Solo Artist Challenge

[kank]

Originally Posted by Nirgon [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Shouldn't part of the solo artist challenge be clearing in there all by yourself?

To me, it doesn't seem inherent to the challenge. It would probably just make these challenges much longer to undertake, and deter more people.

[Tecmos Deception]

Originally Posted by kank [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

To me, it doesn't seem inherent to the challenge. It would probably just make these challenges much longer to undertake, and deter more people.

Being alone from the time you set foot into the zone until you loot the named's corpse is definitely inherent to the challenge. It is MUCH harder to learn your way into/around south and east and the hole than it is to kill an individual named mob. Even with the warmup fights, basically anyone who tries them is much more likely to die trying to get to the named in north (or even lguk) than to die fighting a solo level 50 warrior mob.

Yeah, it makes things more of a grind that you can't just smoke PHs in crypt with a group until you pop one and then pull it solo and smoke it in a safe spot by itself, but it definitely adds to the "solo" and "artist" and "challenge" parts of this also. A lot.


Buttt, that being said, I can't help but feel like it's not really cheating to have help sometimes. Plowing through a dozen level 50 trash mobs in hole with a cleric healing my pet and then IVUing the rest of the way to dartain didn't really make that specific encounter any easier than it would have been truly solo... it just sped up the boring and generally simplistic part of the kill, like getting a double invis or having a rogue pick a lock instead of clearing/lulling/whatever.

[Neryn]

Originally Posted by Tecmos Deception [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Being alone from the time you set foot into the zone until you loot the named's corpse is definitely inherent to the challenge. It is MUCH harder to learn your way into/around south and east and the hole than it is to kill an individual named mob. Even with the warmup fights, basically anyone who tries them is much more likely to die trying to get to the named in north (or even lguk) than to die fighting a solo level 50 warrior mob.

This.

As a wizard, it's not that interesting or challenging to root a mob and nuke him to death. The most interesting part is getting there by yourself, pulling that named and managing the adds.

[Sahazar]

Juuuust barely getting started on some of this now. Longer post later with some screenshots etc. Fun =)

- Sahazar, 60 Enchanter wearing Cloth Gloves since level 1.

Warmup:
[ ] the froglok king [48 paladin, Ruins of Old Guk]
[ ] Frenzied Pox Scarab [50 Warrior, Sebilis Disco]
[S] Froglok Ostiary [50 Warrior, Sebilis Disco]
[ ] The Golem Master [50 Warrior, HS North]
[ ] Sentient Bile [50 Warrior, HS North]
[ ] Crypt Wurm [50 Warrior, HS North]
[ ] The Spectre Sepulcher [50 Monk, HS North]

Solo Disciple: any 7
[ ] Gangrenous Scarab [51 Warrior, Sebilis]
[ ] Knight of Sathir [51 Warrior, Karnors]
[ ] Construct of Sathir [52 Shadowknight, Karnors]
[ ] A Drolvarg warlord [53 Warrior, Karnors]
[S] a necrosis scarab [53 Warrior, Sebilis]
[ ] Crypt Caretaker [53 Warrior, Sebilis Crypt]
[ ] Estrella of Gloomwater [51 Druid, Kedge]
[ ] The Crypt Keeper [50 Necromancer, HS North]
[ ] Froglok Pickler [52 Warrior, Sebilis Disco]
[ ] Froggy [52 Warrior, Sebilis Chef/Bar]
[ ] Froglok Armorer [52 Warrior, Sebilis Chef/Bar]
[ ] Froglok Armsman [52 Warrior, Sebilis Chef/Bar]
[S] Froglok Chef [52 Warrior, Sebilis Chef/Bar]
[ ] Froglok Repairer [52 Warrior, Sebilis Chef/Bar]
[S] Gruplinort [53 Wizard, Sebilis Disco]

Solo Master/Duo Disciple: any 8 including at least one each from HS South and Sebilis Crypt
[ ] Froglok Commander [55 Warrior, Sebilis Disco]
[ ] Brogg [55 Warrior, Sebilis Disco]
[ ] Baron Yosig [55 Warrior, Sebilis Crypt]
[ ] Arch Duke Iatol [55 Shadowknight, Sebilis Crypt]
[ ] blood of chottal [55 Monk, Sebilis Crypt]
[ ] Harbinger Freglor [55 Necromancer, Sebilis Crypt]
[ ] Hierophant Prime Grekal [55 Shaman, Sebilis Crypt]
[ ] the Skeleton Sepulcher [50 Warrior, HS South]
[S] a Crypt Spectre [50 Shadowknight, HS South]
[ ] Efreeti Lord Djarn [50 Wizard, Nagafen's Lair]
[ ] Slizik the Mighty [54 Warrior, The Hole]
[D] Skeletal Procurator [52 Shadowknight, HS West] w/ Cleric (first Sset, later Halmir)
[ ] The Crypt Feaster [52 Warrior, HS South]
[ ] Embalming Fluid [52 Warrior, HS South]
[ ] The Spectre Spiritualist [53 Monk, HS South]

