Curse

wsmcasey · Sep 19, 2005, 07:43 PM // 19:43

In medieval times there were 5 main methods of attacking a castle. You will notice that none of these methods are available to the enemies invading Thunderhead Keep.

1) Fire - This was the best way to attack the early Motte and Bailey castles since they were made entirely of wood.

2) Battering Ram - The thick stone walls of the Stone Keep castles were difficult for men to knock down. The battering ram was particularly useful since the weight of several men would be put behind it. This would make it a considerable force that could seriously weaken and possibly destroy doors or walls.

3) Ladders - These were used by those attacking a castle to climb over the walls and fight the castle inhabitants within the castle walls.

4) Catapult - A variety of catapults or siege engines were developed during the Middle Ages to fire stones, fireballs or other objects such as dead sheep, cattle, or plague victims, at the castle walls or into the castle itself. (The defenders of Thunderhead have this feature, the enemy does not).

5) Mining - A good way of attacking a castle was through mining. Attackers would dig a tunnel underground up to the castle walls, under the gatehouse if possible. They would then set a charge and make an explosion which would make the walls crumble and collapse.

6) Siege - Another good way of attacking a castle was by placing it under siege. Attackers would surround a castle with both men and catapults so that no one could enter or leave the castle. Sieges could last for months, usually until the inhabitants of the castle ran out of food and were starving.

Since this is a video game and not the real world your options to defend the Keep are rather black and white. The only option the enemy has is to go thru the gates on the east or west side of the Keep. That means that the 2 gates are choke points that are used to control the success of the mission. Guarding the king is great and all, but if your Perimeter has been breeched it's pretty much game over.

a_scrawny_gnoll01 · Sep 19, 2005, 08:05 PM // 20:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by wsmcasey

Not watching the doors is what gets the king killed. If you properly guard the doors then you don't have to worry about the king.

Yes, of course. However, sometimes at the first sight of a named jade/mursaat, you end up having all your tanks on one side trying to tear it down. Like I posted above, this is what ends up killing a group.

You can guard the doors; just make sure your tanks know to stay there regardless!

lishi · Sep 19, 2005, 09:24 PM // 21:24

when i was newbe i beat the mission with 4 monk ,1 ele,3 warr

wsmcasey · Sep 19, 2005, 10:17 PM // 22:17

You can have the best strategy, but it all boils down to communication in the end.

Iere · Sep 19, 2005, 10:28 PM // 22:28

I completed this on my first try, as one of two healing monks. I believe our group consisted of four warriors, two healers, and two elementalists. It was pretty damn easy, actually, and we did it with guarding the doors. The other healer even went AFK in the battle, leaving me to run back and forth to heal. The mursaat didn't even see the king.

TGgold · Sep 19, 2005, 10:44 PM // 22:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tmm Ryan

The King didnt take one hit, and my party, had 2 hench (healer+ protector), 2 Warriors, 3 Ele, 1 mesmer, 1 Necro.

Its Really not a hard mission.

Three are nine perosn parties now? Haha.

I have yet to beat this mission. The last few times I've had multiple leavers, and the poeple that do stay know nothing of the game mechanics (I tought 3 in one group how to call and follow targets....so they felt the need to have ALL of them call and try out their new toy).

So yeah, I don't like a lot of PUGs, and nobody's in my guild because I don't monopolize presearing <3

Mumblyfish · Sep 19, 2005, 11:00 PM // 23:00

That's a rather long post for such a... simple "strategy".

Bring 7 henchmen. Stand beside the king. Engage /dance.

I did it with an empty skillbar (Mesmer), just to prove a point. So long as you can click on targets to set the henchmen priorities straight, the mission's a cakewalk. Ditch the catapults, light those beacons, get your arse to Ember Light Camp.

a_scrawny_gnoll01 · Sep 20, 2005, 05:07 AM // 05:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mumblyfish

That's a rather long post for such a... simple "strategy".

Bring 7 henchmen. Stand beside the king. Engage /dance.

I did it with an empty skillbar (Mesmer), just to prove a point. So long as you can click on targets to set the henchmen priorities straight, the mission's a cakewalk. Ditch the catapults, light those beacons, get your arse to Ember Light Camp.

Ah, yes, yet people do not realise how easy this mission is with henchmen... /wink /wink /nudge /nudge.

Alone) · Sep 20, 2005, 05:19 AM // 05:19

Wow. It took me 3 tries. Honestly, I don't think it's "easy." I just feel that it is easy for some people because they beat it. If you don't feel that way, great! That's good.

But this mission has its key points to taking their time, and knowing when/where to go. For the first part of the mission up until the castle part, luring can be a key plan.

CoRrRan · Sep 20, 2005, 10:29 AM // 10:29

I've done this mission plenty of times and never guard the king. Always 2 groups at each door and USE the friggin' cata's! Cata's are the lifesavers...

Two ranged characters (El/Ne/Me(/Ra)) at a cata each pulling them constantly and sensibly (i.e. pull when red dots are getting close to the 2 brown spots on the minimap and keep pulling the lever until they are past those spots), 2 Monks in the middle ('Life Bond'-monk any1?), 2 'tanks' (Wa(/Ra)) at a door, rest following commands when someone says "EAST" or "WEST".

Ah well, usually do this mission with my guild to help a guildie or two. Ventrilo works magic...

trelloskilos · Sep 20, 2005, 01:33 PM // 13:33

I think the problem with the Keep is not that the mission is hard (It isn't), but because of it's overwhelming reputation and a few stumbling blocks where many groups fail.

Once these key areas are worked out, the mission becomes a doddle.

