Post by PainDragon on Apr 5, 2017 22:13:46 GMT 1
Veteran Aetherian Archive trial:
Just gathering my thougths, really not in order of importance, or better: every item on the list is important
General „rules”:
1. Gear and skill-setup. Please come to the event with your most known, and practiced gear- and skill-setup. Veteran trials aren’t for „muscle-memory training” and theorycrafting (well, except actual tactics ); if you have in your new gear 2k DPS above the top of your old gear, but you’re not comfortable with the new, and maybe you’ll need more concentration to achieve these numbers, it is better if you come with your old setup. Important: do not use those skills, which provide the buffs, gaining from the group also. I’ll write about these in the section where I’ll go detailed into tanking.
2. Food buff. Try to raise your HP above 18k, so the tank can make it (with Ebon group buff) reach the „safe zone”, 19k should be enough to compensate the faults of the tank (since when it is needed to block or roll dodge, nothing will save you if you won’t react to the call-outs (4.))
3. Movement. Do not run in front of the group alone, let he tank engage and build aggro with rooting AoE and taunts. These encounters are mostly need stacking, to be really near the tank, even if it’s a trash pull. Use your AoE damaging skills, because most of these fights are against lots of enemies, so the tank can pull them („chains”) to the middle of the fight. Sometimes it is needed to go to another position (if there are enemies like bannermen, who are immune to the chains, and the bosses naturally), then react properly to the new situation.
4. Call-outs. Always follow the previously discussed tactic, but if you have better ideas, how to solve an encounter, do not be shy and share with us! The call-outs for specific events are important (high damage or wiping mechanics), the healer and the tank should be responsible for informing others, when something special will happen in a few seconds.
5. Since you’re well above the normal levels, you know the basic combat elements for now. But please you really mustn’t forget how to block heavy attacks (and even normal threats), how to roll dodge when it’s an instant danger incoming, how to interrupt (!) when you see those channeling attack-animations (red „lines” or healing beam etc.), how to break-free, and the most important: how to step out of red areas. You might be laughing on these, but trust me, lots of players just think these can’t be lethal, and they mostly rely on their healers. And they die. There are damaging effect, which some enemies apply to some of the party-members , and these effect are „point-blank”-like, so they follow the player, and are able to infect other players as well (like poison-aura in SO, shock-aura in AA etc.). The solution is easy in theory, but sometimes hardly performable: if you’re infected, avoid other players (especially don’t stack the damage!), if you’re „clear”, avoid the infected
OK, let’s jump in an AA-run from the tank’s perspective!
Before going into details, just some infos about this character. She wears Ebon Armory set, so she’ll provide a bonus 1k HP to the team. Before any fights, she’ll use Igneous Weapons, so the group will gain Major Sorcery and Major Brutality buffs. You won’t need to add those skills to your bars which provide these, so you can free up a slot for another damaging and supporting skill.
The tank will use Pierce Armor on the bosses and some other enemies, which will decrease their resistances (Major Fracture and Major Breach). When engaging groups of enemies, she’ll use AoEs like Razor Caltrops, Eruption and Choking Talons, with the last offering a possibility of synergy, which is useful if others are using the Maw of Lorkhaj sets (Moondancer and Alkosh).
1. As you know for now, before entering the door of the library, we form 3 groups, each with 4 players. Left and right groups need 1-1 healers and 3-3 DDs, it’s better if those players, who can do higher DPS, are part of these sub-groups, divided equally among groups. The center group will contain the tank and 3 DDs, it’s good if these DDs can heal themselves, since we won’t have healer there. I’ll write more about this at the relevant section.
2. OK, the 3 groups are formed, let’s get in! Everyone uses the door and running to a long staircase, which will be covered with burning flames, when we approach it. There are about 7 flame atronachs on the top of the stairs. The tank runs to the group of mobs (the other players are following him, since the stairs are flaming, and the only safe place is on the floor near the atronachs. I think the best tactic is when the tank runs through the atronachs, taunting them while running, this way he makes free place behind the atros, for the other party members. Gathers up enemies with chains, for burning down them with AoEs.
3. After the second door there is a corridor, where icy „mini-tornadoes” crawl, and they freeze players with whom they meet, so we need to avoid them. The alliance skill Retreating Maneuver (morph of Rapid Maneuver) can help here, since it makes you immune to CCs, but still, if you’re freezed just break free and run to the next door, and stack there. When opening this door, 2 frost atronachs will attack the group; easy job: tank runs through and taunts them, others burn them from backside.