Solo Grandmaster/Duo Master: any 6 including one L56+ and one from HS East
[ ] King Tranix [52 Shadowknight, Nagafen's Lair]
[ ] Magi Rokyll [52 Wizard, Nagafen's Lair]
[ ] Warlord Skarlon [53 Warrior, Nagafen's Lair]
[ ] A Black Reaver [51 Warrior, City of Mist]
[ ] A cliff golem [58 Warrior, The Overthere]
[ ] The Crypt Excavator [54 Warrior, HS East]
[ ] Reanimated Plaguebone [54 Warrior, HS East]
[ ] Mortiferous Protector [54 Warrior, HS East]
[ ] a Howling Spectre [54 Monk, HS East]
[ ] Drusella Sathir [55 Necromancer, HS East]
[ ] The Undertaker Lord [56 Shadowknight, HS East]
[ ] Dartain the Lost [55 Necromancer, The Hole]

Solo God Mode/Duo Grandmaster: any 5
[ ] Neh'Ashiir [54 Enchanter, City of Mist (help with the golems/pull is OK)]
[ ] Lord Rak'Ashiir [54 Wizard, City of Mist (help with the golems/pull is OK)]
[ ] Myconid Spore King [56 Paladin, Sebilis Catacombs]
[ ] Fear/Dread/Terror [55 Warrior, Plane of Fear. Includes break.]
[ ] Emperor Chottal [60 Necromancer, Sebilis Crypt]
[ ] sebilite protector [60 Warrior, Sebilis Catacombs]
[ ] Tolapumj [60 Enchanter, Sebilis Catacombs]
[ ] Phinigel Autropos [53 Wizard, Kedge]
[ ] Korocust [61 Warrior, Chardok]
[ ] Protector of Sky [55 Rogue, Plane of Sky]

Duo God Mode: any 5
[ ] Zordakalicus Ragefire [54 Warrior, Nagafen's Lair]
[ ] a dracoliche [53 Warrior, Plane of Fear]
[ ] Maestro of Rancor [53 Warrior, Plane of Hate]
[ ] Ixiblat Fer [61 Warrior, Burning Woods]
[ ] Gorgalosk [60 Warrior, Plane of Sky]
[ ] General V'ghera [65 Shadowknight, Kithicor Forest]
[ ] Prince Selrach Di'Zok [61 Warrior, Chardok]
[ ] Overking Bathezid [63 Cleric, Chardok]
[ ] Queen Velazul Di'Zok [62 Shaman, Chardok]
[ ] Noble Dojorn [60 Paladin, Plane of Sky]
[ ] The Spiroc Guardian [60 Shaman, Plane of Sky]

[Splorf22]

I have to say Nirgon your sig with Colgate's name in red and Nihilum in blue is pretty funny.

Also Tecmos if you remember I had a very obnoxious time getting down to Dartain in the hole. I tried to be fancy and DA jump and had some ugly encounters with Yael and his L54 (!!) rock golem minions.

Finally welcome Sahazar! You don't need much gear to do this really; Tecmos did most of his before he got the pixels.

[Neryn]

Originally Posted by Neryn [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[S] Froglok Ostiary [50 Warrior, Sebilis Disco]

I finally managed to kill this damn frog. After a week of struggle. A week that made my exp bar move from 45% to 22%, without ever eating a single exp death.

Most of these deaths occured while trying to reach disco (or trying to CR myself). It's a bit ridiculous, I know. Sometimes I would lose patience and just eat 4 deaths in a row, trying to CR myself without any gear... The recent changes in the amount of see invis mobs in Sebilis really hurt the solo wizard [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Anyway. When I could make it alive around the ostiary spawn point, I would try different methods to get the kill. At first I wanted to fight him (or his PH) in the hallway. But the three roamers were too much to handle most of the time. I needed a place to pull the ostiary and his friend to a place the roamers wouldn't aggro me. The closest room to allow this is frenzied pox scarab's room. A room I've been able to clear to solo the scarab.

So this is what I would do : kill the scarab to be able to move around in that room. It would give me enough space to move around, nuke freely and refresh root (I wouldn't need to kill the 2 remaining frogs, as they would be behind that wall, in the other part of that room). Here's an example of handling two melees there : http://i.imgur.com/oHpzFgD.jpg


Once I was ok with how I would do it, I gave it a try. I failed a couple times to a bok shaman or an unlucky root break. Once I had the room ready, a melee frog next to the ostiary. Perfect setup. I was this close to engage but an enchanter beat me to it and engaged first.

And finally, tonight, after camping there yesterday night, I logged on to another perfect setup : a light blue PH and another melee next to him. So I disintegrated the PH, then proceed to kill the scarab inside the room and finally killed that melee frogs next to the ostiary spawn point. I did this cycle another time and then the Ostiary popped. It was now an easy single pull and an even easier kill. After all, he's just a level 50 warrior.

After pulling him inside the room with sunstrike : http://i.imgur.com/zh0HjP0.jpg
Nuking in process, no root break : http://i.imgur.com/SVyCF2F.jpg
Final nuke : http://i.imgur.com/6z35KP9.jpg
And loot : http://i.imgur.com/jURTvt8.jpg

This encounter was definitely the most difficult sofar.

[Tecmos Deception]

Nice kill Neryn!

[Splorf22]

Originally Posted by Neryn [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I finally managed to kill this damn frog. After a week of struggle. A week that made my exp bar move from 45% to 22%, without ever eating a single exp death.

Most of these deaths occured while trying to reach disco (or trying to CR myself). It's a bit ridiculous, I know. Sometimes I would lose patience and just eat 4 deaths in a row, trying to CR myself without any gear... The recent changes in the amount of see invis mobs in Sebilis really hurt the solo wizard [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If I am doing my mental math correctly that is 4 levels of XP. You'd be 56 without all that cleric love! If it makes you feel any better you can read about my miserable struggle with Dartain. Most of the time the challenge is fun, but sometimes it can just get ugly.

Originally Posted by Neryn

Once I was ok with how I would do it, I gave it a try. I failed a couple times to a bok shaman or an unlucky root break. Once I had the room ready, a melee frog next to the ostiary. Perfect setup. I was this close to engage but an enchanter beat me to it and engaged first.

We want names!

Originally Posted by Neryn

After pulling him inside the room with sunstrike : http://i.imgur.com/zh0HjP0.jpg
Nuking in process, no root break : http://i.imgur.com/SVyCF2F.jpg
Final nuke : http://i.imgur.com/6z35KP9.jpg
And loot : http://i.imgur.com/jURTvt8.jpg

This encounter was definitely the most difficult sofar.

Nice job and the RNG gods evidentially approved, since you got the rare. Have you considered camping the root nets in Permafrost? I primarily use them on my chars that can't cast root, but I know Orruar (shaman) used them all the time since instant root is pretty fuckin convenient when there are 4+ mobs on you.

[Neryn]

Originally Posted by Splorf22 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

We want names!

What happens in disco stays in disco!

Originally Posted by Splorf22 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Have you considered camping the root nets in Permafrost? I primarily use them on my chars that can't cast root, but I know Orruar (shaman) used them all the time since instant root is pretty fuckin convenient when there are 4+ mobs on you.

I may need some root nets in the future. If I want to try more difficult areas / encounters, I could use the instant root. Ensnaring roots isn't that great but it could be useful to avoid taking too many hits. I can tank / root park 4 mobs in HS North. It probably won't be that easy without the root nets in HS South or West.

[Handull]

[ ] Ixiblat Fer [61 Warrior, Burning Woods]

This as a Duo is very, very possible. Show me an enc/cleric who can do it without strings or bp! Just tried to duo him with sunra (string charm w/ druid haste, tash stick+HS north poison thing and bp heals). got him to about 80% and 70%. Charm broke and it was a massacre both times. Tried everything I could think of to ditch agro, but it was no use.

As long as charm lasts the whole fight you are fine. I was healing and dotting so it was just a luck game. Planned to burn and back off pet during enrage.

Rumor has it this might have been done with shaman slow and a number of pets lined up to chain charm. That might work since you might be able to lose agro.

All in all it was a ton of fun, and it sucks knowing that I could have done it if charm just lasted for 10 minutes, but I know that is also unlikely for a level 50 mob who is only tash-sticked for -MR. Maybe some cha gear would have helped? Don't think I'll try again any time soon.