Heroes and FoW

I finally decided to try out my W/Mo in the Fissure of Woe, taking only my team of three heroes with me, after taking perhaps WAAY too much time putting together a set of skill builds that were as complementary as I could make them.

Entered the Fissure, aggroed a fairly small mob (four at the most)...


Within minutes my whole team was dead, and I hadn't killed ONE monster.


Profession-based problems aside, what happened?

I've been able to fight through Perdition Rock or much of the Desolation with this character with relative ease...so what's the deal?

Is there some sort of Spectral Agony-ish skill used by mobs in the Fissure that I'm not aware of?

The only real problem I see in FoW is aggro. And that can be a huge problem at the start.

Also, aggro to the eternals that shouldn't die (again).

Next time go with a full team or at least one other person that knows how things go.

And no, there aren't any skills like Spectral Agony there.

The initial enemies in FoW are nothing special; just a minimum of level 24. The entire area is an exercise in aggro control.

also... why only you and 3 heroes? i'm pretty sure your heroes weren't set to be able to take them on with just a 4-man party. doing so requires a little bit of skill and the right skill bars.

I'd assume because they couldn't take hench.

To the OP: Everyone wipes the first visit to the UW/FoW. That's normal.
The thing is that the enemies down there do a very large amount of raw damage, so you need to bring damage mitigation (Protective Spirit etc). Some interrupting and anti-melee skills (Blind etc) will also come in handy.

FoW is going to be hard with just any 4 man team. You might be able to get through a few groups at the beginning, but after that it'll surely be slaughter.

Me and my friend take a full party of heroes into FoW all the time and clear in around 2:20 (plus 10-15 shards between the two of us each run), maybe get a guildie and a friend to see if they want to tag along and with the right build you can get through it really easily.

At least you didn't enter solo the first time like I did

As others have said, FoW is the kind of place that requires a full group. Since you can't take henches in there, you're only choice is to find real people. If you're a PuGaphobe like some of us (or most of us), find some guildies or alliance members to go with you. They'll be able to tip you off as to how things work down there as well.

what builds were your heroes running? that might give us a better idea on how to help you

For a start, taking 4 characters into an 8-man zone is not a good idea.

and yet we farm underworld solo??? lol

edit

and taking my 1 character is a better idea? (Solo builds ftw).

Anyways, It is not the amount of characters you have, it is the skills you equip them with.
You can do 1 man runs, 2 man runs, 1 man + couple heroes runs, all depending on your build.

use: http://www.pvxwiki.com/wiki/?title=Main_Page

bathazard & kerpall - I'd assume that holy meant going in for the 1st time with a group of 4.. into an area you've never been and don't know what to expect is likely to be a silly thing

Yes, it is solo'able... but those who solo it know exactly what to expect, know exactly what build they need and what they need to do from when they enter the area.

true, but unless you can read minds, its never safe to assume ones thoughts .

Edit: although i think OP may not have gone in with 8man, because it may have conflicted with his 4man build?

I'd guess a combo of melee damage and Spiteful Spirit killed you if you went to the left. If you went to the right, Firestorm and Shatter Enchant probably got you.

FoW is a place that you need specific builds to succeed. Taking an enchantment heavy Monk is typically a bad idea, outside of a Bonder.

4 man is possible, but 3 heroes will require some good micro-management skills on your part, in addition to good builds for each. You also need to know what to aggro, how to aggro it, where to aggro it, and when to aggro it.

I fear seeing your build, as I am expecting a typical wammo build. Healing Breeze, Vigourous Spirit, Healing Hands, etc. are all bad choices. Most areas they mean you do less damage than you should. In FoW, they mean you die faster.

No, that's not true. Bonder is the worst possible option, unless you're with really inexperienced players. And even then...

BTW: the typical builds we used to clear FoW included at least one para, 2 or 3 necros, 1 monk (or sometimes another, depending on paragons), and a selection of other classes, mesmers were frequent, ele, anything really.

No warriors, no bonders, not quad nukers, almost the exact opposite of "specific build".

2,3,4 -man however is a completely different story.