In Diablo 4, Ashava the Pestilent is a World Boss that you can encounter while roaming around in Sanctuary. This guide will help you learn about Ashava’s location, abilities, and strategies to defeat her.
Location: Ashava can be found in The Crucible, a Level 25 zone located on the southeastern edge of the Fractured Peaks. To reach The Crucible, head directly east from Kyovashad, the Fractured Peaks’ main hub area, until you come across it.
Ashava Abilities:
- Bite: Ashava bites in front of her, dealing damage to anyone in melee range. You can avoid this attack by dodging away when you see Ashava’s head tilt back.
- Double Swipe: Ashava swipes her claw clockwise around her for 360 degrees once and then swipes again around her but this time only 180 degrees. To avoid this wide-range attack, be mindful of your positioning and maintain a safe distance from Ashava.
- Forearm Blades: Ashava is notorious for her two massive forearm blades. These make her melee attacks incredibly lethal and are the primary source of her attack damage.
- Venomous Breath: This poisonous breath attack is one of Ashava’s deadliest skills. When preparing to unleash this, the boss rears back, giving observant players a chance to distance themselves. Those who fail to do so will suffer significant damage and potential poison effects.
- Ground Poison: Ashava can coat the battleground with a deadly poison. This limits the safe zones for players and can quickly turn the tide of the battle in her favor.
- Summon Creatures: During the fight, Ashava can summon smaller poisonous creatures to distract and damage players. These minions can cause significant problems if not handled quickly, adding an extra layer of complexity to the battle.
- Boney Arm Sweep: Ashava uses her long arms to perform sweeping attacks, covering a wide area in front of her. Players need to keep moving and stay at a distance to avoid these.
Strategy for defeating Ashava in Diablo 4:
- Level and Gear: Ashava is a Level 25 boss located in a Level 25 zone. If your character is below Level 25, you will be at an immediate disadvantage. Make sure you have appropriate gear and level before attempting to defeat her.
- Dodge and Evade: Ashava’s attacks can be quite devastating, so it is crucial to learn her attack patterns and dodge or evade accordingly. Pay attention to her head tilt to avoid her Bite and maintain a safe distance to avoid her Double Swipe.
- Crowd Control Damage: Ashava has a secondary health bar in gold beneath her main health bar, which can be filled by dealing Crowd Control damage to her. When the bar is filled, Ashava will be staggered, allowing you to deal more damage to her. Crowd Control status effects that can be used against Ashava include Chill, Daze, Fear, Freeze, Immobilize, Knockdown, Knockback, Slow, Stun, Taunt, and Tether.
- High DPS: Since Ashava is a slow-moving target, focus on maintaining high DPS (damage per second) while avoiding her attacks. This will help you bring her down more quickly.
Class Specific Tips
- Crowd Control: Use the Barbarian’s Ancient Spear ability with the Harpoon rune to pull Ashava towards you and contribute to her Crowd Control (CC) meter.
- High DPS: Make use of the Whirlwind ability to maintain a high DPS against Ashava while staying mobile and avoiding her powerful attacks.
- Survivability: Use the War Cry ability with the Invigorate rune to increase your maximum Life and provide better sustain during the fight.
- Kiting: Take advantage of your range and mobility as a Sorceress to kite Ashava around the battlefield, maintaining distance to avoid her attacks.
- Chilling Effects: Use Frost Nova or Blizzard to slow Ashava and fill her CC meter. Consider using the Cold Blooded passive skill to further increase your damage against chilled or frozen enemies.
- High DPS: Opt for high-damage abilities like Meteor or Disintegrate, which can deal significant damage to Ashava when you have a clear shot.
- Tanking: Use the Druid’s Bear Form to tank Ashava’s attacks while your teammates focus on dealing damage. The bear’s Charge ability can be used to interrupt and stun Ashava.
- Crowd Control: The Druid’s Earthquake ability can deal considerable damage while filling Ashava’s CC meter. Combine this with the Earthen Grasp rune to immobilize her.
- Ranged Damage: Switch to your human form to cast powerful spells like Boulder or Tornado to deal ranged damage while staying safe from Ashava’s close-range attacks.
- High DPS: Take advantage of the Rogue’s high DPS abilities like Shadow Step and Flurry to deal significant damage to Ashava while avoiding her attacks.
- Mobility: The Rogue’s Dash ability can be used to quickly move away from Ashava’s attacks and maintain a safe distance.
- Crowd Control: Use the Rain of Arrows ability to deal damage and slow Ashava, contributing to her CC meter. The Crippling Shot rune can further enhance this effect.
While these tips are catered to each specific class, it’s important to remember that teamwork and communication with your party members are crucial for defeating Ashava. Don’t forget to use potions and health globes to keep your health up during the battle and keep an eye on Ashava’s attack patterns to avoid unnecessary damage.
Defeating Ashava can be challenging, but with the right strategy, gear, and level, you can successfully take her down and earn valuable loot.