Overview
- Death Metal
- This walkthrough deals with the elite plus version of the Dark Knights: The Source Wall raid. That version is usually referred to as SWE+ by players.
- A lot of DCUO content will not require an advanced walkthrough, but this is one of the rare exceptions, due to its difficulty and the second boss encounter in particular.
- This guide will not include the third and fourth boss encounters. These can be found in the main walkthrough, as they don't require an advanced walkthrough.
Advanced Walkthrough
- You enter the instance and run through a short hallway to where Perpetua looms over you. The raid takes place for the most part in one large area.
- You will fight 2 waves of adds, before a cutscene introduces the first boss encounter.
- Overarching mechanics in all boss fights (while Perpetua is big):
- 1. Giant Perpetua's Eyebeam - Perpetua may point at the bottom left or bottom right of the room before spawning a large Source Beam and moving it across the room. This must be avoided or it will do heavy damage and probably KO. For best practice try not to stand at a beam spawn point (the bottom left/right of the room) at all times during the fight and always have situational awareness of Perpetua and what is happening around you.
- 2. Planet Strike - Perpetua may spawn several meteors on the group - this is indicated by a large pink AOE. Players should move away from this or it will KO on impact. These may also spawn more frequently than in other versions of the raid.
- 3. Source Eruption - Perpetua may make the ground light in some areas*. This should be avoided as it will spawn a source orbital attack in the area of effect. If players are directly affected by this it most likely KO or do very heavy damage. (Players usually refer to these as 'cracks' due to the design of the AOE)
- *Note: Be careful if you use a Supply Drop while having a levelled Philosopher's Stone artifact equipped, as the animation from the artifact proc may limit visibility of Source Eruption AOEs as they appear.
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Philosopher's StoneFirst boss: Source Titans: Kerbak, Jakkec, Theon and Proma
- Recommended roles for elite plus: 4 tanks, 1 controller, 1 heal, 2 DPS
- Note: In Elite Plus it is now possible with more recent gear to run with 3 tanks, 1 controller, 1 heal and 3 DPS, if the damage is sufficient in the group and the tanks are competent enough to stay alive for a bit longer. However 4 tanks may still be preferred for some endgame groups.
- Very competent groups may even be able to run with 2 Tanks, 1 controller, 1 heal and 4 DPS, if some of the non-tanks help with some counters.
- On PS, Hold Square to lunge
- On PS, Hold R1 to block
- Mechanics:
- (Remember the overarching Perpetua AOE mechanics are present in this fight)
- 1. After a time adds will spawn. Be especially careful of the Fearseeker, as this may do a reflect skull ability. Be also careful of the Skullcrasher adds, as they may charge and KO any affected players on impact. If these adds aren't defeated then more shouldn't spawn, so as long as players can mind mechanics like charge/reflect then they can just focus on the Source Titan sub bosses. Preferably defeat any Skullcrashers if they spawn as they are likely to make the fight more difficult if they charge.
- 2. Source Eyebeam: All of the Source Titan bosses may have a chance of individually pointing at a particular player while having a skull icon above their head. They will then fire a Source beam at that player. This should be blocked or evaded or it will do big damage. Other players should also avoid any AOEs left behind by this.
- 3. Frost Blast - Jakkec/Proma/sometimes Kerbak may do a skull icon above their head before doing a frost cone attack. Players should not be in front of this as it will do big damage, however this can be countered if a player lunges the boss when this occurs.
- 4. Shamed Ascension - Proma/Kerbak (after losing some health) will look at a player with a skull icon above their head, and after a delay they will fire a light beam at that player, dealing damage and stunning the affected player in the air if the player blocks. If the player doesn't block it will KO the affected player. When the affected player breaks out of the stun they will KO nearby players if they aren't blocking.
- 5. Eternal Anguish - Proma may do a skull icon while shaking her fist. Players should block when this occurs as it is followed by her Eternal Anguish AOE ability. This will KO players who aren't blocking. There is usually around 3 ticks of damage while this attack occurs, however it is only the initial stomp/tick of damage which should be blocked. NOTE: Depending on the damage of the group towards Proma it is possible for Proma to do this ability 1-4 times in succession, so prepare accordingly - block the initial stomp and the heal should heal the group where possible.
- 6. Theon may charge the group on occasion, this is indicated by a skull icon. This does moderate damage and some knock back. He may then stomp the ground ( Melee Stomp). It is best practice to avoid Theon while he charges or does this. Kerbak may also charge the group but less often.
- 7. Demoralize - Jakkec may spawn a golden AOE field, this does heavy damage over time if players are stood in it. It will also ground and slow movement of players that are stood in it. This is mostly likely to spawn on a player in mid or close range, so ensure that you are max range from Jakkec especially if you are a non-tank role.
- NOTE: When you defeat a Source Titan sub boss (Kerbak/Jakkec/Theon/Proma) they will have a cog (with a timer) which you have to interact with. If you for some reason don't activate the cog before its timer runs out the sub boss will respawn again at approximately 45% health. Anyone in the group can do this but it is preferred for a controller or second tank to activate the cog while the heal is healing the group and the DPS are burning the next sub boss or any adds that might be of risk to the group.
- Tips:
- For loot runs it is preferred to KO Kerbak first, then Theon, then Proma and then Jakkec last.
- If the group is trying for the Remember the Titans (Elite Plus) feat, it may be best practice to start with lowering the health of Jakkec first, then Theon, then Kerbak and then Proma last. The reason for this is that once Proma/Kerbak have lost some health they will start to use Shamed Ascension, which will complicate the boss encounter considerably if they are doing this earlier as they are still active in the fight. Proma additionally has her Eternal Anguish ability, so this is why Proma would be the last boss to focus damage towards. Once all sub bosses are at low health then proceed to KO them and collect their rubble at the same time. Voice chat will be advised.
- Also related to above, it is possible for both Kerbak and Proma to use Shamed Ascension at the same time. Make sure to callout mechanics as it can get tricky especially if one of these sub bosses are off screen, or not the boss the group is focusing damage towards.
