Sandswept Isles Meta

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Sandswept Isles is the map where you can spend a decent amount of time getting the 32 slot bag from Efi.  Other than that, it is great for Difluorite Crystal/Volatile Magic farming along with some nice bounty farming/meta participating.  I'll be breaking this into 2 parts because I feel like there are 2 metas in this map, north and south respectively.

Northern Section

Going to start with the North side.  Here you can find 5 Champion bounties and 1 Legendary bounty.  I marked on the map where you can locate each one.

Northern Bounty Boards

  • Emogg the Soulbeast
  • Exterminator IG-04
  • Ironshell
  • Oakenscorn
  • Old Stonehoof
  • Legendary Starcaller 

Northern Bounty Locations

If you're looking for the meta here, it starts with the Gathering Storms chain.  When you are in the northern area, you might see this meta in any stage of the 4 events:

  1. Defeat the rampaging elementals
  2. Destroy the stormcaller echoes
  3. Help Elder Rhona track down the source of the storm
  4. Defeat Zohaqan

Defeat the Rampaging Elementals

 This first stage is pretty simple.  There are 4 areas in which you can locate these unruly elementals and participating in any or all will count towards the meta.  All 4 zones need to be cleared before moving on to the next phase.  Be warned that these storms move around a little, so the map might not be an accurate representation of where they are for you.  They do tend to stay in their particular zone, though.

Locations of Rampaging Elementals and what to look for

Destroy the Stormcaller Echoes

Next phase is a little harder.  There are 3 areas in which you will find a tornado like structure with 3 champion Rampaging Earth Elementals.  Dispatch all 3 champions PER tornado (total of 9 champions if doing all 3 areas) in order to trigger the next phase.
 
Locations of Stormcaller Echoes and what to look for

Help Elder Rhona Track Down the Source of the Storm

 This is basically an escort mission.  Make sure the NPCs make it from point A to point B, fighting the various enemy popups that happen (4 in total).  In order to gain credit for this, you need to participate in at least 1 fight.  Walking it with the NPCs in the very last part with 0 fights will not give you a reward.
 
The path for helping Elder Rhona and an example of fights

Defeat Zohaqan

Final phase of the northern meta is fighting Zohaqan himself.  After fighting him countless of times, I can say, with confidence, fight him in close range.  Be sure to keep an eye on your health because he WILL down you if you're not careful.  Also, pay attention to the ground for deadly red circles.

Zohaqan location and NPC fight


Southern Section

Southern side consists of 5 Champion bounties and yet another Legendary bounty.  Like the earlier map, I marked where you can find each one.

Southern Bounty Board

  • Crystalwing
  • Magneton Manipulator
  • Nepheretes
  • Vebis the Inquisitor
  • The Prickly Pair
  • Legendary Seneb the Desecrated

 

Southern Bounty Locations
If you're looking for the meta here, it starts with The Specimen Chamber chain.  This meta resets every 60 minutes after the completion of the previous Specimen Chamber chain.  When you are in the southern area, you might see this meta in any stage of the 3 events:

  1. Hold out until the laser array runs out of emergency power
  2. Defeat the Simulacrum of:
    1. Beyn, Scion of Thorns
    2. Destroyer Crematus
    3. Jord Ironfrost
    4. Subject Beta
    5. Tlati, the Unchained
    6. Varkesh, the Branded
  3. Defeat the dragon minion simulacrum

Hold out Until Laser Array Runs Out of Emergency Power

 The first stage happens when a 15 minute countdown event pops up - Primary power source disrupted in: 15:00.  When that timer gets to 0, you will see a LOT of purple portals appear on the map.  Go to one of those portals and you will be taken to this stage. 

Red circles indicate the portal locations and the red arrow points to the portal rift
 

After jumping through one of the portals, you'll be met with this image down below.  The event lasts for 7 minutes, so you technically have time if you get there late.  Just hold out, destroy all enemies that come.


Defeat the Simulacrum of:

After defeating the seemingly never-ending defense, you'll be allowed entrance into the Simulacrum chamber.  This is where things get intense.  You will be fighting 2 champions, 1 after the other.  There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason as to who gets picked, but these fights can become difficult if not a lot of people show up.  

Fighting 1 of the Simulacrum champions

Defeat the Dragon Minion Simulacrum

 After surviving the single simulacrum champions, you get the chance to fight both of them at the same time.  Once they are both dispatched from existence, the event is over.  

Final stage and location
References:

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Gathering_Storms
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/The_Specimen_Chamber