Vice Iron (Tactics)

This article is about the boss fight. For the biography, see Vice Iron.
Vice Iron is the final boss of the Doomasta Stronghold raid, accessible after defeating the previous fifteen bosses.
After sabotaging and destroying all of his forces, including his most trusted associates and vassals, Vice engages you himself in his crucible, utilizing his ancient battle style, the siege machines of Doomasta, and lastly the remnants of the Ironhold stronghold. On Rising difficulty, Vice retreats to the summit of the stronghold, preparing to unleash the Ghost Doombringer cannon to destroy the Exo base.
An interesting battle for survival, Vice has three phases (four on Rising) with an intermission phase between them that requires steadfast attention. With the exception of Rising, Salvator Leonus and Claudrien (Rouge Noir) provide assistance, with lesser assistance from the latter on Rising.
==Background==
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==Abilities==
Salvator Leonus and Claudrien provide assistance on all difficulties, except Rising, which Salvator provides none and Claudrien is limited, due to both individuals being shackled and defeated by Vice prior to the battle.
*Spiteful Glaive: Throws a glaive that detonates explosives. 6 second recharge time.
*Synstrad Bulwark: Reduces the damage taken from Vice's attacks by 10%, and allows the survival of his Outrage ability. On Rising, the bulwark can be thrown, and must be regained after it breaks.
===Phase I: Edge of Iron===
Vice harnesses his energy and equips his battlestave. On Rising difficulty he has defeated and shackled Salvator and Claudrien.
*Wrath of the Crucible: The intense heat within the crucible damages players for 5,000 damage every 5 seconds. This stacks indefinitely every 30 seconds and resets upon getting to an intermission. 
*Swathe: Vice's melee attacks deal 20% of the damage split amongst two other targets alongside his primary target.
*Dance of Death: A flurry of three strikes that deals 225,670 - 227,980 damage over 2 seconds. On Rising, Vice follows up with a fourth attack.
**Riposte: A quick, responsive strike, dealing 75,904 - 80,680 damage, ignoring defensive reductions.
**Puncture: Vice smashes the target with his bladed gauntlets, dealing 145,982 - 150,981 damage over 6 seconds to the target.
**Roundhouse: Vice twists and kicks the user back, stunning and silencing them for 3 seconds, knocking them back.
*Ghost Bombs: Lingering spirits appear in the place of enemies, detonating after 2 seconds for 110,540 - 120,970 damage to the target and 85,440 - 90,990 damage to enemies within 5 yards.
*Explosive Batteries: Vice throws explosive batteries near random targets that detonate after 3 seconds, dealing 125,000 - 135,000 damage to all enemies within 10 yards. The batteries instantly explode if the Wrath of the Crucible reaches five stacks. Being struck afflicts the enemy with Fragged.
**Fragged: Increases damage taken by 25% for 30 seconds. Stacks.
*Sinrend: Executes a technique of flawless precision, dealing 325,000 - 330,000 damage to the target and sending them back, resetting all threat for 3 seconds, and bleeding them for 50% of the damage dealt over 10 seconds.
===Intermission I: The Assassin===
Vice begins the intermission with a concussion blast, before attacking his main target (or a random target on Rising). The intermission ends once he is attacked following his explosive assault.
*Concussive Blast: Stuns all enemies for 3 seconds.
*Outrage: Vice jumps to his main target, beginning a swathe of brutal melee strikes that deal 1,000,000 damage over 7 seconds. If the Synstrad Bulwark is equipped, this damage is reduced by 80%. On Rising, Vice targets a random player, and gains a finishing attack.
**Execution: Vice, after destroying the bulwark, prepares to kill his stunned foe, dealing 1,250,000 irresistible damage.
*Boundless Leap: Vice leaps back to clear some distance between his foes. Depending on the difficulty, he'll either lob explosive barrels, or prepare a grenade launcher.
**Recuperate: Vice attempts to restore his wounds. Heals for 1% of his health every 3 seconds.
**Explosive Barrels: Hurls an explosive barrel, dealing 125,000 - 135,000 damage to the target and within 3 yards. Throwing a glaive at the barrels behind him detonates them, dealing damage and stunning Vice for 3 seconds.
**Grenade Launcher: Vice fires a grenade every 2 seconds, dealing 150,000 damage to the target and within 5 yards.
===Phase II: Arsenal of Iron===
Vice uses machines created within the Stronghold itself that were pioneered with Synstrad technology, and gains some attacks as well to assault his foes.
