DCUO LQ's Advanced Walkthrough for The Source Wall Raid (Elite Plus) second boss encounter.

Due to the scale of difficulty of the elite plus version of this raid, especially the second boss encounter, I will add notes on step-by-step how you can approach this. A lot of DCUO content won't require an advanced walkthrough but this is one of the rare exceptions.

Given how variable, long and difficult this boss fight is or can be, I am going to add strategies below to suggest what players should do.

It is highly recommended for best results in this fight for most or all tanks to have the Superman ally levelled up and the Inspiring Breakout passive active along with a Group Breakout in their loadout. Rotating this passive will give the group some incoming damage mitigation for a time and may be crucial in some situations. It is very difficult if at all possible to pass this boss encounter with any boss combo if no tanks in the group are running the Inspiring Breakout passive from a levelled Superman ally.

You will also want everyone in voice chat/on mic, especially tanks.

Below I will outline three possible scenarios, each with in-depth walkthroughs on step by step how to approach these boss combos.

Scenario 1: Devastator, The Drowned and Dawnbreaker out first, with Red Death spawning first and The Merciless spawning later

You will start the fight with 3 tanks, 1 heal, a dps/tank, a controller, and 2 other DPS. The tanks should be spread out with their respective bosses.

Start

You will start to damage Devastator first on the left/top left side of the room. Try not to do any splash damage towards The Drowned. Watch out for AOEs and if Devastator points with a skull icon at the group you will need to move well out of the way of where he is facing, as he will either jump or do his Spike Wave ability, either of which will KO players in the area of effect. Don't just stand and block as it is very likely that these two abilities will KO anyway, although with recent episode gear it is possible to block Spike Wave. Try not to take damage from the red AOE (Breath Attack), it won't KO but it is unnecessary damage over time and may take away crucial heals from one of the tanks.

Once Devastator's health is around the second 'a' of his name the group will then carefully switch to the top right side of the room, but not too quickly as Dawnbreaker may do melee abilities which will KO if players are affected. This is where the core group will stay for the remainder of the fight for the most part (other than tanks). Close to the left of where Perpetua is facing is a crucial safe spot, so remember this for later. For Dawnbreaker, avoid being too close to him and avoid his orbital strike abilities - you will know if he is doing this as he will wait with a skull above his head before raising his fist in the air.

Try to avoid spawning Red Death and the Destroyer adds while Dawnbreaker is about to, or in the process of spawning orbitals, so slow damage when Dawnbreaker starts to get less than 35% health. In addition at this stage the DPS/tank should switch to tank ready for the Dark Knight sub boss spawn. Around this time overarching mechanics will start. Avoid Planet Strike AOEs (meteors), Source Eruptions (cracks) or Perpetua's beam. Be very careful of being stood in the southwest or southeast of the room where the beam spawns are likely to occur, and try to avoid standing in these areas if possible.

While the 4th tank takes Red Death, the controller should have Mesmerising Lasso in their loadout and the Lasso of Truth artifact equipped, and target and pull the two Destroyer adds to the aforementioned safe spot. Players should DPS and KO these as soon as possible, while the Controller and either another DPS or the heal (depending on the situation) help with lunging the Destroyer adds to stop them from using their primary ability. While doing this again continue to be careful of overarching mechanics and Dawnbreaker's orbital strike AOEs. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated proceed to KO Dawnbreaker and navigate around any AOE mechanics.
At this stage the tank with Devastator will swap to the right side of the room, so players should be patient at this time and avoid AOE mechanics. The player who was tanking Dawnbreaker will get ready for the new Dark Knight sub boss to spawn. Once Devastator is securely on the right side of the room away from other sub bosses players can resume DPSing him, however ensure that the next Destroyer/Merciless spawn does not coincide with Devastator pointing at the group with a skull above his head.

