Since Hakkvild drove out the Orcs in 2E 467 Falkreath has been back in the hands of the Nords. But now the weakened hold is menaced by another threat: the savage Reachmen of the Dreadhorn clan.
Falkreath Hold is a four-person dungeon in the game The Elder Scrolls Online. The dungeon consists of various rooms and corridors, each with its own challenges and enemies. Falkreath Hold can be accessed at Level 45. In this guide, I shall explain the mechanics as well as what you should and shouldn’t do while facing the dungeon’s bosses.
Table of Contents
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Falkreath Hold Location
Flakreath Hold is located in the eastern region of Craglorn. Travel east from the Elinhir Wayshrine to reach Falkreath Hold. You can also access Falkreath Hold specifically by using the Dungeon Finder.
Inside Falkreath Hold
Falkreath Hold is a three-level dungeon with five bosses and one quest. The enemies in this dungeon include Dreadhorn enemies, draugrs, flame atronachs, and storm atronachs.
Falkreath’s Demise
Falkreath Hold is under siege by an army of Reachmen and minotaurs. It may well fall without outside intervention, and soon.
Completing Falkerath’s Demise
You will need to defeat Morrigh Bullblood, Siege Mammoth, and Domihaus the Bloody-Horned. Speak to Eerika Skjoralmor to complete this quest. Completing this quest will reward you with gold, a skill point, and an Unidentified Falkreath Hold Armament.
Falkreath Hold Boss Mechanics
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Morrigh Bullblood
This boss is about as easy as they come mechanics-wise. The tank should hold the boss dead center of the area and hold the Minotaur on top of the boss. Focus down the Minotaur first as the group but stay OUT of its face, then proceed to beat down the boss.
Heavy Attack – The boss will occasionally heavy attack. This simply needs to be blocked regardless of who the target is. However, this SHOULD be on the tank. Don’t drop taunt. There is no reason for anyone to be running around the room in this fight.
Siege – The boss cast an ability at 50% health which will create a siege shield-type effect for protection while all around is chaos. Barrages of trebuchet-type damage will be surrounding the room after a brief knockback attack. This is quite easy to work with. Simply get inside the shield and stack and burn the boss.
Ground AOE – The boss will occasionally put a negative aoe on the ground. This is a pretty small circle and can be easily avoided by simply stepping out of it. No need to dodge roll and run like mad, just move out of it and you will be safe.
Siege Mammoth
This is one unhappy chappy! He is hard to keep still, has plenty of aoe effects, and some nasty one-shots if you are not careful. An easy way to manage this boss is for the tank to hold it near the gate with its back to the gate itself. The tank should plant its feet and hold its ground while the group surrounds the mammoth from behind.
Trample – During the fight the mammoth will try to trample/charge down its opponents with a long ranged ground aoe charge ability (typical of sword and board enemies but MUCH larger). So long as the tank has the mammoth faced to the gate, it pretty much has nowhere to go so will just bounce off the game. The tank should block this. If for some reason the boss goes loose and this is aimed in a different direction, the group MUST avoid it.
Headbutt – During the fight, the boss will attempt to heavy attack the person with agro (should be the tank) with a big swinging headbutt trying to hit with his tusks. This is quite a lot of animation so easy to spot. When this happens the tank MUST block.
Flames! – The whole way through this encounter there are minions up on the mountains which you cannot kill. They will constantly cast ground-moving flame aoes at the group from the left and the right. Don’t panic, simply step out of them and weave between them as they come towards you.
STOMP! – This mechanic is crucial! At low health (under 50% or so depending on dps and overlapping mechanics) the mammoth will rise up onto his back legs and do a massive stomp! Every member of the group needs to block NOW, or take a one-shot! Do not miss this mechanic!
Cernunnon
This boss is a tricky one if you don’t understand it but there are some key points that must be paid attention to or else it is a guaranteed wipe. The tank should try to agro all 3 adds to start with and hold them together as much as possible. Since 2 of them are ranged this becomes difficult to manipulate so what we did in the video is to get the tank to grab the melee add, and place it on top of the archer! This stops the fight from being too split up.
Circle of Death – The area is a swirling circle of nastiness. Do NOT leave the circle. If you do, you will die from HEAVY damage. This is where running away will kill you!
