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How to Defeat Commander Zhalk and Get the Everburn Blade
Baldur's Gate 3

How to Defeat Commander Zhalk and Get the Everburn Blade

Defeat Commander Zhalk in baldurs gate 3's prologue to get the Everburn Blade. You have 15 turns to escape the Nautiloid.

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Defeat Commander Zhalk in baldurs gate 3's prologue to get the Everburn Blade. You have 15 turns to escape the Nautiloid.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Begin by fighting through two Lesser Imps and a Lesser Hellsboar.
  2. 2
    Advance towards Commander Zhalk, using ranged attacks. Aim to get close to the front of the ship early to save time later.
  3. 3
    Clear out two more Lesser Imps and a Lesser Hellsboar located near the Transponder.
  4. 4
    Focus attacks on Commander Zhalk. He is level 8, has 150 Hit Points, and an Armor Class of 18. He resists 50% of slashing, piercing, bludgeoning, fire, lightning, cold, and poison damage. He is not resistant to force or radiant damage, making spells like Eldritch Blast and Sacred Flame effective if they hit.
  5. 5
    Utilize the stairs behind Commander Zhalk for high ground, which can improve your accuracy to around 50%.
  6. 6
    The Mind Flayer fighting Commander Zhalk will deal significant damage (13-20+ per round) and can assist in weakening Zhalk. Save/load to ensure the Mind Flayer hits Commander Zhalk.
  7. 7
    Be aware that the Mind Flayer will turn on you after Commander Zhalk dies. Ensure it is not at full health and ideally has no more than 20 Hit Points remaining when Zhalk is defeated. Aim to defeat the Mind Flayer quickly if it gets a turn immediately after Zhalk.
  8. 8
    A pair of Cambions will arrive from the south after several rounds. You must defeat Commander Zhalk and acquire the Everburn Blade before they reach the main combat area.
  9. 9
    After defeating Commander Zhalk, loot him for the Everburn Blade.
  10. 10
    Make your way to the Transponder at the northern end of the bridge and use it to escape. You have a total of 15 turns from the start of this sequence to defeat Commander Zhalk, grab the blade, and use the Transponder.
Tips
  • Save scumming is highly recommended due to Commander Zhalk's high stats and resistances, and to ensure the Mind Flayer's actions are favorable.
  • Characters like a Warlock using Eldritch Blast or Shadowheart using Sacred Flame can deal effective damage due to Commander Zhalk's lack of resistance to force and radiant damage.
  • Use Dashing to double your movement speed and reach the Transponder quickly, ideally with a single Dash action.
  • Avoid melee combat whenever possible, as the Mind Flayer can cause collateral damage.
  • Ensure all spells and abilities are refreshed before this encounter, as they will be reset after the prologue.

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