Ascention Alternative?

What would you say is an alternative to ascention by this I mean forfeiting the missions.I was think of 3 quests instead or 2 mirror images.The missions are optional through out the game.I am having a very difficult time with these 3 missions.

You'll have a very hard time finding good PUGs for the desert missions. Go with a guild or with friends. If people listen and follow orders then it won't be hard. If you need help I'll volunteer my W/Me, IGN Savio Striator.

BTW, if you think the desert's hard wait till Thunderhead Keep

You're a Monk primary. Just pick up a full team of henchmen (include Lina and Alesia) and trounce the desert missions through excessive healing alone.

You didn't actually ask for help, but here's some anyway:

1. The key to Elona's Reach is knowing the route to take. Once you know the right route, this mission becomes pretty straightforward (I use henchmen, and had a very hard time until I did a Search here for Elona and found a picture someone posted in a thread of the route to run). Without knowing the right route you just end up fighting too many unneeded fights.

2. The key IMO to Thirsty River is keeping an eye on the timer. If the opposing priest is alive, you'll get a fully resurrected opposing team (though with DP) every two minute interval. The key to killing off any given team is taking down the priest. So, as you are working your way towards the priest, look at what creatures are left and decide whether you can run past them and take that priest out. It will take a few seconds (or longer, depending on your build and competence) to take out the priest, if it's closer to the 2 minute mark than those number of seconds, do a -full- retreat and start over. Eventually you'll be able to take the priest out, then you are home free. BTW, you never have to fight more than one group at a time, so never worry that the later parts of the mission involve multiple groups. It's really irrelevant unless you mess up and get entangled with two at once.

3. Don't have any special advice on the third mission, I found it to be straightforward and by far the easiest of the three (so easy the name didn't even stick with me ): move forward slowly, kill as you go, repeat. The part after you cross the bridge involves fighting an extended fight, but a judicious combination of defense as well as offense will get you through this. During the phase where you protect the NPC, do -not- allow yourself to get suckered out of position (especially don't go running after that annoying siege worm). If you do, there's a great chance he'll die. Hold the high ground around him, keep your healer in range of him, don't let the siege hits freak you out, and you'll do fine.

Vorlin pretty much said it all.

Knowledge is power, read the strats, get some henchies and then pwn. Good Luck

My advice: Do the desert missions with henchmen. Even without bring a healer, it is still incredibly easy since the recent addition of Lina.

The hardest of the desert mission, IMO, is Thirsty River. Since enemies are resurrected every 2 minutes, I like to pull a mob roughly 15-20 seconds before the 2 minute mark (1:45, 3:45, etc) and WEAKEN the group, avoiding killing any of them. If done correctly, at the 2 minute mark, it will state the enemy team has been resurrected, and you can proceed to finish off the group you weakened to low health. Doing this, you can easily get one group out of the way only 15 seconds after a resurrection, leaving you lots of time to finish off the rest of the group and priest.

1. The missions aren't supposed to be optional, kinda. Blame it on the runners.
2. Ascension is cool, why would you miss out on 50000exp?

Vorlin explains it very well, Age. I'd like to add that, in Thirsty River, we would generally shoot two damage dealers through to the Priests early, and waste him quickly. After that, it was just a matter of focusing fire (have someone calling targets, the others hit 'T' to concentrate on that particular opponent). Finally, one sure way to ruin this mission is to have more than one person in charge. Although I've done this mission several times, if I'm not the 'leader', I always follow whoever happens to be in charge. Yeah, I know how to beat it, but there are several ways to skin this cat, but only a concentrated singular effort is likely to be successful.

Back on the topic as mentioned in the title, there is an alternative to Ascention. It's called Lornar's Pass.
The only thing that Ascention does for you is giving you access to the Tombs and The Dragon's Lair, the Underworld and the Fissure of Woe.
If you don't mind missing out on them, then you don't NEED to ascend.

Henchmen > PUG's.

These are things I would like to do go the HoH and the UW.I do have PVP charactor made up but I would like to it with my PVE charactors.I don't mind maybe one mission and that all it should take imo.It should only be 1 mission then your mirror self the other 2 let them be optional.I done this with My Monk with henchies and real ppl and my Warrior and we had guy walking us through it and we did it 4 times he usually charges but we ran him there.He knew what he was doing but in end all got killed except me but I was trying to get away to res him when the mesmur did me in.I guess I have Ascention Hypertension when I used henchies my heart was beating this is worse the your road teat for your driver license.I have 2 charactor to get through don't forget.

The first time I did Thristy River with henchies I would get about 3 enemies dead and rush the priest if there was about a minute to spare until res (to stay on the safe side) then just take the mob out a few at a time. With a good pull only 3 enemies come at once and if you bring them back to your ghostly, well they can't win when you have them outnumbered 7 to 3. Getting the bonus might take some practise though. Also make full use of the first area and kill 5 sand giants for 10% morale boost - that should help if you're having trouble.