Elder Guardians – The Enslaver Guide

Welcome back to another Path of Exile guide. This time, we will learn more about one of the four elder guardians, the Enslaver. Here, you can find all about the boss mechanics and arena.

The Enslaver is one of the four elder guardians that is required to beat before facing the Elder.

 

Fighting Mechanics

The Enslaver, much like the Constrictor is a hybrid range and melee elder guardian. The Enslaver deal physical and fire damage with strong deadly ignites that can burn down your health really quickly. Unfortunately, this elder guardian is not easy as the previous one, the Purifier.

Just like the Constrictor, it is one of the most difficult ones. You can be killed easily if you are not carefully avoiding the abilities and removing the burning ailments.

Each Elder Guardians is fought in one of three stages, each with different hazards. At higher tiers, the boss will change phases, teleporting you to a new area with different stage hazards. On yellow maps, this occurs at 1/2 health, and in red maps, this occurs at 2/3 and 1/3 health.

 

Basic Melee Attack

The Enslaver attacks with basic melee attack and deals moderate physical damage to his target.

 

Knife Toss

The Enslaver throws a barrage of knives forward that fan out left or right to the target location. These knives deal both physical and fire damage.

 

 

Backstep Knife Toss

The Enslaver quickly dashes behind and throws multiple knives at a short distance on the ground, which then explode to deal damage. These knives deal physical and fire damage but the explosions from the knives deal pure fire damage. These explosions can stack or overlap which deal tons of damage, be aware.

Sidestep Knife Toss

Same as the Backstep Knife Toss, but instead dashes sideways. Deals both fire and physical damage.

 

Knife Barrage

The Enslaver immediately jumps up into the air and throws many knives at the ground in a cone pattern, then slams down to deal heavy physical damage, which is immediately followed by the knives detonating. The Enslaver will only can this ability when his health falls below 90%.

The knives and the slam deals heavy physical damage and the explosions that follow deals pure fire damage.

 

Add Spawn

The Enslaver can cast add spawn at 50% health. The Enslaver perform this ability and summon six molten spiraling balls. The summoned monster deal minimal damage and can be killed to refill flask charges. These molten spiraling balls will disappear after 25 seconds if not killed by the players.

 

Arenas

Elder Guardians replace the map boss of the map it is occupying. A portal will appear in the boss arena leading to a side zone which contains the Elder Guardian. Their monster level matches the base map of where the Elder is occupying.

The Enslaver can randomly spawns in one of the three arenas. All three arenas has different mechanics that players are required to dodge the attacks. In Tiers 6 to 11 maps, at 1/2 health you will be teleported to another arena with different stage hazards, and the same applies for Tier 11+ maps at 2/3 and 1/3.

 

River of Hysteria

  • Has fireball projectiles that deals fire damage.
  • Randomly placed mini-volcano around the arena.

 

Desert of Dementia

  • The arena spawns tornadoes that slowly move across the arena, dealing damage over time while standing near them.
  • Larger, stationary tornadoes spawn in the arena that degenerates your health, dealing physical damage.
  • Smaller, faster tornadoes move around the arena.

Wastes of Lunacy

  • Pillars of flame spawn in the arena, dealing fire damage over time.
  • Volatile orbs of fire spawn in the arena.
  • The arena contains four rotating pillars of flame.

 

Preparing against the Enslaver

The Enslaver deals both heavy physical and high burning fire damage. You would want both physical and fire mitigations along with burning debuff removal flask.

 

Arctic Armour

Arctic Armour skill icon.pngArctic Armour is a very good buff to reduce both physical damage and fire damage taken. It can reduce up to 13% physical damage and 12% fire damage taken at Level 20 skill gem.

 

 

Basalt Flask

Basalt Flask inventory icon.pngBasalt Flask can reduce up to 15% physical damage taken while on use. One of the best and cheap defensive flasks in the game against physical damages.

 

 

Fortify

File:Fortify status icon.png

One of the best defensive buffs in game which reduce damage taken by 20%. If you are a melee build, feel free to remove one of your melee attack supports with a Fortify Support.

 

Ruby Flask

Ruby Flask inventory icon.pngGain a total of +50% fire resistance with +6% to max fire resistance. Very cheap and easy to obtain. Very effective and powerful to mitigate damage against fire damage. Dying Sun is an unique version of Ruby Flask, one of the best flask in game but also expensive and hard to obtain.

 

 

Purity of Fire

Purity of Fire skill icon.pngA defensive fire resistance aura that gives a bunch of fire resistance and most importantly, maximum fire resistance %. Total of 4% maximum fire resistance at skill gem Level 20.

 

 

Burning Removal Flask “of Dousing”

Use your Orb of Alterations to re-roll one of your flask until you get “of Dousing”. Getting a flask with burning removal is very important to counter against the Enslaver. The burning damage can stack up and deal tons of damage if not removed.

 

Fighting Against The Enslaver

To dodge these attacks or abilities from the Enslaver easier, use a fast movement skill such as Whirling Blades, Shield Charge, Leap Slam or any movement skill. The explosions from the knives can be deadly but you can avoid if by stepping away.

If you are a melee build, whenever the Enslaver casts Backstep or Sidestep Knife Toss, do not follow the boss. You would step into the explosions that the dagger forms. Stay far away until the explosions are over and continue hitting the boss. If you are a ranged build, simply kite away from the explosions and keep firing.

Knife Barrage is a strong ability and should be avoided at all times. The Enslaver will only cast this ability in front of him in a cone. You can avoid getting hit by sidestepping whenever he jumps into the air.

Always remember to use your flasks and remove burning debuff as soon as possible with your “of Dousing” flask.

 

Item Drops and Rewards

Memory Vault, Praetor Crown

Tier 6 and up only.

Vulconus, Demon Dagger

Tier 11 and up only.

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