The Middle (often the trickiest part of the fight)

Once Merciless is out and has been aggro'd by the tank, the controller should once again use Mesmerising Lasso/Lasso of Truth to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe area while avoiding AOE mechanics and again these should be KO'd as soon as possible and lunged by the controller and a dps or Heal so they don't use their primary ability. Shortly after Rebuked Isolation will occur for the first time on a random player. If it is a player in the main group the group should stack close to the safe spot while avoiding AOE mechanics, If it is a tank on the other side of the room, then they will need to ask another tank (in voice chat ideally) to take aggro of that sub boss while they run over and stack with the group. The group may need to move closer to the middle for a brief time depending on if the tank with Rebuked Isolation is grounded. Once the stack has occurred, the group should resume lunges/KOing the Destroyer adds but ensure that they are spread out for Infectious Ire, which will affect most or all players in the group. As well as this avoid other AOE mechanics and avoid standing in the beam spawns. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated KO Devastator, while minding AOE mechanics and keeping an eye on Rebuked Isolation. Again after stack spread out ready for Infectious Ire.

(I should also add that periodically Red Death will teleport to the group and do melee attacks. Just stay away from him and the tank who has aggro of Red Death should maintain that aggro. It is also advisable for players to not stand in line of sight between Red Death and his tank.)

After Devastator is defeated the group should focus on defeating The Merciless, as his pull ability is one of the most dangerous mechanics in the fight due to all the AOE mechanics. Again continue to adhere to the Rebuked Isolation mechanic and spread out for the Infectious Ire after. The tank should ensure that when The Merciless does his slam that The Merciless isn't facing the group. When The Merciless does his pull attack by raising his sword, this should be called out at the earliest possible opportunity. The tank should pop immunity and everyone must block, especially if any overarching AOE mechanics are active, or Rebuked Isolation/Infectious Ire. Spinning Blades will also spawn periodically, which do damage over time and knock back players. Just try to avoid these if possible, at least so the heal can focus on healing the tanks that need the heals the most.


Once The Merciless is at lower health, try not to spawn Destroyer adds while The Merciless is using his pull ability, or while Spinning Blades are active, or while Rebuked Isolation is active on a player. Once it is safe to do so, lower The Merciless' health so Destroyer adds spawn, so the controller can use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe spot and again, KO them as soon as possible, watch lunges, and watch out for AOE mechanics. This is where it is very important for the tank to pop immunity if The Merciless does his pull, as the group won't be able to stay in block for too long as they will need to lunge the Destroyer adds. Again remember to spread out for Infectious Ire and avoid any AOE mechanics while doing so. This is arguably one of the trickiest parts of the boss fight, so if you get past this with little issue you should have a good chance of clearing the fight. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated defeat The Merciless, again while minding AOE mechanics, and remembering to block his pull.

The End

Once you have defeated The Merciless you will then focus on Red Death, which should be straight forward. However at this stage it is very likely that The Drowned will start to use her Call of the Deep ability (as a result of her health being lowered by tank counters and perhaps splash damage early in the fight), so it is imperative that this is called out in time and everyone blocks this attack so it doesn't cause unnecessary KO's. Red Death just avoid being too close to him, but unless the tank loses aggro this shouldn't cause too many issues. Again avoid AOE mechanics, and remember to stack at the safe spot for Rebuked Isolation, then spread out for Infectious Ire. Once Red Death gets to fairly low health Destroyer adds will spawn - so just ensure this doesn't occur during Rebuked Isolation or while The Drowned is about to do her Call of the Deep attack. Again when the Destroyer adds spawn the controller should use Mesmerising Lasso/Lasso of Truth to pull the adds to the safe spot, so they can be lunged KO'd. Again mind the AOE mechanics, make sure to block Call of the Deep, and carefully stack up for Rebuked Isolation and then spread out for Infectious Ire. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated then KO Red Death.

