The Ultimate Guide to [Veteran/Hardmode] Graven Deep

Soarora · May 24

Introduction
Graven deep is one of my favorite dungeons, yet I find it is one of the most misunderstood. This is not helped by the incompleteness of easily available guides. In this potentially ongoing project, I hope to accumulate information from these guides alongside my own knowledge to create the ultimate guide to Graven Deep.

Suggested video(s):
By Insomniac (DPS Pov)
By Irreverent Aegis (Tank Pov)
By Irreverent Aegis (Tank-specific guide)
By Kattatonia (Has side bosses)

1. Pre-First Boss Trash

Skip: Run through the water on the left side then climb the beach to kill the last trash pack before the first boss.
Tips & Mechanics:

I suggest pulling the trash on your right side as you approach the last trash pack before first boss (grouping the two pulls together). It's just a time save but it also means that the group doesn't have to move over there to kill the trash (especially since some of the adds in that pack don't actually need to be killed-- they go away on their own).
The second half of the trash introduces a mechanic for the first boss: Bristlepitch. To deal with this mechanic, you need to synergize with it before you die. Ideally, you synergize while next to or on top of a glowing pangrit mound, but if you can't make it in time just step out of group and synergize there.

2. First Boss

Tips & Mechanics:

Bristlepitch makes a return. Same thing as in trash-- really try to drop your synergy near the mounds but if you can't, take it out of group and drop it. Failure to fill the mounds means that the tank needs to chain in the pangrits that spawn or they will cone the group.
The boss moves quite a bit, do not chase him (just try to get out of his way)! Tank should stand by a wall (my preference is by the exit door) and stay in that area, the boss will come back to you!
Just like with the monster set from this dungeon, the boss will summon a husk and move to the side. This husk will then explode, dealing damage.
The boss afflicts the tank with Battered and Gaping Wound on light attack, be sure to send the tank some healing!

Hardmode: Basically, the same as veteran.

3. Pre-Second Boss Trash

Tips & Mechanics:

The only thing of note here is the Drowned Captain in the 2nd trash pull. I would suggest pulling him with the first trash pull as he's basically a mini-boss and will take longer to kill. He does backflips and will turn into lightning (making him undamageable), so it's ideal to pull him with the first trash pull so that you can finish him off in the third trash pull if he's still alive.

4. Second Boss

Tips & Mechanics:

The boss will grow bigger and bigger until he is dead, based on the absorbing of large white skeletons. As he grows, the damage he does increases. If he grows too large, it can become difficult for people (especially melee) to target him. In this case, you need to look up to reach his hitbox.
Avoid the AoEs on the ground, they spawn in a predictable pattern.
Necrotic Rain are projectiles that hit everyone at the same time. To combat this, the healer should stand behind the DPS and heal while the tank repeatedly casts Frost Blockade on the rest of the group (for the projectile shield).
Necrotic Cage is a mechanic where a member of the group gets picked up and are unable to free themselves as they take damage. The DPS need to focus on damaging the cage (it looks like a giant hand) to free their groupmate before the groupmate dies.

Strategies:

Fast Strat: Hold the boss in the center of the room and full burn it.
Slow Strat: Move the boss away from the center of the room and line of sight the boss with the large white skeletons (3 spawn, 1 wall is left empty, take the boss to that empty wall and put him behind a pillar). DPS focus on damaging the large white skeletons before they get close enough to the boss and jump into him.

Hardmode: Basically, the same as veteran.

5. Pre-Third Boss Trash

Tips & Mechanics:

Immediately after second boss, you can save time by standing on the left side of the platform. This will limit your time swimming to the exit after the floor disappears.
You can stack the two Wraiths in the first trash pull by line of sighting them. I have yet to have this consistently work but it does work most of the time. These function the same as the first boss in Shipwrights Regret where you need to roll dodge the fear and they strafe across the area. Tanks WILL get ONE-SHOT by these guys' heavy attack, so hold block and break free ASAP as needed!
The next trash pack has a Drowned Captain AND a Wraith. Be sure to taunt both of these ASAP!
The trash pack afterwards is supposed to show you the afterlife mechanic for the last boss-- more on that in the last boss section.
Note that the quest giver has to get down the stairs to give you a portal to the outside, giving you some downtime. During this time, you can run to the right and look out the window to see if there's a chest outside. I'm not sure if there's any way to skip this downtime except potentially if you have someone run ahead and kill the trash pack while the rest of the group is at an earlier pack.

6. Third Boss

Note: Rarely, the boss bugs out and pulls with the trash in this room. Be prepared!
Tips & Mechanics:

