it straight back and it will hit you if you stand where you punched from. Roughly three full flatbed cycles brings her down.
When she drops, sprint in and Gauntlet the blue crystal on her chest. That is the real weak point.
Adds. She summons green Duskwings and locust swarms. Retreat to the back of the train and fight them there so you are not surrounded. (Killing swarms restores health — use them.)
Cave-in. She slams the walls and brings rock down from the ceiling. Constant movement and dodge rolls; do not stand still to attack during this.
Then retreat into the starting tunnel and push the flatbed rail cart out into the arena. It doubles as cover.
Damage loop. Get near the flatbed and use a charged Tremor Gauntlet punch to launch it into her. Immediately move to the right side of the room — she kicks it straight back and it will hit you if you stand where you punched from. Roughly three full flatbed cycles brings her down.
When she drops, sprint in and Gauntlet the blue crystal on her chest. That is the real weak point.
Adds. She summons green Duskwings and locust swarms. Retreat to the back of the train and fight them there so you are not surrounded. (Killing swarms restores health — use them.)
Cave-in. She slams the walls and brings rock down from the ceiling. Constant movement and dodge rolls; do not stand still to attack during this.
71
Rewards: a full LIFE SHARD LIFE STONE and the second Heart of the Chosen. ACHIEVEMENT Rocked Your Face Off.
72
Take the portal out and meet Ulthane at his forge — WEAPON MERCY, Strife's revolver. Infinite ammo, no reload, low per-shot damage; it behaves closer to a four-barrel shotgun than a pistol, and it is the answer to Ashworms and the Stygian. ACHIEVEMENT An Old Friend.
73
Leave the forge, follow the yellow beacon to the tunnel, and take the serpent hole back to the Scalding Gallow to deliver the second heart.
CHAPTER 7 OF 13
CH 8The Dry Road & The Ashlandsthe ash desert — Ruin, the Stygian
The game opens up. The Ashlands is a genuine open region built out of the cremated remains of humanity, and until you have Ruin it is actively hostile terrain — deep ash strips your dash, double jump and Shadowflight, and giant worms patrol it. Chronospheres are the whole toolkit until the horse arrives.
Exit TunnelHollows to the Dry Road
1
From the Hollows exit, go to the far north end and shatter the blue crystal with the Tremor Gauntlet. Take the small tunnel on the left — ITEM Blue Soul Chest immediately on the left.
2
Follow the tunnel right until a gate blocks a larger tunnel. Duck into the side room and throw the switch to raise it.
3
The timed gate
The gate closes on a timer. Hit the Chronosphere with the Crossblade to slow time, then sprint through. Chronospheres are the floating blue orbs you will see everywhere from now on — hitting one slows everything inside its radius.
4
Kill the Fire Golem in the next chamber and take the ITEM Blue Soul Chest against the back wall. Leave via the right passage — a second ITEM Blue Soul Chest at the top of the stairs.
5
MISSABLE Turn 180°, climb the wall, and jump to the pipe behind you. The short dead end to the right of the pipe holds ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
6
Follow the pipe the other way to exit into The Dry Road.
The Dry Road
7
Descend the slope killing Duskwings and Wicked. At the fork, five Phantom Guard Angels must die before you can proceed.
8
On a ledge behind the ruins to the left: ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier plus a chest with a LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard. Drop off the nearby ledge for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest, then loop back to the ramp.
9
Tip. From the base of the ramp, double jump and glide across to a small cave holding a Vulgrim serpent hole. Do not skip this — it is your fast-travel anchor for the entire Ashlands run.
10
Turn left at the crossroads and go under the bridge into the tunnel. Kill the Greater Dragon and the Wicked.
11
MISSABLE Carnage is easy to walk past and it materially changes how often you can use Chaos Form for the rest of the game.
The crate ride — Carnage enhancement
Crossblade the Demonic Plant on the ceiling so it drops the floating crate. Jump and grab the crate's top edge as the plant hauls it back up, shimmy round, and glide north to a chest holding ENHANCEMENT Carnage — which lets any weapon build the Chaos meter, not just Chaoseater. Repeat the same crate ride to reach the southern platform.
12
Grab a bomb flower and stick it to the red crystal across the gap. Drop to the small ledge, cross the wall handholds, and follow the tunnel to its end.
13
You exit above a pit with demonic growth and three Demonic Plants on the ceiling. Crossblade the plant directly ahead, jump to the rope, then climb the growth on the right for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
14
Tip. Now lock the Crossblade onto all three plants at once and release. While all three are stunned, jump to the rope and fast-climb left underneath them. Trying it one plant at a time does not work — the first recovers before you clear the third.
15
Cross the growth, drop into the tunnel opposite, and exit through the broken section on the left.
16
Behind the hole entrance are blue crystals — Gauntlet them and open the chest for a LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard.
17
Up the stairs to the left is a side room with a second Vulgrim serpent hole. Continue north into the Ashlands.
✓
Not reachable yet: a Wrath Shard in the room above the three-plant chamber, grappled from up-right of the entrance ledge. Abyssal Chain required — Chapter 12.
The Ash Seano dash, no double jump, no Shadowflight on sand
18
Careful. Deep ash strips War of dash, double jump and Shadowflight. On the sand you are slow and defenceless, and an Ashworm patrols it. Your only tool right now is the Chronosphere: Crossblade the floating blue sphere to slow time, then run. Ashworms cannot reach you on rock or wooden platforms.
19
Cross to the rocky path east and climb. Kill the Phantom Guard Angels on the shelf and take the ITEM Blue Soul Chest behind them.
20
Float across the gap at the top to the next shelf, head down the ramp into a tunnel, and drop off the cliff into the open.
21
Follow the wooden walkway up and around the first mining tower. Pass the open doorway, continue to the end of the path, climb the demon growth, and take the ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
22
Drop back and enter the wooden building. Cross the interior gap on demonic growth and hit the switch at the far end — this drops a Chronosphere down to the cave entrance level.
23
Go back to the cave entrance, hit that Chronosphere, and sprint west across the sand to the rock platform.
24
Follow it until the Ashworm smashes the walkway; jump the new gap. Demons slide down from the building — deal with them, then drop underneath and climb the demonic growth on the wall.
The Mining Towersthe spinning blade puzzle, three times
25
The pattern. All three towers use the same trick. A switch on an upper walkway drops a Chronosphere into the tower interior. You then Crossblade the Chronosphere to slow the spinning ceiling blade, climb the demonic growth up the wall, and traverse across the ceiling growth while the blade is slowed. Once you have that pattern, all three rooms are the same room.
26
Climb the handholds right of the entrance and hit the switch to send a Chronosphere down. Drop in, find the growth to the left plus the freed Chronosphere, hit it, climb, cross the ceiling under the slowed blade, and land on the far side.
27
Jump to the next growth, climb to the rocky outcrop, and cross the bridge.
28
Make for the far wooden building with the Shadowflight geyser; ride it up and enter. Red crystals sit on the floor opposite — go around the left side, climb the growth to the top room, and kill the Phantom Guards.
29
Up here are bombs and a Chronosphere. Hit the Chronosphere, grab a bomb, drop to ground level, and throw it onto the red crystals.
30
Return up, press the button to lower the Chronosphere, drop to the previous platform and enter the structure. Chronosphere → growth on the right → cross the roof past the blade → land on the higher platform.
31
Climb the growth to the platform bridging the two structures. Check the side area before crossing for a chest.
32
Cross to the second building, throw the switch to lower its Chronosphere, and repeat the same sequence.
33
Exit onto the walkway and climb to the top of the building. Hit the switch here to retract the drill at the base of the platform.
34
Drop to the ground and go down the drill hole into a large water pool. Dive to the bottom and take ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier from the west wall.
35
Note this for later. Surface and you will see ARTIFACT Artifact: Overlord on a ledge — the only one in the game, worth 5,000 souls plus a full Wrath Core from Vulgrim. It is not reachable now. You come back for it in Chapter 12 through the mining tower above.
The Highway Tunnel
36
Find the way out of the water into a large highway tunnel. Demonic Plants hang from the roof.
37
Destroy the crystal to the left of the entrance and drag the freed crate beneath the first plant. Drop off the platform for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest, then come back.
38
Crossblade the plant so it drops the block; jump and hang on the crate's edge. As the plant lifts it, glide across to the blue crystal. Break it to expose a Chronosphere.
39
From the ledge, look left for a small tunnel guarded by two more plants. Hit the Chronosphere and sprint in while they are slowed.
40
The roof crystal
From inside the tunnel mouth, look out and up — there is a red crystal hanging from the roof. Go into the room, find the Chronosphere tucked around the corner, activate it, grab a bomb, run out and stick the bomb to the roof crystal. The platform drops and opens the tunnel above.
