Lion Arch quests ... hard?

chilln_1ce

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jun 2005

W/Me

i just got to lion arch, and i am a W/Me lvl15 nearly 16
now ive tried teaming up with a whole group of 6 players to try to do quests like merchant's plea and orrion-something, but we get massacred by large groups EVERY single time. now dont get me wrong the game is supposed to be hard at a point like this but not THIS hard, where making any progress at least for me is impossible
how did anyone who has got to or past this point dealt with this? or am i the only person hu is finding this stupidly hard?

JPong

JPong

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jun 2005

Canada

Death Pod

Mo/Me

You need to learn how to pull mobs away rather than aggro all of them at once. The Tengu are a real challenge if you don't do this because they always seem to hang out in large death squads.

Sekkira

Sekkira

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2005

Canberra, AU

haha, wait till you start getting swarmed in the desert :X

Tyil Thunder Arrow

Tyil Thunder Arrow

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2005

md. usa

Daemon Bane Clan

R/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by JPong
You need to learn how to pull mobs away rather than aggro all of them at once. The Tengu are a real challenge if you don't do this because they always seem to hang out in large death squads.
Agreed the fine art of pulling is essential and also watch their movement patterns they usually group then desperse

Greentongue

Greentongue

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Feb 2005

Orlando, FL

Just keep in mind that a lot of other people have made it.
Consider what it would take to win and see if you are doing it.

If you think it would take more damage, look at how you have your Attributes distributed. Sometimes you have to wait until you have more points before you try using a skill that you "like" as opposed to one that is more effective.

If you think it would take fewer opponents, try moving around so that you can take them in a row instead of in the middle. Also try using a long bow to draw a few at a time. The bow damage doesn't matter, it's just to draw them to you so your "danger zone" doesn't include extra opponents.

If you think it would take killing them faster than they can heal (before other opponent "patrols" arrive.) Make sure you include an interrupt skill. Again, the damage is not the point, stopping a Troll Ungent or other heal is.

If you think it would take waiting until you have recharged your energy before taking on more opponents. Consider getting a new team.

Arothian

Arothian

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2005

U.S.A.

Silver Wolves

Mo/W

On playing the area on my second time through, I am finding Lion's Arch to be more difficult than it was the first time. I don't recall all the Bog Skales respawning on top of you and behind you like they do now. In any event I haven't been able to do the the quests that head straight NORTH from lions arch with henchmen. The Signet persons quest, or reversing the skales.

My two cents.

Greentongue

Greentongue

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Feb 2005

Orlando, FL

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arothian
In any event I haven't been able to do the the quests that head straight NORTH from lions arch with henchmen. The Signet persons quest, or reversing the skales.
If you mean the field of Tengu ... There are other ways to get where you want to go. Sometimes going a new direction leads you back to where you want to be. I can make it to the Settlement with only a couple of team members. By myself if I use Sprint. (at level 12)

Than

Than

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

Texas

UGLY

Me/N

Yeah that field of Tengu can be downright brutal at times. You just need to be aware and only take one mob at a time.

Its that freaking Pig Quest that pisses me off. Damn thing always gets stuck and on top of it 1. Getting a group in Lions Arch seems nigh impossible and 2. Those freaking Ettins.

Creston

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Than
Yeah that field of Tengu can be downright brutal at times. You just need to be aware and only take one mob at a time.

Its that freaking Pig Quest that pisses me off. Damn thing always gets stuck and on top of it 1. Getting a group in Lions Arch seems nigh impossible and 2. Those freaking Ettins.
You don't HAVE to do that quest, you know?

Yes, Lion's Arch is really the first place where the game basically says "You made it here, deal with it!" and then goes all out to gank you. Up until that part it's been pretty nice, widely spread out mobs, casters that don't use too much stuff on you, but in Kryta things get going, and going hard.

It's definitely necessary though, because once you reach the desert (and don't even get me started on the southern shiverpeaks), there really is zero percent mercy in the mobs anymore. They will rush in, and if you don't know what you're doing, you'll be dead in about ten seconds.

Try to adjust your strategies a bit, be more careful about roving patrols, observe and target the most dangerous enemies first (the tengu archers are FAR more dangerous than the Tengu melee), and finally, if you're getting ganked, RUN.

