Meta events are massive group events in Guild Wars 2 that promote cooperation and coordination among the community.. The events themselves feature mechanics that players over the years have learned to master and are a far cry from the ye olde stack and attack. Some meta events feature large-scale open world fights that are simply a sight to behold, and these are some of the events that feature some really cool loot to boot!
10. Southsun Cove - Legendary Karka Queen
We start things off with a bit of a throwback to a time where players just formed a blob to destroy whatever was in front of them. The Karka Queen meta event is considered a part of the World Boss Chain and is usually run by farmers looking to get tons of loot from various World Bosses in core Tyria. While the encounter pales in comparison in terms of difficulty to the majority of other World Bosses and meta events, it is a reminder of how far the game has gone from a simple stack-and-attack-the-boss, to having all sorts of cool, crazy mechanics to beat them.
Reward Details:
- Chest - Karka Queen
- Map Reward (changes weekly)
- 88 Coin
- 378 Karma
- 26670 Experience
How to do the event:
- When the meta event triggers, players need to reclaim 4 settlements from karka invasions and crazed wildlife while on a time limit of 15 minutes.
- Once the settlements have been reclaimed, the Karka Queen spawns.
- The actual fight is relatively simple. Dodge whenever the Legendary Karka Queen telegraphs its attacks, break its Defiance bar.
9. Grothmar Valley - Ooze Pit Trials
Want to prove yourself among your warband, fellow Charr, and conquer the coliseum? The Ooze Pit Trials will make quick work of any fool that dares to step foot inside the colosseum. Enter at your own risk, although riches are rewarded to Gladia that make it out alive.
Reward Details:
- Bouncy Chest - contains a Blood Legion Key amongst other loot
- Chest (Grothmar Valley) - contains Hatched Chili amongst other loot
- Map Reward (changes weekly)
- 176 Coin
- 756 Karma
- 53340 Experience
How to do the event:
- During the pre-event, players will be split up into three teams representing Blood, Iron, and Ash Legions for the first challenge.
- For Blood - Players need to stand on specific points and keep enemies out of the area until it is captured. Once that is done, three elite ooze with different color will spawn as players need to stand in specific colored clouds to gain a toxin effect to kill the ooze with the same color.
- For Ash - Ooze enemies will appear and after awhile, five areas will need to be stood on, defended, and captured. Keep the ooze away from the areas.
- For Iron - Players need to transport a barrel and use the bundle skills to sneakily get to specific areas.
- Once all teams are done with the challenges, an elite ooze will appear that must now be defeated. Once successful, the walls will go down as everyone gets to join in.
- If not all teams got to complete their tasks, they will have to fight an Elite Ooze and no Blood Legion Key is rewarded to players.
- If all teams completed their tasks, everyone will now face the Champion Prismatic Ooze and potentially get the valuable Blood Legion Key.
8. Sparkfly Fen - Tequatl the Sunless
“There’s something in the water!,” one of the local NPCs exclaims as they notice Zhaitan's champion emerging from the depths of the Splintered Coast. Tequatl the Sunless had a massive overhaul and according to the lore, this was due to the death of the Elder Dragon, Zhaitan. Once a feared World Boss that many couldn't beat after its revamp, the meta is now one of the more chill meta events with everyone finally learning the mechanics.
Reward Details:
- Dragon Chest (Exotic - extremely rare chance to contain a precursor weapon, Rare, Masterwork, or Fine)
- Map Reward (changes weekly)
- 792 Coin
- 3402 Karma
- 240030 Experience
How to do the event:
- In order to beat Tequatl the Sunless, players must coordinate with one another and beat the undead dragon within 15 minutes. Players will position themselves either on the beach fighting Tequatl the Sunless or among the Megalaser turrets to defend them from the undead horde.
- When Tequatl the Sunless' health lowers every 25%, the beast flies off so players will have to split up to defend each turret from the undead for a set amount of time. Beware as failing even one of the defenses will result in a failed meta.
- When the defense is a success, Tequatl the Sunless will be shot down by the turrets, becoming stunned. Players must wail on the undead dragon with everything they have got until the turret defense happens again.
- Rinse and repeat until the undead beast has been slain and everyone can take their loot.
7. Verdant Brink - Legendary Matriarch
The Legendary Matriarch meta event in Verdant Brink is one of the more fun encounters that was added in the Heart of Thorns expansion. The fight takes place on a floating platform, high above the skies of Verdant Brink. Look out below for falling fools who haven’t bothered to raise their Gliding Mastery skills!
Reward Details:
- Glorious Chest - includes a Verdant Brink: Hero’s Choice Chest.
