Infinite Archive - The Serpent - Tactics?

FlopsyPrince · June 2

The game got me to try and "continue" a previous run that I didn't reset. Died twice (my last 2 lives) to "The Serpent".

What was I supposed to do to survive his nuke attacks? Those were insta-death for me. Is it just "kill him faster" or did some other technique work? Is the 4th boss always this difficult?

(The endeavor accomplished their goal, but I am not sure it was worth it for the 15 endeavors.

Grec1a · June 2

You have to stand in one of the pink bubbles and this will protect you when he explodes.

I only manage to defeat the 4th boss in about 1 in 10 attempts - Tho'at is a doddle in comparison! I don't think she's ever killed me.

MidniteOwl1913 · June 2

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

The game got me to try and "continue" a previous run that I didn't reset. Died twice (my last 2 lives) to "The Serpent".

What was I supposed to do to survive his nuke attacks? Those were insta-death for me. Is it just "kill him faster" or did some other technique work? Is the 4th boss always this difficult?

(The endeavor accomplished their goal, but I am not sure it was worth it for the 15 endeavors.

The 4th boss is almost always a higher level of difficulty. I find for the first 2 arcs the 4th boss is harder than Tho' at. The Serpent once you know the trick is one of the easier ones.

SkaiFaith · June 2

Grec1a wrote: »

You have to stand in one of the pink bubbles and this will protect you when he explodes...

This.

Also, wait to find Rakkhat or Zhaj’hassa as 4th boss... I have a character that always get those - they are a real pain.

The serpent becomes trickier at later Arcs, but the technique remains the same.

DragonRacer · June 2

And to clarify because it may not be obvious: when The Serpent kneels down after you destroy the totem, watch for a pink orb to fly out of her and land somewhere. Go to where it landed and hit the synergy buttons - that puts a pink bubble around you to survive the nuke. Then it is rinse and repeat those steps until she’s dead.

Toanis · June 2

Zhaj’hassa really should stay forgotten.

Know the fight and the crystals are no longer bugged, but still lost 2 lives today.
(Then the 3rd one on Thoa't because of one moment of inattention during a sword phase...)

Is there really no middleground between boring busy work and being insta killed on the slightest slip?

Orbital78 · June 2

I find the Blackwood WB with the four portals harder than those. They have a large heal check, and start damaging you before you can even damage them. The Serpent is the last boss of SO, the bubble phase just usually gets dps burnt past.

EdjeSwift · June 2

Orbital78 wrote: »

I find the Blackwood WB with the four portals harder than those. They have a large heal check, and start damaging you before you can even damage them. The Serpent is the last boss of SO, the bubble phase just usually gets dps burnt past.

What heal check?

Ghemvas is pretty straightforward, DPS them down to 50%, run to the outside ring on the other side of the portals, kill portals, kill Ghemvas.

If you stay inside the inside ring while the portals are up it's big damage.

Orbital78 · June 2

EdjeSwift wrote: »

Orbital78 wrote: »

I find the Blackwood WB with the four portals harder than those. They have a large heal check, and start damaging you before you can even damage them. The Serpent is the last boss of SO, the bubble phase just usually gets dps burnt past.

What heal check?

Ghemvas is pretty straightforward, DPS them down to 50%, run to the outside ring on the other side of the portals, kill portals, kill Ghemvas.

If you stay inside the inside ring while the portals are up it's big damage.

I don't recall seeing a ring, but will see next time if I was missing it. It was mainly my squishy glass cannon arcanist that had issues. I run into him and serpent quite a bit. Arc burns through stages a lot faster, but the sorc lives through more of them.

Kainarel · June 2

Those rings are hard to see when you're focused on the boss and adds.
But when he kneels, look out for that circle, it does work.

FlopsyPrince · June 3

DragonRacer wrote: »

And to clarify because it may not be obvious: when The Serpent kneels down after you destroy the totem, watch for a pink orb to fly out of her and land somewhere. Go to where it landed and hit the synergy buttons - that puts a pink bubble around you to survive the nuke. Then it is rinse and repeat those steps until she’s dead.