Mini-Bosses – There are 3 mini-bosses/enemies in the room, an archer, a mage, and a melee enemy. The melee should be stacked on the archer and the mage dealt with separately (kill this one first). Each enemy has interruptible mechanics which MUST be interrupted if they are channeling. The mage will cause high damage and cc, and the archer can cause a VERY nasty flame dot. The melee on the other hand has a huge aoe that must be avoided. Be aware of these when you are fighting them. If you do not kill/knock them to 0% fast enough they will enrage and get much stronger. They are still manageable but the interrupts are even MORE important at this stage else they are going to one-shot you almost guaranteed.
Lights – Each of the 3 enemies you knock down to 0% health they will sit down and have a green circle under their feet. This must be picked up by a player by walking over it (this will alter their screen visuals, apply a snare, and do damage over time). Once picked up it must be deposited into one of the 3 lights surrounding the area. Each pickup will put out ONE light. Once you have all 3, pay attention to the middle of the room where the bone colossus (main boss) will come out from the middle.
Heavy Attack – The main boss has a heavy attack with a sizeable knockback. This must be blocked! The tank needs to taunt the boss at all times because if a dps or healer receives this attack they are likely to die.
Ghosts – Ghosts will spawn and spin around the room, if you touch these they will fear you. So watch your feet. These are immune to all damage.
Skeleton – During the fight with the main boss, skeletons will appear, be sure to kill these as soon as possible, they do a LOT of damage. Lay off the boss and get the adds, down.
Ice Comet! – During the fight the boss will raise his hands and each member of the group will be followed by a massive attached aoe effect. You must spread out, do NOT overlap them, and hold block until the ice comet lands on each player. If you fail to block you will be killed or take huge damage and be stunned. If you overlap them you will of course take double damage and die. Be careful, spacial awareness is required here.
Once the boss reaches 51% health he will de-spawn, and the original mini-bosses will re-appear in their original locations. Repeat the whole starting process again until they are all down, and all the lights have been put out (just as you already did at the beginning). The boss will come back out of the middle and it is just a case of now killing him. No more additional mechanics to the ones you have already seen.
Deathlord Bjarfrud Skjoralmor
This boss is extremely simple but can be messy if not controlled. The boss should be held still by the tank and turned away from the group at all times! The group can then stand behind the boss in a semi-circle while attempting to kill it. DO NOT run around the room. Running around will make a mess of this fight very quickly once the adds come in.
Breath – The boss will cast a negative frontal cone-shaped aoe which does fast, high damage over time to anyone caught in it. A tank can block it but dps and healers need to avoid this.
Adds – There will be MANY undead adds entering the fight. The tank will need to pull these in as soon as possible and you want them to die CLOSE to the boss. This is where headless chicken maelstrom shuffle-type players will fail miserably. If players run around the room, the adds will be misplaced, die in stupid places and the next phase becomes almost impossible to manage. Kill all adds quickly and CLOSE to the main boss…
Cleanse! – During when the adds die they will have a beam of light sticking out of their corpses. You need to assign one member of your group to go to the urns at the back of the room and pick up the cleanse synergy, then run back and cleanse as many bodies as possible. If all of the bodies are close to the tank then this can be done very fast…but if the bodies are all over the room this becomes a mad rush to get rid of them all and then it could be game over for you…
BIG BOOM! – Once enough enemies are in the room (dead or not) the boss will start to channel an ability and each player will have a fast-spreading aoe under their feet. Do NOT stack up. IF the cleanses were done correctly you will survive and no explosion will happen, if you missed 1 cleanse then it will explode and you should be ok. BUT, if more than 1 or 2+ bodies are not cleansed by the time the aoe hits its peak…BOOM you die! Get those cleanses in, don’t go solo dps burn thinking you can get away with it. Some can, but not many. Follow the mechanics!
Domihaus the Bloody-Horned
This is quite literally a “bull in a china shop”. The room is tiny and coordination is KEY! Stay together as much as possible and you will do this in no time. Scatter around the room and you will fail for hours at a time. The tank MUST have a taunt on the boss at all times else he WILL one-shot group members. So pay attention! He never moves so he will not start chasing people but he will hit from range. The trick to co-coordinating is to decide which way around the room you are going to go. Generally, most go left. when it counts, remember which pillar is on the left and you will need to travel to it together (more info coming up).
Heavy Attack/Haduken! – During the fight the boss will heavy attack whoever has agro with a long ranged Haduken type attack. THIS is why the tank must NEVER drop taunt. If the tank blocks this, they will live. But if not blocking, or it hits anyone else, they WILL die. If you see it coming as a dps/healer and are quick enough to dodge roll you can survive it, but above all, the tank shouldn’t drop the boss.
