Ashava, The Pestilent – World Boss Guide (Season 3)

Introduction

The world of Sanctuary is home to a number of World Bosses, large and very powerful enemies that spawn in certain areas and at certain times. One such World Boss is Ashava, The Pestilent. This guide will cover all important tips and boss mechanics, so players can take down this dangerous foe!

For guides on the other two World Bosses, check out the links below.

Ashava – Location

Ashava can be found in the Fractured Peaks region and will spawn in a specific location within the zone known as The Crucible, located in the far right part of the area.

Ashava is only present during its designated spawn hours, as it emerges from underground. You can explore the area before Ashava’s appearance and gather your group before arrival. A helpful tip is that every player will receive a marker and a timer on the map approximately 30 minutes before the World Boss spawns, indicating where to go and how much time is left to get to the location.

Once Ashava emerges from the ground, an event timer will begin, and players that are in the area will automatically participate in the event. Furthermore, it is not necessary to group up or be in a party in order to take part in the event and obtain rewards afterward.

• When the event begins, the camera will zoom out, indicating that the fight has started.
• A timer of 15 minutes will appear on the screen, indicating how much time remains to defeat the world boss before it retreats underground again.

It is recommended to have at least 12 players to engage in the challenging fight with this world boss. However, even with a group of this size, it won’t be an easy task to defeat Ashava. Avoid attempting to fight the boss with a low-level character, because at lower levels, you will simply not deal sufficient damage and take on an excessive amount of damage as well.

Ashava – Boss Mechanics

Ashava has a massive health bar and the fight is likely to be long, depending on the composition of the players fighting it.

The fight against Ashava is divided into four distinct phases (as marked on the health bar pictured above). Each new phase will make the fight more challenging. When entering a new phase, several health vials will be dropped by the boss, which should be picked up by players who need them.

Ashava also has a stagger bar underneath the health bar, as pictured below.

The stagger bar will fill up every time a player uses crowd control abilities such as Slow, Chill, Daze, Stun, Freeze, Immobilize, Taunt, or Knock Down on the world boss. When the stagger bar is completely filled, one of the arm blades of the boss will permanently break off, stunning the boss for 12 seconds and making Ashava weaker for the remainder of the fight.

In the event that a player dies during the fight, they can be revived by other players, or they can choose to revive at the checkpoint, which is located near the boss. However, it is important to note that reviving at the checkpoint will result in gear damage each time.

Fight Mechanics

Ashava presents a challenging fight with five different mechanics that you will need to be aware of. Mobility skills and dodging will be essential, as you must be quick to evade her hard-hitting attacks. Fortunately, most of her attacks are based on a specific set of animations, making it easier to anticipate and dodge accordingly.

It is also important to note that all attacks from Ashava will inflict Poison damage, so increasing your Poison resistance before the fight can be a good idea.

Below, we go over the five mechanics that Ashava will use during the fight, listed in order of highest threat to lowest threat.

Double Swipe

Ashava’s Double Swipe is a highly damaging and wide-range attack that is difficult to dodge. The boss will start by carving into the ground and performing a full 360-degree sweep, followed by another carve into the ground and a half sweep of 160 degrees. Both attacks deal heavy damage and can knock players down. To avoid the attack, run away as far as possible or try to find a safe spot under Ashava’s chest or behind a leg. After the first swipe, the boss will immediately do the 160-degree sweep, so players hiding underneath should remain there or follow the leg to stay behind it.

Pound Ground

This attack can be easier to dodge compared to the previous one, as a circle will appear on the ground, indicating the exact location where Ashava intends to smash one of its claws. It’s important to note that the attack will change depending on which phase of the fight you are in. During Phase One and Phase Two, Ashava will only pound the ground once with one arm, so you need to avoid standing inside the visible circle appearing on the ground.

From Phase Three onwards, Ashava will rear back and pound the ground with both arms, with each hitting area shown with a circle on the ground, and then sweep both arms backwards, dealing damage to everyone on the way. The attack will occur much faster than during Phases One and Two, so you will have to move out quickly. It can be beneficial to have a dodge or fast movement ability ready to evade it as quick as possible.

Leap

This attack can be hard to dodge and is one of the less noticeable moves of the boss. Ashava will jump forward or sideways multiple times during the fight, and being hit by this attack will result in a knockdown. Before leaping forward, the boss will assume a sort of squat stance, in which case it is recommended to immediately move away from the front of the boss. When Ashava is about to jump sideways, the stance is not as noticeable, but observing the boss’s legs can help you avoid getting hit.

Poison Clouds

Throughout the whole fight, you will have to constantly be aware of the poison clouds and waves that the boss will spit out regularly. They are easy to notice as the boss will vomit one cloud of poison that will roll toward players, leaving on its way three spots of poison on the battlefield each time. If any player is touched by the cloud or walks into the poison spots, they will get a ticking damage debuff of Poison, dealing heavy damage over time.

Bite

When Ashava rears back, you should quickly dash to the side, as the boss will then try to bite everything and everyone that is right in front of it. Ashava can bite between 1 and 4 times in a row, so avoid dashing back in front of it after the first bite. The last bite will have a bigger animation and deal more damage. It’s important to move more toward the side rather than dashing or leaping backward on this attack, as Ashava’s bite will cover a large area in front of the boss, and you may still get bitten even if you move backward. Staying on the sides will keep characters safe from the attack.

Rewards

After defeating Ashava, you will receive various rewards, including Scattered Prism, which is a rare item used to add gem sockets on certain gear. Moreover, there is a high chance to get Legendary gear and a (weekly) loot box, which contains additional Legendary gear, gold, and gems. The weekly cache even has a chance to drop Unique Items. If you encounter connection issues before the end of the fight or forget to pick up the loot, the rewards will automatically be sent to the Stash, and can be collected later.

Ashava Fight Video (No Commentary)

Official Monster Description

“Daring wanderers seeking a sizeable challenge should look no further—Ashava, a whirlwind of pestilence, has recently emerged in Fractured Peaks. Journal entries recounting sightings of this gargantuan plague bearer make note of her two massive forearm blades and ability to coat the ground in a viscous poison. Her blades, which can cleanly cut through stone and flesh alike, are to be feared. Records appear to mention a way to weaken Ashava, but unfortunately that portion of the page has corroded away.“