HELP : Sanctum Cay w/ henchies

Nos Fer Atue

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Jul 2006

Need Help with the End of the Sanctum Cay mission, plz

Is there a strategy that works for running the mission with Henchies?
I have run it a dozen times with my lvl 20 N/Me (using blood) or my lvl 20 R/E (Interupts build). Necro & Ranger walk with ease to the ship and then slaughtered on the dock. I have no elite skills since first time thru.

Can anyone recommend strategy, build ideas, or/and which henchmen? it's starting to drive me crazy (short trip with nice scenery)

I Would REALLY appreciate any help - Thanks

Wobrak

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Apr 2006

Order of the BlackSheep

N/Me Blood Spiker

Attributes
Blood - 12 or more
Soul Reaping - all leftover points

Skills
1)Life Siphon
2)Shadow Strike
3)Barbed Signet
4)Dark Pact
5)Vampiric Gaze
6)Well of Blood
7)Strip Enchantment
8)Resurrection Signet

R/E Degen - This build will kill faster then an interupt build and you need quicker kills when you get to the dock.

Attributes
Marksmanship - 9
Expertise - 9
Wilderness Survival - 9
Beast Mastery - all leftover points

Skills
1)Apply Posion
2)Penetrating Shot
3)Savage Shot
4)Troll Unguent
5)Resurrection Signet
6)Feral Lunge
7)Comfort Animal
8)Charm Animal


General Strategy - using henchies
When you get to the dock don't stay actually on the dock. Position your party on the beach infront of the dock. The foes will first start from the right (in relation to mini-map), kill quickly and move. The casters use searing heat, so they should be your first target since henchies are too stupid to move out the AoE. At first the groups will hit one at time with only 3 foes. But they quickly grow in size and attack from both sides. You are the only one that needs to make it onto the boat. So at all costs keep yourself and Vizer alive until he is done with his ultra slow spell.

Notes
I actually used an MM build for this mission. You can kill groups faster and they do a good job as blockers. But with Mes as your secondary you will only have Blood of the Master as you only heal for your minions, which becomes a burden on your health.

Henchmen selection - as a general rule I don't select the henchmen with the same profession as my character, i.e. using my Ranger I would add either the enchanter or cultist.
Warrior x2
Ranger
Mage
Healer

Nos Fer Atue

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Jul 2006

Thanks for that! ... boy did I have it wrong before - was a snap for the N/Me with that build and position ... now to try the Ranger

lennymon

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

R/

Another thing to try is -not killing- any of the white mantle at the beach. You just avoid getting killed by moving not too far, just out of aoe and wait for the ship. Only kill what comes into range and don't chase anything, because that tends to bring the other side uncomfortably close to the docks (and the Vizhier). With MM what you can try also is a bone minion/death nova/taste of death build, very good damage with somewhat less minion healing being necessary, also taste of death covers healing for some time with the sacrifice of one or two .