- The tanks will need to be competent in this fight, spreading out with their respective bosses while minding beam spawns and other overarching AOE mechanics. This is especially the case if doing the Remember the Titans (Elite Plus) feat.
Second boss: Dark Knights (Devastator, Dawnbreaker, The Drowned, The Merciless, Red Death, Murder Machine)
- 5 will spawn in total, starting with 3 at the beginning of the boss encounter.
- Recommended roles for elite plus: 4 tanks (at least 1 who can DPS), 1 heal, 1 controller, 2 DPS
- On PS, Hold R1 to block
- Warning: The elite plus version of this boss fight is one of the most difficult boss fights in the entire game.
- Mechanics:
- (Remember the overarching Perpetua AOE mechanics are present in this fight)
- Devastator
- 1. Breath Attack - Devastator may do a cone AOE attack, this should be avoided - indicated by a red AOE tell. If you are in the area of effect you will take damage over time in all versions of the raid but it shouldn't KO with sufficient heals - even then it is unnecessary damage to take so just avoid it if possible.
- 2. Spike Wave - Devastator may point at a player while having a skull icon above his head. He will then do his Spike Wave cone attack. This will do heavy damage/KO and knock back if any players in front of him don't block or evade this mechanic.
- 3. Sometimes if a player is close enough Devastator will point at a player while having a skull icon above his head. Devastator will then jump over and do a stomp attack. This will KO anyone who is directly affected by this attack, so players should move out of the way.
- - In elite plus Devastator may do 2 and 3 back to back. It is unlikely that he will do 2 Spike Waves back to back or jump to a player twice back to back but in any case prepare accordingly.
- Dawnbreaker
- It is best practice to not be in melee range of Dawnbreaker, due to some of his skulls including Mangle or Outrage. These can do heavy damage or KO if the player is too close.
- Dark Construct Strike - Dawnbreaker may do a skull icon before raising his fist in the air. Orbitals will spawn on all players in range - these should be avoided straight away or they will do heavy damage/KO.
- The Drowned
- 1. Spinning Cyclone - The Drowned may do a skull icon before spinning in the air. Does heavy damage at melee range.
- 2. The Drowned may do a skull icon before activating a Bubble shield that reflects incoming damage from players.
- 3. The Drowned (after she has lost some health) will have a skull icon above her head and wait for a short time. Players should block. The Drowned will then do her Call of the Deep attack on all nearby players in range. Any non-tank players that don't block this WILL be KO'd. Block for a second or two longer after the animation as sometimes a brief damage over time will occur on nearby players after the animation.
- The Merciless
- Shockwave: The Merciless may do a skull icon before doing a slam cone attack. The tank should ensure that The Merciless isn't facing the rest of the group, and block.
- Divine Retribution: The Merciless will do a skull icon, before raising his sword in the air and trying to pull players in. This can be annoying with other AOE mechanics and can lead to tricky RNG situations depending on the timing or positioning of players. This may also deal damage over time to players in close range to The Merciless when this occurs.
- Sometimes The Merciless will raise his sword in the air and do a mild Chain Lightning attack, which does mild to moderate damage to all players in range and some crowd control.
- The Merciless (after he has lost some health) will spawn unattackable Godkillers, which will follow group members, doing knock back and damage over time ( Spinning Cleave*). These should be avoided if possible. These should disappear after The Merciless is defeated. In Elite Plus as the fight is longer they may disappear then re-appear after a time while The Merciless is active. *(Players may refer to these as 'blades', 'axes', 'spinning axes' or 'spinning blades')
- Red Death
- 1. If you have a red arrow, Red Death will point at you then teleport to you and do moderate melee damage ( Super Speed Multi-Punch). This should be evaded.
- 2. If you are melee/midrange, sometimes Red Death will hard stun you and you will need to spam a button to break out.
- Murder Machine
- 1. Murder Machine will do a skull icon before shooting projectiles in the direction he is facing ( Bolt Barrage). He will then throw several grenades on the floor in front of him ( Grenade Launcher). If you are in front of him you should go max range and block. If the grenades hit you they will knock back and do significant damage or most likely KO.
- 2. Murder Machine will do a skull icon before sitting down and generating a shield. This should be countered/lunged by a player or it will heal MM and then do significant AOE damage to anyone in range. Try not to give Murder Machine immunity when he does this.
- 3. Sometimes Murder Machine will do a Cable Smash ability which may do heavy damage and knock back anyone in midrange of that ability.
- Other mechanics:
- Rebuked Isolation and Infectious Ire (below) usually occurs some way into the fight. This is usually from shortly after the last Dark Knight spawns (second additional boss) with Destroyer adds onwards. Rebuked Isolation will occur first and then Infectious Ire after.
- Rebuked Isolation: One player will receive a green stack marker with a timer. As many players as possible should group up on this player in time before the timer ends to mitigate incoming damage (this occurs when the timer runs out), while minding other mechanics. This WILL cause a group wipe if no or not enough players stack on the affected player as the timer runs out.
- Infectious Ire: Most/all players will receive a red proximity marker with a timer. Players should spread out away from each other or it will do significant damage or KO nearby players, if the timer runs out when the affected player is close to other players.
- Destroyer adds will spawn when a Dark Knight sub boss gets to low health. These will need to be countered or they will do large raid wide damage to the group ( Atomic Boom). Atomic Boom may also heal nearby adds or Dark Knight sub bosses. More information on strategies for this later.
Third boss: One Who Laughs
- (This can be viewed in the main guide here)
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hereLast boss: Perpetua
- (This can be viewed in the main guide here)
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hereAll roles:
- Be in voice chat, either in-game or preferably via the Discord app.
- Be focused, call out certain mechanics especially if they are away from the main group.
