Facing the Implacable

The scribes are still creating this chapter with Syncletica. This chapter is not yet complete.

There will come a day when the fates appear to be looking the other way.

You will encounter a creature or creatures with whom you cannot intially out-fight in the martial arts. Or, a creature so overpowering that your best defensive postures are of little effect under the initial circumstances in your initial encounter. Or, the enemy simply throws you off of your rhythm.

For these times, you must focus on the most subtle tenets of your monastic training.

When the implacable foe faces you, there are several matters to consider, quickly.

• Are other members of your party in jeopardy, especially those who have skills or abilities that are key to completing your mission?
• Can you kite the implacable away from others in your party?
• Is there a mob of lesser enemies in addition to the implacable?
• Are you alone?
• Are there any environmental or structural items you can use to slow or stop the progress of the implacable?
• Do you have ranged attack ability?
• Have you trained to Level 19 or more?

The Implacable and The Party

When a juggernaut appears against a party, typically the party has to fight it. Often, however, the implacable is not alone. A mob that accompanies the implacable can be much more dangerous because they distract and divert the attack resources, forcing a party to the defensive. At this point, the sheer might of the implacable can destroy everyone in your party, especially if they possess area-of-effect attacks or take advantage of party members who have been separated from the group and are now easy prey.

As a Monk, your mission is clear: Protect the most vulnerable and valuable party member. This is either the central healer(s), who are often attacked first, or the tanking members that need support by removing mobs that have surrounded them and are eroding the tanker's limited defenses.

Diverting the Implacable

When the implacable arrives alone, with very few or no lesser allies, this is a often a foe with massive levels of hit points, damage reduction, attack types and spells that are designed to kill a party. Examples include Queen Liliat, The Lord of Blades, Arritreikos, and Valah.

Such implacable foes attempt to win by attrition. Thus, some party members are more vulnerable than others. (The game AI often seeks out the healers in your party first.)

As a Monk, you may need to help get and keep the implacable's attention while others in the party refresh themselves.

In some missions, there are two or more implacable foes. In this case, a party member must be spared to kite of these enemies away while the rest of the party concentrates on destroying their ally. Quests or raids where this is found include "The Shroud," "Tower of Despair," "Prey on the Hunter," "Gianthold Tor" and "The Lord of Blades." Coordinated attacks may also be needed to slay each multiple enemy within seconds of each other, else they may respawn.

Here, you may need to turn your focus to maximum defense, moderate Threat (to keep a foe's attention) and maximum mobility.

Surviving the Implacable

If you are alone, perhaps with a healer hireling or completely by yourself, the encounter with an implacable may be the most challenging fight you will do.

No implacable is completely invulnerable. What you must do is to find the foe's weakness and continually attack it, while ensuring your resources are not drained as fast as you drain the hit points of your foe.

Because of the nature of implacable foes, this tactic often requires Healing Ki, an ability available only to Light students. This does not necessarily exclude Dark students from encounters with implacable foes, but greater emphasis on healing is a priority to stay alive to tell the tale.

When facing such a foe:

• Remove the trash mobs first.
• Maximize your healing amplification.
• Keep the implacable focused on you and in one place.
• Don't move about too much, else you may cause respawns to aid your enemy.
• Use Greater/Ultimate Mountain Stance for greater Threat, AC and critical hit damage.
• Use Greater/Ultimate Ocean Stance for greater Dodge and greater Wisdom for improving your Stunning Fist and similar Monk tactical hits.
• Use Healing Ki constantly.
• Use Dance of Clouds or other concealment item continually.
• Use Empty Body for high concealment when kiting.
• Wear Ghostly items.
• Ninja Spy's "Shadow Fade" can make you disappear. If you are revealed, you remain 25% incorporeal for up to 1 minute. This effect stacks with other Concealment effects such as Blur.
• Use the Dark Monk's Curse of the Void and charm some enemies into your allies to increase distraction.
• Use summoning clickies such as the Shard of Xoriat to give mobs something else to chase other than you and the rest of the party.
• Use the right weapon for the right targets, especially if incorporeal, construct, undead, or a boss.
• Concentrate and be patient.
• If you have the ability to raise dead, now's the time.
• If you have Epic Destinies, use the right thing at the right time and save your special abilities for these times. The Monk-specific Epic Destiny, "Everything is Nothing," will destroy, paralyze or heavily damage all enemies within a large radius. You have to prepare it first, and it has a long cooldown. It will damage but not kill red-named enemies. A Shadowdancer's Shadow Manipulation ability can Dominate (charm) an enemy into generating enough aggro for you to rescue stricken party members without attracting attention.

The entire denizens in an Epic Elite adventure are designed to challenge you in the same ways as a single implacable enemy. See advice on managing the most challenging adventures in "Naraka."