Curse

syronj · Jan 12, 2011, 01:37 PM // 13:37

I was playing the "Warband of Brothers" quest in EotN and was having trouble finishing the last boss, since he's flanked by two charr Effigies; they were burning down my characters with Mind Burn before I could reach the boss, over and over. I checked the wiki and tried pulling the Effigies to one side and then attacking the boss, and found it laughably easy to take him down while the Effigies stayed off in their own area.

The lesson I took from this is to learn how to "pull" the enemy better, but also not to give up if a particular battle seems impossible. What situations have you been in where you needed to think outside of the box?

Lord Mip · Jan 12, 2011, 01:46 PM // 13:46

What I learned today:

That spreading Poison and counting cooldowns is more effective ranger play than camping a vital character in PvP.
Counting cooldowns helps for those.

Tommy's · Jan 12, 2011, 01:47 PM // 13:47

I don't see how pulling is out of the box, since its really one of the basic ideas of playing PvE in this game. Secondly you don't even need to pull them since when fighting them just approach them from the sides and you don't even agro the boss. Just kill first effigy, second effigy and then the boss. At least if there hasn't been a change to the quest since a few weeks

The only time I felt like doing something out of the box was for a quest in nf, believe it was to get Juni berries or something for Nick, where I needed to sac myself as much as I could, just as my friend, and ressing eachother as fast as we could to let our heroes make minions and once Toma got hungy we needed to sac our hero so he could eat all the hostile turned minions. But I guess thats not that much out of the box either

Tender Care · Jan 12, 2011, 02:23 PM // 14:23

LOL just go for the boss and spike him.....

syronj · Jan 12, 2011, 02:53 PM // 14:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tommy's

I don't see how pulling is out of the box, since its really one of the basic ideas of playing PvE in this game. Secondly you don't even need to pull them since when fighting them just approach them from the sides and you don't even agro the boss. Just kill first effigy, second effigy and then the boss. At least if there hasn't been a change to the quest since a few weeks

I tried to kill one effigy at a time, but the Mind Burn was killing my characters too quickly (I play solo, with heroes and henchmen). I need to improve the builds of my characters, true.

tcratty · Jan 12, 2011, 02:54 PM // 14:54

you should have have only had to fight the boss the effigies and all others should have already been dead. i give you bonus points for bravery though charging in and attacking that group wasnt my first thought after i saw the 2 GIGANTIC effigies coming towards me

syronj · Jan 12, 2011, 03:03 PM // 15:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcratty

you should have have only had to fight the boss the effigies and all others should have already been dead. i give you bonus points for bravery though charging in and attacking that group wasnt my first thought after i saw the 2 GIGANTIC effigies coming towards me

Thanks. I'm trying not to be a Leroy Jenkins in this game. Clearly reaching level 20 is only the beginning for my characters in this game, though, and I will have to do more research on builds. The other levels that have been impossible so far include Heart of the Shiverpeaks (trying to slay a wurm) and Fire and Pain (several Effigies), so I'm trying to back off and improve my builds first. Yesterday I started to try for the Pain Inverter capability, which should supposedly help against the wurm.

Lasai · Jan 12, 2011, 03:06 PM // 15:06

a lot of us learned this long ago and in different games.

Dont be a Leeeeroy.

I don't pug..because the urge to Leeeeroy is just too common still.

I spend tons of time equipping and getting skills for my heroes and then tailoring them for what I am doing.

RE the Worm..conditions and armor ignoring damage bypass the carapace.
I've beaten him with a strategically placed Jinn, Xandra and monk without ever touching a Keg.

TheGizzy · Jan 12, 2011, 03:25 PM // 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by syronj

Thanks. I'm trying not to be a Leroy Jenkins in this game. Clearly reaching level 20 is only the beginning for my characters in this game, though, and I will have to do more research on builds. The other levels that have been impossible so far include Heart of the Shiverpeaks (trying to slay a wurm) and Fire and Pain (several Effigies), so I'm trying to back off and improve my builds first. Yesterday I started to try for the Pain Inverter capability, which should supposedly help against the wurm.

It took me a couple of months to realize that I couldn't just charge in and nuke the heck out of everything... I had to stop and think, I had to be smart about how many foes I aggro'd at once, I had to pay attention to what elements worked against what foes, and I had to think about which of my heroes/henchmen would be effective in which environments. My Minion Master is awesome... unless I'm going somewhere with a dearth of fleshy foes... then he's useless and I'm better off with something else.

It's a learning process... and it usually involves quite a few deaths or mission failures. Nothing wrong with that... after all, practice makes perfect. I'm really good at dying now, a damn expert! So I've started to work on learning how to survive instead. *grins*

The Wiki is pretty much my constant companion, now. I've taken to looking up every quest/mission before I do it... to reading the notes and tips, to learning about the foes. Then I try to take what I've read and create my own approach... not a "gimmick" build, not a "trick" walkthrough... just learning about the strengths and weaknesses of the foe and trying to create a party of heroes/henchies around that based on what skills I have available to me.

Good example - I've seen a lot of builds revolving around using Searing Flames as an elementalist. It's a great spell, works well, minimal energy drain when coupled with Glowing Gaze, spammable... but the foes seem to scatter like mad even though I've read stuff saying it doesn't cause scatter. Sure seems to, to me. But Deep Freeze... that slows them down... it's a heavy energy cost (which I can afford) but I don't have to dump a single pip into water for it to do its magic, and it holds the foes in a group long enough that I can nail them hard with Searing Flames or another AoE. End result is that I'm having no problem with many areas that the Wiki is peppered with warnings about how difficult it is, how it can't be done with just H/H, etc.

