The Northern Army
The Northern Army is a scheduled Arctic Plains boss encounter in VV: Ultimatum against three brother commanders - Evocator the Soulcatcher, Frigus Master of the North, and Lord Nivis Heir of the Dead - spawning every odd hour at :20 EST.
The Northern Army is led by the Frozen Commanders, three brothers of unknown origin whose army is made of everyone they have felled - and everyone unlucky enough to cross them. Lore from Lady Hikari places Lord Nivis in the Second Age, with strained ties to the Enclave.
The encounter spawns in the Arctic Plains every odd hour at :20 EST (1:20, 3:20, and so on), with each commander at his own documented position: Frigus, Master of the North, beside the gate to the Precipice; Evocator, the Soulcatcher, at the center of the Arctic Plains inside the giant skull and ribcage; and Lord Nivis, Heir of the Dead, beside the Dweller Cave.
Their shared kit is frost-themed posture pressure. Swing is a standard blockable, parryable, dodgeable hit with minor values. Delayed Swing baits early parries and hits for medium posture damage - parrying it staggers the boss. Frost Slam deals medium posture damage, low damage, and freezes on hit. Their most dangerous tool is Execute: anyone (mobs included) who drops below 30% health can be reanimated into a member of Nivis's army, healing him slightly in the process.
Lord Nivis has an exclusive skill, Rock Barrage: roughly 20 rocks divided evenly among everyone fighting him. Players can typically block around 5, so the documented counterplay is to break line of sight and hide behind terrain. Drops for this encounter are not listed in the current community documentation.
Details
| Title | The Frozen Commanders |
| Members | Evocator, The Soulcatcher; Frigus, Master of the North; Lord Nivis, Heir of the Dead |
| Location | Arctic Plains - Frigus by the gate to the Precipice, Evocator in the giant skull and ribcage at the center, Nivis beside the Dweller Cave |
| Spawn timer | Every odd hour at :20 EST (1:20, 3:20, ...) |
| Notable drops | Not documented in current community documentation |
Attacks
Swing: blockable, parryable and dodgeable with minor damage and posture damage. Delayed Swing: same defensive options but medium posture damage and low-medium damage; parrying it staggers the boss. Frost Slam: blockable, parryable and dodgeable, medium posture damage, low damage, and freezes targets hit.
Execute: rather than a normal attack, this reanimates anyone who falls below 30% health - including mobs - turning them into a member of Nivis's army and healing him slightly. Keeping allies topped up denies the commanders free reinforcements.
Lord Nivis exclusive: Rock Barrage
Rock Barrage conjures around 20 rocks split evenly between everyone in the fight. Each rock is individually blockable, parryable and dodgeable with low damage and low posture damage per rock, but the volume overwhelms blocking - players usually block about 5. The intended counter is to hide behind terrain until the barrage ends.
FAQ
Where does The Northern Army spawn?
In the Arctic Plains every odd hour at :20 EST. Frigus appears beside the gate to the Precipice, Evocator inside the giant skull and ribcage at the map's center, and Lord Nivis beside the Dweller Cave.
How do I survive Lord Nivis's Rock Barrage?
Around 20 rocks are split among all fighters and you can only block about 5, so the documented strategy is to break line of sight and hide behind terrain.
What does the Execute mechanic do?
Anyone - player or mob - who falls below 30% health can be reanimated into Nivis's army, healing him slightly. Avoid fighting at low health near the commanders.