Thirsty River Mission bonus

I have run several characters through the Prophecies Campaign with henches and Heroes with no problems, but that was some time ago. Recently, I started taking my Factions monk through Prophecies and the bonus for Thirsty River has ... changed since my last time through (at least, I think it has...).

Didn't it used to be just a timed mission -- complete each part quick enough and you get the bonus?

I ask because now you have to keep some NPC King alive in the third area, and it's not that easy. The mission itself is not bad, but keeping this NPC alive has been a bit of a challenge for me thus far.

Any suggestions for the best strategy to get this bonus would be appreciated...

I suppose (worst case scenario! ). I could make my monk a healer monk instead of a smiter, but I was hoping my heroes would keep the guy alive...

NM/HM?

anywho just rush to save the king at the third stage...then go kill the warrior bosses priest and the war boss - this is the enemies that atk the king...after they are disposed the king comes to no harm...WoH was buffed ^^

OK. It seemed like several groups came after the King at once, but I will try what you suggest. Thanks.

As long as you are careful not to draw the fight too far away, there _should_ be only the group attached to the warrior that will fight the ghost. Often hench or hero's will put the king at a very low priority to be healed, so the best way to protect him is to charge straight in so that the group attacks you first.

The key to that one.

When you enter, immediately head to the right and take out/distract the mobs heading for the King. Once you agro them, they'll attack you, and you can deal with them. From there, hug the wall, taking out each priest area 1 at a time, waiting till just before 2 minute intervals so your opponents don't res.

Other than this first group, no one will actively agro the King unless they are drawn too close by you.

Thanks for all the input. I got it finally.

You definitely have to head to the right and then straight to the King. Plus I threw an Orison of Healing or two his way as well.

He seems like a very wimpy NPC, imo.

Yeah the bonus got all haxx0r'd, it used to be time based (I don't even RECALL seeing a king back then even though even with the old bonus goal it mentioned him). Now you should head right and take out those nearby teams.

In the last section, if you do nothing more than simply attack the foes of group on the right, the ones outside of the hut, before doing anything else, and then attack the boss and the priest inside the hut, you will pretty much have the bonus. Unless you intentionally aggro to the king in the center, it's hard to fail the bonus after that.

Check out the bonus portion in this video. It is a 9 minute, start to finish, bonus and mission run by me and three heroes.

9 Minute Thirsty River Mission & Bonus Run

Notice that at no time do I get near the king in the center, or heal him in any way. Yet I get the bonus easily. Even though I do this entire last section in under 3 minutes total, you do not need to do it nearly this fast.

I took my Para on this to-day ..still no problems with h/h

and did not go near King or heal him also, completed very quickly along with bonus

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We always parked the king a bit outside the last area.

just finished in HM... fairly easy with mms as it always was.... just run dual jagged bombers... and kill the serpent guys first as they eat up all corpses with consume corpse

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just play it with sabway, the bonus is somewhat of easy with it in both modes, even the hench healers can easily heal the king, should it happen, that he gets attacked, but the foes will die all so quick, that they won't kill the king quick enough.

when you attack the 3 parts in the right order, even no enemy will ever reach or attack the king, because you clear all foes simple away, before they aggro.

When you get so far, that you have to protect the king, just rush direct with your group to the king and make some kind of protective minion wall, so that no foe targets the king, but all foes go either on the minions or your charas, then kill quick the first foes, that are right next to you at the right side, so that the area gets safe, then storm the priest and kill the boss afterwards.

Once the first boss of 3 is cleared, you have nearly the bonus done, because the foes of the other 2 bosses stay all to far away from the king, as if they could aggro him, so you have easy play with them.

This mission is with sabway so extreme easy, afterwards the OP will ask hisself, why he did this thread here.

Just you (ursan) 3 necros and the 2 monk henchs and you own your way easily through, especially when you kill before all sand giants to start with max morale