The Forge Runner

Snakedance

Snakedance is considerably easier than Lornars, what with not having to contend with uber-agroing wurms chasing you through ¾ of the entire zone, but still has its challenges. For the uninitiated who still find the post-Lornars Droks run a challenge, I’m continuing the guide where Me NoFat, Mistical miss, and the others left off.

The key to Snakedance (as with the rest of the Droks Run) is in the regen points. Finding safe haven amidst the myriad level 24s running rampant through these zones is a real challenge for the beginning runner. This a quick run down of where the most frequent regen points I’ve found are, and the safest way to get to them. I’m assuming you have at least these core skills to work with, and not a hybrid build like the Wa/E. You should have these skills:

Charge {E}
Sprint
Balanced Stance
Endure Pain

*Sidenote* Be Dynamic. Just like Lornars, you can’t expect regen points to be open all the time. Patrols block them, bad spawns block them. Just, sheer bad TIMING will block them out of your run. The point I’m making is: don’t ignore a regen point because you “know” that another is waiting in the wings just ahead, and it’s “safer” or “faster”. That’s how new runners die. If you find a safe place always…
always always always!
Regen your skills.

*cracks knuckles*

Usually (and I mean about 95 times out of 100) you’ll see a patrol walking south as you head out from the spawnpoint. Follow them, but don’t agro. Let them mix with a group that is at or near the first big switchback; then kick up sprint and run in (try to burn off 7 to 9 seconds; this will give you the advantage of moving deeper into their agro range before they start hitting you with attacks. It’s a useful trick; practice it.). Wait until they start to throw and bring up your Balanced Stance, which knocks out Sprint. Charge to run through the first group and hopefully run to the southeastern most part of the turn to a safe regen point for your skills. There is a second and third group of Tundras lingering along the switchback so, if the second is nearby, be ready with sprint (it should recharge in the 10 to 11 seconds charge was up) but don’t cast until you are already past the second group and know where you are going to regen. Sprint/Endure Pain there, and regen. Press “U” and look at your map if its not up already.

There is another turn with at most two patrols, a pack of easily avoided trolls, and usually a large group of Tundra Giants as you circle through and head south again. Where you want to head is that little triangle on the west side of the next turn, the little beak-looking point on the trail. Agro is avoidable most of the time, and you can handily avoid the patrols by being patient.

Once at the beak, let the patrol pass you, heading north or south, and sprint to the next big group of Tundras. The next safe place is the little donut/eyeball shaped area on the west side of the trail. Balanced/Charge there, regening before if you get the chance as there is often a second group of tundras waiting for you, and take a breather.

Now, you’ve got 3 choices where to go. You can stick to the west path and face some Azure shadows early, try the middle path (and I hear you avoid them for a while, but have to deal with more Tundras in the doing) or try to make it all the way over to the east run. I hear that’s easier, but I learned droks on the west side.

We’re going west. B/C through Tundras and as you (usually) reach your first obvious regen point a small group of Azure Shadow’s should pop up nearby. Your first instinct is to freak out, kick up Sprint/Endure Pain and try to outrun them. Don’t. There is always another group of poppers waiting in the wings, and typically a 3rd as well. Let Balanced Stance stay up as long as it can, taking the knockdown out of Signet of Judgement, and then bring up your Sprint, saving Endure Pain in case that 3rd group is waiting to jump you. You should find a safe haven along the wall in the center where the three trails merge on the south end. Regen and run southwest to the rez shrine and another safe haven.

Usually, that’s the only drama on this track. Run southeast from the rez point, taking the north turn into the series of switchbacks that lead to Grenth’s Footprint. Some people like to exit and rez their team. I say don’t; too many people wanting droks runs have never been to Grenth’s, so the load times and dropped people make Grenth’s a liability, whereas having them alive…makes them a liability

The center road from Grenth’s is free of critters until you reach the bowl at the end. Take it until you see some Tundras; typically your last groups. B/C through and hug the east side for more safe regen points. You should see a cave with a multitude of trolls guarding it, or one more small group of Tundras AND a multitude of trolls. The tactic is the same. Try to Balanced/Charge through that mess and (hopefully) break agro before you reach the cave mouth.

Beyond you’ll see one boss monster, a pack of trolls, and an Ice Siege Golem. DON’T RUN IN UNLESS YOU COULDN’T BREAK AGRO FROM THE MESS! Kick up whatever hex protection you have and walk in carefully. Grab agro from a troll and walk north, where you came from. Try to get the group to follow you until most of the trolls are outside the cave mouth and on your side. Now Balanced/Charge through the group. This way, they don’t bottleneck inside the cave (the trolls only threat) encircle and kill you.

There is rarely safe haven for a long time after that cave. There is also no need. Beyond the cave are a standard fare of trolls and Blessed Griffons. Alternate Sprint with Charge and just run through them. Either through unlucky spawns or game design, I don't often find a safe haven until I reach my first (sometimes second) group of Stone Summit, near the end of this leg. Knockdown from the Herders is a factor, so keep Balanced Stance in reserve. Timing always seems to go my way alternating Sprint and Charge through the trolls and Griffons, so you should have Charge either just tunred on or ready to cast when those herders start stomping their feet.

Just after you see your first group of Stone Summit you should break out into a semi-wide open area, usually with 3 groups waiting in the wings. I’ve found dead center to be the safest place to regen Balanced/Charge, but you shouldn’t really need to at this point. Still, its nice to have, so B/C through the south groups, past some Blessed Griffons and more Stone Summit to make your way into Camp Rankor.

That’s Snakedance