Is it the best use of my skills as an elementalist? I don't know... a month from now, I may think the combination is worthless. For now, it's working really well for me... and no one told me how to do it, I came up with the idea, talked to my more experienced friend Missy about it, and gave it a shot.

You're obviously learning from your mistakes... isn't that how it's supposed to work?

aspi · Jan 12, 2011, 03:49 PM // 15:49

The thing I learned from this weekend, do do shards of orr HM with a 100B warrior without some kind of blind removal. My war was pretty useless most of the time. Managed to kill fendi though :/

Lord Mip · Jan 13, 2011, 12:38 AM // 00:38

Deep Freeze and scatter causing skills is generally a good combination yes. Coming from the mouth of a reasonably experienced player

However, Searing Flames shouldn't be causing scatter. Maybe you or your party members are using other skills that cause scatter? (Things like Searing Heat, Fire Storm, some of the henchmen have scatter AoE skills such as Herta with her Sandstorm)

Are you doing Normal Mode or Hard Mode by the way? Fire is generally not viable in HM.

Just Sai · Jan 13, 2011, 12:52 AM // 00:52

what i learned today:
Electroadhesion is the term given to the electrostatic effect of astriction between two surfaces subjected to an electrical field

heres a couple of links to what i consider the greatest and most helpful information i have ever found outside the game itself

Running the Numbers

Mechanics and Stacking

re to the tc

i used to flank the wall scraping hard left all the way around then bail up the stairs actually running past the boss himself and stand at the top behind him, the ai wont kick in until he reaches the midflight stair platform.
jus forget th heros they are bait, once at the top apply PI ftw
you only have to kill one guy.

syronj · Jan 13, 2011, 12:52 PM // 12:52

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think the next character I take through that quest will have an easier time of it.

TheGizzy · Jan 13, 2011, 02:19 PM // 14:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Mip

Deep Freeze and scatter causing skills is generally a good combination yes. Coming from the mouth of a reasonably experienced player

However, Searing Flames shouldn't be causing scatter. Maybe you or your party members are using other skills that cause scatter? (Things like Searing Heat, Fire Storm, some of the henchmen have scatter AoE skills such as Herta with her Sandstorm)

Are you doing Normal Mode or Hard Mode by the way? Fire is generally not viable in HM.

Thanks for the tip, Lord Mip... you mentioning Herta has me thinking that might be the problem. I tend to take her out a lot as a henchie. I'm going to pay closer attention to who is casting what, when (and leave her behind for a bit) and see what happens. This is where my newness shows *chuckling* I hadn't considered that what my AI companions are casting might be causing the scatter... I guess I just had it in my head that they won't cast until I have, but now I'm thinking that they're probably getting something off almost as soon as we move within casting range.

I usually do NM, though I've been doing more and more HM stuff - the WiK bounties, Zaishen stuff if it's in Prophecies or EotN (the only ones I've finished), etc.

Honestly, until about a month ago, I didn't even know "scatter" existed as a "cause/effect" kind of thing in GW. But I do like the fact that if I toss Deep Freeze on a group, it usually means I can get off a couple of more casts of Searing Flames before they separate enough that I'm not catching all or most of the group at the same time. I have a 40/40 fire set, so I'm getting in an extra cast here and there as well, and the Deep Freeze is buying me a little more time (and dealing a tiny bit of damage).

My learning process is ongoing...I could likely have something new to add to this thread every single day since I am constantly finding out something new or interesting about how the game works. LOL Thanks again! And sorry to the OP for the little hijack.

syronj · Jan 13, 2011, 02:31 PM // 14:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGizzy

My learning process is ongoing...I could likely have something new to add to this thread every single day since I am constantly finding out something new or interesting about how the game works. LOL Thanks again! And sorry to the OP for the little hijack.

No problem with the thread hijack, I like to see replies to a thread. Herta is one of my favorite henchmen for a few reasons, including her beauty (up there with Jora IMO) but I was surprised to notice while playing GW lately that Herta has a resurrect ability too. I'm not sure how an earth elementalist has that, but it's confirmed by the wiki.

-Makai- · Jan 13, 2011, 02:46 PM // 14:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by syronj

I'm not sure how an earth elementalist has that, but it's confirmed by the wiki.

Since late 2009, EOTN henchman are dual-classed.

What did I learn today? Brawling Headbutt immediately followed by Jagged Strike is stylish crazy action.

chessyang · Jan 13, 2011, 05:22 PM // 17:22

What i learned.....

was you get in the Mausoleum during Halloween! Dang PvE lore.

Kosar The Cruel · Jan 13, 2011, 05:43 PM // 17:43

That I have no use for guilds.

ErrantVenture · Jan 13, 2011, 05:54 PM // 17:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Mip

What I learned today:

That spreading Poison and counting cooldowns is more effective ranger play than camping a vital character in PvP.
Counting cooldowns helps for those.

Rupting people after knockdowns is hilarious as well. You wouldn't believe how many people queue up skills when they're knocked. You can get a dshot on something important almost every time.

legioncg · Jan 14, 2011, 12:24 AM // 00:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kosar The Cruel

That I have no use for guilds.

Ditto, it could be worse Kosar you could be the only one on 90% of the time lol