Sanctum of Destruction FAQ

Completed*
Last Update: 19th March '11

Sanctum of Destruction FAQ/Guide

What it is...
A dimensional rift in Ellia concealing an unholy site filled with manifestations of previously seen monsters of unknown origin.

What's in it?
3 types of Giant Golems, Gaikoz/Kamiki/Gardosen, Basilisks and the boss, Naamah.

Monsters:
Stage 1 - Golems
At the start, we have 3 types of golems to deal with. A Stone, Ice & Fire Golem. You'll also notice 3 stones of resembling color to each Golem.

These stones break in 10 hits regardless of damage intensity and regenerate in 30 seconds. It is compulsory to break them in order to inflict damage on the Golems, or all damage is negated to 1. To know whether a golem has become immune, you'll notice a bright glow on them aside from the 1-dmg signs popping up.


Destructive Stone Golem (Yellow) - Status Inflicter.
Near the start and every minute or so, it uses a roar that causes Confusion status for 8 seconds.
It uses the spinning attack but less often.
It also upheaves the ground up to 4 lengths long. It hits once if on ground with it, thrice if under it. Ouch.
Thrashes the ground with reasonable delay, has "Jump" warning.

Danger!
Trembles the ground and sends shards of rock falling down. They have a set pattern and is possible to evade.


Destructive Ice Golem (Blue) - Cold Killer
Shoots out 3 Frost Orbs in a spread. Deadly if caught at point blank. However, does not cause knockdown and thus cannot kill.
Conjures a whirling tornado, very rarely used.
Conjures a non-damaging wide-range blizzard (causes immobility but able to break free), then thrashes the ground after 3 seconds

Destructive Fire Golem (Red) - Trapmaster
Conjures 5 flame pillars in set positions across the map. The pillars reach 2 platforms high. Does not kill as well.
Throws a slow moving fireball that causes knockdown and burns the ground where it explodes.
Thrashes the ground without warning.

Attacks known, now what to do?
They're hardly a threat when you have a team. Focusing on one golem to kill first will make things much easier. Always pay attention to the Ice Golem as it has the most lethal attacks. The Fire Golem also poses a problem with it's fire traps.

Stage 2 - Kamiki/Gardosen/Gaikoz
The next stage sets you against a random 1 to 4 of any one enemy. They're all powerful demonic versions of their predecessors and should not be taken lightly.

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Wicked Kamiki

So she's wicked, yes?
Very. Revamped magic spells, a wicked look to boot. This version of Kamiki is just so much deadlier but thankfully she doesn't spawn Ammons and loses her fortitude spell which gives her periodic Super Armor.

Fire Magic:
4 Fireballs shot in a wide-x. Best place to avoid is going really far or just above and under her. Her visible cue is she spins and pulls her limbs in, indicating the impending fire spell.

Ice Magic:
Same radial range as her predecessor but a bug causes you to become permanently stuck if you get frozen twice before breaking out. Only curable if struck or using the Emergency Potion (untested)

Black Magic:
This spell causes restraint for low damage upon contact with the homing orbs. Each player will be followed by one and can be shot down. Just quickly break out of it. But it has an obvious flaw. In the air, it cannot restrain but only causes low dmg. On the ground if hit, is when you will be restraint. So if you can't escape it, just jump and get hit.

Lightning Magic:
The biggest nuisance. Aside from raining bolts down, she also conjures 8 multidirectional static bolts that latch onto the player, damaging them for 4 intervals, and causes mana break and death if low on hp. Multiple castings will flood the map with these bolts. Very fatal if struck point blank.

Countermeasures (Solo)
Against 3/4: Pray to your god for early death

Results vary. The same Anti-Kamiki tactics can be applied but will change depending on how often she uses her Lightning magic if you want to avoid the static bolts. Her frequency of magic casting depends on how often she gets knocked-down and/or teleports as well.

Then attempt to keep on ground and whittle away her life with short attacks. Her teleports and slow moving traps make this battle pretty unpredictable. Speed is key- just don't run into lingering static.

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Hellish Gardosen

Looks the same...
Don't let his look fool you. This treacherous monster has a new fatal attack up his sleeve.

His Meteor bombs now targets 4-5 spots and bombards them 4 times. Including a homing orb which is downable but induces no Mana drain, similar to those of the Hierophants in Fortress of Ascension. His real killer is the Bloody Funeral spell that deals instant death when the spell ends if you get caught in it.

Countermeasures (Solo)
Against 3/4: Take your time, it's not too difficult really.

