Finding Gadd - Is alternative route unlocked? - Update: NOT LOCKED!

I'm currently on this quest:

http://guildwars.wikia.com/wiki/Finding_Gadd - part of the Knowledgeable Asura quest chain for EotN.

The Quest says to get there through the Shards of Orr dungeon. Well, I tried the Shards of Orr and got stomped. Repeatedly. It was ugly. And frustrating.

However, I did some research and found this little nugget of info:


I was going to try this supposedly easier trek there tonight. However, someone told me that I might not be able to go this way unless I have a certain per-requisite quest completed or active.

Does anyone familiar with this quest/alternate route know if I canget to Gadd's Encampment by this route without having to do any per-requisites? Will the portals in the dungeons be open? Or do I need to grab a certain quest to get through without any problems?

I'm just afraid I'll get halfway there and run into a locked portal and it'll have been a big waste of time.

I'm going to be heading out from the Eye of the North.



Thanks.



UPDATE:


Hey guys. I just ran it myself solo without any other quests and I got there fine.

So, it's definitely an easier route than the Shards of Orr. (Just watch out for the big Dinosaur packs in the Sparkfly Swamp, which are all avoidable if you time your run and use distractions with Henchmen.)

Thanks guys!

Well, I found this on the wiki regarding Bogroot Growths :

Said quests are taken in Sparkfly Swamp (which you don't have access to, obviously).
The problem might be there, although I'm not sure it affects the "opposite path" (the one you're planning to take). I think so, but didn't even know you could go this way, so...

Guess you will have to go through Shards of Orr, in this case.
You just have to run to the Gate, so skills like "Charge !" and avoiding as many groups as possible could be the key.
If not, I can help you in game, just let me know.

Damn - I knew there was a catch.

lol

I tried running through the Shards of Orr and using the henchman as distractions, but there are too many groups.

I was -60% really fast. I was bummed out trying to figure out which mobs to kill first and it all seemed so futile that I just gave up.

I should be on tonight. My character's name is "Nether Scourge" - original, I know LOL

So yea, any help would be great!

I'm just trying to finish up the EotN primary line and this is the last of the big three EotN sub-chains I need to finish.

I can run you trough soo to the dungeon, its easy!
Pm me @ Miniature julia (or any character on that account)

Might be easier to just pay someone to run you from Vlox to Gadd, usual price for that distance is about 1k, and usually part of a larger "EotN tour". It's seldom these tours are all full so find such a group and fill a seat

I've only done this route once, a long time ago -- a friend took a surviving necromancer of mine this way. He had never done the Bogroot Growths dungeon before, so I'm pretty sure he had neither Giriff's War or Tekks's War active (and I know I sure didn't), and it didn't hinder us.
However, he had already completed North, so I don't know if that had an effect elsewhere along the way.

That said, it is a long, long (long!) route and if you should happen to snag on something unforeseen, it would be a shame to waste all that time. SoO isn't so bad, especially if you have some help.

(Also, FYI, it's okay to get leads from Wikia wikis, but realize that Wikia is an officially abandoned resource and vulnerable to misinformation. Try to verify anything you find there at either http://wiki.guildwars.com or http://www.guildwiki.org )

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll be begging people for help tonight LOL

I'm starting to think I've been away from the game too long to really get back into it.

I was originally looking for just a few HoM unlocks, but I found myself doing very well soloing through the EotN content - until I got to this particular Quest series. Now I'm just getting frustrated.

Guild Wars 2 can't get here fast enough!

I can run you for free, just post your ign/add me...

My main's name is "Nether Scourge" <---- with a space in between

I'll be on tonight sometime after 8pm EST - I usually play from 8pm to around 11:30pm.



Thanks!

The route from Heart of the Siverpeaks to sparkfly swamp doesn't require any quests. There is a portal FROM HoS level 2 TO Bogroots level 1. Actually the HoS level 2 route reuses much of the map from grotto to vlox in reverse so it looks familiar in an odd sort of way...

path from EoTn
1 EoTn to HoS (no foes)
2 HoS level 1 (3 groups)
3 HoS level 2 (approximately 15-20 groups)
4 Bogroots level 1 (no foes)
5 sparkfly to Gadds (can run and avoid all foes)

This is exactly the route I have taken 27+ PvE chars (on multiple accounts) through to get to Gadd's, to unlock Livia.

Did you take the dungeon quest "Lost Souls" from Crewmember Shandra, who stands right before the entrance to Shards of Orr? This quest makes your way more difficult, since it spawns additional or bigger mobs. You can find it in your quest log under the section "Depths of Tyria", if you took it. Give it up and try again without.

I did this as well with half of my chars (even if a bit long it's much easier and you get a lot of dwarf points in the meantime).
No idea why they told you needed any quest to do it....

Hey guys. I just ran it myself solo without any other quests and I got there fine.

So, it's definitely an easier route than the Shards of Orr.

Thanks guys!