Curse

Mystic511 · Feb 18, 2007, 10:12 PM // 22:12

I've been trying to get to droknar's through beacon's with only heroes and henchman. Did they buff up the zone's after Nightfall came out? I remember just running through with a 55 monk and always thought it would be fun to fight it out with heroes.

Dreadnought's Drift is impossible. As soon as you step into the zone, 5 healers and 5 necros immediately aggro with about 20 other mobs. Even if you kill some, the necros make bone fiends, and if you try to kill the healers first, they just circle heal each other.

On the south side of DD is a pack of maniac giants that throw rocks and do so many knockdowns that you'll die before you get close enough to hit them.

Has anyone attempt this with heroes? I've been using Dervish, Monk, MM necro, with healer hench and fighter hench just to fill out the group.

If you've done it, what strat did you use, how did you build your heroes, etc. I want to know it's doable, because the last 3 hours of playing tell me it's not.

Thanks!

yarddog · Feb 18, 2007, 10:20 PM // 22:20

i completed it with my heros and the healer hench in beacons(altho we did res her alot). my group consisted off me(b/p), jin(b/p),magrid(b/p) and olias (MM). the walk took forever but it allowed me to map areas i couldnt do with a pug(they wouldnt have the patience). its not bad as long as u watch your aggro, DD, was a bit tough but they eventually move away after killing you about 6 times

Legandary Spartan · Feb 18, 2007, 10:47 PM // 22:47

To me this strip of land has no point anymore. It's almost impossble to run and by the time you get there, level 12's don't stand a chance to fight there. By the time your level 20 your in desert and about accend and get to droks anyway. Take the elite skills move them else where and deleat the pass. The one thing: This would mess up exploration titles,

kumarshah · Feb 18, 2007, 10:57 PM // 22:57

Yeah, at times the mobs are really big.

Evilsod · Feb 18, 2007, 11:54 PM // 23:54

They made the mobs insanely large yeah... killing more than 1 Wurm at a time is almost impossible using Henchman from Beacons Pearch/DWC.

Once you get through Dreadnoughts Drift, Snake Dance is pretty much clean sailing... or maybe not if your all on 60dp, never fought masses of Giants like that.

You'd just need alot of damage or spike potential. Kill off the Dolyak Masters in DD before they get chance to cast Mark of Prot or bring enchantment removal. They're really not that great at healing.

Monk Gsb · Feb 19, 2007, 12:16 AM // 00:16

if your doing it just for the sake of it, idk because i have never done it.

but if your doing it for your title, start from camp rankor.

i done it with me as a woh healer monk and mm hero, 2 sf hero's. prot hench, fighter, brawler and a ranger. done it all ( rankor to becons ) in around 3 hours, but it was still not eaisy, and it did take quite a few cc's ( wintergreen ).

Tromador · Feb 19, 2007, 02:27 AM // 02:27

If you're doing it for mapping, I'd consider going backwards, Droks -> Beacons. That way you can have a party of 8 and higher level henches.

Mystic511 · Feb 19, 2007, 05:35 AM // 05:35

I was doing it for the sake of doing it. I guess they buffed up the mobs after nightfall came out because they knew people would just bring their level 20 heroes.

It just shocked me a bit because, like i said, i didn't remember it being that hard when i ran through before.

Just wanted confirmation and to see if anyone else has also tried it for fun. =)

Priest Of Sin · Feb 19, 2007, 06:39 AM // 06:39

the mobs really arent that bad, but the wurms... dear god the wurms. PLEASE DEBUFF THESE MONSTROSITIES...

Luciora · Feb 19, 2007, 07:35 AM // 07:35

ANET added the monsters etc to stop people from running Beacons -> Droks in an attempt to make sure that people a) followed the game instead of skipping 50% of it and b) to stop level 10s reaching Droks to be powerleveled and get max armour.

For max armour you can now just travel from Lions Arch to Cantha though so much easier

As so many have pointed out, if you are busy with mapping, it is MUCH easier to go from Droks to Beacons. You get a party of 8 instead of 6 and they are all level 20.

MithranArkanere · Feb 19, 2007, 11:39 PM // 23:39

To ensure people follow the game, they shold set Prophecies to the "Talk to start" system of Nightfall and close doors until missiones done.

But they are 25! ^^U

Close the southern door and put a dwarf there that only allows in charaters that have already been in Droknar's Forge and done. No one can go until making the story.

I went from South to north and only found problem on that crowd of Dwarves in Dreadnought's Drift. I needed to take Dwayna's Blessings to clear the area with average 30% DP.

Hyper Cutter · Feb 20, 2007, 04:26 AM // 04:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luciora

ANET added the monsters etc to stop people from running Beacons -> Droks in an attempt to make sure that people a) followed the game instead of skipping 50% of it and b) to stop level 10s reaching Droks to be powerleveled and get max armour.

