Starstone Barrows | New World Wiki

New World Starstone Barrows Expedition Overview

The Starstone Barrows expedition is an extension of the Amrine Temple and Excavation. It is found in Everfall and is meant for level 35 players and above.

 

How to Unlock the Starstone Barrows Expedition

• Unlocking the Starstone Barrows Expedition involves taking on a series of Side Quests beginning with Researcher's Request from Balian Clark, the Magistrate of Everfall. Completing this Quest will lead you to William Heron who can be found at the second floor of the Everfall Tavern.
• William Heron's next quest after the first turn in seem to have a prerequisite. The two quests from Tekla Petrowski, located by the forge, concluding with "An Anonymous Gift" seem to unlock "Ancient Contemplations". This seems to unlock the rest of the quest line.
• William Heron will give you a series of quests that you need to complete in succession, eventually leading to the Foreman's Ledger (Expedition) Quest which tasks you with acquiring an item from the Amrine Excavation expedition. Upon completion of this quest, and attaining Level 33, William will give you the quest Startstone of Shattering (Expedition) which leads you to the Starstone Barrows expedition.

 

Preparation and Recommendations

Team Compositions:

• At least one dedicated Tank
• At least one DPS player with a ranged or magical weapon
• At least one player with a Life Staff for dedicated Healing or all players with adequate self-healing abilities.

Items to bring along:

• 1 Starstone Tuning Orb (consumed upon entry; only 1 player within a group is required to have a tuning orb in order for the whole group to participate in the expedition) - You will be given a free Starstone Tuning Orb when you begin the Starstone of Shattering (Expedition) and Reaper's Locus (Expedition) quests.
• The team is required to have at least 1 Azoth Staff in order to complete the excavation.

Enemy Overview:

The Starstone Barrows expedition is predominantly consists of Ancient enemies.

• Starstone Warrior - These are your standard melee trashmobs that like to get up close and personal. They don't move very fast or deal much damage, but beware when there are plenty of them in a pack.
• Starstone Guardian Javelineer - You'll see plenty of these mobs throughout the Expedition. They are your standard ranged trashmobs. They will maintain their distance and take pot shots at your team.
• Starstone Guardian Shieldman - These are often found in packs with Warriors and Javelineers. Shieldmen should be saved for last as they have high defense and health, and can take quite a beating.
• Starstone Guardian Sentry - Similar to the Warrior but equipped with a two-handed sword, these mobs like to get up close. Their large weapons have a much longer reach and can deal AoE damage, plus they deal more damage overall. Spread out when engaging these foes.
• Starstone Archer - Similar to the Javelineer, these are ranged Ancients that attack with a bow and arrow. They attack faster than the Javelineers but overall, they are largely the same mobs.
• Starstone Shambler - These are reanimated corpses without legs but don't let that fool you. They are by far one of the fastest of the trashmobs. Shamblers are incredibly aggressive and will dash and leap towards players, clawing at them. It's easiest to group these up with other lighter mobs and AoEing them down.
• Starstone Spearman - Spearmen are the melee version of the Javelineer. They have a long reach and access to AoE attacks, but they are incredibly slow and will likely die before they can even do harm to your group.
• Starstone Soldier - These are the same as Warriors but equipped with clubs or maces. They don't do much but swing their weapons wildly at players.
• Starstone Guardian Reaver - Similar to Warriors but with dual swords. These mobs perform quick, relentless attacks but can easily be staggered out of their combos with heavy attacks.
• Centimas - A named Elite Reaver wielding dual swords. Mostly a tank and spank affair but he will spawn at level 36 and one Elite mod (frost aura, etc)
• Ioane - A named Elite Javelineer. He will maintain his distance and use powerful ranged attacks and should be prioritized if possible. He will spawn with an Elite mod.
• Erine - An Elite Shieldman. He will be accompanied by other Ancients which should be prioritized before moving on to Erine. Spawns with an Elite mod.
• Starstone Guardian Mage - A powerful spellcaster that attacks from range using Arcane spells. These mages can pack a punch and should be prioritized.
• Limos - Another Elite Javelineer. Functionally identical to all Javelineers, just more powerful and spawns with an Elite mod.
• Erebas - A powerful Elite Mage. Grouped with Limos and several other ancients. Take him out first. Notably, he can summon Alectos the Relentless' Minions.
• Sangarion - Another Elite Reaver similar to Centimas.

