Curse

ChoKILLate[FDG] · Jan 07, 2006, 09:22 PM // 21:22

Still can't beat the grasping, it is like they hit me all at once. I tried putting up spirit, lure with wand, run down, cast healing breeze but they cancel it.

So then I tried healing breeze first (longer cast time), then lure, and then spirt...but my health still drops real fast. I am not sure if breeze is already done because it all happens so fast. Also do you lure them down by agro or wand?

Injektilo · Jan 07, 2006, 11:25 PM // 23:25

I put up Protective Spirit then aggro and then cast Breeze and then back away down the stairs, let a volley of hits in then stick up Sympathetic Visage, after a couple of seconds under Symp you can safely recast spells at will as they will have no adrenaline or energy. Basically you have 4-5 seconds when everything is frantic and from then on you're in the clear. They're rather irritating and I died the first four or five times I got to them, but now I reckon I can make it to smites ninety-nine times in a hundred excluding the occasional nightmarish Nightmare (

) spawns you get. Sympathetic Visage is the key here, let them hit you a few times and exhaust their interrupts while you just attack and then put it up, this negates the scariest thing about the Graspings: "Fear Me!"

Actually I have another question about what to do when you actually get to the smite chamber (That's the big crystally place right?). Like I said, I can get there consistently now and always dispatch the first group of 4-5 smites with no problem, from there on though I can't navigate the chamber without either a billion of the little buggers descending on me, or some Coldfires Maelstrom-ing me, does anyone have a screenied minimap of a suitable route to take?

seven · Jan 08, 2006, 02:33 AM // 02:33

it took me quite a while to get the graspings as well.

i go near the aggro edge; cast PS and SV, aggro them, run back, then quickly cast breeze. if you run back quickly enough right after reaching the aggro range, they won't be able able to cancel the breeze. and even if they do manage to cancel breeze, you'll have enough time to survive to recast it again.

by that time, their attacks on you would have triggered the SV, ensuring a safe cast the second time around.

as for the coldfires, after i take out the first two sets of smites, i usually take the right route at the first big intersection in the smite area. as long as you don't aggro a smite group... luring and dispatching a patrol of 3 coldfires is quite similar. just p. drain the maelstrom of one, and dodge the others. good thing its range is quite small.

i'm quite interested to see how avarre actually does it. perhaps the way i kill coldfires are a bit inefficient, with all those walking around the maelstorms. maybe a video of the coldfires group sometime?

Avarre · Jan 08, 2006, 03:55 AM // 03:55

Injek's method is pretty much same as mine for Darknesses. I cast spirit, move up, cast breeze and aggro with proximity, then run back to the dais. I ount the distracting blows (3-4 depending on group size) then use SV, and it's smooth sailing from there.

For the smite area (Frozen Wastes) just remember all smites come in groups of 3-5, and avoid aggroing more than 1 group. Always always watch your aggro bubble to avoid smites, and because nm's pop up there occasionally. Not alot to it ... I don't have a screenshotted path because my path is never the same

Seven, the dispatching of coldfires is the definition of inefficiency... it's slow and a pain. Probably I don't do it any better than you do... put I can go record a group if needed. Perhaps i should record the graspings too, seems some have trouble with them.

extra bacon · Jan 08, 2006, 04:46 AM // 04:46

just thought i'd share my method of handling the graspings.

now, this might seem crazy to some or most, but stay with me ...

when i'm ready to take on the graspings, i move as close to the first group without aggroing them, cast SV, PS & Breeze in that order (longest lasting first), then i agro BOTH groups of graspings. Yep, both groups. so i've got 7 graspings on me. just weather the barrage of distracting blows which they always start off with and by the time breeze starts to wear off, you're in the clear and can cast at will without fear of interruptions.

the reason i take on 7 graspings at once is because you'll never have any energy problems with 7 tentacled beasts slapping you about, giving you +2 energy per hit sustained. I haven't tried all 10 at once, doubt that's possible. 7 graspings are manageable for some reason, but 7 smites are not. *shrug*

ChoKILLate[FDG] · Jan 08, 2006, 05:06 AM // 05:06

Please do!....I cast spirit, then breeze and die before I make it down to the dias. It's like they somehow strip my enchantments or hit me all at once!

EDIT!!!!!!!!!

Nevermind...I was a dumba$$. When I went to talk to the ghost, I ended up putting healing breeze on him instead of me. I did not realize it until I went to cast SV and my guy turned to him when casting! Ugh....~6k down the drain but I finally figured it out. Thanks for all the input all.

extra bacon · Jan 08, 2006, 05:51 AM // 05:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChoKILLate[FDG]

Please do!....I cast spirit, then breeze and die before I make it down to the dias. It's like they somehow strip my enchantments or hit me all at once!

What other skills do they use?

i think i know what's wrong. when you take the quest from the ghost and the graspings have spawned, make sure you're not targetting the ghost before you cast PS, SV, etc otherwise you'll be casting on him instead of yourself, ensuring a speedy return to the surface.

Two April Mornings · Jan 08, 2006, 05:58 AM // 05:58

i use the same method as you bacon and it works perfect, things get too dicey only attacknig one thing in the end, i hate that

Avarre · Jan 08, 2006, 08:26 AM // 08:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChoKILLate[FDG]

Please do!....I cast spirit, then breeze and die before I make it down to the dias. It's like they somehow strip my enchantments or hit me all at once!

EDIT!!!!!!!!!

Nevermind...I was a dumba$$. When I went to talk to the ghost, I ended up putting healing breeze on him instead of me. I did not realize it until I went to cast SV and my guy turned to him when casting! Ugh....~6k down the drain but I finally figured it out. Thanks for all the input all.

