Having already cleared Valtan Gate 1, you know that Gate 2 poses a significantly greater challenge. But fear not! This comprehensive guide will walk you through the mechanics of this raid and help you conquer it with ease. By mastering Valtan Gate 2, you can earn relic-grade accessories, ability stones, engraving books, abundant gold, and materials to craft your next end-game gear, the relic sets.
Requirements for Valtan Gate 2
Being well-prepared is crucial for Valtan Gate 2. It requires perfect coordination and extensive practice to navigate its mechanics successfully. Be prepared for multiple retries. Plan for a session of 2-4 hours to clear this phase. The required item level for this raid is the same as Gate 1, iLvl 1415 (Normal) and iLvl 1445 (Hard).
Party Composition
To increase your chances of success, it’s crucial to have a well-balanced party composition. Consider the following roles:
- DPS
- Backup DPS (with counter skills)
- Gunlancer (main counter)
- Support (Pally/Bard)
In Gate 2, countering the boss is vital. Many mechanics require successful counters to progress. Additionally, having a support player who can serve as a backup counter adds an extra layer of security. This composition provides ample space, sustain, and decent damage over time, making it easier to defeat Valtan.
Recommended Combat Items
To maximize your chances of triumphing over Valtan, utilize the following items during the raid:
- HP Potion – Purple or blue potions will heal you when support players are still filling up their healing meters.
- Corrosive Bomb – Essential for breaking Valtan’s shield in the first part of the raid. Typically brought by the raid leader.
- Destruction Bomb – Each party member, excluding the raid leader, should bring this item to break Valtan’s armor swiftly.
- Time Stop Potion – An important tool for avoiding specific mechanics and saving yourself from bad positioning.
- Dark Grenade – If your DPS is low, bring this to throw at Valtan during every DPS window.
- Flame Grenade – This optional item can be replaced by dark grenades, which help free your allies from petrification.
Sidereal Skills
The sidereals Thirain, Wei, and Balthorr, which were explained in our Valtan Gate 1 guide, remain the same in Gate 2. However, it is recommended to use Balthor twice and Thirain in the final phase.
Boss Mechanics
Armor Break Phase (x160 Health Bar)
Breaking Valtan’s armor requires a specific strategy. First, lure Valtan’s charge pattern towards a specific pillar. Then, use Destruction Bombs and Weak Point skills to break the armor stack. There are four pillars in the arena, with the first one at 4 o’clock. Successfully breaking this pillar will break Valtan’s first stack. Afterward, Valtan will charge 2-3 times before moving to the next pillar. In the charging animation, the raid leader throws the corrosive bomb, and everyone else uses destruction bombs and weak point skills while Valtan is incapacitated.
For the second charge, gather at 2 o’clock and deal as much weak point damage as possible while Valtan is incapacitated. Afterward, Valtan will jump into the air, initiating a pattern that you need to dodge by running in a small circle and then moving to the edge of the arena to avoid the follow-up AoE. If you can’t reach the edge in time, use a Time Stop Potion.
At the end of the pattern, Valtan will land back in the center to prepare for his third charge. Gather at the 3rd tower (either 8 o’clock or 10 o’clock), and if you successfully destroy his armor correctly, deal damage to reduce his health bar to x130. This triggers the next main pattern.
1st Wipe Mechanic (Between x128-130 Health Bar)
At this point, Valtan will attack the ground twice. The first attack is dodgeable, but the second is a wipe mechanic. To survive, each player must pick up one blue orb during the armor-breaking phase. These orbs are located on pillars that Valtan must destroy. If done correctly, players will survive this mechanic. Alternatively, you can use Balthor after the last AoE explosion when Valtan’s health is around x130. This sidereal skill takes 5 seconds to charge and lasts for 30 seconds. By using Balthor, players can focus on dealing damage instead of dodging, leading to a smoother progression. After surviving the wipe mechanic, a cutscene occurs when Valtan’s health reaches x120. He will destroy the arena walls and unleash another major mechanic at x110.
Pillar Hug Mechanic
Valtan summons pillars in each direction and leaps into the sky. Shortly after, a small cone-shaped zone appears, along with a yellow zone. The red zone locks onto a random player and follows their movements. To avoid damage, stand behind a pillar or use a Time Stop Potion to avoid the yellow zone. The player targeted by the red zone must avoid pointing it at a pillar. Instead, position themselves between two pillars and wiggle around until the red zone stops tracking them. Dodge to a nearby pillar or use a Time Stop Potion to avoid damage.
