Curse

darkkie · Feb 15, 2012, 12:29 PM // 12:29

I ran several attempts with various builds and hero combinations which I didn't get very far with. My biggest problem was the lack of a meat/ spirit shield due to the afflicted necros stealing them (or doing whatever it is they do) and struggling for protection (ST and ER ele didn't run on the heroes properly and micro managing for me isn't ideal).
Eventually I decided the best way was to try and take down the groups as quickly as possible to theoretically reduce the amount of damage they can deal. I ended up running 4 heroes with bars like this (I was necro SoS):

Me: OAhjYkHpITXTlTVT2BVV4iylwlA
Xandra (SoGM): OACiAyk84sPbfzNX0mcmcdmA
Master of Whispers (SLW healer): OAhjYgHaIPpzo5FrqKNncDzxJA
Razah (E-surge): OQhkAoC8AGKzJY6Z6yBDhMwy/iB
(Sorry I don't know how to make the skills show up and stuff).

I ran SoS as it was the only viable way (IMO) to provide a shield as well as damage output at once. As I mentioned I tried several other builds before resorting to this but the damage output/ protection was insufficient. Any profession can run this (swapping out necro skills of course).

Xandra provided the main damage output, just make sure to micro SoGM as she sucks at using it.

Master was just to push red bars up. Experience from previous runs showed me that even running dedicated protection was pointless because if they got through, your party was wiped anyway, this allowed my party though a bunch of ele, mesmer and rit encounters.

Razah was there because I honestly couldn't think of what else to run and I thought some interrupt would be pretty good (PI or Panic would have probably done a better job). This can probably be swapped for whatever you fancy as he wasn't doing a particularly good job of interrupting.

