Carn Dum Guide

[andryth2]

Hello All, this post will be a place to compile some of the tips for Carn Dum that we gather as we raid the place.

A special thanks to joepfiefer and nyaxx for offering great advice that was used to develop this guide.

Carn Dum Map (Courtesy of Andryth):
http://allshallfade.guildlaunch.com/guild/library/gallery/17132/can_dum_map1195.jpg

Carn Dum Sewers:
http://allshallfade.guildlaunch.com/guild/library/gallery/17132/carn_dum_sewars_one7927.jpg

Can Dum Sewers (Helchgam Lair)
http://allshallfade.guildlaunch.com/guild/library/gallery/17132/carn_dum_sewars_-_helchgam3307.jpg


ALL NUMBERS REFERENCE ABOVE MAPS

WARNINGS!

1. NEVER jump into the green water...it will cause instant death
2. Be very careful when fighting trolls. You will be on ledges high up and they have a tendency to knock you off of them (into green water and instant death) and to far away for a rez.
3. Watch for holes in the upper passes along the cliff faces. They are man sized and you can and will fall down them to instant death and restarting the instance.

IMPORTANT: Minstrels, if you are going to be fighting the last boss (Mordith) make sure to have Song of the Hopeful Heart Slotted. Hunters, it is highly recommended to bring along a few triple traps

Lvl 45 Quest Items: Make sure that only the classes that need these roll on them.
- Corrosive Droplets (Leeches): Minstrel
- Rune of Winged Dominance (Mormoz): Minstrel, Hunter
- Ashen Gorthorog Horn (Tarlug) : Minstrel
- Crimson Gorthorog Horn (Barashal): Guardian
- Putrid Slime of Helchgam (Helchgam): Loremaster, Hunter, Captain
- Rune of Evil Presence (Salvakh): Loremaster
- Medallion of Passage (Any Uruk): Hunter, Captain
- Cruel Talon of Azgoth (Azgoth): Burglar

Quests:
- Heart of the Waters (requires completion of Foul Waters, Further Upstream, Discovering Source quest chain)
- Lifting the Yoke
- The Strongest Back (requires completion of Lifting the Yoke)
- Lord of the Gertheryg (requires completion of Into the Arena, Champion of the Arena, Master of the Arena, The Northern Cousin, Moving Mountains quest chain)
- Queen of the Host (Requires completion of The Winged Host)

The entrance is located to the west of Urugarth. To get to both places you will need to start in Northern Himbar and go west through the Gates of Shadow. There is a campsite outside both Urugarth and Carn Dum, which several of our hunters can port to.

(1) Entrance to Urugarth and campsite hunters can port to.

(2) Entrance to Carn Dum and campsite hunters can port to.

(3) Slaves for quest "Lifting the Yoke". The slaves are tied to polls inside the round tan huts. Before opening the door make sure to clear the area around the hut. Also, ALWAYS have your tank open the door to capture agro. A mob of several normal creatures and one or two elites will attack you once the door is opened. Make sure that everyone clicks on a slave at the same time to ensure that everyone gets credit for the slaves.

(G1) Iron Gate - Shortcut Past Helchgam

(4) Entrance to the Carn Dum Sewers. (MAP)

Once in the leech cave you will quickly come across a platform that has a row of Horn Blowers on either side. DO NOT ENGAGE THEM. The Horn Blowers will start calling in allys when players come near.

With the tank leading the way the entire group should run past them at once, angling to the right until you hit a door. STOP and fight any of the mobs that the hornblowers call (usually between one and six).

(5) Exit to the Carn Dum (right fork)

This exit will lead to Barashal, a Nemisis-Gorthorog Troll that drops the Ornate Grate Key. WARNING! Be careful to always be lined up so a troll knock back will not knock you into the water.

Head straight on the path and take the first right. Follow the path around to the left until you start heading north and up again. You will know when you are on the right path because you will have to jump down a small black ledge. This path will guide you around the right side of Carn Dum till you reach an area where you start facing Elite-Master Trolls with two clubs.

NOTE! You must engage the trolls with two clubs that are pounding on the bridges quickly. They will knock the bridges down if allowed to pound for long enough, causing you to detour the long way around. Fight you way through them until you reach Barashal.

