Baldur's Gate 3 - How To Beat Gortash

Lord Enver Gortash is one of the main antagonists in Baldur's Gate 3. A ruthless politician, he seeks to rule the city and surrounding lands in service to Bane, lord of tyranny. It's up to you to put an end to his schemes. Our guide discusses the Baldur's Gate 3 Gortash boss fight, including alternate scenarios and potential issues that you may encounter. Likewise, please be aware that this article contains spoilers.

How to Beat Gortash in Baldur's Gate 3

There are several ways to trigger the Baldur's Gate 3 Gortash boss fight. And, in one scenario, you don't even need to battle him at all. Just know that all of these take place in the game's third act, once you've reached Wyrm's Rock Fortress.

Potential Encounter: The Proclamation

The first chance you'll get to battle Gortash in Baldur's Gate 3 is during his proclamation as archduke. Doing so is a terrible idea, since he's surrounded by numerous Steel Watch sentries and mechs. In fact, taking out the mechs before fighting him is a key objective later in the campaign. If you attempt this, then be ready for a frustrating, single-turn annihilation.

Potential Encounter: An Offer Refused and Karlach's Presence

If you hold off on hostilities, Gortash will offer an alliance, but you have to kill Orin the Red and take her Netherstone. Another battle can happen if you visit Gortash's chamber. You can reach it by heading back to the throne room, then climbing the steps past the doorway to the right of the throne.

If you talk to Gortash without Orin's and Ketheric's Netherstone, he certainly won't like it. Likewise, if you brought Karlach along, and you chose the second reply--"Never mind that, Gortash, we've heard all we need from the likes of you"--the tensions will escalate. Gortash, flanked by his lieutenants, as well as several Steel Watch robots, will make quick work of you.

Potential Alliance: Shared Leadership and Death

If you have the two Netherstones, you can visit Gortash and pick the amicable reply. Also, if Karlach is with you, just answer with: "Easy Karlach, we won't make it far against the Steel Watch."

Gortash will talk to you about a power-sharing opportunity. If you want to glean his intentions, you'll realize that he admires people who are strong-willed and not easily cowed. You can then reply with: "We can be allies, but Ketheric's and Orin's stones stay with me."

Gortash happily agrees, and he tells you to meet him in the Morphic Pool Docks in the northern section of the Undercity Ruins. Go ahead and sail on the boat, and delve deeper into the caverns until you encounter the Elder Brain. There will be multiple skill checks here, until Gortash gets too impatient. He wrests control of the Netherstones, only to get instantly slain by the Elder Brain.

How to Destroy the Steel Watch Mechs

If you do want to clear the Baldur's Gate 3 Gortash boss fight in the intended manner, then you'll want to dismantle the Steel Watch. Here's a quick summary:

• This is somewhat tied to Wyll's Blade of Frontiers quest. You need to save Duke Ravengard and the Gondians.
• From there, visit the Steel Watch Foundry in the southwestern section of the Lower City. Help the Gondians inside against the mechs and their overseers.
• After a boss battle in the mini-dungeon, an NPC, Zanner Toobin, tells you to use the controls to short circuit all the mechs in the city.

Assaulting Wyrm's Rock Fortress

Your deeds will cause Gortash's soldiers defending Wyrm's Rock Fortress to become hostile. Proceed with caution since you can encounter some nasty issues. Here's what you can expect:

• After clearing the enemies on the ground floor, save your game just as you interact with the passage to the proclamation room. Some enemies on the rooftop are also hostile, even though they have no line of sight.
• If possible, wait for enemies to move toward you, instead of rushing up to the proclamation room.
• When you head up the proclamation room, don't move too far in the chamber. Take out only the aggroed forces that are near the doorway.
• Then, move your party members back to the drawbridge, which is a safe area (i.e. not a red zone). This will allow you to fast travel back to camp. Do a long rest.
• Return to the proclamation room. If everything went smoothly, the NPCs should be reset (i.e. not hostile). Alternatively, you can stealth as a group until you reach the rooftop where Gortash's chamber is located.

Boss Fight: How to Defeat Gortash

Finally, it's time for the Gortash boss fight in Baldur's Gate 3. Once inside the chamber, you'll notice several traps, as well as a few lieutenants. Here's the gist:

• The contraptions on the wall apply a shield to Gortash, though you can still deplete his HP.
• Bombs will get tossed periodically near your characters. Throw them when possible, but be careful with the explosion radius. The bombs deal a ton of damage to allies and enemies alike. You can actually use them to eliminate the lieutenants.
• Gortash will get empowered by Bane soon enough, and he'll gain extra HP and deadlier attacks:
  • Manifestations of Tyranny have an aura that buffs Gortash's damage if he's within their radius. They have low HP, so don't worry too much about them.
  • Gortash will spawn a large Hand of Shadow in the room. After a turn, this will smash down on the ground, crushing any unit within its radius.

Again, your best bet is relying on bombs, while taking care to avoid the explosion radius. With a bit of luck, you should be able to clear the Baldur's Gate 3 Gortash boss fight. Your rewards include Gortash's Fabricated Arbalest, which has a +2 weapon enchantment, Illuminating Shot, and Dazzling Ray. You'll also get the Netherstone-Studded Gauntlet, which grants +1-4 force damage for unarmed attacks, as well as +1 to spell save DC.

Lastly, if you've already beaten Orin the Red, then that means you have all three Netherstones. It's time to pay a visit to the Elder Brain and, perhaps, find a way to free Orpheus while you're at it.