Unwaking Waters (mission)

''This is a mission entry. For information on the Luxon Location, see Unwaking Waters (Luxon). For the Kurzick Location, see Unwaking Waters (Kurzick).''

Objectives
Defeat Kuunavang
 * Weaken Kuunavang to destroy the barrier.
 * Weaken Kuunavang to destroy the barrier.
 * Weaken Kuunavang to destroy the last barrier.
 * Defeat the corrupted dragon Kuunavang.

Selecting Your Party
In order to complete this mission, two factors must be considered when selecting a team; players whether human or NPC, need to be able to (1) deal significant amount of ranged damage, and (2) effectively interrupt Kuunavang despite her resistance to being interrupted.

Although this would appear to place limitations on which party configurations have any real likelihood of success, good teamwork and ranged attacks will in most cases suffice. Generally, a team with only one melee attacker is preferred, and a team with more than two melee attackers will most probably be unable to deal adequate amounts of ranged damage.

If live players with ranged attacks are unavailable, henchmen with ranged attacks are preferrable to live players without ranged attacks. It is possible to complete the mission (and even the master's reward) with only henchmen (on both sides), so don't be afraid to use them if human players of the appropriate classes are in short supply -- just make sure you have a ranged weapon to direct them with (or use ctrl + shift + space).

It can take two or more interrupts to stop one of Kuunavang's spells so your party should include more than one character with more than one interrupt. For some reason, the henchmen seem to have more luck interrupting Kuunavang than most humans. Spinal Shivers works well with a spirit of winter if all party members wield weapons that deal elemental damage, so a Necromancer with Spinal Shivers and a Ranger with Winter and Broad Head Arrow for some extra interrupts should be fine for interrupts if all characters do elemental damage. Also make sure all characters have bows/staves/wands to interrupt for Broad Head Arrow. These should be elemental damage as well to interrupt during Spinal Shivers (the tanks need the ranged weapons for the time when Kuunavang is unable to be attacked by melee).

Entering the Temple
This stage is comprised of a long trek into the whirlpool in which the Harvest Temple has sunk. The spiraling path has barriers that prevent the party from going further until Kuunavang is weakened enough. Prior to each barrier, a large group of Afflicted will emerge from it to assault the party and Kuunavang will swoop from the side to use her powerful skills. Still, with proper preparation for this confrontation, dispatching the Afflicted group while dealing damage to Kuunavang should be straight forward.

It is important not to ignore the afflicted and their Afflicted Soul Explosions. Wards and group protective skills such as Aegis or Shelter are extremely useful in making the party able to sustain the Afflicted attacks while defeating Kuunavang.

Whenever a barrier is destroyed, a resurrection orb is spawned under the gate.

Defeat the First Afflicted Mob

This should be fairly easy for you at this point in the game.

Weaken Kuunavang for the First Time

Since you face Kuunavang alone, this should be fairly simple. Hit her with ranged damage and make sure to interrupt Corrupted Dragon Scales. While her other attacks are powerful, especially Dark Chain Lightning, none of them is capable of killing much of your party from full health in one casting, as is Corrupted Dragon Scales. If your team has interrupts "to spare," feel free to interrupt her other skills -- just don't leave yourself in a situation where you'll be unable to interrupt the Corrupted Dragon Scales if that's the next skill she uses. When you weaken Kuunavang enough, she will fly off and a mob of afflicted will emerge from the first barrier.

Defeat the Second Afflicted Mob

The key to this battle is to stay out of Kuunavang's range while killing the afflicted. As soon as Kuunavang flies off after your first battle with her, run towards the barrier. Run to the far end of the wrecked ship on your left and hook around to take up position above it. This will place you far enough away from the edge that Kuunavang will not be able to reach you. Defeating the afflicted mob should be simple without Kuunavang's interference. (Note: You may avoid this group entirely if you move to the point indicated by rushing there before weakening Kuunavang the first time.)

Weaken Kuunavang for the Second Time

With the afflicted dead, pound Kuunavang with ranged damage. This is essentially like your first battle with her, except that she flies around a bit more. When you've damaged her enough she will fly away, the next barrier will dissolve and the next afflicted mob will be released.

Defeat the Third and Fourth Afflicted Mobs

Again, the key is to stay out of Kuunavang's range while killing the afflicted. Here you can do this by NOT PASSING THROUGH, or even entering, the arch where the barrier was. You can lure the afflicted through the arch, where you can kill them without Kuunavang's interference. Depending on how quickly you dispatch the third mob, the fourth mob will arrive during or soon after your battle with the third. Dispatch them in the same manner. You will know both mobs are dead when you've killed two bosses at that location.

Weaken Kuunavang for the Third Time

This battle is no different than "Weaken Kuunavang for the Second Time." When she is weakened enough, she will fly away again, the penultimate barrier will dissolve, and the final afflicted mob will be set loose.

Defeat the Final Afflicted Mob

Advance to the barrier that just dissolved, but DO NOT PASS THROUGH IT. Use the same positioning and strategy as for the third/fourth mob to keep Kuunavang out of the fight. This may actually be two mobs, but they arrive so closely together there might as well be only one.