Flames (aka corners) – The boss will call up flames from the ground AROUND the room. That’s right you are not FORCED to go into the middle. This is the phase in the video I call “corners”. The reason is there is a small square platform on the floor. Each member needs to get in the middle as soon as possible and separate onto each one of the four corners so NO ONE is standing on anyone else. This is because the next mechanic is coming and requires your to NOT stack.
Suck In and Melt – Once in the middle position as explained above, the boss will do a large breath or suck-in mechanic which will pull all members to him and you will hover in the air for a split second. When he drops you, you will ALL have your own dot effect on you which will drop multiple aoes on the ground about a second apart (same as the trampler Minotaurs). EACH member must walk backward from their corners SLOWLY to place each aoe neatly on the ground. While moving backward if you have nowhere to go and you are going to end up hitting the firewall, continue walking but instead of backward go to your RIGHT…ALL players must do the same. “back back back RIGHT!”. If ONE member messes this up and goes the opposite direction, you will stack on a friend and kill them. If you don’t keep moving the aoes will drop under you and stack up and kill you, and if you do not have corners, multiple players will stack their aoes and people will die…this is crucial. The corner positions should be resumed whenever the boss is NOT shouting and NOT slamming and NOT in stone (coming up.)
Slam! – During the fight, the boss will lose his temper and start smashing the ground. There will be a big aoe in the middle of the room and fireballs will fly across the floor. This can potentially kill any player not just from the slam but from the stray fireballs. Remember the pillar you assigned your group to stick to? Hide behind it, get out of the middle of the room, and utilize the pillar to avoid the fireballs. During this phase, if you are careful, peek your head out and throw down dots, taunts etc. but do not stay in the middle.
Note: be careful as the fire/corners phase can happen after or DURING this (sometimes mechanics overlap depending on group dps) so be ready to get into the middle as soon as he is finished.
Basically, at this point, we have clearly established that you pretty much hug your corner spots when the fire is on the outside of the room, and the rest of the time, hug your pillar.
Adds – During the fight the boss will turn to stone and 4 elemental atronachs will spawn. These MUST be focused. I would highly recommend using ultimates at this stage to kill them fast before Domihaus wakes up.
SHOUT!!! – THIS is the difference between winning and losing. Pay attention to that pillar you chose because you are going to need it! At 70%, 50%, 30%, 10%, and 5% health the boss will “SHOUT” (then once a minute until the fight is over, you dead or him) when he does this you will ALL have to hide behind a pillar. The trick to this is coordination. Each pillar that has a player behind it will be destroyed when he shouts, so all stay behind the same one and you will only lose one pillar at a time. Once the pillar is down, you all focus on the NEXT pillar to your left as the NEXT safe spot for the remainder of the fight. Once that pillar is down, move to the next, and so on.
Two things to note. Hard mode removes two pillars in the room from the beginning. And also, if you do not hide during the shout you are DEAD!
Execute – At very low health the boss will gain a damage shield and spawn adds. THIS is crucial. Adds will spawn every minute from now on so you MUST focus them down, all mechanics are in play, fire, corners, ground slam and fireballs, Hadukens, EVERYTHING. The tank is under serious pressure here. Hold the boss taunt, grab the adds, and don’t run away. The group needs to kill all adds as much as possible. Each time the damage shield of the boss falls off he will try to re-apply it prolonging the execute phase.
Many groups try very hard to just push the boss and fail getting overwhelmed with adds on repeat. The trick to this is passive damage while clearing out the trash. Keep your dots up and Domihaus will gradually go down as the adds do. Especially if you have ultimates at this stage.
NOTE: A lot of the mechanics can overlap if you have HIGH damage in your group. So the % of health dps not always apply because he can be going through one mechanic when you push him. So in these instances (as shown in the video too) you WILL have to pay even closer attention. Put on subtitles, it helps.
Work together, focus on spacial awareness. Adds first, boss second…enjoy and good luck!
Falkreath Hold Dungeon Loot
Below is a list of all the loot you can expect to find in Falkreath Hold.
On normal the loot is blue and the boss does NOT drop a monster helmet, but on veteran difficulty all of the loot is purple and the main boss DOES drop a special monster helmet.
