Curse

Cebe · Jul 26, 2006, 08:47 AM // 08:47

I have 3 missions left to obtain Masters on before I can get my protector title. One of these is Vizunah Square. I see a number of problems with this mission...

1. It tends to be a mission where people who have only just got to lvl 20 have got to, therefore, maybe are still experimenting with builds/are inexperienced etc....
2. There are 2 Vizunah Squares, while you may have got into a "Masters Team" in one town, there is no guarantee that the adjoining team will also be actively trying for masters...

I have tried this 10-20 times, still no masters... WHat is the criteria for receiving masters? I assume is it the time taken but I don't know what the time cut-off point is.

Can anyone give me any tips on how to maybe complete this for Masters? Oh, FYI, although I am in a guild, it has all of ... 2 ... members in it!

So, suggesting that we maybe somehow rig the games in both squares so the game has 16 guild members playing it is not too feasible! Are there any shortcuts through the game? Is there any skill in particular I should maybe bring to help (I'm an E/N - i use Air Magic currently, because it's my favourite, but am open to new suggestions).

Thanks for any help!

devlindracone · Jul 26, 2006, 09:31 AM // 09:31

Hi,

Masters is <25mins.

I never had much of a problem with this one did it on my 2nd attempt.

Tips-
Bring edge of extinction or get someone too.
MM help alot with all the corpses
As always call targets and work as a team

Chuba · Jul 26, 2006, 09:40 AM // 09:40

Some tips:

-The time limit for masters is 25 minutes

-Let the other team know before the gate opens for the Foreign quarter team whether you're doing masters or not, might help to make the other team change their behaviour

-The first cutscene has to be skipped so that all the possible (and highly recommended) Necromancers' minions won't die and the afflicted won't kill the people (if there's any left when the scene triggers)

-Even if you're mainly an Air ele, I should recommend some more AoE spells for you, as the enemies will come in huge waves. (Fire or Earth spells)

Cebe · Jul 26, 2006, 10:22 AM // 10:22

Damn! I got 27 mins on my last attempt! Ah well, at least I'm close to doing it! I like to use earth from time to time so maybe I'll take some earth AoE spells with me next time...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuba

The first cutscene has to be skipped so that all the possible (and highly recommended) Necromancers' minions won't die and the afflicted won't kill the people (if there's any left when the scene triggers)

Hmmm, problem is there is always one who 'forgets' where the Skip button is! Really annoying when that happens! It's a shame you can't chat in the cut scenes to tell them to click 'Skip' already!!

frickaline · Jul 26, 2006, 11:56 AM // 11:56

When I did this one, we used EoE to get that extra damage kick we needed, however, its important to bring something with to offset the damage you could cause to your own team from EoE not to mention the unwitting 2nd team that joins you. Its important to bring either a ritualist with spirits that will affect both groups or a necro with wells. That way kills are fast but both teams have healing enough to live.

Effendi Westland · Jul 26, 2006, 12:25 PM // 12:25

Get a masters team together and start from INT. That way you will usually get either guild groups or AI to join you. Can be done with a henchie group, especially the local group. Tho you will need a very good group yourself.

Avarre · Jul 26, 2006, 01:26 PM // 13:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by frickaline

we used EoE

All you need to know!

We used a N/R with SS and EoE, tore up the mission. Just make sure the EoE dropper doesn't put it down at bad times.

devlindracone · Jul 26, 2006, 02:38 PM // 14:38

just make sure the nps are dead before placomg EoE if your with a MM winnow can help that +4 dmg or what ever can really stack up

ubermancer · Jul 26, 2006, 07:10 PM // 19:10

I took a team of all henchies in foriegn (Rt/N putrid, explosive growth, boon of creation, animate bone minions, etc) and my friend took a team into local at the same time (R/W thumper with EOE).

We sprinted through it.

Divineshadows · Jul 26, 2006, 10:03 PM // 22:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celestial Beaver

Can anyone give me any tips on how to maybe complete this for Masters? Oh, FYI, although I am in a guild, it has all of ... 2 ... members in it!

