Mortal Shell 2 Monolith in Obsidian Vault: How to Beat It

To beat the Monolith in the Obsidian Vault in Mortal Shell 2, you must destroy the four floating crystal anchors that make it invulnerable, then attack its exposed core while dodging its telegraphed area attacks. This guide breaks down the fight into phases, explains the anchor mechanic, and gives you a reliable strategy for both melee and ranged builds.

Background: What Is the Obsidian Vault?

The Obsidian Vault is a late-game dungeon in Mortal Shell 2, accessible after you obtain the Vault Key from the Sunken Temple. It is a vertical labyrinth of dark basalt corridors and glowing crystal veins, culminating in a large circular arena with a sealed door. The Monolith is the area’s boss, a massive construct of black stone and blue energy that guards the Obsidian Shard, a key item needed for the true ending.

Unlike most bosses in the game, the Monolith does not chase you. It stays rooted in the center of the arena and relies on a combination of ranged energy bolts, shockwaves, and summoning smaller adds. Its most distinctive feature is the Anchor Barrier: four floating, diamond-shaped crystals orbit it, and as long as even one remains, the Monolith takes 95% reduced damage. This makes the fight less about raw DPS and more about positioning and target priority.

Phase 1: Destroying the Four Anchors

The fight begins with the Monolith at full health and all four anchors active. Each anchor has its own health bar (shown as a thin yellow line above the boss’s main health bar). You must destroy all four to expose the core.

Here is the key behavior: the anchors are not stationary. They orbit the Monolith in a wide circle, roughly 8 meters from its center, at a height of about 3 meters. Melee weapons can hit them if you jump and attack, but this is inefficient. The intended method is to use the Grapple Hook (obtained in the previous area, the Ashen Depths) to pull yourself to the anchor, then perform a heavy attack while airborne. This does triple damage to the anchor.

If you do not have the Grapple Hook, you can still hit them with a ranged weapon (the Bone Crossbow or any thrown item) or by standing on the raised stone ledges around the arena edge. However, the Grapple Hook is the fastest method. Each anchor takes about 15-20 hits with a basic weapon, or 5-6 grapple-attacks.

While you are focusing on anchors, the Monolith will use three attacks:

• Energy Bolt: A single blue projectile that travels slowly toward you. It can be dodged by sidestepping.
• Shockwave: A ground slam that sends a ring of energy outward. Jump over it or dodge through it (the i-frames work).
• Summon Crystals: Every 30 seconds, it spawns 2-3 small crystal shards that crawl toward you and explode. They die in one hit.

Prioritize dodging the shockwave, as it has the widest area and can interrupt your grapple. After destroying each anchor, the Monolith will stagger for 3 seconds, giving you a free window to attack its core.

Phase 2: The Exposed Core

Once all four anchors are destroyed, the Monolith’s outer shell cracks, revealing a glowing blue core in its center. This is your damage window. The core takes normal damage, and you have about 15 seconds before the anchors respawn (they regenerate one by one, starting with the nearest).

Your goal in this phase is to deal as much damage as possible. Use your strongest weapon skill or heavy attack. If you have a Lingering Oil or Fire Resin consumable, apply it before the last anchor dies to maximize burst. The core is also weak to lightning damage, so if you have any lightning-infused weapon or spell, use it here.

After 15 seconds, the anchors respawn, and you repeat Phase 1. The Monolith’s health does not regenerate, so every cycle brings it closer to death. The fight typically takes 3-4 cycles on a normal playthrough.

How to Choose Your Loadout

Your weapon choice matters less than your utility items. Here is what works best:

• Weapon: A fast weapon (like the Rusted Sword or Dual Daggers) is better for hitting anchors quickly. Slow, heavy weapons (like the Great Hammer) deal more damage to the core but make anchor destruction tedious.
• Grapple Hook: Mandatory. If you somehow missed it, return to the Ashen Depths and find it in the chest near the first bonfire.
• Ranged Option: The Bone Crossbow is useful for picking off the summoned crystals from a distance, but not essential.
• Consumables: Carry at least 5 Healing Herbs and 2 Antidotes (the shockwave can inflict a brief poison status). Also bring Fire Resin for the core phase.
• Shell: The Vault Dweller shell (found in the same dungeon) has a passive that reduces damage from constructs, making it the best choice for this fight.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Players often struggle with three specific issues in this fight:

1. The Grapple Hook misses the anchor. This happens when you are too close to the Monolith. The anchors orbit at a set radius; if you stand right next to the boss, the anchor is above you and out of lock-on range. Solution: stay at mid-range (about 10 meters) and use the lock-on (R3/right stick click) to target the anchor before grappling.

2. The shockwave always hits you. The shockwave has a very fast startup animation (the Monolith raises its arms for 0.5 seconds). If you are mid-grapple, you cannot dodge. Solution: only grapple when you have just seen the Monolith do an energy bolt (which has a longer cooldown). If you are on the ground, dodge into the shockwave (toward the Monolith) – the i-frames will carry you through.

3. The summoned crystals overwhelm you. They explode for high damage if they reach you. Solution: kill them immediately with a single light attack, or use a Cleave weapon skill if you have one. They never spawn more than three at a time.

Alternative Strategy: Pure Ranged

If you prefer not to use the Grapple Hook, you can beat the Monolith entirely with a bow. The Huntsman’s Bow (found in the first area) can hit the anchors from the arena’s edge. This is slower but safer:

1. Stay at the far edge of the arena, near the entrance.
2. Shoot each anchor 10-12 times with normal arrows (or 6-8 with fire arrows).
3. When the core is exposed, switch to a crossbow or throwing knives for faster damage.
4. Dodge all projectiles by moving left or right; the energy bolt is slow enough to sidestep.

This strategy takes about 10 minutes, but it avoids all melee risk. Note that the Monolith’s shockwave will still reach you if you are on the ground, so jump when you see it raise its arms.

Rewards and Aftermath

Defeating the Monolith drops the Obsidian Shard and unlocks the Vault Door behind the arena. The shard is required to access the final area, the Abyssal Throne. You also receive 5,000 Tar (the game’s currency) and a unique Vault Ring that increases stamina regeneration by 15%.

After the fight, you can freely explore the Obsidian Vault. There is a hidden chest in the upper balcony (reachable by a ladder on the left side of the arena) containing the Obsidian Armor Set, which has the highest physical defense in the game.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip the anchors and just hit the Monolith’s body? No. The damage reduction is 95% until all anchors are destroyed. You will deal almost no damage, and the fight will take over an hour. It is not viable.

What happens if I die during the fight? You respawn at the last bonfire you rested at, which is likely the one just outside the vault entrance. The Monolith’s health resets to full, and you must restart the fight. There is no shortcut back to the arena, so you will have to fight through a few respawned enemies.

Is there a way to stagger the Monolith permanently? No. The stagger only happens after each anchor is destroyed. There is no mechanic to keep it staggered indefinitely.

Do the anchors respawn if I take too long? Yes, but only after the core phase ends. They do not respawn during the anchor phase. So you have unlimited time to destroy them, but once the core is exposed, you have 15 seconds.

What level should I be for this fight? A general guideline is level 25-30 (with at least 20 in Vitality and 15 in Endurance). If you are below that, consider farming Tar in the Ashen Depths for a few levels. The fight is more about mechanics than stats, but low health can make the shockwave one-shot you.

Can I summon an NPC or another player? No. Mortal Shell 2 does not have multiplayer or NPC summons. You must fight alone.

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