- Try to stay alive as much as possible and minimise any mistakes made from the various mechanics in the fight. Stack for Rebuked Isolation, spread out for Infectious Ire, block Call of the Deep/Spike Wave, avoid Dark Construct Strike/Bolt Barrage/Grenade Launcher/Source Eruption/Planet Strike/Giant Perpetua's Eyebeam, etc. It is a long fight, 20-30 minutes or perhaps longer.
- If you artifact swap, make sure you don't go into your inventory when certain mechanics are about to happen. Your priority is survivability as that will bring you closer to being successful in the boss encounter.
- It will be best practice if all players have the Super-Speed movement mode. Any other movement mode will put you at a significant disadvantage.
- Stay focused and respectful towards your fellow group members.
- In some cases you will need multiple armories set up, namely in case a player is out during the middle of the boss encounter. A DPS should for example have support role armories set up so they can switch to that support role if that support role is no longer active in the fight. A healer may consider an Eye of Gemini spam loadout at the start of the fight, but may want an armoury focused on pure healing ready for the middle of the boss encounter. A Tank will be expected to have DPS armories and may need to DPS early/late in the boss encounter. Make sure these preparations are complete before entering the elite plus version of Dark Knights: The Source Wall.
- You may consider Compound Omega consumables for added buffs for the group. Make sure you stock up on these and have them in your inventory before entering the elite plus version of Dark Knights: The Source Wall, and have one active every 30 minutes for the entire group.
- If the group is attempting the Source of Life (Elite Plus) feat, ie. no deaths during the entire raid, you may want to consider levelling the Lazarus Pit Water artifact and having it equipped. While this feat is rather difficult and few players have acquired it legitimately, having this artifact levelled and equipped will give players a considerable advantage towards this feat than players who don't have this artifact. That isn't to say this feat isn't doable without, it would just be extremely difficult and the group would need to perform perfectly for the entire raid.
DPS:
- Make sure you have competent damage, be it might or precision damage. Have max artifacts, including Eye of Gemini, Transformation Card, Strategist Card, and other artifacts you may find useful. Max allies also, such as Krypto or House of Legends Bot as a combat ally, and 2 of the following: Batman Who Laughs (Luck of the Draw passive), Shazam (The Power of Shazamily passive) or Emperor Aquaman (Seaside Restart passive)
- Make sure you manage your damage output in certain situations. When a sub boss gets to a certain amount of health Destroyers will spawn, and earlier in the fight a new sub boss will spawn also. Make sure this doesn't occur when certain mechanics are ongoing as this will add further complications to the fight. For example don't spawn Destroyers or new sub bosses while God Killer - Spinning Cleave or Rebuked Isolation are active. You may need to stop damage altogether and wait for certain mechanics to occur or after they have occurred before damaging the boss further to then prompt the next subboss/Destroyer adds to spawn.
- Avoid any damage or splash damage towards The Drowned (if she is in the boss lineup) until the very end of the fight if possible. This is because once she has lost a certain amount of health she will start to use her Call of the Deep ability.
- Make sure to counter/lunge and defeat Destroyer add spawns as soon as possible (once the controller has pulled them to a safe location), preventing them from using their Atomic Boom ability.
- You may be expected to help with reviving players in certain situations.
Controller:
- You will be expected to have max artifacts, including Claw of Aelkhund, Amulet of Rao, either/or Cog of Mageddon/Tetrahedron of Urgrund (preferably both). You would have Claw in your third slot and inventory swap for Cog/Tetra depending on the type of DPS in the group. There are other artifacts to consider and inventory swap in also.
- You will also be expected to have a reasonably levelled Lasso of Truth artifact, and have the Iconic Power Mesmerising Lasso specced and included in your loadout. You will need this ability when Destroyers spawn so you can pull them to a safe spot so they can be defeated and countered so they don't use their Atomic Boom ability.
- Pay attention to what is going on around you, especially as it is very likely that you will be inventory swapping artifacts the most in the group. This is especially the case during the middle part of the boss encounter.
- Be ready to revive players, but do so carefully while minding other mechanics.
Healer:
- You will be expected to have the following artifacts maxed: Eye of Gemini, Scrap of the Soul Cloak, Page of Destiny, Purple Healing Ray, perhaps The Transformation Card also.
- While it would be preferred by the DPS for you to run 3 supercharges (Speed Drain, Pheromone Bloom and Metabolic Boost) and have Scrap of the Soul Cloak/Eye of Gemini/Purple Healing Ray equipped in order to spam Castor's Watch and provide supercharge regeneration for nearby players, your priority needs to be keeping the group alive. The tanks in particular will likely take significant damage from their respective bosses. It may well be that you will prefer to pure heal (only run 1 supercharge and have Page of Destiny equipped instead of Scrap of the Soul Cloak), especially during the middle of the boss encounter. Survivability is the biggest priority, and your heals may be make or break for the group.
- You may be expected to lunge/counter the Destroyer adds when the Controller has pulled them to a safe spot. However given how chaotic these parts of the fight can be it is better that you focus on healing the group.
- You may be expected to help with reviving players in certain situations, however preferably you should be focused on healing and keeping the remaining players alive.
Tank:
- You will be expected to have the following artifacts maxed: Eye of Gemini, Mystic Symbol of the Seven, Manacles of Force
- You will be expected to have the Superman ally maxed (or at least reasonably levelled) and have its Inspiring Breakout passive active. You will also need a Group Breakout ability in your loadout in order to proc the passive. This will provide some shielding for the group and will make a considerable difference in this boss encounter.
- It is especially important that tanks are on mic/voice chat, especially if you are not close to where the main group is positioned. If you get the Rebuked Isolation marker, you will need to ask another tank to take aggro of your boss for a short time while you stack with the group. Text communication will not be adequate, nor will expecting other players to telepathically know that you need to stack with the group and have your boss be aggro'd by someone else. Additionally for certain bosses you may see mechanics that others in the group may not. Examples: if you are tanking The Drowned and they are doing Call of the Deep, if you are tanking Murder Machine and they are directing Bolt Barrage/Grenade Launcher towards the main group, if you are tanking Devastator and they are directing Spike Wave towards the main group, if you are tanking The Merciless and they are doing their pull ability, etc. You should call these out as and when they occur, preferably via voice chat - a clear callout that gives the other players enough time to prepare/position accordingly and block if necessary. Don't say any vague callouts such as "Watch out!", make sure your callouts are precise, helpful and to the point.
