How to Beat the Plague Lich
The Plague Lich is the stage guardian of "Deep Cavern", the second stage of Endless Curse, and arrives at 9:00. Unlike the Butcher he doesn't chase you down: he stands back throwing poison fog and raising skeletons until the floor is one big poison pool. The cavern is dark too, so reading the green warnings on the ground is key.
01Quick facts
| Stage | Deep Cavern (stage 2) |
|---|---|
| Arrives | 9:00, stage guardian |
| Race | Undead |
| Attack element | Poison |
| Style | Ranged: likes to keep its distance and circle you, only closing in now and then |
| Movement speed | No. 6 in speed among the six guardians |
| Stage strength | Monster health about ×1.3 and damage about ×1.15 of stage 1 (Nightmare, Hell) |
| Drop | Always drops one legendary item |
02Plague Lich's attacks
The lich is a ranged boss: most of the time he keeps his distance and circles you, closing in only now and then. Poison fog is his favorite, near or far.
Stomp
Only used when you're very close: one stomp that hurts everything in a ring around it.
How to dodge: When it's on top of you, watch for the glowing ring at its feet, step outside, then come back. Melee classes eat this one the most.
Plague Fog
Throws three clouds of poison at you: one lands at your feet, the other two nearby. The fog stays on the ground for about 4.5 seconds and keeps poisoning anyone inside.
How to dodge: When you see green warnings on the ground, move to where there's no poison and don't fight in the fog. He uses this a lot, so open ground gets scarce: keep repositioning as you fight.
Raise Skeletons
Raises his staff and a ring of frail skeletons pops up around him and charges you. They die easily but get in the way of your movement.
How to dodge: Any area skill sweeps them away. Don't let the skeletons box you in.
Bullet Ring
Winds up, then fires a full ring of bullets in every direction, 14 per ring.
How to dodge: Up close the bullets are dense. Back off a bit and the gaps widen, then slip through one.
03Below half health: enrage
When Plague Lich drops below half health, the screen shows "Plague Lich is enraged!". After that:
- Movement speed goes up 15%, so it closes in faster (to about 44%).
- It attacks 25% more often, and Stomp, Bullet Ring get 20% less warning time.
- After each attack there's a 35% chance it chains straight into the next one with barely a pause.
- Plague Fog: Enraged: 4 clouds at a time.
- Raise Skeletons: Enraged: 4 at a time.
- Bullet Ring: Enraged: 18 bullets per ring.
Once enraged, the fog gets thicker and his attacks come faster, leaving far less safe ground. Keep a movement skill in reserve and don't get trapped in the middle of the fog.
04What Plague Lich is weak to
Plague Lich is Undead. Elements that work well against it: Fire (×1.6), Holy (×1.6); it resists Ice (×0.6), Poison (×0.3), Shadow (×0.6), and every other element deals normal damage.
Heroes with these skills have the edge (skills are drawn at random on level up, so grab these when they show up):
- Sorcerer: Firebolt, Fire Wall, Hydra, Meteor
- Assassin: Explosive Trap, Fire Bomb
- Paladin: Smite, Zeal, Holy Hammer, Pillars of Light, Blessed Hammer, Holy Bolt, Fist of the Heavens, Divine Ray, Holy Fire, Consecration, Sanctuary, Holy Nova
On the other hand, Ice, Poison, Shadow skills deal reduced damage to it. If those are your main elements, bring a few skills of other elements too.
For the full chart, see Beginner's Guide: Element Chart.
05Tips
- Don't use poison on him: he's Undead, so poison drops to ×0.3 and Shadow to ×0.6. The Ranger's poison skills and the Necromancer's Shadow skills struggle here.
- Keep moving as you fight: fog stays on the ground for 4.5 seconds, so standing still to deal damage gets you surrounded by poison fast. Walking a big circle around him is safest.
- Kill skeletons first: they die to one area skill, but left alone they pin you inside the fog.
- The cavern is dark: your view is smaller in the Deep Cavern and distant warnings are harder to spot, so don't drift too far from him.
- Bring Fire or Holy: the Sorcerer's fire skills and the Paladin's Holy skills both hit him for ×1.6.
06The Plague Lich in chapter two of the story
The first time you enter the Deep Cavern on Normal, solo, before Vesper has joined your town, you play chapter two of the story, "Whispers in the Cavern". At 3:30 you find Vesper the necromancer in an abandoned miners' camp. Together you break two Plague Wells, then hold out inside her chalk circle for 45 seconds while she seals the source of the plague. Until then the clock stops at 7:59 and the lich doesn't appear.
In this chapter the lich has an extra mechanic: he raises Plague Wells near you, up to two at a time. As long as any well is flowing, he takes no damage at all, and your hits only show "Immune". Break the wells first, then hit him. He raises new ones after a while, so go all in during the gaps when no well is up.
Plague LichVesper… my finest pupil. At last you come home.
VesperI'll explain later. While his wells keep flowing, nothing can hurt him. Break them first!
Vesper stays by your side and fights with five Necromancer skills: Bone Spear, Raise Skeleton, Teeth, Corpse Explosion, Curse. She has twice your max health. Beat the lich and step into the portal, and Vesper joins your town; from then on you can switch to the Necromancer at the campfire. In this chapter the Necromancer is never drawn as a mid-boss (so it can't be mixed up with Vesper).
VesperHe taught me everything I know… and used it for this.
07Other bosses in Deep Cavern
The 3:00 mid-boss is drawn from Necromancer, Skeleton Lord; the 6:00 one from Skeleton Lord, Skeleton Knight (never the same as the 3:00 one).They also enrage at half health, and each one drops a piece of gear.
For an overview of the whole game, head back to the Endless Curse home page, or compare all six guardians in the boss overview.
08FAQ
When does the Plague Lich appear?
At 9:00, with a warning at 8:00. In chapter two of the story you first have to help Vesper seal the source of the plague, or the clock stops at 7:59.
Why do my hits on the lich keep showing "Immune"?
That's the chapter two story mechanic: while a Plague Well near him is flowing, he takes no damage. Break the wells first, then hit him.
What is the Plague Lich weak to?
He's Undead: Fire and Holy deal ×1.6; Ice and Shadow only ×0.6, and poison just ×0.3.
What do I get for beating the Plague Lich?
Always one legendary item. Beat him on Normal for the first time and step into the portal to unlock stage 3, the Frozen Plains; Vesper joins your town too.
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