Friday, July 29, 2011

Fortress of Shadows Kingdom Quest - 2 Viewpoints


Since not all of you that visit my blog have experienced the 10x Kingdom Quest: Fortress of Shadows, I figured I'd record it for you.  Yeah I know there are other YouTube vids out there of this, but hey, you'd rather watch mine right?  *exerts mind control*



So the first one is a run through with my SharpShooter, she's currently 107 (non-leveling), using +10 Ashur Bow (Malephar), and +0 Ashur Hat, Pants, and Boots, along with a +0 Blind Shot (Lab) shirt.  She also has 2 +9 Paradise Rings, a +3 Blessed Necklace and a +9 Aquamarine Gem Earring.  No active SparkCash items on her, Honeying shirt and hat are both statless and permanent.  Also using her typical complement of T4 Scrolls including Speed.

This KQ is really fun on an Archer if you are able to survive/evade the hits from the mobs being kited.  If you are skillful enough, you can dictate the pace in the two stages prior to Kalban Obeb's arrival.  Just be careful not to get too overzealous and end up training everyone!  See screenshot below from a previous, fiendish-Faytal KQ.





The second run is with my Warlock.  She's 105 (also non-leveling) using a +10 Storas Wand (Lab), and +0 Khoolin (Malephar) Shirt and Boots, paired with +0 Electronic Shock (Lab) Pants and Hat.  For accessories, she's using 2 +9 Paradise Rings, a +9 Blessed Necklace, and a +0 Aquamarine Gem Earring.  Only active SparkCash item on her is a Summer Boop set.  She's wearing only the pants from the set along with a Team Korea Soccer uniform (permanent and statless).  Her Arctic Fox Ears and Tail are also permanent and statless.

This video gives a great view of what's buggy about this KQ.  That first entry room, the Skeleton Archers spawn in the correct place, but they used to jump down from the tops of the walls.  Now they just stay up there (which strategically makes more sense) and are unable to be attacked except for Mage AOEs.  That far wall has I think about 25 Archers, not many people can survive a volley from them if they all target you.

As you watch the video, you'll notice how much aggro the +10 Storas Wand generates.  I don't know whether or not the Fighters are using aggro generating skills or not, but I keep pulling aggro and have to stay highly mobile even using Metamorphosis as an escape if the situation gets really bad.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed both videos, I could do one on the HolyKnight, but Cleric videos are pretty boring unless you want to just see the pretty, new animations.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Kingdom Quest Clericing - KKP, What Not To Do


Just wanted to share this since it was as humorous as it was educational.  Anyway, I did a KKP run earlier today....

For a slight change of pace this is the "Anti"-tutorial. All you prospective Clerics out there, pay attention, this is what NOT to do.

While it could have been worse, well actually aside from pulling Phinoflie, no, it really couldn't have been worse.

Basically this is a video of me party-less in KKP tanking the end-boss without the aid of any Heals or not even a Restore. The four Clerics who (ahem) "participated" only focused on their party, didn't bother checking aggro on the boss to see who was taking the damage.

While I didn't tank the whole thing, I did about 70% or so I'd estimate, that's still no excuse at all for them. I didn't realize that other Fighter was battling me for aggro, he actually took it from me on a couple of occasions... grr... but alas, you-know-who ended up with it in the end!  (grins from ear to ear)  GenGoGu will be one to watch for while he remains KKP eligible... I smell another Aggro Battle on the horizon!

Of course I could have asked for a party, actually I had a party in the beginning. I was partied with 1 Cleric, then he dug out to join another party. I just kept my mouth shut and remained solo, figuring this would make for an interesting video if none of the Clerics paid any attention to me... So with that in the back of my head, I fired up FRAPS and this was the result!

Nothing special on my end, build-wise 3:4 DEX:END, +9 66 hat, +9 70 shirt, +9 68 pants, +6 55 boots, +9 Casha Shield, +10 70 Green Sword.

Sparkcash items: USA Soccer Uniform +5% Crit, +3% Dmg., DJ Headphones +2% Evasion, Mini-Rudolph Pet +2 All Stats.