4. We can follow our route to the next door, but beware, there will be lightning bolts striking from the ceiling, so we have to run (Rapid again...). Just before reaching a staircase, we’ll see a rune glowing on the floor. This is some kind of preparation for the first boss: if you stand in the circle, you’ll be immune to lightning.
5. Stack up the whole team, then run up on the stairs to the next door. We can go through the door, and we’ll see a mob group waiting in the shadows. When we go closer, they’ll attack. The tank runs in front of the group, and engages the mobs with Caltrops, Eruption and Talons. Burn them down, especially when the tank pulls the mobs to be stacked up on her.
The first boss-fight comes, with a huge storm atronach.
1. Some seconds after engaging this fight (and after some punches from the boss against the tank, and after dropping all of out ultis to the boss, why should we keep them?) you’ll meet the most dangerous attack, a group-wide wipe-mechanism, a channeled, non-interruptable thunderstorm-attack. You’ll see this approaching, when the atronach raises his hands, half-crouching, the sky will go cloudy, you’ll see blueish colors on your screen, now it’s time to roll dodge. Not walking, not running, roll dodging. The tank or the healer will call out for this effect’s arrival, and they’ll tell instructions, in which direction to dodge. Let me draw a sketch about this encounter, in quotes the call-out directions shown:
...
2. As you see on the picture, the tank will turn the boss away from the group, the group is behind the boss, the healers are in the group, and watching the animations of the boss, and also checking where the glowing rune is, when the time is coming for the thunderstorm. Because – like there was in the preparation phase, after the 2 frost atronachs – only these runes will make you immune against the storm. When they see the runes, they shout about the correct position (“left!”, “roll to left!” etc.), and everyone including the tank should dodge roll to the correct direction. Before this, the tank also will use Ring of Preservation, because this makes the initial dodge-roll cost to be lower. The channelled attack lasts for 6 seconds, in the last 2 seconds the tank begins to run to the boss again, taunts him, and everyone takes positions again.
3. BUT! When the thunderstorm-action ends, the boss makes a heavy AoE attack, some kind of explosion, which cannot be avoided (except out of its area), but can be blocked; the tank, and anyone caught in the area have to block it when they see the red AoE. If missed blocking, most of the cases it will lead to death.
4. Rinse and repeat. No need to hurry, this is not a DPS-race. Just be aware.
After this boss, there will be 12 portal-runestones, divided to 3 groups. The 3 groups which were formed at the beginning, have to take their positions on those runes. The center group (with the tank) crouch and go to stealth, and in this state use the platforms. The platforms teleport the group to an area, where the groups individually have to fight themselves through some mobs. The center group is the one, which have some specialty here, since the mobs on the center area are respawning when killed, so it’s best if that group don’t engage the mobs, but it’s needed to stay in stealth, and right after the teleportation, step back 4-5 steps away from the mobs, so they won’t see you. Perhaps you’ll see one or more mobs cruising around; do not be surprised, they won’t attack. And even if they will, just kill them, but keep one alive, because until all isn’t killed, they won’t respawn.
After defeating these mobs, pick a platform again, which will teleport you back to the storm atro boss, where a bridge will be formed, and we’ll engage another (big and respawning) mob-pack on the other side. Kill ‘em all. Tank engages, uses Caltrops, Eruption and Talons, chains the farther ones, taunts bannermen, interrupts casters (everyone have to do this!) etc. The way is clear to the second boss.
The Foundation Stone Atronach:
1. This fight isn’t too hard, doesn’t have wipe-mechanism, but needs more attention, since adds will come, which can overwhelm the group. The tank taunts the boss, stays really near him, keeps him taunted. Uses standards or warhorn ulti to raise the overall DPS of the group. The boss has 2 main attacks: the first one is a stomping-style, when he raises from the ground, “stands” on his feet, and hits the ground with his head. The second will be a “rock-throwing” attack, when he throws rock to all of the group-members, dealing damage and making the players unbalanced. This second attack is blockable, or we can make ourselves immune to it, using Siege Shield skill from the alliance tree. The magicka based tank will use this skill when needed, just need to stack on him. The tank also will use Ring of Preservation for decreasing incoming damage (Minor Protection buff, the same which stamplars should provide using Restoring Focus).
