Fissure of Woe: A Clear 15 Years in the Making
If you’d told younger me that I’d eventually beat the Fissure of Woe without a Barrage/Pet group, I’d have laughed.
Back then, FoW was something I visited, not something I finished. I joined random B/P teams, fired arrows at anything that moved,
and hoped the pets would tank things they absolutely shouldn’t have been tanking.
I even tried the old ranger solo runs to the Forest — mostly because everyone else was doing it and I wanted to feel cool.
A full clear though?
That never happened.
FoW politely reminded me I was not the hero of this story.
Until now.
Standing at the Chest of Woe after my first full Fissure of Woe clear — a moment fifteen years overdue.
The Soulwoven Steps Back Into the Fire
This was my first proper attempt at beating FoW from start to finish — no gimmicks, no leaning on other players to carry me,
and no pretending my ranger pet was going to solve my problems.
Just me, The Soulwoven, and a hero team that has become far too competent for its own good.
This photo above is from the full clear —it captures the general theme of this entire adventure:
me walking into a nightmare realm with seven spirits, three mesmers, three necromancers, a ritualist specialising in restoration spirits, and questionable confidence.
The Wovenway Build Holds Its Ground
For this run I used the build I’ve been refining over the last week: a mix of spiritway, discordway, and mesmerway —
which I’ve nicknamed Wovenway.
Tacky? Possibly.
Accurate? Absolutely.
My heroes did the heavy lifting, as usual.
The E-Surge mesmers handled the hex pressure, the Discord minions kept bodies on the ground (helpful for both damage and nostalgia),
and my restoration Ritualist quietly kept everyone alive.
I focused on offensive spirits and Lamentation, occasionally pretending I understood the exact timing of everything happening on-screen.
A Run That Paid for Itself
To my surprise, the run went smoothly.
Suspiciously smoothly.
Either I’ve improved, or the enemies were having an off day.
I walked out with:
- Two Passage Scrolls
- Five Obsidian Shards
- Several gold items
Not bad for what was meant to be “a test run.”
The whole trip paid for itself and then some.
What Comes Next?
FoW is just the beginning.
I’m still working on hero armor — Gwen, Livia, and Xandra now have Brotherhood sets, the rest are getting sorted one by one —
and I’ve been dipping into the Underworld again to see just how far Wovenway can go.
There’s also a strong temptation to record these runs.
Not a single-session full clear (I value sleep), but segmented videos:
three quests at a time, then stitched together.
Practical hero management, realistic expectations, and my usual commentary whenever something explodes unexpectedly.
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
It took more than a decade, a new name, and a surprisingly effective team of heroes,
but I can finally say I’ve beaten the Fissure of Woe.
Not as a ranger hiding behind pets, not as a tag-along in someone else’s group —
but on my own terms, with my own build, playing a class that younger me barely even understood.
FoW didn’t stand a chance.
Apparently, neither did my free time.
Continue the Journey
- Returning to Tyria – My First Post
- Earning Guardian of Cantha – The Soulwoven’s Biggest Step
- (Next post coming soon)
Survivor Incognito 