Welcome to the Path of Exile Uber Elder Guide. The Uber Elder is one of the most difficult boss fights in the game. In this encounter, we are going to fight both Elder and Shaper at the same time which makes it more challenging and harder to beat.
Uber Elder Spawn Mechanics
The Elder can be found on the Atlas by expanding his influence on the maps by completing within the surrounding Shaper influenced maps. In order to spawn Uber Elder, it will require that to influence the Shaper’s Realm with the Elders Influence by getting it on each of the Shaper’s Guardian maps.
You are needed to obtain all Memory Fragments for Zana to get Elder’s influence on the Shaper’s Guardian maps, which includes defeating the Shaper for the finaly memory fragment that gives the Elder Orb. Once this has been done, and you have opened the locked door within the Templar Laboratory, you will be able to have Shaper and Elder influence on your Shaper’s Guardian maps.
Encountering Uber Elder
The Uber Elder can be fought by progressing through the Epilogue quests by collecting all 15 Memory Fragments and defeating the Shaper at least once. Afterwards, when a Tier 15 map is Elder-influenced, it will cause all Tier 16 maps to become Shaper-influenced. Clear all four maps and the Elder will occupy The Shaper’s Realm. Then as usual, you need to take out all 4 of the Elder’s Guardians to summon Uber Elder.
Unlike the Shaper, there will be no mini-bosses to fight before you can encounter the Uber Elder.
Absence of Value and Meaning
The Absence of Value and Meaning is the name of the arena that the Uber Elder spawns. This arena does not have any special environmental effects like the Elder Guardians and will always have the same size and layout every time.
Fighting Mechanics and Strategy
In this Uber Elder fight, you are going to fight both Shaper and Elder at the same time. This is a very mechanical fight, which requires you to move a lot and it will take some practice. One of the bosses will be invulnerable, alternating between the two for every 25% health lost. The invulnerable boss will use less attacks than normal. When both bosses are at 25% health, both bosses will be vulnerable.
There are no special phases from either boss. At each 1/4 health lost, the Elder or Shaper will spawn adds. The Elder will summon multiple Null Portals and the Shaper channels a portal like in his regular fight. Both are invulnerable during this phase. The Elder will not use his Petrifying Arc attack and the Shaper will not use his Shadow Clone or Bullet Hell attack.
Here is the order for which Boss you fight:
- Shaper → Elder → Elder Open Portals → Shaper → Elder → Shaper Open Portals→ Shaper → Elder → Elder Open Portals → Elder & Shaper
Arena Mechanics
During the fight, there will be arena events that will occur with their effects staying for the entire boss fights.
Vortex Balls
These vortex balls will spawn and follow you until they touch you. When it does, it will spawn a vortex on the ground that deals initial cold damage and cold damage degeneration when stepping it. Always remember to keep the vortex on the side of the arena to keep the boss fight easier.
Eldritch Tentacle Adds
Floating Eldritch Tentacle adds will spawn around the arena. These attack with lightning projectiles that deal minimal damage, but can apply a shock. The main concern with these adds, is that they can drop Eldritch Decay Ground if left alive. This ground effect is dark gray and deals physical damage over time. Make sure to kill these as soon as you see them before they can drop this ground effect.
Part 1: Shaper
To start, Elder is immune and you will first fight Shaper, bringing him down to 75% life.
Shaper
- Melee Attack
- Shaper Beam
- Golden Projectiles
Elder
- Melee Attack
- Ice Spears
Strategy
Always stay mobile and dodge attacks while dealing damage on the Shaper, especially when he cast Shaper Beam or melee attacks. Shaper will only cast Golden Projectiles when you are not in melee range. Ignore Elder and dodge his attacks, pay attention to the Ice Spears attack.
Part 2: Elder
After you bring Shaper to 75% life, he will then become immune, and Elder will become vulnerable. Now you must bring Elder to 75% life.
Elder
- Melee Attack
- Ice Spears
- Ring of Death
Shaper
- Melee Attack
- Shaper Beam
- Golden Projectiles
Strategy
Ignore Shaper as he does not take damage anymore in this part but sidestep the Golden Projectiles just like in the GIF above. Stay in the middle when Elder begins to cast Ring of Death to prevent from taking massive damage. Also, try to keep the middle of the arena away from the vortex that spawns from the Vortex Balls.
Part 3: Elder Open Portal
Once they both reach 75% life, they will both become immune and Elder will perform an Open Portals move.
Elder
- Open Portals – The Elder will move to the center of the arena, open 4 portals that spawn tentacle adds for 25 seconds. During this time, the Elder and Shaper are immune. The adds are variants of the Tentacle style adds that attack with lightning projectiles that can apply shock; However, these adds do not drop Eldritch Decay. The portals can be destroyed, but they will respawn.
Shaper
The Shaper will continue to use the same attack from Part 1 and 2 which are the Melee Attack, Shaper Beam and Golden Projectiles.
Strategy
You will want to stay mobile to avoid Shaper’s move. You can destroy the portals to slow down the spawns but it will re-appear again in a moment. Focus on dodging Shaper’s attack but try to kill the adds as well so you don’t get overwhelmed by the adds.
Part 4: Shaper
After Elder’s Open Portals, you will return to fighting Shaper, bringing him to 50% life. During this part, Shaper will have a new move.
