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Ahem... Freelancer... This page is about the Monitor as a Final Boss in the Heart of Rage. For other uses, go to Monitor (Disambiguation). |
The Heart of Rage is... connected to the Cenotaph... and now, the Monitor.  |
The Monitor is a boss level enemy found at the end of the mission Return to the Heart of Rage and the The Heart of Rage (Stronghold). The Monitor in Transcendent form is not human, but corrupted by Shaper Energy and the Anthem of Creation.
Etymology and Anatomy
The Monitor's name is derived from the Dominion secret operative police that goes by the same name. It is called his Transcendent form because he claims it to be.
In his transcendent form, the Monitor is still bipedal, but he has become as large as a titan, perhaps larger. His new body is completely covered in a chitinous armor, with barely visible triangular seals on it. His head is shaped like a triangle and has two protruding horns on it. His hands seem fully capable of clasping, but his feet have become flat.
He has a deep purple energy swirling around him, and he gains a glaive. He has three yellow glowing spots: One at the back of his head and two on his waist.
The Monitor can teleport, and when he does that, a spiral gust of wind surrounds him and makes him completely invulnerable to any damage.
The glaive can be used for melee attacks and has the potential to do fire/acid/lightning damage. It begins to glow when the Monitor is about to use it to perform melee attacks. Due to his sheer size, the Monitor’s movements are quite slow, especially between attacks.
Narrative Involvement
The Monitor succeeds in reaching the cenotaph before the Freelancer. He connects a special device to control the Shaper relic in order to gain control of the Anthem of Creation. By the time the Freelancer reaches the relic, it is already hooked to the Dominion machine. The Monitor stands with his arms wide open facing the active relic inside his javelin.
The Monitor Prepares to Fight in His Transcendent Form with His New Glaive.
The Freelancer vows to stop the Monitor. But it turns out, the Monitor was no longer inside his javelin. The empty javelin falls apart confusing the Freelancer and Faye alike. When the Freelancer declares the Monitor to have been dead, a giant being emerges from behind the cenotaph.
The Monitor dismisses the Freelancer boasting that he wasn’t dead, but Transcendent. The Monitor had linked himself to the cenotaph claiming to have becoming one with the Anthem. It was the Freelancer’s duty to stop the Monitor from remaking the world.
In the end they succeeded in stripping away the new powers of the Monitor, who gradually turned back from a giant to his original size. While shrinking back, Haluk rammed his Strider into the still quite-huge Monitor. But what happened to the Monitor after that, no one knows.
Encounter Locations
The Transcendent form of the Monitor can only be encountered in the Heart of Rage, deep inside the decimated cenotaph ruin of Freemark.
Behavior and Abilities
The Monitor has several attacks that switch between 3 different phases in the mission Return to the Heart of Rage and 4 different phases in the stronghold, Heart of Rage. But all his abilities remain the same.
- Teleportation: The Monitor can teleport to different locations at will, as long as his weak spots are still intact.
- Elemental Glaive: There are 4 ways the Monitor can use his glaive to deal melee damage to the javelins. Just before he performs his melee, the glaive begins to glow (Fire: Orange; Acid: Green; Lightning: Purple) and deals the appropriate type of damage:
- Overhead Slam: The Monitor raises the glaive and swings it overhead, slamming it on the ground to deal blast damage.
- Horizontal Sweep: The Monitor sweeps the glaive from right side to left side dealing a sizable amount of damage to anyone in the path and putting them under a status effect and overheat their javelin’s thrusters.
- Close-range Slam: The Monitor can thrust the hilt of his glaive onto the ground and create a ripple of powerful blast damage.
- Leaping Slam: The Monitor randomly leaps onto one of the javelins and deals massive blast damage to them.
The three Elemental Glaives
- Meteor Rain: Because of his influence, meteors can fall to the ground at random intervals. These meteors can explode in approximately 12 seconds and deal a fire blast damage. (The Monitor has no control over these meteors).
