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Hardmode Zuk (Melee-Ranged)

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Introduction and preface

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This guide is targeted towards players with a strong understanding of the encounter, players attempting hardmode Zuk for the first time should read #TzKal-Zuk Basic

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Time save breakdown:

⬥ Players should focus on wave clear and try to follow this guide as best as possible.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Note that movements are specific for certain waves, and stepping on the wrong tiles may lead to failed lures

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As such, it is strongly recommended to follow the guide alongside the video examples. The rotations are constructed to allow for continuous usage. If followed correctly, players should not lose ticks between abilities unless otherwise stated.

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Presets and Relics

⬥ Melee/Ranged

⬥ Preset Notes

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Powder at bank powderofpenance powderofprotection

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• eof w/ ecb decimation sgb gloomfirebow dragon2hsword varanussmercy (dragonclaw if equilibrium)

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• pernixsquiver w/ fularrow deathsporearrows

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• graspingpouch w/ runes for disrupt + smokecloud

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The Fight

⬥ Waves are generally broken down into alternating between melee and ranged unless otherwise specified, using melee for all igneous + challenge waves and ranged for all jad waves

⬥ Wars: (optional dba spec) → sezk spec

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Wave 1

General pointers

⬥ Apply ezk spec to tzkalzuk, use meteorstrike + berserk as TzekHaar-Hurs are clumping up, then tumekenslight spec to finish

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Aim to clear through wave 2 with berserk

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) Zuk: dive + surge + ezk spec

⬥ West Hur: freedom → smeteorstrike → rmeteorstrike + adaptivestrike

⬥ (2) All Hurs: berserk + wait 2 ticks → gbarge → target tzkalzuk + far-cast gflurry → target Hur + tumekenslight spec

⬥ (3) South Kihs: surge + cane

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Note: Provided diagrams only cover the most important abilities and movements, some amount of improvisation may be required in general

Wave 2

General pointers

⬥ Clear all spawns of northern enemies, then cane to clear the southern enemies, ideally all before berserk runs out

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) West Xil + Hur: dive from tzkalzuk + overpower → pulverise

⬥ (2) East Xil + Hurs: wait for second spawn of Hurs → gbarge → dragon2hsword eofspec → target far Hur + far-cast assault

⬥ (3) Yt-Mejkot: gfury → position yourself in the middle of the enemies + cane

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Wave 3

General pointers

⬥ Set up gdeathsswift + imbueshadows, clear all Yt-Mejkot with decimation eofspec + deadshot, then pick off remaining enemies with single-target abilities

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Entering the next wave is somewhat timelocked to berserk cooldown, so there is some amount of leeway on this wave

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) Zuk: deathsporearrows piercingshot → grico → piercingshot → gdeathsswift → imbueshadows → decimation eofspec

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• A Wall of Flame will occur around this time, make sure that all Yt-Mejkot have walked around any obstacles before moving away

⬥ (2) Center-Most Yt-Mejkot: fularrow piercingshot → deadshot

⬥ Remaining Enemies: Pick off using bolg spec / snapshot / shadowtend → end on 100 adren

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Wave 4 (Igneous wave)

General pointers

⬥ For the sake of consistency, all igneous waves are handled the exact same throughout this guide. Rotations assume vulnbomb is being used on all three igneous enemies.

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) Igneous Mej: berserk + adrenrenewal → gbarge → gflurry → gfury → wait 2-3 ticks + surge to Igneous Xil

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Wait for gflurry to finish it since the surge will cause you to lose line-of-sight

⬥ (2) Igneous Xil: meteorstrike → cane → basic if needed

⬥ (3) Igneous Hur: backhand → overpower → chaosroar if needed

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• The basic to finish both Xil and Hur can be consistently skipped with an active scriptureofful proc

⬥ (4) Zuk: chaosroar + ezk spec → gflurry

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Wave 5 (Challenge wave)

