You've probably been there. You hit Level 50, you're feeling pretty good about your gear, and then you step into the Cave of Destruction. Five minutes later, your entire party is staring at a "Defeat" screen because someone didn't jump at the right time or the boss decided to turn the floor into a literal death trap. It's frustrating. Honestly, the Cave of Destruction is one of the first major reality checks in Throne and Liberty. It isn't just a gear check; it's a mechanics check.
The dungeon is basically an ant-infested nightmare. You’re trekking through a subterranean hive to face Lequirus, a massive, mutated ant queen thing that has a very personal vendetta against anyone standing on the ground. If you want to get that precious Epic gear—specifically the Lequirus’s Thorny Edge or the coveted gloves—you have to master the verticality of this fight.
Getting Through the Ant Hill
Most people rush. They see a pack of ants and think they can just AOE their way through. While that works for the trash mobs at the start, the Cave of Destruction has some annoying environmental hazards that can chip away at your health before you even see the boss. Watch out for the acid pools. They hurt. A lot.
The first mini-boss encounter usually involves dealing with high-damage Elite Acidic Ants. If your tank isn't grabbing aggro immediately, your healers are going to have a bad time. I’ve seen so many runs fall apart early because the DPS players start blasting before the tank has even landed a hit. Just chill for two seconds. Let the aggro settle.
The Core Mechanics of the Lequirus Boss Fight
This is why you’re here. This Throne and Liberty Cave of Destruction guide focuses on Lequirus because, frankly, the rest of the dungeon is just a warm-up. Lequirus has a few specific moves that will wipe a group of randoms in seconds.
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First off: the Pillars. This is the most important part of the entire encounter. Every so often, the arena will start to vibrate, and Lequirus will prepare a massive AOE shockwave. You cannot block this. You cannot outrun it. You have to get high. There are stone pillars around the room, and you need to use your Amitoi or grapple mechanics to get on top of them. If you’re even a millisecond late, you're dead.
The Stun and the Circle
Lequirus loves to target a random player with a stun. If it's you, you'll see a distinct marker. You need to be cleansed or, better yet, your teammates need to be ready to react. Shortly after the stun mechanics, she often transitions into her "whirlwind" or burrowing phase.
When she burrows, don't just stand there like a statue. Look for the dust clouds. She's going to pop up and deal massive damage to anyone caught in her path. This is a great time to pop a stamina regen potion or reposition. Most players die here because they lose track of the boss's location while trying to check their cooldowns.
Managing the Small Ants
It’s not just about the big bug. Lequirus summons adds. These aren't just annoying; they're dangerous because they distract the healers and can slowly drain the tank's stamina.
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In a good group, one DPS should be assigned to "add duty." If you leave the small ants alone, they stack up. Eventually, the floor becomes a mess of acid and mandibles. It’s better to lose 10% of your boss DPS to keep the arena clean than to have a pristine boss rotation while the healer is being eaten alive by five different worker ants.
Gear Requirements and Consumables
Don't go in with green gear. Just don't. You should be sitting at at least 1000+ Combat Power, though closer to 1200 makes the margin for error much wider.
- Attack Speed Food: Essential for getting your rotations off between boss jumps.
- Health Liquids: Don't rely solely on the healer. They have their hands full.
- Stamina Regen: You’ll be jumping and dodging a lot. If you run out of stamina, you can't dodge the red-circle attacks.
The loot table here is actually pretty great. You're looking for the Lequirus's Grip or the Thorny Edge daggers. These are meta-defining for many assassin builds. If you're a Greatsword user, the boss also drops pieces that are vital for mid-to-late game progression.
Common Mistakes That Kill Runs
The biggest mistake? Tunnel vision. I’ve seen players with incredible gear die because they were too focused on their "perfect" skill rotation and didn't notice the boss telegraphing the pillar phase.
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Another one is poor positioning. If the tank moves Lequirus too close to the pillars, it can actually make it harder for the rest of the party to climb up. Keep her in the center. Give everyone space to breathe. Also, for the love of everything, use your defensive skills. Throne and Liberty has a unique parry system; if you see the purple circle, hit your block button. It restores mana and prevents a massive chunk of damage.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
Ready to go back in? Do these things specifically:
- Assign a "Pillar Caller": Have one person in Discord or party chat literally yell "PILLARS" the moment the animation starts. Sometimes the visual cues get lost in the particle effects of 20 different spells.
- Check Your Cleanses: Make sure your Wand/Tome users have their cleanse skills slotted and leveled up. Getting someone out of a stun before the burrow attack is the difference between a win and a wipe.
- Watch the Tail: Lequirus has a tail swipe that hits like a truck. If you are a melee DPS, stay slightly to the side, not directly behind her.
- Save Your Gliding: Don't waste your stamina jumping around for fun. Keep that bar full for the moments you actually need to dodge.
Stop treating this like a target dummy fight. It's a dance. Once you learn the rhythm of the jumps and the pillar climbs, the Cave of Destruction becomes one of the fastest dungeons to farm. Get your party together, make sure everyone knows their role, and stop standing in the acid.