Location and Access
To enter Soulfire Bastion, you'll need a "Soulfire Bastion Key." These keys drop randomly from enemies throughout the Monolith of Fate timelines, particularly from higher-level zones, or can occasionally be purchased from specific vendors. Once you have a key, the dungeon entrance is located in the Ruined Coast zone, an early area in the Imperial Era storyline. Look for the distinctive dungeon entrance icon on your map.
The Core Mechanic: Soulfire and Soul Aegis
The defining feature of Soulfire Bastion is the omnipresent Soulfire. These luminous blue patches on the ground deal continuous damage over time (depicted as Necrotic damage with a Fire damage visual effect) to players who are within their vicinity. Importantly, foes located in Soulfire zones receive enhancements, resulting in increased damage output and attack speed, along with rapid health regeneration.
In response to this challenge, players are required to employ Soul Aegis. By eliminating enemies while they are situated within a Soulfire zone, you accumulate stacks of Soul Aegis. This enhancement provides you with temporary immunity against Soulfire damage and nullifies the buffs granted to enemies when you are present in a Soulfire area. The essential strategy for surviving and advancing through Soulfire Bastion lies in the continuous management and replenishment of your Soul Aegis stacks.
Dungeon Layout and Objectives
Soulfire Bastion typically consists of three distinct floors:
Floor 1: This floor introduces you to the core Soulfire mechanic. Your objective will be to "Extinguish the Soulfire" by defeating specific waves of enemies that spawn within large Soulfire zones. Navigate through the winding corridors, managing your Soul Aegis, until you clear enough encounters to progress.
Floor 2 (and subsequent floors if applicable): Similar to Floor 1, but with increased enemy density and often more challenging combinations of Soulfire zones and enemy types. You'll continue "Extinguishing the Soulfire" throughout.
Boss Arena: The final floor culminates in a showdown with the dungeon's unique boss.
The Boss: Infernal Commander Kaelan
Infernal Commander Kaelan is the formidable boss of Soulfire Bastion, a towering demon who masterfully wields Soulfire against you. His fight is a true test of your ability to manage the dungeon's core mechanic.
Kaelan Strategy:
Maintain Soul Aegis: This is of utmost importance. Whenever Kaelan summons additional enemies, prioritize eliminating them within the Soulfire pools he generates to refresh or accumulate Soul Aegis stacks.
Dodge and Weave: While it is essential to uphold Soul Aegis, it is equally important to actively evade Kaelan's charges, projectile barrages, and any smaller Soulfire placements that may catch you by surprise.
Aggression is Key: Do not hesitate to confront Kaelan directly, particularly after you have obtained your Soul Aegis buff. Consistently applying damage will expedite the fight and minimize the number of Soulfire Surge phases you must face.
Defensive Stats: It is highly advisable to maximize Fire and Necrotic resistances. Additionally, Health, Ward Retention, and Endurance are also significant.
Rewards of the Bastion
Successfully conquering Soulfire Bastion yields a variety of valuable rewards:
Exalted Items: These formidable items featuring rare affixes are frequently obtained from the boss and higher-tier adversaries. Seek them out to potentially enhance your build considerably.
Unique and Set Items: Although specific to other dungeons, Soulfire Bastion can yield a diverse selection of unique and set items from its boss, including the unique "Soulfire Bastion Shield" and "Soulfire Bastion Amulet", which are highly sought after for particular builds.
Crafting Materials: Shards, Glyphs, and Runes are plentiful, enabling you to further enhance your equipment.
Blessings (if accessed via Monolith): Should you have entered Soulfire Bastion through a Monolith of Fate timeline, completing it will frequently reward you with a potent Blessing unique to that timeline, permanently increasing your character's power.
Last Epoch Gold: Naturally, successful runs will also generate a substantial amount of buy Last Epoch Gold from dropped items that can be sold to vendors, direct currency drops from foes, and the opportunity to sell highly prized unique or exalted items on the player market once it becomes available. This gold is crucial for crafting, purchasing vendor items, and overall character advancement.
Soulfire Bastion is an exhilarating challenge that forces players to engage with its unique mechanics head-on. By understanding the interplay between Soulfire and Soul Aegis, mastering Kaelan's fiery assaults, and prioritizing your defenses, you'll extinguish the commander's flame and emerge victorious. The wealth of exalted items, unique drops, crafting materials, and readily available Last Epoch Gold make Soulfire Bastion an incredibly rewarding endeavor for any aspiring Champion of Eterra!