I'm at level 24 and playing on normal. I'm glad that this DCL seems to be more difficult because the main game is much too easy for me now. I know I'm usually over leveled. The main DAI game is the first game I've ever thought about moving up to hard because normal is so easy for me...I think that's because you can't help overleveling some of the regions if you do everything.
So I'm liking that the DLC seems to be more challenging than the main game. Of course, I can't address what the DLC is like for hard or nightmare since I've haven't played on those settings.
According to the devs, Hard and Nightmare have been dialed up in the DLC, with difficulty-specific attacks/blocks as well as the usual health and damage boosts.
I am loving it so far.
The rifts seem about the same, but there are definitely areas that are similar to the pre-Skyhold level of challenge. Especially the area where I'm escortingSpoiler
I'm still in the middle of that quest, and I've gotten close to a TPK several times, just from open-world fights. The Hakkonites have some interesting new mechanics, enough to actually catch me off-guard. This is exactly what I want from my Nightmare experience.
What are your thoughts?
From first impressions, is there any particular class you would recommend?
I ask since I've heard about both KEs and Champions being killed rather quickly.
If you imagine "soloing" with any class I would describe the nightmare difficulty in the dlc as "hardcore" - a bit like the stone prisoner dlc for da:origins. But It still is possible, I think, just do not think it will be mindless like in the original campaign. I am lvl 23 and I just went up against two ice mages. One hit from them - I do not know if it is crit or not does over 2000 damage, so bye bye barrier. skill is a more important factor and familiarity with the class you are playing, choose accordingly.
Then again at the moment in tactical camera I can get through all battles easy so far - as is there is nothing perticularly undoable up untill now, plus eventually you get another uber ability to complement mark of the rift, and I think I am just before the final stage of the dlc. I am also playing for my initial run on nightmare, lvl23, with one extra character to tag along for company - mostly an archer (sera). I am playing mage, with spec into necro. At the beginning of the expansion I was like holy sh**, I need to respec my char as this ain't going to fly. So I took a bunch of defensive passives for barrier (fully upgraded) and also began using ice armour which I had not used on mages in SP before. oh and mana surge+flashpoint is pretty beastly.
From first impressions, is there any particular class you would recommend?
I ask since I've heard about both KEs and Champions being killed rather quickly.
I'd gotten lazy from being massively overleveled the main game, so I got myself gibbed a couple times.
That is where I am at right now. I look forward to the DLC when I am finished with the main quest.
^ also, in addition to the spike damage, apparently some enemies have barrier and guard busting abilities. Since I play a mostly rogue party, I didn't realize that until someone mentioned it on another forum.
Finally. Always thought it was unfair that I could rip off barriers and guard, but enemies didn't have similar skills.
this duo was doing just fine on nightmare, but I think I got to the boss fight now and it's a b****, need to backtrack a few steps and respec some resistances and see if it helps. but this general setup in party - mage(s)-for controller/support+rogue(s)-for dps is generally always effective. Will still try again to see if I can take the final fight with just the two characters or if I still lack firepower+survivability after upgrading defences.
very minor spoilers in pics (it's not the final fight, just a small random section before)
Finally. Always thought it was unfair that I could rip off barriers and guard, but enemies didn't have similar skills.
Actually, I don't think you need any specific class.
I play an Archer Artificer, but instead for single shot crit spamming from max range, I go full on melee. Hook & Tackle, Poison Cloud, Leaping Shot, Throwing Blades (all of which with the OP cooldown-reducing perk) ; a bow that gives me +7,5% damage per enemy surrounding me, and armor with 10% chance of casting Fade Cloak on hit. It's a lovely insane playstyle. I also go form over function for my entire party - I have access to better armor and upgrades for each party member which I don't use cause stuff half as powerful looks better. I also don't have a mage.
The only ones I have a hard time keeping alive is DD rogues and 2H warrior companions, though I probably would if I weren't too lazy to properly command them - and this goes for any difficulty. It's just terrible AI.
So what I'm saying is not "look at me", but you can make anything work. Use your tactics to always order the entire party to focus on each individual archer and mage & always let your tank storm in first, and everyone survives most encounters unscathed.
P.S.: Don't worry about the level. As far as I saw it, the enemies scaled to my level in both game states I entered the DLC.
P.P.S.: The fact that Blackwall eventually becomes virtually invincible also helps.
