The Hall of Illusion has undergone a significant transformation, now boasting three distinct difficulty tiers: Normal, Hard, and Expert. While the rewards and general difficulty remain consistent with the previous setup, the introduction of two new bosses at the Expert tier has drastically altered the experience, particularly for melee classes. These bosses bring with them unique mechanics that require high sustain, life leech, and a keen understanding of the environment to survive. To help you prepare for this challenge, you can always find cheap TL Lucent to enhance your gear and improve your chances of success.
In this guide, we will break down the essential mechanics of the two new bosses found in the Expert tier and provide strategies for how to overcome the challenges they present. Understanding these mechanics is crucial to ensuring a successful attempt and minimizing the risk of failure. So, let's dive into the intricate world of Hall of Illusion's Expert Tier mechanics in Throne and Liberty, focusing specifically on the two new bosses, Vance and Marta.
Vance: The Flower and Red Aura Challenge
Vance's fight revolves around a combination of managing stacks, manipulating flowers, and surviving various environmental hazards. The most notable feature of this battle is the introduction of red flowers that are integral to Vance's mechanics. At the start of the fight, one or more flowers will appear, and as the battle progresses, they will be crucial in cleansing stacks that the boss applies to the player.
The Red Aura Mechanic
At the beginning of Vance's rotation, the boss will apply a stack to the player, indicated by a special icon above your head or a red aura surrounding you. This stack is part of the core mechanic of the fight. The goal is to cleanse this stack by walking into a flower that turns green. If the flower remains red, it will apply another stack, exacerbating the debuff and leading to a rapid accumulation of damage over time (DoT). The maximum number of stacks you can accumulate is five, and each stack applies a significant DoT that cannot be healed through regular means.
To cleanse the stacks, you need to walk into flowers scattered around the arena. These flowers will occasionally turn green, which is your opportunity to cleanse one stack. The process is random, meaning you will have to walk through multiple flowers before finding one that turns green. You will need to manage the area and your movement carefully to maximize your chances of cleansing the stack.
The most effective strategy when starting the fight is to allow Vance to apply the first stack, then run around in a circular motion, tagging flowers in the small area. This ensures that you interact with enough flowers to eventually find a green one. It is recommended that you tag around six to eight flowers in one rotation to guarantee the appearance of a green flower. Keep in mind that the flowers that turn into mud will still serve to clear the area, even though they will slow you down by reducing your movement speed and attack speed. These mud flowers will disappear after a short period, so you don’t need to worry too much about them once they’ve been triggered.
Managing the Stacks and Boss Attacks
While the primary goal is to cleanse stacks by interacting with flowers, it is essential to focus on other aspects of Vance’s attacks. You can usually survive one or two stacks by relying on life leech or sustain abilities. However, as more stacks are added, the DoT damage becomes harder to outheal, and you need to be more vigilant with your cleansing process.
The best approach is to keep dealing damage while avoiding the boss's fury attacks. Vance’s normal and fury attacks can be quite dangerous, and you will need to learn when to block and dodge these attacks. One of his most important mechanics is when he rolls into the center of the arena, summoning a circle beneath you. You must stand inside this circle as it will launch you into the air. While in the air, the boss will perform an AoE wipe, and you must wait until the AoE clears before landing back down. Upon landing, the next rotation of the fight begins, and you will need to apply the same strategy of walking around the flowers to cleanse the stacks.
Key Tips for Vance:
At the start of the fight, focus on tagging flowers and ensuring that you cleanse the first stack quickly.
Use stamina buffs to keep your movement speed up, especially as you need to walk around the flowers without sprinting.
Keep a close eye on the boss’s mechanics and always dodge or block his fury attacks to minimize incoming damage.
After the launch mechanic, stay calm, avoid taking damage from the AoE, and resume the flower-cleansing strategy once you land.
Prioritize cleansing stacks early on, but do not be afraid to let the boss apply a second stack if you are confident in your sustain abilities.