- You may be expected to run the Dash Attack supercharge in your loadout. This will proc Castor's Watch via your equipped Eye of Gemini and heal you somewhat, as well as allow you to run quickly in a short time. This may be useful in kiting the boss you are tanking, or getting to your group faster if you need to stack for Rebuked Isolation. Some bosses may be able to ground you however, which will prevent you for a time from running this supercharge - so have this in mind. For Atomic Tanks you may consider the supercharge Mass Density instead.
- You may be expected to give immunity for the group, especially if The Merciless is active and does his pull. This can be popped via group breakout, which you will need anyway to proc the Inspiring Breakout passive/shield. The Merciless' pull can be one of the most complicated parts of the entire boss encounter due to other mechanics that can occur at the same time, in line of sight between the players and The Merciless.
- You will be expected to have a fairly good understanding of how to tank, as this boss encounter is one of the more challenging in DC Universe Online to tank, and half the group (at least) will be tanking. Having a breakout trinket equipped as an example. Knowing how/when to counter a boss with their weapon melee/range abilities (outside of mechanics), and knowing how to roll-dodge and timing that correctly to evade damage in certain situations. Knowing also how to rotate your shields, or use your power at its best. Knowing how to kite bosses and keep aggro of them.
- Some tanks (early/late in the fight) may be expected to DPS. (See DPS notes above). Communicate this with your team either beforehand or depending on the situation later in the boss encounter. If you are DPS at the start of the boss encounter, ensure that you switch to tank before the first new sub boss spawns once one of the original line-up of bosses is at low health.
- You will be expected to spread out with your respective bosses. One tank in the left of the room with their boss, one tank in the right of the room with their boss, and the other two tanks with their respective bosses in the middle of the room spread out from each other. Mind ongoing AOE mechanics, especially if you are in the left/right of the room close to where Giant Perpetua's Eyebeam is likely to spawn. Make sure you have good situational awareness.
- Many of the above notes for Tank will also apply for the first boss encounter (Source Titans).
Strategies for second boss encounter in the Elite Plus version
- Given how variable, long and difficult this boss fight is or can be, I am going to add strategies below to suggest what players should do.
- Below I will outline three possible scenarios, each with in-depth walkthroughs on step by step how to approach these boss combos.
Scenario 1: Devastator, The Drowned and Dawnbreaker out first, with Red Death spawning first and The Merciless spawning later
- You will start the fight with 3 tanks, 1 heal, a dps/tank, a controller, and 2 other DPS. The tanks should be spread out with their respective bosses.
- You will start to damage Devastator first on the left/top left side of the room. Try not to do any splash damage towards The Drowned. Watch out for AOEs and if Devastator points with a skull icon at the group you will need to move well out of the way of where he is facing, as he will either jump or do his Spike Wave ability, either of which will KO players in the area of effect. Don't just stand and block as it is very likely that these two abilities will KO anyway, although with recent episode gear it is possible to block Spike Wave. Try not to take damage from the red AOE (Breath Attack), it won't KO but it is unnecessary damage over time and may take away crucial heals from one of the tanks.
- Once Devastator's health is around the second 'a' of his name the group will then carefully switch to the top right side of the room, but not too quickly as Dawnbreaker may do melee abilities which will KO if players are affected. This is where the core group will stay for the remainder of the fight for the most part (other than tanks). Close to the left of where Perpetua is facing is a crucial safe spot, so remember this for later. For Dawnbreaker, avoid being too close to him and avoid his orbital strike abilities - you will know if he is doing this as he will wait with a skull above his head before raising his fist in the air.
- Try to avoid spawning Red Death and the Destroyer adds while Dawnbreaker is about to, or in the process of spawning orbitals, so slow damage when Dawnbreaker starts to get less than 35% health. In addition at this stage the DPS/tank should switch to tank ready for the Dark Knight sub boss spawn. Around this time overarching mechanics will start. Avoid Planet Strike AOEs (meteors), Source Eruptions (cracks) or Perpetua's beam. Be very careful of being stood in the southwest or southeast of the room where the beam spawns are likely to occur, and try to avoid standing in these areas if possible.
- While the 4th tank takes Red Death, the controller should have Mesmerising Lasso in their loadout and the Lasso of Truth artifact equipped, and target and pull the two Destroyer adds to the aforementioned safe spot. Players should DPS and KO these as soon as possible, while the Controller and either another DPS or the heal (depending on the situation) help with lunging the Destroyer adds to stop them from using their primary ability. While doing this again continue to be careful of overarching mechanics and Dawnbreaker's orbital strike AOEs. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated proceed to KO Dawnbreaker and navigate around any AOE mechanics.
- At this stage the tank with Devastator will swap to the right side of the room, so players should be patient at this time and avoid AOE mechanics. The player who was tanking Dawnbreaker will get ready for the new Dark Knight sub boss to spawn. Once Devastator is securely on the right side of the room away from other sub bosses players can resume DPSing him, however ensure that the next Destroyer/Merciless spawn does not coincide with Devastator pointing at the group with a skull above his head.
