How to kill a mocking Jade Scarab? - Guild Wars Forums

Saya · Jun 15, 2005, 05:33 PM // 17:33

Since the latest patch those Jade Scarabs in the desert are spamming out hexes and especially chillbains, which makes them extremely hard to kill without some dead henchies when they come in groups of 3+

Does anyone have a decent tactic to fight those things or are they just an annoying part of the game and therefore should be avoided if possible?

With my warrior/monk the chillbains finish me off within seconds - especially when good ol' Alesia thinks it's tanking time again (but that's a different issue

).

With my ranger/monk the chillbains don't affect me that much, but due to my low hitpoints, the continuing flood of parasitic bond and disease result in a huge hp drain, so that I'm also down with that one within seconds.
I tried the dust traps, throw dirt and whirling defense skills, in order to keep at least the melee damage down, but that's still not effective, as sometimes the fight with 3+ scarabs leaves me with 0 casualties and then the next encounter with 2+ dead henchies.
The most annoying thing is, that the parasitic bond can be cast by just 1 of those things faster than I can use "Remove Hex". As soon as I use that skill, the bond gets removed and the scarab casts it again.
I don't have much experience with that skill, so I'm not sure if it's supposed to be that way, so that the hex'er gets the advantage, or if the scarabs got spiced up that bad, in order to get rid of the farming of those.

Anyway, does anyone have a good tactic to fight those things or do you avoid them, if possible, as well?

trackxyj · Jun 15, 2005, 06:07 PM // 18:07

I started misplaced sword from hero's audience instead of the amnoon oasis, just because of this particular reason.

Maybe an enchanter hench could help. Does that hench use backfire a lot?

C-Tzar · Jun 15, 2005, 06:07 PM // 18:07

This is one of the places that got abused by the farmers and beefed up (as if it wasn't already hellish on someone new to the desert). Now we're all paying for it. Thanks *$#holes. I just take it slow and careful, rez my henchies a lot, and cuss a lot.

Santosh · Jun 15, 2005, 06:18 PM // 18:18

A good monk healer (not alesia hench) can take care of those jade scarabs.

Saya · Jun 15, 2005, 06:43 PM // 18:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by trackxyj

I started misplaced sword from hero's audience instead of the amnoon oasis, just because of this particular reason.

Maybe an enchanter hench could help. Does that hench use backfire a lot?

I'm not sure, I usually go with the 2 fighters, the healer, mage & cultist, which is usually a nice combo - beside getting raped by them scarabs

btw: I've been looking for that "Misplaced Sword" quest, as it's supposed to offer the flame trap as a reward for rangers, but couldn't find the person giving it out so far. Where and from whom did you get it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Santosh

A good monk healer (not alesia hench) can take care of those jade scarabs.

You mean due to the fact that the healer keeps on flooding heals or are you referring to any special kind of protection/heal skills?

Saya · Jun 15, 2005, 06:46 PM // 18:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by C-Tzar

I just take it slow and careful, rez my henchies a lot, and cuss a lot.

Yeah,
I'm currently doing the same now and actually made it to Hero's Audience now

At least the hench portal rez issue got fixed with the last patch, before that I was already worried that the healer would take off into the map void after a rez. Usually happened to me after the second or third rez, so that it was impossible not to restart the whole thing by rezoning.

Sekkira · Jun 15, 2005, 06:49 PM // 18:49

O_o

I just went through the entire desert with henchies, easy as hell. I didn't know that their difficulty was increased in the patch and I had an easier time beating them then when I first entered with my primary.

Saya · Jun 15, 2005, 07:05 PM // 19:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sekkira

O_o

I just went through the entire desert with henchies, easy as hell. I didn't know that their difficulty was increased in the patch and I had an easier time beating them then when I first entered with my primary.

What build are you playing with and which henchies did you take with you?

My warrior's having a hard time with those things, due to relying on mending, which gets nuked with their chillbain and my ranger just keeps on using all kinds of defensive skills, just to prevent the huge hp drain of those buggers.

toastgodsupreme · Jun 15, 2005, 07:08 PM // 19:08

They're not so bad. They **** your enchants, so don't use healing breeze.

I use mark of pain then send in the henchies. Usually they stay together for MoP to dish out some nasty damage to a whole group.

Don't blame the farmers for them getting beefed up. It was anet who put them there initially too weak, it was anet who beefed them up. I have no problems with them when I bring a group of henchies to the desert. People need to learn tactics.

Zorque · Jun 15, 2005, 07:22 PM // 19:22

Stay away from enchantments and you'll do much better, drop your monk skills for some nice warrior defences. Those stances work well and can't be nuked off. Also AoE works well.