*Doomasta Battletank: Doomasta Battletanks are called in periodically by Vice through the Assembly and fixate and lay siege attacks on enemies.
**Explosive Blast: Slugs an explosive shell, dealing 130,000 - 135,000 damage to enemies within the area and leaving a crater of flame that spreads on contact.
**Ram: Enemies within 3 yards of the Battletank are rammed for 20% of their maximum health in damage and sent back three yards.
**Deflective Plating: The Battletank gains arnaments that reduce damage taken by 50%. If the plating is hit by Iron Gauntlets or Explosive Batteries the armor is lost.
*Doomasta Cannon: A turret that launches explosives blasts to targets.
**Explosive Blast: Slugs an explosive shell, dealing 85,000 - 95,000 damage to enemies within the area.
*Wrath of the Crucible: The intense heat within the crucible damages players for 5,000 damage every 5 seconds. This stacks indefinitely every 30 seconds and resets upon getting to an intermission. 
*Swathe: Vice's melee attacks deal 20% of the damage split amongst two other targets alongside his primary target.
*Dance of Death: A flurry of three strikes that deals 225,670 - 227,980 damage over 2 seconds. On Rising, Vice follows up with a fourth attack.
**Riposte: A quick, responsive strike, dealing 75,904 - 80,680 damage, ignoring defensive reductions.
**Puncture: Vice smashes the target with his bladed gauntlets, dealing 145,982 - 150,981 damage over 6 seconds to the target.
**Roundhouse: Vice twists and kicks the user back, stunning and silencing them for 3 seconds, knocking them back.
*Iron Gauntlets: Vice targets a random player, launching two missiles at them dealing 116,785 - 119,091 damage to them twice, impacting the first thing it hits. The missiles detonate flames or bombs nearby.
*Explosive Batteries: Vice throws explosive batteries near random targets that detonate after 3 seconds, dealing 125,000 - 135,000 damage to all enemies within 10 yards. The batteries instantly explode if the Wrath of the Crucible reaches five stacks. Being struck afflicts the enemy with Fragged.
**Fragged: Increases damage taken by 25% for 30 seconds. Stacks.
*Sinrend: Executes a technique of flawless precision, dealing 325,000 - 330,000 damage to the target and sending them back, resetting all threat for 3 seconds, and bleeding them for 50% of the damage dealt over 10 seconds.
===Intermission II: The Assassin Redux===
Vice begins the intermission with a concussion blast, before attacking his main target (or a random target on Rising). The intermission ends once he is attacked following his explosive assault.
*Concussive Blast: Stuns all enemies for 3 seconds, this time dealing 25,000 damage to them.
*Outrage: Vice jumps to his main target, beginning a swathe of brutal melee strikes that deal 1,000,000 damage over 7 seconds. If the Synstrad Bulwark is equipped, this damage is reduced by 80%. On Rising, Vice targets a random player, and gains a finishing attack.
**Execution: Vice, after destroying the bulwark, prepares to kill his stunned foe, dealing 1,250,000 irresistible damage.
*Boundless Leap: Vice leaps back to clear some distance between his foes. Depending on the difficulty, he'll either lob explosive barrels, or prepare a grenade launcher.
**Recuperate: Vice attempts to restore his wounds. Heals for 1% of his health every 3 seconds.
**Explosive Barrels: Hurls an explosive barrel, dealing 125,000 - 135,000 damage to the target and within 3 yards. Throwing a glaive at the barrels behind him detonates them, dealing damage and stunning Vice for 3 seconds.
**Grenade Launcher: Vice fires a grenade every 2 seconds, dealing 150,000 damage to the target and within 5 yards.
===Phase III: Armies of Iron===
Vice calls in through his track system the remnants of the Ironhold stronghold and gaining mastery with their continual existence.
*Ironhold Battle Cannon: Powerful cannons arrive on the track system periodically, launching explosive projectiles at enemies.
**Explosive Mortar: Deals 150,000 damage to enemies hit within 10 yards of the blast, leaving a flame at the location that spreads.
**Battery Cannon: Fires an explosive battery which detonates after three seconds.
*Ironhold Elite: Powerful soldiers trained under Vice.
**Might of Vice: Increases damage and attack speed by 25% for each elite alive.
*Ironhold Commander: Vice's strongest soldiers.
**We Stand Together: If Vice is near an Ironhold Commander, his damage and attack speed along with theirs increase by 25%.
