Andariel

Who She is and the best strategy to beat her in Act 1

Andariel is the final Boss of Act 1. Players can find her at the 4th level of the Catacombs. In the first rooms, there are plenty of demonic and undead monsters. It’s better to clear them first in order to focus on Andariel, except if you’re high level and you plan to rush the Boss. After you open the gates and enter the throne room, Andariel will approach you shouting either Fear me or Die, maggot!

Andariel
Art by Mr–Jack

The best place to fight the Maiden of Anguish is the room with the blood-pool in the center. There, you can run around the pool of blood, earning some time for healing or using a Town Portal. Andariel will use a potent Poison Spray attack that has a large area of effect. Your minions and your hireling will probably die after some time from the poison damage.

Her poison is quite deadly, thus you can reduce the poison damage by getting Resistance to Poison and using Antidote Potions, but the most effective way is to use Healing potions or fleeing back to the town healer Akara and then return to the battle.

After you defeat Andariel, you can obtain Andariel’s Visage Helmet.

Strategy: How to beat Andariel

Andariel’s weakness is the fire damage. Thus, the most effective way to slay her is to use fire skills and weapons. Also, the melee builds can use charms or augment rubies to their weapons in order to increase their fire damage. Below there are some useful tips for defeating her with different classes:

  • Amazon: You should use a bow or javelins in order to stay away from her so you doge some of her poison attacks. Any source of damage that boosts Fire Arrow will help.
  • Assassin: The Tiger Strike along with a good finishing move can take down Andariel. You can use some traps to increase your damage output as well.
  • Barbarian: In the case you’re using dual weapons, take advantage of skills such as Double Swing. Another efficient way is to use mana and life leeching weapons.
  • Druid: Use Molten Boulder and your most powerful spell or weapon. If you’re investing points in Shape-shifting, the Werewolf form can offer fast damage. You shouldn’t have problems to kill her using the Werebear form too.
  • Necromancer: If you’re utilizing the Summoning spells, you can use the corpses from the monsters in the throne room to raise your skeletons. However, they will die quickly from Andariel’s poison. In addition, keep a golem active all the time as it can soak a lot of damage. Finally, use Bone and Poison spells to take down her life quickly while she is distracted. Amplify Damage is a very helpful skill as well.
  • Paladin: The Concentration and Might Auras will increase the Paladin’s damage output. Further, the direct damage attacks like Zeal and Vengeance are useful too. The Cleansing aura can remove the poison from your character and your party.  Another good offensive tool against Andariel is the Holy Fire Aura.
  • Sorceress: The Sorceress has weak armor and low health. Thus, the best way is to lure Andariel into the area outside of the starting room and make her stick to one side of the lake. This way, you can finish her with your spells before she can fight back. When she tries to get in melee range, use your cold spells to slow her down. The Static Field spell can lower her life very quickly too. Keep in mind that Andariel’s weak point is the fire, so try to use your fire attacks as often as possible.

Legacy

The maiden of Anguish is one of the Lesser Evils and she ruled over the Realm of Anguish in Burning Hells. Same as all the Great Evils, she was spawned from one of the seven heads of Tathamet.

20 years after her defeat, Andariel would become merged with the Lord of Terror, currently the sole Prime Evil. After Diablo was defeated, all Hell’s Lords returned to the Black Soulstone. Finally, Malthael destroyed the stone in an attempt to defeat Nephalem. Thus, Diablo was freed, containing Andariel’s essence and the other Evils.

The Dark Exile

After the events of the Sin War, Belial and Azmodan managed to persuade Andariel and Duriel to aid them in overthrowing the Three Prime Evils (Diablo, Baal, and Mephisto). The plan was successful, but their victory was soon ruined by Belial and Azmodan’s conflict for the position of the absolute ruler of Hell. Then, Andariel lost faith in their plots.

The Return of the Three

About 300 years after the Dark Exile, Diablo managed to escape from his captivity beneath the Cathedral of Tristram. Then, he headed east to reunite with Baal and Mephisto. Duriel and Andariel believed that the Prime Evils would inevitably regain their position in Hell. Therefore, they decided to join the Lord of Terror’s side (Diablo) by protecting his human host.

Diablo sent Andariel to invade the Sisterhood’s citadel of the Sightless Eye to block the passage through the mountains into Aranoch’s eastern lands. During the assault, Andariel slaughtered the majority of the sisters. However, her reign of Anguish didn’t last long. A team of heroes that was pursuing Diablo reached to the monastery and faced her off at the 4th level of the catacombs.

Despite striking her enemies physically, her favorite part was to make them suffer emotionally. Andariel was stirring within all of them feelings of sadness, betrayal, guilt, and despair. Finally, the heroes succeeded in slaying Andariel, sending her back to the flames of Hell.

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