Not married, no guild-buff.

T3 Scrolls (Vit, Def, M.Def, Eva).

Accidentally used 2 Candy Canes (100% HP/SP Potion).


 
The video, with music, is best viewed from my YouTube page:  http://youtube.com/fatallace




Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Ask Fatal - Cleric Edition


Since I dodged a bullet and you all mercifully spared me from leveling up another Cleric, I decided to just do an "Ask Fatal" Question and Answer session in regards to that often underappreciated class, the Cleric.

It takes a special, different kind of person to play the Cleric class and enjoy it.  While some players may enjoy it as a change-of-pace, even I'll admit that occasionally it's a little humorous seeing life through Cleric-eyes, they're not necessarily dedicated Clerics.  These are not the types of people I'm talking about.  As a full-time class, I sure as heck couldn't do it.  So much love and respect from me to all full-time dedicated Clerics.  So let's get started, shall we?

Q: Fatal, if you don't like playing the Cleric class so much, errr, why do you have a Holy Knight?
A: A little bit of backstory on my HK: AutumnsVeil (originally FatylLace) was leveled up as a duoing counterpart to my in-game husband's Mage (OOJiraiyaOO).  Yes, I hate the "OO"s as much as you do.  But anyway, as part of a duo with my hubby, I can stand the Clericing.  It was more about us and the time we spent together in-game than achieving a certain level, it just so happens that we stopped at 100.  Playing the Cleric role in an AOE party is not at all my idea of a fun time.

There was to be an epic role-playing storyline involving my Cleric and his Mage, documented three frames at a time in comic-form.  There was even a thread about it on the OutSpark forums.  Here are a few strips from it:

 
But sadly, I got too busy to continue on with the comic and my own interest in that project faded.  It was well-received by those who actually read it, but I cut it short anyway.  The comic wasn't the labor of love I had wanted it to be.

So while I'm a capable Cleric, I'm by no means an elite one.  I can manage a party fine in most any situation, but it's something I don't enjoy doing so it's not at all something I do often.  Again, thank you to the readers who spared me from leveling up another!  <3 !!

Q:  So what, in your opinion, makes a good Cleric?
A:  Before anything else, the most important thing about being a Cleric is focus.  No other class or role, aside from possibly Tanking, does one player need to have as much focus as the Cleric.  While yes, there are times when a Cleric's mind (and chat) can wander a bit, when the battle is on and it's heated, the Cleric needs to move a bit closer to her monitor and be ready to spam some heals.

Q: So are stat builds of no consequence?
A:  To a certain extent, no, they're not.  One of my best friends in Fiesta was a HolyKnight named SenzaMisura.  She was a PvP, Battle-Cleric build with full empowerments on her attack skills, yet by playing with her, you would never know that.  She was perfectly capable in handling either role and truly excelling.  There are tons of people that will tell you that a "Battle Cleric" is fail, but it really isn't.  Just a Cleric needs to know the time and place to revert back to healing.

Battle Clerics really do make people nervous in parties, but only because of bad experiences with those that try and fail miserably to fill that dual role.  Most parties are much happier and more harmonious when the Cleric maintains the backline, tossing Heals at the party.  Once that Cleric starts engaging the mobs, chaos can ensue.  Take Dragon's Tomb for example.  If a Battle Cleric insists on joining the fight, the chances are pretty high that she will generate aggro at some point if she's both attacking and spamming AOE Heals.  Several of the DT Mobs have nasty status effects like Stun and Fear, if these strike your Cleric, you put your party's safety at risk.

So again, the build isn't an issue, it's just a matter of how you play and how you react to the situations you are put in.

Q:  Well what would you suggest as a stat build?
A:  Again, a lot depends on what you want to do as a Cleric.  If you're straight-line support, then I would suggest a END/DEX build.  Where to draw that line, honestly, I'm not sure.  More seasoned, full-time Clerics could probably answer that question better.  I'm going to not answer skill/stat build questions from here, thanks.

