Spirit Spamming : most efficient UW run?

scratchdude

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Sep 2007

Hi all, I've done some research on a question for some time now, and didn't get anything good.

Some months ago, I started farming ectos in UW with a R/Rt spirit spamming build, as described in a thread most of you already know. The build of course doesn't clear any UW zone as fast as a SF sin can, but is really fun to play.

I was wondering if any of you here had some precise runs in UW with a spirit spammer to maximize the efficiency of this build in terms of ectos. I've tried to farm chaos planes, and even though many foes there drop ectos, it takes hours to kill them all, without even counting the time it takes to cross Twin Serpent Mountains. Same goes for the bone pit, and the dryders in the spawning pools are hard to defeat. I have also tried to simply clear the chamber and resign, which was so far the fastest way I found to farm ectos.

I know it sounds like another "feed me ecto farming methods" thread, but I assure you it's not. It simply is a way to maximize the efficiency of this great and fun build. I hope this thread will develop in something constructive. Thanks all!

Loot Junkie

Loot Junkie

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jan 2007

in a utopian dream

clan dethryche[dth]

N/

Scratch, you've alreadydiscovered the best way imo. Clear all areas with aatxes, resign. it should take you no longer than 20 minutes, I always get 2 ecto from the run. The 1k entry fee or scroll is always more than compensated for with gold coin drops.

DrizzitT

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Dec 2009

Clear Chamber, head towards Vale, kill the 2 mindblade popups (3 in each group), and that's it. There are 3 Skeles of Dhumm in the beginning of Vale (a majority of the graspings can be popped all at once if the spirits are positioned correctly), but its not *quite* as efficient. I usually kill them since I don't do more than one run a day. If there's a chest spawn close, I kill them for sure.

The route I usually go is the entrance, clear all before taking quest, take quest--two sets of spirits, one set at the northern exit (before quest, close to the stairs leading to the inner chambers + wastes), one at left hand staircase at the beginning--head towards twin serpents (kill the 2 aaxte + 2-3 skeles on the dead end), then through the passage to ice wastes, then back to inner chamber (where reaper is), then to vale. Not much backtracking (only the chamber clear before quest backtracks), takes about 40 min for me as a rit primary (don't use summon spirits), and usually 2-4ish ectos. I've gotten 5 on a very very lucky run, and 0 on a very unlucky run.

I've tried wastes, plains, etc. twin serpent is a killer, and while you can do wastes, it takes forever... The run gets boring fast since there's almost 0 chance of dying if you do your pulls right, its basically pull, minimize, come back a few min later, pick up drops. Only "hard" parts are graspings if you get greedy and aggro too many and they get around your spirit wall (quest, vale). Otherwise, aaxte never get to you unless you aggro more than 3.

scratchdude

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Sep 2007

Thanks both for the infos. I was thinking about doing the quest Unwanted Guest once the chamber would be clear, but I couldn't try it out tonight, as I didn't have enough time. Would this quest be useful despite dryders?

DrizzitT

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Dec 2009

Unwanted guests is too difficult from the front end, esp if you are soloing. The aaxtes spawned are invincible so you need to run to the back dryders to kill them.... good luck. I haven't tried, but I'm pretty sure it'll be a wipe.

If you *really* want to do another quest, take Restoring (3 more dryders), clear to Vale reaper, port back, get Escort of souls, port to Vale, and take on the groups of Mindblades there. There will be 2 groups of 6 that you can kill from behind (one at vale entrance bridge, and one at the first mindblade popup, stairs leading up to vale). The group right in front of the Chamber reaper will then start killing the new souls as the new souls start walking toward you due to proximity. Its a UW ending run for sure, but does give you a few more chances at ecto drop. If you clear the 3 dhumm in Vale, its not much more time to trigger the mindblades, so... might be worth it. I do it sometimes depending on my mood.

Raging Ranger Bob

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Sep 2005

Ireland

R/

I have only started doing the UW solo myself (and loving it) and was wondering if anybody could give me a good tactic for the smites.

I just cant seem to take them down

Cheers

HigherMinion

HigherMinion

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2008

East Anglia, UK

Order of [Thay]

N/

I prefer to only take spirits to farm with in UW as a duo.

