Introduction[]
Master Guardians are the "bosses" in Lord of Arcana; these monsters are first encountered during "arcana release" quests. Unlock these quests by finishing all (or most) of the quests in a chapter. During these quests, the Master Guardians won't appear on the field like normal enemies. They appear as an otherworldly portal that moves around the map to specific zones.
Combat Information[]
Master Guardians are bigger, stronger, and have more health compared to regular enemies. They will also have a wider variety of attacks.
- Most Master Guardians have breakable parts that appear with a blue lock on reticle (Eye of the Gods orb required), which the player can attempt to break off and gain loot. Breaking parts can also limit the abilities/range of some attacks or prevent them from being used entirely.
- Around halfway through the fight, the camera will shift to the angle normal monsters get before a coup de grace, signaling the coming of the counter melee duel. If attacked while locked on, you'll trigger the duel, which involves button mashing to fill a meter (pressing the Circle button as fast as you can). At the end of the counter melee, the Master Guardian drops loot and takes damage depending on how much you filled the meter. Around this time, the guardian will enrage, letting out a roar that damages all nearby players while their eyes glow crimson red and their body takes on a darker appearance.
- While enraged, attacks will be stronger, and the guardian will move faster. Furthermore, most gain new attacks and/or stronger versions of original ones. Enraged mode lasts a few minutes, but can be entered multiple times in a fight.
- When at critical health, the guardian will begin bleeding out and try to escape the fight; should they succeed, you are sent back to the field and the portal moves. When found again, the guardian will have restored some health. When their health is fully depleted, a final melee duel begins. This is a standard QTE set into 4 separate segments (one for each player in a full multiplayer game). You must press the buttons as they appear on the screen in time to start the next sequence. By completing each sequence, you progress to the next segment, closer to victory over the Master Guardian. However, if you fail, the Guardian will attempt a counter, which may allow it to heal and force you to continue the fight. They are defeated when the melee duel is successfully completed.
- During multiplayer (2 to 4 players), should the current player fail the QTE, his/her teammates have a chance to initiate a restart of that sequence by pressing the right button shown quickly; this will prevent the Guardian from healing and allow the player to try the sequence again; this can be a time/life saver during fights with Guardians that are tough as nails to take down.
- After completing the melee duel, the Guardian collapses to the ground, dropping specified materials afterwards; it can potentially turn into a core.
- The Master Guardians' cores are usually required to make stronger weapons and armor. They are also used to make their respective cards, which you use for ultimate spells.
Story Master Guardians[]
Nidhogg (Tutorial)
Agni (Chapter 1) - Grants access to the Ahbor Desert
Takemikazuchi (Chapter 2) - Grants access to the Kamma Wind Cave
Bahamut (Chapter 3) - Grants access to the Brankad Lava Cave
Azdaja (Chapter 4) - Grants access to Gurow Bog
Grendel (Chapter 5) - Grants access to Urtbarn Hill
Vermilion (Chapter 6) - Grants access to the Scarlet Tower
Optional Master Guardians[]
All the Master Guardians you after Vermillion's Arcana Quest are considered optional. However, you will need to proceed through the quests to reach each of these Arcana Bosses, just like the main story. As before, defeating these will grant you access to the maps these Guardians inhabit
Hecatoncheir (Chapter 7) - Grants access to the Yormbea Labyrinth
Wild Nidhogg (Chapter 8) - Grants access to the Temple Caverns
Siegfried (Chapter 9) - Grants access to the Rivenhelt Ruins