Quests:

• Starstone of Shattering (Expedition): Collect the Starstone Diadem from Greundgul the Regent inside the Shattered Obelisk. Report back to William Heron in the Everfall Settlement when your task is complete. (Quest Start: William Heron at Everfall - See Unlock section above)
• Reaper's Locus (Expedition): Defeat the Starstone Reaper and Collect the Reaper's Locus. Talk to Herbalist Lau in the Brightwood Settlement when the task is done. (Quest Start: Lau Kang at the Tavern in Brightwood. Must complete Dark Legacy and Heart of Darkness (Elite) quests)
• More Bones for Barkimedes (Expedition): Simon Grey's dog Barkimedes wants an enhanced bone-chewing experience from the Enchanted Bones of the Shattered Obelisk expedition. (Quest Start: Barkimedes outside of the Amrine Excavation expedition. Must complete Bones for Barkimedes (Expedition) quest)

 

New World Starstone Barrows Expedition Guide

Ancient Hall

Objective - Explore the halls for a path to the Shattered Obelisk

You begin the Expedition in the Ancient Hall. Head down the hallway and look to your left for some notes on Nakashima's Frustratons. This is the same Nakashima fought as a boss in the Amrine Excavation. When ready, turn right and you should see your first group of enemies. You can set up some traps and slowing effects if you have them before pulling the mobs. Take out the Warrior and the Javelineers first before moving on to the Shieldman. Take note of this priority order as this a common grouping throughout the Expedition. The Warrior and Javelineer are your standard melee and ranged grunts while the Shieldman is the tankier one of the three and is best saved for last when all players can focus it down. Always prioritize ranged units, melee and then tanks.

At the end of the hallway is a room with a staircase leading down and a bunch of Shamblers, Sentries and Archers wandering around at the bottom. There will be 2 other groups along the path as you make your way to the back of this hallway. At the end, turn left into the next hallway for more enemies. This is a fairly linear set of paths with generously spread out groups of enemies. The enemies here are all largely the same, with different names and weapons. Prioritize the ranged enemies and focus down or group up and AoE the melee mobs. Be smart with your pulls and don't engage more than one group of enemies at a time if you are below the recommended level for the Expedition.

In the next section is a bridge to a large stone door guarded by Centimas, an Elite mob wielding dual swords. He will be accompanied by a Javelineer and a Shieldman. Burst down the Javelineer and then ignore the Shieldman until Centimas is killed. Centimas is a mostly tank and spank affair but take note that he will spawn at level 36, which can be difficult for lower level teams. Make sure he is taunted as his attacks pack quite a punch. Lastly, Centimas will spawn with one Elite mod such as Frost Aura, which can add a layer of challenge to the fight. Once he's dead, have a player with an Azoth Staff unseal the door.

 

Sealed Chamber

New Objective: Continue to explore the Ancient complex.

Behind the door is a large chamber with steps leading up. There is a group of enemies up here consisting of a Reaver, a Sentry, a Javelineer and three Shamblers. To the right is a small room with an Iron Vein and a lore book. To the left is your destination. You will encounter your first set of Laser Beams which you will need to crawl under to exit the Sealed Chamber. This is a preview of the mechanic in the next area. Past the beams is the first checkpoint for respawning. Check the right side of the Checkpoint for an Expedition Chest with loot and supplies. Past the Checkpoint is a pair of Warriors and a pair of Shamblers. Defeat them and continue down the hallway and then dash or roll past the single-row Laser Beam moving up and down. Defeat the Soldier and Shambler duo and turn right into the Forbidden Passage.

 

Forbidden Passage

New Objective: Navigate through the Forbidden Passage. Gain Arcane Protection to pass through the barriers.

This area is chock full of laser beams that will kill you instantly if you get caught in them. This section requires some light puzzle/platforming elements. There are a couple ways to navigate this area but for the easiest path, take the ramp going down to the right. There's an Iron Vein you can mine here. Do not go through the beams, there's no way to get through them. Instead, get up the ledge attached to the pillar on the left and hug the pillar as you go around its corner. From here, you can jump the gap down to the ledge below. Do not go on the main path from here, you will get fried. Instead, turn right on the ledge you're dropped on and follow it under and across the beams, climb up the ledges and you should be on the other side. Take the path along this wall and dash or roll past the moving beam.

You should see a wooden walkway turning the corner. Follow it along and jump the gap. On the other side, you'd have reached your destination which is the main door. You can see another checkpoint through it but the beams will prevent you from heading in. Instead, continue along the path left of the doorway and jump a second gap. Defeat the Shamblers in the area and take the wooden ramp heading up. Jump across the gap and you should be in the area with a Monolith and a pool of purple liquid in front of it. Have one member of your team inspect the monolith to acquire the Arcane Protection. This mechanic will allow the player to pass through the laser beams. Moreover, standing in the path of the beams with the protection will create a gap in the beams, allowing the rest of your team to pass through safely. Get past the beams behind the monolith to end up back in front of the doorway. Block the beams from the doorway, let your team pass through and then head for the Checkpoint. Take note that this mechanic will occur several times throughout this Expedition. Check the side of the Checkpoint for another Expedition Chest and then head right and up the steps for a group of Warriors behind a moving beam. Continue heading down the hallway and defeat the Shambler duo. Look for a River Cress node in the corner of this room and then continue along to the Ampitheatre.

