Vateshran Hollows — Boss-by-boss Guide (Normal + Veteran)
A practical, mechanics-first guide for clearing Vateshran Hollows on Normal and Veteran. Vateshran is a solo arena with three wings you can complete in any order, then a final boss.
Terminology
- Essence = the big wing buff (choose 1 per wing; boosts a primary stat).
- Remnants = optional smaller buffs in each wing.
- Traversal tools = Grapple Bow (Green), Brimstone Orb (Red), Wounding Portal (Blue).
- Secret bosses require a traversal tool from a different wing (so you can’t do all secrets on your first wing).
Recommended order (most players)
- ### The Tool Cycle
- Green (Grapple) unlocks secrets in Blue.
- Blue (Portals) unlocks secrets in Red.
- Red (Brimstone) unlocks secrets in Green.
Why "Green → Blue → Red" isn't a total fix:
If you go Green → Blue → Red:
- Green: You have no Brimstone Orb, so you cannot access the secret boss (Leptfire Keeper) or the Stamina buff here.
- Blue: You have the Grapple! You can get the secret boss (Xobutar) and the Magicka buff.
- Red: You have the Portals! You can get the secret boss (Mynar Metron) and the Health buff.
The "Optimal" Orders
Since you can only ever get 2 out of 3 secret bosses/buffs per run, players usually choose based on their build:
| Build Type | Recommended Order | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Magicka | Green → Blue → Red | Magicka & Health buffs + Blue & Red secret bosses. |
| Stamina | Blue → Red → Green | Health & Stamina buffs + Red & Green secret bosses. |
| Tanky/All-rounder | Red → Green → Blue | Stamina & Magicka buffs + Green & Blue secret bosses. |
Global rules that carry every fight
- Block heavies (many are lethal on Vet).
- Interrupt obvious channels (especially Reach Channelers, beams, and long casts).
- Kill priority adds first when they enable immunity/shields or create arena-wide pressure.
- If you’re struggling, slow down: survival beats speed here.
Wing 1: Hunter’s Grotto (Green — Hircine)
Traversal tool gained here: Grapple Bow
Boss 1: Shade of the Grove (Three Lurchers)
Normal: What to do
- Three lurchers share a health pool, but only the “active” one takes meaningful damage.
- Spriggans spawn and grant a Blessing that lets you damage the lurchers properly.
- Interrupt Spriggan channel/beam casts when you see them (prevents sustained pressure and keeps control).
Veteran: Extra steps
- Mistakes punish harder: treat Spriggans as priority #1 so you don’t get stuck unable to pressure the lurchers.
- Save a defensive for moments you get clipped by overlapping cleaves / ground AoEs.
Quick win plan: Stay near center → kill Spriggans instantly → keep DoTs on the active lurcher → move out of cleaves.
Boss 2: Rahdgarak (Minotaur on 4 platforms)
Normal: What to do
- The arena has two blue and two orange platforms.
- Rahdgarak becomes immune while he has an aura matching the platform color.
- **Grapple to a platform with the opposite color** to remove immunity and keep damaging him.
- Block or dodge his heavy smash; it can one-shot if you eat it.
- When Reach Channelers start channeling, interrupt enough of them so you don’t lose all safe platforms.
Veteran: Extra steps
- You do not need to interrupt all four, but you want at least one safe blue and one safe orange platform remaining so you can always move to the “opposite color” safely.
- Stamina gets tight here (bash + grapple + dodge). Plan:
- Bash the nearest channelers first
- Don’t panic-roll
- Use a sustain tool/skill before the channeler phase
Quick win plan: Always fight him on a platform you can “escape” from → swap platform after each color change → bash 2–4 channelers (as needed) → repeat.
Secret boss: Leptfire Keeper (Green wing secret)
- Requires Brimstone Orb (from Red wing) to reach.
- Treat as a “don’t-stand-in-stupid” fight: avoid fire ground, keep pressure, and use heals on cooldown if you’re new.
