Baldur’s Gate 3 – How To Beat Gortash

Confronting Lord Enver Gortash represents a pivotal moment in your Baldur’s Gate 3 campaign. As a ruthless political mastermind serving Bane, the deity of tyranny, Gortash has fortified his position with overwhelming military resources. This comprehensive guide examines multiple strategic approaches to overcome this formidable antagonist during Act 3.

Gortash’s ascension to archduke marks the culmination of his tyrannical ambitions. Success requires either brilliant diplomacy or meticulous military preparation. Be advised that proceeding further will reveal significant narrative developments.

Early Confrontation: The Proclamation Ceremony

Your initial opportunity to challenge Gortash occurs during his official proclamation as archduke. This approach constitutes tactical suicide due to the dense concentration of Steel Watch sentries and combat mechs surrounding him. Attempting combat here typically results in immediate party annihilation within a single combat round. The sheer numerical superiority makes this path inadvisable without extraordinary preparation.

Attempting combat during the proclamation guarantees overwhelming numerical disadvantage and rapid defeat.

Diplomatic Engagement: Alliance Negotiations

Exercising restraint initially allows Gortash to propose an alliance, contingent upon eliminating Orin the Red and securing her Netherstone. Visiting his private chambers without proper preparation triggers immediate hostility. The chamber access requires navigating to the throne room, then ascending the staircase beyond the doorway positioned to the throne’s right.

Conversing with Gortash while lacking both Orin’s and Ketheric’s Netherstones guarantees diplomatic failure. Bringing Karlach introduces additional complexity; selecting the confrontational dialogue option—”Never mind that, Gortash, we’ve heard all we need from the likes of you”—escalates to immediate combat. Gortash, supported by his elite lieutenants and multiple Steel Watch automatons, will efficiently dismantle your party.

Karlach’s personal history with Gortash significantly influences encounter dynamics and available choices.

Strategic Alliance: Shared Leadership Pathway

Possessing both Netherstones enables peaceful negotiation. When Karlach accompanies you, employ the calming response: “Easy Karlach, we won’t make it far against the Steel Watch.”

Gortash will present a power-sharing arrangement. Analyzing his psychological profile reveals admiration for resolute individuals who demonstrate strength without submission. The optimal diplomatic response: “We can be allies, but Ketheric’s and Orin’s stones stay with me.”

Gortash accepts these terms enthusiastically, directing you to meet at the Morphic Pool Docks in the Undercity Ruins’ northern sector. Proceed by boat into the cavern systems until encountering the Elder Brain. Multiple skill challenges occur before Gortash’s patience expires. He seizes control of the Netherstones, only to suffer immediate execution by the Elder Brain.

Strategic alliance with Gortash leads to his eventual betrayal and demise at the Elder Brain’s hands.

For players seeking the intended combat experience against Gortash, dismantling his Steel Watch forces becomes imperative. This process intertwines with Wyll’s personal narrative as the Blade of Frontiers. Critical objectives include rescuing Duke Ravengard and the Gondians from captivity.

Progress to the Steel Watch Foundry located in the Lower City’s southwestern district. Assist the captive Gondians in their struggle against the mechanized forces and their commanders.

Following a significant boss encounter within the subterranean facility, NPC Zanner Toobin will instruct you to utilize control systems that disable all city mechs simultaneously.

Systematic elimination of Steel Watch mechs dramatically reduces Gortash’s defensive capabilities.

Your actions will trigger hostility among Gortash’s garrison defending Wyrm’s Rock Fortress. Exercise extreme caution due to potential technical complications. Anticipate these developments:

• After neutralizing ground-level adversaries, preserve your game state immediately before accessing the proclamation chamber passage. Certain rooftop opponents remain aggressive despite lacking visual contact.
• Prioritize defensive positioning, allowing enemies to advance toward your formation rather than charging into the proclamation room.
• Upon entering the proclamation chamber, maintain proximity to the entrance. Eliminate only the hostile units near the doorway initially.
• Subsequently, relocate party members to the drawbridge, designated as a secure zone (non-hostile territory). This enables camp fast travel functionality. Execute a complete long rest.
• Return to the proclamation chamber. Successful execution should result in NPC reset (non-hostile status). Alternatively, employ group stealth tactics to reach the rooftop containing Gortash’s private quarters.

Strategic saving before proclamation room re-entry helps mitigate potential technical issues during this sequence.

The climactic confrontation with Gortash commences once you penetrate his inner sanctum. The combat environment features numerous traps alongside several lieutenant commanders. Key combat elements:

• Wall-mounted devices generate protective shielding around Gortash, though his health pool remains vulnerable to depletion.
• Explosive devices are periodically launched near your party members. Retrieve and redeploy these when feasible, while maintaining awareness of detonation radii. These explosives inflict massive damage to all entities within blast zones, making them effective against Gortash’s lieutenants.
• Gortash undergoes Bane empowerment relatively quickly, gaining substantial health augmentation and enhanced offensive capabilities:
  • Manifestations of Tyranny project aura-based damage amplification for Gortash when positioned within their influence range. These manifestations possess minimal health reserves, requiring limited attention.
  • Gortash summons a massive Hand of Shadow entity within the chamber. Following one combat round, this manifestation crashes downward, obliterating any units within its impact area.

Mastering bomb retrieval and redeployment techniques proves decisive in overcoming Gortash’s defensive advantages.

Your most reliable strategy involves systematic bomb utilization while carefully managing explosion proximity. With tactical execution, you should successfully complete the Baldur’s Gate 3 Gortash encounter. Victory yields Gortash’s Fabricated Arbalest, featuring +2 weapon enhancement, Illuminating Shot capability, and Dazzling Ray function. Additionally, you acquire the Netherstone-Studded Gauntlet, providing +1-4 force damage for unarmed strikes alongside +1 bonus to spell save difficulty class.

If you’ve previously defeated Orin the Red, you now possess all three Netherstones. The next logical progression involves confronting the Elder Brain and potentially exploring methods to liberate Orpheus during this narrative phase.

Baldur’s Gate 3 offers extensive content exploration and hidden narrative threads. Your journey will undoubtedly encompass an epic adventure requiring substantial time investment. For additional strategic guidance, consult our comprehensive Complete Guide covering broader gameplay systems.

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