Polymock - anyone else going insane?!

Cardinal Fang

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2007

P/

I was enjoying Polymock until Gadd's encampment - been stuck there for a while. Got close to beating Blarp once, mainly get smashed though. I strafe & block, but still haven't worked out the best order of pieces to use. Are any of the gold pieces going to make it any easier? I would pay 100k just to progress atm. Any advice would be great thanks, Ample Handfull.

Wrath Of Dragons

Wrath Of Dragons

Burninate Stuff

Join Date: Aug 2005

New Mexico

E/Mo

they have more HP, most importantly.

something i have found:
use block right before you cast your large spell. they usually waste the interrupt on it

Jecht Scye

Jecht Scye

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2005

Lucky Crickets[Luck]

N/Me

Use these pieces in order:
-Fire Imp
-Gargoyle
-Kappa

Right at the beginning use block followed by your large spell, then concentration followed by your second large spell. Try to interrupt their larger spells ei: Obsidian Flame, Deep Freeze, Fireball. After you get past half of your life, use the glyph that add's 200 damage to your next attack(farthest to the right.). Aside from that, just mash on the 1 energy spell, use block as often as possible, and replenish your energy when it reaches 0 with Ether Signet.

Blarp is easily the hardest Polymock guy in the game, once you get past him you'll have no problems at all.

ryanryanryan0310

ryanryanryan0310

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2006

Scars Meadows [SMS]

I beat him with no problem.
I cheated cause I got a gold Naga Shaman.
Rit spike him to death.

RTSFirebat

RTSFirebat

The Humanoid Typhoon

Join Date: May 2005

UK

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

R/

Thanks for the tips, I'm stuck at Blarp for some time now.

zwei2stein

zwei2stein

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Jun 2006

Europe

The German Order [GER]

N/

Aside higher health, gold pieces also have more energy, just like purple ones.

All his pieces are purple which means that over your white pieces he has 3k health (hp of one whole white piece) and 15 energy advantage.

If you got one gold piece, he would still have 1k heath and 5e advantage, which would make him a lot easier.

Thou, what about actually getting better?

Polymock can be hard ... with 500ms ping.

Spazzer

Spazzer

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2006

USA

Team Asshat [Hat]

Mo/E

All of the Polymock opponents follow a certain casting rhythm and you can easilly interrupt them through prediction. Because you gain back the energy you spend on the interrupt, it's never a waste. The dangerous spells are all 1 or 2s cast so save your block for those (treat it like an interrupt). When you want to cast a 1s bomb like your Fire Imp's meteor, time it like an interrupt on the enemy's glyph so that he won't have enough time to interrupt yours.

The more you spam skills, the more you'll lose. Be patient and outplay the AI.

Abbel Calima

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2007

The Netherlands

Envoys From Above [soul]

Me/

Polymock is rather easy, they all have the same AI.

So as some people said before, use your biggest spell first (ussually hotkey 2 or 3). Use block to defend their spell and spam your spammable skill (hotkey 1) untill they use power drain (and they will have used block as well)if they're casting their big spell, interrupt with power drain). Now you can use your 2nd big spell (hotkey 2 or 3). Then again, spam your nummber one skill and look whenever they cast block and power drain, then do your big spells again so they wont be interrupted. Spam your number one skill and look whenever they cast block and power drain, big spells again, etc etc.

Small notes:
Use block whenever its recharged
Use spammable skill whenever its recharged
Use power drain to interrupt their big spell
Use your big spells only if they've used block + power drain
Use your power buff under 50% health
Use your energy skill when reaching 0 energy.
(concentration skill is a waste of time and energy)


I hope it was understandable and easy to read, so i wish you good luck mate!

SetsunaSamurai

SetsunaSamurai

Academy Page

Join Date: Aug 2007

Delaware

Eternal Knights of Twilight [Nite]

W/E

Get a gold piece.
That's all the strategy you need.