41
Continue along the ledge to the left, ride the Shadowflight geyser up, and open the chest for a LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard.
42
Return to the raised tunnel, jump into the water behind it, and climb the growth at the far end to re-enter the desert. At the top, turn 180° for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest on a wooden platform.
43
Head up the stone ramp into the cave. A Minotaur appears and summons Phantom Guards and Wraiths. Clear the first group before engaging it. ITEM Green Soul Chest available.
The Gauntlet Bridges
44
Climb the stone ramp and follow the tunnel; the exit collapses behind you. You emerge into a large sand area with an Ashworm. Tower-hop between the wooden structures — never linger on sand. ITEM Blue Soul Chest at the cave entrance on the far side.
45
The next area seals: Phantom Guards, then a Minotaur with a Demon Gunner. Green and Yellow Soul Chests in the room.
46
Tip. Pick up the dropped Fracture Cannon. From here to the arena it is the single best tool you have — it one-shots the Demon Gunners sniping you from ledges, and the Gunners are what actually kill you in this stretch.
47
Climb the ramp near the entrance, kill the approaching enemies, then cannon the Demon Gunner on the ledge above the walkway.
48
Step onto the bridge and check right for a second sniper on a higher ledge. Halfway across the second bridge a Minotaur and Phantom Guards charge — back up and cannon them while they funnel on the bridge.
49
Drop down for a ITEM Green Soul Chest if needed. A cutscene plays as you near the platform.
50
Kill the Demon Gunner on the small platform, then the Phantom Guard swarm, then a Minotaur and Gunner pair. Three more Gunners spawn across the gap — pick up a dropped Fracture Cannon and take them one at a time.
51
A bridge drops with Phantom Guards and a Minotaur; again they bottleneck. ITEM Green Soul Chest available; cross and climb the ramp (another Green Soul Chest halfway up).
52
Phantom Guards rope in from both directions. Clear them, reach the top, jump the gap for a cutscene, and go through the open door into the arena.
The Demons' ColiseumBOSS — Abyssal Gladiator
53
Wave 1: a demon strikes a gong and an Abyssal Rider is released. Wave 2: Phantom Guards join. Wave 3: a side tunnel opens for two Abyssal Riders plus soldiers.
54
Floor hatches begin venting flame — stay off them. Then two Scythe Demons drop in with more soldiers.
Tip. Scythe Demons damage the smaller demons around them. Let them thin the crowd for you rather than pulling everything to one spot.
55
BOSS ABYSSAL GLADIATOR — and he is riding Ruin, War's own horse.
Abyssal Gladiator
Phase 1 — mounted. He charges on horseback and lobs slow blue-black flame orbs; the mount kicks fireballs at you as well. Keep moving laterally, chip him with the Crossblade at range, and close for sword strings when his charge overshoots. When the grab prompt appears, take it — that is what unseats him.
Phase 2 — on foot. Two-slash combos, a spinning dash, and a fire blast that crawls along the ground. Hold maximum melee range, bait a big swing, dash sideways, then dash in for two or three hits and retreat. Circle-strafe — backing into a wall loses this fight. His riderless horse also takes swipes at you.
Phase 2 — on foot. Two-slash combos, a spinning dash, and a fire blast that crawls along the ground. Hold maximum melee range, bait a big swing, dash sideways, then dash in for two or three hits and retreat. Circle-strafe — backing into a wall loses this fight. His riderless horse also takes swipes at you.
56
ABILITY RUIN. ACHIEVEMENT Reunited. You can now summon the horse in any open region. Mounted kills feed the Horseman (150 kills) and Dark Rider (100 miles) achievements — start banking them from here.
57
Mow down the remaining soldiers from horseback. The main gate opens; ride through, dismount for the ITEM Blue Soul Chest on the left, and remount.
Sand Chambermounted Ashworm encounter
58
Follow the tunnel into a sand-floored chamber with a patrolling Ashworm. Now that you have Ruin this is a fight rather than something to run from, and it is the rehearsal for the Stygian.
Tip. Switch to Mercy before you engage. Wait for the worm to surface, chase it, and shoot the glowing section inside its mouth. Use Ruin's dash to break away whenever the jaws close in, and when it submerges and charges along a spiked ridge line, dash perpendicular to the ridge rather than running along it.
Run-up to Leviathan's Drift
59
Follow the tunnel and drop down. Pick up the Fracture Cannons on the ground — you will need them.
60
A large charge of Phantom Guards hits you, then more drop from beams and platforms, then a Demon Gunner, then a second wave with a Minotaur and Gunners shooting from ledges. Cannon through it, then clear the balcony gunners.
61
Next area: a Scythe Demon from the right tunnel plus Phantom Guards. There is a central pillar with a structure on top and a ITEM Green Soul Chest to its right.
62
Move round the back of the pillar — four or five Phantom Guards roll in, then two distant Demon Gunners. Continue around and look left for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
63
Down the tunnel at an overpass: a Scythe Demon, a Minotaur and more soldiers. Walk backwards using the Fracture Cannon.
64
Drop into the water below. Dive and check the right-hand side of the pool — ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
65
Swim under the pillar, surface, climb out and follow the tunnel. A side room to the right holds a Vulgrim serpent hole — take it now; it is your return point after the boss.
66
Take the ITEM Green Soul Chest if needed and head out into Leviathan's Drift.
Leviathan's DriftBOSS — The Stygian
67
BOSS THE STYGIAN — the third Chosen, fought entirely from horseback on an open ash plain.
The Stygian
Opening. A small army of Phantom Guards spawns first. Summon Ruin and ride them down with the sword before the Stygian breaks its chains.
Phase 1 — the mask. It surfaces wearing a metal faceplate and charges head-on. Dash on Ruin to break each charge. When it surfaces and simply cruises without attacking, ride alongside it and hack the faceplate with your sword until it breaks off.
Phase 2 — the brood. It summons smaller Ashworms. Keep circling and shoot each one with Mercy as it breaches. Do not stop moving.
Phase 3 — the exposed maw. Unmasked, it alternates surfacing attacks with attempts to burrow directly under Ruin and unseat you. Keep dashing; when it surfaces and charges, put Mercy rounds into the exposed weak point inside the mouth. Repeat to the finisher prompt.
This is a long fight — expect it to take a while even played correctly.
Phase 1 — the mask. It surfaces wearing a metal faceplate and charges head-on. Dash on Ruin to break each charge. When it surfaces and simply cruises without attacking, ride alongside it and hack the faceplate with your sword until it breaks off.
Phase 2 — the brood. It summons smaller Ashworms. Keep circling and shoot each one with Mercy as it breaches. Do not stop moving.
Phase 3 — the exposed maw. Unmasked, it alternates surfacing attacks with attempts to burrow directly under Ruin and unseat you. Keep dashing; when it surfaces and charges, put Mercy rounds into the exposed weak point inside the mouth. Repeat to the finisher prompt.
This is a long fight — expect it to take a while even played correctly.
68
Rewards: the third Heart of the Chosen and a full LIFE SHARD Life Stone. ACHIEVEMENT Ashes to Ashes.
69
MISSABLE Do not leave without the ITEM Blue Soul Chest tucked behind the tower in the Drift.
70
Serpent-hole to the Scalding Gallow and hand Samael the heart. He names the fourth Chosen — Silitha, in the Iron Canopy — and grants Ruin the Soul Bridge, which conjures a bridge across specific chasms between glowing pillars.
71
Ride down through the Gallow (the Fallen and Phantom leaders will contest the route) and use Vulgrim to travel back to the Ashlands.
CHAPTER 8 OF 13
CH 9The Iron Canopythe web-choked complex — Abyssal Chain, Silitha
A vertical dungeon built on grappling. The Abyssal Chain arrives halfway through and changes how you move for the rest of the game. Two things here are worth slowing down for: the War's Glory legendary enhancement, which you only get by riding a geyser backwards, and the Devastator achievement room, which is also the best XP farm in the game.
1
How this dungeon works. The dungeon in one line: kill four Loom Wardens to open Silitha's seal. The key item is the Abyssal Chain, found mid-dungeon. There is no Voidwalker here — that comes in the Black Throne.
Ashlands Approach
2
From the Ashlands Vulgrim, take the stone path out into the desert. The Ashworms are gone now, so the sand is safe.
3
Jump the broken section, follow it down into the hole where you used the first Chronosphere, and cross the open sand. Along the stretch past the old dead end:
4
ITEM Blue Soul Chest in a small stone area to the east.
5
Northeast, beneath the walkways, a blue crystal: Gauntlet it and take the chest inside for a WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard.