- Once Merciless is out and has been aggro'd by the tank, the controller should once again use Mesmerising Lasso/Lasso of Truth to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe area while avoiding AOE mechanics and again these should be KO'd as soon as possible and lunged by the controller and a dps or Heal so they don't use their primary ability. Shortly after Rebuked Isolation will occur for the first time on a random player. If it is a player in the main group the group should stack close to the safe spot while avoiding AOE mechanics, If it is a tank on the other side of the room, then they will need to ask another tank (in voice chat ideally) to take aggro of that sub boss while they run over and stack with the group. The group may need to move closer to the middle for a brief time depending on if the tank with Rebuked Isolation is grounded. Once the stack has occurred, the group should resume lunges/KOing the Destroyer adds but ensure that they are spread out for Infectious Ire, which will affect most or all players in the group. As well as this avoid other AOE mechanics and avoid standing in the beam spawns. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated KO Devastator, while minding AOE mechanics and keeping an eye on Rebuked Isolation. Again after stack spread out ready for Infectious Ire.
- (I should also add that periodically Red Death will teleport to the group and do melee attacks. Just stay away from him and the tank who has aggro of Red Death should maintain that aggro. It is also advisable for players to not stand in line of sight between Red Death and his tank.)
- After Devastator is defeated the group should focus on defeating The Merciless, as his pull ability is one of the most dangerous mechanics in the fight due to all the AOE mechanics. Again continue to adhere to the Rebuked Isolation mechanic and spread out for the Infectious Ire after. The tank should ensure that when The Merciless does his slam that The Merciless isn't facing the group. When The Merciless does his pull attack by raising his sword, this should be called out at the earliest possible opportunity. The tank should pop immunity and everyone must block, especially if any overarching AOE mechanics are active, or Rebuked Isolation/Infectious Ire. God Killers will also spawn periodically, which do damage over time and knock back players. Just try to avoid these if possible, at least so the heal can focus on healing the tanks that need the heals the most.
Scenario 1: Devastator, The Drowned and Dawnbreaker out first, with Red Death spawning first and The Merciless spawning later (continued 2)
- Once The Merciless is at lower health, try not to spawn Destroyer adds while The Merciless is using his pull ability, or while God Killers are active, or while Rebuked Isolation is active on a player. Once it is safe to do so, lower The Merciless' health so Destroyer adds spawn, so the controller can use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe spot and again, KO them as soon as possible, watch lunges, and watch out for AOE mechanics. This is where it is very important for the tank to pop immunity if The Merciless does his pull, as the group won't be able to stay in block for too long as they will need to lunge the Destroyer adds. Again remember to spread out for Infectious Ire and avoid any AOE mechanics while doing so. This is arguably one of the trickiest parts of the boss fight, so if you get past this with little issue you should have a good chance of clearing the fight. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated defeat The Merciless, again while minding AOE mechanics, and remembering to block his pull.
- Once you have defeated The Merciless you will then focus on Red Death, which should be straight forward. However at this stage it is very likely that The Drowned will start to use her Call of the Deep ability (as a result of her health being lowered by tank counters and perhaps splash damage early in the fight), so it is imperative that this is called out in time and everyone blocks this attack so it doesn't cause unnecessary KO's. Red Death just avoid being too close to him, but unless the tank loses aggro this shouldn't cause too many issues. Again avoid AOE mechanics, and remember to stack at the safe spot for Rebuked Isolation, then spread out for Infectious Ire. Once Red Death gets to fairly low health Destroyer adds will spawn - so just ensure this doesn't occur during Rebuked Isolation or while The Drowned is about to do her Call of the Deep attack. Again when the Destroyer adds spawn the controller should use Mesmerising Lasso/Lasso of Truth to pull the adds to the safe spot, so they can be lunged KO'd. Again mind the AOE mechanics, make sure to block Call of the Deep, and carefully stack up for Rebuked Isolation and then spread out for Infectious Ire. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated then KO Red Death.
- At this stage if all players are still in 1 or 2 of the tanks may wish to switch DPS, but discuss with the group first.
- The Drowned should be fairly straight forward as long as players evade AOE mechanics, don't stand too close to her, and continue to stack for Rebuked Isolation and then spread for Infectious Ire. And of course block Call of the Deep. 2 tanks (at least) are still recommended here in case the tank primarily tanking The Drowned gets Rebuked Isolation and needs to stack with group. Try to avoid spawning Destroyer adds when The Drowned is about to do her Call of the Deep attack, or while Rebuked Isolation is active. Once they spawn the controller should use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull them to the safe spot, where they can be lunged/damaged. Again mind other AOE mechanics, stack up for Rebuked Isolation, spread for Infectious Ire, and block for Call of the Deep. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated proceed to defeat The Drowned.
Scenario 2: Devastator, Murder Machine and Dawnbreaker out first, with Red Death spawning first and The Drowned spawning later
- You will start the fight with 3 tanks, 1 heal, a dps/tank, a controller, and 2 other DPS. The tanks should be spread out with their respective bosses.
- You will start to damage Devastator first on the left/top left side of the room. Watch out for AOEs and if Devastator points with a skull icon at the group you will need to move well out of the way of where he is facing, as he will either jump or do his Spike Wave ability, either of which will KO players in the area of effect. Don't just stand and block as it is very likely that these two abilities will KO anyway - however with recent episode gear it is possible to block Spike Wave. Try not to take damage from the red AOE (Breath Attack), it won't KO but it is unnecessary damage over time and may take away crucial heals from one of the tanks. Make sure the group is aware at all times of when Murder Machine is doing his grenade attacks, especially if these are directed towards the group, and communicate this clearly so players can stay at a safe distance from any grenades.
- Once Devastator's health is around the second 'a' of his name the group will then carefully switch to the top right side of the room, but not too quickly as Dawnbreaker may do melee abilities which will KO if players are affected. Again be very careful of Murder Machine's grenades, and the tank with Murder Machine should ensure there is sufficient safe space in the top right of the room for the DPS, controller and healer to stand to gain a safe distance from grenade attacks. This is where the core group will stay for the remainder of the fight for the most part (other than tanks). Close to the left of where Perpetua is facing is a crucial safe spot, so remember this for later. Patience is key to Murder Machine, and when he starts to do his grenades towards the group players should move immediately to the very top right corner or far enough away from Murder Machine's grenades. Do not just stand within range of his grenade attacks, and avoid at all times being closer than max range as a non-tank as there is little time to react when the grenade skull icon begins.