2. Add phase(s): there will be adds spawning, bannermen-type, Nullifiers with ranged attacks, and melee Chainspinners with AoE. Fortunately, while the Chainspinners are the more dangerous, but after the tank taunts them, they’ll just follow her (to the group, in their AoEs), and can be burned down with AoEs, which will hurt the boss also. The tactic is to start in front of the boss, then when the first spinning chain arrives, go clockwise around the boss, step out the Chainspinners’ AoE, and if you meet an add, kill him with AoE or single target attacks. The killing priority is Chainspinner, Nullifier and then the boss.
3. At stomping phase there is a real need for heals, the rock-throwing phase is – theoretically – manageable with Siege Shield.
After the stone atronach boss there will be a portal-situation again, with the same instructions like before. After those 3 group of mobs, we’ll arrive to our next boss, a huge wispmother, called Varlariel. Approaching her “nest”, we’ll find 6 pillars around her. These will have an important role through the fight. First, we have to create 2-man groups of the DDs, and one of the healers (who can deal more DPS, than the other) has to participate in this action also. Create these groups, and dedicate
1. As always, the tank engages, but DOES NOT use any ground based attack, which would mean the ground is “full” of animations, because this will make to avoid the AoE circles harder. Yes, this is the first time here where random AoE attack will happen, below the players, which have to be avoided, by stepping out of them. This is important, and might cause a wipe if more members die. Because while this isn’t a DPS race, but there are elapsed time-based events throughout the fight.
2. About these “events”: there are 2 of them. After starting the fight, 30 seconds later the boss splits herself (like a good wispmother ) to 3 other mothers (and she will remain in the center, also). These 3 “shades” will remain until killed, but at longest for 30 seconds. After this time, the boss makes a group-wide attack, where the damage depends on the number of remaining shades (maybe depends on their actual HP, I don’t know). Anyhow, if more than a single add is alive when the big explosion happens, we’ll wipe. But this means we can survive if just one shade is up that time! So, we have to take care to kill all adds but one. Sadly, the number of these adds raises with every add phase, so next time 4, then 5, ending with a maximum of 6 adds will spawn. These adds position themselves at the pillars, and now it is important that the pairs, “created” at the beginning, check the pillars, which were picked for them, and kill the add ASAP near it. If they finish their job faster, they can help with the other adds, then go back to the center, where the tank will cast Ring of Preservation and Igneous Shield, for surviving the explosion.
To be continued...
Just gathering my thougths, really not in order of importance, or better: every item on the list is important
General „rules”:
1. Gear and skill-setup. Please come to the event with your most known, and practiced gear- and skill-setup. Veteran trials aren’t for „muscle-memory training” and theorycrafting (well, except actual tactics ); if you have in your new gear 2k DPS above the top of your old gear, but you’re not comfortable with the new, and maybe you’ll need more concentration to achieve these numbers, it is better if you come with your old setup. Important: do not use those skills, which provide the buffs, gaining from the group also. I’ll write about these in the section where I’ll go detailed into tanking.
2. Food buff. Try to raise your HP above 18k, so the tank can make it (with Ebon group buff) reach the „safe zone”, 19k should be enough to compensate the faults of the tank (since when it is needed to block or roll dodge, nothing will save you if you won’t react to the call-outs (4.))
3. Movement. Do not run in front of the group alone, let he tank engage and build aggro with rooting AoE and taunts. These encounters are mostly need stacking, to be really near the tank, even if it’s a trash pull. Use your AoE damaging skills, because most of these fights are against lots of enemies, so the tank can pull them („chains”) to the middle of the fight. Sometimes it is needed to go to another position (if there are enemies like bannermen, who are immune to the chains, and the bosses naturally), then react properly to the new situation.
4. Call-outs. Always follow the previously discussed tactic, but if you have better ideas, how to solve an encounter, do not be shy and share with us! The call-outs for specific events are important (high damage or wiping mechanics), the healer and the tank should be responsible for informing others, when something special will happen in a few seconds.
5. Since you’re well above the normal levels, you know the basic combat elements for now. But please you really mustn’t forget how to block heavy attacks (and even normal threats), how to roll dodge when it’s an instant danger incoming, how to interrupt (!) when you see those channeling attack-animations (red „lines” or healing beam etc.), how to break-free, and the most important: how to step out of red areas. You might be laughing on these, but trust me, lots of players just think these can’t be lethal, and they mostly rely on their healers. And they die. There are damaging effect, which some enemies apply to some of the party-members , and these effect are „point-blank”-like, so they follow the player, and are able to infect other players as well (like poison-aura in SO, shock-aura in AA etc.). The solution is easy in theory, but sometimes hardly performable: if you’re infected, avoid other players (especially don’t stack the damage!), if you’re „clear”, avoid the infected
OK, let’s jump in an AA-run from the tank’s perspective!
