Curse

wolfwing · Sep 04, 2007, 03:54 AM // 03:54

This place is fricking insane, that first room has so many death traps, and thats just the monsters. It seems impossible to pull anything becaus A) the Norn suicidaly run head first into every mob, and B) everything has freeze and is so close to each other that you can't pull anything, and when you fight close range you end up adding every mob next to them.

promotheus · Sep 04, 2007, 03:56 AM // 03:56

I got through it with 2 sf heroes, me running sf, 3 monks Devona and interrupt guy.

we died a few times but made it through, i didn't get a green though, just a
diamond.

wolfwing · Sep 04, 2007, 04:02 AM // 04:02

Hmmmm how did you deal with the multi packs? Like where you have to face off against like 3 groups? Like a the start you have the chromscale drakes avalanche behind them, and pelting you from a distance the siege worm?

promotheus · Sep 04, 2007, 04:10 AM // 04:10

i went in slowly and i pulled with a longbow

this was during the preview event, haven't played frostmaw's since because i haven't had the time

BLUESHIFT · Sep 04, 2007, 04:19 AM // 04:19

I did it twice on my monk. The first time we had 1 human barrage, 1 human monk (me), 2 hero monks, and four SF heroes. This was slow and long, but somehow at the beginning the ranger managed to pull just a few of the groups and not all of them, so it wasn't that bad. The second time we had 1 human war, 1 human monk (me), and 6 hero necromancers. This second build absolutely owns everything. We just tanked all of the groups at the start and it was much faster then the first run. The beginning of this dungeon is the hardest part.

Edit: First time was during preview, and the second was after the full game was released. (if it matters)

chowmein69 · Sep 04, 2007, 04:20 AM // 04:20

during the preveiw it was real easy ... and they had frost larveas

now all the frost larvaes turned into young frost wurms .. and its like a instant party wipe ...

GloryFox · Sep 04, 2007, 04:28 AM // 04:28

I did it in about 1 1/2 hours using HERO / Henches, never died, and had only one henchman death from a trap. I don't have my skill lists but here are the basics. Got 2 diamonds in the end.

Myself as a Paragon/ Warrior, TNTF, Save Yourselves, Focused Anger.
Paragon 1, Motivational Healer.
Paragon 2, Command, and conditions caller.
Necro /Paragon. MM Orders, with Motivation healing.
Hench Healer
Hench Protector
Hench Interupter
Hench Barrage

With GFTE going off every second or so I was able to keep damage up and constant. Livia made great use of the Wham-Norns. As soon as they died I made bone fiends. There are plenty of bodies in the area so make good use of em.

Just from personal observation I'd say Frostmaw alone was worth the purchase of GWEN. I was in constant battle for almost the entire time and it felt very epic with the Norns helping. I found it challenging and exciting at the same time. I had no idea Frostmaw was 5 levels down until I beat it. It had a distinct Aliens vs. Predator 2 feel to the entire mission. Especially in the bottom area with the giant caves, and crystals all around. I felt very deep within the depths of Tyria, and it was everything a good Dungeon should be.

When the Frostmaw Spawns appeared along the way with groups of other worms I could almost reach out and feel the breath of death from their jaws.

Frostmaw was truly epic.

wolfwing · Sep 04, 2007, 04:38 AM // 04:38

Any tips for triggering the wurms without dying? Thats the real hard part.

GloryFox · Sep 04, 2007, 04:46 AM // 04:46

Yes use ranged attacks and watch for worm sign. Let the Norns take the first blow from the worms. When you see a worm move. Weakness is almost invaluable. Also use "Finish Him" on the worms if you got it. Every Paragon needs this invaluable skill. Go get it from Bison.

Then follow up.

Zunzun · Sep 04, 2007, 06:45 AM // 06:45

Did it with a friend. We died some times (that doesn't really matter, since you get +7% morale boost every 25 kills). Our build : tank W (me), 4 SH ele (one of which was human), prot Dunkoro, Mhenlo, Lina.

malko050987 · Sep 04, 2007, 08:29 AM // 08:29

I hero/henched it with a really lame team build. xD Got there, though I had 60DP most of the way through.

Frostmaw was easy compared to the trip to level 5.

Oh, and it was MUCH easier in the preview. In the preview, a trip took me like, 30 mins. Now it's at least three times that, if you have a really good team.

SotiCoto · Sep 04, 2007, 08:43 AM // 08:43

I hope that eventually.... when A-Net get around to implementing a Hard Mode.... that they tone Normal Mode down a bit.
I haven't even tried setting foot in there. Just because I didn't have any issues with the Sepulchure of Dragimmar doesn't mean squat about the 5-level frozen hell in question.

malko050987 · Sep 04, 2007, 09:00 AM // 09:00

No, no toning-down!!

I LIKE it hard as it is. It's not impossible, just properly challenging. And you don't need super-specialized builds like for DoA. That way the anti-social people, like me, can do it as well, and PUG chances of success are higher.

Kaane · Sep 04, 2007, 09:02 AM // 09:02

I did Frostmaw's last night with a fantastic group, shout-outs if any of you read this.

Our build was something like this:
W/A (me)
W/R
2 monks, both healers but one was running some prot
P/Mo (motivation + healing I think, I'm not entirely sure)
nuker
SS necro
and I can't remember the last one, I want to say it was a Ranger or Mesmer with interrupts.

Very few deaths, with all the bonuses by the time we got to Frostmaw most of us were between +6% and +10% morale bonus.

I got two diamonds from the chest and a few ok golds from locked chests along the way.

I've gotta agree with GloryFox, Frostmaw's is one of the best things in any Guild Wars game yet.

