Aetherblade Retreat

This article is about the Living World Season 1 dungeon. For the story instance featuring this dungeon, see The Aetherblade Retreat. For the Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons strike mission, see Aetherblade Hideout.

Aetherblade Retreat

3 1

Map of Aetherblade Retreat

Type

Dungeon

Region

Kryta

Connects to

Lion's Arch

API

915

Loading screen

“

Find the hidden entrance to the Aetherblade base and take the fight to the pirates! It'll take skill, courage, and no small measure of agility to battle your way to the Aetherblade Captain and First Mate.

— Sky Pirates of Tyria

Aetherblade Retreat was a story dungeon introduced in the Sky Pirates of Tyria release. It was available from June 25 to July 9, 2013.

Getting there

The entrance to this dungeon could be found in Lion's Arch and was marked on the map by a gold star. Travel to the  Diverse Ledges Waypoint — and jump down into the water. Head up the ramp to the gold star and talk to the Lionguard. Enter the dungeon by going through the waterfall.

Locations

Area	Area objectives
Scoundrel's Hovel	Scoundrel's Hovel Waypoint
The Wretched Walk	Kleptotronic Advanced Designs Waypoint Kleptotronic Advanced Designs
Deceit's Climb	Roughneck Crook Waypoint Rogue's Landing Roughneck Crook

Dungeon information

Objectives

• Explore the Aetherblade hideout and track down Mai Trin.
  • Inspector Ellen Kiel
  • 
  • Breach the gate.
  • Gate Guards Defeated
  • 
  • Shut down Frizz's Lab.
  • 
  • Avoid the golem-buffing electric walls.
  • Inspector Ellen Kiel
  • 
• Defeat Mai Trin and her forces.
  • Defeat Captain Mai Trin and First Mate Horrik.
  • Captain Mai Trin
  • 
• You've successfully apprehended Mai Trin, ending her reign of terror.

Bonus event

• Power the mounted deck cannon with Horrik's cannon core and shoot down the escaping Aethership.
  • Aethership Escapes in: X:XX

Rewards

Boss chest

• Rare item
• Drop of Liquid Karma
• 2  12  - 2  75 

Possible rewards

• Recipe: Infinite Aetherized Tonic
• Recipe: Potent Master Maintenance Oil
• Recipe: Potent Master Tuning Crystals
• Recipe: Potent Superior Sharpening Stones
• Monocle
• Dragon Coffer (100)

Dungeon reward

• 13 
• 760 
• 35% of experience needed for character level
• Bag of Coins containing 1 

Walkthrough

Scoundrel's Hovel

Upon entering the dungeon you will need to swim through a tunnel with mines. The mines will do significant damage and cripple you, so don't get close. Once on the other side, players will reach Inspector Kiel. Players will take the lead and go around the corner to take out the group of Aetherblade. Go through the doorway and take out the next group to reach the electric walls.

Electrified Catwalks

This is the first new mechanic to learn. Players can walk over electrical plates, but it will do a very large amount of damage, usually downing you before you finish passing through it. The plates turn off and on, allowing you to step through (for slower GPUs, "dodge forward" works well). Inspector Kiel will wait behind while you figure out how to turn them off. Wait until a plate is off and pass through each one in turn until you reach the far side. Inside the hut there are three switches. Activate each one to turn off all electrical plates and Inspector Kiel will catch up with you. Continue through the passageways, avoiding other electrical plates, and turning them off when possible.

Breach the Gate

After the walls, you'll reach an area where you need to get past a gate. Several waves of Aetherblade will attack you. This is also where the next mechanic is learned. While fighting, an Aetherblade Cannoneer will be on a ledge firing cannons at the players, creating fire AoE fields on the ground wherever they hit. As the fight goes on, a second cannoneer on the other side will do the same thing. These cannoneers are invulnerable, so defeat all of the gate guards to open it. After a short run you'll reach the gate to Frizz's Lab for the mid-boss fight.