6
A raised platform with a Shadowflight geyser: ride it and climb the demon growth for ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
MISSABLE Mark this spot. You must come back here with the Abyssal Chain to grapple to the top of the first building for the final Abyssal Armor piece (Chapter 12).
7
Climb the rock formation shaped like a “2” on the map, float across, and follow the long rock platform to its end.
8
A cutscene triggers. Summon Ruin, activate the Soul Bridge between the glowing pillars, and ride across the chasm. A giant spider ambushes War at the end of the passage.
Cocoon Room
9
Mash the prompt to tear free of the webbing and drop to the floor. Follow the wall left for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
10
Cross the small bridge, kill the spiders, and use the web curtain (action button) to open the way into the next room.
11
Turn left, destroy the crystal, and drag the freed block back toward the entrance so it sits directly beneath the rope. Kill the small spiders that swarm you.
12
The rope crossing
Climb onto the block, but before you commit, Crossblade the Chronosphere on the left side of the room. Then jump onto the rope and dash-climb across before time speeds up. A Loom Warden is waiting to cut you off and you cannot fight it yet — without the Chronosphere you will not make it.
13
Drop through the hole at the far end.
The Street & Girder Room
14
Follow around the corner and up the hill, cross the narrow web bridge (it collapses behind you), and continue south killing Phantom Guard Angels.
15
MISSABLE On the left is a destructible wooden wall. Smash it — the chest inside holds a WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard. It looks like scenery.
16
Run to the end and use the web on the left to enter the next area. Look right for two horizontal girders and jump from the second one down onto the platform with a blue crystal.
17
Destroy the two egg sacs (one beside the crystal, one hanging from the beam above) and kill the hatchlings. ITEM Blue Soul Chest in the nearby alcove.
18
Break the blue crystal to reveal a switch. Throw it — this raises a Chronosphere from below.
19
Turn 180°, climb the handholds on the support column then the second column, turn right and clear all spiders and egg sacs.
20
Dungeon Map
Target the Chronosphere with the Crossblade and hit it, then jump to the dangling platform hanging on a single web strand. Run straight across and jump into the alcove — the chest is the Dungeon Map.
21
Beholder's Key 1 — the tilting beam
Return to the Chronosphere and drop to the beam suspended by a web. Stand on the near end and wait until the far end has risen high enough. Hit the Chronosphere, then run up the beam and jump into the alcove before time resumes. Chest: KEY Beholder's Key.
22
Backtrack to the entrance and go outside.
The Beholder's Door
23
Back at the collapsed bridge, look left at the wall for demon growth; follow it round the corner to a locked door and open it with the Beholder's Key.
24
Inside is a room with a web floor and a Loom Warden lurking below. Jump onto the block on the right immediately rather than dropping onto the web — that avoids waking it.
25
Tip. Achievement “Devastator” — best spot in the game. Crossblade the small spiders to aggro them, gather ten or more at the base of the block, then drop down and hit them all with a single Blade Geyser. This room is also widely considered the best weapon-XP farm in the game, which matters for Battle Hardened.
26
Move the block under the Demonic Plant and grab the edge as it hauls the block up; jump to the right side of the room for a chest with a WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard.
27
Return to the platform below and drop down the corner gap to a ledge. Shimmy right along the handholds toward the far raised platform — the Loom Warden blocks it.
28
Drop the block on the Warden
Climb back to the top layer, Crossblade the plant holding the block, and the falling block knocks the Loom Warden down. Drop back through the hole and shimmy across before it recovers.
29
Jump to the platform, climb the stairs, and exit to the street.
Street & Bomb-Block Elevator
30
Continue until a cutscene introduces green Phantom Guards. Kill them and the spiders.
31
Go up the broken steps at the back. Look right — an artifact sits on the roof of a small building below. Double jump and glide to take ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
32
Return to ground and open the web. In the next room, drop down the gap in front of you.
33
The bomb block
a. Drag the bomb-carrying block onto the left elevator.
b. Climb out of the pit on the demonic growth, return to the start, and hit the switch to raise the lift.
c. Move the block off the lift and punch it across the gap with the Gauntlet, then push it onto the next elevator beside the demonic growth wall.
d. Use the bombs on the block to blow the bomb growths off the demonic growth wall, and kill the remaining spiders.
e. Climb the wall, swinging your sword at the demon arms that punch out of it. At the top, pull the switch to bring the bomb block up to your level.
f. Use a bomb on the nearby red crystal, then open the revealed web.
b. Climb out of the pit on the demonic growth, return to the start, and hit the switch to raise the lift.
c. Move the block off the lift and punch it across the gap with the Gauntlet, then push it onto the next elevator beside the demonic growth wall.
d. Use the bombs on the block to blow the bomb growths off the demonic growth wall, and kill the remaining spiders.
e. Climb the wall, swinging your sword at the demon arms that punch out of it. At the top, pull the switch to bring the bomb block up to your level.
f. Use a bomb on the nearby red crystal, then open the revealed web.
34
Next room: an Iron Giant with green Phantom Guards, then a Fire Golem. ITEM Blue Soul Chest through the door to the left of the entrance.
35
Take the main portal across the room, pass through the spider room, exit, and climb the demon growth on the left out onto the road.
36
To your right is the locked boss seal door — you come back to it. Drop left for a ITEM Green Soul Chest, then go up the narrow web bridge and open the door at the top.
37
A locked door faces you; go right down the hallway. It collapses halfway and drops you into a room of aggressive hatchlings. Kill them and exit to the main room.
The Abyssal Chain
38
Go down the stairs and into the room on the left. Destroy the Demon Chest — WEAPON ABYSSAL CHAIN. ACHIEVEMENT Reach Out & Touch Somebody.
Abyssal Chain. A spear-tipped chain that yanks enemies to War or pulls War to them. Orange grapple points hang or pull; blue points let you swing across gaps; and critically it rips the carapace off Loom Wardens and pulls them down from ceilings.
39
Loom Warden 1 drops from the roof immediately. Lock on, chain off its shell, then attack normally. When it dies the seal shows the rule: kill all four Loom Wardens.
Armor & Second Key
40
On the north side, the small room to the right holds a ITEM Yellow Soul Chest.
41
Use the blue grapple point on the wall to swing up a level, climb the demonic growth, and jump to the ledge above. Follow it round and drop into the room below.
42
Two Demonic Plants hang on the right side of the roof. Find the demonic growth on the opposite wall, climb, and swing across the gap to a Chronosphere.
43
MISSABLE Look up and to the left for a red grapple point. Chain up and open the chest — ABYSSAL ARMOR Abyssal Armor piece (7 of 10). It is directly above the route and completely invisible if you do not look up.
44
Drop back down and hit the Chronosphere. Swing across the gap and cross into the alcove behind the Demon Plants before time resumes — KEY Beholder's Key and a ITEM Green Soul Chest.
45
Return to the main room and unlock the door. Turn left, jump and glide across the gap chaining a grapple point near the end, and drop down for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
46
Drop through the gap and retrace through the unlocked door and web to exit.
Loom Wardens 2, 3 and 4
47
Grapple across the chasm and enter the door beside the boss seal. Drop down the pit.
48
Loom Warden 2 drops from the roof, supported by an endless stream of hatchlings. Chain off the shell, then use Chaos Form to finish it and the swarm quickly — the adds do not stop coming, so speed is the answer.
49
Exit, cross the small tunnel, and clear the spiders in the next room.
50
MISSABLE Through the left door is a ITEM Blue Soul Chest — and directly above the chest is a grapple point leading to a ledge with ARTIFACT Artifact: Champion.
51
Drop down and take the elevator to the lower floor; exit through the web on the opposite side of the gap. Fend off spiders and climb the metal staircase.
52
MISSABLE At the top, turn to face the building and look up for a grapple point. Chain up to a platform holding a Green Soul Chest, a Blue Soul Chest, and the Hoard Seeker trinket — it reveals every chest on the area map.
53
Return to the road, go past the web entrance, and turn left into the stairs further down. Loom Warden 3 is on the roof: chain it down, chain off the shell, and kill it while green Phantom Guards assist it. The bottom door here is a shortcut back to the top.
54
Exit and use the red grapple points to cross the gap. Enter the webbed door on the right. Loom Warden 4 is above: chain it down and it crashes through the floor. Drop after it and finish it. ITEM Green Soul Chest nearby.
55
With all four dead, the seal opens. Enter the large circular chamber.
Circular ChamberMINI-BOSS — the Broodmother
56
BOSS THE BROODMOTHER — a large chamber with cocooned bodies hanging from the ceiling. She holds the centre and pivots to keep you in view.
Broodmother
Moves. A straight charge; a leaping ground pound; mandible slashes at close range; and an inhale where she sucks air in preparation to feed.