- Try to avoid spawning Red Death and the Destroyer adds while Murder Machine is about to, or in the process of spawning grenades, so slow damage when Murder Machine starts to get less than 35% health. In addition at this stage the DPS/tank should switch to tank ready for the Dark Knight sub boss spawn. Around this time overarching mechanics will start. Avoid Planet Strike AOEs (meteors), Source Eruptions (cracks) or Perpetua's beam. Be very careful of being stood in the southwest or southeast of the room where the beam spawns are likely to occur, and try to avoid standing in these areas if possible.
- While the 4th tank takes Red Death, the controller should have Mesmerising Lasso in their loadout and the Lasso of Truth artifact equipped, and target and pull the two Destroyer adds to the aforementioned safe spot. Players should DPS and KO these as soon as possible, while the Controller and either another DPS or the heal (depending on the situation) help with lunging the Destroyer adds to stop them from using their primary ability. While doing this again continue to be careful of overarching mechanics and Murder Machine's grenade attacks. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated proceed to KO Murder Machine and navigate around any AOE mechanics, and continue to distance from grenade attacks and call any out if they are directed towards the group or another tank.
- At this stage the tank with Dawnbreaker will swap to the right side of the room, so players should be patient at this time and avoid AOE mechanics. The player who was tanking Murder Machine will get ready for the new Dark Knight sub boss to spawn. Once Dawnbreaker is securely on the right side of the room away from other sub bosses players can resume DPSing him, however avoid being too close to him and avoid his orbital strike abilities - you will know if he is doing this as he will wait with a skull above his head before raising his fist in the air.
- Try to avoid spawning The Drowned and the Destroyer adds while Dawnbreaker is about to, or in the process of spawning orbitals, so slow damage when Dawnbreaker starts to get less than 35% health.
- Once The Drowned is out and has been aggro'd by the tank, the controller should once again use Mesmerising Lasso/Lasso of Truth to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe area while avoiding AOE mechanics and again these should be KO'd as soon as possible and lunged by the controller and a dps or Heal so they don't use their primary ability. Shortly after Rebuked Isolation will occur for the first time on a random player. If it is a player in the main group the group should stack close to the safe spot while avoiding AOE mechanics, If it is a tank on the other side of the room, then they will need to ask another tank (in voice chat ideally) to take aggro of that sub boss while they run over and stack with the group. The group may need to move closer to the middle for a brief time depending on if the tank with Rebuked Isolation is grounded. Once the stack has occurred, the group should resume lunges/KOing the Destroyer adds but ensure that they are spread out for Infectious Ire, which will affect most or all players in the group. As well as this avoid other AOE mechanics (and Dawnbreaker's orbitals) and avoid standing in the beam spawns. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated KO Dawnbreaker, while minding AOE mechanics and keeping an eye on Rebuked Isolation. Again after stack spread out ready for Infectious Ire.
- (I should also add that periodically Red Death will teleport to the group and do melee attacks. Just stay away from him and the tank who has aggro of Red Death should maintain that aggro. It is also advisable for players to not stand in line of sight between Red Death and his tank.)
- At this stage the tank with Devastator will swap to the right side of the room, so players should be patient at this time and avoid AOE mechanics, and continue to stack Rebuked Isolation in the safe spot and then spread for Infectious Ire. Once Devastator is securely on the right side of the room away from other sub bosses players can resume DPSing him, however ensure that the next Destroyer add spawn does not coincide with Devastator pointing at the group with a skull above his head, or coincide with Rebuked Isolation stack.
Scenario 2: Devastator, Murder Machine and Dawnbreaker out first, with Red Death spawning first and The Drowned spawning later (continued 2)
- Once it is safe to do so, lower Devastator's health so Destroyer adds spawn, so the controller can use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe spot and again, KO them as soon as possible, watch lunges, and watch out for AOE mechanics. Again remember to spread out for Infectious Ire and avoid any AOE mechanics while doing so, and keep an eye out for Devastator in case he points at a group or a tank with a skull icon above his head. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated defeat Devastator, again while minding AOE mechanics, and his skull icon attacks.
- Once you have defeated Devastator you will then focus on Red Death, which should be straight forward. Red Death just avoid being too close to him, but unless the tank loses aggro this shouldn't cause too many issues. Again avoid AOE mechanics, and remember to stack at the safe spot for Rebuked Isolation, then spread out for Infectious Ire. Once Red Death gets to fairly low health Destroyer adds will spawn - so just ensure this doesn't occur during Rebuked Isolation or while The Drowned is about to do her Call of the Deep attack (in this scenario this is unlikely but pay attention in case*). Again when the Destroyer adds spawn the controller should use Mesmerising Lasso/Lasso of Truth to pull the adds to the safe spot, so they can be lunged KO'd. Again mind the AOE mechanics, make sure to block Call of the Deep, and carefully stack up for Rebuked Isolation and then spread out for Infectious Ire. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated then KO Red Death.
- At this stage if all players are still in 1 or 2 of the tanks may wish to switch DPS, but discuss with the group first.
- The Drowned should be fairly straight forward as long as players evade AOE mechanics, don't stand too close to her, and continue to stack for Rebuked Isolation and then spread for Infectious Ire. And of course block Call of the Deep. 2 tanks (at least) are still recommended here in case the tank primarily tanking The Drowned gets Rebuked Isolation and needs to stack with group. Try to avoid spawning Destroyer adds when The Drowned is about to do her Call of the Deep attack, or while Rebuked Isolation is active. Once they spawn the controller should use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull them to the safe spot, where they can be lunged/damaged. Again mind other AOE mechanics, stack up for Rebuked Isolation, spread for Infectious Ire, and block for Call of the Deep. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated proceed to defeat The Drowned.
- *It is unlikely that The Drowned will use Call of the Deep before the group directly fights her due to her being the last spawn, but as best practice avoid splash damage towards her.