- Elemental Strike: The Monitor summons orbs of fire/ acid/ lightning beside javelins by raising his left arm high above the ground. When he swings his arm down, these orbs explode, not only dealing large blast damages, but also inducing a status effect on the javelin.
The Three Elemental Strikes
- Acid Flush: The Monitor launches a flurry of acid blob at a particular target dealing a lethal acid blast damage and knocking the javelin from air into the ground.
- Summon Mordant Elementals: When the Monitor’s health decreasing in the Acid Phase, he summons Mordant elementals.
- Lightning Flush: The Monitor launches projectiles of charged lightning at a particular target dealing a lethal acid blast damage and knocking the javelin from air into the ground.
- Lightning Glaive Warp: The Monitor throws his glaive up in the air, which lands on a random javelin dealing minor damage. Seconds after the glaive lands, the Monitor warps to the glaive’s location to directly deal massive lightning blast damage.
- Erratic Lightning Rod: Any point on the ground can become a lightning rod, draw out ambient lightning and electrify the terrain. The Monitor however has no control over this effect, but he is immune to it.
Hidden Attributes
The Monitor has several hidden attributes:
- Phase Immunity: The Monitor is highly resistant to the fire damage during the Fire Phase, acid damage during the Acid Phase, and lightning damage during Lightning Phase.
- Weak Point Breach: If all 3 Weak points of the Monitor are destroyed, then the Monitor is automatically teleported to the default spawn location during that phase, and staggered. The Weak Points are re-set back to their original position at the start of each phase.
- Activation: The Monitor is activated to a different location each time one pip on his health bar is depleted.
- Electric Buff: All lightning damage done by the Monitor is significantly buffed. He also becomes more aggressive and frenetic.
- Burndown: The Monitor is forced to the default spawn location. All his weak points become exposed, but cannot be destroyed.
Strategy
The final boss fight occurs in the decimated cenotaph ruin of the Heart of Rage. The fight occurs in three phases named after the type of damage the monitor dishes out. In the Stronghold and Competitive Stronghold version, there is an additional fourth phase.
Overview
The Transcendent form of the Monitor, being a Boss rarity enemy, has one of the largest health pools. His health bar is divided into 4 pips. When Each of the pip depletes, the current phase ends.
The Monitor is susceptible to impact and ice damages and they aren’t very effective against him in all phases. Depending on the type of the phase, the Monitor gets additional unique weaknesses and resistances.
As a boss, this form of the Monitor has one of the highest damage-dealing capability. But due to his sheer size, his movements are quite slow, especially between two successive attacks. However, as each phase passes, his movements become quicker and aggressive.
The best strategy is to keep moving and dealing damage to his weak points (those yellow glowing spots on the back of his head and on the sides of his waist).
The Monitor also drops ammo and repair packs at regular interval as his health reduces. But they are very close to his feet. So, it is important to keep an eye out for his next move, especially if it is a melee attack. It may be best to wait until he teleports to collect these resupplies.
The Monitor is completely immune to all damages each time his health bar is reduced by 25% (i.e., each time he loses a pip) and during teleportation.
Note: Javelins will automatically be transported to a new arena during a new phase after a short duration when at least one reaches a new arena because of a tethering system. If the whole team is downed at any moment during the fight, the whole fight has to be repeated from the start.
Combat Phase 1: Fire
- Unique Resistance:
Fire (Completely immune to fire unless de-buffed, during Phase 1) - Unique Weakness:Lightning,Acid
All attacks done by the Monitor in this phase are Fire. The Monitor has access to all 4 Fire Glaive attacks. There is a small animation cue just before the damage will be done (look at Behavior and Abilities). This cue is an indication for getting away from that spot. Only when the Monitor uses Leaping Slam, it is unknown on whose javelin he lands, as this is picked randomly. But, when he leaps in the air, it is a cue to move to a different spot.
During the whole phase, meteors fall from the sky randomly as the Monitor’s passive ability. The Monitor doesn’t control them. Once these meteors land on the ground, they must be destroyed within 12 seconds in order to not receive any blast damage from them.