- Bladed Glove Box - rare chance
- Bladed Coat Box - rare chance
- Ascended weapon or armor box - rare chance
- 88-44 Coin
- 378-189 Karma
- 26,670-13,335 Experience
How to do the event:
- You first need to learn the Gliding mechanic from Heart of Thorns and get all of its masteries as the bare minimum in the event you get knocked off the platform.
- To get to the canopy where the boss resides, take the Pact Chopper over at the Pact Encampment Waypoint during the Night Meta. It is one of the bosses that players go for immediately so be sure to go to the NPC when it is available and get ready to slay the Mordrem Wyvern.
- The Legendary Wyvern Matriarch will either spew its green flames in a cone pattern which players have to be wary of, or start to fly. When you see its Defiance bar, destroy it immediately to prevent it from flying away and unleashing an annoying necrotic breath as it swoops from offscreen.
- Lather, rinse, and repeat until the Legendary Wyvern Matriarch has been permanently grounded by your efforts.
6. Seitung Province - Aetherblade Assault
The enemy faction known as the Aetherblades make their spectacular return in End of Dragons and are centric to the meta event in Seitung Province. These infamous sky pirates that made their home in the Mists are causing havoc in the area and it is your duty to protect the people nearby. Gather your allies, commander, and fend off these annoying foes and send them back to the Mists where they belong!
Reward Details:
- Bouncy Chest - contains Imperial Favor, Writ of Seitung Province, etc.
- Magnificent Chest
- Seitung Province: Hero's Choice Chest
- Bounty of Seitung Province
- Jade Empress Statuette - Once a week
- 1408 Coin
- 6048 Karma
- 300048 Experience
How to do the event:
- Players need to split up between 3 teams and head for three locations: Shinota Shore, Haiju Plains, and Haiju Lagoon. Once there, successfully complete the following events in the areas:
- Stop the looting - Defeat the Aetherblade enemies and prevent them from stealing any loot within the area.
- Destroy the cannons guarding the crash site - Destroy the cannons and the Elite Aetherblade Thug guarding it.
- Defeat the Aetherblade leader - Defeat the Champion rank enemy.
- Once all three are successful, part 2 begins as players must now defeat Reynak to end the meta event.
5. Ley-Line Anomaly (Various Core Tyria Maps)
Core Tyria has tons of really fun side events that people get to do from time to time, but one of the new events that were included were the introduction of the Ley-Line Anomalies. These Legendary-tier creatures are born from the overflowing ley-line energies erupting from specific areas. When you see the alert on your screen while in certain maps in core Tyria, expect challenging fight ahead of you and tons of Swiftness boons to catch up to the creature.
Reward Details:
- Mystic Coin - One of the most valuable items in the game and one of the only sources other than daily log-ins.
- Gilded Strongbox - May contain Masterwork gear, tier-5 materials, etc.
- 88 Coin
- 378 Karma
- 26670 Experience
How to do the event:
- Depending on which map it is found in, it may vary in level, but the difficulty remains the same.
- The Ley Line Anomaly may begin to run from you, so chase the creature down and break its Defiance bar.
- Defeat the enemies that spawn and prevent the Ley Line Anomaly from powering up.
- Once the Ley Line Anomaly is vulnerable, defeat the creature and the coalescences that may appear.
4. Auric Basin - Octovine Meta
The Octovine Meta in Auric Basin has been one of the more lucrative meta events in the game with some fun mechanics behind it. In the past, it had a bit of a steep learning curve to players who didn’t fully master the mechanics like destroying break bars and other CC skills. Everyone will need to band to gether and learn on the fly if they want to conquer one of the more challenging meta eventa in Heart of Thorns while making a profit on the side.
Reward Details:
- Grand Exalted Chest - Needs an Exalted Key to be opened (sold from NPCs in Auric Basin)
- Auric Bastion: Hero’s Choice Chest
- Noxious Seed Pod
- Bag of Rare Gear
- Lump of Aurillium
- Exalted Key
- 528 Coin
- 2268 Karma
- 172710 Experience
How to do the event:
Before the event:
- Complete the Enchanted Armor challenges and defeating the Mordrem before the attack on Tarir event begins.
During the event:
- The 4 Octovines need to be defeated simultaneously and coordination is a must between teams of 4. This is where Commanders usage of their tags and Mentor tags becomes vital.
- Depending on which side of the map your are on, the Octovine will gain stacks of certain types of protection before it will be vulnerable to attacks.
- Commanders and Mentors need to coordinate their attacks and prevent accidentally killing their vines as the vine will temporarily be defeated but come back to life if the others aren't dead.
3. Amnytas - The Defense of Amnytas
The Defense of Amnytas meta is, as of this writing, one of the newest meta events, courtesy of the latest expansion, Secrets of the Obscure. The meta event tasks players with defending the realm above the skies of Tyria where the Astral Ward make their home. With your trusty new Skyscale ready to assist you (assuming you are a new player without one yet), soar above the fight and protect Tyria from the scourge known as the Kryptis.
