Thunderhead Impossible Keep

I given up, thinking of quiting this game, its just too damn impossible.

Is it just me or have the devs made this mission much much harder then it use to be.

How the hell do you finish this mission? Let alone trying to do the bonus as well... any tips?

Quote: Originally Posted by RTSFirebat

I'll help you out on my monk if you want. PM me in-game sometime.


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that was what i was asking my group when we finished it(on the 4th try). This was my 3rd time doing it and it seemed really ezier on the 1st 2 tries(for my other 2 characs).

dunno if anyones confirmed it either though.sry.

-definitely would like to assist you w/ my monk. but it is immobilized atm (space. ). ill msg you when I can.

Hm. I probably have had luck. You NEED people on catapults. A good catapulter who can time shots can single handedly wipe out the white mantle on the right side and the few straggling jades/mursaat on the left.

2 monks, a mesmer (enchantment killer), ranger, necro, elementalists, warrior or a warrior instead of a ranger.

YOu just need some utility, it is a long mission, but the monsters come in ones or twos. The hardest part is the keep, but a warrior and one monk on one side, and everyone else on the other can work.

Run it with henchmen. Trust me on this one, the henchmen are far, far more intelligent than any of the PUGs I've tried this mission with (unless I was running the mission as my Monk, who can compensate for the stupidity of others). My Mesmer was stuck here for over a week until I finally took the advice of others and just ran it with the henchmen. Done on attempt #1 with them.

Naysayers moan that you have to heal the king, but since he never took any damage, I was perfectly fine.

Good luck with escaping!

I've had 2 excellent PUGs with my two characters to get that far. My advice would be to start a group of your own, asking specifically for Dedicated, intelligent players committed to winning. Make sure that everyone you get has time to spare and either knows what to do or will at least listen to instructions and follow them. Fill any gaps(healing, etc) with henchies, and give it a run.

All you need to get through it easily in a pug is A. At least one or two people that know what to do, B. A team that listens and follows instructions, C. People that are willing and able to stay on the whole time. Given those 3 things, it's as easy as any other mission. Planning and teamwork remain the keys.

The faster you kill in this mission, the more likely you are to succeede in it. Slow damage forms and builds that empasise tanking make this mission more difficult. Fewer damage sources also impede the success of the mission. Any method can complete it sucessfully, but some methods require better cohesion and timing than others.

My most recent time doing it involved 2 ele/? that were fire based, 1 ele that was air based, a healer henchmen, a r/w, a w/mo (who dropped out early on due to connection issues), a n/me (i didnt pay attention to his specs), and a r/mo. 2 elementalists died twice, one elementalist died once, the king never went under half life and no mob ever made it to the king once inside the keep.

Yes, henchmen have the highest rate of completion for me (out of the 6 times I've done the mission). It's easy until you get to the keep (just call targets and things go smoothly). When I hit the keep, I sweep out all the lesser creatures, leaving the boss for last. Then before I take him out, I take down the monsters from the catapult to the West (I'm pretty sure it's the west side), then take out the boss.

After the 'hold the keep' part begins, I stick on the west side catapult to take out as many giants and such as I can. When I hear fighting comming from the East (I've figured out it's futile to try and take out this mob with a catapult, they don't stay within firing range), I run the henches over and take out those, then back to the West side in case anything else gets within catapult range.

Shortly after this, the king will announce that the white mantle followed you. Once I see this message, I pull back, up to where the king is. The mantle only filter in a few at a time, so call targets and they'll fall quickly. The hard part (I've found) is when the boss shows up. You need to keep it busy long enough to take out the minions, or they swarm you while you try to defeat the boss. Take out the minions in a quick fashion, then try to take out the boss before the next mob arrives. If you get the monk boss, you may have to stop fighting it several times as new mobs appear, if you can't take it out quickly. I've only seen it once though, and I failed that time.