His Meteor spell is trouble actually. avoiding the bomb zones and running from many Gardosens. Everything else is old and not exactly fatal. But the Bloody Funeral is one spell you must take extreme measures with.

During the onset of the spell, you must find every way to get out of the vortex, or skill out of it if you're lucky enough. The killing moment is when the spell ends with you still caught within the vortex. Again to this problem, I suggest keep your battle on high ground too. Chances are if they cast them, you can drop down to avoid it if you're lucky again.

======================
Vengeful Gaikoz

Fades away and strikes from behind, followed by...
Strikes out 3 rocks in a spread.
*Sends out 2 sonic slashes straight ahead. Has a wide arc
** Sends out 2 sonic slashes to his front within 160 degrees . Smaller arcs

*In this stance, Gaikoz raises his sword. Note that due to low platform height, standing above or below will still get you hit.
** In this stance, Gaikoz draws his sword behind him. High accuracy and difficult to evade.

Danger!
An instant slash across from end to end of the map.

Gaikoz enters a sword drawing stance and performs a wide arc Iaido slash. Hits above and below his point of attack.

Gaikoz unleashes his signature attack, attacking from all sides to form the word: 必
(必胜: These two words are commonly seen in Japanese culture on headbands/flags etc- which people use to grant themselves success/victory in exams, work etc.) You'll also notice that Gaikoz carries that flag.

It's Gaikoz. How bad can it be?
Terribly, the threshold limit against Gaikozs' is 2. 3 becomes difficult when they start throwing sonic slashes all over the place. That and combined with the frequency of his long-wide range Danger attacks, they're a force to reckon with. His 3 new attacks make him a dangerous monster to tackle with.

Countermeasures (Solo)
Against 3/4: Endurance match, period

Against this version of Gaikoz, do not keep your distance. The further you go, he becomes more spam prone with his sonic slashes. At close range he'll be forced to use his regular attacks. Also, keep your battle on mid-high ground as his Signature attack covers a large radius above. Dropping off is better than jumping to your death. Overall he is still susceptible to Anti-Gaikoz tactics but needs more care to be taken.

Stage 3: Basilisks
In this stage, you tackle against 2 Basilisks, one on each side of the given stage. Twice the trouble? Perhaps.

Now there is nothing special about these two Basilisk in nature; despite their names prefixed with Fire & Ice.

So they're the same? How difficult is this then?
There is just one problem with the stage setup itself. Both sides symmetrically have an opening pit where players can fall through to their death. There are 3 conditions which will cause this.

1) On the top platform leading to it's head, if you succumb to a "JUMP" attack on the platform rear edge. You'll definitely bounce and fall back into the pit.

2) If you are struck by it's Howling attack at point blank, your landing trajectory will be straight into the pit.

*For 1 & 2, I am unsure if a Mana Break will help, I've personally found myself unable to react in time to both incidents.

3) You are an idiot. You run straight down the platform into the hole.

One more noticable trait of the Basilisk here is that it's recovery time is much faster than the one in Temple of Fire. After it drops it's head. It gets up within 2 seconds. Not much time for rampaging it.

How to avoid getting knocked into the pit?
Avoid point-blank confrontations, which is nearly impossible for the melee class characters.

Any other pointers?
The head drops 3 times throughout it's lifespan. The 3rd time means it's about to be killed.

For melee characters, whatever fits the deal. Only those with consistent airborne attacks will have it easier here. The rest will have to make do with ant-bite jump attacks and their pets.

Feste
By far the most destructive pet on the Basilisk. However it's not just a drop and forget task. In order to completely hit the Basilisk, you'll have to jump to FESTE'S highest point, edge a little off the platform and release his bombs. If you do not edge off, the first bomb will completely miss.

If the head hits the floor, just be on the top platform and release. Not recommended. Since the head recovers too quickly, unless you can predict through damage control.

Not only is the damage ratio ridiculously high, it is possible to attain at least 2 bars of Mana with good bombing accuracy and get off a load of special attacks. I've personally let off 3 Stardust Rains on my Lire with precise control, almost decapitating it- though not enough to kill in one sweep.

Note: Dio spammers can ignore this logic, since they don't gain AP through damage count.


Stage 4: Naamah

Finally, the Matriarch demon of the Sanctum.

Stage Setup
You'll be flanked by Gaunts as well as some of them guarding Naamah. The platforms are well placed for many forms of attack. A portal leads to another part of the stage during a certain sequence.