Abbel Calima

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2007

The Netherlands

Envoys From Above [soul]

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by SetsunaSamurai
Get a gold piece.
That's all the strategy you need. If he wants to waste money that is..

SetsunaSamurai

SetsunaSamurai

Academy Page

Join Date: Aug 2007

Delaware

Eternal Knights of Twilight [Nite]

W/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by Abbel Calima
If he wants to waste money that is.. Or he could just do Sepulchre a few times until he gets a Gold Gaki.

Zodiak

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2005

Gatineau, Qc, Canada

Kiss of Anguish [KISS]

P/W

I always open with the Glyph of Concentration and Degen skills the polymock piece i may hace chosen has.

Degen skills are worthless I find in the middle or end of a fight. always open with them

Abbel Calima

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2007

The Netherlands

Envoys From Above [soul]

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by SetsunaSamurai
Or he could just do Sepulchre a few times until he gets a Gold Gaki. Or actually play smart on polymock, the mind > strength.

Zodiak

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2005

Gatineau, Qc, Canada

Kiss of Anguish [KISS]

P/W

Also

Definatly SELL any additional Polymock pieces you may find from chests. Polymock is DEFINATLY NOT worth replaying once you've beaten all the oponents, which you can do incredibly easily if you either play normally and

- Open with Glyph of Concentration and Degen if its on your character
- Always keep your Block spell up
- Spam number 1
- Use Glyph of Concentration before using big spells
- Use 2 and 3 as they come up
- Get energy as soon as it hits 0
- Dont borther using your interupt or Number 8

If you cant beat someone, check wiki, it will tell you what pieces to chose and follow the steps mentioned.

Adding more polymock pieces is a WASTE as you need to register, which you lose them after for 50 very slow points.

Abbel Calima

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2007

The Netherlands

Envoys From Above [soul]

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zodiak
Also

Definatly SELL any additional Polymock pieces you may find from chests. Polymock is DEFINATLY NOT worth replaying once you've beaten all the oponents, which you can do incredibly easily if you either play normally and

- Open with Glyph of Concentration and Degen if its on your character
- Always keep your Block spell up
- Spam number 1
- Use Glyph of Concentration before using big spells
- Use 2 and 3 as they come up
- Get energy as soon as it hits 0
- Dont borther using your interupt or Number 8

If you cant beat someone, check wiki, it will tell you what pieces to chose and follow the steps mentioned.

Adding more polymock pieces is a WASTE as you need to register, which you lose them after for 50 very slow points. Number 8 is the power buff when under 50% hp right? I would say, USE IT!
It does decent extra damage, so why dont utilize it? (if you we're referring to an other skill, please do ignore my post )

Gargle Blaster

Gargle Blaster

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2005

The key stratagy in playing polymock is having a computer with more than a gig of ram.

... its all about speed the strat is not important.

i tried with a laptop and got killed every time --i was only able to kill hoff and the rest with one of my desktop computers.

LONGA

LONGA

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2006

Thailand

Agot

N/

I think all those basic and uncommon polymocks from ques are covered to beat all of those polymock opponent.

Like Ice imp good at killing weakened enemy,Ice golem for a long fight,Skale for bringing any high HP polymocks down.

And all of those opponent's polymock doesn't change order at all

Abbel Calima

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2007

The Netherlands

Envoys From Above [soul]

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gargle Blaster
The key stratagy in playing polymock is having a computer with more than a gig of ram.

... its all about speed the strat is not important.

i tried with a laptop and got killed every time --i was only able to kill hoff and the rest with one of my desktop computers. I have beaten it with 128+265 ram, no problems here. So i'd say strategy IS important.

Selket

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2005

Grand Court of Selket/Sebelkeh

What If You Had An Outpost Named After You [slkt]

W/

Always cast glyph of concentration and queue up another skill at the very beginning.

