Stratholme

Stratholme Route & Boss Strategy

Stratholme is one burning city with two gates and two runs. The main gate leads through haunted streets to the Scarlet Bastion and the demon who leads the Crusade. The service gate leads through the Scourge's three ziggurats to the Slaughter Square and Baron Rivendare. The two meet in the middle, so a strong group can do both in one visit; most take one side, an hour to an hour and a half each.

The main gate leads through haunted streets to the Scarlet Bastion and the demon who leads the Crusade. The streets are full of side errands, postboxes, crates and ghosts, and the Bastion is a straight fight through large packs to Balnazzar. An hour to an hour and a half.

The service gate leads through the Scourge's three ziggurats to the Slaughter Square and Baron Rivendare. Each ziggurat has to be emptied before the square opens, and the square itself is three fights in a row. Bring the Key to the City. An hour to an hour and a half.

1. Main Gate: the Streets

   • Undead fill the first streets in large packs, with patrols between them. Pull back to the gate and use every stun and slow on the runners.
   • Supply crates lie all over the city. Search them for Stratholme Holy Water for Houses of the Holy; some hold a swarm of insects, so open them with the party close.
   • Plagued Flesh Samples come from the undead on both sides, and Egan's Blaster frees the ghosts of the citizens for The Restless Souls.
   • Skul, Hearthsinger Forresten and The Unforgiven are random spawns in these streets. Most runs meet one of them at best.

2. Stratholme Courier

   Optional
   • He walks the first streets and drops three Postbox Keys. Each key opens one of the postboxes around the city.

3. Postmaster Malown

   Optional

   Curse of Weakness

   Lowers damage dealt.

   Fear

   Sends one player running.

   • He appears when the third postbox is opened. Clear the street around the last box first, because undead postmen come with each box and the fear sends players far.

4. Ezra Grimm

   Optional
   • Open the box of premium tobacco in the smoke shop near the gate and the shopkeeper attacks. A weak fight, and the box is the item for The Great Fras Siabi.

5. Timmy the Cruel

   Boss

   Ravenous Claw

   A heavy strike on the tank.

   Enrage

   He hits harder at low health.

   • A ghoul who runs into the square before the Bastion once the Scarlet guards there are dead. Turn and pick him up at once; he reaches the healer first otherwise.

6. The Scarlet Bastion

   • Past the square the Crusade holds every hall. The packs are large and they call for help, so pull them back through doorways and kill the healers first.

7. Malor the Zealous

   Boss

   Holy Strike

   A heavy Holy blow on the tank.

   Lay on Hands

   Heals himself to full once.

   • He guards a hall with a strongbox. Expect to take his health down twice.
   • Malor's Strongbox holds the Medallion of Faith. Take it to Aurius in the chapel on the Scourge side and he joins the fight against the Baron.

8. Crimson Hammersmith

   Optional
   • Pick up the blacksmithing plans beside the Bastion's forge and the smith runs in to stop you. Blacksmiths need the fight; other groups walk past.

9. Cannon Master Willey

   Boss

   Summon Crimson Rifleman

   Calls riflemen to the doorway through the whole fight.

   Knock Away

   Throws the tank back.

   Pummel

   Interrupts casting.

   • The riflemen are the fight. Two cannons stand in his room: pick up the cannonballs beside them and fire at each group of riflemen as it arrives. One player on cannons the whole fight keeps the room clear.

10. Archivist Galford

    Boss

    Fire Nova

    Fire damage to everyone near him.

    Burning Winds

    Fire damage over time on one player.

    Pyroblast

    A large fireball. Interrupt it.

    • He stands in the archive. After the kill, burn the Scarlet Archive beside him for The Archivist.

11. Balnazzar

    Boss

    Psychic Scream

    Fears everyone near him.

    Sleep

    Puts one player to sleep.

    Domination

    Takes control of one player.

    Mind Blast

    Shadow damage to one player.

    • Grand Crusader Dathrohan sits in the last chamber and fights as a paladin until about half health, then throws off the disguise and becomes the dreadlord, at full strength.
    • Fight in the middle of the room so the fear finds no walls to run along, dispel the sleep, and control the dominated player.
    • Take the Head of Balnazzar for The Truth Comes Crashing Down.

12. Service Gate: the Scourge Side

    • The side gate needs the Key to the City. Abominations, banshees, crypt fiends and necromancers hold these streets; interrupt the necromancers, who raise skeletons without end.
    • Three ziggurats seal the Slaughter Square. In each, a boss stands in front and five Thuzadin Acolytes wait in the room behind. Kill the boss and all five acolytes in every ziggurat. Scourge Data for The Active Agent lies inside the ziggurats.
    • Stonespine, a rare gargoyle, sometimes waits near the gate.

13. Magistrate Barthilas

    Boss

    Mighty Blow

    Knocks the tank back.

    Crowd Pummel

    Hits everyone near him and interrupts.

    • He stands at the service gate. Groups that come through the city from the main gate find he has fled to the Slaughter Square instead, where he joins that fight.

14. Nerub'enkan

    Boss

    Encasing Webs

    Webs one player in place.

    Crypt Scarabs

    Sends scarabs at the party.

    Pierce Armor

    Lowers the tank's armor.

    • The crypt lord of the first ziggurat. Fight him outside it and kill the scarabs with area damage.

15. Black Guard Swordsmith

    Optional
    • Pick up the blacksmithing plans near the ziggurats and he appears. Blacksmiths need the fight; other groups walk past.

16. Baroness Anastari

    Boss

    Possess

    Takes over one player. She leaves when that player drops to half health.

    Banshee Wail

    Shadow damage to one player.

    Silence

    Silences players near her.

    • The banshee of the second ziggurat. When she possesses a player she vanishes into them: bring that player to half health carefully and she is forced out.

17. Maleki the Pallid

    Boss

    Ice Tomb

    Freezes one player solid.

    Drain Life

    Drains health from one player.

    Frostbolt

    Frost damage. Interrupt it.

    • The necromancer of the third ziggurat. Keep interrupts on him and heal the frozen player.

18. Ramstein the Gorger

    Boss

    Knockout

    A heavy blow that stuns the tank and drops their threat.

    Trample

    Damages everyone near him.

    • With the third ziggurat cleared the gate to the Slaughter Square opens, and it closes behind you. Abominations walk out one after another; kill each as it comes.
    • Ramstein follows the last of them. Keep a second player high on threat for the Knockout.
    • A crowd of Black Guard Sentries rushes in after him. Stand together and use area damage. Then the Baron's door opens.

19. Baron Rivendare

    Boss

    Unholy Aura

    Shadow damage every few seconds to everyone near him.

    Raise Dead

    Summons skeletons from the bone piles.

    Death Pact

    Consumes living skeletons to heal himself.

    Mortal Strike

    Halves healing on the tank.

    • The aura makes this a race against the healer's mana. Tank him in the middle of the room.
    • Kill the skeletons the moment they rise. Every one still standing when he casts Death Pact heals him.
    • His head completes Above and Beyond.