I have noticed many people complaining about the difficulty of this mission so I have decided to make a guide. I have never really had trouble with this mission so I share with you how I have completed it. (Note: I used heroes and hench but you can implement these builds with real people)
My Build - W/Mo
Skill Set
1. Healing Signet
2. Sever Artery
3. Gash
4. Deadly Riposte
5. Wild Blow
6. Bonetti's
7. Lighbringer's Gaze
8. Rebirth Signet
Heroes
Tahlkora - Mo/Me
Skill Set
1. Word of Healing
2. Jamei's Gaze
3. Orison of Healing
4. Purge Conditions
5. Words of Comfort
6. Heal Party
7. Dwayna's Kiss
8. Restore Life
Master of Whispers - N/Me
Skill Set
1. Spoil Victor {E}
2. Empathy
3. Arcane Thievery
4. Arcane Larceny
5. Power Spike
6. Backfire
7. Divertion
8. Res
Zhed Shadowholve - E/Mo
Skill Set
Only
1. Air Attunement
2. Blinding Flash
3. Heal Party
4. Ressurect
5. Res? Just put it in there
Rest of Party
Strategy
Battle your way through to the temple.
When you get there defeat Undead Lich first since he is easier.
After you defeat the Lich, kite Shiro until your heroes have regained their energy.
Then unleash everything you have on Shiro.
When a party member dies, quickly rez them.
Shiro focused his attacks on me, so I used Bonetti's and Riposte on him while continually using Healing Signet to save my monks energy. Continue doing this and he should be down in less then a minute.
Tips
1. Don't give up
2. Bring self healing to save your monks energy
3. Retreat when you know your outnumbered
4. Don't be in a hurry, take every group one at a time.
5. Have fun, if you don't have fun you will become discouraged easily.
6. Wild Blow and Spoil Victor are your friend.
Gates of Madness: Guide/Tips
scarbringer
Spirit Of Azrael
Another Tip: Bring a Ranger. A good ranger with a longbow can pull the Wraiths from the surrounding mobs, saving you a lot of fighting time.
Traveller
How do I actually get inside the temple? I just have a briefing: Travel to the temple of the Six Gods. There are two gates, but both of them are blocked with no way in. I've killed loads of enemies around the perimeter, but I still can't get in.
[edit] Right, I found the small passage and the Shiro cutscene started.
[edit] Right, I found the small passage and the Shiro cutscene started.
Cyan The Archer
Your Zhed build is horrible for the mission IMO. The only real problem in the mission is Shiro when he use Impossible Odds. You can't blind him when he use Impossible Odds because it also transfers his conditions to enemies, and i heard that Diversion wont work(Distracting Shot dont disable the skill for 20sec).
Make sure you kill Undead Lich(Look on my pic to see how to do it easily), before Shiro. In this mission it's really, REALLY important to flag your henchmen and heroes. When Shiro attack them, GET THEM AWAY IMMEDIATELY. Only a warrior, with decent defense, is supposed to attack him.
This is what i said in the other thread about this mission:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyan The Archer
Make sure you kill Undead Lich(Look on my pic to see how to do it easily), before Shiro. In this mission it's really, REALLY important to flag your henchmen and heroes. When Shiro attack them, GET THEM AWAY IMMEDIATELY. Only a warrior, with decent defense, is supposed to attack him.
This is what i said in the other thread about this mission:
Quote:
This lovely little bug helped me solo Undead Lich. Make sure both Shiro and Lich stay in the middle not attacking when you go near(Note: Place your henchmen/heroes at the entrance is in the pic). I took my Ironwing Flatbow, and began to attack him. He didn't do anything, except for using the life healing skill when he got low hp, but it wont work. This will not work against Shiro because he use Reposting Shadows, and have a higher regeneration and armor.
You can clearly see on the picture which build my heroes were using, and which henchmen i had with me.
To kill shiro i first capped all the Shrines/Altars, while Shiro was attacking me. Your monks should be able to outheal him, because he dont deal alot of dmg when not using any skills. After i had capped the last Altar(Which was Dwaynas, or according to the U-map "Dywanas") i send Koss to attack Lich, and kept moving my heroes/henchmen around if Shiro would attack them. After a while he got tired and used Impossible Odds on Koss the rest of the time. Monks was good at healing him(He was close to dying once in the end though) and i made sure he had a permanemt Protective Spirit on him.
Dont choose 2 melee's for the mission, because Impossible Odds will deal way too much dmg on them both. Get a warrior with lots of defensive skills and Wild Blow, and make sure Shiro will only attack that warrior.
I hope this can help someone, because it took me countless tries and 3 days to complete the mission. Good luck
EDIT: Forgot to mention; i failed to kill Shiro the time the pic was taken, but next attempt with the EXACT same setup, i completed the mission. Make sure you dont get any DP, or at least make sure the monks and Koss dont.
Traveller, it should be at the circle down the right corner. Didn't you see Shiro around? He SHOULD open the game for you, and spawn a few Shiro'ken.
The Shiro'ken he spawn are easy to defat, and dont think about the group coming behind you: It wont go that far.
