Players that get to the end of the first act inDarkest Dungeon 2are in for a very painful surprise. The symbolism is beautiful (one of thethings that make the sequel better than the first game). A giant brain initially appears as the boss. In reality, the brain, in a true state of Denial (like the name of the Confession) needs to have its shackles removed.
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The poetry is wonderful but the fight can be brutal. There are four different locks to defeat on the boss and some of them have crippling moves that can essentially end the fight after a couple of rounds.Darkest Dungeon 2doesn’t hold back with its first boss, so go into the battle with a specific strategy.
Lock Stats & Skills
Different squads may want to handle the fight differently. For players to craft a strategy that fits their trinkets, items, and squad composition, they’ll need to understand what each lock does so they can go about deciding which one to take on first. There are a few things to know.
90
4
50%
200%
20%
1
On Death Effect
Heals allies for 33%
If players know about the heal, then they can target this lock first and negate the on death effect entirely.
Two random heroes
4-6
5%
Adds 1 Stress stack, 25% chance to add one more Stress stack
One random hero
3-6
Adds 1 Vulnerable token, 75% chance to add Stun token
Entire team
0%
All healing is disabled
8-11
Applied either 4 stacks of Either Bleed, Blight, or Burn
A total disabling of healing can be fatal; if this lock is saved for last, the team will never be able to heal. Since this lock is in the first rank, it’s up to the frontliners to take it out. Consider usingthe best Hellion buildor another melee damage unit to handle the Padlock Of Wasting.
60%
10%
75%
Gives allies +20% damage
Giving allies an extra 20% damage after death is a nasty buff to deal with.
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However, the skills on the Latch Of Regret may make gamers want to take it out near the start anyhow.
All healing melee attack moves are disabled
Rank one and two heroes
10-13
Adds 1 Weakness token
If the team depends on melee attacks, it may be better to get rid of this lock early. If saved for last, players will not be able to use melee attacks for the rest of the game. A hero that can attack with either, such as on agood build for the Grave Robber, might be helpful here.
30%
40%
Gives allies +10% critical hit chance
Critical hits are never fun but this is one of the more tolerable buffs for the other locks to get so don’t be afraid to knock this shackle off early.
All healing ranged attack moves are disabled
Rank three and four heroes
6-10
Adds 1 Blind token
The Bolt Of Lamentation targets the backline and doesn’t allow ranged attacks for the rest of the game if it is saved for last. Use anideal Vestal buildto counter the damage and consider taking this out after the Padlock Of Wasting.
Gives ally hits a 10% chance to add a Blind token and a 10% chance to add a Weakness token
A 10% chance to receive either the Blind or the Weakness debuff on a hit may not sound like much but consider that each lock has a skill that can hit the entire team. This is a dangerous buff for the lock’s allies to get for the rest of the battle.
All Stress recovery is disabled
Adds 3 Stress stacks, 25% chance to add one more Stress stack
If this lock is saved for last, players won’t be able to recover from stress. The best Man-At-Arms build usually helps out in the department but even he can’t escape the debuff. Best to deal with this lock early on before stress gets out of control.
Strategy
Get rid of all Stress stacks at the previous Inn. Theoretically, players can gain sixteen Stress stacks (if they are unlucky) in a single round. That’s way too much to try and endure if bringing in previous baggage.Building good relationships with the squadwill negate some of this.
Bring in a mix of ranged and melee damage. Players will have to choose one or the other by the end of the fight but the odds are good that both with be disabled at different times. Spending a round dealing no damage is a quick way to lose the fight.
The best heroes in the gamearen’t necessarily the best heroes for this fight. Focus on building a squad that has plenty of Stress reduction and healing output. Single-target damage is way better than group damage for this particular occasion.
