Curse

stool_cannon · May 25, 2006, 01:52 PM // 13:52

Ok, this is my first guide of any sort that I have posted from my own discovery rather than contributing to the work already done by someone else, but thanks to some awesome builds being posted lately I have been inspired to try a few new things.

I was browsing Wiki and I came across a really nice looking shield: Merki's Gaze. I decided I had to have it so I went about finding out how to get it.

The shield is dropped by a boss named Merki the Reaver in Unwaking Waters (explorable area).

The build:
*Thank you Amsterdam for your awesome guide to Sskai's sword, it was my inspiration.

Str 14
Tactics 13

Zealous Sword
Shield with health always (can be obtained from a collector and damage reduction isn't important here if you only have a +health shield)
Stance collectors shield +45 -2 (for the run)

Heal Sig
Dolyak
Wary Stance (A blessing when running through the assasins as it prevents you from being crippled)
Grenths Balance
Riposte
Deadly Riposte
Bonneti's Defense (help with heal sig if you accidentally aggro more than merki)
Sprint

Instructions:
The only hard part of this run is actually getting to Merki and getting him separated from his goup.

1. Begin in Harvest Temple and take the only exit
2. Travel in a winding circle, casting shields up and sprint to move past the archers and Shiroken's
3. Once you reach the res shrine you are halfway there. It should take you no more than 30 seconds to get here. This is where things begin to get tricky.

Merki can be found hovering right outside the luxon entrance to Unwaking Waters mission area. He is surrounded by several mobs which will be in your way and getting to him in the first place can be a little annoying.

1st rule, do not get hit by any assasins. If you get crippled you are over with. Run past the carp and stay to the left. There is a boat of some sort to the left, stay near it. A group of assasins will spawn. Run past them and don't get crippled. Ditch them and if you have found a place to rest (there is only one) you are now very close to Merki.

There will probably be a couple of mobs between you and him and this is where it gets really tricky. You need to lure the mobs out of your way and then ditch them. It takes a little practice but you will get it down in no time. After you move the mobs, just wait for merki to break loose from his mob, he almost always does. Lure him to the area where you previously rested and then stand there whacking away at him until your health is really low and fire off grenths. Rinse and repeat 1 time. After that, hit Dolyak and keep riposting 3 or 4 more times and he will be dead.

He is really weak and this could be done entirely without dolyak, especially if you brought endure pain (which could also be useful during the run)

*Edit: I added the map image above to show you where to lure him. If you can bring him back to there you will be in good shape.

Also note that if you are having trouble with the mobs you can use the chest run trick on a couple of them. Specifically the Shiroken mobs will attack the outcast mobs. So if you are unlucky enough to get crippled aggro the two groups together and they will ignore you while you heal up and get the hell out.

He actually drops some decent stuff, he has dropped 3 gold scrolls, a gold rune and a broadsword plus other various loot in the 4 times I have killed him.

*Edit: You can clearly see him wielding the shield, so there is no need to kill him if he doesn't have it. This has been disputed by several accounts, so I will just note that he has never dropped it for me unless he was holding it.

This run is not one I would do for profit (unless you can sell this thing for a lot which I doubt) because he doesn't carry very often (took me more than 30 times to see him holding it). But it is fun to try.
Let me know how you like the build and the guide.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the guide as much as I enjoyed making it.

pegasux · May 25, 2006, 02:16 PM // 14:16

I have seen him wield the shield only once while trying to single him out. That buggar is hard as hell to get too also. A trick i use so that you don't have to worry about dying so much much is portal out the gate and get killed right away. This will spawn you at the half way mark. now aggro the carps and assasins back to the shrine so the Kurzs will kill them for you. repeat till most of the foes are dead. you are then left with 3 groups to deal with. there will be a group of 3 assasins that will drop from the right side near Merki...kill them. they are softie's with a ripostle build. now the next group of 5 or 6 can't be messed with so try and avoid them. next is the group that merki hangs with by the gate. if your lucky he won't be by them so can aggro him and pull him right next to the closed portal in the corner. I want the shield also cause it looks cool but haven't gotten it yet =(. btw nice guide =)

stool_cannon · May 25, 2006, 02:34 PM // 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by pegasux

A trick i use so that you don't have to worry about dying so much much is portal out the gate and get killed right away. This will spawn you at the half way mark.

Good trick. Only works when your alliance has control of the harvest temple though.

capitalist · May 25, 2006, 03:09 PM // 15:09

actually it is based the faction you have... If you currently have more luxon faction, and the temple is controled by the luxons, you will rez at the shrine even if your allaince is kurzick (and vice versa).

And Merki is a stingy bastard.

stool_cannon · May 25, 2006, 03:16 PM // 15:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by capitalist

And Merki is a stingy bastard.

25 -30 times out and he hasn't carried it once. I hate Merki.

Also, careful on Grenths, he can do 120+ damage in 1 hit

pegasux · May 25, 2006, 03:23 PM // 15:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by capitalist

And Merki is a stingy bastard.

lol sure is. Don't you wish the green drops were more like in Grenths Footprint. A green almost every time.

Hardi · May 25, 2006, 03:26 PM // 15:26

just farmed one with my ritualist

i can post my build if you want

stool_cannon · May 25, 2006, 03:26 PM // 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by pegasux

lol sure is. Don't you wish the green drops were more like in Grenths Footprint. A green almost every time.

I would even settle for now and then. I'm not asking for 100 of them ANET, just one shield for my efforts.

pegasux · May 25, 2006, 03:29 PM // 15:29

well i bet i can't be as bad as my luck with stoneroot. 70+ kills and only 1 dang shield! oh well at least at this rate greens won't be worth 1-2k

prodikal · May 25, 2006, 03:55 PM // 15:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hardi

just farmed one with my ritualist

i can post my build if you want

yes that would be nice.