Idea is simple: set up spirits about an aggro bubble away from the group flag them just behind, aggro, activate SoGM, return, drop ward and begin casting. PI eles, mesmers, rits (I did it in that order as I found these caused the most damage), enfeebling blood on melee and later on casters/ rangers. Scavengers are pretty easy.

~~~~~~~DO NOT AGGRO MORE THAN ONE GROUP AT ONCE!~~~~~~~~~

The run took around 45 mins as I went afk and wiped twice. I believe the time can be significantly reduced and I think it would also be possible to run it without wiping. I ran a combination of the 2 routes on wiki. Also, I took the island path for the last peasant as it said I could aggro the afflicted before the retard AI could find me, but I got screwed over on that due to the fact the afflicted were literally directly on top of the AI and I wouldn't be able to get close enough to pull without triggering. So I just Rambo'd the last group like a boss and the peasant was fine.

Again, this is what I found to be the safest and most successful with minimal deaths and effort micro'ing. There are probably more effective builds but I don't know as I haven't played the game for a long time until recently.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate thoughts and opinions.

Belzebu · Feb 15, 2012, 05:06 PM // 17:06

I tried a build close to that but with a MM prot instead of the mesmer, and I think your looks better, I finished the mission but the MM died all the time.

BTW, the links would looks like that:
OAhjYkHpITXTlTVT2BVV4iylwlA
OACiAykM5sd28Nt5EtROlc5MB
OAhjYgHaITpTRTXMVVSTTODTjTA
OQhkAoC8AGK0Jw0jpTOwQQGwy3FD

Cash · Feb 15, 2012, 08:12 PM // 20:12

This one took me about 5 or 6 tries. I ended up running a UA monk, an AotL MM, a SoGM rit, and myself as a semi-retarded hybrid using vamp, bloodsong, SoS, ebon van assassin, flame djinn, a heal, a run, and a rez. This was as a warrior using a spear- yeah its silly, but those afflicted explosions were destroying me.

Aggro more than one group and its probably a wipe, so flag and bow pull each time. I never used a con set, but I did pop a summoning stone several times. My goal was basically to generate as many bodies (minions, spirits, summons) as possible so myself and my heroes would be targeted less.

Best of luck!

AndrewSX · Feb 15, 2012, 09:36 PM // 21:36

Aggro carefully 1 group at once on a preset wall of spirits: this is everything is can say after doing it on 2 chars in HM. Be sure to have prots (including anti-melee) and some form of rupt or ench remover, plus spike dmg.

Btw, a quite reliable team is: SoS heal, AotL Prots, plus dmg/utility/other spirits on other 2 slots.

On my mes was dmg+rupt(KS), on Sin great dmg plus addition of pulling/tanking advantage being a meele.

Sinny survivor · Feb 16, 2012, 01:44 PM // 13:44

I ran AP caller, SoS hybrid, Soul twisting all offensive spirit's rit, and a ua necro with prot spirit and rip enchantment. Put all your spirits up(should be around 8/9) and bow pull the mob into them. AP call the first mob spirits aggro for a quick kill and then just focus the rest down. It may seem slow setting up spirits but it's ALOT more efficient.

Vernphos · Feb 16, 2012, 01:54 PM // 13:54

Regardless if it "can" be done, this Q is not worth the time and effort.

DoA or UW is a more rewarding challenge and more fun too.

Xenomortis · Feb 16, 2012, 03:16 PM // 15:16

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrNk5fJM1fQ
With quests like these, the faster you kill, the more stable you are. This is true in general but is much more obvious and significant in 4 man areas. It was even more important when before the recent nerf to the quest.
With that in mind, AP bars would be ideal for this quest. Spirit spam on a player is also viable to generate the extra bodies, but you lose the reliable focused spike and depend on your heroes for the direct targeted damage.
Regrettably, I never tried it on a physical, so I cannot give a comparison there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vernphos

Regardless if it "can" be done, this Q is not worth the time and effort.

DoA or UW is a more rewarding challenge and more fun too.

You are prevented from continuing with the HM quest chain if you don't do it.
It isn't that hard, at least for a Necro, Ele and Mesmer and shouldn't take that long. The DoA and UW aren't comparable to this, at least not in any meaningful way.

I can't imagine it being particularly difficult now, with groups of 4 instead of 5 or 6. Only the last NPC could pose a problem if you're unlucky.

MisterB · Feb 16, 2012, 03:32 PM // 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xenomortis

You are prevented from continuing with the HM quest chain if you don't do it.
It isn't that hard, at least for a Necro, Ele and Mesmer and shouldn't take that long. The DoA and UW aren't comparable to this, at least not in any meaningful way.

I can't imagine it being particularly difficult now, with groups of 4 instead of 5 or 6. Only the last NPC could pose a problem if you're unlucky.

It's not particularly difficult for melee either, assuming you pull and body block, so add Assassin, Dervish, and Warrior. It can get tedious doing that every time, but body blocking, balling, and blowing them up dispatches the groups.

The last NPC can be saved by exploiting hero flags. You'd have to be extremely unlucky for the NPC to be killed with 3 heroes already placed in ambush.

InStars · Feb 16, 2012, 05:25 PM // 17:25

Just run human emo bond yourself - plant spirits pull with longbow and kill em all!

Y.T. · Feb 16, 2012, 08:59 PM // 20:59

I did it with SOS rit (myself), ST rit, IV+heals nec and AoTL mm bomber. The biggest difference between yours and my builds was the spirits I think, and also I brought the kurzick skill that teleports all your spirits to your current location (I forgot the name sorry). I never give my ST more that 2 spirits to manage on its own, somehow shelter always gets cast on ST recharge and then we wipe. So if you dont want to micromanage ST hero just disable all spirits but shelter and union, or better give him some other skills - its not like you really need that disenchantment in most areas anyway. Having ST up all the time makes the huge difference on HM.
I think that quest is much easier now - I did it on the first try. I made the npc tank by flagging my heroes 1,5 - 2 aggro circles back from the group I was going to aggro, dropping my spirits halfway between heroes and the group so I can hide behind them while pulling, and then pulling 1 group at the time towards my heroes. npc will follow you and when you back up and pull your spirits back he'll tank just fine, at least until minions will charge in and slaughter everything

IV adds some damage after you get your 1st kill so the whole group will go down quite fast. After you're done with all groups in the area just camp your heroes in another spot and repeat. I had some difficulties pulling the group next to the 2nd peasant because at least 1 patrol always charges in even if they're nowhere near at the time of the pull. If you flag your heroes just outside of the door you'll probably be fine though - minions will bodyblock the door or you can block it with your spirits, whatever works.

WarcryOfTruth · Feb 17, 2012, 01:35 AM // 01:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vernphos

Regardless if it "can" be done, this Q is not worth the time and effort.

DoA or UW is a more rewarding challenge and more fun too.

Yes, because DoA and UW awards a new hero upon completion. Way more rewarding... -sarcasm-