Wing 2: Brimstone Den (Red — Mehrunes Dagon)
Traversal tool gained here: Brimstone Orb
Boss 1: Magma Queen
Normal: What to do
- She overwhelms you through adds + fire zones.
- Kill Scamps quickly so your screen doesn’t become a flame carpet.
- Use brief burn windows when the boss isn’t protected by add pressure.
Veteran: Extra steps
- Adds live longer and hit harder: AOE + single-target swap is the rhythm.
- If you have an ult, use it to stabilize (clear adds first, then boss).
Boss 2: The Pyrelord
Normal: What to do
- Frontals / breath: stay to the side or behind; don’t eat the cone.
- Expect periodic big ground fire: relocate early rather than late.
- Use the Brimstone Orb traversal as intended when the arena forces movement through dangerous lava paths.
Veteran: Extra steps
- The Pyrelord’s pressure spikes are the real killer: heal proactively during heavy add waves and ground-fire overlap.
- If you can’t safely hit the boss, reset control by killing adds first.
Secret boss: Mynar Metron (Red wing secret)
- Requires Wounding Portal (from Blue wing) to reach. citeturn0search6turn0search18
- Boss plays like an atronach “floor is lava” test: keep moving, step out of persistent AoEs, re-place ground DoTs as it repositions.
Wing 3: The Wounding (Blue — Molag Bal)
Traversal tool gained here: Wounding Portal
Boss 1: Zakuryn + Flesh Abomination
Normal: What to do
- This is a two-target fight with a “break the shield” pattern.
- Interrupt Zakuryn’s long casts whenever possible. citeturn0search0
- When Zakuryn shields, you typically need to use the Abomination’s slam/AoE pressure to break the shield (positioning matters).
Veteran: Extra steps
- Missing interrupts is far more dangerous; treat every long cast as a threat.
- Don’t tunnel one target: keep them reasonably even so you don’t get stuck in an ugly solo-enrage situation.
Boss 2: Iozuzzunth (Titan)
Normal: What to do
- Respect melee range: its cleaves/heavies punish greedy uptime.
- Use Wounding Portals to reposition quickly and deal with threats that spawn away from you.
Veteran: Extra steps
- The Titan’s damage spikes are sharper: block heavies and keep HoTs running.
- If you get overwhelmed: kite, reset, pick off adds, then return to boss.
Secret boss: Xobutar (Blue wing secret)
- Requires Grapple Bow (from Green wing) to reach. citeturn0search6turn0search18
- Play it like a control fight: avoid AoEs, kill priority summons, then burn.
Final boss: Maebroogha the Void Lich (Champion’s Circle)
This is a 4-phase fight with 3 portal escapes. At the end of phases 1–3, Maebroogha triggers a deadly blast and you must take the next unused portal. citeturn0search8turn0search5
Normal: What to do
Phase loop (repeat 4 times)
1) Boss + adds pressure 2) Void blast warning (don’t be on the wrong side of the arena) 3) Take the portal (one of green/red/blue) 4) Kill the portal miniboss / clear the room 5) Return and repeat
Key mechanics to prioritize
- Portal timing: always keep track of which portal you’ve already used; don’t get caught far away when the blast starts. citeturn0search8
- Adds management: if you’re dying, it’s usually because adds stacked with boss pressure. Clear adds first.
- Stay calm: there is no prize for rushing—clean cycles win.
Veteran: Extra steps
- Damage + survival checks are higher, and add overlap becomes lethal faster.
- Your “win condition” is consistency:
- Never miss a portal
- Don’t let adds snowball
- Keep resources for emergency block / heal
Quick win plan: Light pressure on boss → hard swap to adds when they spawn → move early for the blast → finish portal miniboss safely → repeat.
Ultra-short checklist (if you just want to clear)
- Collect wing buffs (Essence + a few Remnants).
- Green boss 2: opposite-color platform + keep at least 1 safe blue and 1 safe orange (Vet). citeturn0search1turn0search15
- Blue boss 1: interrupt Zakuryn.
- Final: 3 portals, then final burn—don’t panic. citeturn0search8turn0search5