At this stage if all players are still in 1 or 2 of the tanks may wish to switch DPS, but discuss with the group first.
The Drowned should be fairly straight forward as long as players evade AOE mechanics, don't stand too close to her, and continue to stack for Rebuked Isolation and then spread for Infectious Ire. And of course block Call of the Deep. 2 tanks (at least) are still recommended here in case the tank primarily tanking The Drowned gets Rebuked Isolation and needs to stack with group. Try to avoid spawning Destroyer adds when The Drowned is about to do her Call of the Deep attack, or while Rebuked Isolation is active. Once they spawn the controller should use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull them to the safe spot, where they can be lunged/damaged. Again mind other AOE mechanics, stack up for Rebuked Isolation, spread for Infectious Ire, and block for Call of the Deep. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated proceed to defeat The Drowned.

Scenario 2: Devastator, Murder Machine and Dawnbreaker out first, with Red Death spawning first and The Drowned spawning later


You will start the fight with 3 tanks, 1 heal, a dps/tank, a controller, and 2 other DPS. The tanks should be spread out with their respective bosses.

Start


You will start to damage Devastator first on the left/top left side of the room. Watch out for AOEs and if Devastator points with a skull icon at the group you will need to move well out of the way of where he is facing, as he will either jump or do his Spike Wave ability, either of which will KO players in the area of effect. Don't just stand and block as it is very likely that these two abilities will KO anyway - however with recent episode gear it is possible to block Spike Wave. Try not to take damage from the red AOE (Breath Attack), it won't KO but it is unnecessary damage over time and may take away crucial heals from one of the tanks. Make sure the group is aware at all times of when Murder Machine is doing his grenade attacks, especially if these are directed towards the group, and communicate this clearly so players can stay at a safe distance from any grenades.

Once Devastator's health is around the second 'a' of his name the group will then carefully switch to the top right side of the room, but not too quickly as Dawnbreaker may do melee abilities which will KO if players are affected. Again be very careful of Murder Machine's grenades, and the tank with Murder Machine should ensure there is sufficient safe space in the top right of the room for the DPS, controller and healer to stand to gain a safe distance from grenade attacks. This is where the core group will stay for the remainder of the fight for the most part (other than tanks). Close to the left of where Perpetua is facing is a crucial safe spot, so remember this for later. Patience is key to Murder Machine, and when he starts to do his grenades towards the group players should move immediately to the very top right corner or far enough away from Murder Machine's grenades. Do not just stand within range of his grenade attacks, and avoid at all times being closer than max range as a non-tank as there is little time to react when the grenade skull icon begins.

Try to avoid spawning Red Death and the Destroyer adds while Murder Machine is about to, or in the process of spawning grenades, so slow damage when Murder Machine starts to get less than 35% health. In addition at this stage the DPS/tank should switch to tank ready for the Dark Knight sub boss spawn. Around this time overarching mechanics will start. Avoid Planet Strike AOEs (meteors), Source Eruptions (cracks) or Perpetua's beam. Be very careful of being stood in the southwest or southeast of the room where the beam spawns are likely to occur, and try to avoid standing in these areas if possible.

While the 4th tank takes Red Death, the controller should have Mesmerising Lasso in their loadout and the Lasso of Truth artifact equipped, and target and pull the two Destroyer adds to the aforementioned safe spot. Players should DPS and KO these as soon as possible, while the Controller and either another DPS or the heal (depending on the situation) help with lunging the Destroyer adds to stop them from using their primary ability. While doing this again continue to be careful of overarching mechanics and Murder Machine's grenade attacks. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated proceed to KO Murder Machine and navigate around any AOE mechanics, and continue to distance from grenade attacks and call any out if they are directed towards the group or another tank.

At this stage the tank with Dawnbreaker will swap to the right side of the room, so players should be patient at this time and avoid AOE mechanics. The player who was tanking Murder Machine will get ready for the new Dark Knight sub boss to spawn. Once Dawnbreaker is securely on the right side of the room away from other sub bosses players can resume DPSing him, however avoid being too close to him and avoid his orbital strike abilities - you will know if he is doing this as he will wait with a skull above his head before raising his fist in the air.