Stumbling block 1. The last few groups in the "Clearing the town" area. The first 3 groups are all well known. Where the group may first fail is on going for the wrong group cos it's closer, and getting ambushed by the other patrolling group. Also, the last group (with the boss) is usually safer to complete if you take out the giants & rangers on the other side of the door (with your own ranged casters & damage dealers)

Stumbling block 2: The area immediaely after the door. Stone summit Anarchists & gnashers. Should be easy, right? If you have the good sense not to aggro the giants too.

Stumbling block 3: Getting Ironhammer to his podium. There are a lot of close mobs, and it's easy to aggro them accidentally. Just keep the "King Babysitter" back at all times, and don't shhot your bolts.

Stumbling block 4: The first wave - Perhaps the biggest stumbling block you'll face. This is where the team either works or falls apart. The concept is simple. EVERYONE STAYS IN THE MIDDLE. Here is where someone will trot off to fire catapaults, to go and help out the undead allies at the door, to go light beacons, or to pick up something on the battleground. The moment someone does anything like that, you know your team is in trouble.

Stumbling block 5: The quiet bit. There's probably about 3-4 minutes after the first wave where there is a lack of enemies. It's quiet. There's loads of stuff on the ground, and people are getting restless. This is a good time to go pick up all that loot, to light the beacons etc., but one person must at least stay close to the king and keep watch. As soon as a red blip appears, ping on the minimap, and everyone goes back to base. It's also usually the point where someone says "I think there's a bug. Let's go outside and find the groups" - WRONG!!!!

Stumbling block 6: The 2nd wave. Just save the boss til last! Easy!!!

Lemmy · Sep 24, 2005, 02:55 PM // 14:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tocc

I don't know why all ignore the boss, it's more easy kill him first and than lure the other group one by one. It doesn't change that much, but there are no reason to make strange tour when kill him immediatly reduce a little bit aggro chances.

Exactly, I do this mission only with henches and start from boss first (it's way easier with hench, because as experience says you find a "Killroy Stonekin" in 95% of the groups

)

PatternWolf · Sep 25, 2005, 03:09 AM // 03:09

Well this is good to know. I beat thunderhead keep the first time. The next 12 times I tried with my monk and couldn't win. It's always when it;s time to defend the castle that we lose. Basically it's poor communication. When I lost it always almost always goes like this.

We get to defending the caslte
Someone Leaves for some reaosn so we usually have 7 players.
We defend the first few waves easily enough
2 waves come at both sides at the same time and verything falls apart
The monsters either rush and kill king or theyh overwhelm us.

I tried to beat thunderhead keep 4 times today and this is how it happened each time.

a_scrawny_gnoll01 · Oct 12, 2005, 05:08 AM // 05:08

Is it just me... or has this mission become easier within the last few patches? No... that can't be right. /shrug

Anyone else experience this?

One and Two · Oct 12, 2005, 06:50 AM // 06:50

Thunderhead Keep needs to be much harder.

Communication is the key. Try taking a mesmer. F*ck the warrior going on this "last" and tenth run.

unienaule · Oct 12, 2005, 08:08 AM // 08:08

Want to know what makes this ridiculously easy? Tank holds torch. Tank takes ALL the aggro. gg, noob mursaat.

Kassad · Oct 12, 2005, 08:45 AM // 08:45

Just did it a day ago with henchies.. first time I did it with henchies. Just stay near king.. perhaps it was because instead of pefect armour the Ele boss came.

John Waffletord · Oct 12, 2005, 12:48 PM // 12:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by unienaule

Want to know what makes this ridiculously easy? Tank holds torch. Tank takes ALL the aggro. gg, noob mursaat.

I agree.. its simple.

Jenosavel · Oct 12, 2005, 03:43 PM // 15:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by trelloskilos

Stumbling block 5: The quiet bit. There's probably about 3-4 minutes after the first wave where there is a lack of enemies. It's quiet. There's loads of stuff on the ground, and people are getting restless. This is a good time to go pick up all that loot, to light the beacons etc., but one person must at least stay close to the king and keep watch. As soon as a red blip appears, ping on the minimap, and everyone goes back to base. It's also usually the point where someone says "I think there's a bug. Let's go outside and find the groups" - WRONG!!!!

The funny part is that I've done this mission more times than I can remember anymore. I'm always of the strategy to camp the king and generally just talk with my single active guildmate (who I do most missions with) during that downtime. The second to last time we did Thunderhead we were chatting away and suddenly realized a good 15 or more minute had gone by without a single enemy showing up. Figuring there was no point in waiting any longer, we headed out. A group of Mursaat that are supposed to come apparently caught up with a group of Stone Summit that are supposed to come as well and were fighting. That normally wouldn't me a problem, as the victor would come to the Keep and the mission would continue. In fact, I'm willing to bet that this fight is the precise reason there is the downtime in the first place... but you see, this time the Frost Giants and Jade Bows were attacking each other from opposite sides of one of those houses out there in the east. Neither was hitting each other, and apparently had no interest in moving to a better spot. We watched 'em for another 5 minutes or so, then took them out. Unfortunately, their deaths is apparently what spawns the next group, and we tailed that group as it ran towards the Keep. Needless to say, we didn't arrive in time and it was a lost mission.

The short of it is that the mission can bug out so that the down time extends indefinitely.

Mahanaxar · Oct 12, 2005, 06:15 PM // 18:15

I think Anet "nerfed" badly this mission with the last patches.

I did mission and bonus (the only bonus i was missing) a week ago with my r/mo and 7 henchies, with no troubles at all.

I just waited near the King. No catapults, no gate glitch, just fighted the enemies as they came close.

Throw Dirt and dust trap are really nice in the last part, to kill the mursaats casters quickly without worrying about the jades.

And most important thing, no problem with retarded players talking to the king before opening the chests around the fort.