After I take out the boss, It's smooth sailing. I just continue taking out the mantle as they come, and when the final boss comes (you'll see him on the radar) I go down to the West gate to meet him. In all, I find it quite easy (unless I get the monk boss, but I've not done the mission as a mesmer)

For henches, I use all except the mesmer (I've *never* seen him do anything useful) The necromancer hench is quite useful, as she casts blood ritual on you, or any hench, that gets low on energy.

Anyway, this is just what I do to get though it. Your results my vary.

it's pretty tough, to be sure, but not impossible

we had a monk sit up with the king at all times, not only to keep him healed if necessary, but also to watch the minimap for incoming enemies, and direct people to the greatest threat

also i don't know if this is common knowledge, but before you kill the boss in the keep to start the defense portion, you can right right through a gate that looks to be closed and kill a bunch of giants and such to make it easier for you

I also was stinkin mad at this Mission. Then yesterday, in a random PUG (3 monks, 2 Warriors, two ele and one more player) we completed this mission.

It is possible to complete.
Our strategy was to use the ballistas to take out what we could before they reached the gate. And with three monks, we had the party split at both doors each with one monk and one running back and forth for extra backup.
We also did not light the beacons, so we did not attempt the bonus.

Don't give up.

i did it only once, but had no problems with it and a pug. (first try was a success).

i never got why people find it that difficult.
the mursaat only come in "groups" of two, and nearly all the time only from one side.
one damage preventer (prot monk or earth mage [that was me! ]) is enough, as 5 people attacking can kill two mursaat in a few seconds.
in my game there was only one death. (and we had no monk! neither a player nor one of the henchies).

also it is a fortress...
remember why fortresses were build!
you can easily shoot/cast on the mobs before they enter the gates.
often the AI will simply stand in front of the wall then... waiting for you to kill it. (not a single white mantle entered the keep in my game).
and even if they do not stop, dots from the walls will greatly injure or even kill them on their way into the yard (go necros!).

whatever u do, just make sure atleast 2 people in your party is about to interrupt/disable spells. my party didnt and we ended up spending 40 minutes killing the Mursaat monk boss in the fortress and yes we tried to lure it out to the catapults, but it heals faster than it gets hit.

Use the catapults primarily to wipe out the Stone Summit, if you have two actual people. If not, see step two of this strategy. When the Mantle start coming, tag the ones you can and camp the King. If you simply stay put on the king, groups should rush you 3-4 mobs at a time, and if you kill at a reasonable rate, you'll never be facing more than that. The Mursaat Monk boss is dangerous because he can slow down your killing, and thereby cause groups to start piling up. If he doesn't show up (he randomizes with another boss of any of the other 5 professions), you're golden. If he does, try to kill off the other mobs as they come, and occasionally throw a few hits his way. Trying to ouutright kill him without serious interrupting capability (Choking Gas, a Mesmer) is damn near impossible since Mursaat pretty much have infinite energy. If you have a Mesmer, you can basically just shred him, however.

Its really not that bad once you get down to it. Just stay by the king and keep an eye on him, that's the easiest means by which I've ever done it.

Quote: Originally Posted by Therlun

If you don't activate the bonus, the mobs at the very end are smaller. This may make the mission more manageable.

You guys can use henchies? I tried once with my W/Mo and a pt full of henchies and I was like "Alesia! heal the king please...for God's sake he's at 25% health, you have no one else to heal..." But of course it was too late...The king tries to bite off more than he can chew and buys it. Total Bumskies...

Quote: Originally Posted by RTSFirebat

Yes,. this is a very annoying mission, must be the one i hade most problems with...


USE THE DOOR BUG! Kill some of the forces that are blocking the great big door at fort (one more at otherside) and just walk right trough it!
Its a big bugg, its like it was nothing there.
I dunno if this works on Korean and US version, but it sure works on EUropean!

After u have walked trough the door, kill all enemy groups there (including Jade) and return back to the fort, go up the stairs and start the final part, then u will have killed about halv of the tropps and it will be easier!

This sounds strage yeah, but i can promise u it works! i didnt belive it myself first too!

Quote: Originally Posted by Luna Thirteen