Marta: Curse Stacks and Fury Attacks
Marta, the second boss introduced in the Expert tier, presents a different set of challenges for melee players. The primary mechanic of this fight revolves around the application of curse stacks, which build up over time and increase the damage the boss deals. If the curse stacks reach 10, the player will be feared, making it even more difficult to manage the fight. These curse stacks do not deal direct damage over time but do make it significantly harder to heal and increase the damage output of Marta’s attacks.
The Curse Stack Mechanic
Marta’s curse mechanic is a slow burn that can become overwhelming if not properly managed. Every time Marta attacks, there is a chance she will apply a curse stack to the player. These stacks do not immediately cause damage, but they will increase Marta’s damage output over time. Once you reach 10 curse stacks, you will be feared, and you will not be able to do anything to mitigate the incoming damage from Marta’s attacks during this period.
The best way to deal with the curse stacks is to avoid reaching the maximum of 10 stacks. Once you accumulate a certain number of stacks, be cautious and avoid taking any more damage until you are able to heal up or use a potion. There is no other way to remove the curse stacks aside from simply waiting for them to reset after each mechanic.
The Three Key Attacks to Dodge
While managing the curse stacks is important, there are also a few key attacks from Marta that you must dodge to avoid being incapacitated. These attacks are all crowd control (CC) effects that can make it much harder to survive in the fight. The three main attacks you need to watch out for are:
Normal Fury Block: Marta performs a quick fury block that can easily stun you if you’re not prepared. Make sure to dodge or block this attack.
Line Dash: Marta dashes in a straight line and fears anyone she hits. Always keep moving to avoid this attack.
Teleport and Fury Block: After a dash, Marta will teleport to your location and execute a fury block. This is another fast attack that requires a quick reaction to either dodge or block.
The best strategy for surviving Marta is to focus on dodging these three attacks and staying mobile. The rest of Marta’s attacks are manageable, and you can heal through them if you have high sustain or life leech.
Managing the Wolf Pack Mechanic
One of the most difficult aspects of Marta’s fight is the wolf pack mechanic. When Marta teleports to the center of the arena, she will summon a group of wolves that will attack you with fury attacks. These wolves can quickly overwhelm you, so it’s best to use AoE skills to clear them out efficiently. Additionally, there are two larger wolves that spawn on opposite sides of the arena and move toward Marta. These wolves need to be killed before they reach her, or they will cause significant damage.
Marta’s ultimate attack is a large AoE explosion that deals more damage depending on how many curse stacks you’ve accumulated. However, as long as you maintain above 75% health, you should survive the explosion, even at 10 stacks. The key here is to avoid the AoE and focus on managing your health during the fight.
Key Tips for Marta:
Avoid reaching 10 curse stacks at all costs, as this will lead to fear and make the fight much harder.
Learn the three key CC attacks and always dodge or block them.
Use AoE skills to clear the wolves quickly and focus on killing the larger wolves before they reach Marta.
Maintain your health above 75% during the AoE explosion to survive the damage.
After each mechanic, wait for the curse stacks to reset before healing or using potions.
Conclusion
The Hall of Illusion Expert Tier presents a challenging but rewarding experience for players willing to tackle its intricate mechanics. Both Vance and Marta bring unique obstacles to the table, requiring a combination of movement, awareness, and sustain to overcome. For melee classes, Vance’s flower mechanic and Marta’s curse stacks demand careful attention and precise execution. To give yourself an edge in these tough encounters, you can always grab cheap TnL Lucent from MMOEXP to upgrade your gear and improve your survivability. By learning the fight patterns, staying mobile, and using the environment to your advantage, you will be able to successfully conquer these bosses and claim your rewards.
As always, practice makes perfect. Learn the mechanics, refine your strategy, and you’ll soon be able to master the Expert Tier and take on whatever the Hall of Illusion throws at you. Happy hunting!
MMOexp Throne and Liberty Team