Curse

Ellis 404 · Aug 09, 2005, 09:58 PM // 21:58

When I beat it I was in a group with two Rangers, one Monk, one Elementalist, two Warriors and my Mesmer. Our team leader (the second monk) got disconnected early on.

The Rangers spent all their time by the catapults until the very end and would call out when a new group of enemies was approaching, telling us what entrance and often what they were. The rest of us were split up at either entrance and, if the situation called for it, would run to one side to help out the others then run back. Everyone had to be alert but we got through it without much of a problem.

I'm still trying to figure out why I was told by one group leader that I *needed* Conjure Phantasm for this mission. O_o Quite tempted to have another go at it using Blackout though.

Yellow_lid · Aug 09, 2005, 10:13 PM // 22:13

This was a tough mission... EVERY time we played with a group that had pugs we lost MISERABLY but finally I managed to get the whole guild together (along with a pug I had played with repeatedly) and we Kicked serious butt.

Two peeps at the catapults on each side. everyone else in the middle. when something comes your way just ping for the other 4 people to come help you. Worked like a charm. I ended the mission with a +6 morale boost!

Howling Wind · Aug 09, 2005, 11:48 PM // 23:48

Few words of wisdom: Henchies Own PUGS

LoL

The thing is its hard putting together a PUG and making people listen. I've tried so hard to make people follow strategies when doing missions again with 2nd or 3rd char, especially those desert missions and beyond. Infact from desert onwarsd (since lina's arrival at desert) i've stopped bothering with PUGS and just do missions with henchies which seems so much easier and won't have to do like 20 runs with PUGS... The only reason I was gonna do PUGS was to help those people get through but if they don't listen well then...what can you do.

Of course real players have the potential to always be much better than henchies but only if you can get your guildies or friends to work together or a good PUG that actually does good teamworking such as target calling, giving brief instructions on what your gonna do or what you need someone to do and following orders AND FOCUSING FIRE. <--- That is the quality of henchmans, sad they like to cluster up to get hit by AoE spells...well atleast the henchmans being stuck bug seems fixed.

Winterclaw · Aug 10, 2005, 12:52 AM // 00:52

I think the worst part of this mission is it is a bit of a long one and pretty tedious. It'd be nicer if there were more that are "short and sweet" instead of marathons.

I think I beat it on my 3rd or 4th try with PUGs.

MaglorD · Aug 10, 2005, 01:00 AM // 01:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howling Wind

Few words of wisdom: Henchies Own PUGS

LoL

The thing is its hard putting together a PUG and making people listen. I've tried so hard to make people follow strategies when doing missions again with 2nd or 3rd char, especially those desert missions and beyond. Infact from desert onwarsd (since lina's arrival at desert) i've stopped bothering with PUGS and just do missions with henchies which seems so much easier and won't have to do like 20 runs with PUGS... The only reason I was gonna do PUGS was to help those people get through but if they don't listen well then...what can you do.

Of course real players have the potential to always be much better than henchies but only if you can get your guildies or friends to work together or a good PUG that actually does good teamworking such as target calling, giving brief instructions on what your gonna do or what you need someone to do and following orders AND FOCUSING FIRE. <--- That is the quality of henchmans, sad they like to cluster up to get hit by AoE spells...well atleast the henchmans being stuck bug seems fixed.

I completed Thunderhead Keep mission and bonus with both my necro and monk using henchies. I still prefer a good PUG to henchies though cuz you can't strategise with henchies and they are boring.

Also did Glint and Hell's precipice with henchies.

Old Dood · Aug 10, 2005, 01:09 AM // 01:09

Just finished the mission with my monk. (first time for this character)

Tried it an hour before with a PUG. Total Failure! I got blamed. The group kept rushing to the next MOB (in the city) before I was set and recharged.

Just did it with another PUG. Went beautifully! One person dropped. However, the leader and the rest of the group had NO problem stopping and waiting. They would all stop and say "Rest". This made the difference. I was always up and running and ready to heal. I had Smite Hex and Mend Aliment running as fast as I could push the keys. Throw in some Healing Breeze to buy time. Saved Word of Healing for somebody to go under 50%. Got a little dicey when I had to run between the doors to try to keep all healed. Had a couple of deaths...just can't get to them all.

And this group THANKED me allot. A couple asked me to add my character to their list. To me that is the best compliment of all.

SnowRaven · Aug 10, 2005, 10:51 AM // 10:51

did it a day ago with a full ranger trapper team along with degen and interrupts we started off with 2 healers but 1 dropped

so we completed the mission with 6 rangers and 1 monk

my hats off to that monk he was a great healer

Mitsu Bishi · Aug 10, 2005, 01:11 PM // 13:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashkarian Faststaff

Our guild has beaten this mission so many times it's not funny.

