Summary
- Area: Bilewater upper section, on the approach to Bilehaven.
- Why it matters: Unlocks onward access after the kill; improves Bilewater benches post‑fight.
- Prep: Clawline and solid pogo control help with the pre‑fight climb and trap rooms.
Hidden Bench — Fast Runback
- Near late‑Bilewater trap rooms before the tall climb, drop to the bottom‑right maggot pool and swim under the rocks.
- Follow the underwater tunnel to a small room behind breakable walls; there’s a bench here roughly two tiers below the arena.
- After the fight, an additional Bilewater bench appears, further shortening clean‑up runs.
Tip: If your runback exceeds ~2 minutes, you likely missed this hidden bench.
“Corner‑Swim” Cheese (Safest Method)
- Enter and hug the bottom‑left or bottom‑right pool corner.
- Parasites latch on (blocking binds) but won’t damage you; most of Groal’s patterns whiff from these spots.
- Watch for two threats only: a direct breach into your corner and firebombs detonating just above the water (water‑hit bombs fizzle).
- Poke during long commitments; reposition only when those two threats line up.
Optional tech: A Voltvessel tossed during Vacuum Suck can break the pull and electrify water for chip.
Legit Strategy — Moveset & Counters
Pre‑fight gauntlet (5 waves)
- Herd Stilkin/Trapper/Squit waves to one side; pogo through gaps. Respect explosive squits. A ceiling spike ball can follow waves—hug corners on transitions.
Groal moveset highlights
- Vacuum Suck: Strong pull. Counter with a Voltvessel (interrupt) or dash + Clawline out; mash to break free if swallowed.
- Dive & Surface: Long commitment. Heal/buff here; prepare for ally summons or spike ball afterward.
- Poison Spit: Bouncing orbs; bat back or hold wide and set pogo windows.
- Soul Projectiles: Up to three shots; wall‑jump to thread lanes and re‑center quickly.
- Summon Allies / Spike Ball: Often after dives. Wait on a side platform, pogo the spawn fountain to farm silk, avoid ball arcs.
Positioning rule: If not cheesing, sit just under the side platforms (in water). Only Dive and Soul shots reliably reach you there.
Recommended Loadouts
- Tools: Voltvessels (Suck cancel + water AoE), Cogfly (add control), plus one panic DPS option if desired.
- Crests: Reaper for pogo control; consider a build that supports short, safe strings through the gauntlet.
- Situational: A fire‑mitigation bell effect can help if bombs trouble you (community‑reported).
Route To The Arena (Concise)
- Access Bilewater via a hidden wall from Sinner’s Road.
- Climb to the upper pools using Clawline grapples and pogo chains.
- Unlock the hidden bench first to cut returns to under a minute.
Rewards & Progress
- Opens onward access beyond Groal (Bilewater → Bilehaven pathing).
- Spawns an additional bench in Bilewater after the kill for route convenience.
Troubleshooting
- Parasites ruin binds: Expected. Either embrace the corner‑swim or bind only during Dive windows.
- Runback too long: Re‑check the underwater bench tunnel (bottom‑right pool → breakable walls).
Sources
- PC Gamer — Corner‑swim safety and threat list.
- Game8 — Location near Bilehaven, gauntlet waves, Voltvessel counter.
- ScreenRant — Hidden bench location (SE of Groal, two tiers down, illusory wall).
- YouTube — Full route and fight (embed above).
Open Interactive Map (All Areas)
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