Santosh · Jun 15, 2005, 07:49 PM // 19:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saya

You mean due to the fact that the healer keeps on flooding heals or are you referring to any special kind of protection/heal skills?

My main is an Mo/E class, level 20, ascended, finished the game.

I sometimes farm the desert outside of Amnoon just for fun with 5 henchies. How do I do it? It's pulling/luring these scarabs correctly. You don't just run up to them and start nuking and fighting. Sometimes 6-7 of them come. I don't use cure spells. I just use word of healing, heal other and divine boon. The rest are my secondary elemental AoE spells. After my initial pull, my hench war and brawler usually attacks the first scarab that attacks. I just keep backing up and backing up till at max heal range. Then me and the rest of my hench (usually alesia, orion, claude) take out the ones that go after us. Alesia heals well initially. I patch heal. I time my AoE when the scarabs are bunched up. I just make sure to kill the weakest scarab, not the closest. Rinse and repeat. Easy when you get into a rhythm.

Epinephrine · Jun 15, 2005, 09:03 PM // 21:03

I didn't find it too bad, with a necromancer. When one goes down pop up a well of blood. Use Shadow of Fear to slow down their attacks, you can use Enfeebling blood if you aren't planning on using melee damage to take them out. They cluster nicely around tanks, but slowed down a bit they don't do as much damage and the 6 pips of regeneration really help keep the henchies alive.

salatious · Jun 15, 2005, 09:27 PM // 21:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by trackxyj

Maybe an enchanter hench could help. Does that hench use backfire a lot?

cant use that either, they disenchant all the time... I hate these things

Saya · Jun 15, 2005, 10:35 PM // 22:35

I've been going through the first two Jade Scarab mobs right at the gate to the Amnoon Oasis several times now and so far the best way to avoid any dead henchies (or nosy rangers

) was to trigger the scarabs to spawn out of the ground, retreat, setup a dust trap and wait for them to enter it before starting to attack. The rest is just a hope that the henchies survive and I myself am busy casting troll ungent and remove hex to avoid biting the dust myself. If they die too slow, then throw dirt helps keep the damage low as well, unless they are scattered among the group.

So, the ultra slow & carefull aproach seems to be working here.

spiritofcat · Jun 16, 2005, 12:26 AM // 00:26

I haven't had any real trouble with those scarabs.
I'm an E/R and I mostly venture out with henchies. I don't run fast or far, so I notice when they come out of the ground.
Once they appear I call one of them as a target, and we all kill it, and then go on to the next.
I think with henchies, calling targets really helps to focus their damage.

Saya · Jun 16, 2005, 01:20 AM // 01:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiritofcat

I think with henchies, calling targets really helps to focus their damage.

Oh,
I'll have to try that one, as I was under the impression that the targetted player enemy will automatically be attacked by the henchies as well - at least the melee ones do that for sure, as they switch target as well if you do.

toastgodsupreme · Jun 22, 2005, 10:29 PM // 22:29

Alright, I'm sorry, I take it all back. These things are soooooooooooo bad. I swear. I tried with henchies, and I tried with real players. These things eat my wamo for breakfast.

My necro has such an easy time because hey, minions = meat shields while we take out the scarabs as slow as we need to. But man... without a minion master, they're a bit tough.

I use smite hex, but damn if it doesn't recharge too slow and only does 50 dmg currently.

Edit: maybe it wouldn't be so bad if the henchies wouldn't run from them and end up agro'ing a shit ton of other mobs, but godamn.

hassoon · Jun 23, 2005, 01:15 AM // 01:15

Hmmm i have a r/e and play with henchies and have no trouble at all.

Jun 15, 2005, 05:33 PM // 17:33	#1
Saya Academy Page Join Date: Apr 2005	How to kill a mocking Jade Scarab? Since the latest patch those Jade Scarabs in the desert are spamming out hexes and especially chillbains, which makes them extremely hard to kill without some dead henchies when they come in groups of 3+ Does anyone have a decent tactic to fight those things or are they just an annoying part of the game and therefore should be avoided if possible? With my warrior/monk the chillbains finish me off within seconds - especially when good ol' Alesia thinks it's tanking time again (but that's a different issue ). With my ranger/monk the chillbains don't affect me that much, but due to my low hitpoints, the continuing flood of parasitic bond and disease result in a huge hp drain, so that I'm also down with that one within seconds. I tried the dust traps, throw dirt and whirling defense skills, in order to keep at least the melee damage down, but that's still not effective, as sometimes the fight with 3+ scarabs leaves me with 0 casualties and then the next encounter with 2+ dead henchies. The most annoying thing is, that the parasitic bond can be cast by just 1 of those things faster than I can use "Remove Hex". As soon as I use that skill, the bond gets removed and the scarab casts it again. I don't have much experience with that skill, so I'm not sure if it's supposed to be that way, so that the hex'er gets the advantage, or if the scarabs got spiced up that bad, in order to get rid of the farming of those. Anyway, does anyone have a good tactic to fight those things or do you avoid them, if possible, as well?