Started on nightmare at level 16 with fairly vanilla gear and immediately got my posterior handed to me. Dialed it down to hard and still quite challenging. I've got 5-6 hours of exploring and strategically taking out baddies and wildlife...now up to level 20 in that time. The Avvar rogues (both types) will one shot you. I'm a generalist mage with heavy spirit with the main basic offensive attacks of fire, ice, and lightning. I'm running with KE Vivienne, 2H Reaver IB, and Artificer Varric. Alternating me and Viv's barrier is the only thing keeping my party from being wiped out (Guardian Spirit has probably saved me a dozen times already.) I'm not any kind of DAI combat guru, but I am thoroughly enjoying the increased difficulty. I wish the devs would rescale the entire game like this DLC...although I haven't gotten too far into the main story so I suppose the "end-game" boss fight might make me reconsider...
There are moments when "bad things" happen and you get hit for 6500 unavoidable physical damage on your tanky sword and board warrior, oneshot from full guard, full life and full barrier. Don't let "bad things" happen. Of course, this means analyzing what killed you and figuring out where not to be, who not to engage, who to incapacitate and who to focus fire down, but also how to gear up, how to spec and how to play. Strategy.
Which is basically why we pick Nightmare in the first place.
I'm so happy. Currently getting my butt handed down to me by Gurd Harofsen and his undead assassins & archers on my unspecialized s&s warrior, and lovin every quickload of it.
There are moments when "bad things" happen and you get hit for 6500 unavoidable physical damage on your tanky sword and board warrior, oneshot from full guard, full life and full barrier. Don't let "bad things" happen. Of course, this means analyzing what killed you and figuring out where not to be, who not to engage, who to incapacitate and who to focus fire down, but also how to gear up, how to spec and how to play. Strategy.
Which is basically why we pick Nightmare in the first place.
I'm so happy. Currently getting my butt handed down to me by Gurd Harofsen and his undead assassins & archers on my unspecialized s&s warrior, and lovin every quickload of it.
The Despair Demon made me find out how "Go there and STAY there" by double-tapping/clicking on a spot works.
Thanks for that, you son of a breach.
Question, how does Hakkon's Wrath work? Is it a stackable AOE dot of sorts? All I know so far is the aegis of the rift doesn't work on it, it's an AOE cone, it's cold damage, it slows you down and it stacks.
I think it's something like: apply a new Hakkon's Wrath debuff each second to everyone in the zone, the debuff deals something like 1000 cold damage over 10 seconds, it can be applied multiple times by multiple casters and it all stacks (so crazy amounts of cold damage).
Slightly offtopic, but even in the base game Fire mages have a skill that I would looooove to have. It's like a reverse Frost Step, where the mage goes backwards and leaves a trail of fire in front of him.
I want it!
Also, I once found a ring that increased the damage of Fire Storm spell... except there is no Fire storm spell, lol.
Does anyone know when this is available for 360? Thanks and sorry if this info is out. I checked the forum and saw nothing.
Does anyone know when this is available for 360? Thanks and sorry if this info is out. I checked the forum and saw nothing.
I still discovered how to make any char pretty much a good deal more more unkillable with the right upgrade(s), helps if someone is stll having problems, especially for classes that do a lot of damage but are somewhat fragile on defenses:
tactics spoiler/strategy
IMHO It's better than the main game but could still be better. I hope Bioware reduce the HP and damage of most enemies and give them one or two more abilities.
the second to last boss is the hardest, - really hard actually when soloing or duo. the end boss is a scrub, after playing it serious the first time and killing the end boss in like under 5 minutes I did a test for fun where I let my ai controled inquisitor beat it while Sera mostly stood around, went into stealth and just tried to avoid combat, of course that took longer, but it also got the job done.
I tested the waters with my under leveled rift mage--her party dies pretty instantly when facing Hakkonites. The opposite happens with my KE-mage whose party can kill a group of Hakkonites in seconds. I'd say it's all about crowd control, clusterf!cking enemies with static cage/rift, sleep grenading them, and then immolating AND detonating a fire mine beneath them while wearing gear that offers as close to 100% crit hit rate as you can get.
Blackwall and Viv are torn apart by Hakkonites sadlyThose are nice touches, so it's no surprise that KEs and Champions are getting torn apart.
I think Artificer might be safest for my first run although I am looking forward to my melee Assassin much more.
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