If they don't want people running to Drok's, why does Lornar's Pass even exist? Its sole purpose seems to be linking the two halves of the Shiverpeaks...

**Marty Silverblade** · Feb 20, 2007, 06:29 AM // 06:29

I'd say because you can't just cut the Southern Shiverpeaks off form the rest of the world. Linking IS it's purpose. Before anyone mentions anything about the desert being cut off, you arrive by boat, from Sanctum Cay. So really, it is connected in a way.

Luciora · Feb 20, 2007, 07:40 AM // 07:40

Agreed with Marty, they had to connect the North and South and that seemed a good method. The problem was that a lot of people just skipped Kryta, the Jungle etc and hopped right to the last couple of missions.

Hence ANET brought in the extra monsters to make it a lot more difficult. That said there are still people who do the run. Myself and a Guildie managed to do it as well. So it's not impossible but it is rather tricky.

For now, forget about Droks and just play the game

RPGmaniac · Feb 20, 2007, 09:01 AM // 09:01

Running backwards from Camp Rankor isn't much easier. Dreadnaught's Drift is just as insane coming from the south, still tons of Stone Summit Necros and Monks. If Anet truely did not want Droknar's Forge runs, they would've take that part out of the game a LONG time ago. Since it's still there, Anet doesn't want the Droknar's run gone. I think the reason Anet makes it harder is to give the runners a challenge. A couple of my guildies have said that they know builds to run the forge, I'm assuming it just takes practice like any build (I saw my guildie run to the end of Lornar's, he didn't go further because he was helping me map that last part of the Pass)

Maybe Anet could give this area more of a use besides an alternate way into the UW and connecting Droknars to the beginning areas? Add a quest or so maybe?

Perkunas · Feb 21, 2007, 05:34 PM // 17:34

A guildmate (W/R) and I (E/Me) opened the map between Beacons and Droks, but we started in Droks with 6 henches and went north. We worked at it for several hours. When we would get a large area cleared, we would 'retreat' to a safe area and take a short break.

We each took 2 Superior ID and 2 Superior salvage kits, several exp scrolls, the few candy canes we had left, and a bunch of keys we got at both ends before we left. When we reached Beacons Perch, we had several stacks of crafting materials, a few runes, a few more skill points, several purple and gold items to sell, (salvaged all white and blue items for room in inventory, nothing was left on the ground), and I have 94.9% of the map, and he has 92.5%.

This was one of the most challenging and fun days of playing I had in this game. True, at times it got annoying. Dreadnaught Drift almost got the best of us. Kill 1 or 2, die, run back from res shrine, and repeat. Reach -60 dps, eat candy cane. Poor henches.

My E/Me will be the only character that will have the max Explorer Title, once I find that last 5.1%.

Added: It is still possible to run from Beacons to Droks. Got a run last night. The runner was a D/W. Died 3 times in DD, but did complete the run.

I also noticed, someone fought D to B in 3 hours. Must be a heck of a build. It took nearly an hour to run it. Not calling you a liar, but can you share your build (Hero's) so I can do this again with my W/Mo & Heros?

And for the sake of convenience, add a merchant in the northern most part of Snake Dance to unload stuff while mapping.

taco_salad · Feb 21, 2007, 11:15 PM // 23:15

I did D to B with myself *w/mo* etten axebuild, a MM hero, 2 LOD hero monks, 2 monk henchs , and 2 eles hench. took about 2-3 hours. filled up my inventory by enternce of DD.

I think I had my first party whipout the middle of DD and agian in the middle of lornars pass. I ran inside quickly near the lornar/DD exits by the skin of my A** though.

Issac · Feb 22, 2007, 12:38 AM // 00:38

What if your going for the survivor title and you want a run to droks, would it be possible to survive, because someone said that once you enter one portal the mob is right infront of you.

ca_aok · Feb 22, 2007, 01:57 AM // 01:57

It's possible to survive right outside beacons (the only "mob" is 1-2 pinesouls and an ice imp, and they're a bit away from the door)... the tricky bit is surviving in DD when you're surrounded on both sides by stone summit mobs and the left one is moving towards you.

Tromador · Feb 22, 2007, 10:25 AM // 10:25

Chances of surviving on a Droks run are slim (except one hopes for the runner).

As stated Dreadnoughts Drift is deadly. There isn't anywhere to stand safely and wait whilst the runner heads to Snake Pass.

If your real reason for doing this is to get max armour, you are MUCH better off going to Lion's Arch then hopping over to Cantha and purchasing armour there.

Of course if you don't have factions, you're pretty much stuck - you'll have to go around the hard way.