The Monitor Summons Fire Orbs
The Monitor can also summon fire orbs near a javelin and make them explode with his hand movements. When an orb of fire appears besides the javelin, it is a cue to get to a safer location.
As long as all the weak points on the Monitor are kept intact, the Monitor can teleport around the arena freely. Once a glowing yellow spot is destroyed, it no longer serves as the weak points. And when all three are destroyed, the Monitor is forced to teleport in the default position (at the center of the arena) and stagger for a short duration.
When the first health bar pip is completely depleted (i.e., 25% of his health is depleted), a volley of meteors is summoned from by the Monitor before he activates to a new arena. These meteors, when they fall to the ground, have more health and take longer to be destroyed. If a javelin is within a meteor’s circle of damage and doesn’t destroy it within 12 seconds, the meteor will explode causing a one hit knock-out to the javelin. This has the potential to down the whole team, so take caution.
Meteors Fall Down
To counter the final meteor rain’s effect, it is best to avoid them and hurry towards the shaper door on the side of the arena. A small spot around this door is the only known location where the meteors’ explosion cannot damage javelins. The other way is to simply destroy them. Even if one is destroyed, there is enough safe spot at the center to not receive any damage from other explosions.
When this final meteor rain finishes exploding, the shaper door opens, revealing way to get to a new location through a canyon. Since the bottom of this canyon has lava, it is best to fly. But be aware of the mist of acid in this canyon that can continually deal damage to javelins until the other end is reached.
Combat Phase 2: Acid
- Unique Resistance:Acid (Completely immune to acid attacks unless de-buffed, during Phase 2)
- Unique Weakness:Fire,Lightning
All attacks done by the Monitor in this phase are Acid. All 3 weak points are regained by the Monitor in this phase.
During the whole phase, there is a pool of acid on the ground, except on 5 platforms. Staying in the acid pool will damage javelins over time and put them under acid status.
The Monitor has access to all 4 Acid Glaive attacks. There is a small animation cue just before the damage will be done (look at Behavior and Abilities). This cue is an indication for getting away from that spot. Only when the Monitor uses Leaping Slam, it is unknown on whose javelin he lands, as this is picked randomly. But, when he leaps in the air, it is a cue to move to a different spot.
The Monitor Using Acid Flush
The Monitor can target a specific javelin at random and throw blobs of acid at them using his acid flush. These blobs can knock a javelin down to the ground at any distance from the Monitor. If the Monitor points his left arm at a javelin, then that’s to cue to go to a different spot to evade this attack.
When about 10% of the second health bar pip (from the right) is reduced, the Monitor can summon Mordant Elementals. These elementals are more dangerous since they can do acid damage to enemies.
The Monitor can also summon acid orbs near a javelin and make them explode with his hand movements. When an orb of acid appears besides the javelin, it is a cue to get to a safer location.
As long as all the weak points on the Monitor are kept intact, the Monitor can teleport around the arena freely. Once a glowing yellow spot is destroyed, it no longer serves as the weak points. And when all three are destroyed, the Monitor is forced to teleport in the default position (in the North-East of the arena between two platforms) and stagger for a short duration.
The Monitor Summons Mordant Elementals
Once the Monitor has only two health bar pips remaining, he aggressively summons smore Mordant Elementals and activates elsewhere. This is a cue to move to the new arena by going back the same path taken to reach the current one. It is also a good practice to get some ultimate charge by defeating the elementals.
Note: It is possible to go to the next arena by using the respawn mechanism, but there are chances that it could get glitched. The Monitor may not spawn in the next arena at all, so the whole fight will have to be repeated from the start, which can be achieved by downing all 4 javelins in nearby lava.
Combat Phase 3: Lightning
- Unique Resistance:Lightning (Completely immune to lightning unless de-buffed, during Phase 3)
- Unique Weakness:Acid,Fire
All attacks done by the Monitor in this phase are Lightning. All 3 weak points are regained by the Monitor in this phase, again.
During the whole phase, there is the Erratic Lightning Rod passive generated by the Monitor, where a of lightning starts at random points and spreading across the whole arena and deals severe electric damage to any javelin in its way.
