Post by argeas on Aug 19, 2014 23:05:02 GMT
Greetings all. Here's a quick breakdown of our Veteran SSM:
For this run in order to achieve silver, you will need:
1) complete the run in 75 minutes
2) complete all optionals
For gold, same requirements as silver but also no deaths and complete all challenges.
completing all optionals but not making the time limit gets you bronze.
A note: this dungeon is considerably easier than Skullcano. If everything is sufficiently MoO'd the fights go by quickly, the area is very open and outdoor so you don't necessarily have to fight everything, and the air path once mastered can actually go by quickly.
A note about this air path. You will have to cross through here at least once, for the end. But if you get the option to go through earlier and are a head of time, clean up mobs that will give you problems then so when you kill the last boss, you won't have issues with the remaining 25~18 minutes remaining. This time range is plenty of time to engage the final boss at least 1 or 2 times within the time constraints RP and gauntlets included.
@ 00:00 You sometimes get an optional here to kill 8 of the Sword Maidens out here. Basically you have to kill everything up front to get all 8. Sometimes though you don't get that. Here, we didn't so we were able to just largely head right for the boss as it was unecessary to kill any of the npcs up front.
@0:55 We're pulling the first boss. She goes after whoever has more resonance. This is gained from taking sound damage from any chime, getting hit by her sound waves or hitting a chime with an attack.
@ around 1:15 sound waves start, this is all based on her health when she summons this phase. She throws sound from her sides when she's back at the wall and waves come from the two large statues. Staying near the center and dodging around there proved to be the most useful.
@3:23 this is the ability you want to always interrupt on her
@3:51 headed for the first air path. Some things can be avoided here. And only certain things need to be interrupted for mobs. If Morewood Maulers Optional is up like it was here, they need to be hunted down. They are always in the same place first one is here @ 5:40
@10:40 As long as the dialogue box updates the next crypt is active so to save time, die and rez over there. Next objective is the Morewood. We got Gorgers for the optional so the NPCs in the front are not necessary. There are three Gorgers they are all up top.
@12:55 headed to first Gorger
@14:45 Last Gorger
@15:50 Going after 2nd boss. This boss is pulled towards the wall behind him, and only has one ability to interrupt; @16:07. He's pulled back because he spawns a series of turrents, you don't want these anywhere near the center because when he does this ability at @16:23, the center is always the only safe place. The order of his abilities is entirely random and here screwed us when he decided to do turrents right after his add phase.
@19:45 is the (eye) turrent phase so then he's dragged back center for the add phase which should happen next.
@20:25 the add phase happens. The center is the only safe spot. A series of circles spawn on each member don't get close to each other or you get knocked around if the rings overlap. Also don't be in front of his hammer as the telegraphs that spawn the adds all come from there. If all telegraphs hit one person they are one shotted.
@21:50 moving on to next boss.
@22:00 taking on first champion mini-boss
@24:00 headed to Lifeweaver Grove. Our options were to kill Pell, and to kill the guardian. There are more pell here than you need so you don't have to kill all of them. Because its just kill Pell you can take the bridge path pretty easily. The guardian pats between the entrance and the boss.
@26:45 we got a mixture of both at the end of the bridge (but this just goes to show you can die a lot in here and still make silver)
@28:30 we got the guardian after wiping.
@29:40 Engage third boss, Ondu
@29:49 is the ability that needs to be interrupted on him that he does in all phases.
@0:05 is the insect phase, whoever is not rooted initially gets a large absorb shield and needs to kite and run through the insect telegpraphs coming from the entrance.
@1:40 when he gets an absorb shield like this he cannot be interrupted, it must be outlasted and telegraphs avoided
@2:10 when he gets enraged he needs to be kited.
@4:35 is our next go at Ondu, this one results in a kill.
@5:35 is the next ability he can use from a totem its a heal, and need to be MoO'd. (His order of using totems is entirely random, some fights he won't even utilize all of them.)
@7:20 Ondu is down.
@8:01 going after next mini-boss Dariah, which can be brutal she hits rather hard
@10:55 she's down, once we get back to her after wiping.
@11:15 we are at the burning grove. Not much here unlike the other areas, MoO everything. The totem optional always appears to be up here. They are easy to get you only need four. Head right after killing fire elemental boss and you can get three there and at the top terrace ninja the fourth.
@13:45 fire boss really has nothing to interrupt, much like the actual boss here, just avoid all bad and the adds he summons, as they fixate and will explode when they get close.