**Painful Strike: Strikes the target for 70,000 damage, and dealing 25% of the damage dealt as a bleed over 6 seconds.
**Seeking Victory: Once a commander reaches 30% health, they will seek out a Tempestual Weapon, and upon equipping it will invigorate to 100% health.
*Wrath of the Crucible: The intense heat within the crucible damages players for 5,000 damage every 5 seconds. This stacks indefinitely every 30 seconds and resets upon getting to an intermission. 
*We Stand Together: If Vice is near an Ironhold Commander, his damage and attack speed along with theirs increase by 25%.
*Swathe: Vice's melee attacks deal 20% of the damage split amongst two other targets alongside his primary target.
*Dance of Death: A flurry of three strikes that deals 225,670 - 227,980 damage over 2 seconds. On Rising, Vice follows up with a fourth attack.
**Riposte: A quick, responsive strike, dealing 75,904 - 80,680 damage, ignoring defensive reductions.
**Puncture: Vice smashes the target with his bladed gauntlets, dealing 145,982 - 150,981 damage over 6 seconds to the target.
**Roundhouse: Vice twists and kicks the user back, stunning and silencing them for 3 seconds, knocking them back.
*Tempestual Weapon: Vice throws a copy of his weapon, which spins rapidly, dealing 100,000 damage per second for 15 seconds. If any of his elite soldiers are near the weapon, they will grab it, granting themselves a powerful damage increase of 50%.
*Explosive Batteries: Vice throws explosive batteries near random targets that detonate after 3 seconds, dealing 125,000 - 135,000 damage to all enemies within 10 yards. The batteries instantly explode if the Wrath of the Crucible reaches five stacks. Being struck afflicts the enemy with Fragged.
**Fragged: Increases damage taken by 25% for 30 seconds. Stacks.
*Sinrend: Executes a technique of flawless precision, dealing 325,000 - 330,000 damage to the target and sending them back, resetting all threat for 3 seconds, and bleeding them for 50% of the damage dealt over 10 seconds.
===Intermission III: The Assassin Angers (Rising)===
Vice begins the intermission with a concussion blast, before attacking his main target (or a random target on Rising). The intermission ends once he is attacked following his explosive assault.
*Concussive Blast: Stuns all enemies for 3 seconds, this time dealing 50,000 damage to them.
*Outrage: Vice jumps to his main target, beginning a swathe of brutal melee strikes that deal 1,000,000 damage over 7 seconds. If the Synstrad Bulwark is equipped, this damage is reduced by 80%. On Rising, Vice targets a random player, and gains a finishing attack.
**Execution: Vice, after destroying the bulwark, prepares to kill his stunned foe, dealing 1,250,000 irresistible damage.
*Boundless Leap: Vice leaps back to clear some distance between his foes. Depending on the difficulty, he'll either lob explosive barrels, or prepare a grenade launcher.
**Recuperate: Vice attempts to restore his wounds. Heals for 1% of his health every 3 seconds.
**Explosive Barrels: Hurls an explosive barrel, dealing 125,000 - 135,000 damage to the target and within 3 yards. Throwing a glaive at the barrels behind him detonates them, dealing damage and stunning Vice for 3 seconds.
**Grenade Launcher: Vice fires a grenade every 2 seconds, dealing 150,000 damage to the target and within 5 yards.
===Phase IV: Wrath of Iron (Rising)===
On Rising, Vice will retreat to the summit of the stronghold, readying the Ghost Doombringer and preparing his summit weapons to be used against you. Players will no longer have a damage reduction from Claudrien to use.
*Stronghold Defender: Powerful cannons that leave mines in their wake after firing.
**Shard Mortar: Fires a powerful blast of Sol energy, dealing 200,000 damage to all enemies within 15 yards of the blast and leaving two Explosive Batteries.
**Splitting Blast: Fires a shot that deals 100,000 damage to the target, that splits to two enemies for 50,000 damage, and 25,000 to two enemies near those targets, damaging all within 5 yards of the targets.
*Ghost Doombringer: The powerful cannon atop the Stronghold must be destroyed before it levels the Exo base!
**Defensive Apparatus: Damaging the Doombringer launches defensive countermeasures, dealing 100,000 damage to all raid members each time the cannon loses 10% of its health.
**Apocalyptic Blast: Fires an intense swathe of explosives, blowing up the Exo base and dealing 5,000,000 damage to all enemies. Uses after 6 minutes.
