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Basic Guide: Shadow Reef

ED3 is generally considered the hardest Elite Dungeon in the trilogy, in most part due to its final boss: the Ambassador.

Presets and Relics

Preset Suggestions
Additional items to bring if possible, or acquire if you can afford to.
Magic
⬥ Greater Chain gchain w/ Caroming 4 switch caroming4eofpurple w/ Guthix Staff gstaff
Melee
eofred w/ Dragon 2H dragon2hsword
Ranged
⬥ Greater Ricochet grico w/ Caroming 4 caroming4eofgreen w/ Dark Bow dbow

Dungeon Walkthrough (1/3)

This guide is organized according to the structure of the dungeon itself, and alternates between clearing mobs, and defeating the bosses.

The first few areas of the dungeon are relatively trivial. Generally, you can camp soulsplit - though, if struggling with some enemies you can use DeflectMelee. Avoid the Sea Horrors.

Group mobs together and use your area of effect abilities:

corruptblast / dbreath / deto / gchain / tsunami

cleave / cane / quake / gflurry / meteorstrike

corruptshot / bombard and mechchin + strong abilities

Crassian Leviathan

Overview

A video version of this basic strategy can be found here: https://youtu.be/bpvq0Li-pTg

⬥ Attacks with range, or melee if in melee distance, however it is recommended to simply soulsplit

⬥ Heals over time. Use weppoison and cinderbanes to slow the healing.

⬥ The mechanic cycle is Poisonous Breath → Head Sweep → Head Sweep → Tactical Retreat → repeat.

Key Mechanics

Poisonous Breath: a green blast through the centre of the arena dealing high damage.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Stay near the sides of the arena to avoid it.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ If using melee - use a Halberd to more easily stay in the safe spots: https://img.pvme.io/images/wKjEfc9.png

Head Sweep: Leviathan will slam its head side to side, twice, dealing high damage.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Move quickly to the opposite side of each slam to avoid it.

Tactical Retreat: Leviathan will switch to the other end of the arena.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• It is possible to be stunned while following it; anti or freedom to avoid this.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• It is also possible to be poisoned by the green gas; eat food if required.

Basic Approach

⬥ Camp soulsplit + turmoil / anguish / torment

⬥ Execute a strong ultimate rotation at the start of the encounter, then maintain strong ability usage until Leviathan uses Tactical Retreat. Repeat until boss is defeated.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Take care to avoid both the Poisonous Breath and the Head Sweep while inside of your ultimate.

sunshine adrenrenewal → strong basics and wm / asphyx / gstaff eofspec / igneouskalmej omni

zerk adrenrenewal → strong basics and assault / cane / destroy / gflurry / quake / igneouskalket overpower

deathsswift adrenrenewal → strong basics and rapid / snap / shadowtend / dbow eofspec

Dungeon Walkthrough (2/3)

The first few areas after the Crassian Leviathan are relatively trivial. Again, you can usually camp soulsplit. Try to use surge and dive / bd a good amount so as to help you speed along. You can try to surge diagonally when possible to cut corners, and hug walls to avoid being attacked.

Movement Demo

Notable Area: The Bridge

This is the most punishing area of the dungeon (aside from the bosses). After opening the gate to the bridge, you will be dealt rapid range damage. In addition, the Sea Horrors at the end of the bridge deal heavy typeless damage.

⬥ Pray DeflectRange and use devo while crossing the bridge. Clear the Horrors & Mage at the end of the bridge as fast as possible, making good use of your area-of-effect abilities. You can back yourself into the far corner to help keep them grouped.

Bridge Clearing Demo
MagicMeleeRanged

Taraket, the Necromancer

Overview

⬥ All enemies in the encounter are affected by Salve Amulet (e) salveamulet, Undead Slayer perk undeadslayerperk and the Undead Slayer ability undeadslayer

⬥ The overall structure of the fight is: (reach phase HP → deal with Corpse Carrier or Bloated Monstrosity) x2 → finish Taraket

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Throughout all stages, Taraket will occasionally use Death's Swiftness

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Throughout all stages, Rifts of Undeath will occasionally spawn.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• In the last stage, Spirit Walls will occasionally spawn.

Key Mechanics

Rift of Undeath: a portal that spawns Skeletons, and will eventually explode for high damage.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Kill the rifts immediately, before they explode.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Using area of effect abilities can be helpful to kill Skeletons at the same time.

Absorb Undead: Taraket will occasionally absorb any Skeletons in the arena to heal himself.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Dispatch skeletons as required.

Death's Swiftness: Taraket will apply deathsswift and start dealing range damage.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Switch to DeflectRange as required; soulsplit flick if comfortable.

Corpse Carrier and Bloated Monstrosity: a large minion that will spawn Skeletons or increase damage dealt to the player, respectively.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Kill them immediately.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Using area of effect abilities can help dispatch skeletons at the same time.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Luring them to Taraket will ensure he suffers from area of effect damage, too.

Spirit Wall: a blue line of ghost-like minions that rush towards the player, dealing extremely high damage if touched.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• There will be two of these lines each time, in relatively quick succession.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Move out of their way.