Counters. Dash sideways out of charges. Double jump the instant before the ground pound lands — you must already be airborne when it hits.
The core trick. When she faces you and inhales, use the Abyssal Chain to rip a cocooned body off the ceiling and throw it into her mouth. She stops to eat it, which buys a long free window.
The weak point. While she is distracted eating, run behind her and smash the blue crystal on her back with the Tremor Gauntlet.
Important: the Abyssal Chain does not strip her carapace the way it does the Loom Wardens. The Gauntlet is mandatory here.
With the crystal gone, hit the exposed back during every feeding window, then take the finisher.
Counters. Dash sideways out of charges. Double jump the instant before the ground pound lands — you must already be airborne when it hits.
The core trick. When she faces you and inhales, use the Abyssal Chain to rip a cocooned body off the ceiling and throw it into her mouth. She stops to eat it, which buys a long free window.
The weak point. While she is distracted eating, run behind her and smash the blue crystal on her back with the Tremor Gauntlet.
Important: the Abyssal Chain does not strip her carapace the way it does the Loom Wardens. The Gauntlet is mandatory here.
With the crystal gone, hit the exposed back during every feeding window, then take the finisher.
Route to Silitha's Loomthe easiest miss in the dungeon
57
Exit through the door provided and drop to the tunnel below. Follow it up until a Shadowcaster appears and flees. ITEM Green Soul Chest on the left.
58
Chase it; in the next room kill the Shadowcaster, then a squad of Phantom Guards with another Shadowcaster, then a pair of Greater Dragons.
59
Vault up to the passage above and continue to a cliff with a Shadowflight geyser.
60
MISSABLE ENHANCEMENT LEGENDARY ENHANCEMENT — War's Glory. Ride the geyser but hold BACK on the stick instead of pushing forward. That drops you into a hidden area above the tunnel with a chest containing ENHANCEMENT War's Glory — the best weapon-XP enhancement in the game and the one that makes Battle Hardened realistic. This is the single easiest permanent miss in the Iron Canopy.
61
From there, double jump toward the cliff and chain the first grapple point. Swing to the next, take a couple of swings to build height, then double jump onto the Shadowflight geyser.
62
At the top of the geyser, chain the next grapple point and continue chaining across to the demon growth on the far wall. Drop down and continue up the tunnel.
63
The next room seals: two Iron Giants, Phantom Guard Angels and hatchlings, then a Fire Golem. Break the Giants' armour rather than grinding their health.
64
Exit and grapple across the gap; follow the ledge around and open the door to the boss lair. Take the left passage, jump to the demon growth when possible, drop off the roof and grapple across two points to the growth on the far wall. Climb to the top for a ITEM Green Soul Chest.
65
Go through the nearby door into Silitha's Loom.
Silitha's LoomBOSS — Silitha
66
BOSS SILITHA — the fourth and final Chosen.
Silitha
Phase 1 — teleport and charge. She blinks rapidly around the arena and then charges; the charge can chain straight into a heavy melee combo, so track her constantly. She also teleports directly above you and drops. Dash sideways across her body line, not backwards — backing up keeps you inside both attacks.
The opening. After every teleport she pauses for a beat. That pause is the cue — fire the Abyssal Chain at her, which yanks War in, then unload an aerial combo. Repeat until she collapses, then use ground melee while she is down.
Why Chaos Form is best here. Silitha has no invulnerability windows, so nothing interrupts your damage — this is the highest-value Chaos Form use in the game. A Scythe also hits her large body many times per swing, and with the Ravager enhancement thrown gurneys and wheelchairs do real chip damage.
Phase 2 — the ceiling. At low health she retreats to the roof and rains slow orange orbs that hang in the air for a moment. Grapple points appear around her — chain up through them and then chain directly onto Silitha herself for the kill.
The opening. After every teleport she pauses for a beat. That pause is the cue — fire the Abyssal Chain at her, which yanks War in, then unload an aerial combo. Repeat until she collapses, then use ground melee while she is down.
Why Chaos Form is best here. Silitha has no invulnerability windows, so nothing interrupts your damage — this is the highest-value Chaos Form use in the game. A Scythe also hits her large body many times per swing, and with the Ravager enhancement thrown gurneys and wheelchairs do real chip damage.
Phase 2 — the ceiling. At low health she retreats to the roof and rains slow orange orbs that hang in the air for a moment. Grapple points appear around her — chain up through them and then chain directly onto Silitha herself for the kill.
67
Rewards: the fourth Heart of the Chosen and a full LIFE SHARD Life Stone. ACHIEVEMENT One Mean Mother.
68
Crossblade the floating crystal to activate it, switch to the Abyssal Chain and grapple the point on its underside; ride the platform back up to the boss chamber.
69
Jump into the hole in the ground to the level below: ITEM Blue Soul Chest, and on the opposite side ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier hidden behind rocks.
70
Return to the bottom floor, exit, grapple across the pit, summon Ruin and ride back over the Soul Bridge to the Ashlands. Travel to the Scalding Gallow and give Samael the fourth heart — he opens the way to The Black Throne.
CHAPTER 9 OF 13
CH 10The Black Throne IVoidwalker, Towers 1 and 2
The Black Throne is the puzzle dungeon, and the Voidwalker is the reason. Read the two boxes at the top of this chapter before you start — almost every room is one of two puzzle types, and once you see the pattern the tower stops being confusing. It also hides Fury's Embrace, whose map-reveal passive makes the rest of your 100% run dramatically easier.
1
How this dungeon works. The dungeon in one line: Azrael is chained in a central chamber by three locks. Three towers branch off it, each powered by a beam drawn from the Well of Souls. Kill a tower's Guardian to free its beam, then escort that beam back down the tower and into the prison to break one lock. Three beams = Azrael freed.
2
Read this before the rooms — the two puzzle types. (a) Voidwalker relay. The Voidwalker places two portals, and only on the round orange pads. A blue beam that strikes a pad you have portalled emerges from the paired portal and keeps travelling in the direction that portal faces. So “moving the beam” means: portal 1 on the pad the beam is hitting now, portal 2 on the pad you want it to continue from. Placing a third portal dismisses the oldest, so you leapfrog the beam pad by pad down the tower.
Two things people miss: you can fire a portal through another portal to tag a pad you cannot see directly, and a charged shot both raises your exit velocity and reaches pads you otherwise could not.
(b) Physical mirrors and shutters. Some rooms use stone slabs on columns, rotating cylinders, or walls that rise and fall. You align them with Crossblade crystals (often two or three that must be hit simultaneously with a multi-lock throw), block-and-platform scales where dropping a heavy block on one platform raises another, and rotating columns where you portal a pad and then wait for the rotation to aim it.
Two things people miss: you can fire a portal through another portal to tag a pad you cannot see directly, and a charged shot both raises your exit velocity and reaches pads you otherwise could not.
(b) Physical mirrors and shutters. Some rooms use stone slabs on columns, rotating cylinders, or walls that rise and fall. You align them with Crossblade crystals (often two or three that must be hit simultaneously with a multi-lock throw), block-and-platform scales where dropping a heavy block on one platform raises another, and rotating columns where you portal a pad and then wait for the rotation to aim it.
Azrael's Prisonarrival
3
Cross the bridge as it assembles itself and enter the main chamber. Azrael explains the rule: three Guardians must die and their power used to shatter his three statues.
Wall-Crystal Room
4
Hit the crystal ahead — a wall rises and opens a passage on the right. Go through.
5
Crossblade the crystal on the opposite wall, come back, and hit the first crystal again to open the left passage.
6
Pass through two open doors. Before the third door, turn right and hit that crystal.
7
Go through the new doorway, jump the gap for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest, then grapple back across.
8
Climb the stairs to the ledge overlooking the room and hit the crystal below-left to open the adjacent door. Follow that passage to a second balcony and hit the crystal opposite. Backtrack to the stairs and go on.
Rotating-Platform Room
9
A Wraith attacks and both exits seal. Kill it.
10
Two switches, four platforms
a. Pull the left switch — several platforms rotate, exposing grapple points.
b. Pull the right switch — two more platforms flip.
c. Hit the crystal on the nearest platform repeatedly until the grapple point on the far platform faces upward.
d. Pull the right switch again so the grapples face downward and form a usable chain.
b. Pull the right switch — two more platforms flip.
c. Hit the crystal on the nearest platform repeatedly until the grapple point on the far platform faces upward.
d. Pull the right switch again so the grapples face downward and form a usable chain.
11
Grapple across the gap. A Yellow and a Green Soul Chest flank the exit door.
The PitTHE VOIDWALKER
12
Grab the Green and Blue Soul Chests at the sides of the next room, then drop into the pit. Three waves lock you in: red Angels; Spiked Minions plus a Greater Dragon; then a Wraith with red Angels.
