On this page
- Remember These First
- Location, Access and Failure Cost
- Pre-Fight Preparation Checklist
- Arena Reading
- Phase Breakdown
- Attack Reference
- Damage Profile
- Strategy and Key Mechanics
- Rewards and Progression
- Reward Claim Flow
- What Players Commonly Struggle With
- Problems and Direct Answers
- Video Guide with Timestamps
- Media Gallery
- Related Guides
- Sources, Verification and Update Log
Quick Preparation
- Location
- The Bone Pits (Blackrib Pit), Act 2
- Campaign / Endgame
- Act 2
- Recommended Level
- Level 25–28
- Primary Damage Types
- Physical · Lightning · Fire
- Editorial Difficulty
- High
QUICK ANSWER
Remember These First
The map marks only Ekbab, but Iktab is also present — it is a duo fight.
Survivor enrage changes the pressure depending on who dies first.
Default: kill Iktab first (Ekbab's enrage is easier to manage for most builds). Melee may prefer Ekbab first; test per build.
It is a duo. Iktab is the caster, Ekbab the steed — both must fall together.
Mastodon Tusks drop only when both die in one instance; return them to Zarka.
ACCESS & CONTEXT
Location, Access and Failure Cost
The Bone Pits, a Horn of the Vastiri branch after the Risen King.
Two bosses, one instance; survivor enrages.
No material cost.
A Theft of Ivory quest item; both must die together.
Reach the Bone Pits
Branch from the main Act 2 path.
The Blackrib Pit holds the duo.
BEFORE THE FIGHT
Pre-Fight Preparation Checklist
| Done | Check | Why it matters | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crowd control Two bosses split your attention. | Focus fire fails if both pressure you. | Use one or two hard controls on the survivor. | |
| Movement speed You must manage two threat zones. | Slow characters get caught between them. | Boots with movement speed. | |
| Burst End phase one before enrage stacks. | Enrage adds coverage you must respect. | Single-target burst on the first kill. |
ARENA READING
Arena Reading
The Blackrib Pit is a wide duel ground. Iktab (caster) and Ekbab (steed) start together; killing one triggers the survivor's enrage.
Space management is the core skill: keep both in view, control the survivor, and never get pinned between them.
- Blue = safe lane. Orange = Ekbab charge. Red = Iktab rune zone. Green = survivor control spot.
PHASE BREAKDOWN
Phase Breakdown
Phase 1 · Phase 1: Both Alive
Trigger: Fight starts with both bosses.
Objectives- Pick a kill order
- Control the survivor
- Manage two zones
Both present. Decide focus target before engaging.
ATTACK REFERENCE
Attack Reference
| Attack | Telegraph | Response | Common mistakes | Danger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ekbab ChargePhase 1: Both Alive · Phase 2: Survivor Enrage | Steed winds a charge. | Dodge laterally; do not back into Iktab. | Getting pinned between bosses. | High |
| Iktab Lightning RunesPhase 1: Both Alive · Phase 2: Survivor Enrage | Carves glowing runes on the ground. | Leave the rune zones; they detonate. | Standing in runes while fighting Ekbab. | High |
| Meteor Runes (Ekbab dead)Phase 2: Survivor Enrage | Sky runes mark meteor landings. | Watch the safe gaps between markers. | Standing under a meteor marker. | High |
| Tracking Lightning Orbs (Iktab dead)Phase 2: Survivor Enrage | Orbs home in after Iktab dies. | Keep moving; lead them away from Ekbab. | Standing still and eating orbs. | Med |
| Bonequake (Ekbab dead)Phase 2: Survivor Enrage | Ground cracks in a line. | Step off the crack line. | Standing on the fissure. | Med |
| Projectile NovaPhase 1: Both Alive · Phase 2: Survivor Enrage | Survivor emits a radial nova. | Roll out of the ring. | Melee trapped inside the nova. | Med |
DAMAGE PROFILE
Damage Profile
Physical
- Positioning vs charge and Bonequake.
Ekbab and nova are physical.
Lightning
- Leave rune/orb zones.
Iktab runes and tracking orbs are lightning.
Fire
- Avoid meteor markers.
Meteor Runes appear on Iktab enrage.
STRATEGY
Strategy and Key Mechanics
Kill Order Matrix — there is no single universal answer; pick by build:
Kill Iktab first → Ekbab enrages with tracking orbs + Projectile Nova. Manageable for most ranged/melee because orbs are dodgeable.
Kill Ekbab first → Iktab enrages with Lightning Runes + Meteor Runes + Bonequake. Larger area coverage; harder for low-mobility builds.
Default recommendation: kill Iktab first. Melee may prefer Ekbab first to avoid rune spam. Ranged and minion builds are flexible. Low-mobility builds should kill Iktab first to limit area denial.
- Keep both bosses in view; never get pinned between them.
- Use hard control on the survivor during phase 2.
- Both must die in the same instance for the quest to count.
REWARDS & PROGRESSION
Rewards and Progression
Mastodon Tusks
Drops only when both die together.
A Theft of Ivory quest item — return to Zarka.
ACCESS & CONTEXT
Reward Claim Flow
Kill both in one pull
Defeat Iktab and Ekbab in the same instance.
Loot Mastodon Tusks
Pick up the tusks from the corpse.
Return to Zarka
Hand in to complete A Theft of Ivory.
COMMUNITY EVIDENCE
What Players Commonly Struggle With
The map only shows Ekbab but there are two bosses.
Players are surprised by Iktab.
It is a duo; the map marker is just Ekbab.
Treat it as a two-boss fight; both must die.
Which one should I kill first?
Players want one fixed answer.
It depends on build; do not follow a single Reddit comment blindly.
Default kill Iktab first; melee may prefer Ekbab first. Test per build.
Mastodon Tusks did not drop.
Players killed them in separate pulls.
The quest needs both in one instance.
Kill both together, then loot the tusks and return to Zarka.
PROBLEMS & DIRECT ANSWERS
Problems and Direct Answers
I killed one but the quest did not progress.
Direct answer: Both must die in the same instance. Killing them in separate pulls does not count.
- Engage both at once.
- Do not leave and re-enter between kills.
- Loot the tusks after both fall.
The survivor's enrage overwhelms me.
Direct answer: Adjust kill order to your build; use hard control on the survivor and keep both in view.
- If Iktab survived, dodge orbs and novas.
- If Ekbab survived, respect rune/meteor zones.
- Lower area denial by killing Iktab first.
I got pinned between the two bosses.
Direct answer: You lost the safe lane. Reposition to keep both in view and never back into one while the other charges.
- Open a central lane.
- Dodge Ekbab laterally, not toward Iktab.
- Use control on the survivor.
VIDEO & TIMESTAMPS
Video Guide with Timestamps
Community guide
Iktab + Ekbab kill order comparison
Current-patch fight video (Community guide).
Open source ↗MEDIA GALLERY
Media Gallery
SOURCES & VERIFICATION
Sources, Verification and Update Log
Patch notes and official naming used to confirm the current version and changes.
Boss, area and reward data used to cross-check entity names, phases and loot.
Independent fight guides used to cross-verify phases, attacks and build handling.
Reddit and forum threads used to find high-frequency player failures. Not used as standalone mechanic fact.
Update Log
- Initial Iktab + Ekbab duo guide at 0.5.4.
- Added kill-order matrix and same-instance quest requirement.
Related content
Information is compiled from public web sources and in-game observations; some visuals are original editorial diagrams. External information and images remain the property of their authors or platforms; contact us for removal requests.