Frizz's Lab

Talk to Inspector Kiel to begin the boss fight. A cinematic will play showing the area. You'll have a chance to see the area and make plans. Talk to Frizz to trigger the event. Frizz will run around with a Flamethrower while you fight him and his assistants. Once you bring him down to 75% health, he jumps to the center and enters a protective tube. Two walls of electricity, similar to the electric walls encountered earlier, will emerge from opposite sides of the center tube and slowly rotate counter-clockwise. The walls will do a significant amount of damage if it hits you. Players can either move along with the walls, climb up on the stacks of crates and barrels spread across the room, or even jump over the electric walls if they time it right (this is very difficult, but possible). Teleport skills will safely transport players through them.

You will not be able to damage Frizz during this time, but he will send two golems at a time to fight you. These golems will be supercharged if the walls pass over them, giving them a damage boost, so avoid being hit while it's in effect. Either kite the golems or soak up their damage. Ranged attacks are best during this fight, although mainly due to mobility since the golems have some ranged attacks too. When supercharged, they can also use a pull skill to bring you close to them.

Once 2 golems have been defeated, Frizz will increase the power, doubling the size of the walls, and send two more golems after you. Players will not be able to avoid these walls by standing on the crates or jumping over, so move counter-clockwise around the room while attacking the golems and try to keep them from being supercharged by the walls.

Once those two golems are defeated, he then activates both the tall and short electric walls at once. The smaller wall is just like the first wall but travels faster than the taller one. Two more golems will fight you during this time. Players will need to again move counter-clockwise to avoid the taller wall, but also jump onto the crates to avoid the smaller one as it will travel faster than you.

Once the third set of golems are destroyed, the fight ends and players can continue.

The Wretched Walk

After the fight, continue traveling north along the passageway and it will curve south. A storm is picking up, and the rope bridges will get struck by lightning often. Avoid the lightning and cross the bridges to reach the other side. In the middle of the bridge section there will be several Aetherblades. This section is a death trap, as the Aetherblades are powerful and you don't have much room to maneuver. Take them out and continue along the bridges.

There will be an Aetherblade Cache along the way and you will reach the third waypoint.

Deceit's Climb

Continue to travel through the tunnels. Inspector Kiel will wait at some closed doors while players work to open them. Travel up and defeat the veterans and pirates waiting there to open it up. Continue on to the docks.

Aethership Dock

Talk to Inspector Kiel to enter the boss fight area. After a short cinematic, Mai Trin and Horrik will attack you. Mai has a buff called Captain's Shield, which reduces damage done to her by 10% per stack. She begins with 10 stacks and she must be hit by Horrik's electric fields to remove them. She also shadowsteps around and uses electric attacks and bleeds. Horrik will stand off to the side and fire cannonballs and electric shots at players, creating burning and electric fields. Lure Mai into the electric fields to reduce the Captain's Shield and take her out.

If players focus on Horrik instead and kill him first, Mai will revive him, creating a shockwave (similar to the Molten Berserker from Molten Facility). Reviving Horrik also seems to reset her Captain's Shield. Horrik should be ignored until Mai is down or nearly down. In the last phase of killing Mai, it is reasonable to hit Horrik also so that he is less of a problem when Mai is downed. Mai seems to have several noticeable tactics. She notices who is reviving and attacks them, she targets the character furthest away from her, and probably other tactics that others might add.

Once Mai reaches 75%, she and Horrik teleport away and two cannoneers appear, raining fire down on the players similar to the gate section earlier. The pattern of shots are different each volley, so stay on the move. After about 45 seconds of this, Mai and Horrik appear to continue the fight. This cannon interludes happens again at 50% and 25%, each time adding more cannons (which means more fields) and the volleys happen more often, and the duration is longer also. The first time the cannons lasts for 60 seconds, then 80, and finally 120 on the last phase. Note that the volleys target players, so having multiple players stack up in the same place is not advised, as it will create multiple overlapping fields with no safe place to stand in between. Instead, spread out and simply sidestep the AOEs when they appear. Stealth can also be used to briefly prevent cannoneers from targeting you, but it will not negate any projectiles already en route.