(6) Barashal
- Drops Crimson Gorthorog Horn, Ornate Gate Key to gate that leads to Helchgam through the left fork in the Leech cave

Once he's defeated and you have the Ornate Gate Key go back the way you came. There is a ledge that you jumped down from that you can jump back up if you work at it. There is a small cut in the ledge that you can gain purchase on. Go back to the leech cave and angle to the right again toward the left fork
(7) and Helchgam. (Ornate Gate Key Required)

(8) Map of Helchgam's Lair

Helchgam: (Picture) (Special Thanks to Retsha for teaching me this)
Drops: Lvl 45 Quest Item, Putrid Slime of Helchgam (Hunters, Captain, Loremaster)

Reaching Helchgam: The entrance to Helchgam's area is though the Leech cave. You will take a left at the fork past the horn blowers to a gate (key needed).

Helchgam is a large squid type creature much like what attacked the fellowship outside of Moria. You will fight your way through several Morroval to reach him. When you reach two elite-master Morroval you will be right in the room where he is located. There will be a cliff at the second elite-master Morroval, you will need to jump off of this cliff to start the battle with Helchgam. (Pets and Heralds will not be able to follow)

METHOD ONE AS SUGGESTED BY JOEFEIFER (untested personnally as of yet)

The fight can be done in literally 5 minutes. Kill the morrovals up top and drop down.

NOTE: You have to kill the Morroval Elite-Masters in for the pillar to drop and create a bridge across to the other side. WARNING: If you do not kill the Morroval the floor on the side close of you will drop out underneath you when you try to cross it.

Go to the first pillar right in front of you. LM, Hunter, Minstrel, Burg relax and hang back behind the pillar out of sight of Helchgam. The tentacles do AoE damage also which is why the burg doesn't engage them (cept for debuffs). Guard, Champ, Cap go to one side of the pillar take out the two tentacles, go to the other side and take out the other two. Pillar comes down.

!!TEST FOR SOLIDITY BEFORE VENTURING OUT ONTO THE PILLAR!! - Turbine still hasn't 100% locked this bug down yet
Anyways, go out onto the pillar (with all 6) and whallop the poop out of him. Get a couple of yellow conjunctions from a burg for easy mode.

METHOD TWO AS SUGGESTED BY RESHA (TESTED)

WARNING! Do not engage Helchgam until the very end of the battle. Helchgam will periodically hit your party with an approximately 300 point damage and -115 agi poison, but ignore him for now. Read below for more information.

The room where you fight Helchgam is a circular room with seven pillars running in a counter-clockwise direction from you. When the battle starts you will be fighting four tentacles at the first pillar. Engage them...the two on the left of the pillar first, then the two on the right of the pillar. Once you've killed the tentacles Helchgam will pull the first pillar down. After awhile Helchgam will destroy the pillar, pulling it into the green water (and anyone standing on it). Once he pulls down the seventh pillar he will leave that one floating until he dies.

You will continue this pattern through all seven pillars. Again, DO NOT ATTACK Helchgam, EVEN FROM A DISTANCE, until you have defeated the last pillars tentacles. All it does is cause him to regen and attack you more.

Helchgam himself is very easy to defeat. Once you've reached the last pillar have your melee people run to the edge of it and engage him while the ranged combat attack from a distance.

NOTE: If you need a rest for power regen, just have the party hide behind a pillar once you've defeated the tentacles at the pillar until everyone is ready for the next battle. You will be in combat mode, so the regen will take awhile (a good time for a bio break)

(9) Tower with Elite Boss - Salvakh
DROPS: Rune of Evil Presence

The gate next to Salvakh will not drop until Salvakh has been defeated, who is in the last room of the tower hallway on the right. There are two other rooms on the right with Angarim that cannot be engaged and one on the left with pale folk in it.

Before going near Salvakh engage and kill the pale folk in the room across from him. This will enable you to engage and kill the Angarim in the first two rooms. Once the area is clear have someone go close to Salvakh to start the battle. He is like a silk spinner and will summon spiders, and cannot be mezzed or stunned.

(10) QUEST: The Strongest Back (Escort Quest) (Pink Line)
Before talking with Erscin make sure to clear everything out of the area leading to him, including around him. This will help prevent adds from attacking. When you talk to Erscin an escort quest will start, spawing a few dozen sleeping Gorogoth. The quest bugged on us last time we did it, but you should be able to just put everyone on auto-follow and follow him out without ever having to fight again. (good time for a bio break)

(11) Azgoth (Nemesis) (Blue Line)
Drops: Iron Gate Key, Cruel Talon of Azgoth (Burgular)

Azgoth is the only Morroval close to her that can be engaged. Be careful to not pull her past the small pull with the skulls around it as she will reset if anyone runs past that area.

DEFEATING AZGOTH: The key to Azgoth is to take her down quickly. Have everyone stand in a close pile around her attacking. She will keep summoning more Morroval, so stay in a tight pack with the guardian spamming area effect taunts. CHAMPIONS: Use your clobber skill as it interrupts her summoning adds.

