Ascalon Catacombs – Dungeon Primer and Boss Fight Guide | GW2PC
The Ascalon Catacombs is the first of eight release day dungeons in Guild Wars 2, and is designed to be tackled by level 30 players in groups of up to five players each. Since the game has done away with traditional party roles, any combination of classes can team up and take on this five-boss PvE instance.
Beta Disclaimer
Lore
The Ascalon Catacombs are the ruins of the once-mighty human kingdom of Ascalon, ruled formerly by King Adelbern. It suffered from constant attacks from the Charr, and a climactic battle in the distant past resulted in the Foefire, a cataclysmic event that decimated the area into a cesspit of malevolent ghosts.
The Charr say King Adelbern had grown mad, and in his misguided pride to wipe out the invaders, he plunged his legendary sword, Magdaer, and brought ghastly ruin to his kingdom. At the start of the dungeon in Story Mode (more on that below), your mission is to chase after the Norn hero Eir Stegalkin who plans to retrieve Magdaer, possibly upsetting the spirits even more.
Watch this Guild Wars 2 Ascalon Catacombs opening cinematic to learn of the dangers lurking in the haunted dungeon:
What to Watch Out For
Puzzles
Traps and Cliffs
Repairs
Not Completely Predictable AI
Mob packs
Objectives and Boss Progression
1. Find Eir Stegalkin
2. Clear the mausoleum of ghosts
– Defeat 1 Ascalonian Captain
– Defeat 15 Ascalonian Ghosts
3. Defeat Master Ranger Nente
- Profile: The spirit of the Ranger trainer from the first Guild Wars and now a geist in Ascalon Catacombs.
– Stats: N/A
– Attack Pattern: Shoots from a distance and occasionally comes close when you use the environmental triggers
– Strategy: Ranged classes have a damage advantage in this fight, but those who prefer the melee way will need to throw rocks at Nente to lure him to fight in close range. Proceed to beat him down until he zooms back to his perch.
4. Defeat Ralena and Vassar
– Profile: A pair of previous trainers for Elementalists and Mesmers, respectively, now in spirit form.
– Stats: N/A
– Attack Pattern: Gains significant buffs when the two bosses are near each other.
– Strategy: Pull each boss away from the other. One teammate can keep Ralena preoccupied, for example, while the rest can gang up on Vassar. Then finish off Ralena.
5. Defeat Kasha Blackblood
– Profile: Former Necromancer trainer who specializes in draining health via blood magic.
– Statistics: N/A
– Attack Pattern: Summons pet minions that she sacrifices to restore her HP.
– Strategy: Cut off her healing source. Focus fire on pets so she cannot regain HP, and then proceed to damage Kasha. Rinse and repeat every time she raises new adds.
6. King Adelbern.
– Profile: The final boss of Ascalon Catacombs is none other than the ghost of the last monarch himself, King Adelbern, who has stood sentry over the desolate catacombs throughout the years.
– Statistics: N/A
– Attack Pattern: Pushes and pulls the team in a fight area with instant death borders.
– Strategy: Distance awareness is crucial here. Keep away from the falling edges and proceed to roll out the damage rotations after running back within range.
Story Mode and Explorable Mode
Dungeons have two difficulty levels – Story Mode and Explorable Mode. The playtest version of Ascalon Catacombs was in Story Mode, which is easier and focuses on telling the gripping tale of the fallen kingdom.
Data Sources
We’d like to thank and acknowledge the following sources
Guild Wars 2 Ascalon Catacombs Dungeon Experience David North | MMORPG.com
Guild Wars 2 Preview Crawling through the Ascalonian Catacombs Leah Jackson | G4TV.com
Ascalon Catacombs | Guild Wars 2 Wiki