2 people light the beacons.

No strategy, no messing about just stand with the king kill the stuff when it comes, that simple.

Mission complete.

Exactly - that's how I did it every time. Even with only 2 real players and the rest henchmen. Stay with the King and let the baddies come to you. They always tend to come alternating the side, so you rarely have to fight two groups at once (which you would have when manning the doors).

Shamblemonkee · Aug 10, 2005, 01:34 PM // 13:34

I concur

, get to the king then defend him on the steps. Job done. so long as the bossmob isn't a monk ;o)

octaviancmb · Aug 10, 2005, 02:50 PM // 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shamblemonkee

I concur

, get to the king then defend him on the steps. Job done. so long as the bossmob isn't a monk ;o)

I can't emphasize this enough. If you're not a Mesmer or a Mesmer secondary, just adding the Mesmer who's been waiting there for two hours to your henchman group will enable you to own everything in this mission.

Monk boss? Killed in 20 seconds...

If you are a Mesmer primary/secondary, just run with henchies. You'll save yourself a lot of time. (I would suggest you not even try looking for a group.)

CMB

Dwiggit · Aug 10, 2005, 04:21 PM // 16:21

If you are going the PUG route, I suggest that you take the lead in forming a group. When a person joins the group, query them about what role they are performing (Distracting or trapping ranger, etc.). Also, make SURE that everyone agrees to a party leader. If you don't know the specifics of the mission yourself, you can hand over the control to someone who does. Just make sure EVERYONE understands who the party leader is. I've been in too many groups where 3 people think they are the leader.... I see stuff drawn on the map going off in 3 different directions..... groups then splits and dies.

If a person doesn't agree to follow the designated leader.... KICK!
(Insure a response from each member.)

Also insisting that the party wait for instructions after each encounter can help reduce the infamous WaMo charge to oblivion. (I know, not always a warriors fault, but you know the routine.

)

Dwig

Old Dood · Aug 10, 2005, 05:20 PM // 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwiggit

If you are going the PUG route, I suggest that you take the lead in forming a group. When a person joins the group, query them about what role they are performing (Distracting or trapping ranger, etc.). Also, make SURE that everyone agrees to a party leader. If you don't know the specifics of the mission yourself, you can hand over the control to someone who does. Just make sure EVERYONE understands who the party leader is. I've been in too many groups where 3 people think they are the leader.... I see stuff drawn on the map going off in 3 different directions..... groups then splits and dies.

If a person doesn't agree to follow the designated leader.... KICK!
(Insure a response from each member.)

Also insisting that the party wait for instructions after each encounter can help reduce the infamous WaMo charge to oblivion. (I know, not always a warriors fault, but you know the routine.

)

Dwig

I Agree! (or is it/signed?) hehe
While playing my Monk I am usually the last in a group. I will see typed: "Finally...Great...GOGOGOGOGO" When I see: "GOGOGOGOGO" I whisper the Leader and say lets TALK about his mission before heading out. If He/She is reasonable and agrees with me then that is a plus. If others are whinning to get going and not listen to strategy/tactics then I will openly say "Kick Em".

Also this has been said before from someone wiser then I, Use the Local channel for the Leader, and the Trade channel for the Monk(s).

One thing about playing a Monk is you do wield some controling influence on the group BEFORE you leave. Threat of leaving the group will wake people up. OR they will leave on their own accord and you just avoided a problem.

I am not some Uber/SuperDuper Monk by no means. But, I have been learning quite fast at this Healing Thing. There are many others way better then I. I look at myself as a Working Class type Monk. I hold my nose to the grind stone. I make mistakes all the time. I try to learn from them. What I have learned mostly is Communication is the main factor in this game. Without that you are Doomed for Failure.

ChoKILLate[FDG] · Aug 10, 2005, 06:20 PM // 18:20

Has the mission gotten harder? I have tried it 7 times on PUGs and all 7 times we get the monk boss at the end. Until reading this thread, I had assumed that the monk boss is ALWAYS at the end of the mission. Do I just have bad luck or have they changed it since some of you all have done it?

Dwiggit · Aug 10, 2005, 07:00 PM // 19:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChoKILLate[FDG]

Has the mission gotten harder? I have tried it 7 times on PUGs and all 7 times we get the monk boss at the end. Until reading this thread, I had assumed that the monk boss is ALWAYS at the end of the mission. Do I just have bad luck or have they changed it since some of you all have done it?

I've run through this mission about 8 times, and I've always seens a Mursaat Monk in one of the groups, be he is not a boss. Is is possible that people are confusing the monk with another boss?

Most of the missions I've lost are due to that Monk. The PUG gets split, second group arrives.... all players dead. (Or King killed!

