Curse

Lasher Dragon · Jul 06, 2005, 09:20 AM // 09:20

Having ventured into the UW quite a few times and witnessed plenty of ignorant things go down, I figured I'd get on here and try to write up a sort of beginner's guide to trapping in the UW.

If you are joining a trapper team, make sure you have traps, at least the 3 non-elite offensive traps: Barbed Trap, Dust Trap, and Flame Trap. If you don't have these 3, chances are you aren't going to be contributing much to the team. Hand-in-hand with having traps is having a decent Wilderness Survival - I have mine at 13 when trapping.

Before you enter the UW, let the rest of your party know what other skills you plan on bringing - specifically what spirits or conditioners you are packing, and make sure no one objects or is bringing the same thing. I've had people packing Frozen Soil down there.

Here is a list of skills that should be brought by 1 person in the group (meaning someone has one of these skills, not that 1 person brings them all)
>Throw Dirt (for when the Aatxes get unruly)
>Poison Arrow (not necessary, but can help with smites that slip by traps)
>Healing Spring
>Favorable Winds
>Quickening Zephyr ~AND~
>Energizing Wind
To get the max amount of traps set, you need to have QZ AND EW active while setting traps. Serpent's Quickness can boost this even more, and IMO should be brought by everyone.

Make sure there is a designated leader/puller, and do what they do (except of course when they go to pull). The UW is not the place to bicker and argue about who got who killed, and usually if someone dies it's because more than 1 person is trying to lead. I don't know how many times I will start laying traps down, and some fool thinks he has a better place to lay traps and draws the rest of the damn party with him. It doesn't matter if the leader is doing it differently than you are used to - pick a leader and stick to it.

Never talk to any NPCs unless the leader has given the OK. Never accept ANY quests unless the leader has told you to, and ONLY accept the quests the leader specifies. I don't know why this seems so hard to people, but 90% of the UW jaunts I have been on that have failed are because some moron accepts all the quests from the first Reaper.

The best way to set up traps is to first have a clear idea of the area you are going to be pulling the mobs through. We'll take for example the first staircase. OK, you want the stairs themselves trapped, and you want to put the spirits at the bottom of the staircase. The idea is to have the aatxes see the spirits and have to charge through all the traps before they can attack them. I see people planting traps and wandering all over the stairs - this isn't necessary and increases the chances of an early aggro. The best way to trap is to have everyone spread out on the stairs, and lay all your traps on the spot you are standing. Just stand there and pump out the traps as fast as you can. Now, while you are doing this, be aware that soon the leader will be running off to pull mobs. You can keep laying traps while the leader is out there, but the moment you see the leader coming back, you need to move out. You should be back behind the spirits before the leader is. This is very important, and often overlooked. If the leader is trying to pull the mobs into the traps and one mob sees you there still laying traps, that mob usually breaks off from chasing the leader and goes for you. Suddenly you have one mob setting off all the traps while the other mob barely gets scratched, and that can spell doom for everyone.

That reminds me, my preferred Trapping Group is 7 Trappers and a Nuker. It's an easy ride for the nuker, as they are really only needed for damage control when the computer tries to get squirrely on you. The nuker should be ready with Meteor Storm in case for some reason or other a mob gets through the traps without much damage.

When it comes to smites, it is really important that once the leader is out rounding them up, all the rest of you are back behind the kill zone. Smites are notorious for 1 or 2 splitting off from the leader and running toward someone still laying traps. That 1 smite sets off all the traps, and what do you know? 5 more smites are coming, with no traps to hinder them.

Rounding up smites is an art in itself, and if done right can be beautiful. Done wrong, and you have a dead leader and/or total party kill. As a leader, what your objective is here is to get the smites as closely bunched together as you can, without dying and without the smites surrounding you. Once you have them all falling over each other trying to get you, THEN you lead them back to the kill zone like the Pied Piper. If they are all bunched up and haven't seen someone else and split off, chances are they will all die instantly once they hit the zone.

Another thing to remember is that some of the enemies in the UW are ranged attackers/spellcasters, like the Dryders and Coldfire Nights. To kill these with traps, you have to run far back from the kill zone. Practice makes perfect to know exactly how far, but it can be setup perfect so that the mobs reach their "stop and shoot" range right on top of the kill zone. Yes, it can be tempting to start shooting at them, but at the very least wait until the traps have all gone off. If you see the mobs are still marching towards you after the traps have started blowing, go ahead and shoot. Oh, that reminds me of another thing: if you are fighting spellcasters and they cast Meteor Storm on your location, for god's sake MOVE! Don't be like the AI and just sit in the shit with your pants around your ankles. It takes like 2 seconds to move out of the storm and resume firing.

