So, you’re looking for a way to overthrow an evil tyrant queen with three heroes but aren’t quite sure how to come out on top? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.
First, let’s all be on the same page here. We’re talking about how to face off against Queen Imperia in the climactic battle of Crownfall Act IV in Dota 2 — the Nest of Thorns.
This intense mini-game typically lasts between 14 and 17 minutes, depending on your strategy and the abilities you choose.
But here’s the kicker: with the right toolkit, you can take down Imperia in under a minute!
Want to know how to reclaim the throne of The Eyrie for the rightful ruler, Shendelzare? Our step-by-step guide about Nest of Thorns will lead you to early victory.
The Nest of Thorns serves as the climactic mini-game in Crownfall Act IV.
This intense battle features three heroes: Skywrath Mage (Dragonus), Vengeful Spirit (Shendelzare), and Kez (Kestrel), each equipped with distinct strengths to aid players in their journey.
At the start of the game, players must select one of these heroes to take on Queen Imperia.
The chosen hero will battle through waves of monsters, attacking automatically to gain experience, level up, and select abilities.
Along the way, heroes can collect items dropped by the monsters to enhance their abilities. The map is large enough for players, providing some room to manoeuvre and dodge incoming projectiles.
Additionally, mini-bosses can be summoned during the game. Defeating these mini-bosses will allow players to enhance one of their chosen abilities.
After approximately 12 minutes of monster-fighting and preparation, the chosen hero will face the ultimate challenge: a showdown with Queen Imperia herself.
In the showdown, Queen Imperia will summon some monsters, but with the right toolkit, it becomes extremely easy to defeat her.
You heard it right! The Nest of Thorns is not as difficult as it looks.
Choosing the right items and abilities is crucial to surviving the relentless horde of monsters in Nest of Thorns.
Your survivability hinges on how efficiently you can eliminate enemies and reposition yourself to avoid danger.
While it might be tempting to pick flashy or “cool-sounding” abilities, it’s important to prioritize practicality.
Focus on abilities with low cooldowns or those that allow you to clear waves quickly and effectively.
When selecting items, aim for those that complement your chosen abilities. Look for options that boost your damage output, enhance survivability, or provide utility.
Hastily make your way to the item chest when the game starts as the item can boost your ability. Then when the first mini-boss is available, summon him and finish him off.
Strategic choices in this phase can make a whole world of difference when facing off against Queen Imperia in Dota 2’s Nest of Thorns.
The Crownfall storyline isn’t just about battles and reclamation—it’s also a tale of love between Dragonus (Skywrath Mage) and Shendelzare (Vengeful Spirit).
Fittingly, Skywrath Mage stands out as the strongest hero in Nest of Thorns, embodying both power and purpose.
Survival in Nest of Thorns is not solely about quickly clearing waves of monsters.
It also depends on your ability to kite effectively and reposition swiftly after eliminating threats. Movement and timing are just as crucial as raw firepower.
Dragonus’s strength lies in his ability to fire additional projectiles, making him exceptionally efficient at clearing waves. To maximize his potential, here are the abilities you should prioritize picking.
Clearing waves of monsters is only part of the strategy in Nest of Thorns.
Collecting the XP dropped by eliminated enemies is equally crucial for levelling up quickly and gaining stronger abilities.
In the early stages, this task is fairly simple and manageable.
However, as the 12-minute mark approaches, gathering XP becomes increasingly challenging due to the sheer volume of enemies and heightened intensity of the battle.
That’s where Snotty the Bat comes into play. The trusty mount of the Batrider acts as an uncontrollable character dedicated to collecting XP and items you might otherwise miss.
With Snotty’s help, you can focus on defeating enemies while ensuring no valuable XP or loot goes to waste.
This allows you to level up faster and acquire the powerful abilities needed to clear waves with greater efficiency.
While offensive matters a lot in Nest of Thorns, defensive matters the same too.
There are some enemies that you won't see coming and when the volume of enemies increases, you might face a challenge to find a safe space to surround yourself with.
By taking Spirit, it will orbit around your hero and deal damage to anything that it collides with.
Thus it will give you a way to weasel out of tough situations.
Magic Missile is an excellent choice for clearing waves of monsters in Nest of Thorns. Not only does it eliminate enemies, but it also stuns them, giving you a safe opportunity to reposition or move past dangerous areas.
The key advantage of this ability lies in its bounce effect. Magic Missile rapidly jumps from one opponent to another, efficiently stunning and eliminating multiple enemies in quick succession.
This makes it an invaluable tool for maintaining control during chaotic waves while ensuring your hero remains unharmed.
While Knife Throw might seem underwhelming during the wave-clearing stage, it becomes a game-changer when facing Queen Imperia in Nest of Thorns.
Its straightforward projectile is particularly useful when your hero is surrounded, allowing you to quickly clear a path and reposition yourself.
Against Imperia, the direct trajectory of Knife Throw makes it easier to land consistent hits, dealing significant damage and maintaining pressure on the queen.
Its precision and utility make it an essential ability for putting the final nail in against Queen Imperia.
In the early stages of Nest of Thorns, clearing waves is straightforward, and the chances of being surrounded are slim.
However, as the 12-minute mark approaches, manoeuvring becomes significantly more challenging. If you can’t clear waves quickly, finding a safe path becomes nearly impossible.
Even when you do manage to clear a path, it can quickly become surrounded again. This is where Proximity Mines shine.
By strategically placing mines, you can reliably clear areas of enemies and create safe zones to play around.
Proximity Mines offer a powerful way to maintain control and avoid being overwhelmed in the chaos of the later stages.
Nevertheless, itemisation also plays a crucial part. With only six item slots available, careful planning is crucial to ensure a balanced and effective build.
Here’s a recommended breakdown for managing your six slots:
With that in mind here are the items that you should consider picking up in Nest of Thorns.
Specialist Array: You can fire an additional projectile to clear the waves much faster.
Octarine Core: Lowers the cooldown of abilities, making your attacks faster.
Kaya: Boosts the damage of your magical abilities.
Ring of Tarrasque: Boosts the hp regen of your hero.
Yasha: Gives your hero additional movement speed.
Sange: Increase the knockback range on your hero.
Apex: Gives an additional spell slot to your hero.
Crystalys: Gives your hero additional physical damage.
There are a few key details you should know about the Nest Of Thorns. Mini-bosses appear every two to three minutes, but you must summon them to engage.
It’s best to summon them immediately when they first appear, as defeating them becomes increasingly challenging as the timer counts down to 12 minutes.
Defeating these mini-bosses rewards you with a free Aghanim Spectre, which enhances your abilities.
Surprisingly, Queen Imperia is not particularly difficult to defeat. The key is to lure her out when she summons her wave of monsters for defence.
You can achieve this by either bypassing the monsters or fighting through them. With the right abilities, this becomes quite manageable.
Her abilities might seem overwhelming at first, but remember they can be dodged effortlessly with proper timing.
After defeating Queen Imperia, a cinematic sequence will play, showcasing Shendelzare delivering the final blow. With this, The Crownfall update reaches its climactic conclusion.
After defeating Queen Imperia, you will be awarded an exclusive Juggernaut skin and some emoticons.
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