
How To Beat Imperia in Crownfall and Complete Act 4

On November 8, the final stage of one of the biggest events of 2024, called Crownfall, began in Dota 2. Act 4 has become the most anticipated part of Crownfall, and players have been waiting for it for nearly two months. Some didn’t like it and chose not to play, while others believe that Act 4 turned out to be high-quality and want to learn everything important about it and how to complete it—welcome to our page!
In this text, we will provide you with a detailed overview of Crownfall Act 4, from a complete overview of what's new to a strategy for effectively defeating the Imperia to complete this event.
What’s Interesting in Crownfall Act 4

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Crownfall Act 4 is one of the major in-game events in esports, so it's impossible not to talk about it. Here’s a list of everything it has introduced:
- Catacombs – The first thing worth mentioning. The number of levels is the same as in previous parts, including Crownfall Act 2, but there are a few differences. In this part of the event, the player can start exploring the catacombs through three different paths—Skywrath Mage, Vengeful Spirit, and Kez—while in previous parts, the player started from a single point. The mechanics of the catacombs remain the same: you play games, earn tokens, and use them to advance on the map and collect various rewards.
- Mini-Games – The next important feature on the list. This mechanic was innovative for Dota 2, so players eagerly awaited the release of Crownfall Act IV to try out the new Crownfall Mini-Game. In this part, players received four mini-games, with the final one being Nest of Thorns. The other games are called Castle Carnage, Spleen Sweeper, and Spoon. Valve focused on well-known games like Angry Birds, Minesweeper, and Spoon Man, which was a smart move and attracted a large number of players.
- Kez – A new hero introduced in this Dota 2 Crown fall update, known as Ascension Night. This is the second hero released this year, making it a productive year for Valve. Kez is also innovative, featuring detailed graphics and nine abilities, which has sparked excitement among players who are eager to try him out.
- Crownfall Store – This is another significant part of Crownfall Act 4. In the store, you can purchase not only Arcane sets for Skywrath Mage and Vengeful Spirit, Collector’s Cache, and coin packs, but with the release of Act 4, the Crownfall Store introduced the Skyras Explorer Kit, which includes Tower Skins, Sticker Capsule, Immortal items for Batrider and Bloodseeker, Crownfall Chests, Coins and candies.
What is the Nest of Thorns Mini Game?

As mentioned above, Crownfall Act 4 features several mini-games, with the main one being Nest of Thorns. In this game, you need to defeat Imperia to complete the event. Nest of Thorns is a solo survival game similar to a standalone game genre, where the player must fend off enemies while moving around the map, as well as upgrade abilities and increase damage levels. The map area is fixed, so the player needs to carefully plan their moves and develop a strategy that will help them win. So, if you want to defeat Imperia Dota 2 and complete the Dota 2 Crown fall, follow the instructions we'll provide.
How to Play Nest of Thorns?

The mini-game lasts about 15-20 minutes, similar to a Turbo game, which shows just how challenging Nest of Thorns can be. The game is divided into seven levels of difficulty with three different heroes, and from this stage of the mini-game, you need to stay alert, as each hero has unique abilities and characteristics. Once you start the game and select your hero, you will appear on a map filled with numerous enemies and bosses that you need to defeat.
Enemies can be roughly divided into waves. After surviving each wave of monsters, you can choose one of three random upgrades or improve an existing one. Additionally, there are mini-bosses in the game that appear every three minutes. Each mini-boss drops an Aghanim's Scepter, which significantly enhances one of your abilities. These upgrades are unique and are not connected to the standard skill leveling through level-ups. In total, you can defeat three bosses per game. Each time, you will face a random boss. The boss's location will be marked on the map. To summon the boss, you need to stay within a designated circle for a few seconds (and not leave it). These mechanics in Nest of Thorns in Crownfall Act 4 allow you to create item builds for each hero, highlighting their strengths to achieve victory.
All Nest of Thorns Upgrades
At each stage of the game, you can choose specific upgrades that will determine your skill level. Your survival and victory over Imperia depend on several factors: health level, monster clearing speed, damage resistance, and hero stats. Typically, high attack speed and greater damage are prioritized to effectively eliminate monsters on the farming levels. Additionally, having more available rerolls is great if you’re unlucky with the initial upgrades.
Here’s a list of all the available upgrades:
- Max HP
- HP Regen
- Damage
- Movement Speed
- Cooldown Reduction
- Range
- Damage Resistance
- Damage Reflection
Each of these can be upgraded to 4 levels using tokens and points that you earn by killing monsters.
Nest of Thorns Shop