Whew it's like 4:30 am, I gotta get to bed. I hope this helps some people, and if anyone has more to add please do so. Happy Hunting!

Itbegins · Jul 06, 2005, 10:06 AM // 10:06

gotta admit this is an awesome guide i wish it was at the top of the temple of ages scrolling by the whole time people are so dumb there like "oooo an npc lets get this quest 5000 EXP YES omg were all dead" so terrible

Enigmatics · Jul 06, 2005, 02:02 PM // 14:02

Oath shot oriented trapper with whirling defence would serve as a temporary tank.

Etaisella · Jul 06, 2005, 02:17 PM // 14:17

Cool ill keep that in mind when i get there

Epinephrine · Jul 06, 2005, 03:02 PM // 15:02

Guide to trapping by Frog Devourer

http://sof.game-server.cc/forum/index.php?showtopic=589

Blight And Ruin · Jul 14, 2005, 04:17 PM // 16:17

I'm curious how other Trappers distribute their attribute points.

Rhidan Rennon · Jul 14, 2005, 05:06 PM // 17:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasher Dragon

That reminds me, my preferred Trapping Group is 7 Trappers and a Nuker.

Seven Trappers and a nuker? Isn't that a little overkill? A group of 6 trappers on their first run could clear out the uw as long as they don't do something stupid(which might be a moot point 'cause it seems like all newbs do something stupid). My personal choice for a team is four smart and experienced trappers. If you move slowly a four man trapping team can clear out the uw.

P.S. Another good spirit to bring is Edge of Extinction. Sure it only deals like 30-40 dmg for every creature that dies but when you bring 6 smites through, the last one gets hit with a 150+ punch, which is nice 'cause the last smite alive is usually the one who missed all the traps.

just my thoughts

Blight And Ruin · Jul 27, 2005, 10:16 PM // 22:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasher Dragon

Here is a list of skills that should be brought by 1 person in the group (meaning someone has one of these skills, not that 1 person brings them all)
>Throw Dirt (for when the Aatxes get unruly)
>Poison Arrow (not necessary, but can help with smites that slip by traps)
>Healing Spring
>Favorable Winds
>Quickening Zephyr ~AND~
>Energizing Wind
To get the max amount of traps set, you need to have QZ AND EW active while setting traps. Serpent's Quickness can boost this even more, and IMO should be brought by everyone.

Great list. For smaller trap runs (e.g. 3 or 4 trappers), I've found these are the musthaves:

>Quickening Zephyr
>Energizing Wind
>Serpent's Quickness (EVERYONE MUST BRING THIS).

I only use 3 traps as a rule myself. I don't actually like Spike Trap anymore for UW. You can call me crazy (some ppl do) but in my experience Barbed, Dust, and Flame are all vastly superior to Spike in the UW. For healing I've never brought more than Troll Unguent. I'm a R/Mo, so for pulling I bring Protective Spirit, which I like better than ranger stances and whatnot.

As far as Attributes, mine normally look like this:

WS: 14
Exp: 14
Marks: 9
ProtP: 8

My skill loadout is as follows:

Protective Spirit
Troll Unguent
Serpent's Quickness
Barbed Trap
Flame Trap
Dust Trap
Quickening Zephyr
Rebirth

I can usually survive bad pulls and get far enough away for Rebirth, and I can jack out about 12 traps before pull. If cleanup is necessary, I equip my Longbow of Defense (15% while enchanted) or Zealous Shortbow (15%>50), hit PS and TU, and tank/shoot anything that needs dead until it is.

My tips: I usually make sure that only one person is loading each spirit, plus Throw Dirt and my Rebirth, to maximize other utility stuff. I prefer EW to have a timer of about 60-70 secs. I consider Rez Sigs a waste, or an indicator of a bad team, or both, so I not only never use them but actively discourage their use. My preferred setup is 2 r/mo, 1 r/w, and 1 r/e/me/n.

VGJustice · Jan 13, 2006, 06:08 AM // 06:08

I hate to necropost like this, but after the groups I've been having lately it bears reviving.

The trapper build that I'm used to is a 3-4 man team. IMO, a 4 man team is kinda overkill for most mobs. Gotta take all 4 offensive traps along with Serpent's Quickness. One person brings Energizing Wind, one takes Quickening Zephire. I'm not too sure why people want to bring along Winnoing as that effects Phisical Damage, and I don't think that traps do that. Edge of Extinction can help a little, but at most you should only ever have your Beast Mastery at 6 with a Superior rune, and that only equals out to 28~ damage from EoE. Basicly, Winnowing and EoE are just extra fluff, add-ons that don't really make it easier or harder. Also, Rebirth is perfectly suited to this style of play: slow and steady.