13
The floor opens on a Demon Chest. Break it — WEAPON VOIDWALKER. ACHIEVEMENT Into the Void.
Voidwalker Shafttutorial — and a legendary enhancement
14
Look up at the alcove opposite the entrance and portal the orange pad there. Jump into the hole to place the second portal on the ground pad, then jump through to reach the ledge.
15
Continue down the tunnel and activate the symbol on the right. At the dead end, use a charged shot on the floor symbol.
16
Jump through the first portal to be launched onto the platform above — ITEM Blue Soul Chest. Turn 180°, tag the symbol across the gap, and jump through to the ledge.
17
Throwing a bomb through a portal
Stand on the orange floor panel to raise the next portal, then place a portal beside the bomb plant. Throw a bomb through the portal to destroy the red crystal on the far side, then go through yourself and glide to the ledge.
18
Look up-left for a portal symbol on a balcony. Use the floor symbol to form a bridge. Cross it, tagging the mid-crossing symbol, then the symbol at the far end.
19
MISSABLE ENHANCEMENT LEGENDARY ENHANCEMENT — Fury's Embrace. Cross back toward your original entry, drop down the shaft in the previous hallway, enter the second activated portal to reach the balcony, then use the orange floor symbol to shoot across the room. The chest holds ENHANCEMENT Fury's Embrace.
Its passive permanently reveals every chest on the map, which makes the Hoard Seeker trinkets redundant and turns the rest of your 100% run into a checklist. Do not leave without it.
Its passive permanently reveals every chest on the map, which makes the Hoard Seeker trinkets redundant and turns the rest of your 100% run into a checklist. Do not leave without it.
20
Reactivate the bridge and glide across to the passage opposite the original entrance.
Tower 1 AscentBOSS — Tower Guardian 01
21
Ride the two Shadowflight geysers up to the platform above and enter the room; the doors lock. Green and Yellow Soul Chests here.
22
Portal through a locked door
Put one portal on the closed door, then a charged portal on the nearby floor symbol. Drop into the floor portal — you are launched through the door portal and out into the top of the shaft.
23
BOSS TOWER GUARDIAN 01
Tower Guardian (all three are identical)
Arena. An open platform at the tower top with orange portal pads on the floor and high on the walls.
Moves. A slow overhead smash that buries its fists and leaves it stuck, and a whirlwind spin that covers the arena.
The counter. Place your two portals on two different floor pads — diagonally opposite each other — and make the first shot a charged one. (A floor pad paired with a high wall pad works too.) Bait the overhead smash. While it is stuck, jump into one portal; the charged exit fires you high into the air and you glide down onto its head. Press the action button to stab it, then hammer the exposed core until it shakes free.
When it recovers your portals are dismissed and it starts the whirlwind. Get out of range, wait it out, re-place the portals, repeat.
Do not use Chaos Form — the whirlwind is invulnerable and you will waste the timer.
Moves. A slow overhead smash that buries its fists and leaves it stuck, and a whirlwind spin that covers the arena.
The counter. Place your two portals on two different floor pads — diagonally opposite each other — and make the first shot a charged one. (A floor pad paired with a high wall pad works too.) Bait the overhead smash. While it is stuck, jump into one portal; the charged exit fires you high into the air and you glide down onto its head. Press the action button to stab it, then hammer the exposed core until it shakes free.
When it recovers your portals are dismissed and it starts the whirlwind. Get out of range, wait it out, re-place the portals, repeat.
Do not use Chaos Form — the whirlwind is invulnerable and you will waste the timer.
24
Reward: the first freed blue beam.
Escorting Beam 1
25
Head back down. Place the first portal on the pad the beam is striking in the shaft, and the second on the back of the locked door. The beam emerges there and powers it open.
26
At the end of the tunnel, repeat the pairing to power the lift. Hit the switch to descend. At the bottom, activate both portal symbols to open the door.
27
Three waves lock you in: two Wraiths; a Greater Dragon; then a Wraith with red Angels.
28
Portal the pad the beam is hitting, grapple across the chasm, and portal the second pad above the grapple points to open the door.
29
Moving-wall alignment
a. Portal the pad currently being hit by the beam.
b. Drop down and work around the walls to reach and activate the second pad — it is on the opposite wall, below a grapple point.
c. Return to your drop point and hit the crystal there; the door opens.
d. Move through, then hit the crystal on the left to slide the moving walls so their holes line up and the beam passes straight through.
b. Drop down and work around the walls to reach and activate the second pad — it is on the opposite wall, below a grapple point.
c. Return to your drop point and hit the crystal there; the door opens.
d. Move through, then hit the crystal on the left to slide the moving walls so their holes line up and the beam passes straight through.
30
MISSABLE
Dungeon Map — before you leave
Look north for a teleport pad and activate it. Then look at the nearest raisable wall — there is a second pad on its back face. Put a charged portal on that one. Use the nearby crystal to raise the wall to its maximum height, then step into the floor portal — you are launched into the alcove above. Chest: Dungeon Map.
31
Drop down and exit. You return to Azrael's chamber and Beam 1 breaks the first lock.
Tower 2 Ascent
32
Put a charged portal on the teleport symbol and walk through to reach the higher platform.
33
Double jump onto the rotating rock cylinder when its lowest step reaches your level, then climb to its top. Jump across to the unlocked door on the east side, follow the hallway, and activate the elevator. Kill the soldiers that spawn in the lift.
34
In the main room, wait for the moving rock bridge to swing nearest the right side, hop on, and ride it to the first solid platform. Blue Duskwings attack.
35
Portal the pad on the rock pillar and the pad near the exit, follow the floating path around the room and through the portal. Kill the remaining Duskwings on the balcony.
36
MISSABLE Look to the LEFT of the exit door for a teleport pad in an alcove. Portal it, double jump into the portal, and open the chest — WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard. Pull the switch here to open a nearby door.
37
Re-place both portals (stone pillar + near the exit) and go through the door.
38
Two-block rotation gate
a. Portal the pad on the first rotating block when it swings past your platform.
b. Turn right and portal the pad on the wall.
c. Wait for the two blocks to meet in the middle, then fire the Voidwalker through your portal to tag the second block's pad.
d. When the second block reaches the far end, jump through.
b. Turn right and portal the pad on the wall.
c. Wait for the two blocks to meet in the middle, then fire the Voidwalker through your portal to tag the second block's pad.
d. When the second block reaches the far end, jump through.
39
A gauntlet follows: a Minotaur with Phantom Guards, then Wraiths, then another Minotaur. Two Green Soul Chests on the left, a Yellow on the right.
40
Exit, go down the stairs, and open the chest. Spiked Minions spawn, then Phantom Guards and a Wraith.
41
The counterweight platforms
Three platforms hang on chains at different heights; there are two heavy blocks.
a. Portal onto the top of the lowest hanging platform.
b. Drag one block onto the teleport pads at main-floor level, activate it, and push the block through the portal — its weight lands on the low platform and drops it.
c. Dismiss the portals and put a new one beneath the block on the lowest platform.
d. Jump onto the lowered platform and stand by the purple chain. Fire the second portal at the top of the highest platform so the block drops onto it.
e. As your platform rises, look right and shoot a portal into the roof of the middle platform.
f. At the highest point, fire a portal beneath the block on the highest platform, then jump onto it to reach the top.
a. Portal onto the top of the lowest hanging platform.
b. Drag one block onto the teleport pads at main-floor level, activate it, and push the block through the portal — its weight lands on the low platform and drops it.
c. Dismiss the portals and put a new one beneath the block on the lowest platform.
d. Jump onto the lowered platform and stand by the purple chain. Fire the second portal at the top of the highest platform so the block drops onto it.
e. As your platform rises, look right and shoot a portal into the roof of the middle platform.
f. At the highest point, fire a portal beneath the block on the highest platform, then jump onto it to reach the top.
42
Green and Yellow Soul Chests here. Open the door.
43
Ride the Shadowflight geyser up and follow the tunnel to a blue crystal. Gauntlet it and take the Hoard Seeker trinket inside (a different one from the Iron Canopy's).
44
Portal the pad on the floor here, go to the top of the nearby stairs, look up and portal that pad, then return and step through — jump to the ledge for a LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard.
45
Drop to the next Shadowflight geyser and portal the pad above it. Put a charged portal on the ground near the destroyed blue crystal; jump through, fly up, and glide south for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest. Then take the northern ledge into the Guardian arena.
46
BOSS TOWER GUARDIAN 02 — identical to the first. Two portals on two diagonal floor pads with the first shot charged, bait the overhead smash, jump through, glide onto the head, stab and slash, break off during the whirlwind, repeat. Reward: Beam 2.