*Pain of the Summit: The intense winds on the summit damages players for 5,000 damage every 5 seconds. This stacks indefinitely every 30 seconds.
*Cornered: Vice gains 1% damage for each yard he is closer to the Ghost Doombringer. In addition, he takes 50% less damage until the Doombringer is destroyed.
*Synstrad Swathe: Vice's melee attacks deal 30% of the damage split amongst two other targets alongside his primary target.
*Ghastly Swathe: Vice will channel the energy of his ancestors and slice all enemies in front of him, dealing 1,000,000 damage split amongst them.
*Dance of Death: A flurry of three strikes that deals 225,670 - 227,980 damage over 2 seconds. On Rising, Vice follows up with a fourth attack.
**Riposte: A quick, responsive strike, dealing 75,904 - 80,680 damage, ignoring defensive reductions.
**Puncture: Vice smashes the target with his bladed gauntlets, dealing 145,982 - 150,981 damage over 6 seconds to the target.
**Roundhouse: Vice twists and kicks the user back, stunning and silencing them for 3 seconds, knocking them back.
*Explosive Batteries: Vice throws explosive batteries near random targets that detonate after 3 seconds, dealing 125,000 - 135,000 damage to all enemies within 10 yards. The batteries instantly explode if the Pain of the Summit reaches five stacks. Being struck afflicts the enemy with Fragged.
**Fragged: Increases damage taken by 25% for 30 seconds. Stacks.
*Ghostrend: Executes a technique of flawless precision, dealing 380,000 damage to the target and sending them back, resetting all threat for 3 seconds, and bleeding them for 50% of the damage dealt over 10 seconds.
==Strategy==
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==Quotes==
Intro
*Vice Iron: So you have bested Doomasta. Her spirit and whatever lingers left of it means nothing. A final gift from my father's magicks.
*Vice Iron: Come, make your way to the Crucible of Iron. There, I will end you myself. I have bought all the time I need for all of my plans to follow into place.
*Vice Iron: Damien, Cleaver, Veronica. Delay them my faithful. Show them the might of the Synstrad. Their efforts will be fruitless before your onslaught.
*Damien Iron: Yes, lord Vice.
*Cleaver Iron: It will be a pleasure.
*Veronica Iron: They will all fall to our power.
Shortly, the adventurers fight the three disciples of Vice, eventually defeating them.
*Vice Iron: So it has come to this. Very well then. The last of my best. Where Oriklas and they have fallen, you would be damned to. Unlike those damnable fools. I understand now the pressure one must bear to suffer at the foolishness of one's subordinates. Salthried. Amkaar. Drachnal. You three are the last line of defense that stands before the superweapon. Do you understand the price for your folly?
*Salthried, Amkaar and Drachnal: Yes.
*Vice Iron: I have no say with spirits like I did with my late father, but his spirit will haunt you eternally would he discover your error of letting our kin down. Trust me in that you don't make that mistake.
The adventurers, Claudrien, and Salvator defeat Vice's best.
*Claudrien: We are encroaching on him. He has done our kind a great injustice.
*Salvator Leonus: I want him dead. For everything he has done.
*Claudrien: Patience, Salvator. Our meeting will be inevitable.
*Vice Iron: It seems what comes after death is more their worthwhile. No matter. Come then, heroes.
The team makes their way to Vice.
*Vice Iron: Look what you've done to this stronghold. My gift from the Shardlord himself, and you've burnt it in pieces I dare not comprehend. Machines, plans, possible conquests, my own soldiers, all to ruin. With this glaive, I will take your heads and seek atonement for what I've allowed to transpire. 
*Claudrien: Yes, the same Shardlord that killed your father. I question your sense of loyalty, Vice.
*Vice Iron: Do not speak to me of such loyalty, Claudrien. Or should I say, Rouge Noir? You swore fealty to him and the same banner, then cast it aside all because he let you. He led you on a collision course with me, all because you and your own knights were to weak to face the evils he had trained you for!
*Vice Iron: I will not be held for the sins of my father, but I will seek to make his destiny manifest once my work is done here. I have forged my own path to greatness.
*Vice Iron: Ah, Salvator. The rat still lives. Your little revenge tour is on, I presume?
*Salvator Leonus: We both know this ends with one of us dead. I will ensure it is you.
*Vice Iron: I am one of the Seven Sols! If you expect me to beg for an easy end, you're sadly mistaken. Your friends aren't here to assist? No son of Loss'end, no Tetsujin? Claudrien here is a blunder who I've defeated numerous times.
