The Emperor of Fire and Iron is one of two new respawning world bosses in the Fontaine region of Genshin Impact, and finding and defeating it is the only way to get Ascension materials for the new 5-star character Lyney. You’ll need 46 mats in total, so expect to be farming the boss frequently if you manage to pull Lyney and want to max him out to level 90. This guide will cover how to find and beat this new challenge.
Related: Genshin Impact: Best Places to Find Rainbow Rose
Where to Find and How to Beat the Emperor of Fire and Iron in Genshin Impact
The Emperor of Fire and Iron lives in a cave beneath the surface of Fontaine, reachable via diving into an underwater tunnel between the southern tips of the Beryl and Belleau regions. You can travel either slightly west from the Teleport Waypoint at the southernmost tip of Belleau near the West Slopes of Mont Automnequi or east from the Waypoint south of the Elynas area.
Once you reach the bottom of the tunnel, you’ll be able to rise into the cave proper, where the boss awaits. It won’t attack immediately, and you need to get pretty close to start the fight, but once it awakens, get ready for a battle.
The Emperor of Fire and Iron is Pyro-aligned, so you’ll want to bring Hydro and Cryo characters to the party. If you have Yelan, Xingqiu, Ayaka, or Ganyu, they offer some of the best bang for your buck. A hyperbloom team works wonders against this boss (as it does in so many other scenarios), and that’s what I used to take him out in no time flat.
You’ll see a bar above the boss’s head showing the health of its two molten horns. Reduce the bar to zero, and the boss will sit staggered for more than five seconds, giving you plenty of time for easy damage.
As for attacks, the Armored Crablord (amazing) only has a few, but those it does pack a wallop.
- Jumping Slam: The Emperor of Fire and Iron jumps high in the air and slams its bulk down on the area indicated by the glowing red circle. There’s plenty of time to dodge out of the way, even if you’re smack in the middle of the zone.
- Firey Rock Throw: The boss sends out dozens of semi-molten rocks in all directions. Staying close to its body helps with avoiding them.
- Crab Claw Slam: The boss slams one of its claws into the ground, causing a small AoE and sending out a line of lava in front of it. A simple dodge to the side avoids the attack. If it doesn’t have molten horns, there is no line of lava.
- Claw Swipe: A simple swipe with its other claw that can still send you flying if it hits.
And that’s it for attacks.
Rewards for defeating the Emperor of Fire and Iron boss
For your troubles, you earn the ability to spend 40 Original Resin to receive:
- Agnidus Agate of increasing rarity based on the boss’s level
- A selection of Artifacts from the Adventurer blue rarity set, Berserker, Instructor, and Prayer for Illumination (blue and purple rarity), and Gladiator’s Finale and Wanderer’s Troupe (purple and gold rarity)
- 200 Adventure Experience
- A pile of Mora
- Companionship Experience
All in all a worthy challenge with worthwhile rewards. Beating the Emperor of Fire and Iron is also fun, as there aren’t too many tricky mechanics or meta-strategies involved. Honestly, it kind of felt like a Monster Hunter fight with all the part breaking, and that’s a good thing in my book.