Here's what I've been using to trap UW:
WS: 16
Expertise: 13
Marksmanship: 4*
Beast Mastery: 0*

*If I'm taking EoE, then I've got a second set of armor with an extra Sup BM Rune, so Marks would be 1 and BM would be 6

Serpent's Quickness
Whirling Defense/Dodge (depending on need)
Spike Trap {E}
Barbed Trap
Flame Trap
Dust Trap
Rebirth
Energizing Wind/Quickening Zephire/Winnowing/Edge of Extinction

A trick I've learned: Only drop Dust Trap once with the first volley, then concentrate on the remaining traps. Wait until the first major explosion, and if it seems like the mob is going to come back for more, re-apply the Dust Trap to keep up the blind. That's saved me and my teams numerous times. Or, if you have to trap at point-blanc range (which happens a lot with the Coldfires), it helps to use Spike first just for the knockdown. Spike>Dust>whatever, whether it be another set of traps or a run for the exit.

dready · Jan 13, 2006, 01:06 PM // 13:06

ok i dont get it your saying to have a FULL group of 8 ppl???? if your a noob to the whole UW trapping scene then yeah thats cool and the post is all about beginers, but i will say that when you have a good enough amount of time down there and you know how to do it al this CAN be done with just 3 trappers.
it is a little harder with just 3 trappers but can be done IF all 3 of you know what to do.if they dont die from your traps start throwing dirt as they go for your spirits and lay more traps, since most of them are crippled form spike trap you can always run away abit to set more traps and wait fro them to come to you.

also another REAL healpfull thing here is a necro 4 man as the necro can help to provide you with some more energy which means more traps

a necro ele is very usefull incase they brake through and need some strong nukes to finish them off.

just a small tip that i recomened to ALL UW trappers is to take a staff that gives energy boost, i have a crap staff with eneryg plus 10 and a wrapping with more energy this way when setting traps i NEVER run out of energy then when im ready to pull swap over to a LONG BOW and pull away then back to the staff for more traps.
hope this helps you all out

Tellani Artini · Jan 13, 2006, 01:30 PM // 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enigmatics

Oath shot oriented trapper with whirling defence would serve as a temporary tank.

Tanking in a trapping group is silly. Bring pin down instead and no one should ever get hit by an aataxe. Or anything else with a melee attack.

ap47 · Jan 14, 2006, 01:22 AM // 01:22

I have done tons of runs with 3 or 4 people (sometimes even 2), and the most common mistake I've come across from beginners is that they panic if something goes slightly wrong. For instance, if an Aatxe survives the first impact, don't start running away, keep trapping the same spot (dust trap is highest priority) and he'll go down pretty fast.

.killjoy · Jan 14, 2006, 04:40 AM // 04:40

great this is the bibble of uw trapping

ghostlyranger · Jan 14, 2006, 06:37 AM // 06:37

need better pulling build for the new ppl.

VGJustice · Jan 14, 2006, 07:22 AM // 07:22

The best available pulling build for an UW Trapping group is as follows:

Whirling Defense, WASD

That's it. Maybe Q and E for pizzaz.

JMFD · Jan 15, 2006, 06:34 PM // 18:34

My favourite trapping group is two R/Mo's an R/N and an E/R

All bring 4 traps and serpants quickness
R/Mos cover the spirits and res in case of emergencies, the puller bringing whirling defense Wilderness/expertise/beastmastery as needed
R/N brings BR for co-trappers, and backup spirits Wilderness/Expertise/Blood
E/R brings 1 pbaoe dot and meteor shower Wilderness/Fire/Energy Storage

disposable-hero · Jan 16, 2006, 07:05 PM // 19:05

Rater than pick out all the little bits extr i thought i'd post a quick i've recently compiled.

Insti-death: The world of a trapper....

For a start here my basic Build for a trapper:

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Ranger/xxxxxx
Level: 20

Expertise: 13 (10+3)
Beast Mastery: 4
Wilderness Survival: 16 (12+4)

- Quickening Zephyr (Wilderness Survival)
Create a level 11 Spirit. For creatures within its range, all skills recharge twice as fast and cost 30% more Energy to cast. This Spirit dies after 47 seconds.
Energy:12 Cast:5 Recharge:60

- Serpent's Quickness (Wilderness Survival)
For 31 seconds, recharge times for your skills are reduced by 33%. Serpent's Quickness ends if your Health drops below 50%.
Energy:2.4 Cast:0 Recharge:45

- Dust Trap (Wilderness Survival)
When Dust Trap is triggered, every second (for 5 seconds total), all nearby foes are Blinded for 10 seconds and take 26 earth damage. While activating this skill, you are easily interrupted. Dust Trap ends after 90 seconds.
Energy:12 Cast:2 Recharge:30