One alternative tactic often used by players is to designate a run leader and stack up moments before the barrage phase (E.G. ~80% or so health on the first barrage and so on). When the barrage phase occurs, the players will follow the run leader closely and run as a group clockwise or counterclockwise around the edges of the room. This method is recommended if the party has a substantial amount of regen/swiftness, as it reduces the pressure on individual players substantially. Downed teammates can be tended to after the barrage phase.

Once Mai is defeated, Horrik becomes frenzied and now you must finish him.

Destroy the escaping Aethership

Once Horrik is down, he drops a Cannon Core. If the battle was won in less than 15 minutes, players have a chance to destroy the escaping Aethership. Use the new red platforms to move over to the waiting airship and use the core on the cannon up front to destroy the airship.

NPCs

Allies

• Inspector Ellen Kiel
• Lionguard

Foes

Asura (Inquest)

• Champion Frizz
• Inquest Engineer
• Inquest Engineer (Elite)
• Inquest Extinguisher (Elite)
• Veteran Inquest Assassin
• Veteran Inquest Assistant
• Veteran Inquest Technician

Golems

• Aetherblade Golem (Elite)
• Mark I Golem (Elite)
• Mark I Golemite

Various (Aetherblades)

• Aetherblade Grenadier
• Aetherblade Grenadier (Elite)
• Aetherblade Recruit
• Aetherblade Striker
• Aetherblade Striker (Elite)
• Aetherblade Swashbuckler
• Aetherblade Swashbuckler (Elite)
• Aetherblade Taskmaster
• Aetherblade Thug
• Aetherblade Thug (Elite)
• Champion First Mate Horrik
• Mai Trin
• Veteran Aetherblade Grenadier
• Veteran Aetherblade Striker
• Veteran Aetherblade Swashbuckler
• Veteran Aetherblade Taskmaster
• Veteran Aetherblade Thug
• Veteran Aetherblade Thumper

Dialogue

Talking to the Lionguard in front of the entrance

Are you the reinforcements Inspector Kiel mentioned? Glad to have you on board. She's inside. Just close your eyes and walk through the rock wall behind the waterfall; it's an illusion.

Will do. Thanks.

Approaching Inspector Kiel

Inspector Ellen Kiel: Let's get going.

Talking to Inspector Kiel at Entrance

Mai Trin and her crew came through here. I've got a bad feeling about this, but at least you're here too. Let's go.

I'll take the lead.

As Inspector Kiel approaches the electric walls

Inspector Ellen Kiel: Ow! It shocked me!

Waiting at the electric walls

We need to shut that down. You find a way to turn that off, I'll watch your back.

I'm on it.

At the console before the Kleptotronic Design Lab

Inspector Ellen Kiel: Hmmm, let's see what this does.

Talking to Inspector Kiel to start Frizz's Lab fight

This security panel seems simple enough. Are you ready to breach the room?

Let's go.

Not yet.

Cinematic showing the lab

Champion Frizz: This is a sterile research environment. Leave at once.

Talking to Frizz

This is a sterile research environment. Leave at once.

Let's finish this.

Triggering fight

Champion Frizz: Very well. I have ways of dealing with contaminants.

When Frizz is at 75% health

Champion Frizz: You're vandalizing previous equipment. Why don't you play with live wires?

During fight

Champion Frizz: Time to amplify the power. Fry, you pests. Fry like skritt on a lightning rod.

Champion Frizz: This isn't supposed to happen. You should be dead by now!

Champion Frizz: Zap! (laughs) What, you wanted something more pithy? Sue me. I'm new at killing people.

When someone is downed or defeated

Champion Frizz: Someone call sanitation. I have stains that need eradicating.