That makes them always waste their powerdrain and their own glyph of concentration.

puffzilla

puffzilla

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2006

The Black Hand Gang [BHG]

W/

A suggestion to make it easier for your next char would be to save the gold piece you get after betting the master or at the very least the purple Aloe for you next char you bring through.

Once you've finished the master quest you get a gold one. You techincally need a gold one if you want to continue on challenging people but the max points for the 3 rounds is 50 and well I wouldn't say it worth it.

Fox Reeveheart

Fox Reeveheart

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2005

Michigan

none q.q

D/

It took me a bit to beat blarp, I had to figure out their first few castings which is always in order.

If you wait a few seconds to let them recharge between battles (say they beat your guy) and then start, guaranteed they cast glyph of concentration first. So what I usually do is either cast one of my powerful 1 second spells or cast block because after his glyph he will cast one of his more powerful spells

Kalendraf

Kalendraf

Academy Page

Join Date: Aug 2007

Cedar Rapids, IA

Charter Vanguard

W/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jecht Scye
Use these pieces in order:
-Fire Imp
-Gargoyle
-Kappa

Right at the beginning use block followed by your large spell, then concentration followed by your second large spell. Try to interrupt their larger spells ei: Obsidian Flame, Deep Freeze, Fireball. After you get past half of your life, use the glyph that add's 200 damage to your next attack(farthest to the right.). Aside from that, just mash on the 1 energy spell, use block as often as possible, and replenish your energy when it reaches 0 with Ether Signet.

Blarp is easily the hardest Polymock guy in the game, once you get past him you'll have no problems at all. I've been trying that exact strategy, but so far I'm batting about 0 for 30 in my attempts to beat Blarp. I have quite a bit of experience playing an interrupt mesmer and I'm actually pretty good with interrupts, but I can't seem to ever interrupt Blarp's big spells (when he hasn't used the concentration glyph, obviously). I'll see the big spell getting cast, activate the interrupt, but somehow miss it by a split second. I suspect this is partly because when I run an interrupt build I crank fast casting up to 11+, while here there is no option to do that so I'm stuck trying to interrupt at regular speed. Thus, even though I have great hand eye coordination, I fear my reflex response is just a tad too slow to pull off interrupts in polymock. As a result, I'm stuck and have no way to beat Blarp.

After trying in vain to beat Blarp on Saturday, I got so frustrated that I just about uninstalled GW! If I could uninstall GW:EN and return it, I would. Beyond some cool graphics terrains, I find the entire expansion to be exremely aggravating. Polymock is just one of the aggravations.

Chthon

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Apr 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jecht Scye
Blarp is easily the hardest Polymock guy in the game, once you get past him you'll have no problems at all.
Quoted for major truth.
My first character through the quests required 2 tries for each of the first 2 guys (hey, it was my first time playing this stupid game, so I had no clue what I was doing), then 30ish tries for Blarp, then 1 try for the next guy, then (after figuring out the right order), 1 try for each of the master quests.
Took a second character through recently. 1 try for everything else, but 6 tries for Blarp.
Blarp is simply overpowered; and that's all there is to it. So don't feel too bad.

Quote: Originally Posted by Abbel Calima Polymock is rather easy, they all have the same AI.

So as some people said before, use your biggest spell first (ussually hotkey 2 or 3). Use block to defend their spell and spam your spammable skill (hotkey 1) untill they use power drain (and they will have used block as well)if they're casting their big spell, interrupt with power drain). Now you can use your 2nd big spell (hotkey 2 or 3). Then again, spam your nummber one skill and look whenever they cast block and power drain, then do your big spells again so they wont be interrupted. Spam your number one skill and look whenever they cast block and power drain, big spells again, etc etc.

Small notes:
Use block whenever its recharged
Use spammable skill whenever its recharged
Use power drain to interrupt their big spell
Use your big spells only if they've used block + power drain
Use your power buff under 50% health
Use your energy skill when reaching 0 energy.
(concentration skill is a waste of time and energy)


I hope it was understandable and easy to read, so i wish you good luck mate! This is pretty good advice, IMO.