- Barbed Trap (Wilderness Survival)
When Barbed Trap is triggered, all nearby foes take 68 piercing damage, become Crippled, and begin Bleeding for 28 seconds. Barbed Trap ends after 90 seconds. While activating this skill, you are easily interrupted.
Energy:7.2 Cast:2 Recharge:20

- Flame Trap (Wilderness Survival)
When Flame Trap is triggered, every second (for 3 seconds total), all nearby foes are struck for 31 fire damage and set on fire for 3 seconds. Flame Trap ends after 90 seconds. While activating this skill, you are easily interrupted.
Energy:4.8 Cast:2 Recharge:20

- Escape [Elite] (Expertise)
For 15 seconds, you move 25% faster than normal and have a 75% chance to evade attacks.
Energy:2.4 Cast:0 Recharge:30

- Resurrection Signet ()
Resurrect target party member. That party member is returned to life with 100% Health and 25% Energy. You may use this Signet only once per mission.
Energy:0 Cast:3 Recharge:0

- Healing Spring (Wilderness Survival)
For 10 seconds, all nearby allies are healed for 63 every 2 seconds. While activating this skill, you are easily interrupted.
Energy:4.8 Cast:2 Recharge:20

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The main thing to bring is at least 3 of the 4 available traps, 1 spirit and something to heal. I take escape for the extra fact that I do alot of luring and the dodging comes in VERY handy. Rez Sig another essential unless your a secondary monk then rebirth is called for.

Spirits:
Every trapping team needs at least Quickening Zephyr AND Energizing Wind. The optionals are spirits like Winnowing ect... Sometimes it's nice to have two people with Quickening Zephyr just to save on the recharge time.

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The next thing to think about is Weapons. As a trapper 99% of the time you should be trapping only, even when the traps have been set off accidentally the first thing on your mind is set another trap to cover my back.

Although with high expertise traps and with QZ and EW spirits up traps still cost energy and true to form you use it quicker than you get it back. Simple answer: start with more energy. I personally use 'The Yakslapper' for +15 energy putting my total to 47 but find the right combination and I’ve seen rangers with a heft 67 energy using a rod and off-hand combo.

By all means bring a bow with you just in case but not as your primary means of attack.

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Next stage is going to the UW (for those who have never been) Simple here, wait till we have favor and go to the Temple Of Ages, for a 3-4 man team of fellow trapping rangers. Important at this stage to organize who has what spirits as you done want to get to the UW and find you all have the same spirits. Also this is a good time to check everyone has maxed out Wilderness Survival for maximum damage.

Right got your team ready, go to the statue of Grenth and kneel before it. A spirit will appear offering you to make an offering of 1k. Pay him and off you go. You can either foot the cost yourself or split it evenly between the group members.

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UNDERWORLD

Welcome to the underworld...

Right so you’ve arrived and ready to go. I’m not going to go into huge detail from this point you kind of have to see it to believe it. First thing you should never do is talk to any of the ghosts as they give quests that often spawn more thinks to fight or most likely kill you.

Simple rules for trapping:
• All stand on one spot Cast all the spirits first then follow with Serpents Quickness
• Trap, Trap, Trap till you can’t trap no more. Don’t stop trapping till the group your aiming to kill has all died.
• Never Ever EVER run!!!! If you run you’ll lure away from where the traps have been set which is why you all set the traps on one spot in the first place.
• Watch you’re aggro circle and the theoretical agro circle of the spirits (yes they aggro too)
• Watch the spirits. Traps last 90 seconds so say you’ve got a 70 second EW when that dies you know you have 20 seconds before the first of that traps get set off. This is a good time to go lure
• ‘IF’ it all goes tits up run, if one person has died it’s not all bad when all the traps have been set off half the group is dead you have little or no energy left then its gone tits up. If you run at this point you can rez and re-trap/re-assess the situation.

Arton and Fortis Demonstrating the 'TITS UP' situation

Cador · Jan 17, 2006, 01:58 AM // 01:58

Lol i love this thread my favorite trap group is five men

R/E
2R/me
1R/Mo(Rebirth)
1E/R

amount of traps is amazing plus i have never failed to get ecto with this or at least the group

i will sometimes just go with 2 R/Mo and my self R/e any who thats my opinion

isamu kurosawa · Jan 18, 2006, 02:30 AM // 02:30

I tend to go trapping with my guild. we use a 4 man team consisting of 3 R/Mo trappers with rebirth and a N/R trapper with spiteful spirit and suffering.
using this style we all got our spiders and cleaned out UW quite a few times. you wont believe how much SS helps if it goes "tits up".

Anarkii · Jan 19, 2006, 03:48 AM // 03:48

Glad to see Trappers are still ruling the UW. I was one of the original trapper groups who started this whole idea