HM or NM Snowmans Dungeon?

blurmedia

Banned

Join Date: Sep 2007

UNCONTROLLABLE RAGE [moko]

My friend and I are going to grind our delver titles up to r10 (we hope.)
We are both r6 at this point and I wonder that would be best:

Do NM untill we're both r8
or
Do HM all the way.

The way I understand it you can't get reputation points in NM after r8, right? And if you could, would NM all the way be a batter choice?

Thanks for reading and, hopefully, responding to my post

Rebelor

Rebelor

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2006

I did hm all the way. It didnt seem any harder in hm than it did in nm..double chest drops at the end. biggest difference that i found was what every1 already knows----lockpick retention.

Zodiak

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2005

Gatineau, Qc, Canada

Kiss of Anguish [KISS]

P/W

Like stated above, there isnt that much of a difference when it comes to actually clearing the dungeon, but here are the differing factors.

Hard Mode = All ennemies Move, Attack and Cast at 150% of Normal Mode
Hard Mode = Double the amount of points per kill

That being said, the chests in Normal mode mostly contain 90% purples from my experience, whereas in Hard Mode you can get really high end golds if your lucky.

I got a Gold r9 Inscribeable Tyrian Serpent Axe from one

And that the end chest will drop double the amount of loot.

When it comes to Secret Lair of the Snowmen, If your going to clear it, Hard Mode all the way.

holababe

holababe

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Dec 2006

Goon Squad [LLJK]

Mo/

Hard Mode.
For the snowmen it's not that hard. One tank with Whirling Defence or Defiant Was Xinrae can take all the damage as long as the monk hits him with Prot Spirit.

Then take ur standard nukers.

wetsparks

wetsparks

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2006

hard mode gets you double points as has been said, then bring three ele searing flames heroes, fire henchman, two monks, and necro henchman (slightly faster because she uses blood renewal). all the fire damage will completely own the snowmen

RPGmaniac

RPGmaniac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by wetsparks
all the fire damage will completely own the snowmen
not 100% true, these snowmen aren't weaker against fire damage. Fire AoE though is still good just because it's AoE. Just don't complain that they're dying too slow because you thought they were weaker against fire damage when they're really not

WLlama

Caged Mongrel

Join Date: Jul 2006

Cage in a Dungeon

Flaming Turtles

N/

There is one other difference not noted above. The snowmen get Mega Snowball in Hard Mode. More damage plus a knockdown but it moves slower.

In agreement with previous posts, I'd say HM is the way to go as long as you have a decent team build.

Rothaga

Rothaga

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2007

D/W

HM is the way to go, its easy to do just with henchies and hero's, make sure to bring an MM, that helps a lot, as all the snowmen leave bodies.

Shadowfox1125

Shadowfox1125

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2005

PST

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rothaga
as all the snowmen leave bodies.
which I still don't understand..

CyberMesh0

CyberMesh0

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2005

Charter Vanguard [CV]

N/Me

Who cares? It's easy due to that, so it doesn't matter lol

tmakinen

tmakinen

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

www.mybearfriend.net

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

E/

In the HM version a good option for the spearpoint character(s) (you don't tank the snowmen in the usual sense of the word) is to use the Raven Blessing and a ranged weapon. Raven has inherent blocking ability, a fast recharge ranged AoE skill and an anti-KD stance, all of which are ideal for this dungeon

blurmedia

Banned

Join Date: Sep 2007

UNCONTROLLABLE RAGE [moko]

Thanks for your answers

I'm playing as a Dervish and my friend a necro..

Do you have any recommended builds / hero setups? I'm getting owned fast by their armor ignoring snowballs

malko050987

malko050987

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2007

Arad, Romania

The Arctic Marauders [TAM] - now recruiting!

R/

3 SF eles, one Healing monk with LoD, one prot monk with Aegis, Prot spirit and other standard prot stuff, one MM (flesh golem, horror, fiends). Then you (derv) can take any build you want (include some regen ability or an avatar, to make it a bit easier on the monks), and the necro can go SS/SV or Jagged bones to make your minion army unending.

I don't see the problem here... I did it with me as a BHA ranger, 2 SF eles and a MM + monk henchies, earth and fire henchies. EASY.

tmakinen

tmakinen

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

www.mybearfriend.net

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by malko050987
... one Healing monk with LoD ...
Just in case that you haven't been following skill balance updates lately, LoD got waylaid, ganked, ranked, teabagged, spat upon and left for carrion eaters.

Aegis and Defensive Anthem still help, though.

malko050987

malko050987

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2007

Arad, Romania

The Arctic Marauders [TAM] - now recruiting!

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by tmakinen
Just in case that you haven't been following skill balance updates lately, LoD got waylaid, ganked, ranked, teabagged, spat upon and left for carrion eaters.

Aegis and Defensive Anthem still help, though.
It still works fine on my Dunk, but yeah, I suppose there are better alternatives now. But with with a good Prot monk, it's enough.

blurmedia

Banned

Join Date: Sep 2007

UNCONTROLLABLE RAGE [moko]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tmakinen
Just in case that you haven't been following skill balance updates lately, LoD got waylaid, ganked, ranked, teabagged, spat upon and left for carrion eaters.

Aegis and Defensive Anthem still help, though.
Yeah LoD got raped...

Also I wonder if Aegis and Defensive Anthem stacks? 'Cause we have been running two paragons chaining Defensive Anthem and one prot monk and MM necro (the EotN version of Sab's MM necro) with Aegis... It works pretty well. The only death we suffered was me dying because I got bodyblocked by four Chromatic Drakes using sliver armor, hehe.

malko050987

malko050987

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2007

Arad, Romania

The Arctic Marauders [TAM] - now recruiting!

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by blurmedia
Yeah LoD got raped...

Also I wonder if Aegis and Defensive Anthem stacks? 'Cause we have been running two paragons chaining Defensive Anthem and one prot monk and MM necro (the EotN version of Sab's MM necro) with Aegis... It works pretty well. The only death we suffered was me dying because I got bodyblocked by four Chromatic Drakes using sliver armor, hehe.
They should, since one's an enchant and the other a shout.

tmakinen

tmakinen

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

www.mybearfriend.net

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by blurmedia
we have been running two paragons chaining Defensive Anthem and one prot monk and MM necro (the EotN version of Sab's MM necro) with Aegis
That quote alone places you squarely into the small fraction of PvE players who actually understands robust build making ... you won't have any problems at all with Snowmen HM. Just keep an eye on the NPCs who will happily wander into one of those ice vents on the floor (or all of them along the way if given half a chance ) and if you find constant KDs irritating bring Ward of Stability or try the raven way.

blurmedia

Banned

Join Date: Sep 2007

UNCONTROLLABLE RAGE [moko]

Well thing is, that I find the snowmen to be attacking nobody but me, and 50x 50 nasty snowball damage can quickly spike straight to hell... But IF [skill]Defensive Anthem[/skill] and [skill]Aegis[/skill] stacks that should not be a problem anymore, lol

We only tried that build in some dungeons by the way, haven't tried snowmen's yet. (AoM and Heart of Holy Flame is rape in Shards of Orr )