Shaper
- Melee Attack
- Shaper Beam
- Golden Projectiles
- Teleport Slam – The Shaper spins and disappears in a blanket of void, and then teleports to the player’s location, followed by a powerful slam with a large area of effect.
Elder
- Melee Attack
- Ice Spears
- Ring of Death
Strategy
Same strategy as the first Shaper fight but use your movement ability to avoid getting hit from Teleport Slam.
Part 5: Elder
When the Shaper reaches 50% life, he will be invulnerable again. Now it’s time to bring Elder to 50% life. During this part, Elder will have a new move.
Elder
- Melee Attack
- Ice Spears
- Ring of Death
- Siphon – The Elder will disappear into the ground and reappear behind your character, applying sprouting madness. This ability slows down your action speed greatly, he will then create a white outlined semi-circle where he will drain the life from you, dealing physical damage over time.
Shaper
- Melee Attack
- Shaper Beam
- Golden Projectiles
Strategy
Siphon skill is a physical damage over time that can be avoided by standing outside of the targeted area. Other than that, everything is same as the previous part. Always stay mobile to avoid from getting hit by heavy attacks.
Part 6: Shaper Open Portal
Once they both reach 50% life, they will both become immune and Shaper will perform an Open Portal move.
Shaper
- Open Portal – The Shaper will move to the upper left or right portions of the arena and open a portal, spawning monsters for 25 seconds. During this time, the Shaper & Elder are immune.
Elder
- Melee Attack
- Ice Spears
- Ring of Death
Strategy
This portal phase is much easier than the Elder’s portal, as there is only one portal source and easy monsters within it. You will just have to try and keep out of point blank range of the Elder, so you don’t get slammed by his spear projectiles. Unlike in the Shaper fight, these adds from the portal will not damage Zana, so you can take your time killing them and kiting Elder around.
Part 7: Shaper
After Shaper’s Portal, you will be back to fight Shaper to 25% life.
Shaper
- Melee Attack
- Shaper Beam
- Golden Projectiles
- Teleport Slam
Elder
- Melee Attack
- Ice Spears
- Ring of Death
Strategy
Same strategy but there will be more vortex around the map, stay safe and be aware.
Part 8: Elder
Now, you are going to need to bring Elder to 25% life. Elder will gain two new abilities in this part.
Elder
- Melee Attack
- Ice Spears
- Ring of Death
- Siphon
- Slamming Tentacle Whip – The Elder will ascend into the air and summon multiple conjoined tentacles that slams the ground around them, dealing physical damage in a small area of effect.
- Rising Slam – The Elder spins around, launching multiple cold damage projectiles that impact in a ring around him, then teleports away. He will then teleport to your location and do a slam that deals heavy physical damage.
Shaper
- Melee Attack
- Shaper Beam
- Golden Projectiles
Strategy
This is when Elder gets the remainder of his moves and the fight gets even more chaotic. You will have to pay close attention to the moves that Elder is casting to not take unnecessary damage. Do your best to get damage in on the Elder when he is performing his basic moves, and get out of the way when he goes for a Siphon, Slamming Tentacles or Rising Slam.
Part 9: Elder Open Portal
Once both Shaper and Elder reaches 25% life, they will both become invulnerable and Elder will open portal for the one last time.
Elder
- Open Portal
Shaper
- Melee Attack
- Shaper Beam
- Golden Projectiles
Strategy
Same exact part as the previous Elder open portal but more dangerous because of the arena mechanics, Vortex Balls and Eldritch Tentacle Adds.
Part 10: Elder and Shaper
After Elder’s open portal part, both bosses will be vulnerable but allowing them to use their full skill sets.
Shaper
- Melee Attack
- Shaper Beam
- Golden Projectiles
- Teleport Slam
Elder
- Melee Attack
- Ice Spears
- Ring of Death
- Siphon
- Slamming Tentacle Whip
- Rising Slam
Strategy
This is the most difficult part among the rest, with both Shaper and Elder using their full skill sets. You can attack both Shaper and Elder but you will want to take down Shaper first. The Elder will not be removed from the arena when he falls to 0% life if the Shaper is still alive. You will always want to kill Shaper first, then Elder.
Keep staying mobile and avoid all the heavy attacks and attack whenever you can.
Preparing Against the Uber Elder
Life Sustain
(Flask, HP Regeneration, Life Leech) – The Elder has many moves that degenerates your HP and it is unavoidable, you are going to need some sort of defensive life sustain.
Physical Damage Mitigations
Arctic 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 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 is 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.
Cold Damage Mitigations
Sapphire Flask is a very cheap option while being really effective to mitigates cold damage. Gain a total of +50% cold resistance with +6% to max cold resistance. Taste of Hate is an unique version of the Sapphire Flask and it is very powerful for attack-based builds. Taste of Hate has the physical damage taken as elemental property. With Taste of Hate active, a portion of physical damage is taken as cold damage.
Purity of Ice is a defensive cold resistance aura that gives a bunch of cold resistance and most importantly, maximum cold resistance %. Total of 4% maximum cold resistance at skill gem Level 20.
Movement Speed
Since there are a lot of movement needed in this boss fight, a Quicksilver Flask will come in handy. Find one that is enchanted with a bonus movement speed mod and more charges mod. They should not be hard to obtain.
Item Loot and Reward
These item can be only found from Uber Elder encounter.
