Vertus | Lost Ark Wiki

Skills & Equipment

Players can improve their chance of a successful raid on Vertus by prepping with the following setups:

• Stagger Skills - Skills with a high Stagger modifier are incredibly valuable in the fight against Vertus. Successfully depleting the Guardian's invisible Stagger meter will knock it down, rendering it vulnerable for several seconds. This stunned state will also kick the monster out of its Enraged state. Furthermore, Vertus' tail can be severed with repeated attacks while it is in the stunned state.
• Counter Skills - All classes have at least one Skill with the Counter modifier, which can be used to stop a Guardian in its tracks when it uses its Charged Dash attack, rendering it vulnerable and unable to attack for a brief moment. Charged Dashes should be countered as much as possible instead of dodging them as successful counters offer your team a good opening to deal damage.
• Weak Point Skills - While not a hard recommendation, skills with the Weak Point modifier can allow players to sever Vertus' tail during its downed state after a successful Stagger. Severing his tail will prevent Vertus from using his Tail Attacks. However, this will also push Vertus into Phase 3 immediately and will cause him to use his deadly leaping and breath attacks more often. In general, it is easier to deal with Vertus while his tail is intact but it is worth severing his tail at least once for an Achievement.

Battle Items

The following Battle Items are recommended for taking on Vertus:

• HP Potion - Standard healing item that heals 30% HP. Limited to 5 uses. Since Vertus is a significant jump in challenge compared to previous Guardians, you may wish to bring along a higher quality potion such as the Major HP Potion, which heals for 45%.
• Whirlwind Grenade - These grenades are great for dealing large amounts of Stagger damage to Vertus quickly, possibly stunning the monster. This is especially useful for when a party member gets grabbed as Vertus can pummel them to death if left unchecked.
• Pheromone Bomb - Just as with other Guardians who use an escape mechanic, Vertus' escape can be stopped with a well-timed Pheromone Bomb.
• Flare - An essential pick for Guardian Raids, the Flare will briefly reveal the location of a Guardian on the mini-map, saving you the time and trouble of scouring the map to look for it. Flares are also effective in locating a Guardian after they use their Escape mechanic.

Vertus Notable Mechanics

Phases

The Vertus encounter is divided into 3 Phases. Phase 1 is his normal state at the beginning of the encounter and will last a very short time. Phase 2 begins when he Enrages. This will happen naturally after a few minutes has passed in the encounter or if he is Staggered during Phase 1. Phase 2 is a standard Enrage phase where the Guardian deals increased damage. Vertus can be kicked out of Enraged state with a successful Stagger depletion, but it can enrage again afterwards. Phase 3 begins when the Guardian dips below 30% HP. During this phase, Vertus can no longer be staggered and will combo attacks more often. Certain attacks will be modified as well.

Enrage

Vertus can go into an Enraged state several times throughout the fight. This is signified by the Guardian roaring as it looks upwards, releasing an icy shockwave in a large radius and then glowing red/orange for the duration of the state. The Enraged state amplifies the damage dealt by Vertus.

Part Break

Vertus is the first Guardian encountered that has a part break mechanic. In this case, it is his Tail. When Vertus is stunned by depleting his Stagger meter while he is in his Enraged state, he will enter a prolonged downed state in which players can sever the Guardian's tail, disabling its tail attacks. However, as noted above, this will push Vertus into Phase 3 immediately and he will make use of his leap and breath attacks more frequently.

Vertus Attack Patterns

Claw Swipe - Standard attack where Vertus lifts his right arm and slashes at a target and then repeats with the left arm quickly while advancing forward a short distance. Each hit can stagger a player. The swipes have a pretty large hitbox so ensure you have proper distance when dodging.

Dash Attack - Vertus raises his head and roars before performing a mad dash in a straight line in front of it for a good distance. Any players hit will get knocked up in to the air. Dodge to the side to avoid the attack and be careful not to get caught between Vertus and a wall as his dash can hit multiple times.

• Charged Dash - Same as all Guardian Charged Dash attacks, Vertus glows blue briefly before dashing forward. Use this opportunity to Counter him and open him up for punishment for a few seconds.

Tail Swipe - Vertus winds its tail to one side and swings it towards the other. Players hit by this move will get stunned and exposed to follow-up attacks. Vertus performs this move often if you stand behind him too long.

Tail Slam - Vertus slams its massive tail vertically directly behind him up to 3 times in a row. Each slam will knock players upwards. Move to his side to avoid the attack.

Spinning Strike - Vertus leans to one side before forcefully spinning 360-degrees, dealing moderate damage and knocking players away along the attack's trajectory. Watch out for the leaning telegraph and you should be able to learn when to dodge this attack quickly.

Grab Combo - Vertus' most dangerous attack is one where he grabs a players, proceeds to smash them around the area 3 times, drags them around and then tossing them high up in the air before finishing off with a Frost Breath attack. The grabbed player cannot do anything during this entire animation and it will likely kill squishier classes in one go. When a player is grabbed, the rest of the party should immediately use skills with the highest Stagger or use Whirlwind Genades if their class does not have enough stagger in order to force Vertus to drop the player. Note that when you are affected by Crowd Control (CC) effects such as stun, knockdown or freeze, Vertus is more likely to focus on and grab you. Be careful with such effects and try to avoid them as much as possible.

Leaping Smash - Vertus leaps towards his target, smashing the ground upon impact and sending players flying. The landing has a large hitbox but you can run or dodge towards and underneath Vertus as he leaps to avoid the attack.

Retreating Hop - Similar to the Leaping Smash, Vertus leaps backwards a short distance knocking players upwards in the impact zone. This attack deals low damage but Vertus tends to combo from this move to another so remain vigilant.

Frost Breath - Vertus inhales powerfully, pulling any nearby players towards him. After a brief delay, he releases the stored air in the form of a dark icy break in a cone in front of him. This attack deals massive damage but players can dodge away during the delay between the inhaling and exhaling phases.

Frost Orb - Vertus raises his head while looking downwards before ejecting an orb of frost that travels in a straight line in front of him. On contact, the orb deals damage and afflicts players with a powerful 60% movement speed debuff. The attack has a narrow hitbox and can be sidestepped easily.

• Triple Frost Orb - During Phase 3, Frost Orb is modified to simultaneously release 3 orbs in a fan pattern. Be careful when you are close to the Guardian's head as all 3 orbs can hit you at once, dealing massive damage and slowing your movement speed significantly.

Glacial Prison - Vertus stands on his hind legs briefly and then stomps the ground with his arms, creating red AoEs on the ground in several places in an area. After a short delay, the red circles burst in an icy explosion. If a player is caught in this explosion, they are frozen for a few seconds.

Predatory Dive - Vertus dives into the ice and stalks his target from underneath. After a few seconds, Vertus violently emerges from the ice, attempting to strike the target from below. When you have the Guardian's aggro, travel in a straight line once he dives down. Anticipate when he is about to burst out of the ice and dodge in an adjacent direction to avoid the attack.