Gaunts
They're weak creatures formed by magic unlike the real Gargoyles in the Fortress of Ascension. But as Naamah spawns them in great numbers, they become a real nuisance. From hindering your attacks, to intentionally pushing you away from a well-placed skill attack. They can even push you out of the portal as you attempt to enter it.

Naamah
Naamah's a pretty tall target, much like Gardosen's form. She does not attack physically in any way but wields an array of spells in which she attacks the party. Some of these spells are silently cast, while others through vocal incantation.

In the beginning phase she's protected by a magic shield similar to those provided by the Gnosis' Earrings. The shield works on damage threshold, not by time limit. Which means it takes punishment- a hell lot of it to wear it down before she is finally vulnerable to health damage.

Note: In the shield-active phase, she WILL NOT summon her soul. Take this opportune time to prepare yourself for the real onslaught against both of them.

Spell Attacks
The listed spells are cast silently without incantation, only through body action.

1) When she waves her arm forward from her waist, she casts an energy vortex in front of her. It deals consistent damage upon contact and finally explodes to throw the player away. Be advised she is crafty with this spell. Even if you face her back, she can suddenly turn around and bring the exploding spell into your face.

2) If you hear an explosive-crackling sound and see a magic circle forming under you, Move it! The spell if afflicted, causes a HP-Inverse effect where every point of damage you deal is dealt back to you by loss of health. It can bring you to the brink of death by Fatal status, but it cannot kill you on it's own effect.

If afflicted, evasion should be your main priority until the effect wears off. It is shown by a symbol with a sword surrounded by two cyclic arrows.

3) With her hand held front, she fires off energy spheres in a volley. They range from 1-3 castings with a piercethrough effect. A warning sign is the presence of a small vortex signify the spell usage, along with vocal cues as she fires them off. For a strange reason, each orb hits the player twice.

4) Naamah brings her hand to her ears and gently waves out a slow moving orb. Stay away from this one as well. It transmogrifies any player in contact into a very fragile Gaunt. Either you run from it, or attempt to strike it down.

Wait! What happens if you get hit
As a Gaunt-

You lose control of your avatar and will be randomly controlled for 5 seconds until you return to human form
All player-Gaunts are marked with a purple sphere in the body center
You can only be harmed by your own teammates
Being killed by your teammate by any means spells death for you
You cannot use potions to restore lose health

The Spells listed below are cast by incantations
*As the incantations are likely to be in Hebrew, I am unable to provide any written translations/cues. Combat experience over time will help you identify the different incantations.

1) Reduces visibility of one fellow player. This affected player is marked with an eye symbol until it wears off. Visibility is reduced to a small space surrounding the player. Everything else is black-screened.

2) Casts a whirling field of damaging energy on the floor under the targeted player. It does not cause any effects and just reduces HP over time. Being in contact under the affected platform will also cause HP reduction.

3) Summons another batch of Gaunts surrounding Naamah. About 7-9 of them at once.

4) Naamah conjures her physical soul into substance. Essentially forming an equally powerful clone of herself but with reduced endurance. She can re-conjure her soul until she has been defeated. Her body and soul are able to fight separately on their own will.

5) A 20 second countdown begins and the portal at the stage center lights up. Naamah becomes invulnerable to damage during this spell. (but her soul isn't) This portal leads to the lower parts of the Sanctum stage and leads to her Demon Core. Destroy this core within the time frame to temporarily paralyze her body or all players still standing are dealt instant death.

Ok... That's a lot of spells.. How should we fight her?
Because she wields such a wide array of spells, it is important to watch her cues as you're attacking her to know what she is going to do next. Always look out for the HP-Inverse and Transmogrification orb spells because you may be the nearest targets.

As soon as she conjures her soul, all attention should be focused on it and dealt with first. One Naamah is bad enough, two isn't pretty. To lengthen the time frame where she uses this spell, constant attacks can force her to use other spells instead. But eventually she'll still resort to this.

Melee characters should use short combos in case of the need to flee. Another primary reason is to avoid accidentally killing your teammate in Gaunt-state. But in the heat of combat and randomly controlled Gaunts, it's hard to blame anyone for the rampage.

Certain attacks and skills can destroy her orb-type attacks. Make full use of this to destroy them and even save your teammates from harm.

Once her countdown begins, all players should make a mad dash to destroy the Demon Core asap. Be advised Gaunts can linger below to hinder progress. Optionally, one player may stay above to distract Naamah, as she can still use her orb attacks to disrupt and even kill the Core attacking party.