All the upgrades in Crownfall Mini-Game listed above can be purchased at the Nest of Thorns Shop. Additionally, after defeating monsters and earning coins, you can enhance your stats and skills there. This set of features, along with the items you acquire, allows players to quickly and conveniently create builds for their heroes.
In this Crownfall Act IV mini-game, you can create both a magical build and a physical one, each of which is best suited for specific heroes. A magical build is most effective for Skywrath Mage due to his high magic damage and solid abilities. If you get abilities like Spirits, Chain Frost, and Frostbite, it's best to commit to a magical build right away.
If you prefer to go for a physical build, playing as Kez is recommended. In this case, you should aim to acquire an Aghanim's Scepter as soon as possible by defeating the first mini-boss. The best abilities for this build are Swashbuckle, which, when paired with Bloodstone, makes you nearly untouchable, and Counter Helix, which will increase your armor and survivability.
How to Beat Imperia in Crownfall Act 4?

Defeating Imperia in Crownfall Act 4 is the main challenge, and the entire storyline of this event revolves around it. After you’ve cleared all the levels in the Catacombs and reached the Nest of Thorns, the ultimate test awaits you. As mentioned above, the mini-game lasts 15-20 minutes and has 7 levels of difficulty. In the game in Crownfall Act 4, you'll upgrade items and abilities, fight waves of monsters and bosses, until you reach the final challenge – the battle with the Queen.
This Queen is the leader of the Imperia, who has seized power, and the main heroes must defeat her to save the kingdom. The final boss has two forms, which she switches between during the fight. In the first form, she summons monsters for assistance and shoots single fireballs at the players. In the second form, the Queen moves to the center of the map and launches fireballs in all directions.
To defeat the Queen and complete Crownfall Act IV, follow these tips:
- During the first phase, avoid the red circles on the ground and focus as much damage as possible on the boss. Don’t waste too much attention on weaker minions.
- In the second phase, take cover behind a pillar to avoid being hit by the fireballs.
- Once all pillars are destroyed, move along the edge of the map and dodge the Queen's shots.
- Repeat these actions until you defeat the Queen.
Conclusion
In this text, you've learned about Act 4 of Crownfall in Dota 2, which was introduced in the latest update. From the unique features of the catacombs and new mini-games to the release of a new hero, this patch has become one of the most exciting updates in Dota 2. We've also covered how to play Nest of Thorns, which item and ability upgrades to choose to make your hero as powerful as possible, and the strategy to follow to defeat the final boss – the Queen of the Empire – to complete Crownfall. In our opinion, this part of the event is the most well-developed, with the best content, and deserves high praise.
To sum up, despite its pros and cons of Crownfall Act 4, this in-game event has been a real breakthrough, both for Dota 2 and the esports scene in general, and it definitely deserves your attention.

Ostapchuk Dmytro – writer at EGamersWorld, ESports & Gaming Specialist
Dmytro started working at EGamersWorld in 2024 as a writer and later became a blog editor. His main focus is on esports disciplines Dota 2 and CS2. His tasks include finding topics that interest EGamersWorld readers and covering game updates, their features, and major esports tournaments.
Dmytro has recently begun working in this field, so he is learning a lot and making noticeable progress in this direction.