Scenario 3: Devastator, Murder Machine and The Merciless out first, with Dawnbreaker spawning first and Red Death spawning after
- You will start the fight with 3 tanks, 1 heal, a dps/tank, a controller, and 2 other DPS. The tanks should be spread out with their respective bosses. This can be a tricky combo but becomes easier towards the end of the fight.
- You will start to damage Murder Machine first on the right/top right side of the room. Be very careful of Murder Machine's grenades, and the tank with Murder Machine should ensure there is sufficient safe space in the top right of the room for the DPS, controller and healer to stand to gain a safe distance from grenade attacks. This is where the core group will stay for most of the fight (other than tanks). Close to the left of where Perpetua is facing is a crucial safe spot, so remember this for later. Patience is key to Murder Machine, and when he starts to do his grenades towards the group players should move immediately to the very top right corner or far enough away from Murder Machine's grenades. Do not just stand within range of his grenade attacks, and avoid at all times being closer than max range as a non-tank as there is little time to react when the grenade skull icon begins. It is key that when The Merciless does his pull that this is called out and the tank with him pops immunity. If Devastator does Spike Wave towards a player this can be called out also, and may be blocked or evaded.
- Try to avoid spawning Dawnbreaker and the Destroyer adds while Murder Machine is about to, or in the process of spawning grenades, so slow damage when Murder Machine starts to get less than 35% health. In addition at this stage the DPS/tank should switch to tank ready for the Dark Knight sub boss spawn. Around this time overarching mechanics will start. Avoid Planet Strike AOEs (meteors), Source Eruptions (cracks) or Perpetua's beam. Be very careful of being stood in the southwest or southeast of the room where the beam spawns are likely to occur, and try to avoid standing in these areas if possible.
- While the 4th tank takes Dawnbreaker, the controller should have Mesmerising Lasso in their loadout and the Lasso of Truth artifact equipped, and target and pull the two Destroyer adds to the aforementioned safe spot. Players should DPS and KO these as soon as possible, while the Controller and either another DPS or the heal (depending on the situation) help with lunging the Destroyer adds to stop them from using their primary ability. While doing this again continue to be careful of overarching mechanics and Murder Machine's grenade attacks. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated proceed to KO Murder Machine and navigate around any AOE mechanics, and continue to distance from grenade attacks and call any out if they are directed towards the group or another tank.
- At this stage the tank with The Merciless will swap to the right side of the room, so players should be patient at this time and avoid AOE mechanics. The player who was tanking Murder Machine will get ready for the new Dark Knight sub boss to spawn. Once The Merciless is securely on the right side of the room away from other sub bosses players can resume DPSing him, as his pull ability is one of the most dangerous mechanics in the fight due to all the AOE mechanics. The tank should ensure that when The Merciless does his slam that The Merciless isn't facing the group. When The Merciless does his pull attack by raising his sword, this should be called out at the earliest possible opportunity. The tank should pop immunity and everyone must block, especially if any overarching AOE mechanics are active. God Killers will also spawn periodically, which do damage over time and knock back players. Just try to avoid these if possible, at least so the heal can focus on healing the tanks that need the heals the most.
- Once The Merciless is at lower health, try not to spawn Destroyer adds and the next Dark Knight spawn while The Merciless is using his pull ability, or while God Killers are active. Once it is safe to do so, lower The Merciless' health so Destroyer adds and Red Death spawn, so the controller can use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe spot and again, KO them as soon as possible, watch lunges, and watch out for AOE mechanics. The tank who had Murder Machine before will now aggro and focus on Red Death. This is where it is very important for the tank to pop immunity if The Merciless does his pull, as the group won't be able to stay in block for too long as they will need to lunge the Destroyer adds. Shortly after Rebuked Isolation will occur for the first time on a random player. If it is a player in the main group the group should stack close to the safe spot while avoiding AOE mechanics, If it is a tank on the other side of the room, then they will need to ask another tank (in voice chat ideally) to take aggro of that sub boss while they run over and stack with the group. The group may need to move closer to the middle for a brief time depending on if the tank with Rebuked Isolation is grounded. Once the stack has occurred, the group should resume lunges/KOing the Destroyer adds but ensure that they are spread out for Infectious Ire, which will affect most or all players in the group. As well as this avoid other AOE mechanics (and Dawnbreaker's orbitals) and avoid standing in the beam spawns. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated defeat The Merciless, again while minding AOE mechanics, and remembering to block his pull, as well as stacking for Rebuked Isolation and then spreading for Infectious Ire.
Scenario 3: Devastator, Murder Machine and The Merciless out first, with Dawnbreaker spawning first and Red Death spawning after (continued 2)
- After this the main group should now carefully go to the middle of the room directly in front of (S of) Perpetua or SSW of her, and focus on damaging Devastator who should be situated with his tank in the top left of the room. Watch out for AOEs and if Devastator points with a skull icon at the group you will need to move well out of the way of where he is facing, as he will either jump or do his Spike Wave ability, either of which may KO players in the area of effect. With current episode gear from Sins of Black Adam it may be possible to block Spike Wave, but if he jumps towards you make sure to evade this attack. Try not to take damage from the red AOE (Breath Attack), it won't KO but it is unnecessary damage over time and may take away crucial heals from one of the tanks. Remember to stack for Rebuked Isolation and then spread for Infectious Ire, again while minding overarching AOE mechanics. Ensure that the next Destroyer add spawn does not coincide with Devastator pointing at the group with a skull above his head, or coincide with Rebuked Isolation stack.
- Once it is safe to do so, lower Devastator's health so Destroyer adds spawn, so the controller can use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe spot and again, KO them as soon as possible, watch lunges, and watch out for AOE mechanics. Again remember to spread out for Infectious Ire and avoid any AOE mechanics while doing so, and keep an eye out for Devastator in case he points at a group or a tank with a skull icon above his head. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated defeat Devastator, again while minding AOE mechanics, and his skull icon attacks.
