Elder Guardians

The Elder Guardians are four map bosses from the War for the Atlas storyline, who each drop a different map fragment that is required to fight the Elder. They are the guardians of the The Elder.^[1]

Guardians

Name	The Eradicator	The Constrictor	The Purifier	The Enslaver
Image
Map Icon
Map Mod	Module Error: No results found.	Module Error: No results found.	Module Error: No results found.	Module Error: No results found.
Main Drop	Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Fragment of Eradication".	Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Fragment of Constriction".	Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Fragment of Purification".	Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Fragment of Enslavement".

Mechanics

A Elder-influenced map of Tier 14 or higher can be occupied by one of the Guardians. The map boss is replaced with the Guardian. Approaching the map boss will spawn a portal leading to the Guardian's arena, chosen at random out of three possible arenas for each Guardian. They will be affected by the map's modifiers.

The boss fight is split into three phases. At 2/3 and 1/3 health remaining, the arena switches locations. Each arena contains different stage hazards.

Upon slaying the boss, they will drop a Map fragment. Open a complete set of fragments in the map device can open portals to fight the Elder.

Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Fragment of Purification".
Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Fragment of Constriction".
Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Fragment of Eradication".
Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Fragment of Enslavement".

Notes

Defeating an Elder Guardian does not count towards map completion.^{[confirmation needed]}

Drops

The Uncharted Realms Atlas passive skill tree that enhances drops from The Shaper, The Elder and from their respective guardians.

All 4 Elder Guardians share the same pool of the exclusive drops.^[2] ^{[confirmation needed because of 3.14 change]}

Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Yoke of Suffering".
Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Grelwood Shank".
Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Memory Vault".
Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Gloomfang".

In addition, Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Arborix". is obtained from fusingOrb of FusingStack Size: 20Reforges the links between sockets on an itemRight click this item then left click a socketed item to apply it. The item's quality increases the chances of obtaining more links.
Shift click to unstack. Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Grelwood Shank". and Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Beltimber Blade"., thus it is an indirect Elder Guardians exclusive item. A similar bow is used by the Elder Guardian in the fight.

These item were exclusive to Elder Guardians, but moved to core drop table in version 3.14.0:

Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Augyre".
Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Beltimber Blade".
Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Leper's Alms".
Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Vulconus".

Lore

Elder Guardians are the side-bosses that aid The Elder, akin to Shaper Guardian. During War for the Atlas and Betrayal expansions, in order to beat Uber Elder, the player need to spread Elder influence to Shaper Guardian Maps (which at that time on the Atlas at the centre) first to convert them to Elder Guardian Maps (the base map is still the Shaper Guardian Map) and beat all 4 of them to convert The Shaper's Realm into Uber Elder variant of the area.

However, due to the introduction of Conquerors of the Atlas expansion, such end-game lore is rewritten by the game developer. Instead of the player as the protagonist to beat the Elder, Shaper and their guardians , another group of NPC / exiles, known as Elderslayers / Conquerors beat the Elder instead. Elderslayers themselves also turn into new villain in the expansion. To fill the plot hole that how the player can still enter and play the Elder Guardian Map (Shaper Guardian Map as well), new Zana voiceline was added:

"

You must think me a fool for taking so long to understand just how mad the Elderslayers have become, but... you don't know what we were up against. Look, I'm going to show you a memory of a battle against one of the Elder's guardians. Perhaps then you'll see why it wasn't so clear.

"

- Zana

The next annual expansion, Echoes of the Atlas, add the Maven as new end-game boss, which she has the ability to clone bosses to her crucible. A new atlas region, The Uncharted Realms, was added to the game as well. Elder Guardians is the objective of Maven's Invitation: The TwistedMaven's Invitation: The TwistedThe Maven must Witness:
The Purifier,
The Constrictor,
The Enslaver,
The EradicatorFor those who must not endure it,
there may be found a perverse joy
in watching the struggle for survival.Can be used in a personal Map Device. Modifiers to Item Quantity will affect the number of encounter rewards dropped..

These new lore explain the in-game reappearance of Elder Guardian as map boss, which the atlas and the Maven has ability to clone it.

Version history

Version	Changes
3.9.0e	Fixed a bug where Zana missions could offer Elder Guardian Maps earlier than intended. The minimum tier before these maps are offered by Zana missions is now 14.
3.9.0	The Atlas of Worlds has been reworked. You now start at the centre and will work your way outwards as you explore a new storyline. The Shaper and Elder storyline is gone and has been replaced by a story that takes place in the aftermath of the old story. Zana can now sell Shaper- and Elder-influenced maps once you have progressed your Atlas enough. These act like the old Atlas influence, creating new monsters, threats, and rewards. The Elder, Shaper, and combined Elder and Shaper encounters can still be accessed. If you're lucky, Zana may offer a Shaper or Elder guardian's map! Elder Guardians are no longer in a separate instance to that of their map.
3.5.0	Items exclusive to the Shaper's guardians and the Elder's guardians now drop less frequently. Uniques exclusive to the Elder's guardians now also drop based on map tier, with some items unable to drop until higher map tiers. (not in patch notes) Elder guardians now have a shared pool of exclusive drop, rather than tied to individual guardians.^[2]
3.1.0	Introduced to the game.