Try to avoid spawning The Drowned and the Destroyer adds while Dawnbreaker is about to, or in the process of spawning orbitals, so slow damage when Dawnbreaker starts to get less than 35% health.

The Middle


Once The Drowned is out and has been aggro'd by the tank, the controller should once again use Mesmerising Lasso/Lasso of Truth to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe area while avoiding AOE mechanics and again these should be KO'd as soon as possible and lunged by the controller and a dps or Heal so they don't use their primary ability. Shortly after Rebuked Isolation will occur for the first time on a random player. If it is a player in the main group the group should stack close to the safe spot while avoiding AOE mechanics, If it is a tank on the other side of the room, then they will need to ask another tank (in voice chat ideally) to take aggro of that sub boss while they run over and stack with the group. The group may need to move closer to the middle for a brief time depending on if the tank with Rebuked Isolation is grounded. Once the stack has occurred, the group should resume lunges/KOing the Destroyer adds but ensure that they are spread out for Infectious Ire, which will affect most or all players in the group. As well as this avoid other AOE mechanics (and Dawnbreaker's orbitals) and avoid standing in the beam spawns. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated KO Dawnbreaker, while minding AOE mechanics and keeping an eye on Rebuked Isolation. Again after stack spread out ready for Infectious Ire.

(I should also add that periodically Red Death will teleport to the group and do melee attacks. Just stay away from him and the tank who has aggro of Red Death should maintain that aggro. It is also advisable for players to not stand in line of sight between Red Death and his tank.)

At this stage the tank with Devastator will swap to the right side of the room, so players should be patient at this time and avoid AOE mechanics, and continue to stack Rebuked Isolation in the safe spot and then spread for Infectious Ire. Once Devastator is securely on the right side of the room away from other sub bosses players can resume DPSing him, however ensure that the next Destroyer add spawn does not coincide with Devastator pointing at the group with a skull above his head, or coincide with Rebuked Isolation stack.

Once it is safe to do so, lower Devastator's health so Destroyer adds spawn, so the controller can use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe spot and again, KO them as soon as possible, watch lunges, and watch out for AOE mechanics. Again remember to spread out for Infectious Ire and avoid any AOE mechanics while doing so, and keep an eye out for Devastator in case he points at a group or a tank with a skull icon above his head. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated defeat Devastator, again while minding AOE mechanics, and his skull icon attacks.

The End

Once you have defeated Devastator you will then focus on Red Death, which should be straight forward. Red Death just avoid being too close to him, but unless the tank loses aggro this shouldn't cause too many issues. Again avoid AOE mechanics, and remember to stack at the safe spot for Rebuked Isolation, then spread out for Infectious Ire. Once Red Death gets to fairly low health Destroyer adds will spawn - so just ensure this doesn't occur during Rebuked Isolation or while The Drowned is about to do her Call of the Deep attack (in this scenario this is unlikely but pay attention in case*). Again when the Destroyer adds spawn the controller should use Mesmerising Lasso/Lasso of Truth to pull the adds to the safe spot, so they can be lunged KO'd. Again mind the AOE mechanics, make sure to block Call of the Deep, and carefully stack up for Rebuked Isolation and then spread out for Infectious Ire. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated then KO Red Death.

At this stage if all players are still in 1 or 2 of the tanks may wish to switch DPS, but discuss with the group first.
The Drowned should be fairly straight forward as long as players evade AOE mechanics, don't stand too close to her, and continue to stack for Rebuked Isolation and then spread for Infectious Ire. And of course block Call of the Deep. 2 tanks (at least) are still recommended here in case the tank primarily tanking The Drowned gets Rebuked Isolation and needs to stack with group. Try to avoid spawning Destroyer adds when The Drowned is about to do her Call of the Deep attack, or while Rebuked Isolation is active. Once they spawn the controller should use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull them to the safe spot, where they can be lunged/damaged. Again mind other AOE mechanics, stack up for Rebuked Isolation, spread for Infectious Ire, and block for Call of the Deep. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated proceed to defeat The Drowned.
*It is unlikely that The Drowned will use Call of the Deep before the group directly fights her due to her being the last spawn, but as best practice avoid splash damage towards her.