Reward Details:
- Amnytas: Hero’s Choice Chest - contains Pouches of Stardust amongst other loot
- Amalgamated Gemstone
- Skyforged Weapon Box
- 176 Coin
- 3878 Karma
- 114681 Experience
How to do the event:
- Players need to split into 6 groups and travel to the different bastions to defend them from invading Kryptis.
- After closing the rifts, head for the World Spire and attack Nourys, The Eyes of the Abyss.
- Defeat the nearby Kryptis until the Tentacle of Nourys becomes vulnerable until it reaches low health. Once it is down to 25% of its original health, a Champion Kryptis will be summoned that players need to defeat before defeating the Tentacle.
- Once the Tentacle of Nourys has been defeated, players must close the rift that was left behind.
- Players will be returned or need to return to the Bastion of the Natural and begin to assist in going back to the Bastions to summon the Guardians.
- After assisting in summoning, head back to the World Spire and defeat Nourys, The Eyes of the Abyss.
2. Dragon’s End - The Battle for the Jade Sea
The final battle in the story of the Dragon Cycle takes place in the map called Dragon’s End and features an awesome spectacle of a meta event. The climax involves players facing the mother of all the Elder Dragons, Soo-Won, who is currently being corrupted by the void. By your hands, you must finish the Dragon Cycle and bring peace to Tyria.
Reward Details:
- Bouncy Chest - contains Imperial Favor amongst other loot
- Dragon’s End: Hero’s Choice Chest
- 880 Coin
- 3780 Karma
- 187530 Experience
How to do the event:
- The groups must split into 3 teams with a minimum of 5 players and escort their NPCs toward the destinations. Players have 40 minutes to destroy the barrier of Soo-Won before nightfall begins.
- Escort the three teams into their respective outposts, defeating any void creatures and clearing void corruption within the area when needed.
- Players may need to assist Aurene in containing the Void Corruption while escorting the team, and immediately after fighting a Champion Void Saltspray Dragon.
- Players may find some rubble or Void Shields in the area that they must destroy with a Siege Turtle mount or a United Legion Waystation skill, Remote Charges.
- Defeat the Champion Void Saltspray Dragon guarding the outpost to end the escort portion.
- Once the teams have been escorted, Void Corruption will be reported all across the map and players must collect the Purified Void Magic. After enough has been collected, the players must now convene with Aurene at Harvest Temple Observatory and prepare to defend the area from Void creatures.
- Players must coordinate collecting Crystalized Magic and tossing it from the bottom to the top with players passing it along while others defend those charging the 5 crystals.
- Once all of the crystals are charged, it is time to confront Soo-Won, but that is technically another meta event in itself and is technically also an open world version of a Raid Battle.
1. Dragonfall - The Battle of Dragonfall
One of the absolute best meta events in the game happens to take place on the body of the fallen Elder Dragon, Kralkatorrik, who has been felled by the combined efforts of you and Aurene while in The Mists. The meta consists of players running across the fallen body of Kralkatorrik and destroying his weak points while defending themselves from tons of Branded enemies within the area and using all of their arsenal. It is time to end the reign of terror of this incredibly powerful Elder Dragon, commander!
Reward Details:
- Mistborn Coffer - Contains Branded Geordermite amongst other loot.
- Memory of Aurene
- 88 Coin
- 378 Karma
- 26670 Experience
How to do the event:
Before engaging Kralkatorrik:
- Players are tasked with protecting engineers while they install devices in three locations: the Burning Forest, Melandru’s Lost Domain, and the Underworld.
- While the devices are being constructed, players must be able to protect the NPCs. After some time, the Brandstorm covering Kralkatorrik will dissipate and it is time to defeat it.
Engaging Kralkatorrik:
- Attack the weak points around Kralkatorrik’s body while defending yourself against swarms of Branded creatures.
- If the weak point is shielded with Branded Crystals, at least three people need to stand in the white circle while Aurene assists in exposing the weak spot. After this has been done at least 6 times, the next phase begins.
- Defeat the Legendary Branded at each shrine across the map. The creature may protect itself with Branded Crystals so use your Dragonsblood spears to destroy them. Defeat the three Legendary-tier enemies and prepare to attack the weak points again and defeat Kralkatorrik once and for all.
Closing Thoughts
Meta events push players to cooperate with other players, and it is a good thing that Guild Wars 2 features many fun and interesting mechanics over the years. What new and exciting type of gameplay will be thought of for future battles, we wonder? One can only hope that the future meta events will continue to surprise players with more exciting, jaw-dropping scenes and bosses that will just go all out against the hordes of players.