Death on Hardmode: When you die on Hardmode, a grave can spawn on your body. This grave will continuously spawn skeletons until it is killed.
Sea Orbs: Two on vet, four on hardmode. They spawn over the duration of the fight (good damage can push phases before all the orbs spawn) and their number resets after the afterlife phase. If these orbs hit the ground, YOU ALL DIE. The closer the orb is to the ground, the slower it falls and the longer it takes before it starts falling again. To easily deal with these, the tank should stand on one of the corner pads so that the orbs spawn to the left and right of them. Tank should have a ranged direct damage ability (like inner rage or chain) available to hit these orbs next to them. On hardmode, the healer should hit the two other orbs that are behind the group. The easiest way to do this is to start a heavy attack on a restoration or lightning staff bar and move your crosshairs over the orb. When the orb is able to be hit, the heavy attack will connect and push the orb up. While it's ideal that the orbs are split up in this way, inexperienced players may need assistance. During Soul Split, the one (on vet) or two (on hardmode) person(s) who were not afflicted with Soul Split should take care of these far orbs. Code Combat's Alerts shows timers for the orbs and you can also hear when they're close to the ground.
Soul Split: Of the non-tanks, one (on vet) or two (on hardmode) players will be randomly selected to have their soul split. When this happens, a line of gold shoots out from your player, showing you the direction of your soul. You are unable to be healed and suffer a heavy DoT, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to your soul and run through it! Then you can head back to group. Note that your soul goes to the furthest unoccupied wall so it's best to stand a little closer to the tank as opposed to the direct middle of the room so you can estimate what wall your soul will be sent to (usually the one right behind you). Since this happens to two people on hardmode, your soul may get sent to the second furthest wall from you, since it doesn't seem that souls can be sent to the same place. If you are struggling with this, make sure you have enough speed bonuses.
Fear: You will see a skull appear over your head. Everyone needs to turn your entire player character's body around to be facing away from the boss. You will know you have done this correctly when the skull disappears. Wait for the necrotic wave to pass you before you turn back around. It's best to hit the orbs as you turn around so they don't fall while you can't turn.
Cone: The heavy attack of the boss is a cone combined with the summoning of a clone. Every heavy attack, these dropped clones will also heavy attack. It is ideal that the tank rolls these AoEs and no one stands by the tank for any reason (aside from soul split, but you should avoid having the tank's side be the furthest wall from you). It is possible to live through them but it's not worth the risk.
Afterlife: Halfway through the fight, you will be transported into your own instance. DO NOT STAND IN THE CENTER, YOU WILL DIE! You cannot heal yourself, you must run through the yellow ghost men to heal (and they give you a speed bonus). Use an AoE ability (such as wall) to destroy the swimming skeletons before they reach the center. The more of these that are destroyed, the smaller and less devastating the resulting flesh atronach gets. If you destroy enough of them, you will get a bone goliath instead. Most 4-player groups will see a small to medium sized flesh atronach when the afterlife phase ends. This atronach does an AoE ground attack that everyone needs to watch out for. Kill the atronach as soon as possible to help out your tank!
Clones: Twice during the fight, the boss will split into four ghosts, each at one of the corner pads. Leave the tank on their pad and split up with one person on each of the three other pads. Note that if you have sea orbs, the orbs still happen during this phase, so it's ideal for the healer to be on the opposite pad to the tank. Bash the clones whenever possible! If someone is dead, you will need to roll dodge the projectiles (unless you're a tank). DPS kill their own clones first, then kill the healer's clone, then kill the tank's clone. On Hardmode, these clones will steal the class of whoever is closest to them.
Class Theft: The boss will turn to someone and speak a catchphrase while twirling his wand at them. This does a lot of damage, so be sure to heal! The boss will then have a changed lich fire color to match the class he has stolen.

Class Theft, continued:
Numbers are taken from Code's Graven Deep Zelvraak Hard Mode Guide
On veteran, each class stolen results in an offensive ability being cast. On hardmode, a defensive and offensive ability is cast. The abilities are as follows:
Nightblade (Red):

Offensive: Cripple: Damage over time, purgable.
Defensive (HM): Consuming Darkness: Small AoE heal for the boss, 50k every second.

Dragonknight (Orange):

Offensive: Inferno: Single-target direct damage, projectile.
Defensive (HM): Obsidian Shield: 250k damage shield.

Templar (Yellow):

Offensive: Nova: Several novas (large damaging AoEs) will be dropped one-by-one on a player. Note that during clones this can make it difficult to bash your clone.
Defensive (HM): Cleansing Ritual: Very large AoE heal for the boss, 50k every second. Do not try moving the boss out of this AoE unless you don't have the damage to mitigate the healing, the AoE is really big.

Warden (Green):

Offensive: Impaling Shards: Several small AoEs will be dropped at everyone's feet. Standing on these AoEs will cause you to slip and fall. Note that if you're trying to roll dodge the boss heavy attack cone and you roll onto one of these AoEs, you will not mitigate the damage and you will die. To avoid this, kite in a way that still gives you room to roll dodge or use immovability potions so you can roll across the AoEs without slipping. Or don't run with a warden haha.
Defensive (HM): Healing Seed: Medium AoE heal for the boss, 25k every second.

Arcanist (Nothing):

Offensive: Blastbones: Delayed direct AoE damage.
Defensive (HM): Spirit Mender: Adds that will each heal the boss for 48k once every 2.5 seconds, killable.

Necromancer (Light Blue Skulls):

Offensive: Blastbones: Delayed direct AoE damage.
Defensive (HM): Spirit Mender: Adds that will each heal the boss for 48k once every 2.5 seconds, killable.

Sorcerer (Blurple, Lightningy):

Offensive: Mage's Fury x Lightning Splash: Several small AoEs will be dropped at everyone's feet.
Defensive (HM): Conjured Ward: 200k damage shield.

7. Side Bosses

ArzyeLBuilds has a good guide that includes where to find the side bosses.
First Side: You will need to kill a boss.
Health increased by 10%.
On hit gain a Centurion Shield for three seconds that reduces damage taken by half. This effect can occur no more than once every 40 seconds.

Second Side: Someone will need to do a laser obstacle course (or just use an ability like streak) then you all kill a boss.
Magicka increased by 10%.
Gain access to the laser defense systems within the base, which can be manually activated every 60s per defense station.

Third Boss: Two people will need to do a puzzle (much like the maze puzzle in the infinite archive, with the buttons) then you all will kill a boss.
Stamina increased by 10%.
When Stamina is reduced to 30% or less, Stamina Recovery is supercharged for 4s. This effect can occur no more than once every 60s.