)

Dwig

MaglorD · Aug 11, 2005, 02:22 AM // 02:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwiggit

I've run through this mission about 8 times, and I've always seens a Mursaat Monk in one of the groups, be he is not a boss. Is is possible that people are confusing the monk with another boss?

Most of the missions I've lost are due to that Monk. The PUG gets split, second group arrives.... all players dead. (Or King killed!

)

Dwig

The mursaat monk sometimes accompanies the mursaat boss(2nd boss) in the keep. Yes this is the hardest part of the mission. Curiously, sometimes the mursaat boss comes without the monk...maybe the monk got killed by other monsters.

Dwiggit · Aug 11, 2005, 12:23 PM // 12:23

Yes, ladies and gentlemen.... it IS actually possible to complete Thunderhead keep with real people!

Last night I formed a group that had at least 6 people who had never won the mission. One of them had even tried 15 times!!!

Needless to say, everyone in the group was very willing to follow a leader and wait for instructions during the mission. (I think a certain level of frustration helps people realize the need to work together!)

We completed the mission with only one person dying only once!

And there was much rejoicing!!!!!

A few comments on the group:
We had two warriors, two monks, one ranger, one elementalist, one necro, and one mesmer.
It took about 20 minutes to form the group, finding two monks proved exasperating. At one point we had two, but as I started laying down the ground rules for the mission, one left with no explanation. The whole group was disappointed, but in agreement that we didn't want someone who either couldn't wait or couldn't follow orders. A little patience paid off for a lot of people who were frustrated! Just wanted to point out the value of patience here.

To show the value of listening to orders and not running off, here's a little excerpt of what happened later....
After finishing Thunderhead, the group was so pleased we all decided to continue adventuring together in the ring of fire, with the exception of one warrior who had to go to bed. So we picked up another warrior.
We entered that first mission about killing the 3 council doods, and the party was taking it slow. (It was the first time here for 6 of us!) Now the new warrior decided it was moving too slow, so he started charging groups to pick up the pace. Within 5 minutes, the whole group was dead.

One person not working with the team ruined one of the best groups I've been with! There's value in discipline and following a leader!!

Anyway, I'll get off my high horse now. Just wanted to make a point or two and share our victory!

Good adventuring!
Dwig

Old Dood · Aug 11, 2005, 12:49 PM // 12:49

Dwig,

This is what I have been preaching all along. Stop running through Missions and take your time. You save time in the long run. Your characters are healed and recharged and it is allot more FUN. Thunderhead teaches you that. When you get to the Ring of Fire you must work together or just die all the time and then get real frustrated and angry. I will be on later this evening (EST) if you want whisper me. I will join you in the Ring of Fire missions with my Monk.

Dwiggit · Aug 11, 2005, 01:01 PM // 13:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Warrior Dood

Dwig,

This is what I have been preaching all along. Stop running through Missions and take your time. You save time in the long run. Your characters are healed and recharged and it is allot more FUN. Thunderhead teaches you that. When you get to the Ring of Fire you must work together or just die all the time and then get real frustrated and angry. I will be on later this evening (EST) if you want whisper me. I will join you in the Ring of Fire missions with my Monk.

Hey Old Warrior Dood!
I'll definitely look you up if I'm online tonight. (I did promise my wife that I would watch a movie with her, though. Might have to be Friday night.)
I'm in the Eastern time zone too (VA). I usually get online around 8:30-11:00 on various weeknights.
Characters: Dwiggit Flamearrow (R/Mo), Dwig Deathflame (N/E)

Thanks!
Dwig

ChoKILLate[FDG] · Aug 11, 2005, 06:00 PM // 18:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwiggit

I've run through this mission about 8 times, and I've always seens a Mursaat Monk in one of the groups, be he is not a boss. Is is possible that people are confusing the monk with another boss?

Dwig

No, I always got the Monk boss with the Mursaat monk. It is easy to tell because the boss is blue, and they keep healing each other.

However, last night I finally did it with all henchies and breezed right through. I ended up getting a Mesmer boss this time,accompanied by the monk, but this time the monk was easier to take down with out a Monk boss healing him!

I do have one question though: Is there a way to lure without having your henchies charging in? I make sure I dont call the target, but they all go rushing in reguardless.

wbaldwin67 · Aug 11, 2005, 06:14 PM // 18:14

Ive always found that when in a PUG that if 2 ppl controll the ballistas (one on each side) and rain fire down on the incoming groups it helps. Keep the King to the back of the battlement at the top of the stairs (bait). The Bosses are drawn to him. Then they dont even come inside. They go right up to the wall. Then your AOE ppl start in on the bosses and Rangers distrupt. IT gets pretty ugly if your down below and its over quickly. Then again our warriors were either Warrior / Elementalist or Monks so the Monks healed the King and the Elementalists assisted in AOE.