*Salvator Leonus: Deathlius and I had a deal. And I will pay my due.
*Vice Iron: Hmph, let's see if letting you live was worth it in the end.
Claudrien and Salvator fight Vice. Vice defeats them and knocks them back, and shackles them on Rising.
*Vice Iron: Pathetic. Let's see if your... friends... are really what our leadership makes you out to be.
Aggro
*The superweapon will fire, regardless of the outcome. Your faith, your fragile sense of justice is horrifically misguided!
Dance of Death
*A flawed technique!
*Once again, an advantage you failed to materialize!
*Who taught you how to fight?
*Is this all you can do?
Sinrend/Ghostrend
*Is this the best you can do?
Intermission
*<player name>! (says in game as "meddlesome insect!"
*Your actions are worthless! I'll hold you here until you beg to die!
*I will enjoy exploding your bodies to bits!
Phase II
*Not bad... but now you'll see the finest technologies the Synstrad have to offer!
*Time for you to have a taste of our finest machines!
Iron Gauntlets hit target
*Pitiful. Even a low level trickster could dodge that.
*You should've ducked.
*Terrible form.
Iron Gauntlets miss
*An act of cowardice.
*This is a champion?
*You won't be so lucky again.
Phase III
*I had hoped to kill you quickly. But you've proven to be quite a thorn in my side.
*Ironhold warriors! NOW is the time to strike. Let's kill them together!
Tempestual Weapon
*The power to rip you apart, and all you hold dear!
Phase IV
*Vice Iron: Damnable bastards! You leave me no choice. I will kill you within the winds!
*Salvator Leonus: Go... heroes. Before it is too late.
*Claudrien: The Doombringer is aimed at the base. It must not fire.
*Vice Iron: Let us end this.
Ghastly Swathe
*I will carve into your spirit and tear it asunder!
Low health
*Perhaps your techniques are... formidable.
Killing a player
*Your techniques were inferior. You showed me as much.
*You stood no chance.
*Embarrassing.
*A fatal mistake.
Defeat
*I am... the weapon, of the Shard... of the Sun. My father... I... (every difficulty other than Rising)
*So this is it... what a fight... I... Shardlord.... father... (Rising)
Outro
Salvator meets Vice at the rooftop, brandishing both weapons. Vice smiles, drawing his glaive, visibly wounded.
*Vice Iron: Let's finish it, then.
Salvator fights Vice. Vice has an early advantage, before Salvator activates his new Kul Reaver powers, slicing Vice with spectral blades before impaling him with his own.
*Vice Iron: A shame... you needed that.
*Salvator Leonus: Now that... is a wound. But it will be a kill.
*Salvator Leonus: You always... I never thought I'd be betrayed by you. We were allies, Vice. But now... do you have any last words?
Salvator holds his blade to Vice's throat.
*Vice Iron: What arrogance is this?
*Salvator Leonus: Do you have any last words?
*Vice Iron: I would like to apologize thrice.
Salvator looks at him with less anger.
*Vice Iron: Once, to my father, for failing him. Once, to the Shardlord, for never fulfilling my role and for not realizing my destiny. And to the most important one...
Salvator looks at Vice as if he were to say him.
*Vice Iron: To Absol Rex... for not getting the job when I should have. Haha...
Salvator looks on.
*Salvator Leonus: I was foolish to think you had changed. But I was wrong. You never should've let me live.
*Vice Iron: My biggest mistake. Now... I can be with my father...
Salvator slices Vice off the platform, where he falls into the raging flames from below.
*Salvator Leonus: Oh shit, the weapon. The weapon!
The Doombringer fires, but the projectile is blown up mid-air, breaking the cannon into pieces.
*Salvator Leonus: What the?
*Claudrien: Looks like we arrived in time. 
Claudrien hears a crack underfoot.
*Salvator: We better go, then.
Claudrien smiles, and then Salvator's ring fires up, and Deathlius appears.
*Deathlius Loss'end: Well done, Salvator. The crisis is averted... did you get him?
*Salvator Leonus: Yeah. Finally.
*Deathlius Loss'end: Did he change? Did he apologize?
*Salvator Leonus: He did, but not to me. But now he's gone, forever. Time to tie up loose ends.
*Deathlius Loss'end: I will see you soon, friend.
The call disconnects. Salvator picks up a paper with a map on it, and leaves.
==Loot==
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==Achievements==
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==Notes==
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Category:Doomasta Stronghold bosses