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⬥ Step between three Hurs + tumekenslight spec → dive between remaining two + cane

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• See example video for specific positioning

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Wave 6

General pointers

⬥ Set up gdeathsswift + bolg spec + imbueshadows on Zuk + northern Xil, go all the way south to clear the Jad, then clear remaining mobs with decimation eofspec

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) Zuk + North Xil: deathsporearrows piercingshot → grico → piercingshot → gdeathsswift → bolg spec

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Move further south once Xils spawn to prevent the north-west one from getting stuck

⬥ (2) Jad: imbueshadows → decimation eofspec → grico + surge through to south wall → rapid → sgb eofspec

⬥ (3) Southern-most Xil: surge + decimation eofspec → deadshot

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• The exact Xil to be targeted is usually the one that took 1-2 hits from the end of rapid

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• If done correctly the deadshot should clear all remaining enemies, otherwise usually one Yt-Mejkot should be finished with snapshot + shadowtend

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Wave 7

General pointers

⬥ Set up meteorstrike + berserk while clearing northern enemies, overpower the Yt-Mejkot, then run around to clear remaining enemies

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) North Mej: smeteorstrike / any basic → release when Mej spawns + clear with basics

⬥ (2) West Xil: berserk → cane

⬥ (3) East Xil: gfury → adaptivestrike

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Kihs should be taken out by tumekenslight splash damage by the end of the wave, just ignore

⬥ Center Yt-Mejkot: overpower

⬥ (4) East Tok-Xil: chaosroar → varanussmercy eofspec

⬥ Center 2x Xils: rend → cane

⬥ West Tok-Xil: overpower

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Wave 8

General pointers

⬥ Clear out northern enemies while clumping southern spawns up, then clear with decimation eofspec → deadshot

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) Zuk: deathsporearrows piercingshot → grico → piercingshot → gdeathsswift

⬥ (1) North Xil: fularrow bolg spec → imbueshadows

⬥ (2) North-west Tok-Xil: rapid

⬥ (2) 2x Mej: snipe → shadowtend

⬥ (3) North-east Tok-Xil: galeshot → snapshot → grico

⬥ (3) Center-most Tok-Xil: decimation eofspec → deadshot

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Wave 9 (Igneous wave)

General pointers

⬥ Same as previous, end with chaosroar → ezk spec → gflurry → gfury on tzkalzuk

Wave 10 (Challenge wave)

⬥ overpower (w/ gfury should guarantee kill)

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Wave 11

General pointers

⬥ Set up gdeathsswift and pick off initial set of spawns, lure Jads + stragglers to center and clear with decimation eofspec → rapid → deadshot

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) Zuk + North Mej: deathsporearrows piercingshot → grico → piercingshot → gdeathsswift → fularrow bolg spec

⬥ South Kih: shadowtend

⬥ (2) South-west Kih: imbueshadows + snapshot

⬥ (2) South-west Mej: snipe

⬥ (2) South Yt-Mejkot: galeshot → snapshot → grico

⬥ (3) South Mej: snapshot

⬥ (3) Center Jad: decimation eofspec → rapid → deadshot

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Jad lure may be tricky depending on how you move from (2) to (3), walk halfway then surge the rest should keep them in decimation range

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• The two remaining Mej should be caught in the AoE as well, otherwise finish with snapshot

Wave 12

General pointers

⬥ meteorstrike North Kih, berserk to clear out east and southern enemies, then AoE the remainder in the center

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) North Kih: smeteorstrike on Zuk → release with basic to kill

⬥ (2) East Tok-Xil: berserk → overpower

⬥ (2) East Mej: gfury → rend

⬥ South Kih: tumekenslight spec

⬥ (3) West Mej: pulverise

⬥ Center Tok-Xil: overpower

⬥ North-west Ket + Mej: chaosroar + cane

⬥ Center Ket + Mej: dragon2hsword eofspec

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• AoE + tumekenslight damage should clear out all enemies, finish stragglers off with range basics if not