I died sooo many times to that because of not paying attention...

Anyways, one grasping is simple enough, just renew SV and PS and its not hard to bring it down... if energy is really low on the last one, switch to an illusion cane / -50 cesta and wand it dead instead of using IW

I've always died versus 7 graspings... never had problems with energy or anything versus smaller groups so i stick to them

extra bacon · Jan 08, 2006, 11:03 AM // 11:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avarre

I've always died versus 7 graspings...

yea, i've come close to death a few times when there are 7 graspings attacking at the same time but have never actually died as long as breeze is kept running continuously.

another way of doing it is to agro the 4-grasping group at the top of the stairs and start slashing one of them straight away so that by the time the 2nd group of 3-graspings joins the party, the one you're attacking is nearly almost dead, so you only have to deal with 7 graspings for a very short time.

with 6 graspings or less there really is no risk of dying as long as you keep PS and breeze up.

Avarre · Jan 08, 2006, 11:34 AM // 11:34

Although, it must be said there IS no risk of dying versus only the four grasping pack, and since you don't deal any AoE damage the benefit of taking them all on at once is rather small

To each his own tactic...

Now who wants to go out with an illusion wand and try to cane behemoths dead? I'm busy with RL stuff atm...

Vexed Arcanist · Jan 08, 2006, 02:17 PM // 14:17

A few days past I took my mesmer into UW with an Imesmer build. I unintentionally had 2 packs of grasps aggroed. I am an old hand at UW soloing, before all the nerfing (i.e. the addition of Nightmares) so I am pretty calm when it comes to dealing with mass grasps. Dazed is your greatest fear and the best thing to do is:

1. Cast Prot Spirit before engaging
2. Cast Sympathetic Visage just before engaging.
3. Allow SV to drain them, cast Breeze, cast Prot Spirit.
4. Recast Breeze then recast SV ASAP.

If you get skull cracked your best bet is to remain calm and if your breeze or prot spirit is gonna run out, RUN. Do not stand there and take a beating when you will surely die. Run a circle, whatever it takes to limit the hits you sustain until Dazed wears off.

Queto · Jan 09, 2006, 04:41 PM // 16:41

I survived a Daze once

Just keep running and try to keep prot spirit up, although it's sometimes a risk to cast it when they're chasing you

I die when I trie to kill 2 Coldfires

Always forget to interrupt Maelstrom, sucky

Avarre · Jan 09, 2006, 07:01 PM // 19:01

You can bring down Coldfires while not interrupting whatsoever as long as you make sure never to stand underneath a maelstrom. If that means retreating and wanding them until the spell ends, then so be it. Patience and clarity of mind in a dangerous situation is the quality of the mesmer, so say the ghosts in the desert...

mortaja · Jan 10, 2006, 12:58 AM // 00:58

B4 anything I want to thank u Avarre 4 this build, u have made my GW life much more interesting now. I even tried to pm u today to thank u personally, but u weren't on.

About coldfires I usually don't cane/wand them. If I'm able when I see the animation of a long casting spell (maelstrom take ages to cast) I move away from coldfires and let maelstrom fall on me (if I'm fighting more than 1 coldfire), then go back to coldfire. Or even if it falls while u r hitting u only need to turn around it a bit and keep on hitting and maelstrom won't affect u. Today I could tank 2 coldfires and 4 smities at same time, but it's damn annoying to move so slowly away from maelstroms. :P

About grasps I agree there's no advantage on taking more than 4 at a time, so I prefer not to risk it, I'm that wimpy.

Anyway I'm still a noob down there, this is my 5th day entering UW and still got lots to learn. What I'm willing is to be able to enter FoW, I tried a bit today (got a shard from 1st group I fought), but Mesmers/Eles killed me on 2nd group, must check it, but I think it's possible. 1 possible change could be get leech signet instead of power drain to interrupt healing signets too. Dunno, just guessing.

Avarre · Jan 10, 2006, 01:57 AM // 01:57

FoW is death for 55hp... I have tried getting around there solo with my build but unless you permanently have a cover enchant for prot spirit, max fastcast shatter enchants are going to be pummelling you, and its nearly impossible to interrupt those. Bit too much degen for my liking as well... burning...

If you do make any progress, post here

explicytcontent · Jan 10, 2006, 04:32 AM // 04:32

Where do i get illusionary weapon i checked most of the skill merchants and they dont have it, can you please help me?

Avarre · Jan 10, 2006, 05:09 AM // 05:09

It's an Elite Skill capturable from mesmer Azure shadow bosses (north of Camp Rankor, Iron Mines of Moladune).

ChoKILLate[FDG] · Jan 10, 2006, 03:22 PM // 15:22

Well now that I cast SV and healing breeze on MYSELF, I have no problems getting to the smites.

BTW 10 smites at once is not good!...and neither is a nightmare popping up while luring 5 smites away from coldfire paths!

Anyways...when I get down to a single grasping or single Aataxe I sometimes switch to my 2nd off hand. It puts me at 105hp and give me +12 energy, but the real benefit is that it has fast casting illusion 20% and faster recharge 20%. I can cast illusionary weapon and the skill recharges before it expires ocassionally! The best thing is that it is a desert collectible that can be had for 5 griffon wings (easiest to get). The collector is located east of Augury. Go out the north and head south east...more east though.

Thanks again for a great build!

Officer Stone · Jan 11, 2006, 02:36 PM // 14:36

Im am trying to make a Me/Mo but I am having a hard time getting to amnoon, I dont have a rich character to make me money for getting a run... The reason I want a run is because I want to start farming with this guy ASAP