Overview
Marni's Excavatron is a mechanical boss found in Karin Quarry within the Hernand region. The machine was originally designed by Marni, a genius inventor from Delesyia, as a tool for quarrying stone and ore. However, the Bleed Bandits seized the quarry and weaponized the device to maintain their grip on the mine, which had long belonged to House Roberts. Players encounter the Excavatron during the Stolen Quarry segment of the Estate in Dismay quest chain, where Kliff is tasked with liberating the quarry. Before reaching the Excavatron, you must first complete the "First Trial of Trust" and "Troubled Count" objectives.
The Excavatron stands roughly twice Kliff's height. It resembles a figure in a diving suit with two massive spinning drills mounted where its arms would be. Those drills were built to chew through solid rock, so they deal devastating damage to anything that gets in the way. Liberating Karin Quarry is required to unlock the Greymane camp fast travel point, making this a fight you cannot skip during the main story progression.
Boss Information
Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
Location | |
Quest | Estate in Dismay (Stolen Quarry) |
Type | Story Boss (mandatory) |
Health | Single health bar |
Weakness | Slow turning speed; long recovery windows after attacks |
Recommended Approach | Evasion-focused; avoid blocking drill attacks |
Attack Patterns
The Excavatron has a small but punishing moveset. Every attack hits hard enough to take off a large chunk of your health, and several of its strikes are unblockable. The fight rewards patience and careful positioning rather than aggression.
Attack | Description | How to Counter |
|---|---|---|
Single Drill Strike | Plants itself and drives one drill straight forward, attempting to bore into the player. This is its most common frontal attack. | Dodge sideways (backsliding is riskier due to tracking). Punish during the roughly 2-second recovery window. |
Double Drill Strike | Similar to the single drill strike but uses both drills in quick succession, covering a wider frontal cone. | Roll to the side and wait for both strikes to finish before counterattacking. |
Drill Charge | Places both drill hands on the ground, then charges forward in a straight line. Covers significant distance and can close gaps quickly. | Sidestep rather than backpedal. The charge tracks poorly once it starts moving, so lateral movement is safest. |
Burrow (Unblockable) | Submerges underground and tracks the player's position for 4 to 7 seconds. Erupts from below for massive damage. This attack cannot be blocked. | Keep moving constantly until it surfaces. Watch for ground disturbance to predict where it will emerge. Attack its back during the 1 to 2 second recovery window after it resurfaces. |
Emergence Strike (Unblockable) | A variation of the Burrow where the Excavatron surfaces directly beneath the player with even less warning. | Sprint in one direction without stopping until it appears. Immediately reposition behind it and attack. |
Strategy
General Approach
This fight is all about evasion. The Excavatron's drill attacks deal enough damage to kill careless players in two or three hits, and several of its moves ignore blocking entirely. Do not try to facetank this boss. Instead, play defensively and wait for its recovery windows.
The Excavatron's biggest weakness is its slow turning speed. After any attack, it takes roughly two seconds to recover and reorient itself. That is your window to land damage. Get behind it whenever possible, as rear attacks deal increased damage and the machine struggles to pivot quickly.
Using Turning Slash
The Turning Slash ability is extremely effective here. Each time the Excavatron commits to a drill attack, dodge away during its animation, then immediately follow up with a Turning Slash. This combination deals strong damage to both its HP and poise bar. Keep your combos short (one Turning Slash, then back off) to avoid getting caught by a follow-up.
Force Palm for Stagger
If you have Spirit to spare, Force Palm is a strong complement to the Turning Slash approach. Force Palm staggers the Excavatron reliably, giving you additional time to land hits. Combining Force Palm with Turning Slash can turn this fight from a war of attrition into a manageable encounter.
Dealing with Bleed Bandits
Several Bleed Bandits fight alongside the Excavatron during the encounter. If you have access to Damiane, her AoE abilities are effective at clearing them out so you can focus on the machine. Otherwise, try to group the bandits and deal with them quickly before returning your attention to the boss.
Healing and Preparation
Bring plenty of healing items, especially Grilled Meat or other cooked food with HP recovery effects. Visit a Grind Stone and Anvil before the fight to apply temporary weapon and armor buffs. If you are dying frequently, consider leveling up with side content before returning.
Rewards
Defeating Marni's Excavatron completes the Stolen Quarry objective and returns control of Karin Quarry to House Roberts. You receive the following items:
Reward | Description |
|---|---|
Mining Knuckledrill (II) | A unique weapon that doubles as a mining tool. The drills are repurposed from the Excavatron's own arms and function as both a combat weapon and a gathering implement for ore nodes. |
Gold Vein Map | A map revealing the locations of gold ore deposits within Karin Quarry and nearby areas. |
Lore
The Excavatron was built by Marni, an inventor whose mechanical creations appear in several locations across Pywel. Marni's workshop is referenced in other questlines, and the Excavatron is one of several machines that bear the inventor's name. Marni apparently designed the device purely for stone and ore extraction, but its drilling apparatus proved just as effective against people.
The Bleed Bandits captured Karin Quarry from House Roberts and used the Excavatron to enforce their control over the mine's workers. By the time Kliff arrives, the quarry has been under bandit occupation long enough that the local workforce lives in fear of the machine. Destroying the Excavatron is as much about breaking the bandits' symbol of power as it is about winning a boss fight.
Tips
Never block the Burrow attack. It is unblockable and will hit you regardless. Keep moving instead.
Watch for the ground disturbance particles that appear 1 to 2 seconds before the Excavatron surfaces from a burrow.
The Excavatron cannot change direction mid-charge. Sidestep at the last moment and you will have a large window to attack its flank.
If you are running low on Spirit for Force Palm, focus on Turning Slash alone. One well-timed Turning Slash per attack cycle is enough to win the fight.
Clear the Bleed Bandits early. Getting hit by a bandit while dodging the Excavatron's drills can be fatal.