Q:  Darn, alright, what about weapons?  Hammer or Mace?
A:  If you're a support-type, it really doesn't matter, go with whatever has the better stats or whatever you think looks better.  My opinion?  I tend to like the style of Maces more.  That level 20 Hammer was just comical and forever scarred me from Hammers.  That's not to say that I haven't used them, but given the choice, I'd go with the Mace.

Q:  Is there a marked difference in the weapons though?  I solo a lot so what's better for me?
A:  (More to come, will update during maintenance)

Friday, July 22, 2011

Clerics - Any Interest?


Well I've covered pretty much all classes so far except for those backline healers known as Clerics.  While I don't have a particular fondness for playing this class, if there is interest in Cleric-based material, I'd be willing to write some things up. 

If the interest is there, what would you like to see from me on this class?  I've already shot video of me Clericing a Mara KQ on the character pictured above, will probably upload that sometime today.  Watching that video though, it's quite boring.  I played the role of full-support, just hanging back, healing my party or whoever had aggro around me...  I didn't swing my Mace a single time.  But is that at all interesting?

I can probably make it up to Mini Dragon or even Crystal Castle without too much problem and not too much effort since I can powerlevel myself fairly easily, a 107 SharpShooter works well for times like these (*wink*).  But again, wanted to gauge interest before I invest the time and a bit of SparkCash into doing so.

So anyway, let me know your thoughts.  I really don't want to activate stuff on my HolyKnight to do LN or SL runs, and watching me heal an AOE Black Bear Party or bashing on Mimics isn't exactly interesting either.

Please post a comment here, positive or negative.  I really don't enjoy playing support, but I'm willing to do so for you guys if you think it's a good idea.  I'd mostly be doing the same stuff as my Project: Tank series of videos, minus the CC-Solo.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Ask Fatal - Dragon's Tomb Edition (Archer)


Finally, the wait is over, the Archer installment of this guide is complete!  It took me THAT long to get a party!  Haha just kidding, but you Archers out there can feel my pain.  (Screenshots to come, ran out of time today)

First off, I wanted to thank angel61636 for helping me start a party and sticking by me when the party started falling apart.  She could have left for other parties that required a Tank, but she stayed by me.  I never revealed to her who I was, so that makes what she did for me even more heartfelt.  Thanks again.

So let's get started!  First question!

Q: Fatal, why should I party an Archer when just about any other class would make a better choice?
A: This really depends on the make up of your current team.  An Archer can never take the place of an elite Mage, no matter what, but as a secondary Damage Dealer, an Archer can be an excellent choice.

Q: I'm still not convinced, why not use another Mage?
A: This is where it gets a bit tricky and subjective.  A superior/elite Archer can really set the pace in Dragon's Tomb.  An Archer of lesser skill should not.  The Archer needs to know what to pull, how many to pull, and understand aggro in relation to the backline.  While the Tank is pefectly fine as a pace-setter (see my DT: Tank guide), if the Archer is of high enough skill, the overall pace of a complete Dragon's Tomb run will be faster.

Q: Okay, so what should an Archer do to set the pace?
A: Just because an Archer is primarily a backline player doesn't excuse them from scrolling up and doing work.  In my case, this includes the use of speed scrolls.  If the Archer is intent on setting the pace, she needs to go out ahead of the party and start luring back to the main party via kiting.  However, the Archer needs to get a feel of what the Tank and the rest of the party is capable of handling.  For me, I take the first half of the first DT run to kind of sit back and evaluate the rest of my party.  I see how the Tank pulls, what the Tank misses aggro on (oftentimes the ranged mobs), and to get an idea of how active the Mage is.  Keeping an eye on the Cleric's positioning is also important.

Q: Once you have that, you're good to go?
A: For me yeah, I'm extremely comfortable giving myself an honest assessment of my skill and limits.  Having now observed the rest of the party I can start getting more aggressive.  After dispatching the second "boots" miniboss (Magmaton/BigMudMan), I take off for the next area ahead of my party, immediately start luring the Gargoyles, Flame Spirits along the way and then grabbing the Krugers and Caravans in the next area heading towards the "pants" minibosses.