If I might add a little of my own, the comment that finally taught me how to win polymock was Ensign's remark that it's "just a battle of big spells."

Probably 90% of the time, polymock consists of throwing that #1 spell at each other on the (same) recharge. Since all #1 spells are virtually the same, you are essentially racing each other to zero life at the same speed. That means whoever has more life, and here that's Blarp, is going to win.

The only part of polymock that isn't a mechanical exercise with a preordained conclusion is the "battle of the big spells." Make sure yours land. Make sure theirs don't. That's how you get ahead in the race to zero life. The key to beating Blarp is causing 3001 more damage with your big spells than you let him cause with his.

So how do you do that? By and large, you can get almost all of the 3k lead you need by exploiting the AI's predictable opening gambit for every piece:
  • The AI always opens with Concentration. Take the opportunity to hit them with your biggest skill with a 1 sec cast. Four times out of five, the second the the AI uses is its biggest spell. Since they've got concentrate up, use block. Occasionally, they will toss up a block, then use the big spell. That's even better, since it wastes the block. Occasionally, they will toss their #1, and then their big spell. Just make sure to wait till they start casting to hit your block. If it's the #1, just let it through and be ready for the big one. Now put 1 index finger on the 1 key and the other on the 3 key. You're going to be firing off 2-4 of your #1. Sometime during these 2-4 skills, the AI is going to use its other big spell -- interrupt it. Also, the AI is going to use its interrupt and its block (if it hasn't already). As soon as you've drawn out the AI's interrupt and block, it's safe to use your other big spell. At this point, you're way ahead. You've landed 2 big spells, and they've missed twice. Chances are they will use the skill you blocked again before your interrupt or block recharges. Even though they eventually hit you with it, by blocking it you made them pay double energy for it, and pushed its recharge late enough that the match will be over (or they will be out of energy) by the time it recharges. So, in sum: you are up by 800 damage, Blarp has wasted 1 big spell's worth of energy, and each of your big spells will recharge sooner than his corresponding big spell. If you can translate this energy and recharge advantage into just 200 damage later on, then repeat for all 3 of Blarp's pieces, you've made up his 3k life advantage.

    Everything after the opening gets sloppy. It's hard to interrupt/block their big skills the second time around because you may be short on energy or recharge, or have the sort of bad ping that makes it impossible to respond to a 1sec cast unless you know it's coming. The couple ways you can be sure to stop some major damage are: (1) throw up a block whenever they use #8, and (2) watch the first two spells following the energy signet - if they don't use a big spell then, they won't be able to afford it until after the next signet.
    As for your big spells in the late game, generally it's safe to cast them on the recharge. The AI burns its interrupt and block as soon as it can, so the odds of it having either recharged at the right moment are pretty low. (Of course, if it does stop you, that may cost you the match.) The alternative is to wait and draw out their block and interrupt, like in the opening. I don't favor this since the ground you lose in delaying is usually worse than the risk of getting interrupted/blocked.
    If this late-match stuff seems fuzzy and underdeveloped, that's because it is. AFAICT, Blarp is the only opponent for whom it matters at all, as none of the other opponents have such a huge piece-based lead on you; you can beat them just by winning the opening gambit for all 3 pieces. Even with Blarp, winning the opening reliably and then just getting lucky for the rest will suffice.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zwei2stein
    Polymock can be hard ... with 500ms ping. My hat's off to you sir. I have a lot of trouble hovering around 300ish. Doing this at 500ish is just... well... amazing!

    [Edit: Btw, once you're done with Blarp and the next guy, IMO, the easiest order for the next 3 quests is: necromancer, char, dwarf. Necromancer is easy to beat with the 2 purples available to you at that point, and the third purple makes the other 2 easy enough.]