When all golems are defeated

Champion Frizz: You think you've won? You've won nothing! Tremble and cry as I unleash my greatest-

Inspector Ellen Kiel: Have I mentioned how much I hate those grubby little Inquest?

Talking to Inspector Kiel after the lab

I'm shocked-and impressed-that these ruffians kept this place a secret for so long. Let's go. We've still got ground to cover.

Here we go.

Talking to Inspector Kiel at the rope bridges

We need to shut that down. You find a way to turn that off, I'll watch your back.

I'm on it.

At the main doors

Inspector Ellen Kiel: Don't leave me here. I can help.

Talking to Inspector Kiel at the doors

We have to find a way to open these doors. Look around for a way through.

Okay.

After defeating all of the Aetherblade and Inquest

Inspector Ellen Kiel: Let's end this. Follow me!

Inspector Ellen Kiel: Oh no. Not another control panel.

Talking to Inspector Kiel at entrance to docks

Behind this door is Mai Trin. Are you ready to face her?

Let's finish this.

I need more time.

During the cinematic

Mai Trin: This has all gone to crud. Scarlet's gonna have my noggin for screwing up.

Champion First Mate Horrik: What now, Captain? It'll take cannonballs to get out of here alive.

Mai Trin: Either way, I'm dead, so let's wind our springs and ride this escapement to the end.

Champion First Mate Horrik: You got it. I'll undock the airships.

Mai Trin: You and your brothers give good battle, old friend. Now, let's dig in before they show. I'll raise the gangplanks.

At the start of the fight

Mai Trin: This is what your curiousity gets you.

If Horrik is defeated before Mai Trin

Mai Trin: No more half measures. All hands on deck!

When Mai is at 75%, 50%, or 25%

Mai Trin: Horrik! Unleash the cannons!

Horrik: Aye, aye, Captain.

When Mai is defeated

Mai Trin: Enough! You've won. Give me quarter and I'll tell you everything.

When both Mai and Horrik are defeated

Inspector Ellen Kiel: Lionguard, take our intrepid airship captain into custody. Don't take your eyes off her.

Lionguard: On it, Investigator.

If time remains before the Aethership escapes

Inspector Ellen Kiel: I'm itching to blow that escaping airship out of the sky. Any ideas how to do that?

Talking to Inspector Kiel after the fight

That was rough! They almost got us, but we got her in the end.

What about those Inquest?

This is the first time I've run into them. No one knows exactly what they're up to. And now, they're partnering with pirates. Hm.

Yeah, hm. I'll see you later.

True.

Notes

• All players are scaled up to level 80 during this dungeon.
• Geographically speaking, this dungeon is along the D'Alessio Seaboard, just east of the village of Hakewood.
• The events of this dungeon have been recreated in the Aetherblade Fractal and Captain Mai Trin Boss Fractal.
• A modified version of this dungeon was added as a story instance for the Story Journal version of Living World Season 1: Sky Pirates.

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Dungeons

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Living World Season 1 storyline

Flame and Frost	New Friends, New Enemies → The Battle for Cragstead → Alliance Investigation → Molten Furnace → A Quiet Celebration
Sky Pirates	Ceremony and Acrimony → Hard Boiled → No More Secrets → Aether Investigation → The Aetherblade Retreat → Case Closed
Clockwork Chaos	The Opening Ceremony → The Queen's Address → Clockwork Invasion → Scarlet's Playhouse → Picking Up the Pieces
Tower of Nightmares	The Nightmare Unveiled → Making the Antitoxin → The Tower of Nightmares → The Nightmare Incarnate → The Nightmare Ends → Awake and Allied
Battle for Lion's Arch	The Twisted Marionette → Connecting the Pieces → Escape from Lion's Arch → The Battle for Lion's Arch → Battle on the Breachmaker → Scarlet's End → After the Battle → Dawn of the Next Journey
← Previous: Personal story Next: Living World Season 2 →