Note: in dungeons some individual bosses can drop a unique item but generally, the weapons and jewelry (non-named items) come from the last boss. HOWEVER the entire loot table can also drop from trash and chests, so loot everything! Got the gear in the wrong traits? Don’t worry! You can alter the traits by either transmuting or reconstruct the piece with a trait of your choice. For more information see the Introduction to Transmuting and Reconstructing article.
If you are looking for a matching shoulder monster piece, visit the Undaunted Pledge Master Urgarlag Chief-Bane at the nearest Undaunted enclave. She sells a 50/50 chance at the shoulder piece as part of the Horns of the Reach Coffer or it could be in her mystery coffer. You can learn more about the Undaunted in the Undaunted Guide.
- Draugr’s Rest
- Ironblood
- Pillar of Nirn
- Domihaus (monster helm from vet only)
Falkreath Hold Achievements
Bull Rush
Defeat Morrigh Bullblood, the Siege Mammoth, Cernunnon, Deathlord Bjarfrud Skjoralmor, and Domihaus the Bloody-Horned in Veteran Falkreath Hold within twenty minutes of starting the dungeon. Timer starts when players engage the first group of Dreadhorn invaders.
Column Caretaker
Defeat Domihaus the Bloody-Horned in Veteran Falkreath Hold with 2 or more pillars still standing in the Jarl’s Hall.
Deck Diver
Defeat every boss without ever personally being struck by siege weapon fire in Veteran Falkreath Hold, including siege engines commanded by Morrigh Bullblood.
Dreadhorn Style Master
Learn every chapter in the Dreadhorn style book, occasionally found as rewards for completing the Falkreath Hold dungeon.
Endure the Elements
Defeat Domihaus the Bloody-Horned in Veteran Falkreath Hold with at least one of each type of atronach still alive.
Epic Undertaking
While fighting Deathlord Bjarfrud Skjoralmor in Veteran Falkreath Hold, have your group cleanse 15 corpses within the span of five seconds.
Falkreath Hold Challenger
Complete the listed achievements for Veteran Falkreath Hold.
Falkreath Hold Conqueror
Defeat Morrigh Bullblood, the Siege Mammoth, Cernunnon, Deathlord Bjarfrud Skjoralmor, and Domihaus the Bloody-Horned in Veteran Falkreath Hold.
Flakreath Hold Vanquisher
Defeat Morrigh Bullblood, the Siege Mammoth, Cernunnon, Deathlord Bjarfrud Skjoralmor, and Domihaus the Bloody-Horned in Falkreath Hold.
Horns of the Reach Delver
Complete Veteran Falkreath Hold and Veteran Bloodroot Forge.
Horns of the Reach Explorer
Enter either Falkreath Hold or Bloodroot Forge for the first time.
Oathbreaker
While fighting Cernunnon and his oath-bound, banish all three of the spiritmasters’ souls within five seconds of each other throughout the fight in Veteran Falkreath Hold.
Saluting the Honored Dead
Cleanse 1000 corpses in Falkreath Hold’s Hall of the Dead on any difficulty.
Taking the bull by the Horns
Defeat Domihaus the Bloody-Horned in Veteran Falkreath Hold after sounding the Warhorn in the Jarl’s Hall.
The Unbroken Line
Defeat Morrigh Bullblood, the Siege Mammoth, Cernunnon, Deathlord Bjarfrud Skjoralmor, and Domihaus the Bloody-Horned in Veteran Falkreath Hold, without suffering a group member death.
Veteran Dreadhorn Mage Slayer
Defeat 150 Dreadhorn Town-Razers, Wildtamers, and Firebrands in Veteran Falkreath Hold.
Veteran Minotaur Trampler Slayer
Defeat 60 Dreadhorn Tramplers in Veteran Falkreath Hold.
War Chronicler
Discover the Urgent Missive, Unfinished Letter to Marika, In Reply to Concerning Rumors, and Epitaph of Bjarfrud Skjoralmor within Falkreath Hold.
Wild and Woolly
Defeat the Siege Mammoth in Falkreath Hold without being affected by an enemy stun, stagger, or knockback ability.
Falkreath Hold Leads
The following antiquity leads can be acquired in the Falkreath Hold.
The Crimson Diamond is part of the Belharza’s Band mythic item.
The dig zone for this lead is found in the Deadlands.
Final Note
Thank you for taking the time to watch the content and read this guide. Be sure on your travels to remember, although once you get very experienced you may make these dungeons much easier and faster… it starts from the ground up and it’s…
