If you plan to play Diablo IV, you might encounter a new feature that has yet to be seen in previous games. Those who played during the first early access might have gotten to chance the newly implemented world boss. In the next Open Beta, Ashava the Pestilent will also be available for players to fight. If you’re keen on improving your Diablo experience during the limited play time, then learning to defeat and loot this world boss might be in your best interest.
Ashava the Pestilent, Diablo’s First-Ever World Boss
This is the first time in any Diablo game wherein a World Boss has been introduced to Sanctuary. As its name implies, these foes are elite demons players take down together in the open world. You do not need to enter dungeons or particular instances to fight them. You only have to wait for them to spawn on a fixed schedule.
Ashava the Pestilent is the first World Boss to be introduced to fans. The demon is a vast, scaly, reptilian creature with protruding blades on the sides of his arms. He is located on the western edge of the Fractured Peaks and spawns on a set schedule. As a World boss, players should expect that he is a challenging foe to take down. It will take several parties to defeat this foe, which would take more than 12 people.
Though fighting this boss is quite an ordeal, there is a catch in defeating him. After taking down Ashava, you can gain tons of loot containing Legendary items. If you have the time, it is always worthwhile to join parties trying to eliminate the World Boss.
Basic Need to Know
Before you fight Ashava, there are certain things that you should remember regarding boss fights. As a world boss, the battle mechanic will differ from your usual run-of-the-mill dungeon elites. Here are the things you need to know about this particular fight:
- You only have 15 minutes to defeat Ashava. Once the timer expires, the boss will despawn, and participating players will not get any loot.
- Reviving after getting killed will result in a 10% loss of durability.
- Other players can revive each other by interacting with their remains.
- Ashava can be stunned by filling her stagger meter sufficiently.
- You can form a four-member party to take on the boss.
Defeating Ashava
Ashava has easily recognizable attacks, but the boss is so massive that it is hard to dodge these skills if you are within attack range. These gigantic moves also pack quite a punch that can kill you in seconds. The most notable thing about Ashava is her poison. As a demon of Pestilence, her theme revolves around coating her attacks with poison or DoT. Most of her moves involve damage over time effects, which can either be slow or rapid.
The key to defeating Ashava is to pump out as much damage as possible during appropriate windows and dodge when needed. Survival is necessary because you do not want to lose your gear stats by reviving too much. Learning her attacks is the best way to know the appropriate action at any given moment. Here are all the attacks of Ashava:
- Poison Breath – a frontal attack where Ashava releases poison breath in a cone in front of her. Getting hit with this move will deal medium damage and inflict DoT. To avoid this, stand near her legs.
- Poison Clouds – the boss will leave pockets of poison clouds around her, dealing DoT with players who step on them.
- Front Bite – Ashava will wind back and launch forward to bite anyone before her. Due to her colossal size, running back is not advisable. Side-stepping is the best way to avoid this.
- Circular Swipe – Ashava will land her arm blades on the ground and do two rotational slices around her. Getting hit with this attack is not a one-shot, but the poison damage is quick and deals heavy damage, which can kill players if they do not use multiple potions immediately. The best way to avoid this is to either run away as far as possible or stand under the boss, unaffected by the swipe.
- Single Pound – the boss will pound a targeted area with one of her fists. This attack is easy to avoid, so players should move out of the way as soon as Ashava raises her hand.
- Double Pound – Ashava will pound the ground with her two fists and drag anyone down. This move can instakill any player. The best way to avoid it is to be as far away as possible from her.
Tips
- The safest place during the fight is under Ashava because her colossal size gives her tremendous range to reach ranged players. Spend most of your time near the boss, but always be mindful of Double Pound and the Poison Clouds.
- Don’t be cheap with your potions. Use them whenever you get hit by her attacks, especially with the Circular Swipe. The speed at which some of her DoT moves decreases your life varies, so it uses pots just to be safe.
- The recommended level is 22 to 25. Being below these ranks means that you are more susceptible to her attacks.
- Use Weak Elixir of Poison Resistance, which you should be able to craft starting at level 10.
Rewards
Ashava is guaranteed to drop three to four legendary items once killed. She will also drop Spoils Grand Cache, so joining groups willing to take her on is always a good idea. This guide will help players learn how to defeat Ashava the Pestilent.