So, suggesting that we maybe somehow rig the games in both squares so the game has 16 guild members playing it is not too feasible! Are there any shortcuts through the game? Is there any skill in particular I should maybe bring to help (I'm an E/N - i use Air Magic currently, because it's my favourite, but am open to new suggestions).

Thanks for any help!

The tips people have given you so far about EoE are good as long as the person using it is not utterly retarded. Getting masters on local is easier once you have a good team/PUG formed, because the average local team is far worse than the average foreign team. If you are doing foreign, then pray for a local team consisting of 8 henchmen.

Take personal interest in the skills and attributes everybody in your party are using (in other words screen them) if you really want to make sure you get masters. I recommend forming the group yourself and advertising it as a master's group. Make sure any warriors or rangers you bring into the group are maxed for damage (i.e. 16 in weapon mastery for a warrior with several adrenal skills / 16 in marksmanship and 13 in expertise for a ranger with barrage and interrupts). If your ranger is running barrage, interrupts, and edge, then you can have them run lower marksmanhsip and/or expertise to get a reasonable level of edge. Warrior skills that offer area of affect such as cyclone axe, triple chop, hundred blades, and yeti smash are also helpful. Do not accept any "tanks" into your group, because they are not set up for damage and will not help you accomplish your goal.

Be very careful about accepting assassins into your group. Screen their skills and attributes very carefully. Make sure they have a teleportation skill to get out of trouble (Aura of Displacement or Return) or a skill such as dark escape to run when they get in trouble. They should have death blossom as at least one of their dual attacks, but quite frankly this skill rocks PvE with high dagger mastery.

Screen your casters and make sure they have energy management and do not accept "I have 80+ something energy" as an acceptable answer from elementalists. Necromancers are usually fine on energy in PvE with 8+ soul reaping. Mesmers should spec into inspiration and use a couple skills to keep their energy up. Elementalists should run either dual attunements with aura of restoration as a cover enchantment OR run ether prodigy. Monks should be mesmer secondary and use inspiration magic for energy management AND be able to keep blind off warriors/rangers/sins. Keep in mind that achieving masters on factions missions is about keeping a fast pace, so you don't really want to give anyone time to "stand around and regen".

These tips pretty much are the same when forming a group for any of the missions in Factions in which you are trying to get the masters reward. Certain missions have special considerations such as Unwaking Waters and its importance of ranged interrupts.

Finally, evaluate your own bar to make sure you'll be contributing to this well built team you just formed. You said you wish to run air magic? Try:

16 Air, 13 energy storage
Elemental Attunement / Air Attunement / Aura of Restoration / Blinding Flash / Lightning Orb / Lightning Hammer / Lightning Stike / Rez Sig

Blind warriors and those pesky rangers with broad head arrow, then smash casters or frenzied warriros with your air spells.

Alternatively, you could change your secondary to monk and run as a heal party bot allowing you to form a group that has only one monk primary (meaning that your team has an extra spot for a damage dealer):

14 air, 11 healing, 11 energy storage, 1 prot
Ether Prodigy / Blinding Flash / Lightning Orb / Lightning Strike or Heal Other / Heal Party / Draw Conditions / Glyph of Sacrafice or Glyph of Essence / Ressurection Chant

Basically a monk build with great energy management that can blind and still contribute some damage here and there.

Sir Mad · Jul 26, 2006, 10:18 PM // 22:18

Well, it depends on your class, but generally I'd say: hench it. I noticed that generally you have 8 henchies on the other side if you go with 7 henchies in your team (actually you may have real players, but only if no other team in your side has joined). With henchies, you know what you can expect from them. You can't with PUGs.

Now if you wanna get it as a monk, it may be harder wit henchies...

Haggard · Jul 27, 2006, 12:55 AM // 00:55

Took me till my 3rd attempt, with me as a W/R tiger sword, another guildie warr, the two best monks of my guild, and 4 PUG'gers.

CTU · Jul 27, 2006, 01:36 AM // 01:36

Crap!

