Wings Over Atreia: Boss world tour -- Inggison
Back in January, Wings Over Atreia brought you the first installment of a series highlighting the who, where, what, and even some how of Aion's world bosses. At that time, we took a tour around the land of Heiron and met up with those tough (and some not-so-tough) bosses who taunt players with their juicy, coveted loot. But Heiron is for youngins; this week, we will focus our tour on the playground of the highest levels, the lands of Balaurea -- specifically, Inggison.
It never fails -- the best goodies are never the easy-to-get goodies. As much as Daevas may want to get their hot little hands on some of the weapons, armor, and crafting materials dropped by these world bosses, they have to first find these giants and second actually defeat them. So much easier said than done. On the bright side, some of the mobs are easier to kill and can even be soloed (although they are also well-camped). On the not-bright side, others don't seem to show their faces as often as hungry loot-hunters would like, or they take a friend or 20 to take down. So what's a Daeva to do?
Soar past the cut for some tips, tricks, and a handy map for seeking out those Inggison bosses and convincing them to give up their loot.
When thinking about world bosses, Daevas are most often conjuring up images of hero- or legendary-grade named monsters. According to NCsoft, these two levels require full groups (for hero-grade) or even alliances (for some hero-grade and definitely for legendary-grade) to engage and defeat the boss. Of course, if you are a Cleric, you can possibly solo the heroes, but even Clerics cannot solo the legendary-grade bosses.
However, not all named mobs dropping the primo loot are in these two most difficult classes. In fact, throughout Inggison, there are several normal- or elite-grade named mobs that drop gold items that are highly sought after. Conversely, some of the bosses don't drop any loot worth bothering them for. Come to think of it, maybe this was a survival mechanism they developed over time?
Not worth the time
Although they have names and can be tempting to the cash-strapped traveler, seven mobs scattered throughout Inggison drop only green or blue items and are therefore shunned by the masses. As either normal- or elite-grade, they can be be killed fairly easily, but their lack of fabled (gold) or eternal items makes them very unappealing. These are: Titch Kippie (level 52), Glugbeard (52), Chief Kurnus (53), The Punisher (53), Tiritaphonl (54), Mervin (54), and Skar (54). On this list, only Titch Kippie and Glugbeard are elites. Of course, if you just want an ego boost for killing a named mob, then have at it!
Getting to the good stuff
Most world bosses receive a second glance only if they offer at least some gold loot. This group has a nice mix of normal-, elite-, and hero-grade bosses, allowing for some solo and group hunting. The lower-grade named mobs qualify for inclusion on this list because of their loot.
If you are out by yourself, you may prefer to take on just the normal-grade bosses. These are: Rockhorn, Violoton, Skuma Silvereye, Kyang Redmane, Baydeeafa, and Geffen. The first three are levels 53, 54, and 54 respectively, with the final three all being level 55. Each mob drops at least one piece of gold armor or weapon, with the exception of the fairy-looking Skuma Silvereye, who drops a component used in crafting weapons. Geffen has three to four spawn points and is heavily camped for his warhammer drop. Baydeeafa is likewise often camped and drops chain or leather shoulder pieces. In all, each mob in this group is fairly easily dispatched.
The next levels of bosses are not as easy to deal with; although harder, most can be can be defeated with with less than a full group (two or three Daevas are often sufficient, with an occasional one being soloed by a Cleric). Sukana the Learned (level 55) is included in this group even though he is simply an elite mob, because he hits like a Mac truck. The rest in this group are hero-grade, including Elder Narikiki, Priest Zitan, Latzio Stoneheart, Captain Voltayre, and Queen Klawnickt.
Elder Narikiki is level 53, but that doesn't mean she is a pushover. A tip for defeating this boss is to back into the little hut with your back facing the wall in a corner to avoid running out willy-nilly into other mobs when she casts her confusion spell. Another point to keep in mind is that at 50% and 25% health she summons clones (one and then two, respectively). These clones are mini-elites and hit as hard as the boss, so be sure to kill the clones fast!
Priest Zitan (level 54) isn't too bad on his own -- the trick here is to run him around to avoid his slow-moving pet that does a lot of damage. Usually, just clear into the tunnel of Udas Temple a bit and drag him back. Then kill him before the pet catches up.
Latzio Stoneheart (55) is not too difficult, but he is a pain to get to in the Forest of Antiquity. While he also drops gold gloves of every armor type, his blood is a highly prized crafting component.
Captain Voltayre (55) drops gold pants for every armor type. This guy has a single heal that will replenish about 50% of his health, but that can be reduced with skills like festering wound or fleshcutter arrow.
Queen Klawnickt is fairly easy, especially for a level 55, but her only real claim to fame is a component used in crafting armor.
Cream of the crop
Next up are the most coveted drops -- the eternals. These are offered off of only three world bosses: Head Priest Nashuma (hero), Omega (legendary), and Sematariux (is there an uber-legendary category?).
Head Priest Nashuma is the lowest level of the eternal-dropping bosses, meaning he is fairly easy and doesn't even need a full group to kill. Although he is easily doable with three players, there was some speculation about whether or not he could actually be duo'd. Nashuma drops gold chest pieces as well, but it is his shield that is highly prized. What you need to watch for is his skill shooting star storm, which will one-shot anyone in range.
Omega is the bad boy of Inggison, laying waste to unsuspecting travelers along the road to the Temple of Scales. Just like Deputy Hanuman is a world boss above the rest, so too is Omega. Any legitimate fight takes an alliance, and you need to be prepared to resurrect a lot! I hear there are some special tactics for very successful fights, but people have been loathe to share these and want to keep the information to themselves.
Now, you did see me mention fighting Omega legitimately. Some people do use an exploit to fight him with a much smaller group by dragging him into the guards while a plate class takes the adds away. This exploit is supposed to be addressed and fixed with the next patch. Certain people have also been known to drag Omega to the guards in order to kill-steal from an alliance, making it so that the NPC out-damages and no loot drops.
Baddest of the bad
There are world bosses, and then there are world bosses (like Omega and Hanuman). Then there is Sematariux. *cue suspenseful music* This granddaddy dragon is a level 57 legendary-grade monster. Yes, you read that right -- 57. And he's not even actually a dragon but a special mutation called Dramata (basically, when a Balaur tries to transform to a dragon but fails).
Dramata, dragon, or whatever he may be, this guy is tough. He resides in a locked cave (farm mobs outside the entrance to retrieve a single-use key) and has four tornado adds and a reflect that will turn you to dust with just one of your own feeble hits. Finally, a mob a Cleric can't solo! All-in-all, this guy means business and isn't going to go down easily. While I am unsure how many servers have actually attempted to fight this guy, I don't believe that any North American server has actually defeated him yet. If I am mistaken, please share the conquest in our comments!
There we have it folks. Whether you're alone and looking to snag some decent loot for a little extra cash or out hunting with a gang to rake in the goodies, Inggison has a boss for you. So go for it -- test your mettle against the big mobs. And then share any fun stories about encounters with a world boss in Inggison in the comments below!
Soaring through the Aionosphere, MJ Guthrie touches down weekly to bring you Wings Over Atreia. Featuring tips, guides, and general snippets of life in Aion, the column is better than Tutty-on-a-stick, ackackackackackack! Have a suggestion to share? No need to bribe a Shugo -- just send mail to mj@massively.com.