The Ampitheatre

New Objective: Continue to explore for a path to the Shattered Obelisk.

You are now in a large room with a group of enemies in the center and a large set of stairs at the back. Leading the pack is the Elite mob Ioane, accompanied by a Shieldman, Reaver, an Archer and several other Ancients. Ioane himself is a powerful Javelineer and will take shots at your team from a distance. If possible, focus Ioane down as the other mobs are less dangerous. After defeating them, continue along up the staircase, fighting through the rather large amount of mobs as you go. At the top, you are met with another group with an Elite Shieldman named Erine. Take out the Reaver and Javelineer accompanying him first as he is quite tanky. At the end of the corridor is a large stone door. There is a group of Shambler opposite the door, guarding a Soulspire mining node. When ready, unseal the door with your Azoth Staff to reach the Shattered Obelisk. Behind the door is another Checkpoint Shrine and right before heading out the connecting hallway is another Expedition Chest.

 

Shattered Obelisk

New Objective: Defeat the Obelisk's guardians and then approach the Shattered Obelisk.

In this area is a staircase in the center guarded by groups of enemies. At the foot of the stairs are two groups of Ancients. You can pull them separately if you're not confident engaging all of them at once. The group on the right contains a Mage with superior range and powerful spells. You will likely want to pull the melee units towards it and AoE them all down. Check the right of the stairs for another Soulspire node.

Up the steps, the path splits into two. The path on the right has laser beams blocking the way so you'll have to take the long way around to the left. Continue along the path wherever it is accessible until you get to a set of steps leading down to a group of mobs and two laser fences on either side. Defeat the mobs and unseal the door behind them to get to the 4th Checkpoint Shrine. Continue along to reach a large room with several mobs and a large, intricate-looking door at the back. You won't be able to open this door until you get a Blessed Obelisk Key. Instead, look to the right of the room and unseal the stone door.

Halls of the Crypt

New Objective: Search for a way to navigate through the arcane barriers.

Make your way down the linear path along the halls while fighting off mobs. There is a large amount of enemies here so be careful with your pulls. There is an Iron Vein hidden within the debris just after dropping down into the main hallway proper. Eventually, you will reach another monolith where you can pick up the Arcane Protection buff for the beams. It's guarded by two Elites -- Limos, a Javelineer and Erebas, a Mage. Take Erebas out first as his arcane spells are more dangerous and he will reach a point where he begins summoning Minions which are functionally similar to Soldiers. AoE them down as they come out as he can summon them in quick succession. Once the battle is over, have one of your teammates collect the Arcane Protection buff from the monolith so you can get past the beams into the next hallway. There is a Soulsprout node near the monolith.

New Objective: Search for the key to gain entry to the Crypt of the Regent.

Get past the beams with the protection buff and fight your way through the hallway. Get past a moving beam to get to the 5th Checkpoint Shrine. A little past the Checkpoint and after defeating a few mobs, you will be met with the first Boss Encounter of the Expedition: Alectos the Relentless. Carefully pull and take out the mobs before engaging Alectos.

Alectos the Relentless Boss Guide

This powerful mage has stood guard for untold eons, focusing intense arcane energies from the resonate structure of the obelisk to lay waste to intruders.

Boss Info & Mechanics

• HP: Info coming soon.
• Summon Minions - Alectos summons 3 Minions which are functionally identical to the Warriors. They perform wild swings with their maces and will sometimes leap high into the air for a powerful slam attack. They have low health and are generally not very dangerous on their own, but a trio or more can quickly kill a player. Watch out for when Alectos Empowers one of these Minions as they become both tankier and deadlier.
• Empower - Alectos channels a beam at a random Minion, making them larger, tankier and more powerful.
• Arcane Orbs - Alectos fires 5 large orbs that fan out towards the direction he is facing. Easily mitigated by the tank but can be devastating for other players.
• Arcane Blast - Quick successive blasts with his staff that deals moderate damage.
• Arcane Nova - Alectos spins his staff and then quickly slams it on the ground, sending a blast of Arcane energy out in a small radius around him. The Nova's range is deceptive and can hit players further out than it looks. This move deals very heavy damage and should be avoided by non-tanks at all costs.

 

Boss Guide

As soon as the fight starts, Alectos will summon a set of Minions right away. This will happen repeatedly throughout the fight and Alectos will periodically Empower one Minion, making them physically larger and deal increased damage. These adds are easily manageable with a dedicated kiter who can slow them down. Alectos himself should be faced away from the group to minimize group damage from his Arcane Orbs. It is important to note that Alectos is easily staggered with heavy attacks and staggering skills, interrupting many of his abilities. Moreover, Alectos can be knocked down, further leaving him in a vulnerable state and unable to cast his spells. Players will need to be aware of his Nova, however, as it deals a tremendous amount of damage. Other than that, the fight plays out much the same way throughout.

