19 réponses à ce sujet

[Andraste_Reborn]

There are only a handful of fights I've failed to beat on Nightmare, and this is the only non-boss encounter among them. I've tried various strategies and party compositions, but every time that fourth wave of archers turns up the whole thing turns into a cluster ... um, firetruck. It's the only battle in the game that I honestly found absurdly unbalanced - a bunch of fake guardsman really shouldn't be this much harder to beat than the Ancient Rock Wraith or a High Dragon.

Anyway, I'm willing to give it another shot on Nightmare. Should I try to take out Captain Querth first, because he regenerates his men, or leave him alone because of his absurdly high health bar and healing potions? This time around I've got a rogue archer Hawke, any suggestions on who to take with me?

[SuicidalBaby]

you only take out querth first if you can do it fast. cc after 50% will ensure no heal.

use fire. move out of the first room, closing the door behind you. kill critters asap. bunch up 2nd & 3rd spawns at the door for stagger ccc

[mr_afk]

Another way to do it is to rush in and kill all the archers as fast as possible (they have hardly any health but do suprisingly large amounts of damage and can interrupt your mages) and rush your party upstairs. From there you just guard the top of the staircase as the archers somehow can't shoot you from below and will be forced to move up the stairs. Querth does crap all damage so if you just ignore him/attack him when nobody else is around while focus firing on other higher damaging enemies (especially archers) you should be fine.
This tactic probably works best with a stagger machine (e.g. fenris) and two or more mages with upgraded chain lightnings as all the guards will be packed together on the stair well.

I never got that closing door trick to work. They just opened it. Not fair

[SuicidalBaby]

closing the door forces a pile up at the door.

[IN1]

http://social.biowar...-7088023-1.html

[mr_afk]

SuicidialBaby wrote...

closing the door forces a pile up at the door.

Hm I suppose that could work. Normally I stay far away from the door way (because enemies keep spawning from both sides if you're in the middle) so I can't utilise that. The one time I did I was juggling sides (pushing my mages and rogue from one side to the other while blocking the doorway with my warrior) which proved to be one of the most intense microing i've ever done. 

But I was more referring to the way that IN1 managed to use the closed door to cut off their field of view in his solo walkthrough he linked just above. I have suspicions it's something to do with my doofus companions who refuse to stay upstairs when I tell them to. The enemies probably can magically sense them through the door once they move onto the staircase.

[IN1]

>The enemies probably can magically sense them through the door once they move onto the staircase.

Yeah, that's pretty much the case. Just put them on Passive+hold on top of the stairs, I guess, otherwise these idiots will ruin your carefully designed strategy.

[brazen_nl]

I believe Arelexx has a vid, too. Check her channel or just search on YouTube. As what are you playing, though? As a mage, I just stay put and anticipate the wave from behind with firestorm, as a Rogue, I move up.

[mr_afk]

brazen_nl wrote...

I believe Arelexx has a vid, too. Check her channel or just search on YouTube. As what are you playing, though? As a mage, I just stay put and anticipate the wave from behind with firestorm, as a Rogue, I move up.

Andrastee is using a rogue archer.
With an archer this fight can be pretty tough (I know I found it really annoying) but basically you'll just have to rely on your companions to protect you. I would recommend the rushing upstairs as soon as possible option because having enemies spawn behind you (as an archer) is one of the suckiest things ever. If you have little fortitude this fight becomes even harder (the enemy archers will send you flying).

I would recommend using fenris, merrill and anders (fenris to tank/stagger), merrill for chain lightning + dps, anders for haste, chain lightning and heals. All hawke should be doing is sniping the enemies attacking the mages and maybe laying down some hurt on the melee enemies who can't actually attack you back (ranged duels with no fortitude usually end up with lots of death and everybody feeling sad).

And btw, firestorm is such a crude spell! haha I used it in my first mage playthrough and never really liked it that much. Pretty sure tempest is waay better. You can actually send in your melee dps in to rough them up while they're busy getting stunned, no ff is amazing.

Modifié par mr_afk, 17 avril 2011 - 10:10 .

[brazen_nl]

Yes, but upgraded Firestorm wit +% gear does a boatload of damage! Not being a FM makes it very situational, though. A chokepoint needs to exist and you can't create it. Then again, closing the door as IN1 does might create one. I couldn't comment on that as I haven't used that strategy.

And Fenris/Aveline with runes do just fine in a Firestorm!

Note to self: Don't park your mouse over the Submit button ...

Modifié par brazen_nl, 17 avril 2011 - 10:36 .