Q: Hmm, okay I get it, you kite them then what?
A: I'll pull them all back to the party as they make their way to the "pants" path.  I immediately pull into the Fighter.  You have to be careful here though, oftentimes a single Mock isn't enough for the Fighter to establish aggro control over your mobs since you've build up a lot through kiting.  Once the Mage drops AOEs, you need to, just like a Mage does, start running tight circles around that AOE area.

Q: Wait, I'm used to straight-line kiting, I need to run circles like a Mage?
A: Yes.

Q: And the reasoning for this is?
A: You need to optimize damage and aggro recovery for your party.  Pulling your kited mobs down the hall does nobody any good.  You're pulling away from the party, the Fighter has to chase and is unable to effectively regain aggro, especially if you're booking it away from him on a speed scroll.  Running tight circles allows you, along with the Mage, to inflict as much damage on to those mobs as possible.  It also increases the Fighter's chance of regaining aggro and landing an effective Devastate to stun all those mobs.

Q: Hmm interesting. So what about ranged mobs?
A: Ranged mobs are a bit tricky.  Again, this goes back to your Tank.  If your Tank doesn't properly establish aggro on the ranged mobs, it's up to you, the Archer to do so before the Cleric starts getting hammered.  Ideally, you establish aggro early and pull those ranged mobs back into the pile of melee mobs that the Fighter is controlling.  The Fighter can attempt to establish aggro on the ranged mobs, but is more likely to just stun them with Devastate.  By then the Mage AOEs will have probably wiped them out.  Just like a Mage, an Archer is excellent at outrunning Nerpa's Slow Arrows when a speed scroll is active.


Q: Any other thoughts on setting the pace?
A: Yes.  While we, as Archers, can be extremely helpful at setting a fast pace through Dragon's Tomb, you may run into players that just don't see it that way.  The Tank, or oftentimes the Cleric, may tell you to slow it down or just, "cut it out you freakin' noob!", but don't get discouraged.  Again, this goes back to a little bit of ignorance as far as what an Archer can actually do for a party in DT.  I would relent, have the Tank set the pace and you can work within those boundaries.  It makes your life a lot easier honestly.  Players often fear the unknown, they fear change, so something like an aggressive, capable Archer throws them out of their comfort zone, but understandably so.  As your party gets more familiar, keep pushing the boundary that your party has set, but not so much that you get kicked out! 

Q: What are some other roles or tasks an Archer should be used for?
A: Archers are great at pulling the mobs that inhabit a miniboss room also.  With the targeting reticle for their AOEs, it's easy to safely pull those suckers out without activating the miniboss.  Once pulled, just simply lure those mobs into the path of the Tank so he can Mock and the party can finish them off.

Q: Okay, so Cornelius... now what?
A:  As far as positioning goes, the Archer should have the same thought process as the Mage.  Do not stand next to the Cleric.  Stand off to the side, within healing distance of the Cleric, but not so close that Corny's charge attack wipes you both out.  Archers, and Mages, should ALWAYS immediately target the summoned mobs once they appear.  Let the Tank continue to pound away at Cornelius while you take out the Shellas and Nerpas.  If you have aggro on all of the Shellas, go ahead and kite them away or preferably run them back into Cornelius where the Mage can drop an AOE on them.

Q: Help! My Tank got feared and I have aggro! I'm outta here!
A: NO NO NO! Just like the Mage, running for the exit is NOT an option.  You need to do one of several things depending on the situation.  If the Tank is dead, then you need to kite Corny away from the Cleric and the dead Tank so that the Cleric can revive the Tank.  Once the Tank is back up and ready, head back to the Tank, allow him to Mock and Kick him then cast a Nature's Protection to aid him in re-establishment of aggro.  If the Tank was simply Feared and you ended up with aggro, head back to the Fighter, stay within Kicking/Mock range and slow down your attacks.  You don't want to completely stop as Cornelius may target the Cleric, but you want to slow down your attacks enough so that the Fighter isn't struggling battling you for aggro either.

It is difficult for an Archer to pull sufficient aggro once Cornelius has targeted the party's Cleric.  The Cleric is typically in panic-mode, spamming all manner of healing skills amplifying their aggro.  Your damage simply can't keep up with that, best thing to do is just keep at it and hope the Tank recovers in time.