Creston

nechronius

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

Southern Cali

Herald of the Storm

W/R

If you want tough, just wait until you get to the Amnoon Oasis and get mobbed by disrupting/poisoning devourers and scarabs just 100 feet from first stepping out into the desert!

That first step out of Amnoon heading ANYWHERE seems to kill more adventurers than all other parts of the trek once you get past the teleporter to go to Augury Rock or Hero's Audience.

Heron Fensbanel

Heron Fensbanel

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2005

Here and there.

R/Mo

Whew, I thought it was just me.

Since henchmen are my only option, the most advanced tactic I can attempt is "aim for the most dangerous and work my way down, hoping we survive". Sometimes the instance is nice enough to spawn the groups far enough apart that I can take each one down before the next group gets in range. Other times it's impossible to move anywhere without getting the attention of two or three at once.

Last night I managed to clear the entire field of Tengu, only to get clobbered by three ettins and a couple of those mesmer thingies. I really hate Kryta.

Arothian

Arothian

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2005

U.S.A.

Silver Wolves

Mo/W

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greentongue
If you mean the field of Tengu ... There are other ways to get where you want to go. Sometimes going a new direction leads you back to where you want to be. I can make it to the Settlement with only a couple of team members. By myself if I use Sprint. (at level 12)
No...I can get by the Tengu just fine and get to the settlement. Its all those bog skales. I was fighting about 16 or so at once because they would spawn behind me and run after me and my henchies, and then the battle would just get longer, and more would spawn..ugh.

Maybe give it a try when I get out of work again

Greentongue

Greentongue

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Feb 2005

Orlando, FL

Bog Skales tend to attack from a distance. This usually means they will stand in AoE.
Smite Hex and Convert Hexes are a Wonderful things too.

Coldplayer44

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2005

Amarillo, Texas

Warriors Oath

W/E

Just learn some new strategies.

Myodato

Myodato

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

WOR

Mo/

There are a few places in the game where there is a distinct step up in difficulty. Lion's Arch is probably the first of those.

This is a good thing though, because Guilds Wars isn't just about creatures taking more damage as you level and become able to deal more damage, it's about strategy. As the game develops, strategy becomes more and more important, and the increase in difficulty forces you to learn.

Learn how to protect your tank. Learn which targets to take down first and to concentrate fire on them. Learn how to deal with hexes and conditions. Most importantly, learn what those little boxes in the top left hand corner mean. If you don't react to the likes of Backfire or Empathy being cast on you, then you are going to suffer.

Oh, and avoid the swampy areas full of bog scales. There are better routes going North you know

I don't want to show off, but to let you know it can be done, my second char, a E/N 12, is currently working on the Lion's Arch quests with just henchmen.

Dirkiess

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2005

Uk, England.

E/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arothian
No...I can get by the Tengu just fine and get to the settlement. Its all those bog skales. I was fighting about 16 or so at once because they would spawn behind me and run after me and my henchies, and then the battle would just get longer, and more would spawn..ugh.

Maybe give it a try when I get out of work again
What do you mean they spawn behind you. Unless the update has made mobs respawn after dying, I thought they just die and that is it.

If you mean you have died and respawn and they happen to be where you respawn, then it could just be there were a bunch of mobs near the respawn point.

I will agree it is a hard area and those Tengu are tough buggers, but it is all in the Pulling Techniques. If you have John Rambo in your Party, then prepare to die a lot in the future missions, as Rambo'ing the mobs and causing Big Agro is the best way to keep getting yourself killed and the whole group a lot.

salja Wachi

Banned

Join Date: Jun 2005

Chicago

the Bleeding Edge

N/Mo

Lion's Arch is the first place that people will start appreciating rangers (if they are smart)

a good ranger is your best friend from here on out (besides a good monk )

anyway find a ranger that knows how to pull mobs and you will be fine. slow goingn at times but you should stay alive.

Creston

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dirkiess
What do you mean they spawn behind you. Unless the update has made mobs respawn after dying, I thought they just die and that is it.

If you mean you have died and respawn and they happen to be where you respawn, then it could just be there were a bunch of mobs near the respawn point.

No he means that little lake / swamp area just to the north and a bit to the east of Lion's Arch. There are about 25 bog skales there, and as soon as you start fighting a few of them, the others come running. (Not always, but most of the time).
And 25 is just too much to handle in one go.
I've come close one time, I got about 20 or so down before the attrition due to all those mesmer spells just got too bad (and Alesia had died long before...)