All other classes should use their AOE spells whenever new spawns appear. The recommended fellowship move is RRRRRG or RRRRRB to do quick damage and receive a heal over time or power. Do not bother with doing yellow fellowship moves as she disappears periodically during the fight canceling any buffs on her.

(12) Cargul (Elite-Master) (Yellow Line)
The Cargul is surrounded by several high priest that can't be attacked. When you get close they will start praying to the Cargul. Pull each one individually from a distance. They will spawn a few pale folk to fight with them. Once all the priest are dead the Cargul will attack.

Follow the yellow line around to the castle. You can avoid almost every fight by just staying along the walls until your on the path heading due north, then just staying on the left all the way to the wall.

There are two Gorhorog's walking down the center path. Kill both of these and you can have a clear, wide path all the way to the gate of the castle.

WARNING!: There are several hidden horn-blowers along the way. Keep your eye open for them and take them down quickly.

(13) Gorthorog Guardian (Elite-Master) (Yellow Line) (Iron Key Required)

When you approach the bridge you will be attacked from behind by 3 waves of the following:
- WAVE 1 - 4 Angmarim Citizens
- WAVE 2 - 4 Angamarim Silkspinners
- WAVE 3 - 4 Angamarim High-Priests
- WAVE 4 - Gorthorog Guardian (he attacks right after the 3rd wave)

I would recommend fighting these outside of the gates to help give you more time before each wave reaches you. Have one person run to the bridge to start the encounter then run back to the group as quickly as possible.

There is no break between each of the waves. Make sure you take advantage of any fellowship moves to replenish power or health as needed.

(14) Entrance to the Castle (Yellow Line) (Iron Key Required)

When you enter the castle you will just need to continue working your way straight through the castle. You will quickly reach a room with a raised platform in the center. DO NOT step on the platform at this time, but instead start clearing each of the side chambers, starting on the left and working clockwise.

The first room has two elites, the second has three elites, and the third has four elites. The last room you clear (SE corner) will have only pale horn blowers.

Once all the rooms are cleared Tarlug will come foward to the center platform, give a little speech, and engage you.

Tarlug (Nemesis)
Drops: Ashen Gorgoth Horn (Minstrel)

Tarlug is a fairly straight forward fight. He doesn't summon any adds so just pound away on him until he's dead.

Continue through the now open door and up the stairs. Once you open up the door upstairs you will quickly be attacked by Mormoz and an elite Morroval add.

Mormoz (Nemesis)
Drops: Ruined Wing of Dominance (Minstrel, Hunter)

Mormoz will summon waves of adds at various points of health. Have the main tank stay on Mormoz and have everyone else kill the adds as quickly as possible before moving back to Mormoz.

**** STOP HERE IF YOU ARE JUST AFTER LVL 45 CLASS ITEMS *****

Rodakhan (Nemsis), Mura (Nemesis)

Rodakhan will be sleeping on the platform in the center of the room. DO NOT attack or go near him as you will pull him and all 22 elite hillmen in the room. Stay along the wall and start clearing the rooms in a clockwise direction. You can stand at each doorway and safetly pull the hillmen.

NOTE: Rodakhan will not attack once all the hillmen are dead, so you can rest up before attacking her.

Rodakhan is a fairly straight forward kill. Just pound away until he's did. Once he dies Mura will run onto the platform, give a little speech and resurrect Rodakhan. Kill Mura first as she will heal Rodakhan. Once she's down take out Rodakhan again.

After this fight continue up the stairs past the first door (which is a dead end) until you reach a hallway and a second door.

Gurthul

When you enter the room Gurthul will split into 7 pieces and disappear. Our good old friend Sara Oakheart will walk though the room on her way to Mordith (book 8.5).

Gurthul will attack you one division of himself at a time. Once one part of him is dead, after a short break the next version will attack until all seven parts are dead. What's special about him is that at each of the first six waves he will stun a certain class for an about a minute stun.

Part 1: Stuns Hunters
Part 2: Stuns Minstrels
Part 3: Stuns Burglars
Part 4: Stuns Guardians
Part 5: Stuns Captains
Part 6: Stuns Champion
Part 7: Doesn't stun...just kill him

Once Gurthul is dead head outside the room to a long hallway with 7 doors in it. All the doors will be locked so head south to the last door on the east side. The door in the far south with just lead out to a balcony outside.

When you open the first door in the SE of the hallway you will be attacked. You can then open each door the order below until you've killed all the mobs and can go onto the last boss.