*But I have a Dirty Secret- For Archers Only*

Congratulations, you've just finished the guide on Sanctum of Destruction. This is just a guide, but only you can experience what the Sanctum holds in it's wake.

Team Formations
Most of the time, we're playing hand-in-hand with strangers. All we can do is trust their ability to die... I mean survive.

It is always good form to have a Lire or an Arme in the team of 4. For whatever reason, they'll be able to deliver results for better or worst in some situations. (Because you just can't say how well they can perform, but they're still naturally useful)

Do not allow players who strip to D-E-F ranks to play. I abhor people who use that excuse to simply allow themselves to laze through the ordeals while we do all the fighting and... tantrum throwing fits.
More players running around = More distractions for monsters

Known Bugs
Some players get stuck at the bottom stage even after destroying the Demon Core. Unfortunately I have not experienced this problem to comment on it.

Not exactly a bug, but Lires who get caught in the Transmogrification spell can kill themselves if arrows are still being let off as the spell changes your body. The Gaunt has an enlarged body and gets caught in any arrows being fired.

Again not another bug. But a mere unfortunate coincidence that Naamah and/or her soul happens to stand over the teleport pad. Making it impossible to go down and destroy the core. Tough luck.

Trivia
Naamah: Or named Na'amah, is a demonic legendary creature of Hebrew origin and the Mother of Divination.

She is according to legends, a Succubus and Fallen Angel. Which may explain her rather unique and beautiful looks despite her evils.

Her name also means "Pleasant One".

Gnosis: As with the earrings in relation to her shield. Gnosis is a greek word for spiritual knowledge. Though how it is related to the earring's effects is beyond me.

Transmogrification: Some of you might ask why not Transmutation?
Mutation- the root word refers to an abnormal change of the physical form of an object but still retaining the original form.

Hence the correct use, transmogrification means a complete change in the physical form of an object. In modern times, it's better known as "Shapeshifting".

You should mention how SoD takes a average of everyone's stats.

Destructive Ice Golem's Lunatic Force CAN kill.

Gardosen's Meteor's fire can and will slide over, resulting in more areas affected.

Kiri wrote:

Destructive Ice Golem's Lunatic Force CAN kill.

Best edit that out now that you know the truth... not like it matters, since it will be preserved in my post. <33

Kiri wrote:

Destructive Ice Golem's Lunatic Force CAN kill.

Gardosen's Meteor's fire can and will slide over, resulting in more areas affected.

Tried and tested. Does not kill

Even countering on fatal won't get you killed by the ice. The 5 flame pillars can kill if you counter on fatal though. They don't always seem to though.

Most attacks that don't do knockdown can't kill you

When you move to Naamah , remember to include that you will be vulnerable to all damage that is done to you when she uses her Transform-to-Gauntlet move,excluding Naamah and other Gauntlets.

I've been killed by allies and my pet countless of times. It's lolful when you use your pet attack right when you are transformed and kill yourself -.-

With the shield from earrings I can be transformed during mp attacks. -_-
You can also attack and kill yourself when this happens or if I use neph's multi hit attack as I transform.

I appreciate the comments guys, but please don't get ahead of me. You'll only spoil my motivation for writing it.

Guide is finally done after a long time. You guys are probably veterans already but wtheck, read it as you like~

Nice guide. Specifics on feste are useful to me.
I can kill myself as a Gaunt with a critical attack as neph. x_x
You should include how the earrings effects mean that you will be transmogrified even mid mp attack. (which kills you).

ArcImpulse wrote:

3) You are an idiot. You run straight down the platform into the hole.

This would be funny if I hadn't seen it happen before. -_-

Edit.

James wrote:

Nice guide. Specifics on feste are useful to me.
I can kill myself as a Gaunt with a critical attack as neph. x_x
You should include how the necklace effects mean that you will be transmogrified even mid mp attack. (which kills you).

ArcImpulse wrote:

3) You are an idiot. You run straight down the platform into the hole.

This would be funny if I hadn't seen it happen before. -_-

You see that happen a lot because people simply run off the platforms for the portal at end-stage.

The self-kill gaunt issue is pretty vague so i'd rather not make a story out of it. But arrows make the easiest disaster.

I'm not sure I follow you on the necklace effects part.

Sorry I meant to say earrings. (failed)
Whenever Gnosis Joy or super armor activates.

Hmm. No not here. The necklace effects have no bearing on a guide like this. Unless I proceed to make a related article.