stuck at the golden guardian... no bug i just suck

I’ll give you some advices how to beat Golden Guardian, although omit some details.

First of all, what is special about Golden Guardian? He has resistance to all types of magic. If there is an enemy at close range, Guardian performs melee attack only. If hero is at some range, Guardian casts spells, e.g. summons monsters or casts madness. Enraged Guardian has even more resistance to magic and is protected by Flame Fiery. If he can’t attack target with melee attack, then he casts Ice Storm, which drops his rage to zero. When he loses health down to 1000, he creates a double; however it is not as skilful as original one: he cannot break hero’s Defense, cast Madness or summon monsters. Enraged double casts Fire Storm instead of Ice Storm. Both Guardian and his double can’t regenerate unlike other bosses in the game.

Now some hints on beating him.

• More summoned zombies attack him, faster he is enraged and thus burns them with Fiery. If Golden Guardian is enraged – there is no benefit in summoning zombies.
• When attacking with magical spells, it is better to use ice or fire elemental spells, because they both inflict direct damage and additional statuses.
• Don’t use magic on enraged Guardian, because it will give only half of possible damage, which is the waste of turns and attacks.
• Stay away from summoned bats, they have skill to stun, which is often leads to a huge disadvantage for hero.
• Before appearing of double, it is better to use potions placed in adjacent rooms, keep potions in central rooms intact, because Golden Guardian with double can corner hero in a small room, which means unavoidable death. It is better for hero, if double is summoned in central room.
• When playing by cleric it is better to make “reserved” bones of monsters without raising zombies. It will help in pinch if you summon zombies, which distract enemies.
• Don’t waste your efforts on double, keep pressing Golden Guardian himself.
• It is wise to take all potions on this level which increase your stats before double appears: 2 Warrior’s potions, 2 Mage’s potions and 1 random elixir.
• Don’t underestimate Weakness skill, it not only reduces damage dealt by Golden Guardian and summoned monsters, but makes them slower, which helps to avoid direct contact with them if needed.
• Don’t make turns hasty, there are invisible ghosts there, which can block retreating path at any time.
• It is better to keep health above minimal and keep Potions of Health in reserve or around hero on floor, take Spheres of Health if possible, but don’t run far for them only.
• If you choose close combat tactics, then it is better to abandon Dark Shield in favor of Rage consuming or activated in Rage skills.
• Adjacent rooms contain a lot of random stuff, which can be better than you already have equipped at that time.
• Shackle is not weaker now; it is calculated in other way. Before it was 100% of Magic, now: 80% of (Magic + Attack), which is the same in general, but can produce bigger damage in some cases.
• Healing skill is useful for cleric, oriented to close combat and Rage consuming skills, but not ranged magic attacks.

I wish you to win in the battle with Golden Guardian; it is not easy boss, needs some patience and a bit of luck, but he is not invincible; will be happy to know results and tactics you’ve used to beat him.

Ok all of that helped. I ended up beating him. The biggest help was finding out that there were goodies in the adjacent rooms, I didn't even think to try those doors, but will the extra potions on the ground I was able to get him.

My Tactics:
Character:
(Nicknamed Wicker) is a magic heavy cleric build. I intend on showing pictures, but am having difficulty uploading them. The most important skills for this fight were:

Weaken= level 3
Fireball= level 3
Ice Nova= level 3
Mana Boost= level 3

I carried:
Shining staff
Dragon Armor
Necromancer Hood
Necromancer Ring
Dragon Amulet
Necromancer Boots

1st) Run and open all the doors that are available, if you have an empty vial set, grab potions along the way. I always carried 3 Mana and 2 health
NOTE: Make sure that you do not lock yourself into a room as the Golden Guardian quickly starts summoning foes

2nd) Once all the doors are open, begin thinning out the foes that the Golden Guardian has created. Do not raise any zombies it eats the mana to fast and they are too slow and weak. They are, at best in this fight, a distraction for the foes that the guardian had made.

3rd) once you have thinned out all the foes, you can start your fight with the guardian. Replenish health and mana to full

4th) Cast weaken and make sure weaken stays on the golden guardian

5th) stay only one, no more than two spaces away from the guardian. Cast fire ball.

6th) The Golden Guardian will slowly approach, once he get to the space next to Wicker, cast ice nova until frost debuff is added

Repeat the 5th and 6th step until the clone appears

7th) Cast weaken and make sure weaken stays on the golden guardian and the new clone

8th) use the Columns in the room to divide the Golden Guardian and the Clone

Repeat the 5th and 6th step until VICTORY!

Having all the doors open upfront make for easy retreats into full health and mana. I didn't end up using any of the stuff in the chests I felt confident in my gear. After getting the dark shield I never used rage again as a magic caster.

*SPOILER*
I ended up saving myself after a huge conflict as to if I should save the knight. I figured was it all for if I don't at least make it out alive with the princess. I was assuming the princess was still with me, but I guess I understood the story wrong, as after saving myself, it turns out the princess was killed also and the citadel stays. I was thinking I would make it out with the princess.

Loved the game. Thanks for the help.

Thanks for sharing your tactics. To be honest, cleric is not the easiest class to battle with Golden Guardian :)

As for endings there are three endings, each one slightly differs if you have not found princess in the castle.

* SPOLER *
If you chose yourself and princess was found, then it should be "Bad Marriage" ending.
In brief, princess was saved, but she loved other guy, thus end is not so happy.