- Afterwards carefully return to the original safe spot towards the top right of the room and focus on DPSing Dawnbreaker, who should be in the middle/bottom right of the room with their tank. Be careful of overarching AOE mechanics, and don't get too close to Dawnbreaker in case he does some of his melee attacks, which will likely KO on impact. Remember to stack for Rebuked Isolation and spread for Infectious Ire, and of course don't get hit by Dawnbreaker's orbital strikes. Remember not to spawn Destroyer adds later when Rebuked Isolation or orbital strikes are active. Again when the Destroyer adds spawn the controller should use Mesmerising Lasso/Lasso of Truth to pull the adds to the safe spot, so they can be lunged KO'd. Again mind the AOE mechanics, and carefully stack up for Rebuked Isolation and then spread out for Infectious Ire. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated then KO Dawnbreaker.
- At this stage if all players are still in 1 or 2 of the tanks may wish to switch DPS, but discuss with the group first.
- Red Death is very straight forward and fairly easy especially with new episode gear, so if you have got this far you should finish this. Just make sure to avoid overarching AOE mechanics, stack for Rebuked Isolation and spread for Infectious Ire. You will still need 2 tanks (one tanking Red Death) in case one of the tanks gets Rebuked Isolation and the other tank needs to take aggro of Red Death. Try not to spawn Destroyer adds while Rebuked Isolation is active. Make sure the adds are countered and KO them ASAP when they spawn, and then defeat Red Death.
Notes
- Following the release of the Shock to the System in April 2023, and the maximum CR currently being at 414, there may be an Advanced Walkthrough 2.0 reflecting how to approach this raid at the current time. This AW wiki page will stay as this raid will likely become Omnibus later in the year, and as such much of the information in this page may be relevant for that. However with increased gear level and mechanics not hitting as hard, group setups/considerations may change for the elite plus version of this raid in the short to moderate term and some of the more in-depth strategies may not be necessary.
Feats (for Elite Plus)
- Feel the Squeeze (Elite Plus): Defeat 24 Dark Tentacles while they are constricting someone during The Source Wall Raid (Elite Plus) (25 Points), grants title: The Twisted
- First and Last Dark Knight Standing (Elite or Elite Plus): Defeat each Dark Knight last during their fight in The Source Wall Raid (Elite or Elite Plus): (50 Points)
- Gotta Have Soul (Elite or Elite Plus): Defeat Perpetua after every player collects their soul fragments within 12 second during The Source Wall Raid (Elite or Elite Plus) (25 Points)
- Isn't Apex Enough? (Elite Plus): Defeat The Source Wall Raid without allowing any Apex Predators to enrage (Elite Plus) (25 Points)
- Out of the Darkness (Elite Plus): Defeat One Who Laughs after defeating all Dark Minions within 10 seconds of one another in each darkness phase during The Source Wall Raid (Elite Plus) (25 Points)
- Perpetual Relief (Elite or Elite Plus): Complete The Source Wall Raid without any players being hit by Planet Strike, Source Energy Burst, or Divine Source Eyebeam (Elite or Elite Plus) (25 Points)
- Preying an Predators (Elite or Elite Plus): Defeat Perpetua after defeating 24 Apex Predators in her fight during The Source Wall Raid (Elite or Elite Plus) (25 Points), grants title: Apex
- Proma's Anguish (Elite or Elite Plus): Defeat Proma within 28 seconds of starting the Titan Lords fight in The Source Wall Raid (Elite or Elite Plus) (25 Points)
- Stronger Together (Elite or Elite Plus): Defeat the Dark Knights without taking more than the minimum damage from Rebuked Isolation in The Source Wall Raid (Elite or Elite Plus) (50 Points)
- We Owned The Knights (Elite Plus): Defeat all of the Dark Knights within 8 seconds of the first one to fall in The Source Wall Raid (Elite Plus) (25 Points)
- May the Force be with None of Us (Elite Plus): Defeat One Who Laughs without anyone being knocked back by Stunning Force in The Source Wall Raid (Elite Plus) (25 Points)
- Share the Hate (Elite Plus): Defeat One Who Laughs without allowing his Callous Anger to progress beyond it's initial stage in The Source Wall Raid (Elite Plus) (25 Points)
- Source of Life (Elite Plus): Complete The Source Wall Raid without any players getting Knocked Out (Elite Plus) (25 Points), grants title: of the Source
- Apex Denial (Elite Plus): Defeat the Dark Knights without allowing an Apex Predator Destroyer to unleash their Atomic Boom during The Source Wall Raid (Elite Plus) (25 Points)
- Remember the Titans (Elite Plus): Defeat and collect Source Wall rubble from all four Titan Lords within 12 seconds of the first one to fall in The Source Wall Raid (Elite Plus) (25 points)
- Planetary Alignment (Elite Plus): Defeat Perpetua without ever allowing a Dead Planet to affect all players in The Source Wall Raid (Elite Plus) (25 points)
Trivia
- During the second boss encounter, you are not allowed to use an Orbital Strike or Supply Drop on The Merciless during the normal or elite versions of the raid, however you can during the elite plus version.
- If a player receives the Rebuked Isolation green stack marker, and then is knocked out before the timer runs out on it, the Rebuked Isolation will not impact the group.
- This is likely to be the only released DCUO content to get an in-depth Advanced Walkthrough on its Wiki page, due to how scaled up, long, variable and difficult the second boss encounter is or can be.
- The world first legitimate completion of the feat We Owned the Knights (Elite Plus) was completed in early March 2023 (nearly 10 months after release), on US PC/PS server by a mixed group from leagues Allusive, Versed and Ethos.
- The world first legitimate completion of the feat Source of Life (Elite Plus) was completed in late January 2023 (over 8 months after release), on US PC/PS server by hero league Versed.
- The last boss encounter (Perpetua) in the elite plus version has a chance to drop the Source Shard Supply Drop, a rare reward drop.