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Wave 13

General pointers

⬥ Set up gdeathsswift, clear both Tok-Xils, then group up remaining enemies to decimation eofspec → deadshot

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) Zuk + North Tok-Xil: deathsporearrows piercingshot → grico → piercingshot → gdeathsswift → fularrow bolg spec → imbueshadows

⬥ East Mej: galeshot → snapshot

⬥ South Tok-Xil: rapid (cancel once low enough) → grico

⬥ (2) South-west Ket: snipe → shadowtend

⬥ (3) Center-most Ket: decimation eofspec → surge / dive to get line-of-sight on all enemies → deadshot → snapshot any stragglers

Wave 14 (Igneous wave)

General pointers

⬥ Same as previous, stay on melee when Zuk is cleared for meteorstrike adren

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Wave 15 (Challenge wave)

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⬥ res → cade → adaptivestrike let meteor tick up to at least 70 adren → deathsporearrows piercingshot → grico → piercingshot

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Wave 16 (Triple Jad)

General pointers

⬥ Similar to double Jad lure, let them clump up middle, then clear with decimation eofspec → rapid → deadshot

Specific rotations

⬥ (1) Zuk: gdeathsswift → bolg spec + surge + dive all the way south-west → imbueshadows

⬥ (3) Jad: once lured decimation eofspec → rapid → deadshot

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Use disrupt / powerburstofvitality if attacks overlap

Wave 17 (Har-aken)

⬥ Zuk meteorstrike → sadaptivestrike → berserk

⬥ Har-Aken: dive + gbarge → overpower → assault → varanussmercy eofspec → rend → cane → overpower → lengmh spec → punish

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Wave 18 (Tz-Kal Zuk)

Zuk

⬥ Start near the middle and build to 100% adren

⬥ Equip reaverring + Apply vulnbomb + smokecloud + build deathsporearrows with piercingshot → grico → piercingshot + be on 3-7 perfectequilibrium

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⬥ Zuk: 3 ticks after tzkalzuk starts moving gdeathsswift → imbueshadows → chaosroar → ezk spec → bolg spec → ecb eofspec → galeshot → grico → rapid → sgb eofspec → deadshot → gloomfirebow eofspec → snapshot → shadowtend → snipe → ecb eofspec → galeshot → grico + disrupt → rapid → bolg spec → dump adren to finish

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• surge / dive as necessary to deal with mechanics

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Zuk should be lowered to ~220k or less by this point

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Pizza

⬥ Igneous Hur: bindingshot + build deathsporearrows while killing → naturalinstinct + dba when rain is about to disappear

⬥ Igneous Xil: surge + dive + piercingshot → snapshot + build adren while killing

⬥ Igneous Mej: surge + dive + grico → swap to melee and finish with basics

⬥ Zuk: smeteorstrike → rmeteorstrike + adaptivestrike → chaosroar / rend (depending on his remaining hp) → berserk → ezk spec → punish if needed

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Time it such that the extra action button to interrupt Zuk is usable after berserk

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Conduits

⬥ Some improvisation may be needed, but generally just keep pressing strong abilities while following the listed defensive order

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⬥ Deal with Zuk's charged attacks using the following:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• C1 → disrupt

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• C2 → res

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• C3 → powerburstofvitality

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• C4 → rod (make sure sign is not available, unequip cape if needed)

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⬥ Conduits: anti → wait 2 ticks + gbarge → gflurry → gfury → overpower → chaosroar / rend → varanussmercy eofspec → cane → res / disrupt → lengmh spec → overpower → equip rod + improvise to finish, use gflurry if it comes up while berserk is still running

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Take advantage of the lack of bombs during Zuk's charging attack to use more channelled abilities (assault / gflurry)

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Example videos

⬥ Full Kill (Biting)

⬥ Full Kill (Equilibrium)

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