@17:34 This boss has nothing to interrupt. Breakouts work on her flame tether.
@17:55 This ability can be cleanses to make the circles of fire fall instantly, depends on how you want to handle it.
@18:05 she will do this twice, right before each fire gauntlet, it won't kill you alone.
@18:08 first gauntlet starts.
@20:40 after the last gauntlet phase she will throw fire walls from every direction whenever the "ground rumbles"
@25:13 after wiping is our kill on her. We have around 19 minutes left for SSM
@25:35 Heading back to the center for final boss fight over air path. Gap closers are helpful over the air path as well.
@25:48 Reaching gauntlet and starting it up. There are four waves, which are determined based on the NPCs progress not yours. Thus, you want to finish them quickly it is possible to get overwhelmed by add waves as the NPC progresses independently.
@1:55 is the end of the gauntlet and some RP
@2:55 boss engages. She has two abilities that should be interrupted.
@3:13 First ability that is interrupted.
@3:20 First dark phase, stay in the light. Her telegraph here can be evaded, but its quick
@3:53 each blinding does damage so be topped off
@3:57 after the blind lifts watch her to avoid the wave she throws out. Also stun her shadows so they can be killed. Killing them all fast ends the phase much quicker
@4:55 Is her next ability that can be interrupted.
@5:10 her second dark phase same as the first
@5:35 second shadows phase
@6:44 we wipe on her. So in we have a lot of fights in this run, but the silver is still very possible.
@7:11 second pull, same rules apply
@11:05 final phase, stay in this light especially
@11:20 mobile shadow, this one whoever it fixates on must stay in the light so the shadow gets stunned.
11:50 is our kill
Overall this dungeon is not particularly as difficult as the others. Its extremely long so it makes doing it daunting (75 minutes). However, the mobs and bosses are very susceptible to the MoO principle; far more than most of the other bosses and mobs in other dungeons. The mechanics are new to an extent especially for the first and last boss. However, ultimately while new and refreshing not overly complicated either.
So as a final determination:
(Greatest Length, in terms of distance and time): STL<KV<SKC<SSM
(Greatest difficulty): STL=<KV<SSM<SKC
(Average investment of Progression Time): KV<STL=SSM<SKC
For this run in order to achieve silver, you will need:
1) complete the run in 75 minutes
2) complete all optionals
For gold, same requirements as silver but also no deaths and complete all challenges.
completing all optionals but not making the time limit gets you bronze.
A note: this dungeon is considerably easier than Skullcano. If everything is sufficiently MoO'd the fights go by quickly, the area is very open and outdoor so you don't necessarily have to fight everything, and the air path once mastered can actually go by quickly.
A note about this air path. You will have to cross through here at least once, for the end. But if you get the option to go through earlier and are a head of time, clean up mobs that will give you problems then so when you kill the last boss, you won't have issues with the remaining 25~18 minutes remaining. This time range is plenty of time to engage the final boss at least 1 or 2 times within the time constraints RP and gauntlets included.
@ 00:00 You sometimes get an optional here to kill 8 of the Sword Maidens out here. Basically you have to kill everything up front to get all 8. Sometimes though you don't get that. Here, we didn't so we were able to just largely head right for the boss as it was unecessary to kill any of the npcs up front.
@0:55 We're pulling the first boss. She goes after whoever has more resonance. This is gained from taking sound damage from any chime, getting hit by her sound waves or hitting a chime with an attack.
@ around 1:15 sound waves start, this is all based on her health when she summons this phase. She throws sound from her sides when she's back at the wall and waves come from the two large statues. Staying near the center and dodging around there proved to be the most useful.
@3:23 this is the ability you want to always interrupt on her
@3:51 headed for the first air path. Some things can be avoided here. And only certain things need to be interrupted for mobs. If Morewood Maulers Optional is up like it was here, they need to be hunted down. They are always in the same place first one is here @ 5:40
@10:40 As long as the dialogue box updates the next crypt is active so to save time, die and rez over there. Next objective is the Morewood. We got Gorgers for the optional so the NPCs in the front are not necessary. There are three Gorgers they are all up top.
@12:55 headed to first Gorger
@14:45 Last Gorger
@15:50 Going after 2nd boss. This boss is pulled towards the wall behind him, and only has one ability to interrupt; @16:07. He's pulled back because he spawns a series of turrents, you don't want these anywhere near the center because when he does this ability at @16:23, the center is always the only safe place. The order of his abilities is entirely random and here screwed us when he decided to do turrents right after his add phase.