Q: That gives me a better idea of what to expect out of an Archer for DT, thanks!  Any last pearls of wisdom?
A: You're welcome, and yes.  As with any class or role you play, you need to take a serious, honest look at how well you handle your responsibilites in any given situation.  While it's easy for us to think we're of an elite skill level, sometimes we just aren't.  The sooner you come to grips with that, the better off you'll be.  When you lower your pride, the learning process begins.  Your eyes will open and you'll start to observe things more clearly.  Other people are counting on you to handle your role effectively in instance dungeons, when you can't the whole party suffers.  In the case of Archers, we already have a tough time finding a party, when others experience an unskilled Archer just breezing through DT on other people's hard work, that really puts a sour taste in their mouth and they won't give another Archer a chance, but the opposite is also true.  Be the example, not the excuse.

One last thought:  As you guys know, I've taken every class now, including Tricksters (guide forthcoming) through Dragon's Tomb, so I've seen all sides.  This gives me the best perspective on how to do things the right way here.  If you're a first-time DT'er, take it slow.  Reading through my guides can help you, but they don't replace actually experiencing the dungeon first-hand.

Isya Cup - USA vs. Japan




FatalLace: Welcome sports fans!  After a grueling qualifying round and single elimination tournament, we've finally whittled down the competition to two finalists, representing USA and Japan!  The competition was filled with its share of upsets and dominating performances but here we are at the finals of the Isya Cup!




The USA is represented by FatalRemixed.  FatalRemixed prides herself on her tanking abilities, sticking her nose right into the fight, defending her party until victory is attained or the bitter end is met.  She embodies the American qualities of perseverance, strength, resilience, and grit.  With sword and shield in hand, she's fared well through the competition, cementing her place as the favorite to win it all.


Japan is represented by DaydreamBeliever.  DaydreamBeliever and her Trickster counterparts are new to Isya.  Previously only competing amongst themselves, hiding in the shadows, this is the first time a Trickster has made it to the finals.  With her razor sharp claws, DaydreamBeliever, much like her home country of Japan, is extremely cunning, fast paced, and honorable.  The darkhorse in this competition has risen to the challenge after years of dormancy.


Round 1:  USA
Round 2:  Japan
Round 3:  USA
Round 4:  Japan
Tie Breaker: Japan
Wow what a stunning upset!  DaydreamBeliever took down FatalRemixed to win the Isya Cup!  After years of heartbreak and lurking in the shadows, the Tricksters of Japan have finally risen up and ascended the mountain!  Despite going down early, the Tricksters fought and literally clawed their way back in it displaying the true heart of a champion.  Congratulations to Japan!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Hmm.. what to do next?

Since Project: Tank is coming to a close, I alerady did 5 successful tank runs last night (video and notes forthcoming) of King Kong Phino (which isn't challenging at all), it's time to figure out what project I want to tackle next. Here is a list of considerations, in no particular order along with my thoughts:

Cap Faytal (SharpShooter) - Faytal is currently 107 with about 12% EXP gain towards 108. I don't really have a whole lot of incentive to start the mindless kiting again, other than finally wearing my 108 shirt to match my Malephar armors. There are no new skills to really look forward to, SharpShooters don't suddenly become PvP machines, and I just don't feel like all that kiting... Did I mention I don't wanna kite? Activating SparkCash stuff on my SharpShooter is going to be strictly for soloing. I won't be invited to run Secret Lab at all because and Archer is more of a hindrance in there than any other class. Chance this will happen: 10%.

Level up FatalLace (Warlock) - FatalLace is 105 with about 25% EXP gain towards 106. I recently bought a nice Storas Wand (105 Lab) that was already +6 enhanced. I sold my Hellgait, so I'd want to finish enhancing this before starting up again. Of course my failures at enhancing are the stuff of legend. I do have three unused T5 Ultra Bundles sitting in premium inventory, but only one T5 Xir. I could start accumulating dusts again... but do I really want to level up? The biggest thing about sticking at 105 is that I can still do Leviathan's Nest if I choose to. Hit 106 and I no longer have that option. I could focus on farming Lab, but that gets pricey.  I don't use gifters so everything is completely out-of-pocket.  Also finding 2 hour blocks to dedicate time can sometimes be really difficult for me.  Chance this will happen: 20%.