    WildmouseX

    WildmouseX

    Krytan Explorer

    Join Date: Jun 2005

    N/R

    i was stuck on him for a while too, i also was geting hung up on trying to keep him interupted - but a guildy just walked him - so i bugged him for his stragity...

    start with the skale, it's a great opening piece because of several factors... first off they usually start out with glyph of conecntration so that will give you the chance to open with the posion - he'll try to interupt, but the glyph will take too long and it'll be a waste of his power drain..

    keep watching for him useing either of his big spells, remember you have both your block and interupt still ready

    then hit him with riseing byle - which will deliver 800 dmg when it's ran it's course....then start in on your deathly chill, which delivers the most dmg out of all the quick attacks when they are over half life.

    by the time riseing byle ends, you should have him to half health and if you stoped both of his big attacks you should stil be at 2/3rds. use concentration again to reapply the posion because he'll have his interupts ready - just keep in mind that block does stop attacks even when you use concentration so if he use's it wait 2 seconds.

    when everything goes right he'll die and you'll have a couple of hundred health left, when everything goes ok, you die and he has a couple of hunred health left. if the later happens just use your big dmg skill on your next piece first and it should drop him while he's useng concentration.

    i use the fire imp for my second piece, and finish with the kapa - the key with both of those is again to keep up the draining fire and bleeding, while blocking the big dmg skills.

    Croco Clouds

    Croco Clouds

    Wilds Pathfinder

    Join Date: Mar 2007

    Montreal, QC, Canada

    Divine Illumination [LaZy]

    E/A

    I can beat him with pure purple team

    WildmouseX

    WildmouseX

    Krytan Explorer

    Join Date: Jun 2005

    N/R

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chthon
    [list][*]The AI always opens with Concentration. Take the opportunity to hit them with your biggest skill with a 1 sec cast.
    good advise over all, but i've found that if you open with your 2 second big spell while they open with their concentration, they imediately go for their interupt - which will be too late and miss - thuss wasteing their first interupt, and their opening concentration.


    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Croco Clouds
    I can beat him with pure purple team when you get to him you have only recived 1 purple, all the rest of your pieces are whites. the only one you have 3 purples avilible for is the last guy, the master - he's pretty easy compared to blapp

    Cardinal Fang

    Ascalonian Squire

    Join Date: May 2007

    P/

    Thanks everyone for your input. I used the Fire Imp, Gargoyle, Skale setup. Took me an hour - with a few near misses, but when i did win, I had half a health bar left. All down hill from here I hope. Cheers, Ample Handfull.

    Crom The Pale

    Crom The Pale

    Furnace Stoker

    Join Date: Nov 2006

    Ageis Ascending

    W/

    If your having massive problems with Polymock look for people that are selling peices. Several people run multiple chars in it just for the peices wich they sell to those needing an edge against the harder opponents.

    ShadowbaneX

    Wilds Pathfinder

    Join Date: Jun 2006

    Heroes of the Horn

    A/Me

    I had no problems with Polymock what-so-ever. I occasionally lost the first bout with someone, but always won the second. After finishing the final quest vs Hoff, I played him again when he said I was playing by some lame rules and that he'd kick my ass with tournament rules (ie 1 white, 1 purple, 1 gold). I started with my purple earth elemental, then went with my white ice imp...I didn't even get to my gold that I got for beating him.

    Moral of this story: use the earth elemental. He kicks ass.

    RSGashapon

    RSGashapon

    Krytan Explorer

    Join Date: Nov 2006

    Sol 3

    R/

    How do you defeat Plurgg without cheating, AKA buying other players pieces?

    psycore

    psycore

    Krytan Explorer

    Join Date: May 2005

    That's what I want to know i cant negate the HP advantage his pieces have with what you just get from playing.

    (garg, mergoyle, skale, kappa, fire imp)

    Abbel Calima

    Frost Gate Guardian

    Join Date: May 2007

    The Netherlands

    Envoys From Above [soul]

    Me/

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RSGashapon
    How do you defeat Plurgg without cheating, AKA buying other players pieces? Read the thread, it's just the same strategy.