@19:45 is the (eye) turrent phase so then he's dragged back center for the add phase which should happen next.
@20:25 the add phase happens. The center is the only safe spot. A series of circles spawn on each member don't get close to each other or you get knocked around if the rings overlap. Also don't be in front of his hammer as the telegraphs that spawn the adds all come from there. If all telegraphs hit one person they are one shotted.
@21:50 moving on to next boss.
@22:00 taking on first champion mini-boss
@24:00 headed to Lifeweaver Grove. Our options were to kill Pell, and to kill the guardian. There are more pell here than you need so you don't have to kill all of them. Because its just kill Pell you can take the bridge path pretty easily. The guardian pats between the entrance and the boss.
@26:45 we got a mixture of both at the end of the bridge (but this just goes to show you can die a lot in here and still make silver)
@28:30 we got the guardian after wiping.
@29:40 Engage third boss, Ondu
@29:49 is the ability that needs to be interrupted on him that he does in all phases.
@0:05 is the insect phase, whoever is not rooted initially gets a large absorb shield and needs to kite and run through the insect telegpraphs coming from the entrance.
@1:40 when he gets an absorb shield like this he cannot be interrupted, it must be outlasted and telegraphs avoided
@2:10 when he gets enraged he needs to be kited.
@4:35 is our next go at Ondu, this one results in a kill.
@5:35 is the next ability he can use from a totem its a heal, and need to be MoO'd. (His order of using totems is entirely random, some fights he won't even utilize all of them.)
@7:20 Ondu is down.
@8:01 going after next mini-boss Dariah, which can be brutal she hits rather hard
@10:55 she's down, once we get back to her after wiping.
@11:15 we are at the burning grove. Not much here unlike the other areas, MoO everything. The totem optional always appears to be up here. They are easy to get you only need four. Head right after killing fire elemental boss and you can get three there and at the top terrace ninja the fourth.
@13:45 fire boss really has nothing to interrupt, much like the actual boss here, just avoid all bad and the adds he summons, as they fixate and will explode when they get close.
@17:34 This boss has nothing to interrupt. Breakouts work on her flame tether.
@17:55 This ability can be cleanses to make the circles of fire fall instantly, depends on how you want to handle it.
@18:05 she will do this twice, right before each fire gauntlet, it won't kill you alone.
@18:08 first gauntlet starts.
@20:40 after the last gauntlet phase she will throw fire walls from every direction whenever the "ground rumbles"
@25:13 after wiping is our kill on her. We have around 19 minutes left for SSM
@25:35 Heading back to the center for final boss fight over air path. Gap closers are helpful over the air path as well.
@25:48 Reaching gauntlet and starting it up. There are four waves, which are determined based on the NPCs progress not yours. Thus, you want to finish them quickly it is possible to get overwhelmed by add waves as the NPC progresses independently.
@1:55 is the end of the gauntlet and some RP
@2:55 boss engages. She has two abilities that should be interrupted.
@3:13 First ability that is interrupted.
@3:20 First dark phase, stay in the light. Her telegraph here can be evaded, but its quick
@3:53 each blinding does damage so be topped off
@3:57 after the blind lifts watch her to avoid the wave she throws out. Also stun her shadows so they can be killed. Killing them all fast ends the phase much quicker
@4:55 Is her next ability that can be interrupted.
@5:10 her second dark phase same as the first
@5:35 second shadows phase
@6:44 we wipe on her. So in we have a lot of fights in this run, but the silver is still very possible.
@7:11 second pull, same rules apply
@11:05 final phase, stay in this light especially
@11:20 mobile shadow, this one whoever it fixates on must stay in the light so the shadow gets stunned.
11:50 is our kill
Overall this dungeon is not particularly as difficult as the others. Its extremely long so it makes doing it daunting (75 minutes). However, the mobs and bosses are very susceptible to the MoO principle; far more than most of the other bosses and mobs in other dungeons. The mechanics are new to an extent especially for the first and last boss. However, ultimately while new and refreshing not overly complicated either.
So as a final determination:
(Greatest Length, in terms of distance and time): STL<KV<SKC<SSM
(Greatest difficulty): STL=<KV<SSM<SKC
(Average investment of Progression Time): KV<STL=SSM<SKC