Scenario 3: Devastator, Murder Machine and The Merciless out first, with Dawnbreaker spawning first and Red Death spawning after

You will start the fight with 3 tanks, 1 heal, a dps/tank, a controller, and 2 other DPS. The tanks should be spread out with their respective bosses. This can be a tricky combo but becomes easier towards the end of the fight.

Start


You will start to damage Murder Machine first on the right/top right side of the room. Be very careful of Murder Machine's grenades, and the tank with Murder Machine should ensure there is sufficient safe space in the top right of the room for the DPS, controller and healer to stand to gain a safe distance from grenade attacks. This is where the core group will stay for most of the fight (other than tanks). Close to the left of where Perpetua is facing is a crucial safe spot, so remember this for later. Patience is key to Murder Machine, and when he starts to do his grenades towards the group players should move immediately to the very top right corner or far enough away from Murder Machine's grenades. Do not just stand within range of his grenade attacks, and avoid at all times being closer than max range as a non-tank as there is little time to react when the grenade skull icon begins. It is key that when The Merciless does his pull that this is called out and the tank with him pops immunity. If Devastator does Spike Wave towards a player this can be called out also, and may be blocked or evaded.

Try to avoid spawning Dawnbreaker and the Destroyer adds while Murder Machine is about to, or in the process of spawning grenades, so slow damage when Murder Machine starts to get less than 35% health. In addition at this stage the DPS/tank should switch to tank ready for the Dark Knight sub boss spawn. Around this time overarching mechanics will start. Avoid Planet Strike AOEs (meteors), Source Eruptions (cracks) or Perpetua's beam. Be very careful of being stood in the southwest or southeast of the room where the beam spawns are likely to occur, and try to avoid standing in these areas if possible.

While the 4th tank takes Dawnbreaker, the controller should have Mesmerising Lasso in their loadout and the Lasso of Truth artifact equipped, and target and pull the two Destroyer adds to the aforementioned safe spot. Players should DPS and KO these as soon as possible, while the Controller and either another DPS or the heal (depending on the situation) help with lunging the Destroyer adds to stop them from using their primary ability. While doing this again continue to be careful of overarching mechanics and Murder Machine's grenade attacks. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated proceed to KO Murder Machine and navigate around any AOE mechanics, and continue to distance from grenade attacks and call any out if they are directed towards the group or another tank.

At this stage the tank with The Merciless will swap to the right side of the room, so players should be patient at this time and avoid AOE mechanics. The player who was tanking Murder Machine will get ready for the new Dark Knight sub boss to spawn. Once The Merciless is securely on the right side of the room away from other sub bosses players can resume DPSing him, as his pull ability is one of the most dangerous mechanics in the fight due to all the AOE mechanics. The tank should ensure that when The Merciless does his slam that The Merciless isn't facing the group. When The Merciless does his pull attack by raising his sword, this should be called out at the earliest possible opportunity. The tank should pop immunity and everyone must block, especially if any overarching AOE mechanics are active. Spinning Blades will also spawn periodically, which do damage over time and knock back players. Just try to avoid these if possible, at least so the heal can focus on healing the tanks that need the heals the most.

The Middle

Once The Merciless is at lower health, try not to spawn Destroyer adds and the next Dark Knight spawn while The Merciless is using his pull ability, or while Spinning Blades are active. Once it is safe to do so, lower The Merciless' health so Destroyer adds and Red Death spawn, so the controller can use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe spot and again, KO them as soon as possible, watch lunges, and watch out for AOE mechanics. The tank who had Murder Machine before will now aggro and focus on Red Death. This is where it is very important for the tank to pop immunity if The Merciless does his pull, as the group won't be able to stay in block for too long as they will need to lunge the Destroyer adds.

