Cheevos found in H > Planes > Strongholds
What is a Stronghold
Strongholds are a more difficult version of a planar foothold. They are also a lot like rifts, with waves of invading creatures to destroy and then a boss at the end. There are strongholds for every plane (fire, earth, life, etc).
When they were first released as level 60 end content they were meant to be completed as a group, usually 20 people. A level 70 player can now easily solo them. Destroying strongholds is much much easier with a ranged spec! (at least 35 meters range is ideal).
Strongholds are multilayered! A level 60 stronghold has 2 floors, a level 62 stronghold has 3 floors. As long as you don’t upgrade anything except the central empyreal anchor then you will be able to reach all the mobs easily from the ground. On a level 60 stronghold you can reach all the mobs from the ground floor with a ranged spec. On a level 62 stronghold you will be able to reach most of the mobs from the ground, but you may need to use the leap pads that appeared when you destroyed the initial footholds to reach some of the higher defense orbs.
Strongholds are found only in the Dendrome, the last zone released with the Storm Legion expansion. (June 2013)
When you open up the map in the Dendrome you will be able to see the strongholds that are up..
They have the same symbol as a foothold but with a few extra spikes!
When you mouseover the stronghold on the map you will be able to see which level it is.
There are generally 2 level 62 strongholds and 4 level 60 strongholds on each shard
Stronghold 60
When you first approach a level 60 stronghold it will be surrounded by a variety of planar mobs. You will be able to use your flare to activate the stronghold straight away and then kill all the mobs while the Empyreal Assault Mech is on his way.
Do not destroy the central foothold until the Empyreal Assault Mech has hit it a few times. This makes it less likely to bug out!
There will be a Fallen Empyreal Scout near the stronghold which you can use as a vendor to buy more flares.
Stronghold 62
When you first approach a level 62 stronghold there will be 3 footholds around it. You will need to destroy these 3 footholds and the 3 defence orbs above them before you can then use your flare to activate the stronghold.
When you destroy the footholds a leap pad will appear in their place and you will be able to use it to jump up to kill the orbs and to reach the higher mobs in later stages of the stronghold.
Next to the leap pad is an empyreal scout, you can buy more flares from him.
Buying and Using a Flare to Activate a Stronghold
Aa flare is needed to activate a stronghold.
Flares can be bought from the scouts at the strongholds. You can also buy them in the rift store in the main page of the rifts section.
Flares cost 9000 Planarite and 750 Void Stones.
If you have patron and a few other perks (orange tier treasure map etc) then you will just about break even and earn around 9k Planarite from each stronghold. If you are earning less than 9k per stronghold then you will need to top up your Planarite supplies with an NMR rift.
You can make a macro that makes using the flares much easier
Tho be aware that if you use this macro when two strongholds are close together then it may target the wrong one.. In this case just find the flare in your bags and right click it to use it manually.
When you use the flare it will summon a mech who will destroy the shield on the stronghold..
The mech may get caught up trying to kill other mobs on the map while on his way to the stronghold, so keep an eye on him and kill anything he encounters. The mech can be upgraded using nexus infusion but there shouldn’t be any need to do this.
The mech will use his special abilities to destroy the shield on the stronghold..
Then you will need to DPS the stronghold down until it is destroyed.
The mech will then build an empyreal anchor.
It is a good idea to upgrade the empyreal anchor to level 3 (maximum).
The anchor needs to stay alive for the duration of the stronghold event, if it dies then the stronghold fails.
The anchor is the ONLY thing you should upgrade!
There are loads of other orbs and platforms and cannons and other things that can be upgraded/built.. but if you do that then the stronghold will become more and more difficult and time consuming.
The anchor also acts as a leap pad, you can use it to jump up to the first level to kill the mobs up there.
Stronghold Quests
Strongholds of the Dendrome
QUEST 1
PICK UP
The quest is picked up from Korvin Anders in the hunt room of Tempest Bay
/setwaypoint 3085 5570
TO COMPLETE
Report to Zirina Yor at Solstice Tower in the Dendrome
Hand in the quest to Zirina Yor in Solstice Tower at /setwaypoint 3084 5569
Empyreal Command
QUEST 2
PICK UP
The quest is picked up from Zirina Yor in Solstice Tower
/setwaypoint 3084 5569
TO COMPLETE
Speak with Gerfud Akers about purchasing an Empyreal Flare
Go to Gerfud Akers at
/setwaypoint 3132 5589 and speak to him.
A window will pop up to allow you to buy some stronghold flares.
Your quest objective will now change to ‘Use the empyreal flare on a planar stronghold and destroy it’
If you don’t have enough currency to buy the flare then just wait til you are higher level and come back to this quest later.
Note: Strongholds are hard! They are group content for level 60s, although you can solo them, it will be tough. You can come back at higher level!
Find a planar stronghold and use the flare on it.
The quest objective will then change to ‘Defend the empyreal anchor’.
Simple destroy all the bad guys until the stronghold is completed.
Hand in the quest to Zirina Yor in Solstice Tower at /setwaypoint 3084 5569
You will now be able to pick up the daily quest for Strongholds!
Anomalous Bastions
QUEST 3
PICK UP
The quest is picked up from a ‘Stronghold Fragment’, looted from the mobs around a stronghold in the Dendrome
TO COMPLETE
Take the Stronghold Fragment to Zirina Yor at Solstice Tower
Hand in the quest to Zirina Yor in Solstice Tower at /setwaypoint 3084 5569
Daily Quest - Stronghold Assault
The daily quest to close 3 strongholds is picked up from Zirina Yor at Solstice Tower in the Dendrome
/setwaypoint 3085 5570
The rewards include notoriety for Torvan Hunters and the Empyreal Alliance.
Stronghold Cheevos
Stronghold Commander
The meta cheevo for all the cheevos below.
Empyreal Annihilation
Very easy to do as a level 70 player!
Aerial Alliance
Complete 500 Strongholds… this will take a while!
This cheevo awards the Empyreal Assault Barrier Dimension item.
Empyreal Summoner
use your flare to activate a stronghold 100 times.
The final stage of each stronghold is a boss, each of these bosses has its own cheevo worth 5 or 10 points each.
When you have managed to kill all the level 60 or 62 bosses you will pop the meta cheevo for 60 or 62.
To help you figure out how to get the bosses you are still missing I have created a list of each boss explaining which plane to kill for a chance for that boss.
For example: if you are missing the cheevo to defeat ‘Opulon’ you would want to keep killing level 60 death strongholds until he pops.. If you miss ‘Ikaras’ then you would kill level 62 fire strongholds.
Stronghold Assault
Alloric – Air
Staklos – Air
Yordinia – Air
Akorex – Death
Jarlov – Death
Opulon – Death
Gargazar – Earth
Hogrol – Earth
Virseran – Earth
Phosketh – Fire
Xorton – Fire
Zurtor – Fire
Dorganol – Life
Kuskarn – Life
Lallifop – Life
Caordis – Water
Jankorar – Water
Nikadan – Water
Stronghold Annihilation
Haradran – Air
Tik’luk – Air
Usaerol – Air
Zarmoran – Air
Innarog – Death
Mescoro – Death
Ridira – Death
Ungulor – Death
Artorus – Earth
Korronar – Earth
Ottistian – Earth
Scoradin – Earth
Gortanin – Fire
Ikaras – Fire
Kahlzoric – Fire
Tuveran – Fire
Dwylip – Life
Machora – Life
Tugglak – Life
Ustulous – Life
Dalkiros – Water
Irrassor – Water
Kresim – Water
Pavispir – Water