To get master title you need to do it on 25 min. I just did it on 25 min and 19 seconds. Argh

Astro Pubes · Jul 27, 2006, 03:18 AM // 03:18

just did it in 23:00 flat brought level 11 EoE and traps, maxed out BM and Wilderness swapped masks out to gain 16 in each depending on what i needed, traps put on the wilderness survival mask, for EoE BM mask had a team of 8 with one leeching monk and a team of 8 henchies. Had a lvl 15 MM with no flesh golem or bone fiends, just strictly Bone minions and an SS. it would have been faster if we didn't have the leeching monk, but no one died just couldn't skip cut scenes if you want PM me if you still need help and we can get a team together... *this is for Foreign*

war Veteran · Jul 27, 2006, 05:49 PM // 17:49

Wow, i found it really easy, i did on first try and the other team were Hench lol

some guy · Jul 28, 2006, 03:30 PM // 15:30

i got experts on it, a barrager really helps

some guy · Jul 28, 2006, 03:31 PM // 15:31

i got experts on it, a barrager really helps

Sir Mad · Jul 28, 2006, 05:57 PM // 17:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astro Pubes

just did it in 23:00 flat brought level 11 EoE and traps, maxed out BM and Wilderness swapped masks out to gain 16 in each depending on what i needed, traps put on the wilderness survival mask, for EoE BM mask had a team of 8 with one leeching monk and a team of 8 henchies. Had a lvl 15 MM with no flesh golem or bone fiends, just strictly Bone minions and an SS. it would have been faster if we didn't have the leeching monk, but no one died just couldn't skip cut scenes if you want PM me if you still need help and we can get a team together... *this is for Foreign*

If you're that addictied to the mission (sarcasm) you may want to reach the local quarter to do it from there too. Back in the days (before ANET opens Shing Jea missions and everything to Tyrian chars), you had to join a Mayhem in the Market team (which was one of the worst experience as a GW player - this quest is so easy that players spending hours in the Marketplace to make a team for that are really, really bad - have I said really? So if you want to do it be prepared to have a bunch of lvl 15 newbs in your team dying in 4 hits, an average of 3 leavers, and clueless players who will rely on you to... solo the quest - beware!). Now you may be able to just walk in with a Tyrian after you have completed further missions, I haven't checked.

This is maybe a good tip for those who decide not to do it with 15 henchies, as as said above, the average level is better in foreign quarters - thus making a master team in locals may be a good idea, even if you're tyrian.

SisterMercy · Jul 28, 2006, 06:45 PM // 18:45

I am convinced that you need to be loonietoons and just keep running like idiots, to get Masters in some of these missions. Nahpui was harder for me to get (just over a week of attempts with PuGs), and also took finding a team that kept running on with no regards for health or energy regen.

I actually got Masters on 2nd try in Vizunah, and it was late at night with a really warped team: 4 Necros, one Monk (yes, one -- we managed to kill the baddies fast enough that they didn't have time to put enough damage on us), a Rt/N who insisted on being a Minion Mancer, a Barrage Ranger (with tiger), a Warrior and an Assassin who accounted for half of our Monk's work. Everyone figured "we'll never do it with this many Necros," but two of us rallied and said, let's try this:

One Necro went as Echo SS and spread it around well, one as MM (there were enough corpses that it didn't conflict with our Rt/N -- in fact, their minion heals helped each other out, and it seemed we had an army of 16-20 at any given moment), one as Blood (Well of Power, Blood Ritual + degen), and I took my plague build (Rotting Flesh + Virulence + Epidemic + Well of Suffering), since they're all bleeders in this mission.

These missions are Necromancer's paradise.

The newbie team was 3 players and 5 hench, and we had to give them a hand keeping Mhenlo alive as they approached. But we let them know in chat that we were going for Masters, and they did their best to keep up.

SnipiousMax · Jul 28, 2006, 06:58 PM // 18:58

As has been stated. EoE > Afflicted. Just don't drop it until the peasants die.