Basic Approach

DeflectMage by default; soulsplit flick (or camp) if comfortable.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Again, ensure to DeflectRange if Taraket uses deathsswift

⬥ Execute a strong ultimate rotation at the start of the encounter, then maintain strong ability usage until Taraket reaches phase HP (200,000).

sunshine adrenrenewal → strong basics and wm / asphyx / gstaff eofspec / igneouskalmej omni

zerk adrenrenewal → strong basics and assault / cane / destroy / gflurry / quake / igneouskalket overpower

deathsswift adrenrenewal → strong basics and rapid / snap / shadowtend / dbow eofspec

⬥ Prioritise strong abilities and area of effect abilities to kill the Corpse Carrier or Bloated Monstrosity quickly, along with Skeletons.

⬥ Phase once more, and repeat with the remaining Carrier/Monstrosity.

⬥ Execute another strong ultimate rotation once Taraket is in its final phase.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Take care so as to avoid Spirit Walls while inside your ultimate.

Dungeon Walkthrough (3/3)

Most mobs past Taraket are relatively trivial. However, some hit very hard with Magic - these include Warped Skeletons, and certain mages. If you start taking heavy magic damage, ensure to DeflectMage.

The Ambassador

Overview

The Ambassador primarily attacks with range and is the most complex boss of the dungeon, with an attack cycle that varies based on HP. Note that during all phases, Ambassador will use the Heavy Hit mechanic every 5 auto attacks.

1,000,000 - 550,000

Black Stone Flames → Unstable Black Hole → Black Stone Flames → * Beams + Fragments → Pulse of Erebus → repeat.

Note: Beams + Fragments will be triggered after 1:00 of time has elapsed on each cycle. It can be triggered early during the first cycle if you reach 650,000 HP before 1:00 has elapsed.

550,000 - 400,000

Black Stone Flames → Unstable Black Hole → repeat.

400,000 - End

Black Hands (continuous) → Magic Onslaught (repeated).

Key Mechanics

Heavy Hit: a very strong Magic (blue orb) or melee (swipe animation) attack. The first will be used as soon as you enter the arena.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• It will be Magic by default, unless you are standing within melee distance.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• These will occasionally happen throughout all phases of the encounter, except during Beams + Fragments.

Heavy Hit Demo
MagicMelee

Black Stone Flames: a bar is placed above the player's head. Once it has emptied, the zone the player is standing on will be engulfed in flame, dealing rapid damage.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Place the flames out of the way, moving to the edge of the arena if required.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Ensure to wait at least one second after placing the flames, or else they will follow you.

Black Stone Flames Demo
Link

Unstable Black Hole: a black hole will spawn in the arena, and will eventually explode dealing high damage.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Apply a stun to destroy it, before it explodes. Preferably, one of impact / deep / bindingshot / tight / backhand / fbackhand

Beams: the Ambassador will become immune, and summon three spinning beams that will deal high damage on impact.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Never touch the beams. Move calmly, and kill the Fragments one by one.

Fragments: six Sinister Fragments will spawn across the arena.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Prioritise strong abilities to try to kill all of them, or as many as possible.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ bd / dive is reset on each kill to aid in mobility.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ vulnbomb can be applied on each fragment.

Erebus Pulse: for each spinner that was not killed, Ambassador will charge a highly-damaging attack, signified with a blue bar over his head.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• disrupt / res are first-choice options to survive the blow.

Erebus Pulse Demo
Link

Black Hands: during the final phase, several hands will circle the arena, and launch white smoke towards Ambassador, which heal him. After a few seconds, the hand will stop, and the next hand (clockwise) will take over.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Stand between the hand producing smoke, and the Ambassador. This will turn the smoke black and stop the healing.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Move calmly in a clockwise manner around Ambassador so as to continuously block the smoke.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ Staying in melee distance makes this much easier.

Magic Onslaught: Ambassador will say "Fall now, and be forgotten", before launching several highly-damaging Magic attacks.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Pray DeflectMage and either Devotion devo, or, Reflect reflect + Vitality Powerburst vitality, or, Debilitate debil and eat.

Basic Approach

Phase One
⬥ Enter the fight with disrupt active to negate the first Heavy Hit.     • If no disrupt, then pray DeflectMage and tank the hit, or res. ⬥ After negating the first Heavy Hit, use a strong ultimate ability rotation. ⬥ Negate Black Holes with a stun, and place Black Stone Flames as required. ⬥ Deal as much damage as possible to Ambassador before the first set of Beams + Fragments starts. Once it starts, move calmly and kill as many fragments as possible.     • Afterwards, negate Erebus Pulse according to how many were left alive. ⬥ Repeat the above, starting with another ultimate rotation, until Phase 2 commences at 550,000 HP.
Phase Two
⬥ Use a strong ultimate rotation(s), as cooldowns allow, to reach 400,000 HP. ⬥ Prayer flick to negate Heavy Hits, or, use res to heal from them. ⬥ Continue to place each Black Stone Flame in a convenient location. ⬥ Watch for unstable black holes, and close them quickly with a stun. ⬥ Ignore any minions that may spawn.
Phase Three
⬥ Seiryu will grant the player a full heal at this point. ⬥ Continue to negate Heavy Hits with either prayer flicking or res ⬥ Execute a strong ultimate ability rotation     • If using range / Magic, try to place your deathsswift / sunshine underneath him. ⬥ Walk calmly in a clockwise circle, close to Ambassador, to block the lines of smoke from the Black Hands.     • Smoke will be black if correctly blocked. ⬥ When Ambassador calls your name and says "Fall now...", negate the magic onslaught as described above. ⬥ After the onslaught has concluded, repeat the above until dead.

Supplementary Videos
Example Runs
MagicMeleeRanged
Boss Guides