My advice, ignore that area. You can get to the end of it other ways. Some areas just aren't meant to be trodden


Creston

Night

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by salja Wachi
Lion's Arch is the first place that people will start appreciating rangers (if they are smart)

a good ranger is your best friend from here on out (besides a good monk )

anyway find a ranger that knows how to pull mobs and you will be fine. slow goingn at times but you should stay alive.
I second that. I have a w/mo ascended and a ele/N who just got to amnoon oasis as well as my ranger. I have found that my ranger had a far easier time getting from Lion's Arch to Amnoon Oasis then my other 2 chars. Also when I first stepped out of amnoon oasis as an earlier poster stated, with henchmen, my warrior and elemental got owned like nobodies business. I had to get a guildmate to help with my warrior so he could travel around the desert. My elemental gets treated like a 2 dollar hooker at congressional convention. My ranger, on the other hand, has had no problems whatsoever and hasn't died once. He's now tooling around Augry Rock with only henchmen and doing well.

Lions Arch is first time a decently played Ranger starts getting his/her respect and folks begin to see the power of a Ranger or at least his potential in helping the group.

Kishin

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

The Twilight Vanguard [TTV]

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Creston
No he means that little lake / swamp area just to the north and a bit to the east of Lion's Arch. There are about 25 bog skales there, and as soon as you start fighting a few of them, the others come running. (Not always, but most of the time).
And 25 is just too much to handle in one go.
I've come close one time, I got about 20 or so down before the attrition due to all those mesmer spells just got too bad (and Alesia had died long before...)

My advice, ignore that area. You can get to the end of it other ways. Some areas just aren't meant to be trodden


Creston
You can actually cut through that area fairly well if you work your way along the right hand side of the swamp hugging the hillside/cliff face, since a majority of the skale are gathered to the far left. You may still run into some resistance, but I've always survived it.

The road, however, is generally a much safer alternative, as everyone has said.

Voob

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2005

England

Europeans United

E/Me

Hmm, I admit, this is the first area in the game where the difficulty really does step up, but I've managed to do it 3 times with henchmen (except the Galrath mission). Once on my E/Me, my Mo/W and my W/N.

Have you tried different paths to your destination? In Kryta there is many different passages to take, some are easier than others. Try looking around. Also, like someone else said, since you are a warrior, try taking a long bow to pull mobs towards you. This makes a large difference sometimes.

Than

Than

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

Texas

UGLY

Me/N

Quote:
You don't HAVE to do that quest, you know?

Lies! ALL LIES!


Quote:
Yes, Lion's Arch is really the first place where the game basically says "You made it here, deal with it!" and then goes all out to gank you. Up until that part it's been pretty nice, widely spread out mobs, casters that don't use too much stuff on you, but in Kryta things get going, and going hard.

It's definitely necessary though, because once you reach the desert (and don't even get me started on the southern shiverpeaks), there really is zero percent mercy in the mobs anymore. They will rush in, and if you don't know what you're doing, you'll be dead in about ten seconds.

Try to adjust your strategies a bit, be more careful about roving patrols, observe and target the most dangerous enemies first (the tengu archers are FAR more dangerous than the Tengu melee), and finally, if you're getting ganked, RUN.

Creston
And as a Mesmer I love the Mob casters. I remember a PUG I was with in the Crystal desert was in awe as I took down a Hydra by myself. Silly things just cast themselves to death. Empathy and Choas Storm can do the rest. \\


But yeah, I hate the archers. I can run from the Melee, but the Archers stick to me.

Than

Than

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

Texas

UGLY

Me/N

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kishin
You can actually cut through that area fairly well if you work your way along the right hand side of the swamp hugging the hillside/cliff face, since a majority of the skale are gathered to the far left. You may still run into some resistance, but I've always survived it.

The road, however, is generally a much safer alternative, as everyone has said.

But theres a quest there! Can't let a quest go unfinished! Swamp isn't that big of a deal. Though I use Shatter Hex, so all their little Hex's get turned into -109 hp for them.

Syno

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2005

Jacksonville, FL, USA

N/Mo

I was level 14 when I reached there, and tried repeatedly to do the quests...I even found the Temple of Ages and did the Villany of Galrath quest there. Yes, a definite step up in difficulty. I didn't understand how it went from level 11 MOBS to level 16, 17, and occasionally 20+!


A free web-based wargame you can play from anywhere!