Level up WinterLace (Fighter) to prestige - WinterLace is 90 with about 93% EXP gain towards 91. She's about two Dragon's Tomb runs away from 91. I don't have a prestiged Fighter class, so this might be what I end up doing. I just really need to do that 91-96 grind out of the way. Only problem is that I really don't want to go the "LF Snake PT" route. I could solo my way there, but I don't know if I can keep up the motivation over those five levels until I hit Mimics. Maybe 10x Abyss is a possibility, I'd have to see how she fares with her current armor. I may have to end up charming in there. Chance this will happen: 40%.

Level up Dharalyn (Mage - Wizard) to prestige -Dharalyn is 90 with about 15% EXP gain towards 91. I could continue to run her through DT until 91 saving on SparkCash, but I know I'll miss DT. Same with WinterLace, but maybe not as much. Keeping Dharalyn @ 90 also helps me should I want to run DT with my Trickster since they are on separate accounts. That whole "PT AOE" scene doesn't appeal to me at all after I hit 91 either. I'd love to have a Wizard though, but maybe I don't love it that much? Chance this will happen: 15%.

Run DaydreamBeliever (Trickster) through Dragon's Tomb - DaydreamBeliever is 80 with only about 15% EXP gain towards 81. She's still kind of a nub, has yet to experience Dragon's Tomb. I don't know if I'm "over" the Trickster class, but picking it up and playing the occasional Gordon KQ hasn't been all that appealing. If there were zero chance of getting a 70 blue weapon out of Gordon, I probably wouldn't bother. Chance this will happen: 15%.

Level up AutumnsVeil (HolyKnight) - HAHAHAAHAHA..... Chance this will happen: 0%.

Mini-projects still in the works:
Dragon's Tomb - Archer
Project: Tank (Mara, Gold Hill, Robo KQ)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Project: Tank - The Crystal Castle


It's somewhat hard to write a complete guide for the Crystal Castle because the layout varies each time you enter, but there are a few key things to look for as you enter each room.  I'll break down some of the harder ones and give you some tips on how to wipe them clean.  You can also view the video here:



Compliments are always a nice thing!  =)
We're not always perfect, but we come pretty close.
Zombies -
Zombies emerge from several different triggers.  Coffins, Kamaris, Chests, and Ores.  They have a quick attack as well as a high damage AOE.  I'm not 100% sure whether that AOE is M.dmg based or not, but it hurts.  A lot.  So how I tackle Zombies is usually 3-5 at a time, even without a Cleric.  This is not a case where you want to stick your chest out and pull the whole room.  If you do so and get caught by 3 or 4 simultaneous AOEs, you're done and chances are so is your party.  Zombies don't have much HP/DEF so they go down pretty quickly, especially if you have multiple 67+ Mages in your party.  It's just a matter of you, the Tank, taking that pounding and keeping aggro.  You can do Zombies without a Cleric if you're comfortable judging your ideal stone/potion usage.

Kinda my fault for not asking him to stay back....
The other Fighter actually ran towards the Zombies when the Kamaris died.
You can see him buried in here, pulling them all.  >. < !!!
I Mocked, but wasn't able to handle that many at once.
Kamaris -
Kamaris themselves aren't much to handle, but after they die, they spawn a roomful of either Zombies, Trees, or Magic Staffs (the three drop repeats).  A word to the wise, keep other players out of that room including other Fighters.  While they can help kill the Kamaris faster, the chances that they will pull too many mobs once the Kamaris dies, is extremely high.  If the mobs happen to be Zombies, more than likely it'll end up in the party getting wiped out.  (Viewable at 5:25 of the video)

Vampire Bats -
Vampire bats are similar to Zombies, but they only show up mixed with those other fat, Piggy Bat looking guys.  Usually the fat bats have a magic "immunity" (their word, not mine) that increases their m.def tremendously.  The Vampire Bats also have a high dmg AOE so be careful where you're pulling.  Typically you want to pull stuff like this into one of the far corners awayf rom the party, with enough sightlines that you can still see them should a Bat wander off towards them; you'll be able to Kick it back to you.  Don't pull these back to the party or into the near corners if possible.  The near corners are to always be avoided because the Cleric will be unable to heal you without running into the room.  That puts the Cleric at risk as she's running, she may take a smack of that nasty AOE.