A similar pattern is repeated when Valtan returns to the ground, but without the yellow zone. This is an excellent opportunity for DPS to deal significant damage. As for the targeted player, simply dodge out of the red zone once it stops chasing you to survive. Be cautious, though, as a pillar hit by the red zone explodes and deals significant damage.
Stage Break + Pillar Hug (x80-85 Health Bar)
Valtan leaps into the sky and returns to the ground to destroy either the outer left or right ring of the arena. A red telegraph indicates the part he will destroy. Command your party to group up in the center and move toward the opposite side as soon as you see the red telegraph. From this point on, the difficulty increases. Be careful not to fall off the ledge and die from Valtan’s attacks. Stay away from the broken part of the arena. Valtan will then target a player with a red zone. As the targeted player, try to point the red zone toward the broken part as much as possible.
2nd Wipe Mechanic (x65 Health Bar)
Similar to the main patterns, Valtan leaps into the air and lands in the center, causing a delayed explosion below each player. Group up a few steps away from the center and press the space bar as soon as he stomps on the ground to avoid taking damage. After the stomping, Valtan will prepare a charge and grab attack. Start counting as soon as the turn animation stops and use counter-attack skills on the 3rd second to interrupt this attack. Failing this will result in a raid wipe.
Stage Break + Pillar Hug (x35-40 Health Bar)
Once again, Valtan leaps into the sky and returns to the ground to destroy the remaining outer ring of the arena. There is no wall to protect you from being pushed off the ledge this time. After the red zone disappears, avoid standing in the explosion radius of the pillars.
Ghost Phase (x15 Health Bar)
Valtan charges into a portal and reappears in the center with a slam attack towards the bottom side of the arena. To survive this pattern, group up on the left side of the arena as soon as Valtan initiates the pattern. By doing so, you can force him to use the first of four strikes towards the left. Dodge away from that side as soon as you see the telegraph and return so your raid leader can use Balthorr. With this buff, you won’t be pushed off the ledge, but still try to avoid as much damage as possible.
In the Ghost phase, Valtan starts with four armor stacks (Normal Mode) or six armor stacks (Hard Mode). To deal normal damage, successfully counter the ghost clone to remove all armor stacks. After removing the armor, use Thirain to deal additional damage. Valtan then transitions into his ghost form and heals back to x40 health bar for the final showdown. Focus on dodging attacks and countering the clones. Dealing a decent amount of damage, combined with Thirain’s help, is more than enough to defeat Valtan before he goes berserk. Ensure that 4-6 people are alive during the Ghost phase to achieve victory.
Minor Mechanics
Four Orbs and Counter
To avoid a specific mechanic, four orbs will spawn at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions, continuously emitting explosions. Each of the four players should pick up one orb. In some cases, teams send six players, with two serving as backups in case of mistakes. The remaining players must be ready to counter Valtan to succeed in this mechanic.
Stagger Check
When Valtan prepares a strong attack, a yellow stagger bar appears below him. Your raid party must break his shield by dealing damage and then use stagger skills to pass the stagger check and avoid a wipe mechanic.
Counter Attacks
Valtan smashes his axe into the ground three times consecutively, requiring three successful counters. However, whenever someone counters Valtan, they become silenced and have an AoE debuff that also silences those around them. It is recommended that only one player goes near Valtan for the first two counters. Failing the third counter will trigger a raid wipe, while missing the first or second counters only deals massive AoE damage.
Petrify
At random intervals, Valtan will petrify four members of your party. To prevent a wipe, you must break the petrification of all affected members.
Parry
Valtan stands still and prepares to swing his axe for about five seconds. During this time, players must not use any stagger skills and position themselves at the hilt of Valtan’s axe. Failing to do so will result in a powerful swing knocking them out of the arena.
Overall, Valtan Gate 2 requires strong coordination and knowledge of the boss’s patterns. The first clear may take around 2-3 hours. If you enjoyed this guide and are looking for more informative content to improve your gaming, visit our Guide Page.
Stay prepared, stay focused, and conquer the challenges that await you in Lost Ark’s Valtan Gate 2!