One player takes Channeling spirits, and SoS. The other takes Signet of Ghostly Might with communing spirits. Should have 9-10 spirits on the field, and things will move considerably faster.

chessyang

chessyang

Not far from Elite

Join Date: Apr 2006

Florida

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by HigherMinion View Post
One player takes Channeling spirits, and SoS. The other takes Signet of Ghostly Might with communing spirits. . wonder if a hero would work as good? hum....

asb

asb

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2008

Europe

Me/

Rit UW Farm SoS
Code: OAmjIykrpRXTlT+gYOGbifMT0lA

Signet of Spirits, Bloodsong, Vampirism, Destruction, Gaze of Fury, Anthem of Disruption, Spirit Siphon, Ebon Escape
15/16 Channeling Magic, 11 Spawning Power, 6 Command

Rit UW Farm SoGM
Code: OAqkAuiG5qakz23U02ZTlT5GzEdJ

Signet of Ghostly Might, Pain, Anguish, Shadowsong, Rupture Soul, Rending Aura, Spirit Siphon, Ebon Escape
11 Spawning Power, 15 Communing, 6 Channeling Magic, 6 Wind Prayers

Destruction is an utility spirit, can be ruptured, siphoned, gazed and consumed if needed. It can be used to keep Terrorwebs and Charged Blacknesses busy for a little while longer, too.
For smites, let the SoGM build shadowsong(SoGM should siphon it right away), which SoS gazes(SoGM siphons again), other spirits are being set up as usual. SoGM aggroes smites and casts RA, which will make the smites loose most of their enchants. They will try to rebuild them which is time spent not attacking the SoGM. If the heat for the SoGM is too much, he ebon escapes away.
Also, the SoS can use gaze to destroy the behemoth's spirit and thus triggering a few traps(saves time, in case they drop something of value).
Painful bond is powerful, but it gets less effective with lower mob numbers. We've decided to keep it out of the build as the spirits kill quickly enough without it.

I used to enjoy 600/smiting with my friend a lot, but since it's going to be nerfed, we decided to run this. It's a lot of fun as well and hopefully a little bit more nerfproof than other builds.

HigherMinion

HigherMinion

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2008

East Anglia, UK

Order of [Thay]

N/

OACjAyiIpSObnNbORb+gQTXMDgA - SoGM

OACjAiiMpSVTXTlTfTdiQTXMDgA - SoS

My builds are alot more simple than Asb's, I don't think the spirits really require the ability to disrupt, nor do you need Rend to remove enchants.

It can overpower anything anyway, apart from at smites it just requires careful placement. I usually do it so one runs in, places spirits and runs back; smites get trapped in the middle. Hexing them is safe.

By the way, Agony> Destruction. It deals so much damage in such a short amount of time, and it can last a long time if you spam Summon Spirits often enough.

I've been trying to incorporate Edge of Extinction in this team build so Agony is even more useful, but not successful as yet.

Felix20

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2006

Montreal

Rt/

Quote:
Originally Posted by asb View Post
Rit UW Farm SoS
Code: OAmjIykrpRXTlT+gYOGbifMT0lA

Signet of Spirits, Bloodsong, Vampirism, Destruction, Gaze of Fury, Anthem of Disruption, Spirit Siphon, Ebon Escape
15/16 Channeling Magic, 11 Spawning Power, 6 Command

Rit UW Farm SoGM
Code: OAqkAuiG5qakz23U02ZTlT5GzEdJ

Signet of Ghostly Might, Pain, Anguish, Shadowsong, Rupture Soul, Rending Aura, Spirit Siphon, Ebon Escape
11 Spawning Power, 15 Communing, 6 Channeling Magic, 6 Wind Prayers

Destruction is an utility spirit, can be ruptured, siphoned, gazed and consumed if needed. It can be used to keep Terrorwebs and Charged Blacknesses busy for a little while longer, too.
For smites, let the SoGM build shadowsong(SoGM should siphon it right away), which SoS gazes(SoGM siphons again), other spirits are being set up as usual. SoGM aggroes smites and casts RA, which will make the smites loose most of their enchants. They will try to rebuild them which is time spent not attacking the SoGM. If the heat for the SoGM is too much, he ebon escapes away.
Also, the SoS can use gaze to destroy the behemoth's spirit and thus triggering a few traps(saves time, in case they drop something of value).
Painful bond is powerful, but it gets less effective with lower mob numbers. We've decided to keep it out of the build as the spirits kill quickly enough without it.

I used to enjoy 600/smiting with my friend a lot, but since it's going to be nerfed, we decided to run this. It's a lot of fun as well and hopefully a little bit more nerfproof than other builds.
Are you doing this in HM since you have more damage to deal?

BazThousandDaggerz

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Jan 2010

Oinkz

A/

Although a great build, its to slow to be "efficient".
those who say you get 2-4 ecto from the first chamber are wrong, either that or i have insanely bad luck
I have done the UW tonnes of times from full party teams to solo/duos, the first chamber almost NEVER drops ecto for me
Id say for about the 300 or so times ive done UW
about 40 times the first chamber dropped 1 ecto the rest didnt drop any at all, 2 is uber lucky from the first chamber, and ive never even got 3 or 4
Thats why if i need ectos fast i either go A/E Dayway or W/Me Smites run (8 mins All smites dead everaging between 0-3 ectos, 4-5 if Uber lucky)
but me and my friend did duo with this ritulist build and we went to the chaos planes, we cleared it out getting about 4-5 ecto each, but that was just for fun, it was far from efficient since it took 2 hours or so but, chaos planes IS an option