Lost Ark Kakul Saydon Gate 3 Guide | Master the Raid with RPGStash

Introduction

Welcome to RPGStash’s comprehensive guide on the Kakul Saydon Gate 3 raid in Lost Ark. This guide is part of a three-part series that covers all the essential strategies and mechanics you need to succeed in this challenging encounter. If you’re looking for information on Gate 1 or Gate 2, check out the corresponding links provided. In this guide, we’ll delve into the specifics of Gate 3 and provide valuable insights on how to overcome its unique obstacles.

Gate 3: The Ultimate Challenge

Out of the three gates, Gate 3 poses the greatest challenge, requiring you to navigate complex mechanics rather than focusing solely on dealing damage. Managing your Madness Gauge becomes crucial, especially during the Mario Mini Game, which we’ll discuss in detail later in this article.

Requirements

To participate in the Kakul Saydon Legion Raid, you’ll need a minimum iLVL (item level) of 1475 for Normal mode and 1385 for Rehearsal mode. The only difference between the two modes is the absence of hidden phases, like Bingo, in Rehearsal mode.

Equipment

For this raid, it is essential to have a full set of relic-grade equipment, level 3 engravings, level 7-8 gems, and level 3-4 tripods. If you want to streamline the encounter and bypass certain mechanics, investing in level 10 gems is highly recommended.

Party Composition

Although any party composition can work in Gate 3, it is crucial to have two ranged DPS members to handle the Tower and Balls that spawn during specific mechanics. Additionally, having a high-stagger melee class, such as a Gunlancer or Destroyer, can greatly tip the scales in your favor during the Iron Maiden Phase.

Recommended Combat Items

Choosing the right combat items is key to success in this raid. Here are some suggestions:

• HP Potion: Opt for the Purple Potion to ensure you receive adequate healing, as supports may struggle to shield and heal you effectively.
• Whirlwind Grenade: Use this item to deal stagger damage during each Iron Maiden Phase and overcome any difficulties in staggering the boss.
• Dark Grenade: If your party is struggling to deal significant damage to the boss, assign at least two members to use this item, which reduces the target’s defense by 20% for 20 seconds.
• Sacred Bomb/Sacred Charm: These items are invaluable for removing crowd-control effects such as freeze, stun, and fear, potentially preventing a team wipe.
• Swiftness Robe: If you’re playing a slower class, equip this item to gain a 40% movement speed buff for 12 seconds.
• Marching Flag: This item is highly recommended if you plan to stack and move together during the Showtime phase. However, keep in mind that it may occupy a valuable combat item slot, so consider alternative strategies for this phase.

Sidereal Skills

To navigate the raid successfully, you’ll need to master two crucial sidereal skills: Nineveh and Azena/Innana.

• Nineveh (CTRL+Z): Use this skill when you decide not to use Azena/Innana during the Showtime phase and aim to excel in the Bingo Phase.
• Azena/Innana (CTRL+C): This primary sidereal skill is indispensable for managing your Madness Gauge and focusing on completing mechanics. Additionally, Azena/Innana protects you from being wiped during the Bingo Phase once.

Positioning

During the Showtime Phase, you have the option to either stack together and move as a group or assign specific positions and move either clockwise or counterclockwise. The equation to determine positions is Party Number x 3 = Position. Choose the positioning strategy that suits your party’s dynamics and comfort level.

Mechanics Overview

Gate 3 consists of various mechanics that you must tackle in sequence. Here’s an overview:

• x155 HP – Iron Maiden (1st Mario)
• x125 HP – Iron Maiden (2nd Mario)
• x90 HP – Showtime
• x80 HP – Iron Maiden (3rd Mario)
• x55 HP – Iron Maiden (4th Mario)
• x0 HP – Bingo (aka Gate 3.5)

Note: It is crucial for all party members to survive until the Bingo Phase in this gate.

