Gnoster Expedition Duchess Build

Compared to most characters, Duchess can deal with the butterfly better while having some of the best ways to do fire damage to Gnoster. She can either do this with fire weapons or with fire Incantations. Gnoster is a pretty mobile boss with a ton of delayed attacks, which gives more value to the double dodge from Duchess. It is the biggest priority you find a weapon or spell to deal fire damage, since it also helps cleanse any ally that got poisoned.

Day 1

The most important thing is to find a Cathedral, especially ones with the fire modifier. These are the best locations for finding a good Seal or fire weapon to play with for now. We want to look for better options because most likely the first weapon you get won’t be the best, but in case you try to upgrade it to epic with a Smithing Stone (2). 

Before you go anywhere, get level 2, and afterwards we can aim to find that Cathedral.

Meanwhile, try to clear multiple Forts, Encampments, and Cathedrals where possible to get as high a level as possible, aiming for level 8-10.

If you can’t find one of our recommended weapons, try finding one within the weapon categories: Straight Sword, Dagger, Thrusting Sword, Heavy Thrusting Sword, Spear, and Curved Sword.

Day 2

If possible, try to check the Central Castle on day 1 to make sure we don’t waste time going there on day 2 if it's not needed. We want to avoid it if Trolls are spawned; otherwise aim to fully clear it. It gives a lot of good rewards and a ton of runes, which would easily get us to level 13.

If a Shifting Earth event has occurred, aim to go there either before the Central Castle or after, depending on the event. If the event is Crater or Noklateo, I recommend you do it immediately, since it takes quite some time. If the event is the Mountain or Rot Forrest, you can do it after the Central Castle, since they don’t take too much time.

After you have done these or even while moving there, try to kill some Elite Field Bosses. They often drop Legendary loot and a good amount of runes.

Day 3

We are fighting Gnoster for this guide, so here are some tips to deal with them.

At the beginning of the fight, Gnoster will be two separate beings: the Butterfly and the Lobster. They still share the boss's HP bar but act independently. At the beginning, you mostly deal with the Lobster until it goes underground. Be careful of his delayed attacks since they can catch you off guard. He is also very tanky and can armor up occasionally, which makes focusing on him not recommended. 

Even when focusing on the Lobster, always keep an eye on the Butterfly since it can try to grab you instantly, poisoning you with a parasite that a teammate needs to cleanse, and if you are solo, it can only be cleansed by dying. The Butterfly will also try to launch ranged missiles, which can be easily dodged.

Once the boss reaches 50-60% HP, Phase 2 will start. The biggest lookouts here are their charge attack, where the Lobster will charge forward while the Butterfly shoots missiles at you. Double dodge makes this attack much easier to avoid. The other one is the giant laser that the Butterfly will occasionally launch from the sky. This does massive damage, and it will linger for a very long time. Most of the other attacks are the same.

• Duchess can dodge twice in a row with her passive; this is insanely useful against Gnoster, especially their charge attack.
• Be sure to use consumables on every boss since they are everywhere and found easily.
• Your Ultimate can be used for resurrection by losing the boss agro, making it a very good get-out-of-jail card.
• Restage is best used when you stagger this boss. However, there is no critical damage, so you just need to do a lot of damage and restage that.