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11 Overview
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33 Urn Soldiers and Urn Swordsmen are summoned enemy types encountered during the Hexe Marie boss fight in the Smoking Lands. Officially labeled as Hexe Earthen Warriors in the game's combat UI, they are ceramic automatons that Hexe Marie conjures from the mysterious urns scattered throughout her arena. These minions serve as both distractions and genuine threats, forcing players to split their attention between dealing with waves of adds and attacking the boss herself.
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55 Appearance
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88 Both variants share a ceramic and pottery-based composition. They resemble scarecrows with tilted jugs perched on their heads, giving them an eerie, almost ritualistic appearance that fits the dark magic atmosphere of the Smoking Lands. Their bodies are constructed from clay, stone, and fired pottery, which becomes apparent when they are destroyed. Explosive arrows blast them apart into chunks of crockery, scattering ceramic fragments across the battlefield.
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1010 The arena itself is an urn stockpile area littered with mysterious urns and pottery, creating a haunting atmosphere that extends the ceramic motif of the minions themselves. The urns serve as both set dressing and the source from which Hexe Marie draws her earthen warriors.
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1212 Types
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1414 Hexe Marie summons two distinct variants during the boss fight, each requiring a different tactical response:
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1616 TypeDescriptionThreat LevelUrn SoldiersMultiple stone soldiers with urn-shaped heads. They spawn in groups and swarm the player, functioning as distractions and chip-damage dealers. Individually weak, but dangerous when they pile up alongside Hexe Marie's crow attacks.Moderate (dangerous in numbers)Urn SwordsmanA singular, more formidable minion composed of stacked clay pot pieces. Significantly stronger and more durable than Urn Soldiers, with heavier attacks that can stagger the player. Moves slowly compared to the lesser minions, but hits much harder.High (priority target)
1717 Summoning Behavior by Phase
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1919 Hexe Marie summons these minions in waves throughout both phases of the boss fight. The summoning pattern escalates as the fight progresses:
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2121 PhaseHP BarSummoning PatternBoss BehaviorPhase 1BluePrimarily groups of Urn SoldiersHexe Marie maintains a defensive stance, attacking from range with Crow Swarm and Crow Barrage while minions distract the playerTransitionCutsceneDialogue plays where the witch attempts to deceive Kliff and asks him to join her causeBrief pause before Phase 2 beginsPhase 2RedUrn Swordsmen appear alongside Urn Soldiers, significantly increasing pressureHexe Marie uses Relocate more frequently and gains Crow Storm (dark magic-infused crows descending from the sky)
2222 Allowing minions to accumulate is one of the most common causes of death during the Hexe Marie encounter. A swarm of Urn Soldiers can pin the player in place while the Urn Swordsman delivers a heavy blow, or while Hexe Marie channels her Crow Storm attack from range. Keeping the battlefield clear of adds is essential for survival.
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2424 Hexe Marie's Abilities (Context)
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2626 Understanding the boss's own abilities is critical to managing the minions effectively, since she coordinates her attacks with her summons:
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2828 AbilityDescriptionSummon Urn SoldiersConjures a group of Urn Soldiers from the urns in the arenaSummon Urn SwordsmanConjures a single powerful Urn Swordsman (Phase 2 primarily)Crow SwarmQuick crow strikes that target the player's positionCrow BarrageWide area-of-effect crow attack covering a large section of the arenaRelocateTransforms into a murder of crows and reappears elsewhere in the arena, avoiding damageCrow Storm (Phase 2)Dark magic-infused crows descend from the sky across the arena
2929 How to Counter
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3131 Explosive arrows are the primary counter against both variants. A single explosive arrow can shatter multiple Urn Soldiers in a cluster, blasting them into chunks of crockery. Use Precision Focus slow-motion archery to unload a rapid flurry of explosive arrows at grouped minions.Ice arrows can immobilize and freeze swarms of Urn Soldiers, buying time to deal with the Urn Swordsman or to focus damage on Hexe Marie during a vulnerability window.Always prioritize the Urn Swordsman when both types are present. The Swordsman's heavy attacks can stagger the player and create openings for Hexe Marie's most dangerous abilities. Despite being slower, its high damage output makes it the greater threat.Clear all minions before committing to sustained damage on Hexe Marie. Getting caught mid-combo by a group of Urn Soldiers while the boss is channeling Crow Barrage is extremely punishing.Fire-based attacks deal bonus damage to both variants, consistent with their clay and pottery composition. This aligns with Hexe Marie's own lore: she was nearly burned alive as a child and still fears fire, making fire a thematic weakness for both the boss and her creations.Use back slides to evade crow attacks from Hexe Marie while repositioning to deal with newly spawned minion groups.
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3333 Lore Connection
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3535 Hexe Marie, titled the "Follower of Darkness," is a shadowy figure who defied the sacred laws of a sanctuary. She "dared to break forbidden taboos and infused darkness even into her own child," and was nearly burned to death by the townspeople of her village. She now remains within her urn-filled sanctuary in the Smoking Lands, steeped in wrath and vile curses. The Urn Soldiers and Urn Swordsmen are physical manifestations of her dark magic, animated clay constructs that serve her will.
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3737 Hexe Marie is also a character from Black Desert Online, where she is known as "the deadliest Witch in history." Pearl Abyss has not confirmed the exact relationship between the two versions of the character, but the thematic connections between the games are intentional.
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3939 Related Encounters
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4141 Urn Soldiers and Urn Swordsmen appear exclusively during the Hexe Marie boss battle in the Smoking Lands. They do not appear as regular enemies elsewhere in Pywel. Hexe Marie also deploys magic mines during the fight that explode and deal damage over time, adding another hazard layer on top of her summoned minions. For full boss strategy details, see the dedicated Hexe Marie article.