Strongholds offer some of Diablo 4’s challenging content, especially if you complete them during the campaign. And you should do them during the campaign, as clearing specific ones opens up a Side Dungeon with rewards specific to your class. The Malnok Stronghold, one of the ones you’ll find in the Fractured Peaks, is one such Stronghold, and if you’re playing a Druid, the Dungeon you unlock by clearing it is well worth your time. This guide details everything it takes to complete Malnok Stronghold in Diablo 4.
How to Beat Malnok Stronghold in Diablo 4
You’ll find Malnok Stronghold in Diablo 4 in the eastern portion of the Fractured Peaks, though not the farthest east. If you travel directly east from Kyovashad, you’ll pass the Immortal Emanation Dungeon and the Shivering Wilds to the south. The Olyam Tundra is to Malnok’s north.
You’re in the right place if your character mentions how the ice and snow are worse than they should be. The blizzard will get much harsher, and the whole place will have an eerie, deep blue glow.
In the center of the ruined town, a huge goatman (the Stronghold boss) is the centerpiece of a powerful ritual powered by three Elite goatmen called Ice Clan Stormcallers.
To make the boss vulnerable, you’ll first need to travel to the west, northeast, and southeast parts of town, traverse your way onto the upper platforms, and kill the Stormcallers.
Each is guarded not only by hordes of regular goatman enemies but also by Elite Ritual Guardians. Both the Stormcallers and Ritual Guardians will have different modifiers attached to them. On my clear, the Ritual Guardians could conjure ice walls, steal health, and were resistant to cold (my primary damage type, sadly). Yours are liable to be a bit different.
When the Guardian dies, you’ll face the Stormcaller, and the biggest threat they posed to me were the large freezing circles they summoned during the fight. Standing in one when it goes off will freeze you for a solid five seconds, and the Stormcallers have more than enough damage to kill you in that brief window. I advise either doing so much damage so fast that they die before they can use that attack or focusing not on the Stormcallers but on the ground around them so you always know where their attacks will land.
How to Beat Frosthorn, Ice Clan Champion
Once all three Stormcallers are dead, return to the center of Malnok, and the boss, named Frosthorn, Ice Clan Champion, will be vulnerable to attack. Like most bosses in Diablo 4, he doesn’t have too many attacks, but he doesn’t need them. Before breaking his first health gate (the arrows in his health bar), he’ll only use slam and slash attacks, which send out jagged ice crystals to catch ranged characters.
When Frosthorn changes phases, he’ll start summoning the same ice circles as the Stormcallers, only this time, you’ll have to deal with far more, and they’ll appear almost right on top of you. In his third phase, the ice circles will start to spawn en masse, making a circle on the edge of the arena and immediately around the boss himself. The circles that follow you will also still appear. The only difference for Frosthorn’s final phase is the circles will appear at a faster pace, but there are no additional mechanics to deal with.
Once Frosthorn dies, you’ll need to light the Wandere’s Shrine on the northeast edge of the boss arena. Doing so reclaims the Stronghold for humanity, opens up a bunch of merchants, and, most importantly, the Anica’s Claim Side Dungeon, which is aces if you’re playing a Druid.