[mr_afk]

Yes, but it's so...messy. And I prefer using rune slots for runes of fortune because I'm a greedy bastard 
And yes, I know that kirkwall types have a weakness to fire etc. so in this situation it would be even more effective, but my objection to firestorms is completely on shallower 'ew my screen just got completely obscured by exploding things' sort of level. haha

Anyway, given the general ease that one can destroy kirkwall and slavers types, fire actually isn't the best element to specialise in (unless you load up heaps of +% gear). But my first mage was specialised in fire spells (before getting destroyed by the isabela std) so maybe I've just seen those animations too many times and am now biased against it.

[brazen_nl]

mr_afk wrote...

But my first mage was specialised in fire spells (before getting destroyed by the isabela std) [...]

ZOMG! 

[AreleX]

You can close the door?! WHAT FOUL MAGIC IS THIS?

Protip: Setting your companions to use immobilizing/knockdown spells or talents/attack archers works wonders. For example:

Anders/Merrill

Enemy: Target rank is Normal or higher - Use current condition for next tactic
Enemy: Using ranged or melee attack: Stonefist
Enemy: Using ranged attack - Attack

Varric

Enemy: Target rank is Normal or higher - Use current condition for next tactic
Enemy: Using ranged or melee attack: Pinning Shot
Enemy: Using ranged attack - Attack

It's a GODSEND.

Links to my Night Lies vids for people who want to see how I did it:

Force Mage - Night Lies
DW Assassin - Night Lies

Side note: Firestorm is the ******.

Modifié par AreleX, 17 avril 2011 - 12:11 .

[mr_afk]

AreleX wrote...

You can close the door?! WHAT FOUL MAGIC IS THIS?

I know right?! I only realised that doors were selectable one time while I was pausing to decide what to do, and only realised that it could have tactical implications after IN1's video.

AreleX wrote...
Side note: Firestorm is the ******.
[smilie]http://social.bioware.com/images/forum/emoticons/wizard.png[/smilie]

Just cos all your videos involve you bombing everyone to oblivion. So what do you do for dragons?
p.s. I think I beat your speed challenge time 

Modifié par mr_afk, 17 avril 2011 - 12:44 .

[AreleX]

Speed challenge time? For the Deep Roads Dragon?

[mr_afk]

AreleX wrote...

Speed challenge time? For the Deep Roads Dragon?

Yeah, I saw and read that thread back in the day and always intended to have a shot at it. Gave it a go with my crit-mage build (more emphasis on cunning and less on magic compared to yours I believe) and got reasonable results:
Deep Roads Dragon Speed Challenge: The Sh*tty Quality Edition

If only that dragonling at the end hadn't been so annoyed with me for killing its mummy. <_<
My build's linked in my signature if you wanted to check it. My camera phone was so fuzzy I didn't think there was much point showing it haha.

Modifié par mr_afk, 17 avril 2011 - 01:31 .

[DA Trap Star]

I just did the fight on NM for the first time and I found it easy.
I was disappointed, I guess its easier as a warrior. I did it at level 9 with the fire axe and everybody died quick.

[IN1]

DA Trap Star wrote...

I just did the fight on NM for the first time and I found it easy.
I was disappointed, I guess its easier as a warrior. I did it at level 9 with the fire axe and everybody died quick.

That's mainly because you are the greatest DA2 player alive.

This thread, however, is for people that do find this fight difficult. Personally, I think this is the most demanding fight in Act I, especially for a soloist. If we look at the game in general, only Meredith is more difficult to solo (Ser Alrik gets a honorable mention here, but still is somewhat easier due to enemy scaling not quite keeping up with your real progress: you are relatively much stronger circa level 20, than circa level 10).

[Att3r0]

it also depands whom you solo with! some vs assasin fights must be rly fun if you dont play rogue yourself.

[nickan1022]

This is definitely one of the hardest Act I fights and one of the few in the game that has four waves. I've never used the closed door trick, but I do use that doorway as a choke point. I try to clear the first wave (except the boss) fast enough so that I can keep the party in the doorway for wave 1, then move them inside before wave two where I can force that wave to all move through the 2h sword specials. Wave three is a pain because they spawn on the inside again, so you have to deal with archers and such on the stairs and balcony. I tend to start running out of steam during the third wave, and then the epic 4th wave spawns with the two extra elite warriors. At that point I'm just trying to run around and keep everyone's attention while the party picks off the normal-and-lower set. Then I settle in and kill the boss first, and his two elite buddies second.

The back-and forth spawn points, the four waves, and the lack of stun immunity this early in the game, and no real elemental fire damage makes this a really hard fight in NM, no doubt.