Before going into details, just some infos about this character. She wears Ebon Armory set, so she’ll provide a bonus 1k HP to the team. Before any fights, she’ll use Igneous Weapons, so the group will gain Major Sorcery and Major Brutality buffs. You won’t need to add those skills to your bars which provide these, so you can free up a slot for another damaging and supporting skill.
The tank will use Pierce Armor on the bosses and some other enemies, which will decrease their resistances (Major Fracture and Major Breach). When engaging groups of enemies, she’ll use AoEs like Razor Caltrops, Eruption and Choking Talons, with the last offering a possibility of synergy, which is useful if others are using the Maw of Lorkhaj sets (Moondancer and Alkosh).
1. As you know for now, before entering the door of the library, we form 3 groups, each with 4 players. Left and right groups need 1-1 healers and 3-3 DDs, it’s better if those players, who can do higher DPS, are part of these sub-groups, divided equally among groups. The center group will contain the tank and 3 DDs, it’s good if these DDs can heal themselves, since we won’t have healer there. I’ll write more about this at the relevant section.
2. OK, the 3 groups are formed, let’s get in! Everyone uses the door and running to a long staircase, which will be covered with burning flames, when we approach it. There are about 7 flame atronachs on the top of the stairs. The tank runs to the group of mobs (the other players are following him, since the stairs are flaming, and the only safe place is on the floor near the atronachs. I think the best tactic is when the tank runs through the atronachs, taunting them while running, this way he makes free place behind the atros, for the other party members. Gathers up enemies with chains, for burning down them with AoEs.
3. After the second door there is a corridor, where icy „mini-tornadoes” crawl, and they freeze players with whom they meet, so we need to avoid them. The alliance skill Retreating Maneuver (morph of Rapid Maneuver) can help here, since it makes you immune to CCs, but still, if you’re freezed just break free and run to the next door, and stack there. When opening this door, 2 frost atronachs will attack the group; easy job: tank runs through and taunts them, others burn them from backside.
4. We can follow our route to the next door, but beware, there will be lightning bolts striking from the ceiling, so we have to run (Rapid again...). Just before reaching a staircase, we’ll see a rune glowing on the floor. This is some kind of preparation for the first boss: if you stand in the circle, you’ll be immune to lightning.
5. Stack up the whole team, then run up on the stairs to the next door. We can go through the door, and we’ll see a mob group waiting in the shadows. When we go closer, they’ll attack. The tank runs in front of the group, and engages the mobs with Caltrops, Eruption and Talons. Burn them down, especially when the tank pulls the mobs to be stacked up on her.
The first boss-fight comes, with a huge storm atronach.
1. Some seconds after engaging this fight (and after some punches from the boss against the tank, and after dropping all of out ultis to the boss, why should we keep them?) you’ll meet the most dangerous attack, a group-wide wipe-mechanism, a channeled, non-interruptable thunderstorm-attack. You’ll see this approaching, when the atronach raises his hands, half-crouching, the sky will go cloudy, you’ll see blueish colors on your screen, now it’s time to roll dodge. Not walking, not running, roll dodging. The tank or the healer will call out for this effect’s arrival, and they’ll tell instructions, in which direction to dodge. Let me draw a sketch about this encounter, in quotes the call-out directions shown:
...
2. As you see on the picture, the tank will turn the boss away from the group, the group is behind the boss, the healers are in the group, and watching the animations of the boss, and also checking where the glowing rune is, when the time is coming for the thunderstorm. Because – like there was in the preparation phase, after the 2 frost atronachs – only these runes will make you immune against the storm. When they see the runes, they shout about the correct position (“left!”, “roll to left!” etc.), and everyone including the tank should dodge roll to the correct direction. Before this, the tank also will use Ring of Preservation, because this makes the initial dodge-roll cost to be lower. The channelled attack lasts for 6 seconds, in the last 2 seconds the tank begins to run to the boss again, taunts him, and everyone takes positions again.
3. BUT! When the thunderstorm-action ends, the boss makes a heavy AoE attack, some kind of explosion, which cannot be avoided (except out of its area), but can be blocked; the tank, and anyone caught in the area have to block it when they see the red AoE. If missed blocking, most of the cases it will lead to death.