Orcs -
Orcs, like the rest mentioned above have a deadly AOE.  Just be mindful of your pulls and aggro control and you'll be alright.  No reason to panic.


Archers / Skelelton Archers / Pinkies -
Ranged mobs can cause some distress if not handled properly.  Ideally, the Tank should rush the room, pulling all the mobs back into the entryway creating a chokepoint.  At that chokepoint, you should do your aggro grabs (Mock + Demoralizing Hit) and hit Devastate.  This will disable most of the mobs you've pulled making it much easier to take them out as a collective group.  If everyone charges the room, it gets extremely chaotic as you run from mob to mob while keeping an eye on non-aggroed mobs attacking the backline.  Establish control of your party and let them know your plan ahead of time.

Boss Fights -
The Boss battles are actually pretty straight-forward.  There are three different bosses:  Jewel Golem, a Guardian Lizardman, and a Guardian Great Orc.  Of the three, the Jewel Golem is the worst and always the longest battle.  All three bosses should be pulled out of the top room and down to the bottom entry room.  This way, you avoid the waves of summoned mobs from the boss.  All summons appear in that top room, so unless you want a challenge, just pull them down. 

For the Lizardman and Great Orc, you'll notice that they have a buff when you first encounter them, there are three ways of eliminating that buff:  Purge from a Mage, destroying the light pillars in the top room, or simply waiting it out.  Purge does not have a 100% success rate vs. Bosses, so it may take the Mage several attempts before he can delete that buff.  Having him Chain Cast + Purge is a good idea.  Killing the Light Pillars isn't very hard, you just have to deal with the mobs that are in there if you didn't pull all of them at the beginning.  Waiting it out really doesn't make much sense but you can do it if you choose.  Not sure how long that buff lasts, maybe 10 minutes?



For Jewel Golem, you'll see that he has two buffs.  The first one looks like the "idle state" icon you see when you log in or change maps.  For him it's an "Unattackable Status".  What this means is he cannot be hurt by anything.  The Tank will need to maintain aggro on the Jewel Golem while the rest of the party takes out the four Light Pillars.  While the rest of the party is in the top room, there's really not much for you to do.  I would recommend spamming your debuffs as they will help ease the damage you take (Demoralizing Hit, Immobilize, and Bone Slicer).  If you choose not to spam skills for some reason, your auto-attack should be sufficient to maintain aggro over your Cleric.  If you're unsure, toss a few Kicks in here and there.  Once those Pillars come down, the party should join you on the bottom and wipe the floor clean with Jewel Golem.

All three bosses have a pretty heavy AOE attack, so if you have some weaker members it might be better serrved to just have them sit back and wait it out instead of dying, minimizing your party buff, and altering your Cleric's focus.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Fatal's On Vacation! Yippee!


Hey guys, just wanted to give you all notice that I will be on vacation starting tonight until late Tuesday evening, so don't expect any blog postings until after I return.  Yes, I know you're crushed, but be strong!  Hang in there!  Read some old stuff!

I will probably pop in from time to time to check the chatbox and approve any comments that were posted, but again, nothing formal.

I hope you guys have a great holiday (if you're in the US) weekend!  Stay safe!

Much love,
FatalLace

Project: Tanker - Spider KQ


Hi guys!  Welcome to the next installment in the Project: Tank series.  Today's video details the Spider Kingdom Quest!



Now as you all know, Spider can be a bit tricky, there is usually a division between the people that want to kill the Great Spider at the end, and those who would rather just kite it to ensure a win for all.  Me?  Of course I always want to kill it.  Personally, I don't think either Spider or Robo should be able to be kited to the end of the timer, just seems cheap.  I think they should either eliminate the whole "Kiting-to-Victory" or have a greater reward for killing the end bosses, but that's a story for a different day.