Main Mechanics

Madness Bar: Similar to Gates 1 and 2, Gate 3 requires you to carefully manage your Madness Gauge. Filling up your gauge is essential before the Mario Mini-Game. You can achieve this in two ways:

• Flame Tower: This spawns 15 seconds before the portal appears, and you must endure its damage until you transform into a clown.
• Ball: Before each Mario phase, a ball spawns, helping you fill up your gauge without taking further damage. Destroy these balls promptly once your madness gauge reaches the desired level to prevent them from exploding, which can deal lethal damage.

Mario Mini-Game: The Mario Mini-Game is the central mechanic that demands your utmost attention. During this phase, one party member enters a portal and must destroy a specific colored ball three times while avoiding obstacles. Meanwhile, the remaining party members face the Iron Maiden Phase, where they must navigate a maze and stagger Kakul Saydon to rescue their trapped comrade.

Assignment: Before assigning the Mario Mini-Game roles, keep in mind that each player can only participate in one mini-game. Attempting two mini-games with the same player is a guaranteed wipe. Thus, it is crucial to keep all party members alive throughout the encounter.

Here’s a breakdown of the mini-games:

• Mario 1 and 2 are relatively easier and suitable for players new to the party.
• Mario 3 is the most challenging and requires exceptional mechanical skill. Assign this mini-game to a support class or a player experienced in the raid.
• Mario 4 is less difficult than Mario 3 but demands map awareness and quick decision-making.

Preparation: Before engaging in the Mario Mini-Game, follow these preparatory steps:

1. Keep an eye on your Madness Gauge and ensure it’s filled to 40-50% if you plan to participate in the mini-game.
2. Position yourself near the Flame Tower when it spawns, allowing its flames to transform you into a clown.
3. If time permits, use your clown’s Q ability on the Flame Tower, enabling your teammates to kill it before it becomes a threat.
4. A portal will appear in the middle, and you must promptly enter it to avoid a team wipe.

Note: If you lack confidence in your mini-game skills, you can practice Mario 1-4 at Trixion by speaking with Beatrice.

Rules: To succeed in the mini-game, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. You have a limited time to complete the mini-game.
2. The player cursed with a clown icon must communicate the target color they need to destroy in chat or Discord.
3. Targeting the wrong ball will stun your teammate and often lead to a team wipe.
4. Destroying the specific colored ball three times will save your teammate from the curse, preventing their demise.

Controls: During the mini-game, familiarize yourself with the controls:

• Use the left and right arrow keys to move.
• Use your Q ability to destroy enemies and balls.
• Utilize your W ability to jump.

Iron Maiden (x155 HP, x125 HP, 80 HP, and x55 HP): After a party member enters the portal and engages in the Mario Mini-Game, a cutscene ensues, and one player is randomly imprisoned in the Iron Maiden. The remaining party members must traverse the opposite side of the map, avoiding one-shot obstacles and ensuring swift movement. Quick navigation is vital, especially if your party lacks above-average stagger damage. Don’t forget to utilize Whirlwind Bombs during this phase.

Here’s what you can expect during each Iron Maiden Phase:

• 1st Iron Maiden: Vertical saws pose a threat that must be carefully handled. Stagger Kakul Saydon before the horizontal saw reaches your imprisoned teammate.
• 2nd Iron Maiden: Hooks appear on the map, capturing and immobilizing anyone they ensnare. While less punishing compared to the first Iron Maiden, staggering Kakul Saydon is still crucial, even if a teammate gets caught by a hook.
• 3rd Iron Maiden: Hooks and saws spawn simultaneously, forcing you to act swiftly and make sound decisions.
• 4th Iron Maiden: In addition to hooks and saws, levers appear at the top and bottom. Coordinate with your teammate when pulling the lever, as simultaneous activations yield no effect.

Note: A safe spot will appear towards the 6 o’clock side or 7 and 6 o’clock positions. Utilize this safe spot to time your movements effectively.