SotiCoto · Sep 04, 2007, 09:16 AM // 09:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by malko050987

No, no toning-down!!

I LIKE it hard as it is. It's not impossible, just properly challenging. And you don't need super-specialized builds like for DoA. That way the anti-social people, like me, can do it as well, and PUG chances of success are higher.

Didn't you pay attention to the rest of what I was saying?

People complain about the lack of Hard Mode in Eye of the North.... so assuming they're planning to add it eventually, it is only right that there be some divergence between the two... and Normal Mode be not quite as tough. If there were no difference between them then what the heck is the point in making the change?

Unlike some of you folk, I do NOT like challenge.
I am a perfectionist.
I am not a gambler.
I am not a risk-taker.
If I cannot do something perfectly then I can't be satisfied I've done it right... and I cannot do it perfectly if it is made to be a "challenge", as there is far greater chance of failure.
If I cannot clear the entire dungeon of enemies without dying, then chances are it will only irritate me to have to go ahead with it... and there is no question of "have to"... as I need to complete everything. "Challenges" and "Elite Areas" only interfere with my ability to do everything in the game and leave me feeling poorly equipped and inadequate to the task... which is not entertaining in the slightest.
Quite why anyone wants to be "challenged" is completely beyond me, as I think it is an inane and utterly ridiculous desire.... but... whatever.
I can just about feel some semblence of completion if I can get through everything in Normal Mode... Let me have that much at least.

wolfwing · Sep 04, 2007, 09:29 AM // 09:29

Well I just beat it now with many deaths. Really need to figure out a way to deal with the enemies, but it was fun.

Heh got 3 golds, with 2 diamonds from the final chest.

One REALLY nice looking air staff that basicly looks like a tazer with a staff length handle, called, Dolyak Prod Staff.

Jongo River · Sep 04, 2007, 09:34 AM // 09:34

I do enjoy a sense of risk, but not to the point that I'd expect to have to keep restarting. Frostmaw was great in the preview, but I haven't played it since and I'm little worried about what they may have done to it (afterall, hard mode is supposed to be coming, so there really wasn't any need to toughen up the normal mode).

Anyway, to the OP. I found a minion master pretty useful for distracting large numbers of enemies (sometimes while making a hasty retreat

). I also put interrupts on all my heroes. If taking a warrior, make sure they've got "Balanced Stance" or similar.

Edit: just seen that you beat it. Congrats - I got a Dolyak Prod Staff too, can't remember if it was from that dungeon, but they sure are cool.

malko050987 · Sep 04, 2007, 09:37 AM // 09:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

Didn't you pay attention to the rest of what I was saying?

People complain about the lack of Hard Mode in Eye of the North.... so assuming they're planning to add it eventually, it is only right that there be some divergence between the two... and Normal Mode be not quite as tough. If there were no difference between them then what the heck is the point in making the change?

Unlike some of you folk, I do NOT like challenge.
I am a perfectionist.
I am not a gambler.
I am not a risk-taker.
If I cannot do something perfectly then I can't be satisfied I've done it right... and I cannot do it perfectly if it is made to be a "challenge", as there is far greater chance of failure.
If I cannot clear the entire dungeon of enemies without dying, then chances are it will only irritate me to have to go ahead with it... and there is no question of "have to"... as I need to complete everything. "Challenges" and "Elite Areas" only interfere with my ability to do everything in the game and leave me feeling poorly equipped and inadequate to the task... which is not entertaining in the slightest.
Quite why anyone wants to be "challenged" is completely beyond me, as I think it is an inane and utterly ridiculous desire.... but... whatever.
I can just about feel some semblence of completion if I can get through everything in Normal Mode... Let me have that much at least.

But if you haven't even tried, how can you be sure you're going to fail? Besides, do you want to get everything right on the first try?

Oh, and HM is in the works, I think. Titles stop at r8, so we'll probably have tyo go to HM for the rest of the points. So it's just a matter of waiting for all the whining to go down and for Anet to fix some of the bugs that are sill around.

wolfwing · Sep 04, 2007, 09:46 AM // 09:46

Well really the big issue is that insanly stupid first room, rest is really paying for the first room.

The only reall changes are the mobs seem to do more damage *frostmaw now can kill instantly 60DP teams with his siege not sure about 10% bonus* all the weak level 14-16 mini wurms have been removed everywhere and replaced with level 23 wurms except for the ones that are used to spawn frostmaw.

SotiCoto · Sep 04, 2007, 09:50 AM // 09:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by malko050987

But if you haven't even tried, how can you be sure you're going to fail?

I'm not sure I'm going to fail, but neither am I sure I'm going to succeed... which is what really matters. I need to know what I'm getting into before I get into it. If not, then I could end up wasting several hours of my precious time pratting about in a dungeon at 60% death penalty before finally being forced to give up.... and that makes me VERY bitter.

Quote:

Besides, do you want to get everything right on the first try?

Of course.

What do you take me for? Some Leeroy Wammo who charges into everything head-first and bounces about wildly until I die or win by pure luck?
No.
I plan. I try to account for what I'll need to get through the area as cleanly and efficiently as possible first time... with no repetitions needed. I want to see the sights, kill the monsters, pick up the loot and leave. I win my wars with minimal losses.
I do NOT appreciate having my time wasted by constant dying and failed plans due to an inability to effectively counter everything I'm coming up against.
I don't like to do things by trial and error, but by precise calculation... and as far as I'm concerned, if that isn't possible then something is seriously wrong.

But then to me all of this goes without saying.
Why.... Do you go into that dungeon the first time DESIRING your own failure?
Somehow... I think not.