Traveller
Well, there was a smaller gate just above the bigger gate I circled which I eventually found and the Shiro cutscene started. After all that running around, I finished the mission at the same go as well. I had Olias with Spoil Victor + blood magic build, went as a curse necro myself and rest pretty standard.
jtchans
Thanks for your build. Just beat it with alot of deaths 
Thanks so much.
Thanks so much.
LoKi Foxfire
Shiro isn't very hard to beat. All you need to do is bring a SS necro with SS (duh), Reckless Haste, Price of Failure, Empathy, Shadow of Fear, and Insidious Parasite and a MM necro with Spoil Victor as his elite. When you get to Shiro, kill the Lich first and then run around the temples collecting corpses for MM minions until you have at least 2-3 and leave them with Shiro attacking them. Once he's pinned a mob of minions, sick ONE tank in (Devona in my case) and let the two necros begin hexing him.
Also, your Zhed build is completely horrible and a waste of a hero slot - you're much better off bringing MS/Searing Flames and other fire nukes to make the rest of the mission beforehand easier. Also, blinding flash is useless against Shiro because when he uses Impossible Odds because he transfers conditions when he hits.
For me, I had the Master of Whispers as a MM/Blood necro with Spoil Victor, Zhed as a fire nuker, Olias as SS/anti-melee hexer, and I brought along the henchmen monks (which do the job about as good as a hero monk but you don't sacrifice DPS). I also had Devona and the Illusion henchmen for interrupts. You NEED at least ONE tank for this mission.
Honestly, the most important thing about this mission is learning how to position Shiro so he doesn't rape the crap out of your team - I'll post a detailed skill listing later on if I have time but mind you I beat this on my 2nd try using my build and came back and got Masters on the first attempt on the mission afterwards.
Also, your Zhed build is completely horrible and a waste of a hero slot - you're much better off bringing MS/Searing Flames and other fire nukes to make the rest of the mission beforehand easier. Also, blinding flash is useless against Shiro because when he uses Impossible Odds because he transfers conditions when he hits.
For me, I had the Master of Whispers as a MM/Blood necro with Spoil Victor, Zhed as a fire nuker, Olias as SS/anti-melee hexer, and I brought along the henchmen monks (which do the job about as good as a hero monk but you don't sacrifice DPS). I also had Devona and the Illusion henchmen for interrupts. You NEED at least ONE tank for this mission.
Honestly, the most important thing about this mission is learning how to position Shiro so he doesn't rape the crap out of your team - I'll post a detailed skill listing later on if I have time but mind you I beat this on my 2nd try using my build and came back and got Masters on the first attempt on the mission afterwards.
Tuoba Hturt Eht
Quote:
Originally Posted by LoKi Foxfire
Honestly, the most important thing about this mission is learning how to position Shiro so he doesn't rape the crap out of your team
Quoted for truth. I used the "Order Heroes & Henchment" button extensively in that mission.
Knightsaber Sith
I finally beat this >_<
I had to tank with my dervish by maintaining vital boon; mystic regeneration; and conviction and used wild blow whenever there was enough adrenaline.
I took the two heal hench, one protect hero, SV hero, Zhed and cynn fire nuke and the illusion hench.
I had to tank with my dervish by maintaining vital boon; mystic regeneration; and conviction and used wild blow whenever there was enough adrenaline.
I took the two heal hench, one protect hero, SV hero, Zhed and cynn fire nuke and the illusion hench.
valiant7thc
Here is the way I did it. You can see the screen shot below for the build and henchies I used. First I pulled Shiro and Lich out and took the aggro for Shiro using stances to keep myself alive and had spoil victor on him with a necro while completely ignoring the Lich. Once Shiro was down I continued to ignore Lich and got the 5 gods' shrine. It is easier to kill Shiro off first imo due to the slow speed of Lich, I had no problems activating the shrines.
P.S. Well of Blood was extremely helpful during battles on the way to Shiro and Lich, so if anyone is having hard time getting to Shiro and Lich like I did, I highly recomend it.
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/6536/gw249yj4.jpg
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3738/gw250in3.jpg
P.S. Well of Blood was extremely helpful during battles on the way to Shiro and Lich, so if anyone is having hard time getting to Shiro and Lich like I did, I highly recomend it.
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/6536/gw249yj4.jpg
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3738/gw250in3.jpg
fgkid
Just one thing In ur Master of Dreams u have something wrong:
Spoil Victor = Elite
Power Block = Elite
2 Elites in same skill set, nor right instead of Power Block in the Skill's set image is Power Spike and not Power block...
Spoil Victor = Elite
Power Block = Elite
2 Elites in same skill set, nor right instead of Power Block in the Skill's set image is Power Spike and not Power block...
scarbringer
Oops...ya thats power spike, not power block
fixed
fixed
Mari Wolfe
Another trick than can be used is to spirit block the doorway to the temple. Then Shiro just can't get at you when goes IO. LOL When I finaly beet him it was Kormir who body blocked him as I was running away from him. Turned one spear throw and it was over. But as every one else has said Spoil Victor and Spitefull Spirit are the keys to taking him down.
Sentao Nugra
@ Scarbringer: Can you post the template coding of your heroes for us please?
auntie ying
oh scarbringer, your build is very good for killing Shiro but it will take plenty of time to come to where we kill Shiro....