Jun 22, 2005, 10:29 PM // 22:29	#17
toastgodsupreme Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: May 2005 Location: United States Profession: Me/	Alright, I'm sorry, I take it all back. These things are soooooooooooo bad. I swear. I tried with henchies, and I tried with real players. These things eat my wamo for breakfast. My necro has such an easy time because hey, minions = meat shields while we take out the scarabs as slow as we need to. But man... without a minion master, they're a bit tough. I use smite hex, but damn if it doesn't recharge too slow and only does 50 dmg currently. Edit: maybe it wouldn't be so bad if the henchies wouldn't run from them and end up agro'ing a shit ton of other mobs, but godamn. Last edited by toastgodsupreme; Jun 22, 2005 at 10:31 PM // 22:31..

Jun 15, 2005, 06:07 PM // 18:07	#2
trackxyj Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: May 2005	I started misplaced sword from hero's audience instead of the amnoon oasis, just because of this particular reason. Maybe an enchanter hench could help. Does that hench use backfire a lot?

Jun 15, 2005, 06:07 PM // 18:07	#3
C-Tzar Krytan Explorer Join Date: May 2005 Location: North AL, USA Profession: E/Mo	This is one of the places that got abused by the farmers and beefed up (as if it wasn't already hellish on someone new to the desert). Now we're all paying for it. Thanks *$#holes. I just take it slow and careful, rez my henchies a lot, and cuss a lot.

Jun 15, 2005, 06:18 PM // 18:18	#4
Santosh Academy Page Join Date: May 2005 Guild: Cult Unseen Profession: Mo/E	A good monk healer (not alesia hench) can take care of those jade scarabs.

Jun 15, 2005, 06:49 PM // 18:49	#7
Sekkira Forge Runner Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Canberra, AU	O_o I just went through the entire desert with henchies, easy as hell. I didn't know that their difficulty was increased in the patch and I had an easier time beating them then when I first entered with my primary.

Jun 15, 2005, 07:08 PM // 19:08	#9
toastgodsupreme Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: May 2005 Location: United States Profession: Me/	They're not so bad. They **** your enchants, so don't use healing breeze. I use mark of pain then send in the henchies. Usually they stay together for MoP to dish out some nasty damage to a whole group. Don't blame the farmers for them getting beefed up. It was anet who put them there initially too weak, it was anet who beefed them up. I have no problems with them when I bring a group of henchies to the desert. People need to learn tactics.

Jun 15, 2005, 07:22 PM // 19:22	#10
Zorque Academy Page Join Date: Apr 2005	Stay away from enchantments and you'll do much better, drop your monk skills for some nice warrior defences. Those stances work well and can't be nuked off. Also AoE works well.

Jun 15, 2005, 09:03 PM // 21:03	#12
Epinephrine Master of Beasts Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Ottawa, Canada Guild: Servants of Fortuna [SoF]	I didn't find it too bad, with a necromancer. When one goes down pop up a well of blood. Use Shadow of Fear to slow down their attacks, you can use Enfeebling blood if you aren't planning on using melee damage to take them out. They cluster nicely around tanks, but slowed down a bit they don't do as much damage and the 6 pips of regeneration really help keep the henchies alive.

Jun 15, 2005, 10:35 PM // 22:35	#14
Saya Academy Page Join Date: Apr 2005	I've been going through the first two Jade Scarab mobs right at the gate to the Amnoon Oasis several times now and so far the best way to avoid any dead henchies (or nosy rangers ) was to trigger the scarabs to spawn out of the ground, retreat, setup a dust trap and wait for them to enter it before starting to attack. The rest is just a hope that the henchies survive and I myself am busy casting troll ungent and remove hex to avoid biting the dust myself. If they die too slow, then throw dirt helps keep the damage low as well, unless they are scattered among the group. So, the ultra slow & carefull aproach seems to be working here.

Jun 16, 2005, 12:26 AM // 00:26	#15
spiritofcat Jungle Guide Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sydney, Australia Guild: Order of the Sanguine Dragon [OSD] Profession: E/Mo	I haven't had any real trouble with those scarabs. I'm an E/R and I mostly venture out with henchies. I don't run fast or far, so I notice when they come out of the ground. Once they appear I call one of them as a target, and we all kill it, and then go on to the next. I think with henchies, calling targets really helps to focus their damage.

Jun 23, 2005, 01:15 AM // 01:15	#18
hassoon Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Apr 2005	Hmmm i have a r/e and play with henchies and have no trouble at all.