Introduction
This written guide will briefly go over Veteran Coral Aerie and its three Hard Mode mechanics available on veteran mode to players along with the locations and buffs of the "secret" bosses in this Ascending Tide DLC dungeon.
Lastly it will go over the 4th "secret" boss, Z'Baza.
Throughout the dungeon after the first secret boss, you and your group members will be able to summon friendly tentacles to help you throughout the dungeon by using the "Atemporal Command" synergy.
Maligalig
Maligalig is a variation of the Yaghra monstrosity in a more aquatic/coral form. Maligalig's main AoEs include an AoE that chases one randomly selected player that the player must take into a donut-shaped AoE to eliminate both AoEs and to also live.
Yaghra Larvas are also summoned that can explode on targeted players which are indicated by a white-rose symbol above the player characters' heads.
At about ~69% of her health, Maligalig turns the area into a toilet flushing whirlpool where your group must let themselves be carried by the counter-clockwise rotation to eliminate three Ripple of Maligaligs on their respective islands in order to end this whirpool mechanic phase.
There is only a limited amount of time you and your group members can stay on until lightning splash damage completely ramps up to one-shot you. To "cleanse" or outwait the lightning debuff, you must go back into the whirpool.
You can go back on any island after rotating past the first set of two spouts at whichever island.
Maligalig will do this mechanic phase again at ~37% of her health.
S'zarzo the Bulwark
Not exactly a "full" boss but simply a mini boss before the 2nd main boss encounter. S'zarzo the Bulwark simply casts a Dragonknight Standard to stay out of while also casting Talons on the group.
Sarydil
Sarydil is an archer boss that can make the fight quite hectic, especially on hard mode. It's advised that both the tank and a group member slot Crushing Shock or some sort of ranged interrupt ability or at minimum be ready to interrupt for the fight.
She can move around quite a lot from one end of the room to another. She goes into a clone add phase where many of the adds will dissipate upon death or must be interrupted.
Ascendant Stormshapers and Bulwarks will spawn during the clone add phases and it's highly recommended to kill these adds. Be sure to interrupt the Stormshapers' channels. Two of them can go off at the same time as well on opposite ends of the room.
At ~74% and ~34% of her health, Sarydil goes into an immunity phase whereupon she starts casting quite a lot of AoEs. During this an add phase will occur.
Varallion
Varallion is the last boss who is accompanied by four unique gryphons (all of which have conal attacks) throughout the entirety of the fight. Varallion can spawn massive tidal wave AoEs in the shape of rectangles that you and your group members must avoid by getting to safe spaces.
There are slaughterfish in the water surrounding the small island so it is not recommended to step into the water.
Furthermore just like the Fungal Grotto 2 boss Gamyne Bandu's tether mechanic, Varallion will also tether two random members of the party together. However unlike Bandu's tether mechanic, Varallion's tether mechanic will kill anyone else who touches that tether so group positioning is incredibly important.
If a tethered person dies, their partner will also die.
In this fight, a mechanic in the form of a slow floating orb will spawn targeting one specific player. That player must "pop" the orb by touching it with their hitbox but must do so when there are no DoTs or other sources of incoming damage.
Speaking of DoTs, there is one specific DoT that must be healed through which appear in the form of dark swirls underneath player characters' feet.
Ofallo the gryphon debuffs the person holding aggro, hopefully the tank, and must be prioritized immediately in terms of damage.
Illiate the gryphon summons lightning splash AoEs that must be avoided while also summoning a large lightning storm AoE that moves slowly. This large AoE targets one random player who must try to lead this AoE away from the rest of the group while keeping mindful of Varallion's tether mechanic. Illiate the gryphon is arguably the most dangerous one and should be killed as soon as possible.
Mafremare the gryphon simply summons twin tornados that revolve around it.
Kargaeda the last gryphon is the biggest gryphon of the pride that summons an immunity shield on Varallion at about ~25% of the boss's health that cannot be broken until Kargaeda is dead.
After Kargaeda the gryphon flies down, a big geyser in the middle of the island spawns spewing out little lightning AoEs that can be mitigated by healing, blocking or trying to avoid them.
Z'Baza
Z'Baza is the last "secret" boss that players can fight after killing Varallion.
Z'Baza much like her Cloudrest Trial counterpart Z'Maja has a Mind Blast attack that when facing the group members in front of her will hit everybody in the group so the tank must turn her away from the rest of the group.
She summons an "Alchemical Tendril" that can be killed to prevent any targeting orbs that spawn if movement becomes hindered.
She summons a "Radiant Tendril" that spits out AoEs on the ground which can also be killed should your movement becomes too hindered.
At about ~54%, Z'Baza will summon a Conduit Tendril while encasing herself in a white orb. The Conduit Tendril will keep up its AoE damage on the players until it's dead with Z'Baza coming out of the orb.
This mechanic repeats at about ~25% of Z'Baza's health.
Sword Guardian
Upon defeating the Sword Guardian, you receive the following buff:
Staff Guardian
Upon defeating the Staff Guardian, you receive the following buff:
Shield Guardian
Upon defeating the Shield Guardian, you receive the following buff: