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Planar Protector
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Kedge Keep
Posts: 9,062
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Wizard Forum - October 2001
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Sebilis AoE - The how to, Quellious server
Since my first run out on an AoE group (which we did in the hole, a terrible idea looking back on it, as the golems just don't like stuns) the concept of it has been evolving until it's become an every day event in Sebilis. A few strategies I might suggest.
1. Comprise your group of 3 wizards, all 53+ as Jyll's static pulse is a must, one interupt will throw a supernova off long before it zaps anything (sorry young Wizards, you'll have to wait). 2 Enchanters with balls of steel that wouldn't dream of buying their account off of ebay, the higher the better. 1 Cleric, preferably 56+ because when AoE goes wrong, it goes really wrong, and considering the number of mobs your group had on you by the time you finally hit the dust makes for a very tricky CR... But high risk, high reward right?
2. Bring a heavy supply of perdidots for Manaskin, if thats what you use at your level. The enchanters need to be runing themselves, wizards should be skinning as well. The cleric should always have DA up to survive an evac if at all possible. I've done groups where a wizard was substituted with a 55+ mage for CoH, which is very helpful but can easily be done without. Here's the reason you might consider it: Pulling for AoE groups is the entire reason to get your wizard epic. The cost of components to keep skinning yourself can be rather evil, even at the exceedingly amazing loot you'll get you'll still spend a pretty penny to keep it up. The puller should be the wizard with the epic if at all possible. The most fun groups involve three epic wizards, that run in different directions and pull from different camps, if you can imagine. The most imperative thing for the puller to remember is to reskin even if barrier of force is still up, make sure it has it's full capacity and won't drop right away. SoW, whether from a sow potion, or one of the poor groupless druids outside that can only dream of an AoE group is a must. (Before you start with the Druids get PB nukes and can AoE at level so and so crap, I just want to say that this is a Wizard site, and I don't want to hear it. Yes I've grouped with 2 wizzies and a high level druid with great success, but I will always prefer 3 wizards) I don't care how long you camped the AC for, your jboots are not fast enough. When you have 800 points of epic skin to save your ass before you start getting hit, and 20 mobs on you that hit for 100+ all it takes is one stun and you will be dead in 2 seconds. A CoH mage can bring you back to the camp spot after you gate for a sow, or you can do it my way =P I personally like to pull with concussion, although a temp flux staff works just as well. Click or cast at a mob from across the room and then haul ass past as many as you can, then run towards the enchanters who are on their feet and stunning - run past them and catch every mob you can in the web, reskin right away, and repeat if you need to grab more. The enchanters at that level can determine on their own how best to lock them down, whether it be mez or stun. If your sow goes, gate out, get another, and train from the zone in. After all, you want the biggest train possible, don't you? =P
3. BUFFS BUFFS BUFFS - Celestial Healing on the puller before they go is imperative. Bringing Pearls and death pacting EVERYONE is imperative - if it saves an enchanter the group lives. If it saves a wizard you might evac. If it saves the cleric then a DA might just do the trick to get them to the portal. Every kind of crap buff is worth taking a few extra seconds for, especially for the puller. Nothing like risking your sow or worse yet your skin being dispelled with that many mobs after you for not taking a few seconds for chill sight, see invis, and other crap.
4. Have the enchanters stand on either sides of the pack and cycle thru their 3/4 stuns effectively, and pray they don't overlap. If done properly their stuns will push the pack into a tighter group and you become more effective. Don't begin nuking until ALL mobs are in the stun web - one nuking frog can stop an enchanter just long enough for you to get spammed with a YOU GET HIT msg until you drop like flies. It's worth the extra 5 seconds of patience to get them all together. If a caster mob is left as the only one, mez it. Enchanters have ToT - I find that the enc's are the pushiest one's in AoE groups about sending me off to get more mobs - with the amount of casters in sebilis they could stun/mez all day long. Charm, if they have room for it, has saved us on a number of occasions as well. Use your imagination.
5. Don't get greedy. Pull in small groups and lock your mobs down. I would rather pull two-four at a time and have one enc on stun duty and the other on mez to lock them down than drop because my greedy ass went for the new world record. You can pull every mob in sebilis not behind a locked door with patience. If the puller drops then it doesn't take long for things to go awry. AoE doesn't allow for mistakes, and the punishment is severe.
6. If you can't handle more, SAY IT.
7. Looting ~ ALWAYS hook up the cleric with the first few gems. Especially in sebilis, they drop every 2 seconds when you're pulling up to 40. In my groups, we roll on all uber loot, each person allowed a max of two, but until then everyone can roll on everything. All gems and spells are freeforall, with the exception of BD's, Black sapphires, and diamonds. When else can a wizard walk out with a nice new pair of Cobalt arms without someone complaining. Be up front about it right away.
8. CR's. A Clothed enchanter is worth so much more than a naked one. Especially if you can save two. Whether you choose to mez/mem blur your way down the corridors to your RIP spot, or charm, or best yet, AoE - do it with caution. I've seen AoE groups pile up 30-35 corpses for a group of 6. I've also seen some of the most amazingly intelligent CR's bar none done with AoE groups.
9. If you're truly good... Hit sebilis at a late night when it's not too crowded. Before you know it, you'll have my favorite camp check in the world. Someone elses group calls out the crypt, and king... then you get your groups call... d1, d2, library, disco, disco hallway, portal, three spawn, NG, necro jail, NJ hallway, chef, bar, arm, zone in. One group, ladies and gentleman, clearing a camp and moving to the next. It can be very nice to see Cobalt Vambraces, a Bonecasters Robe, Cane of the Tranquil, 4 BD's, 2 Black sapphires, a Seb mantle, Book of Obulous, about 5 spells, 3 diamonds, and 30 or so random other gems drop off of one amazing pull.
10. Know your shit. If you don't, learn it. If you don't learn it, everyone dies. Be up front with your group if you're new to the idea before you take their lives into your hands. I've seen people use AE spells that hit four targets. I've seen enchanters think they're supposed to AE mez instead of stun when there's 20 on them. I've seen clerics nuke with upheaval when they should be healing, and go OOM when it's too late. I'll say it again. THERE IS NO MARGIN FOR ERROR.
AoE is without a doubt the best exp, loot, and fun in the game. All it takes is one good pull before the newcomers say "man send me a tell next time you do this, I had no idea". All it takes is one bad group to give AoE a bad name and cause trouble with other camps, and give those that are good at it a bad name.
I personally keep a list of everyone that I have grouped with on the Quellios server in an AoE situation. I rate them by how they did, and confirm with other group members, and ask that they do the same. I think that if you try to do this yourself, it should never be that hard to get an AoE group going (Very easy to lose your 2 encs and cleric in sebilis if you're sitting there waiting). Now, before I get thrown into tell hell by my guild and friends, the first tell I see lately is always the same... "AoE????"
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So Velious/Classic AOE group guide. Seems legit. Oh and you want Chardok AOEs?
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Chardok Chardok Chardok.
Walking out with a stave of shielding, a sword, mask, boots, and a few other things isn't a bad idea. Mobs don't have outrageous hp either.
Had a good time there, lets get a group going sometime =)
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08-08-2014, 12:17 PM
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