Shortly after Rebuked Isolation will occur for the first time on a random player. If it is a player in the main group the group should stack close to the safe spot while avoiding AOE mechanics, If it is a tank on the other side of the room, then they will need to ask another tank (in voice chat ideally) to take aggro of that sub boss while they run over and stack with the group. The group may need to move closer to the middle for a brief time depending on if the tank with Rebuked Isolation is grounded. Once the stack has occurred, the group should resume lunges/KOing the Destroyer adds but ensure that they are spread out for Infectious Ire, which will affect most or all players in the group. As well as this avoid other AOE mechanics (and Dawnbreaker's orbitals) and avoid standing in the beam spawns. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated defeat The Merciless, again while minding AOE mechanics, and remembering to block his pull, as well as stacking for Rebuked Isolation and then spreading for Infectious Ire.

After this the main group should now carefully go to the middle of the room directly in front of (S of) Perpetua or SSW of her, and focus on damaging Devastator who should be situated with his tank in the top left of the room. Watch out for AOEs and if Devastator points with a skull icon at the group you will need to move well out of the way of where he is facing, as he will either jump or do his Spike Wave ability, either of which may KO players in the area of effect. With current episode gear from Sins of Black Adam it may be possible to block Spike Wave, but if he jumps towards you make sure to evade this attack. Try not to take damage from the red AOE (Breath Attack), it won't KO but it is unnecessary damage over time and may take away crucial heals from one of the tanks. Remember to stack for Rebuked Isolation and then spread for Infectious Ire, again while minding overarching AOE mechanics. Ensure that the next Destroyer add spawn does not coincide with Devastator pointing at the group with a skull above his head, or coincide with Rebuked Isolation stack.

Once it is safe to do so, lower Devastator's health so Destroyer adds spawn, so the controller can use Lasso of Truth/Mesmerising Lasso to pull the Destroyer adds to the safe spot and again, KO them as soon as possible, watch lunges, and watch out for AOE mechanics. Again remember to spread out for Infectious Ire and avoid any AOE mechanics while doing so, and keep an eye out for Devastator in case he points at a group or a tank with a skull icon above his head. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated defeat Devastator, again while minding AOE mechanics, and his skull icon attacks.

The End

Afterwards carefully return to the original safe spot towards the top right of the room and focus on DPSing Dawnbreaker, who should be in the middle/bottom right of the room with their tank. Be careful of overarching AOE mechanics, and don't get too close to Dawnbreaker in case he does some of his melee attacks, which will likely KO on impact. Remember to stack for Rebuked Isolation and spread for Infectious Ire, and of course don't get hit by Dawnbreaker's orbital strikes. Remember not to spawn Destroyer adds later when Rebuked Isolation or orbital strikes are active. Again when the Destroyer adds spawn the controller should use Mesmerising Lasso/Lasso of Truth to pull the adds to the safe spot, so they can be lunged KO'd. Again mind the AOE mechanics, and carefully stack up for Rebuked Isolation and then spread out for Infectious Ire. Once the Destroyer adds are defeated then KO Dawnbreaker.


At this stage if all players are still in 1 or 2 of the tanks may wish to switch DPS, but discuss with the group first.
Red Death is very straight forward and fairly easy especially with new episode gear, so if you have got this far you should finish this. Just make sure to avoid overarching AOE mechanics, stack for Rebuked Isolation and spread for Infectious Ire. You will still need 2 tanks (one tanking Red Death) in case one of the tanks gets Rebuked Isolation and the other tank needs to take aggro of Red Death. Try not to spawn Destroyer adds while Rebuked Isolation is active. Make sure the adds are countered and KO them ASAP when they spawn, and then defeat Red Death.

(Reserved in case I get another scenario in future for Murder Machine spawning last)

(Preferably for added complication have The Merciless spawn later also, before MM)

Hope players find this thread useful! If there is any feedback let me know.

For more information on specific mechanic abilities and what they do please visit the main Source Wall thread: https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dc...dcuo-raid-the-source-wall-walkthrough.322515/