Cult Grounds/Guide

This page was last updated for (v1.2.2).

Basic Guide

This is a Barrier dungeon introduced with the  Atlas of Discovery Expansion, there is a general guide to this dungeon and a more in-depth look into Barrier combat in general in this guide. This page will go deeper into combat options, including when  Throne of the Herald Expansion is owned and already completed.

This guide is not meant for optimal kills per hour but instead focuses on easily obtainable ways ranging from just passed God Dungeons to having beaten

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Throne of the Herald

to clear the dungeon effectively.

Requirements

Continue using your Aeris God armour setup for this dungeon. These monsters do not have the mechanic where they base their max hit off of the player's max hit, a crossbow with bolts can be used. As soon as enough   Barrier Exalted Shard and   Siphoning Barrier Gem have been obtained to upgrade the first item, it is advised to go collect barrier dust. All of the individual armour pieces have the same passive effect, so the order in which they are upgraded doesn't matter. Start with the armour piece that costs the fewest Barrier Shards and Siphoning Gems (You can skip the helm for now if you've got the Shade Summoning set).

Item Upgrade Cost
     4   Barrier Exalted Shard
2   Siphoning Barrier Gem
     10   Barrier Exalted Shard
5   Siphoning Barrier Gem
     6   Barrier Exalted Shard
3   Siphoning Barrier Gem
     5   Barrier Exalted Shard
5   Siphoning Barrier Gem

Once enough upgrade materials have been obtained, depending on the gear the player has, kill either

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Cult Imp

or

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Cult Member

. The benefit from killing Cult Members for barrier dust, is that only the Aeris set needs to be upgraded for maximum effect. However, the Cult Imp can potentially drop more barrier dust in a given hour. Especially if the player is using   Big ol Ron. Terran God armour is also required in the next sections of the guide.

Collect enough barrier dust to obtain 2,000   Imbued Dragonite Bar. Upgrade your armour piece and move back to the Cult Grounds dungeon until enough materials have been obtained for the next upgrade. Repeat this cycle until the full Aeris armour has been obtained. Finally, also upgrade a pair of   (U) Ancient D-hide Vambraces as they are slightly better than the previously used Barrier Draining Gloves (Not required if you have the Shade Summon set).

Recommended starting gear is similar to that of the previous dungeon.

Prayers:

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Battleborn

and

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Battleheart

Potion:   Damage Reduction Potion IV (Required if you're at or below

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Level 111

and don't have the Shade Summon Set),   Ranged Assistance Potion IV,   Penetration Potion IV.

Point of Interest:   Dark Waters


Agility obstacles aren't required, this is purely an indication how you can get the most out of your Agility if you have it. Follow it untill where you have it.


Dust Farming

The following gear is starter gear to farm cult imps for barrier. If you do not have Big ol Ron, simulate how many barrier dust you are receiving with your alternative, and potentially use ranged on cult members instead. It is recommended to upgrade the melee armour used, with a preference over upgrading Terran. This is because the extra Damage Reduction is required for the   Underwater Ruins. The equipment below will result in roughly 2,400 barrier dust an hour. More or less can be obtained depending on the actual gear and other bonusses used. The amount of barrier dust an hour rises to around 5,200 with Terran fully upgraded to (B). Depending on your choice in the next section, you do not need to fully upgrade Terran.

Again, Terran is used in this recommended gear over Ragnar with the assumption that this will be (partially) upgraded into (B). Start by upgrading the Terran Boots, Platelegs and Chestplate.


Prayers:

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Battleborn

and

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Battleheart

Potion:   Penetration Potion IV,   Critical Strike Potion IV,   Melee Accuracy Potion IV.

Point of Interest:   Dark Waters


It is advised that the player stays at Cult Grounds until the   Summoner's Blessed Ring is obtained. This is also a good time to go back to

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Magic Mirror

with the gear recommended here since the   Trickery Mirror is required for the next section. With fully upgraded Aeris (B) and the other barrier damage items, it shouldn't be a problem at all taking these down much faster than before. Lastly, if the player has finished

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Into the Mist

at least once, and thus has obtained the passive slot, it's a good idea to go for another item. The enemies from now on will have a lot more barrier to take down. The   Barrier Burn Shield from the Trickery Temple can be used in the passive slot for a lot of extra barrier damage.


Endgame Setup

These 2 gear setups are equal when it comes to chests per hour. You can substitute the   Weakness Exploiter Cape with   Ancient Infernal Cape for a very minor (0.3) chest per hour loss.