Showtime (x90 HP): During Showtime, Kakul Saydon receives a significant defense buff and proceeds to the next mechanic. The boss teleports to the center, triggering a cutscene. Players must gather at the bottom side of the map and rotate clockwise. To accomplish this successfully, follow these steps:

1. Two players will bear target patterns above their heads.
2. Move once the bomb hits the ground and maintain a continuous clockwise rotation until the second cone attack.
3. Converge near Kakul Saydon in the middle and summon Azena/Innana.
4. Dodge the yellow outline and redirect the cone indicator onto the bomb. This process occurs twice. Failure to destroy either bomb will lead to a team wipe.
5. Once you’ve successfully deflected both bombs using Kakul Saydon’s attack, you can either regroup at the bottom and move together or disperse to your respective positions (3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock).
6. When in position, Kakul Saydon will summon large yellow target marks that pursue you and your party members. Avoid contact with these marks, as they can instantly kill you.
7. When running together, employ the marching flag to outmaneuver any mechanics along the way.

Bingo (x0 HP): The Bingo Phase is a deceptive encounter that lulls your raid party into thinking the battle is won. A cutscene plays, and Kakul Saydon dances before teleporting you to a new arena with red and black tiles. Your objective is to strategically place bombs in positions where you can achieve bingo within three turns.

Here are the rules for scoring bingo:

1. Prioritize hitting bingo successfully, as each successful bingo will deal substantial damage.
2. On every third bomb, Saydon will teleport to the top and initiate a stagger check. Completing a bingo (a full row of skulls) during this check negates the stagger bar and grants ample time for DPS. Take advantage of this opportunity to unleash maximum damage without concern for lethal patterns.
3. Bombs will appear above your head, and you have five seconds to find the optimal placement.
4. Upon detonation, skull tiles will spawn in an ‘X’ pattern.
5. Achieving a bingo on the third bomb (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) renders you invincible and safeguards your raid from a wipe.
6. If you manage to score 3-4 bingos and utilize Nineveh, you successfully complete the raid.

Note: If you make a mistake during bingo, you can use Azena/Innana once to rectify the situation.

Minor Mechanics

Now that we’ve covered the major mechanics of the boss encounter, let’s address some minor mechanics and effective countermeasures:

• HP Reversal: If you fail to deplete the boss’s health bar before the Mario mechanics, an HP Reversal occurs. A circle appears beneath your character, and you must sustain damage until the 15-second debuff dissipates. If you’re a Mayhem Berserker, this mechanic poses no threat, and you can continue dealing damage unhindered.
• Laser: Kakul Saydon unleashes a rotating laser either clockwise or counterclockwise. Seek safety behind him to avoid being hit. Touching the laser inflicts a fear debuff, inhibiting movement. Use a Sacred Bomb or Sacred Charm to remove the debuff for affected teammates.
• Rainbow: Kakul Saydon teleports to the middle, claps, and generates rainbow effects two or four times.
• Vomit: Kakul Saydon vomits a rainbow, increasing your Madness Gauge. Utilize this opportunity to unleash DPS, as the boss remains stationary for a significant duration.
• Clap: Like the rainbow mechanic, the boss claps and teleports randomly across the map. During this pattern, hooks or saws may spawn. If hooks appear, it’s your DPS window. Activate your damage buff, throw dark grenades, and employ high-damage skills. If saws manifest, remain in the center and focus on dodging, as contact with them results in instant death.
• Counter Pattern 1: When Kakul Saydon backsteps, exploit your counter skills to create a DPS window. Note that this counter pattern is challenging to execute and may not be worth pursuing if you find yourself in an unfavorable position.
• Counter Pattern 2: This counter pattern is easier to execute but carries severe consequences. Kakul Saydon targets a player for a short duration, leaving them with a fire debuff. You can employ a Sacred Bomb or Sacred Charm to mitigate the effects.

Note: These minor mechanics may occur simultaneously with major mechanics, so remain vigilant.

Conclusion

Mastering Kakul Saydon’s mechanics requires patience and a focused mindset. Unlike the time-based mechanics in other Legion Raids, Gate 3 relies heavily on RNG-based skill sets. Clear communication, adaptability, and a firm grasp of the strategies outlined in this guide are essential for success. Stay tuned for more raid guides and class-specific tips from RPGStash.

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