A Guide to Katzenstein’s Lab: Part Two of the Dungeon Miniseries

Katzenstein’s Lab is included in my selection of places in the Spiral to visit only once, and never return if you can help it. Katzenstein’s Lab is smack in the path of the main quest storyline. While chasing down Meowiarity in Marleybone, you are sent to find the source of the mysterious metal men (who are mostly wood with metal engines). Katzenstein’s Lab also includes a Stray Cat and a chapter of the History of Marleybone.

Now, Katzenstein’s Lab itself is not too long nor is it too tough.  On the whole, it comprises two fights with Bosses and a final battle in the Lab itself, plus a few extra tasks.  As a dungeon,

1. You have to complete the whole thing in one sitting – stop out, and you have to start over.
2. There’s a 45 minute time limit to finish the first two parts or the timing starts over (that happened to me once – caught too many times on the rooftops).

However, the rooftops are the worst in all of Marleybone. This is the killer of joy, the deeply frustrating part of the whole thing. Those who read my article on sidewalk safety have heard me talk about Marleybone roof tops – the center lane is safe, and the monsters wander in a pattern as everywhere else – up one side, and loop at the end.  The critters on the roof top are all gearheads – they move faster than most other critters. Where their patters intersect, they cross from one side of the roof to the other – or are just added in the end of the pattern out of nowhere. While you’re walking down the middle. Get the picture?  And once you have been stopped for a fight, the next monsters are there to drag you into a next one.

OK, enough of my whining. Let me give you some useful suggestions.

• As with any dungeon, make at least one friend among the people you go with – so you can port to each other.
• Only stop on the ramps between roofs, in the middle of the ramp (not near either edge).
• Watch the monsters to see where they make their loop.  Pause and wait until it is clear in both directions – look behind you, because where one pattern starts, the previous one is likely to have ended where the two sets of monsters
• If one of you feels reasonably confident about moving along the rooftops, go alone. If you get to the boss’s lair, have everyone else port. Less of a chance of someone getting caught. And if the runner is caught, they can call to friends for help.
• Make the long trips only once – have someone mark a location at the wall to the right with the gates. After each fight with a boss, teleport back, rather than walk back over the stupid rooftops.

 

As a dungeon, it’s fairly straight forward:

1. Go straight over some roof tops to Watson, who tells you need a combination to get through a gate to get to Katzenstein’s Lab.  The gate is to the left. The guy with the combination, Firegut (1300 pts – Fire), is off to the left.  Mark a location by the gate, Get ready for rooftop run #1.
2. Fight Firegut and henchman. It’s not too tough. At the end of the fight, record the combination in order when the game tells you “a secret is revealed.”
3. Return to the gate to Katzenstein’s and use the combination. You will find that there is a second gate; Go to Watson, who tells you to visit another guy – Clanker – with the new combination. Mark the location again, and get ready for another rooftop run.
4. Fight Clanker (1500 pts – Life) and henchman. At the end of the fight, record the combination in order when the game tells you “a secret is revealed.”
5. Return to the gate to Katzenstein’s and use the combination. Run over the rooftops to Katzenstein’s Lab. It’s behind the gate.
6. To open this gate, you need to disable 5 chimneys. Then the gate opens, and the lab is two rooftops away. You’re looking for Grunk, but Grunk is in the lab.
7. Find Katzenstein’s Lab.  On the right as you enter is the Stray Cat. You can get to him before fighting Katzenstein. Behind him in the lab is a volume of The History of Marleybone. You cannot read it until you fight the good doctor. You cannot talk to Grunk until you fight and defeat the good doctor and minion – but he’s not that tough either (2650 point – Storm).
8. Follow Grunk’s instructions.  It’s more fun if I don’t tell you….

 

Smogger

While you are in the Lab, there is an extra boss named Smogger.  There is a separate badge for beating Smogger (Smogger Smasher).

To find Smogger, go out the back entrance of the Lab. There will be a gap between you and a roof top.  You will get a message telling you to find stacks of wood – just like stacks of wood used as scenery on other rooftops of Marleybone. Collect four stacks and build a bridge, then walk over a couple of rooftops with no monsters to the cupola where Smogger and a minion is waiting. Smogger is tougher than Katzenstein, actually – some 4000 points – Storm.

I’m told if you beat him there is a chance of receiving a a robe, boots, or a pet (Pixie Queen), but that I didn’t get the pet nor could I use the boots.

-Zardone