The Monitor has access to all 4 Lightning Glaive attacks. There is a small animation cue just before the damage will be done (look at Behavior and Abilities). This cue is an indication for getting away from that spot. Only when the Monitor uses Leaping Slam, it is unknown on whose javelin he lands, as this is picked randomly. But, when he leaps in the air, it is a cue to move to a different spot.
The Monitor gains a fifth glaive melee attack called Lightning Glaive Warp. When the Monitor throws his glaive in the air, it is a cue that it will land near any one javelin (picked randomly), a couple of seconds later, the Monitor warps to the location of his glaive’s landing, dealing lethal damage to the javelin. The best way to evade this is to move to a different spot when the glaive lands near a javelin, as the glaive itself doesn’t do much damage.
The Monitor Using Lightning Flush
The Monitor can target a specific javelin at random and throw projectiles of lightning at them using his lightning flush. These projectiles can knock a javelin down to the ground at any distance from the Monitor. If the Monitor points his left arm at a javelin, then that’s to cue to go to a different spot to evade this attack.
The Monitor can also summon lightning orbs near a javelin and make them explode with his hand movements. When an orb of lightning appears besides the javelin, it is a cue to get to a safer location.
As long as all the weak points on the Monitor are kept intact, the Monitor can teleport around the arena freely. Once a glowing yellow spot is destroyed, it no longer serves as the weak points. And when all three are destroyed, the Monitor is forced to teleport in the default position (in the center of the arena) and stagger for a short duration for the third time.
One of the Spherical Field of Damage Amplification
Special Instruction: During this phase, four special violet-and-gold spherical fields spawn across this arena. If a javelin is inside this field, all damage done by it to the Monitor is doubled. If all 4 javelins are in each of these spheres, the net damage done becomes 5 times!
Once the third health bar pip is completely depleted, the Monitor loses all control over his Transcendent form. He does not get activated to a new arena anymore. The Anthem rejects him and strips him of his new power.
Note: This is where a cut scene begins in the mission Return to the Heart of Rage and there is no more player interaction. However, in the Stronghold or Competitive Stronghold version, a 4th phase begins in the same arena.
Combat Phase 4: Burndown
There are no special weakness or resistance to the Monitor during this phase. Since the Anthem has rejected him, the Monitor is forced to teleport to the center of the arena.
The Monitor is Stun-locked in Position
The Monitor falls to his knees in the center of the arena clasping his glaive. All his weak points re appear. The Monitor can no longer move and remains stunned in this position.
There are about 30 seconds available to completely deplete his fourth and final health bar pip. Whether or not it gets depleted, at the end of 30 seconds, the Monitor stands up, raises his arm to attack, but instead, vanishes.
Note: Depleting the last health bar pip of the Monitor in 30 seconds or fewer during the burnout phase (i.e. before he stands up) will boost the rewards. More loot and ember will drop. The quantity is nearly doubled.
Trivia (May Contain Spoilers)
- The Burndown Phase is a special phase exclusive to Strongholds and Competitive Strongholds.
- If the Monitor is defeated in 30 seconds or less during the burndown phase, the total number of rewards can reach up to 20 items.
- In the Lightning phase, the 5 times damage passive works only if there are 4 javelins in a team and each of them remains inside a different spherical field.
- It is unknown how the Monitor gets his glaive.
- The Monitor doesn’t have control over the elemental phase change, according to the way the story progresses.
- At launch, the Monitor was completely immune to attacks of fire during fire phase, acid during acid phase, and lightning during lightning phase. This was later changed to make him simply more resistant to these damage types during the respective phase.
- The ability names are taken from the Anthem Prima Guide and datamined files. They may have been slightly modified to avoid confusion. (For example: Summon Mordant Elementals is called Summon Acid Elementals, Erratic Lightning Rod is called Lightning Rod in the datamined files. These may cause confusion, at least to new players, because these terms may not yet exist, or they may exist as a different thing altogether).
Gallery