Okay, so entering this KQ, as the Tank, typically you'll want to party a Cleric as soon as possible, especially if your intentions are to kill the Great Spider.  Unfortunately, this didn't work out for me in the video.  There was only one Cleric, ThatGuyWhoHeals.  He was scooped up into a party while I just kinda ran solo a bit, I later partied some other people.  We were unsure if we would attempt a kill on GS, but we decided to give it a try.  Thankfully, we had a bunch of Mages and Archers so that made the end a lot easier.

ThatGuyWhoHeals did a great job of keeping his party alive, but also turning his focus to me, the main Tank, despite not being in his party.  This is extremely important for Clerics, as much as possible, pay attention to everything going on.  If you see your party isn't taking any damage, click on the mob with the highest threat level and see who he is attacking, good chance it's the Tank, focus healing the Tank until your party start to take damage. once your party is safe, find the Tank again.  I thanked ThatGuyWhoHeals during the KQ and again afterwards.

Another thing I don't like about Spider KQ is that you can't really set the pace as the Tank.  The mobs are summoned around you and you really have no control over that.  If you're trying to tank all of the spawns, then oftentimes you're scrambling, if you can manage to do this, great, if not, focus on the biggest threats, like the Madness Grave Robbers or Ultra Spiders and maintain aggro on them via Kick, Mock, Demoralizing Hit, and Slice and Dice.  Target switch if necessary.  When Vivis and Magebooks appear, run by with a Mock or Demo to establish a bit of aggro.  If the mobs already targeted other players, you'll probably have to use Mock or Kick.

The final battle with Great Spider can be tricky, especially if you lag when the Minis are summoned.  As you can see in the video they come in waves by the dozens.  Since I didn't have a dedicated Cleric, I didn't spam Mock, but I did spam Demoralizing Hit.  While Demoralizing Hit doesn't have the aggro draw that Mock does, it does have a -DMG debuff associated with it.  If you choose to let some of the spawns go, it's best that they have that debuff, it will lower the chances of them killing off the other players that they will eventually target.  I did Mock when I could, but I didn't want to keep aggro of everything on me because I didn't know what kind of situation ThatGuyWhoHeals would find himself in.  I couldn't monitor his health, so I didn't know what kind of danger he was in and if he would just take off and run and leave me stranded, so I Mocked when I could.  If you watch the video though, you'll notice my party taking loads of damage at the end.  Looking back, and after another round, I found that I could safely maintain aggro on GS as well as more of the Minis even without a Cleric around.

Okay, so GS is dead now what?  Why are all the spawns still around!!?  Well it's about 30 seconds of mayhem after Great Spider is dead.  During this time, try and round up as many of the strays as possible, continue helping out the rest of the KQ participants, use Mock, use Kick, use Demoralizing Hit, but keep yourself safe also.


This was kinda fun... in a KQ I entered last night, I ran into JAZMYNE6969, the same Fighter that called me a "nub" in MiniDragon.  Prior to the final battle, Jaz and I agreed to see who could generate the most and hold aggro on Great Spider, myself being a modest Tank build, Jaz being a DD build.


Honestly, I was a bit concerned when Jaz announced he/she had over 3500 dmg compared to my measly 1245 dmg! Jaz claimed more DEF than I had even though I had a shield and Jaz was also loaded with SparkCash,... 12% Crit Swimsuit, 8% Crit Angel Helm, 5% Crit Angel Wings, 3% Crit Sunglasses, and Papillion Weapon Skin on his/her +10 Axe! All I had was a Mexico Soccer Uniform 3% Dmg, 5% Crit and DJ Headphones 2% Eva. With the odds stacked in Jaz's favor, I had to work on aggro grabs quickly.

Oh, did I forget to mention our KQ had NO CLERICS? Not a single one. So, not only did the Fighter who held aggro on Great Spider have to deal with his attacks, but also tons of spawned Minis! So how did it turn out? Watch and find out!

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