 

Boss Rewards

•  +99.00 Coin
•  +1350 XP
• +270 Weapon Mastery

 

Once you defeat Alectos, pick up the Expedition Chest at the edge of the arena as well as the lore note to the right of it. On the other side of the arena is an Inert Ancient Shrine. Take note of this as you will be coming back to it later. Take the stairs where you picked up the chest and head down. There is another one of those Monoliths here with the Arcane Protection buff, and a Soulspire node on the opposite side. Clear the mobs and have one player pick up the protection buff then head up the stairs to the next area. Get past the beams and also the next set directly in front of it. Note that this is the same area from earlier where you unsealed the door with two sets of beam fences on either side. Past the 2nd set of beams is another Monolith that will replenish its energies once your protection buff wears off. You will need this to get back later. Engage the pack of Ancients lead by the Elite Reaver Sangarion. Once defeated, check the Ornate Chest at the end of the area to get the Obelisk Key.

New Objective: Disconnect the power lock on the Ancient Shrine and use the shrine to bless the Obelisk Key.

Take the buff from the Monolith and go back past the beam, but this time head up the staircase leading back to the Shattered Obelisk. Have the player with protection block the beams on the left path where you can inspect the monolith to disable the power lock for the Shrine. Now, go back to where you fought Alectos and use the shrine to obtain the Blessed Obelisk Key. You will need to backtrack to that large intricate door in the Halls of the Crypt, so retrace the steps you took getting to Alectos the first time. Several packs of mobs should have spawned on the way back. Fight your way through and get to the door to reach the end of the Expedition and the final boss fight, Greundgul the Regent.

Greundgul the Regent Boss Guide

Towering above her armies and adorned in brilliant golden armor, this eternal protector of the obelisk’s treasures guards it from thieves and foolish trespassers alike.

Boss Info & Mechanics

• HP: Info coming soon
• Greundgul's Bone - Greundgul tosses a Bone at a random location which immediately spawns a group of adds. The adds themselves do not take a lot to kill nor do they do a lot of damage but they can swarm. The Bone has its own health bar and needs to be destroyed or it will continually spawn in these mobs.
• Leaping Smash - Greundgul leaps to a random location and plunges her sword into the ground, creating a shockwave that covers the entire arena. This move is used exclusively during the 2nd Phase only.

Boss Guide

The boss fight against Greundgul takes place over two phases, once you get her health bar down during the first phase, she will resurrect and begin the second phase. While Greundgul only has 2 major mechanics of note, the fight can still be quite challenging due to the amount of damage she does and the constantly spawning adds.

The first phase is fairly straightforward and Greundgul will only perform her standard attacks with her greatsword. There are several melee attacks she uses with varying effects and patterns. The most common is a standard diagonal slash from her left shoulder to right hip, usually followed by a spinning slash. She will also perform an upward swing starting from her right hip which will knock players away. Finally, she also uses an overhead charged slash that impacts the ground hard and deals massive damage in an AoE in front of her. It is important to note that Greundgul's melee attacks cleave and can deal damage or apply their knock away effects even to players behind her. The tank should be facing Greundgul away from the rest of the team to at least prevent the AoE from her charged slash from hitting other players.

Periodically, Greundgul will pull out a bone and toss it at a random location, spawning a group of 4-6 adds composed of the Expedition's trashmobs. Players must destroy these Bones and adds immediately or risk getting swarmed. The adds themselves do not do a whole lot of damage but ignoring the mechanic can quickly leave you with more than 20 adds in the arena at once. Group the adds up and AoE them down quickly. Greundgul telegraphs this move quite obviously so players should prepare to take the Bone and adds out as soon as they see her pull it out.

Once you get her health down the first time, she will resurrect and begin using her Leaping Smash attack, which she can repeat up to 5 times in succession. This attack seems to be targeted randomly and will release a shockwave that covers the entire arena dealing massive damage. Players will need to time their dodges with the shockwaves in order to avoid taking damage. Aside from this new mechanic, the fight will play out much the same way as the first phase. Players will still need to manage the Bones and adds to prevent getting overwhelmed while keeping track of Greundgul when she does her leaping attacks and time their dodges accordingly. Once Greundgul goes down, the Expedition is complete. Be sure to collect your loot, including the Starstone Diadem from Greundgul if you are on the Starstone of Shattering (Expedition) quest.

 

Boss Rewards

•  +99.00 Coin
•  +1350 XP
• +540 Weapon Mastery

 

Closing Notes, Rewards and other info

Closing Notes

Rewards

The following can be obtained by defeating enemies and bosses in the Expedition:

• Graveguard's Seal
• Staff of the Immolated Veil
• Obsidian Rapier
• Creeping Cold
• Fleeting Reality

Other Info