    Curse You

    Curse You

    Furnace Stoker

    Join Date: Apr 2006

    South Pole

    The Magus Order

    N/Mo

    After reading how to beat Blarp from this thread, I kicked his sorry butt, and all challengers afterwards. Seriously, why is Blarp so hard? I think Hoff was easier.

    Darkobra

    Darkobra

    Forge Runner

    Join Date: Aug 2006

    Scotland

    Type like an idiot, I'll treat you like an idiot

    E/Me

    Blarp was tough. First one that you can't outpower with raw power and one you actually need to interrupt on. Beat two of his pieces with just a fire imp and the last one with the skale.

    The Little Viking

    Krytan Explorer

    Join Date: Mar 2006

    innergalactic gargleblasters

    W/Mo

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Zodiak
    Also

    Definatly SELL any additional Polymock pieces you may find from chests. Polymock is DEFINATLY NOT worth replaying once you've beaten all the oponents, which you can do incredibly easily if you either play normally and

    - Open with Glyph of Concentration and Degen if its on your character
    - Always keep your Block spell up
    - Spam number 1
    - Use Glyph of Concentration before using big spells
    - Use 2 and 3 as they come up
    - Get energy as soon as it hits 0
    - Dont borther using your interupt or Number 8

    If you cant beat someone, check wiki, it will tell you what pieces to chose and follow the steps mentioned.

    Adding more polymock pieces is a WASTE as you need to register, which you lose them after for 50 very slow points. you get pollymock peices from chests? I havent seen one yet, and I just cant bring myself to pass up a chest. Im a sucker for a money drain. Anyone have a nice little peice of ocean front property in Arizona they want to sell? (I know, there is no ocean in Arizona). Anyway, thanks for the tips.

    More Outrage

    Frost Gate Guardian

    Join Date: Jun 2006

    Yorkshire

    GOO

    Lol, Blarp is a PITA, got stuck there for a few days and yes it is worth buying a gold piece just to get past him but be carefull what you buy, don`t buy the end won piece for too much as it is the worst gold. After that complete the others and save your won gold piece for another char you want to play with.
    I only did it for the Asura summon skills and they are definately worth having.

    Trelliz

    Trelliz

    Academy Page

    Join Date: Oct 2007

    N/

    Blarp was quite challenging, now i'm stuck on Fonk. I get through the kappa and aloe quite easily, dodge the kappa's projectiles and interrupt ice spikes, then just out-damage the aloe without using any hexes.

    The general opinion is to use the fire imp against the wind rider, who kicks my ass as his attacks are un-dodgable, and backfire kills me quicker on top of his spam skill. What do i do?

    nikkesen

    nikkesen

    Ascalonian Squire

    Join Date: May 2007

    guildless wonder

    R/Rt

    I was having was having trouble with this. Then I saw this thread and tried some of these ideas and in the end, this is what won it for me:
    - Fire Imp
    - Kappa
    - Gargoyle

    One thing I noticed is Blarp will never open the same if you're winning. I was leading. I won with the Gargoyle against his fire piece. He opened with his degen against me, whereas he would normally use his Glyph of Concentration.

    Against Fonk, I won using:
    - Kappa
    - Gargoyle
    - Skale

    Sir Mad

    Sir Mad

    Desert Nomad

    Join Date: Apr 2006

    Moe's Pub

    Pigs Can Fly [Pigs]

    R/

    Geez reading this topic made me think I was REALLY lucky to find a Mantis piece - Migraine's definitely my favourite polymock skill

    Cardinal Fang

    Ascalonian Squire

    Join Date: May 2007

    P/

    Lol - just saw this thread pop up on page 1 again. To all those who are struggling, follow the advice, you still need a good few hours practice, once you are past the tough one, the rest only take 1 or 2 attempts. I have a ping rate over 500 and did it without buying any gold pieces (jeez i was close to buying though). It sucked big time and I'm glad I don't need to do it in HM - yet. :-)