Hardi · May 25, 2006, 06:44 PM // 18:44

Skills:

Pain
Blood Song
Shadowsong
Shelter
Union
Dissonance
Ritual Lord

You have to be allied with the faction that is holding the harvest temple. Enter the Unwaking Waters explorable, then die. You will be ressurected at a shrine. Set up your spirits there, then pull the Creeping Carps to the northeast into your spirits and the guards. Set up your spirits again and pull the two Outcast groups to the northeast (one by one). When they are dead, go to the northeast until 3 Outcast Assassins pop up. Run away from them, then put your spirits up just out of their aggro circle. Now pull them and run away a bit, they attack your spirits and get killed by them. Now put up Blood Song, Pain and Shadowsong at the place where the Assassins popped up. Watch Merki's route. You will see that at one spot he is seperated from his group, giving you the chance to pull him with a longbow. He should be killed fast by your spirits. Perhaps you have to recast Shadowsong one time.

Good luck

stool_cannon · May 25, 2006, 09:14 PM // 21:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hardi

just farmed one with my ritualist

i can post my build if you want

Question, is this one like some other greens where you can clearly see him wielding or does he drop it randomly?

Hardi · May 25, 2006, 09:18 PM // 21:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by stool_cannon

Question, is this one like some other greens where you can clearly see him wielding or does he drop it randomly?

You can see it

Riceboi · May 25, 2006, 09:34 PM // 21:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hardi

Skills:

Pain
Blood Song
Shadowsong
Shelter
Union
Dissonance
Ritual Lord

You have to be allied with the faction that is holding the harvest temple. Enter the Unwaking Waters explorable, then die. You will be ressurected at a shrine. Set up your spirits there, then pull the Creeping Carps to the northeast into your spirits and the guards. Set up your spirits again and pull the two Outcast groups to the northeast (one by one). When they are dead, go to the northeast until 3 Outcast Assassins pop up. Run away from them, then put your spirits up just out of their aggro circle. Now pull them and run away a bit, they attack your spirits and get killed by them. Now put up Blood Song, Pain and Shadowsong at the place where the Assassins popped up. Watch Merki's route. You will see that at one spot he is seperated from his group, giving you the chance to pull him with a longbow. He should be killed fast by your spirits. Perhaps you have to recast Shadowsong one time.

Good luck

Nice! I'm surprised a boss can be killed by spirits! Never underestimate spirit power I guess! I really need ritual lord elite now! =)

Hardi · May 25, 2006, 09:59 PM // 21:59

I think you can even do it without Ritual Lord, killing Merki in 30 seconds... Maybe you can try Painful Bond.

stool_cannon · May 25, 2006, 10:32 PM // 22:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hardi

Skills:
You have to be allied with the faction that is holding the harvest temple.

Very cool to see other classes able to solo. I was told you don't need to be with the faction, you just need to have more faction for those holding it. I have not tested this though.

Also note that it has been suggested that you run out and die to make this go faster but if you are a warrior using my build you can run to the rez shrine before you would respawn.

You just start off and hit sprint before the first mob, as soon as that expires hit wary stance and keep moving. All your energy will recharge due to blocked attacks. (If you don't have enough E to hit wary stance at that time switch to an offhand, hit it and get back to your shield)

yomama6969 · May 26, 2006, 07:22 PM // 19:22

i hate to burst everyone's bubble on this stupidity "if he's not wielding it he wont drop it" have non of u ever experience in SF a boss droping 2-3 greens.....

now how the hell do u figure a boss wields a staff and a off hand, or better yet, a staff, a off hand AND a focus?....

ppl dont be complacent, a green can drop on the first run, 10th run, or 1 billionth run, it doesnt matter if he's wielding it, infact he can be wielding it and NOT drop it -_-'

Hardi · May 26, 2006, 07:32 PM // 19:32

I have found 2x Merki's Gaze so far. In both cases, Merki was wielding an Outcast Shield. The other ~5 times I killed him, he didn't drop the shield and he was not wielding one.

stool_cannon · May 26, 2006, 09:36 PM // 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by yomama6969

i hate to burst everyone's bubble on this stupidity "if he's not wielding it he wont drop it" have non of u ever experience in SF a boss droping 2-3 greens.....

now how the hell do u figure a boss wields a staff and a off hand, or better yet, a staff, a off hand AND a focus?....

ppl dont be complacent, a green can drop on the first run, 10th run, or 1 billionth run, it doesnt matter if he's wielding it, infact he can be wielding it and NOT drop it -_-'

First of all nice flame. It was definitely called for. We are all "stupid". Especially me who spent half an hour writing this "stupid" guide for all of the other "stupid" people to benefit from.

Second of all, experience tends to lead us to the exact opposite conclusion. And if you had ever actually farmed SF you would know that you can look right and ANY of the bosses to determine if they are wielding and going to drop CERTAIN of their items.

The only place you were correct is that they may be weilding and not drop. That does happen now and then but not often.

Sorry for being so "stupid".

prodikal · May 27, 2006, 03:06 AM // 03:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by stool_cannon

First of all nice flame. It was definitely called for. We are all "stupid". Especially me who spent half an hour writing this "stupid" guide for all of the other "stupid" people to benefit from.

Second of all, experience tends to lead us to the exact opposite conclusion. And if you had ever actually farmed SF you would know that you can look right and ANY of the bosses to determine if they are wielding and going to drop CERTAIN of their items.

The only place you were correct is that they may be weilding and not drop. That does happen now and then but not often.

Sorry for being so "stupid".

FTR I dont think he was saying anyone was stupid "this stupidity" as he puts is referring to the idea that a boss must be wielding to drop. Just my take though.