Door 1 (South East): 3 Hillmen
Door 2 (South West): 3 Hillmen
Door 3 (Middle East): Several Normal Bats
Door 4 (Middle West): 3 Elite Morroval
Door 5 (North West): Cargul and 2 Gorthog Slayers
Door 6 (North): Mordith (final boss)

Mordith (Arch Nemesis) 140K Morale

If you've completed book 8.5 you will recognize the room your going to be fighting in. This battle will happen in two parts. Once you kill him once he will reheal himself and attack again.

PART ONE

WARNING: If anything creatures cross the line created by the far south pillars in the room the entire battle will reset. Also, the lava is iinstant death and Mordith has a nasty knock back.

Fight Mordith in the south part of the room between the first and second pillars. This will help prevent anyone from being knocked back into the lava. As you hurt him he will congratulate you on the fight and disappear while the adds he calls try to kill you.

At the beginning of the battle and at each wave you will be attacked by ghost versions of Mordith that have 52 morale (that's right, only 52 morale). Just quickly AOE them and start killing the boss.

WAVE 1: ~113K Morale (ghostly hands - normal)
WAVE 2: ~87K Morale (4 Wood Trolls)
---- Hunters, right before he disappears drop some triple traps at the pathway heading north. IMPORTANT: Everyone stand in the center behind the traps so that all the trolls are caught in the traps. After that it's an easy fight of quickly killing each troll one at a time
WAVE 3: ~57K Morale (2 Stone Giants)
---- Mez, trap, fear or whatever you can one troll and kill the other. Be careful of knock back as you kill them both.

PART TWO
When Mordith disappears and reappears on his throne move across the path to the north part of the room. (The reason for this is that some of the ghost adds will spawn past the south pillar line during the battle resetting the entire battle if your not far enough north).

Minstrels, cast Song of the Hopeful Heart as Mordith will strip the hope from people during the fight causing them to have 9 dread and cower without the song up.

At the very beginning you will be attacked by a huge wave of the 52 morale copies. Quickly kill them then engage Mordith. With song of the hopeful heart up it should be an easy battle to the death.

[Marithil]

Addendum!

Since the release of book 14 there has been changes to some of the bosses. I am not privy to all of them yet but I will be posting here to tell of what I know and some new strats.

Helchgam

Helchi has a new style everyone. At the beginning you should notice there are less pillars then before but also that there are already tentacles in the water, but with no helchgam to attack you at first. So, when you have killed the 3 Elite Master morroval at the top, you drop down, same as before. Then, you kill the tentacles that pop up right in front of you when you drop, after that, head to the left and kill those tentacles. You continue this process until you reach the other side of the green goo lake and then you will see helchgam pop up out of his gooey abyss.

From there, go to the pillar closest to you and kill the four tentacles like usual. He will pull down the pillar when you have killed them all. At this point the made some big changes. He no longer has a time limit on how long the pillar stays in play and he pulls it down, but rather it is a morale limit. So, bring your minstrel to the shore, but not on top of the fallen pillar. Take your ranged fighters (hunters) and place them at the very close end of the fallen pillar, just in range to actually hit him. At around 36,000 morale he will begin to pull down the pillar. EVERYONE GET OFF THE PILLAR! As you see the splashing of the green goo is when you need to start heading off. You do this because he tends to root you to the pillar, so you need a good head start before he roots you to your death in the green gooey abyss. Once this pillar is done repeat the process on the pillar on the same side of the shore, don't cross to the other side until you have done both pillars on the side you are on.

If you have a burglar, a good idea is to have the burg run on the pillar just as it falls, trip a fellowship maneuver, and everyone go yellow. This speeds up the process. When you are done with the 2 on the shore you are on, you'll notice that the bridge you crossed before is gone. Go across the new bridge that helchgam made for you with a fallen pillar on the opposite side of the goo as you crossed the first time.

When on this side continue the process until all the pillar are down. On the last pillar the whole group may go on the pillar because he won't pull that one down.

The morale that the pillars fall on are at 36,000, 22,000, 10,000 respectively.

HELCHGAM BUG!


Now, there is still a bug with this fight. We discovered that if you wipe, or let helchgam reset, which he will do if you wait around without killing tentacles or hitting him to long, that the pillars you already did, will reset without their corresponding tentacles. This means that you cannot knock the pillar down, making the fight impossible. To fix this simply disband and re-enter the instance and walk back to him and start it over.

As I get more info and play CD in it's entirety again I will make more adjustments to bosses as I see them. Thank you.

[Melwhin]

Great additions Marithil.