Rainbow Mines: Altar Of The Forgotten Past

Navigate the challenging Rainbow Mines in Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Get tips for defeating Maeve and completing the Rainbow Rock Ruckus quest.

Alright, so you've made it to Tickington and the Rainbow Mines for the 'Altar Of The Forgotten Past' quest. This place can be a bit of a maze, and the enemies get tougher the deeper you go. Before you even step foot inside, it's a really good idea to have Sylvando learn Hustle Dance if you can – it's a lifesaver! Also, if Serena is level 23, make sure she has Kabuff. Grab some MP-restoring items too, though you'll likely find some along the way. Don't worry too much about hunting for every single treasure chest; the only one you'll find here only has 40g, so it's not a big deal if you miss it.

When you first enter the mines, you'll be right in the thick of it. The first floor can be a little confusing, so here's the path: head left, then go up. You'll find an NPC who'll give you the quest for this area, called Rainbow Rock Ruckus. He wants you to figure out what's causing trouble and sort it out – basically, you'll be heading to the bottom to defeat a monster.

Keep going past that NPC and head left when you can. You'll find two barrels; one of them has that measly 40g. Now, turn right and take the stairs to go down to the second floor. Once you're on the second floor, head down and then to the right. You should spot some Bomboulders near the next set of stairs. As you get close, you'll be forced into a battle. Be careful, these Bomboulders can use Self-Destruct to hit your whole party, and they can also use Kerplunk to revive any of their buddies you've already defeated.

After you've dealt with those Bomboulders, head down to the next level. You'll find more enemies, including two other colors of rock-type monsters. The Rockbombs (the blue ones) are a bit tougher than Bomboulders, and the Grinades (yellow ones) are the weakest. You don't have to fight every single one, so feel free to stick to the upper path and skip the Grinades at the bottom if you want. Just a heads-up, you'll see these enemies in the main game too, but the ones here have less HP. They can drop Single Phials and Magic Waters, which are super helpful if you're burning through MP.

The rest of the way to the bottom is pretty straightforward, just keep pushing forward and you'll encounter more of the same enemies. When you finally reach the bottom, clear out any rockbomb-type enemies in front of the demon, and then get ready for a boss fight.

BOSS - Maeve

Maeve can be a real challenge, especially if you're tackling this area as soon as it opens up. She can attack twice per turn sometimes, and she'll summon Rockbombs (the blue ones) to help her out. While they aren't your main concern, they can be a bit of an annoyance. Maeve also has a desperate attack that's a critical hit, so there's nothing you can do to prevent that. Her most dangerous move is a vicious slashing attack that can hit a single character up to six times. If you're not prepared, this can deal massive damage.

If you followed the advice and leveled Serena to 23 for Kabuff, this battle becomes much easier. Cast Kabuff twice, and Maeve's regular attacks will do significantly less damage. Her critical attack will still hit hard, as it ignores defenses. Maeve has around 1,000 HP. For your main damage dealer, have the Hero use Cutting Edge on her. Sylvando should use Oomph on the Hero twice to boost the damage of Cutting Edge, which should help end the fight quicker. Serena should focus on healing when needed, and if Sylvando has Hustle Dance, use that for some quick healing too. Veronica's Frizzle (learned at level 23) is also great for damage, and Bang can help clear out those pesky Rockbombs.

After you've defeated Maeve and listened to her story, use Evac to return to the entrance of the dungeon. Report back to the NPC who gave you the quest to complete it and claim your reward: a Cautery Sword.