Revision as of 08:24, 19 April 2020

The Blackwood Depths is a dungeon that can be accessed from the bottom of the Blackwood Caverns. It is one of the major dungeons found within the game. You will investigate the dangerous area, home to some of the most powerful and wicked creatures in all of Blackwood. Ultimately, you will search for answers in the lingering darkness, hoping to undo a fate that had befallen one individual too soon.

It is unlocked through the culmination of multiple quest lines (with a focus on Laurel's quests), after getting a room to stay in, eventually ending at Into the Abyss. After following the Shattered quest line, ending up at The Wish, and concluding at The Blackwood Depths, then the entrance to the Blackwood Depths will be open.

The recommended level for the Blackwood Depths is 39 to 40, and adventurers above 41 will be scaled down to that level for the dungeon. It is also recommended that you have at least 3 or more players before starting the dungeon. A typical group set-up will consist of one healer, one tank and one or more damage dealers.

The Blackwood Depths has two modes of difficulty. By default, the dungeon is set to Normal Mode. To change the mode from Normal to Hard, you must first break the spirit free from the spider web in the Main Access Tunnel (the top-right of the map). Then select the dialogue option "fly off to find the other spirits". The difficulty will then be set from Normal Mode to Hard Mode.

The summon stone also provides a shortcut option, allowing you to skip ahead to the rest point directly after Keraketh. This option is available once you have gathered your members, and decided to vote on this option. However, additional clearing is needed at the start to set it to Hard Mode, and you automatically forfeit your chances of obtaining Critical Care for that run.

Note that the timer for the trophy Critical Care starts once you move to the area left of Audrey after setting the mode to Hard. The message "You feel a strange sense of urgency" indicates this. Keep in mind later on that the message "You feel a sense of timelessness" will indicate a break point (that the timer has paused).

Crystalfang

Crystalfang is the first boss in the Blackwood Depths - Main Access Tunnel (B1 Spiders' Den). Through the shortcut method, it is an optional boss that is skipped, and can be re-fought later. It can be found around the middle-right area of the map. Crystalfang's defending element is Poison 1, making it strong against most elements except Fire, Water, Wind, Light, and Poison itself (at 0%). Similar to Noxxara, this boss will attempt to devour the eggs to the right of it during the fight to become more powerful.

The main abilities that Crystalfang will use are:

• Jab: Deals a large amount of damage to the target that has it's attention (the tank). Use Smite to counter this.
• Poisonous Bite: Deals a moderate amount of damage to a target and inflicts the poison debuff. Crystalfang will constantly use this ability.
• Poison Volley: Targets all players for moderate to heavy poison damage, leaving behind a poison debuff for more damage dealt over time. The effects of this ability are deadlier the more amount of damage stacks it has. Has a fast casting time.
• Entangling Webs: Randomly targets a player, usually a damage dealer or healer, causing them to be immobilized until an ally breaks them free. They can still use skills when immobilized, but cannot break free themselves.
• Poison Patch: Places a green acidic pool underneath a random player (damage dealer or healer). Constantly deals damage to players who are standing in it.
• Nourish: Crystalfang will rush to one of the eggs on the right (the one that it will target will be highlighted in green). The longer it can eat the egg, the more damage stacks (temporary) it will gain, increasing the damage dealt from every ability it uses.

Strategy

The tank should have Crystalfang facing away from the rest of the group to the left, while the rest of the group remains on the right side (so that they are closer to the eggs). Make sure that every time that you are dealing with the eggs, that you aren't pulling the additional enemies to the right of the eggs by accident. The additional damage taken from those monsters can potentially knock out your group, so be careful using AoE skills.

The tank should be responsible for smiting Jab, while the damage dealers should try to interrupt the boss's Poison Volley, in order to reduce the amount of damage taken by the group. The two abilities that it will use from time to time are Entangling Webs, and Poison Patch. Make sure that as soon as you see a web on an ally, that you try to get rid of it immediately (to prevent the boss from combining the two abilities together). If not taken care of, the web can prevent a damage dealer from attacking the egg, and let Crystalfang get more damage stacks for it's abilities.

Every so often, Crystalfang will focus it's attention from the tank to one of the random three Crystalline Hoard eggs on the right. These eggs are invincible, and can only be destroyed if it is the target egg that Crystalfang wants to eat (shown by a green marker). You must defeat Crystalfang before it can finish eating all three of the eggs, and trying to come back around for the fourth (it will enrage, seeing that there are no eggs left).

Note that the platform that you fight Crystalfang on has a hidden platform below. You cannot access this platform, but it can mess with the placement of your AoE attacks. Slightly move your cursor upwards to prevent accidentally casting it on the hidden platform instead.

Keraketh

Strategy (NM)

Strategy (HM)

Venyxia (Optional)

Strategy

Daphne

Strategy (NM)

Strategy (HM)

Accessing the Treasure Caves

Zafyre

Strategy (NM)

Strategy (HM)

Accessing the Dream (HM + Critical Care)

Notes

• The torches serve no purpose in the dungeon, however they can be lit up with the use of fire attacks.