Sarevok Anchev is the main antagonist in Baldur’s Gate 3. As the illegitimate son of the god Bhaal, Sarevok possesses fearsome powers and represents a formidable foe. Defeating him is no easy feat, but with the right strategy and preparation, it can be done. This guide provides everything you need to know to take down Sarevok Anchev in BG3.
Key Takeaways:
- Sarevok has high HP, AC, resistances and powerful attacks
- Focus fire with ranged attacks and control spells
- Dispel his magical defenses and buffs
- Prevent him from using Legendary Actions with stuns and incapacitation
- Watch out for his Bhaal Essence fear aura
- Use Turn Undead on his undead allies
- Destroy his armor and helmet to reduce his AC
- Exploit his arrogance by luring him into traps
Understanding Sarevok Anchev
Before battling Sarevok, it’s important to understand his capabilities. As the son of the murder god Bhaal, Sarevok has inherited formidable powers.
Powers and Abilities
Sarevok has extremely high hit points and armor class for his challenge rating. He resists nonmagical physical damage. His greatsword, Albruin, deals massive damage, inflicting wounds that cannot be healed magically.
Sarevok’s most dangerous ability is his Bhaal Essence. This aura of murderous power terrifies and damages enemies within 30 feet of him. He can also use Legendary Actions between turns to make additional attacks or reposition.
Tactics
In battle, Sarevok fights aggressively, using Powerful Strikes to damage groups of enemies. He relies on magical defenses like Stoneskin. When seriously threatened, he may summon undead allies.
Sarevok is arrogant, seeing himself as the future Lord of Murder. This arrogance can be exploited by luring him into traps or ambushes. However, he’s also highly intelligent.
Weaknesses
Despite his power, Sarevok does have vulnerabilities. His Wisdom score is low, making him susceptible to control spells. He lacks ranged attacks. Destroying his armor lowers his AC significantly. Most importantly, suppressing his Bhaal Essence limits his most dangerous abilities.
Forming the Party
To defeat Sarevok, build a well-balanced party of six characters. Include both melee and ranged options. Prioritize skills like Persuasion and Stealth for out of combat advantages.
Recommended Roles:
- Tank:Fighter or Paladin to soak up damage
- Support:Cleric or Bard to heal, buff and control
- Ranged DPS:Ranger or Rogue to pelt Sarevok from afar
- Melee DPS:Barbarian to deal close-up damage
- Battlefield Control:Wizard or Druid to manipulate the terrain and apply debuffs
- Skill Expert:Rogue or Bard to disarm traps, pick locks, and boost dialogue
Cover all your bases, and tailor your party to your own playstyle. Gather the best magical equipment available to counter Sarevok’s resistances.
Recommended Spells, Skills and Gear – August 25, 2023
Certain spells, skills and magic items are extremely effective against Sarevok:
Top Spells
- Banishment – temporarily removes Sarevok from battle
- Dispel Magic – removes his magical defenses like Stoneskin
- Heat Metal – bypass his resistance to physical damage
- Hold Person – paralyzes Sarevok, suppressing his abilities
- Silence – prevents him from spellcasting
Key Skills
- Stealth – sneak up to him or set up ambushes
- Persuasion – convince his allies to turn on him
- Arcana – gain knowledge of his abilities and weaknesses
- Perception – detect traps and ambushes he has set
Helpful Magic Items
- vorpal weapons – threaten instant decapitation
- sun blades – do extra damage to undead minions
- periapt of wound closure – reduce incoming damage
- ring of free action – avoid being paralyzed or restrained
How to Locate Sarevok Anchev
Sarevok Anchev can be found in the lowest depths of Baldur’s Gate, in the temple to Bhaal. Reaching him requires completing several quest lines and navigating the deadly dungeon beneath the city.
Getting to Baldur’s Gate
The first step is making your way to Baldur’s Gate, on the Sword Coast of Faerun. The city can be accessed over land or by sea. Gather all available quests and prepare before entering the city.
Investigating the Iron Throne
Several quest lines point to the Iron Throne, a nefarious merchant group. Investigating and infiltrating them reveals their base inside Baldur’s Gate.
Exploring the Sewers
Underneath Baldur’s Gate is an expansive sewer network. Navigating these dangerous tunnels eventually leads to the entrance to the dungeon below.
Surviving the Dungeon
The final hurdle before facing Sarevok is the multi-level dungeon beneath the city. It’s infested with undead, traps, and fanatical cultists. Expect a tough gauntlet.
How to Defeat Sarevok Anchev?
Once you reach Sarevok Anchev, the true battle begins. Here is a step-by-step guide to overcoming him:
- Send in summons or allies firstto absorb Sarevok’s initial onslaught. They can also trigger any traps or ambushes.
- Use Banishment or Hold Personearly to suppress Sarevok’s offensive capabilities. Dispel Magic to strip away Stoneskin or other buffs.
- Destroy his helmet and armor. This requires dealing over 150 damage to each, but lowers his AC significantly. Focus fire with vorpal weapons.
- Silence his spellcastingand keep him constrained with restraining effects to prevent his escape. Grounds spells like Grease can also immobilize him.
- Exploit his arroganceby luring him into prepared traps and ambushes. Persuasion, Deception and Illusions work well here.
- Prevent his Legendary Actionsby keeping Sarevok paralyzed, restrained, or incapacitated. Target those high Constitution saves.
- Fear his Bhaal Essenceby having your cleric or paladin use Turn Undead when he activates his murderous aura.
- Attack from rangewhile using your tank to block paths to ranged characters. Whittle down his HP safely this way.
- Move in cautiously for melee once he is sufficiently weakened. But stay nimble and evade his Greatsword.
- Do not let your guard downwhen he nears 20% health. This is when he will attempt to unleash his most devastating abilities or escape.
With concentration, resilience, and the right strategy, your party can persevere and strike down Sarevok Anchev. The Lord of Murder must fall for the sake of all Faerûn.
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