Escorting Beam 2the hardest sequence in the game
47
Return to the elevator. Portal the pad the beam is hitting behind you, ride the lift down, and portal the second pad at the bottom so the beam follows you.
48
Go down the stairs (Green Soul Chest if needed). Lock the Crossblade onto all three crystals and hit them in one throw to open the way. Activate the switch and take the elevator down.
49
Step off the lift and find the opening in the far wall. Note exactly which pad the blue beam is currently hitting.
50
Mirror scales
Jump into the room with three suspended platforms and two blocks. Return to the floor and place the two boxes on the highest and lowest platforms — this sets the three mirrors to the heights where they line up with the beam.
Jump onto the top of the lowest platform, then into the highest one. Look up — the beam is now hitting a pad up there. Portal it. Then portal the teleport pad on the eastern side to send the beam onward.
Jump onto the top of the lowest platform, then into the highest one. Look up — the beam is now hitting a pad up there. Portal it. Then portal the teleport pad on the eastern side to send the beam onward.
51
Twin rotating columns
a. Portal the pad on the rotating column nearest you.
b. Go right and portal the wall pad there.
c. When the two columns meet in the middle, fire through your portal to tag the second column's pad.
d. Go back to the entrance and re-portal the first column's pad.
e. Wait for the columns to join in the middle — the beam crosses and unlocks the door.
f. When the first spinning block comes back round, dismiss that portal, use the pad on the right to make another, jump through the portal on the opposite pillar, and float down to the other side of the chasm.
b. Go right and portal the wall pad there.
c. When the two columns meet in the middle, fire through your portal to tag the second column's pad.
d. Go back to the entrance and re-portal the first column's pad.
e. Wait for the columns to join in the middle — the beam crosses and unlocks the door.
f. When the first spinning block comes back round, dismiss that portal, use the pad on the right to make another, jump through the portal on the opposite pillar, and float down to the other side of the chasm.
52
Enter the door. Several mirrors rise and grapple points become live — use them to grab the ITEM Blue Soul Chest on top of a column, then continue to the opposite side.
53
Portal the pad on the right, then the second pad on the stone column in the middle. Grapple back onto the stone column with the chest. When the moving path appears next to the portal, jump down.
54
Crossblade the nearest crystal, jump through the portal and rush back to the main area. Crossblade-lock and hit the two nearby crystals, then portal the pad on the far wall, and finally re-portal the pad to the right behind you.
55
Activate the lift further down the corridor and ride it into Azrael's prison chamber.
56
Delivering Beam 2
a. Jump onto the rotating rock walls in the prison chamber.
b. Scan the rim for an alcove containing a bomb plant; jump down and land on that platform.
c. Look up to find the top piece of the rotating structure, which carries a red crystal. Take a bomb, stick it to the crystal, and the explosion exposes a portal pad.
d. Portal that pad, drop to the floor, and portal a second pad inside the stone cylinder. The beam threads through and shatters the second lock.
b. Scan the rim for an alcove containing a bomb plant; jump down and land on that platform.
c. Look up to find the top piece of the rotating structure, which carries a red crystal. Take a bomb, stick it to the crystal, and the explosion exposes a portal pad.
d. Portal that pad, drop to the floor, and portal a second pad inside the stone cylinder. The beam threads through and shatters the second lock.
CHAPTER 10 OF 13
CH 11The Black Throne IITower 3, and Straga
The back half of the spire, and the payoff: the Straga rematch is one of the most satisfying fights in the game because the tool that beats him is one you only got an hour ago. Do the third-wing detour before the tower — it holds an Abyssal Armor piece and the key you need to get in.
The Third Wingarmor and the key — before the tower
1
Enter and take the ITEM Blue Soul Chest on the left. Portal the pad beside it.
2
Find and portal the pad on the roof at the back of the room, float over to the platform, and take ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
3
Return to the floor, dismiss the portals, re-portal the pad by the chest, and turn to face the canyon of rising spike pillars.
4
Spike canyon
Wait for the first pillar to rise and spot a portal pad on a pillar further in. Portal it, then turn back to the first pillar. Charge a super portal and fire it at the next pad as it passes within range. Re-place the portal that vanished, wait for a clear lane through the spikes, and jump through. Then jump to the far ledge into the large circular room.
5
Drop down; there is a big red crystal in the centre. Portal the pad near you.
6
Bomb through a rotating portal — Abyssal Armor
a. Outside the door is a rotating stone block. Wait until its pad rotates into view and portal it. Wait for it to face the bomb plant, then jump through and glide across the gap.
b. Portal the pad in this new area and use the Abyssal Chain to pull a bomb from the stone column.
c. Wait until the rotating block's portal is aimed at the red crystals, then throw the bomb through. Jump through after it.
The chest here is an ABYSSAL ARMOR Abyssal Armor piece (8 of 10).
b. Portal the pad in this new area and use the Abyssal Chain to pull a bomb from the stone column.
c. Wait until the rotating block's portal is aimed at the red crystals, then throw the bomb through. Jump through after it.
The chest here is an ABYSSAL ARMOR Abyssal Armor piece (8 of 10).
7
Voidwalker back to the big red crystal room. Re-place the central portal and the stone-pillar portal, then go to the bomb platform. Dismiss the portal on the spinning block and portal the other nearby pad. Chain a bomb and throw it through — a cutscene plays as the large red crystal is destroyed.
8
Beholder's Key
Go back to the top of the stairs, place a charged portal on the pad on top of the central pillar, jump back to the floor, and step into the ground-level portal. You are launched into an alcove holding the KEY Beholder's Key.
9
Cross back over the spike-pit chasm and exit to Azrael's prison.
Tower 3 Ascent
10
At the edge, wait for the lowest section of the rotating rock wall and double jump onto it; climb to its highest point. Spot the blue locked door, jump to the platform in front of it, and open it with the Beholder's Key.
11
Activate the elevator (kill the soldiers that spawn during the ride), exit at the top and use the switch.
12
Cross the bridge to the central platform. Forced fights: green Phantom Guards with a Rot Mauler, then a shielded Iron Giant. Green and Yellow Soul Chests available. Exit the west door.
13
Rotating column + bomb
a. Portal the pad on the first column, then activate the symbol on the wall.
b. Charge a super portal and tag the second column through your first portal. Re-place the wall portal when it vanishes.
c. Wait for the portal to face the red crystals on the far side. Look up-left for a bomb plant, chain a bomb, and throw it through when the crystals are in view.
d. When the opposite platform comes into view through the portal, hop through, land on the small moving platform, ride it across the chasm, and jump off.
b. Charge a super portal and tag the second column through your first portal. Re-place the wall portal when it vanishes.
c. Wait for the portal to face the red crystals on the far side. Look up-left for a bomb plant, chain a bomb, and throw it through when the crystals are in view.
d. When the opposite platform comes into view through the portal, hop through, land on the small moving platform, ride it across the chasm, and jump off.
14
You are sealed in. Waves: Rot Mauler + Iron Giant; then a small army of Phantom Guards; then two shield-carrying Iron Giants. Use the Soul Chests — this is one of the harder forced fights in the game.
15
Enter the door. Look below the switch as you come in for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
16
Dive to the bottom of the pool to the northeast — ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier.
17
Twin-pool drain
a. Climb out and portal the pad in the centre.
b. Hit the crystal on the left wall to lower it.
c. Go to the southwest corner and portal the pad there — this drains the other pool and lets you swim across the gap.
d. Pull the switch on that side, then return to the start.
e. Work the switch until the Voidwalker pad on the central structure faces the south side-room gate.
f. Put a charged portal on that central pad, then use another pad nearby to fire War over the gate into the side room.
g. Hit the switch inside and ride the elevator to the top.
b. Hit the crystal on the left wall to lower it.
c. Go to the southwest corner and portal the pad there — this drains the other pool and lets you swim across the gap.
d. Pull the switch on that side, then return to the start.
e. Work the switch until the Voidwalker pad on the central structure faces the south side-room gate.
f. Put a charged portal on that central pad, then use another pad nearby to fire War over the gate into the side room.
g. Hit the switch inside and ride the elevator to the top.
18
BOSS TOWER GUARDIAN 03 — same pattern, but this arena has three portal pads on each side wall, so here the easiest pairing is one floor pad plus one high wall pad. Lure the Guardian toward the side of the room, bait the overhead smash, run through the ground portal and out of the high one, and glide onto its head. Break off during the whirlwind and repeat. Reward: Beam 3.
Escorting Beam 3
19
Return to the elevator. Portal the first pad the beam touches, portal the pad on your right to open the door, then dismiss the left portal.
20
Down the tunnel, portal to power the lift, and ride it down. Leaving the lift you will see the mirrors reflecting the beam — Crossblade the nearest crystal on the right to open the next door.
21
Portal the pad on the first stone pillar, turn right and portal the pad here, then look through that portal and portal the second column's pad. Return and shoot the first column once more.
22
Wait for the beam to unlock the far door. Dismiss the first column's portal, re-activate the right-hand portal, and jump through to the other side. Enter the door.
23
Wait for the floating lift to lower and the bridge to appear; jump to the Shadowflight geyser. ITEM Green Soul Chest if needed.
24
Continue right and use the two portal pads to launch War onto the platform above. Exit to the ledge for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
25
MISSABLE Artifact: Champion. Plant a charged portal on top of the floating stone, then use another portal to launch up and grab ARTIFACT Artifact: Champion. There are only six in the game.
26
Drop back down and put portals on both side pads of the floating rock.
27
The Chronosphere gate — the trickiest timing in the dungeon
a. Head across the stone bridge toward another pad, then turn left to find a Chronosphere.
b. Activate it and sprint back to the centre.
c. Hit the crystal on the floating rock, sprint to the gate, then lock onto both gate crystals and hit them simultaneously with the Crossblade while time is still slowed.
d. Roll through the gate.
b. Activate it and sprint back to the centre.
c. Hit the crystal on the floating rock, sprint to the gate, then lock onto both gate crystals and hit them simultaneously with the Crossblade while time is still slowed.
d. Roll through the gate.
28
Take the lift inside back down and exit into Azrael's chamber. Wait for the rotating rock walls to swing round and portal the pad that passes nearest you. Jump down and portal the second pad inside the rock cylinder. The third lock shatters and Azrael is freed.
The Base of the SpireBOSS — Straga
29
Take the circular staircase down (a ITEM Green Soul Chest on the way), open the door at the bottom, board the lift and ride it all the way down.
30
BOSS STRAGA — the rematch. Unlike the prologue there are no cars to throw; the Voidwalker replaces them.
Straga
Summons. He periodically calls in small groups of demons. Clear them between damage cycles.
Punch. A fast single strike — dash.
Club sweep. He drags the club across the arena floor. Double jump it — dashing does not clear this one.
Club slam. A straight overhead — dash sideways.
The counter. Place one portal on Straga's club and the other on a floor pad. When he plants the club, jump into the floor portal — you emerge at the club and can run up his arm to the glowing weak point on his upper body. Slash it repeatedly, then drop away before he shakes you off. Repeat.
Punch. A fast single strike — dash.
Club sweep. He drags the club across the arena floor. Double jump it — dashing does not clear this one.
Club slam. A straight overhead — dash sideways.
The counter. Place one portal on Straga's club and the other on a floor pad. When he plants the club, jump into the floor portal — you emerge at the club and can run up his arm to the glowing weak point on his upper body. Slash it repeatedly, then drop away before he shakes you off. Repeat.
31
Reward: a full LIFE SHARD Life Stone. ACHIEVEMENT Payback's A B****. With Straga dead the spire collapses — though its top stays suspended in the air. War is teleported away.
CHAPTER 11 OF 13
CH 12Eden & the Armageddon Bladethe Mask of Shadows and the 100% mop-up
Two chapters in one. Eden is short, linear, and easy to blow straight through — treat it as a collectibles run with a boss in the middle, because going back for anything you drop means a long trip. Then the Mask of Shadows opens the entire map back up, and the seven-shard hunt doubles as the natural sweep for everything you have been noting since the Crossroads.
1
Careful. Sweep Eden before you leave. There is an Abyssal Armor piece, a Wrath Shard and three Blue Soul Chests in here, and the story pushes you straight through. Do not take Azrael's exit portal until you have cleared the list below.
If you do leave something behind, Eden is reachable again: go to Leviathan's Drift in the northern Ashlands (where the Stygian was chained), put on the Mask of Shadows to reveal the hidden Shadowflight geyser, and ride it up. It is a long trip, so it is far easier to just finish the sweep now.
If you do leave something behind, Eden is reachable again: go to Leviathan's Drift in the northern Ashlands (where the Stygian was chained), put on the Mask of Shadows to reveal the hidden Shadowflight geyser, and ride it up. It is a long trip, so it is far easier to just finish the sweep now.
The Gardenthe Mask of Shadows
2
Walk forward onto the first large circular platform. Azrael gives you the KEY MASK OF SHADOWS. ACHIEVEMENT Sight Beyond Sight.
Mask of Shadows. The mask lets War see into the Shadow Realm: black-outlined chests, invisible Shadowflight geysers, invisible Abyssal Chain points, invisible bomb plants, and the anvils holding the Armageddon Blade shards. Nothing in the last third of the game is findable without it.
3
Put the mask on — this triggers the fight.
4
BOSS SHADOW WAR — a mirror of yourself.
Shadow War
Moves. An uppercut launcher, a rapid slice-and-dice string, and an overhead slam.
Counter. Hit-and-run — land two or three hits and disengage before his string starts. Block-counters work beautifully here because he telegraphs exactly the way you do.
The one rule. When Shadow War enters Chaos Form, enter Chaos Form yourself and finish him. You cannot trade with him otherwise.
Counter. Hit-and-run — land two or three hits and disengage before his string starts. Block-counters work beautifully here because he telegraphs exactly the way you do.
The one rule. When Shadow War enters Chaos Form, enter Chaos Form yourself and finish him. You cannot trade with him otherwise.
5
After the cutscene, go back to the starting area for a ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
6
Return to where you fought and cross the bridge. Turn right and drop into the water instead of climbing the stairs. On the nearest rocky island: ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
7
MISSABLE The most commonly missed item in the game. In the northeastern corner of the water, walk through the waterfall. Behind it is a chest with an ABYSSAL ARMOR Abyssal Armor piece. Nothing suggests the waterfall is passable, and the story pushes you upward and away from it.
8
Come out of the waterfall and turn left for another ITEM Blue Soul Chest.
9
MISSABLE Go back to the stairs and climb, watching your map. When a black square appears on the map to your left, jump off the bridge and look underneath — chest with a WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard.
10
Climb to the top until the scene plays at the Tree of Knowledge. The vision exposes Abaddon's conspiracy, the Destroyer's true identity, the Council's treachery — and shows War being killed by the Armageddon Blade.
11
Approach the body nearby and press the action button to pull the sword free.
12
Cross back to Azrael. Sweep up anything you missed now, then step through his portal to return to the ruined Earth.
The Shard Huntseven anvils, all in the Shadow Realm
13
How the hunt works. All seven Armageddon Blade Shards sit on anvils that are invisible without the Mask of Shadows. They appear as glowing yellow spheres on the world map and each sits near a serpent hole. This is also the natural 100% mop-up window — you now have every ability in the game, so the route below picks up everything you have been noting since Chapter 2.
14
Travel to Anvil's Ford and speak to Ulthane. He agrees to reforge the blade from seven shards.
15
While you are at Anvil’s Ford, look to the western side of the map: a floating island sits across the gorge, not connected to anything. Chain across the Abyssal Chain grapple points by the waterfalls to reach it — the chest holds a WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard.
16
On the serpent-hole ride out of Anvil’s Ford, watch the left side about midway along the path: grapple points lead to a secluded floating platform with a chest — another WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard. Serpent holes are corridors, not cutscenes; this one pays to walk slowly.
Drowned Pass
17
BLADE SHARD Shard 1 of 7 — on top of the left-hand building beside the serpent hole entrance.
18
Use nearby grapple points to reach a LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard on a raised platform.
19
Swim to the blue-crystal-covered platform, dive under it, climb up and Gauntlet the crystal — WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard.
20
BLADE SHARD Shard 2 of 7 — swim to the farthest building, climb to the top floor, put the mask on, find the invisible grapple point, chain up, and cross to the next rooftop.
21
Crossblade the crystal to raise the western lake platform, climb the ramp and platform-hop for another LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard.
22
Enter the tunnel behind the old Gatekeeper position; Gauntlet the blue crystal on the right, and check the left alcove further in — WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard.
The Crossroads
23
BLADE SHARD Shard 3 of 7 — mask on: find the invisible Shadowflight geyser to the southwest, ride it up, follow left, take the next invisible geyser across to a hanging grapple point, swing onto the next building, and use a third invisible geyser to reach the upper balcony.
24
From Vulgrim, go north up the road and Gauntlet the blue crystal on the left — ENHANCEMENT Hellfire.
25
Enter the building behind Vulgrim, climb the broken bookshelf on the right of the large room, jump the broken-bridge gap for ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier, then grapple from the end of the platform across to a hallway with a WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard.
