Draupnir (Hard)

Read it once before you queue: every boss, the mechanics that wipe a group and the arena diagrams.

Expedition HardNewRequired GS: 26005 players← Conquest guide

3Bosses9Mechanics1Arena diagrams

Before you enter

Hard mode of this Expedition, live on the global servers since the Oct 21 (CEST) update. Same route and bosses as Conquest, with tighter rules and better rewards. Each boss below lists the Hard-only changes first, then the Conquest mechanics that still apply.

Hard mode rules

Item level 2,600 to enter. Every boss goes into Frenzy after 4 minutes, and each player can be revived only 3 times. NC has not said what Frenzy does — treat it as an enrage and plan to finish each boss inside the timer.

Official patch notes · global, Oct 21 NCSOFT · Patch notes Oct 20 (PDT) / Oct 21 (CEST)

Rewards

More Kina than Normal; Ariel Fragments for the new Ariel Daevanion board (the fragment type depends on the dungeon); a chance at Philosopher's Stone: Revelation, which you can also pick as the guaranteed reward; and a chance at Expedition Hero Artwork. Every Unique crafting material drops here, including Wrathful Mind, Wrathful Will and Wrathful Ego. In Substance Morph, 100 fragments become a Daevanion Crystal: Ariel (up to 30 per character) and 1 fragment becomes 5 Enhance Stones. Hard achievements give Unique skins.

Official patch notes · global, Oct 21 NCSOFT · Patch notes Oct 20 (PDT) / Oct 21 (CEST)

Party strength

The game sets no combat power requirement. On launch day players reported comfortable clears with about 140–160k CP across the party, and slow, revive-heavy runs near 130k. Bring stagger skills, buff food and scrolls — every second counts on a 4-minute timer — and a Cleric with resurrection.

Global · player reports, Oct 21–22 timesaver.gg · Hard mode Krao Cave & Draupnir (2026-10-22)

Boss 1 / 3

Phantasmal Lakshmi

Intermediate boss

No Hard-only changes reported for this boss yet — its Conquest mechanics below still apply, now with the 4-minute Frenzy timer.

Same as Conquest

Reflect: stop attacking

When the reflect buff appears, everyone stops attacking until it expires. Watch the buff rather than relying on a fixed health threshold.

Exploration and Conquest · player recordings A2Naki · Draupnir

Switch to the Handmaiden

When Lakshmi summons a Handmaiden, defeat her before returning to the boss.

Exploration and Conquest · player recordings A2Naki · Draupnir

Fast cast

This attack lands shortly after the cast starts. Move out as soon as it begins; waiting for the bar to finish leaves little reaction time.

Conquest · player recordings A2Naki · Draupnir

Boss 2 / 3

Predator Saraswati

Intermediate boss

No Hard-only changes reported for this boss yet — its Conquest mechanics below still apply, now with the 4-minute Frenzy timer.

Same as Conquest

Move the boss away from orbs

Single or multiple orbs pulse damage around themselves and cannot be killed. The tank moves the boss away; everyone stays out of the orbs’ range until they fade.

Exploration and Conquest · player recordings A2Naki · Draupnir

Boss 3 / 3

Transcendent Bakarma

Final boss

Orbs from every side

The safe spot behind him is gone: his orb volley now flies out in every direction. Dodge the orbs one by one instead of hiding at his back.

Hard · Korean server report (Dec 2025) — not yet confirmed on global 게임톡 · 아이온2 원정 어려움 모드 패턴 분석 (KR, 2025-12-30)

Busier stagger phases

Tornadoes already appear in the first stagger phase, and the second one adds the orb volley on top. Keep breaking the bar while you weave around both.

Hard · Korean server report (Dec 2025) — not yet confirmed on global 게임톡 · 아이온2 원정 어려움 모드 패턴 분석 (KR, 2025-12-30)

Same as Conquest

Start at the edge, jump the rings, finish next to the boss.

wipeWaves, then the stun bar ▶ 2:45

The screen goes black and everyone lands at the edge on opposite sides. Waves roll out from the boss: run in at once and jump each wave (Space) to reach the safe zone right next to him — gap-closers of Gladiator, Chanter and Assassin help. Then break the stun bar immediately: a slow group runs out of time and wipes.

Dive and scatter ▶ 3:36

He dives and attacks every player separately — keep moving and spread out. A big area hit ends the phase: just get out of it. Near the end the wave phase repeats with tornadoes on the water to run around.

Two waves and a second stagger check

One cast sends out two waves in quick succession: jump both. Later, sustained waves lead into another stagger check. Save stagger skills for this later check too; surviving the first does not finish the mechanic.

Conquest · player recordings A2Naki · Draupnir

Dungeons

Draupnir (Hard)

Before you enter

Hard mode rules

Rewards

Party strength

Dungeon bosses

Reflect: stop attacking

Switch to the Handmaiden

Fast cast

Move the boss away from orbs

Orbs from every side

Busier stagger phases

wipeWaves, then the stun bar ▶ 2:45

Dive and scatter ▶ 3:36

Two waves and a second stagger check