Note: Sometimes, if you keep most of your party under the arch and use one or two archers to shoot at Kuunavang from as close to the arch as possible, you can successfully weaken her without the final afflicted bosses and mobs spawning. She has an annoying tendancy to fly out of range but she will come back and since she doesn't heal all this requires is patience. The fastest recorded run using this strategy was just over 11 minutes, so it's very possible to get the Master's reward. More testing is required to see just how far you can push these boundaries before the afflicted spawn.

Weaken Kuunavang for the Fourth and Final Time

This battle is the same as before. When it ends, a cutscene will begin, and you will be taken inside the temple for the final part of the mission.

Defeating Kuunavang
After breaching the last barrier, a cutscene will play and then the party will be standing face to face with Kuunavang at the top of the temple. She will be called Enraged Kuunavang and presumably her attacks and power will be augmented.

This battle is more-or-less the same as your previous battles with Kuunavang, except: (1) your melee attackers can now reach Kuunavang, and (2) you are in an enclosed area which will rapidly become filled with Corrupted Dragon Scales if you fail to interrupt Kuunavang's casting.

The first thing to do, immediately after the cutscene ends, is to scatter/fan out. Sometimes Kuunavang will cast Corrupted Dragon Scales the moment the battle starts, and follow up with Dark Chain Lightning immediately after that. If she does this, and your entire party is still standing in the spot you were in at the end of the cutscene, you will all be knocked down in the scales, which will probably kill too many party members for you to recover. By fanning out, you limit your losses to one or two party members at most, should Kuunavang begin with this most deadly opening move.

From there, battle Kuunavang as before -- dish out as much damage as you can and make sure to interrupt the Corrupted Dragon Scales (and Dark Chain Lightning if you have the interrupts to spare).

If Kuunavang does manage to cast any Corrupted Dragon Scales, simply run out of them and continue attacking her. Don't stop to destroy them -- they will die on their own soon enough, and she can create more of them far faster than you can destroy them if your interrupters don't stay focused on her.

It is vital to be mindful of the basics of defeating a powerful foe in this game:
 * Bringing interrupts to try to prevent Kuunavang from invoking her skills will work. However she is resistant to interrupts so it takes two or more to stop her from casting.  Dazed works well, but the duration of conditions is shortened and needs to be reapplied often to be effective.
 * Bring armor-ignoring skills if possible as they will inflict their damage equally regardless of Kuunavang's high level.
 * Wastrel's Worry is particullary useful in dealing damage because hexes expire faster on Kuunavang allowing the hex to be reapplied often.
 * Grenth's Balance is a very effective way for recovering from spikes and dealing massive damage to Kuunavang. Frontline Warriors can bring this skill without losing combat potential.
 * A Necromancer with Spinal Shivers or Shivers of Dread along with a Ranger with Greater Conflagration and Winter can be very helpful for interrupting Kuunavang. Greater Conflagration + Winter will turn all physical and elemental damage into Cold Damage, meaning that it will trigger Spinal Shivers and interrupt Kuunavang.
 * Also consider a Ranger with Broad Head Arrow and Needling Shot. Once Kuunavang has been brought down past 50% health, a ranger can use Needling Shot at no recharge.  With the long duration dazed condition from Broad Head Arrow, a ranger can easily lock down Kuunavang by continuously using Needling Shot, refreshing the daze as needed.  Needling Shot also deals armor ignoring damage, making it ideal for high level targets like Kuunavang.  A zealous bow is recommended.

One Final Note
Don't rush. The strategy outlined above will virtually guarantee a time well under the master's cutoff without any rushing. (Its author completed the mission using an elementalist with 15-henchman team in about 8 minutes.) Both Kuunavang and the afflicted can be finished quickly and easily if you hang back and fight them alone, but a battle against both of them together will drag on as you spend more time on self-preservation than doing damage. Moreover, rushing into such battles is a very good way to get party members killed, costing you even more time to revive them.

Monsters
Afflicted
 * 20 Afflicted Warrior
 * 20 Afflicted Ranger
 * 20 Afflicted Monk
 * 20 Afflicted Mesmer
 * 20 Afflicted Necromancer
 * 20 Afflicted Elementalist
 * 20 Afflicted Assassin
 * 20 Afflicted Ritualist

Bosses (Elite Skill Capture)

 * The Afflicted Maaka &rarr; (Enraged Smash)
 * The Afflicted Pana &rarr; (Broad Head Arrow)
 * The Afflicted Jingme &rarr; (Ray of Judgment)
 * The Afflicted Lau &rarr; (Order of Apostasy)
 * The Afflicted Hsin Jun &rarr; (Stolen Speed)
 * The Afflicted Shen &rarr; (Mind Burn)
 * The Afflicted Senku &rarr; (Shadow Form)
 * The Afflicted Xenxo &rarr; (Weapon of Quickening)

Follow-up

 * Players will be in the Harvest Temple after the completion of this mission.
 * To continue the storyline, talk to Kuunavang to get the Primary Quest, Taking Back the Palace

Hard Mode
The Masters reward for this mission can be achieved in Hard Mode with only one human player using the advice given above. Be especially careful to fight the mobs of Afflicted and Kuunavang separately, take multiple interrupting heroes and henchmen, and do not be overly discouraged by heavy Death Penalty. In order to finish the mission in under 15 minutes it is best to hang back behind the final gate so that you can weaken Kuunavang before the last group of Afflicted reach you. You do not have to kill them to trigger the cutscene.