I didn't see that one. Hopefully I will remember to look if I ever repeat this, but I will limit to 2 runs of 2 (if needed for the endeavor) in the future. I expect I will never finish the quest. It is simply not worth it, for me.

I do appreciate the insight and confirmation that this is an intentional hard point.

cyberjanet · June 3

The Serpent was quite bugged at one time, and even if you did everything right you couldn't kill him because his health never went down. My sustain couldn't last longer than a straight 22 minutes fighting, so I died from running out of energy.
He usually yells something about never wanting to be trapped again, before he throws out the pink balls, so there is a nice verbal cue. You also see iterations of himself leave his body after he throws them, so you have to get to one before they stop. I'm pretty sure I just ran into the pink balls without needing to use a synergy.

I did send in two complaints, on two separate occasions, about his health bar getting stuck and not moving down. Since then, I have had the serpent again, and got it done okay solo.

I'm sure you will finish the quest! It may take a little practice. I have died to the dragons many times, and even they are slowly becoming doable and now I succeed more often than not.

It usually goes better if you are two, I haven't had the Serpent's health bug when in a duo, and if you get a little discouraged maybe do a run or two with a friend to build up the confidence for this fight. I hate all the Stage 4 bosses, also hit bugs with Molag Kena becoming permanently invincible (you kill all the storm lights, and she recasts them instantly) but that seems to be fixed now too.

FlopsyPrince · June 3

cyberjanet wrote: »

The Serpent was quite bugged at one time, and even if you did everything right you couldn't kill him because his health never went down. My sustain couldn't last longer than a straight 22 minutes fighting, so I died from running out of energy.
He usually yells something about never wanting to be trapped again, before he throws out the pink balls, so there is a nice verbal cue. You also see iterations of himself leave his body after he throws them, so you have to get to one before they stop. I'm pretty sure I just ran into the pink balls without needing to use a synergy.

I did send in two complaints, on two separate occasions, about his health bar getting stuck and not moving down. Since then, I have had the serpent again, and got it done okay solo.

I'm sure you will finish the quest! It may take a little practice. I have died to the dragons many times, and even they are slowly becoming doable and now I succeed more often than not.

It usually goes better if you are two, I haven't had the Serpent's health bug when in a duo, and if you get a little discouraged maybe do a run or two with a friend to build up the confidence for this fight. I hate all the Stage 4 bosses, also hit bugs with Molag Kena becoming permanently invincible (you kill all the storm lights, and she recasts them instantly) but that seems to be fixed now too.

Good points. I am not compelled to complete this, but more strategy is helpful. That is why I asked the OP.

Erissime · June 3

Toanis wrote: »

Zhaj’hassa really should stay forgotten.

Know the fight and the crystals are no longer bugged, but still lost 2 lives today.
(Then the 3rd one on Thoa't because of one moment of inattention during a sword phase...)

Is there really no middleground between boring busy work and being insta killed on the slightest slip?

Those blasted crystals! Even though not bugged, imagine the boss doing his "wipe" thing IN one of those crystals! like where am I supposed to turn? which side of the crystal? I went and sat behind him but yeah ... wipe was wipe all the same, since both boss and crystal ( only crystal btw, none other to choose from) - were one.

FlopsyPrince · June 3

Erissime wrote: »

Toanis wrote: »

Zhaj’hassa really should stay forgotten.

Know the fight and the crystals are no longer bugged, but still lost 2 lives today.
(Then the 3rd one on Thoa't because of one moment of inattention during a sword phase...)

Is there really no middleground between boring busy work and being insta killed on the slightest slip?

Those blasted crystals! Even though not bugged, imagine the boss doing his "wipe" thing IN one of those crystals! like where am I supposed to turn? which side of the crystal? I went and sat behind him but yeah ... wipe was wipe all the same, since both boss and crystal ( only crystal btw, none other to choose from) - were one.

Insta-kill mechanics make content bad for many.