Scalding Gallowtwo things only the Voidwalker opens
26
In the fan area, chain across the southern gap and ride the Shadowflight geyser up. On the roof, activate the two Voidwalker portal pads, then glide into the portal so it launches you up through the ceiling opening — the chest up there holds the last world WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard.
27
ENHANCEMENT LEGENDARY ENHANCEMENT — Death’s Blessing. Take the north-east tunnel toward the Ashlands to the sealed portal door: drop a Chronosphere, place portals with the Voidwalker, and slip through while time is slowed. The chest inside holds ENHANCEMENT Death’s Blessing — damage converted to health plus the largest soul bonus in the game. This is the piece the farming plan on the Farming tab is built around; do not finish the sweep without it.
Choking Grounds & Broken Stair
28
Find the small hole in the building just before the old Gatekeeper exit, on the left of the road. Drop in, ride the Shadowflight geyser to the second level, and Gauntlet the blue crystal for a LIFE SHARD Life Stone Shard.
29
BLADE SHARD Shard 4 of 7 — climb the demonic growth, chain through the ceiling hole, and mask on to find the invisible Shadowflight geyser on the roof.
30
Back at the Gatekeeper spot, head toward the Broken Stair passage and drop down the gap between the two Shadowflight geysers. Gauntlet the blue crystal and take ARTIFACT Artifact: Champion behind it.
31
BLADE SHARD Shard 5 of 7 — continue to The Broken Stair, fight through the building, cross the highway, and get onto the roof of the building where you mounted the Angelic Beast.
The Dry RoadBOSS — Uriel, second encounter
32
Tip. Serpent-hole to the Dry Road and immediately turn around inside the serpent hole — the chest right behind you holds a WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard. Almost nobody looks backwards on arrival.
33
From Vulgrim, cross the gap, climb the demon growth, and head up the hill for a cutscene.
34
BOSS URIEL — the rematch, and she has a much bigger kit this time.
Uriel — second fight
Moves. A straight charge; a spin-drop from the air; thrown blades; and a sword rain where blades fall from the sky.
The key. Fight her at close range. She is far more dangerous at distance — backing off just feeds her the projectile game.
Thrown blades. Time your dashes rather than blocking.
Sword rain. Watch for the glowing blue patches on the ground marking impact points and keep moving through the gaps.
Chaos Form works on her.
The key. Fight her at close range. She is far more dangerous at distance — backing off just feeds her the projectile game.
Thrown blades. Time your dashes rather than blocking.
Sword rain. Watch for the glowing blue patches on the ground marking impact points and keep moving through the gaps.
Chaos Form works on her.
35
BLADE SHARD Shard 6 of 7 — after she is beaten, look behind the ruin on the right.
36
Head into the passage toward the Ashlands. In the room with the three hanging Demonic Plants above the central rope, stand on the entrance ledge, look up and right for a grapple point, chain up, and take the WRATH SHARD Wrath Shard in the room above.
The Ashlandsthe last of everything
37
From the Ashlands Vulgrim, go right and follow the wall to a rocky platform with climbable ledges. Climb up; at the fork go left (the top is sealed by red crystals).
38
BLADE SHARD Shard 7 of 7 — mask on to reveal the invisible bomb plants on the wall to the left of the crystals; chain a bomb and throw it at the crystals. Follow the path up, mask still on to see the grapple point.
39
MISSABLE ABYSSAL ARMOR Final Abyssal Armor piece (10 of 10). Ride Ruin around the back of the large rock platform behind the first Ashlands building, ride the Shadowflight geyser up, climb the demon growth for ARTIFACT Artifact: Soldier, then go to the far end of the ledge above the geyser and chain the grapple points to the roof of the building. ACHIEVEMENT Legendary Form unlocks on pickup.
40
MISSABLE ARTIFACT Artifact: Overlord — the one you saw and could not reach in Chapter 8. Go to the top of the third mining tower (where you originally pulled the drill switch), chain to the adjacent building's roof, and hit the switch to raise the drill below. Drop down the hole to land on a ledge above the water pool — the artifact is right in front of you. It is worth 5,000 souls plus a full Wrath Core, and it is the only one in the game.
41
MISSABLE ENHANCEMENT LEGENDARY ENHANCEMENT — Strife's Offering. Continue through the cave to the room with the seven roof-hanging Demonic Plants. From the entry point, chain across to the far right chest.
42
Return to Ulthane with all seven shards. He reforges the WEAPON ARMAGEDDON BLADE. ACHIEVEMENT Ultimate Blade.
Armageddon Blade. Level 5 damage with built-in health leech, and the only weapon that can kill the Destroyer. It cannot take an enhancement slot.
✓
This is your last clean window for 100%. Before the finale, make sure you have handed every artifact to Vulgrim, bought every combat move for Battle Hardened, and cleaned up the four Wicked K fights — see the Collectibles tab.
CHAPTER 12 OF 13
CH 13The DestroyerFallen Abaddon and the Seventh Seal
Two phases, two completely different fights. The dragon phase is a mounted joust decided by one visual tell; the Abaddon phase is a pure block-counter duel with Chaos Form taken away from you. Bring the Armageddon Blade — nothing else can finish him.
Leviathan's Driftthe finale
1
Take the nearest serpent hole and return to Azrael, waiting at Leviathan's Drift in the northern Ashlands beneath the suspended remnant of the spire. Speak to him to begin.
2
BOSS THE DESTROYER — PHASE 1 (dragon form)
The Destroyer — dragon
This phase is fought from Ruin. He circles and charges around a large circular arena.
The key read — the glowing arm. As you close head-on, one of his arms glows. Pass on the glowing side and he lands a claw attack; pass on the non-glowing side and War slashes the legs and trips him. That single read is the whole phase.
Once he is down, dismount and lay into the exposed belly with the Armageddon Blade, then remount before he rises.
Periodically he takes flight, becomes untargetable, and comes down in a ground pound. Keep Ruin's boost going until he has landed.
Expect roughly five successful passes. When he charges straight at you and the action prompt appears, take it — War mounts his back mid-flight.
The key read — the glowing arm. As you close head-on, one of his arms glows. Pass on the glowing side and he lands a claw attack; pass on the non-glowing side and War slashes the legs and trips him. That single read is the whole phase.
Once he is down, dismount and lay into the exposed belly with the Armageddon Blade, then remount before he rises.
Periodically he takes flight, becomes untargetable, and comes down in a ground pound. Keep Ruin's boost going until he has landed.
Expect roughly five successful passes. When he charges straight at you and the action prompt appears, take it — War mounts his back mid-flight.
3
BOSS THE DESTROYER — PHASE 2 (Fallen Abaddon)
Fallen Abaddon
He reverts to a black-winged version of his angelic self and recovers his sword. Do not plan around Chaos Form here — Abaddon breaks the transformation, so treat it as unavailable and build the fight on blocking instead.
Moves. Horizontal slashes; overhead smashes; ranged energy blades; a rapid charging assault; teleports followed by hurled boulders; a teleport ambush; and an uppercut into an aerial combo.
The counter. He blocks unprovoked melee, so the entire fight is built on block-counters — block just before his swing connects to break his string and open him up. This is why the Block Counter you learned in Chapter 4 matters.
When he floats outside the arena and throws rocks, dash laterally. After he lands, expect either the teleport ambush or the uppercut — do not walk straight back in.
Blade locks. Enough damage forces a sword struggle — mash the prompt. You must win three in total. On the last one War tears off his wings and impales him with the Armageddon Blade.
Moves. Horizontal slashes; overhead smashes; ranged energy blades; a rapid charging assault; teleports followed by hurled boulders; a teleport ambush; and an uppercut into an aerial combo.
The counter. He blocks unprovoked melee, so the entire fight is built on block-counters — block just before his swing connects to break his string and open him up. This is why the Block Counter you learned in Chapter 4 matters.
When he floats outside the arena and throws rocks, dash laterally. After he lands, expect either the teleport ambush or the uppercut — do not walk straight back in.
Blade locks. Enough damage forces a sword struggle — mash the prompt. You must win three in total. On the last one War tears off his wings and impales him with the Armageddon Blade.
4
ACHIEVEMENT The Final Challenger?
5
The ending. The Watcher forces War to his knees on the Council's orders. Uriel takes up the fallen Armageddon Blade and runs War through — exactly the death the Tree's vision foretold. The same strike kills the Watcher and shatters the Seventh Seal. The broken seal resurrects War free of the Council's leash and calls the other three Horsemen to Earth. The game ends with all four assembled.
✓
Finishing on Apocalyptic also awards the Easy and Normal completion achievements. If you ran Apocalyptic from the start, three achievements land at once here.
CHAPTER 13 OF 13