4. Rinse and repeat. No need to hurry, this is not a DPS-race. Just be aware.
After this boss, there will be 12 portal-runestones, divided to 3 groups. The 3 groups which were formed at the beginning, have to take their positions on those runes. The center group (with the tank) crouch and go to stealth, and in this state use the platforms. The platforms teleport the group to an area, where the groups individually have to fight themselves through some mobs. The center group is the one, which have some specialty here, since the mobs on the center area are respawning when killed, so it’s best if that group don’t engage the mobs, but it’s needed to stay in stealth, and right after the teleportation, step back 4-5 steps away from the mobs, so they won’t see you. Perhaps you’ll see one or more mobs cruising around; do not be surprised, they won’t attack. And even if they will, just kill them, but keep one alive, because until all isn’t killed, they won’t respawn.
After defeating these mobs, pick a platform again, which will teleport you back to the storm atro boss, where a bridge will be formed, and we’ll engage another (big and respawning) mob-pack on the other side. Kill ‘em all. Tank engages, uses Caltrops, Eruption and Talons, chains the farther ones, taunts bannermen, interrupts casters (everyone have to do this!) etc. The way is clear to the second boss.
The Foundation Stone Atronach:
1. This fight isn’t too hard, doesn’t have wipe-mechanism, but needs more attention, since adds will come, which can overwhelm the group. The tank taunts the boss, stays really near him, keeps him taunted. Uses standards or warhorn ulti to raise the overall DPS of the group. The boss has 2 main attacks: the first one is a stomping-style, when he raises from the ground, “stands” on his feet, and hits the ground with his head. The second will be a “rock-throwing” attack, when he throws rock to all of the group-members, dealing damage and making the players unbalanced. This second attack is blockable, or we can make ourselves immune to it, using Siege Shield skill from the alliance tree. The magicka based tank will use this skill when needed, just need to stack on him. The tank also will use Ring of Preservation for decreasing incoming damage (Minor Protection buff, the same which stamplars should provide using Restoring Focus).
2. Add phase(s): there will be adds spawning, bannermen-type, Nullifiers with ranged attacks, and melee Chainspinners with AoE. Fortunately, while the Chainspinners are the more dangerous, but after the tank taunts them, they’ll just follow her (to the group, in their AoEs), and can be burned down with AoEs, which will hurt the boss also. The tactic is to start in front of the boss, then when the first spinning chain arrives, go clockwise around the boss, step out the Chainspinners’ AoE, and if you meet an add, kill him with AoE or single target attacks. The killing priority is Chainspinner, Nullifier and then the boss.
3. At stomping phase there is a real need for heals, the rock-throwing phase is – theoretically – manageable with Siege Shield.
After the stone atronach boss there will be a portal-situation again, with the same instructions like before. After those 3 group of mobs, we’ll arrive to our next boss, a huge wispmother, called Varlariel. Approaching her “nest”, we’ll find 6 pillars around her. These will have an important role through the fight. First, we have to create 2-man groups of the DDs, and one of the healers (who can deal more DPS, than the other) has to participate in this action also. Create these groups, and dedicate
1. As always, the tank engages, but DOES NOT use any ground based attack, which would mean the ground is “full” of animations, because this will make to avoid the AoE circles harder. Yes, this is the first time here where random AoE attack will happen, below the players, which have to be avoided, by stepping out of them. This is important, and might cause a wipe if more members die. Because while this isn’t a DPS race, but there are elapsed time-based events throughout the fight.
2. About these “events”: there are 2 of them. After starting the fight, 30 seconds later the boss splits herself (like a good wispmother ) to 3 other mothers (and she will remain in the center, also). These 3 “shades” will remain until killed, but at longest for 30 seconds. After this time, the boss makes a group-wide attack, where the damage depends on the number of remaining shades (maybe depends on their actual HP, I don’t know). Anyhow, if more than a single add is alive when the big explosion happens, we’ll wipe. But this means we can survive if just one shade is up that time! So, we have to take care to kill all adds but one. Sadly, the number of these adds raises with every add phase, so next time 4, then 5, ending with a maximum of 6 adds will spawn. These adds position themselves at the pillars, and now it is important that the pairs, “created” at the beginning, check the pillars, which were picked for them, and kill the add ASAP near it. If they finish their job faster, they can help with the other adds, then go back to the center, where the tank will cast Ring of Preservation and Igneous Shield, for surviving the explosion.
To be continued...