How to Defeat Commander Zhalk & Get the Everburn Blade in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

Upon awakening from your slumber during the opening of Larian Studios’ threequel, you’ll soon become embroiled in a battle of conflicting loyalties. On the one hand, you have the Mind Flayer who abducted you, and on the other, you have the devil-like Commander Zhalk and his minions laying waste to everything in sight. Thing is, this optional boss wields a pretty valuable weapon. So, for those wondering how to defeat Commander Zhalk and get the Everburn Blade in Baldur’s Gate 3, here’s everything you need to know. Let’s go!

How to Beat Commander Zhalk

Truth be told, defeating Commander Zhalk during the opening tutorial is not exactly an easy task, but here are some pointers to help put this Fiend six feet under.

• Firstly, you’re going to want to free either Shadowheart or Lae’zel from their pods just before this confrontation. Also, make sure you recruit Us the Intellect Devourer (the wee brain with legs). You’re gonna need all the help you can get!
• Luckily, when you first enter, Zhalk is largely focused on the Mind Flayer he’s beating the living snot out of. Really, the Mind Flayer is an important asset to have on your team as he does dish out quite a lot of damage. But be warned: once you’ve killed Zhalk, the Mind Flayer will become hostile and start attacking your party.
• Before going toe to toe with the wannabe devil, you’ll want to clear the area of his minions first. There are three altogether, but thankfully they’re all pushovers. Once they’ve been dispatched, send a member of your party who possesses a decent ranged attack towards the transponder console.
• Remember: this fight is on a countdown and, while the game tells you that you have 15 turns to connect the transponder, you actually have less. See, on your fifth turn, the game spawns in two Cambions that are a force to be reckoned with, especially when you’re at such a low level. They’ll take a few turns to reach you as they spawn in another room, so don’t worry too much about them until they’re in close proximity. Hopefully, Zhalk will be dead by the time they reach you.
• Now, with your ranged character (likely either Lae’zel or Shadowheart) near the transponder console, make sure they dish out the most powerful ranged attacks you can. Meanwhile, you’re going to want to position the rest of your team around Zhalk, with them spamming the most powerful melee attacks they can, too.
• Commander Zhalk is a bit of beast as he has very high defences, 150 HP, and takes half damage from non-magical weapons. Fire, Lightning, Ice and Acid also deals half damage to this chap, so we’d recommend Radiant damage as your best option.
• Once Zhalk has been defeated, move a party member near his corpse to loot the Everburn Blade.
• Lastly, with your ranged character near the transponder, trigger the console, and escape the battle, with Zhalk’s powerful Greatsword in hand.

If your RNG goes poorly, we’d suggest reloading your save and giving it another go. Be patient, as it can be done! It took us a few tries, but we managed to do it. If all else fails: save scum. Simply save when your party or the Mind Flayer delivers a critical hit, and reload if things take a turn for the worse.

Is the Everburn Blade Worth It?

In short, yes — the Everburn Blade is worth the trouble. Not only does it boast excellent damage potential, but it’s easily one of the most powerful early game weapons you can acquire. Here’s a breakdown of the Greatsword’s stats:

• Damage: 6-19 Slashing, & 1-4 Fire
• Range: 1.5m
• Actions: Cleave, Pommel Strike, Lacerate, Ever-Burning
• Value: 240 Gold Coins
• Two-Handed
• Dippable

In addition, Commander Zhalk also drops some rudimentary Scale Armor, which offers 14 AC.

And, what do you know. That’s everything you need on how to defeat Commander Zhalk and get the Everburn Blade in Baldur’s Gate 3. For more, here’s how to free Lae’zel after you crash and how to get a Bag of Holding. Otherwise, feel free to explore our further coverage down below before you go.