How to make Neverwinter great again (okay, that's actually a lie)
Out of the three campaign bosses, Kabal remains as that one fellow I've yet to fight mano a mano. For Nostura, I've done that a long time ago (only to realize much later than I should have gotten Lifeforged set instead of the Fey set). As for Gyrion, I just did so like a couple of weeks ago. His challenger? My trickster rogue alt known as Myrreas.
Overall wise, the fight wasn't that hard. The difficult part lies in the Super Mario jumping game. Unlike Kabal's version, Gyrion's version involved floating platforms and a vanishing act. In Kabal's case, chances are that you can take your own sweet time to jump. Not so for Gyrion's version. You only have a few moments to know where to jump.
Like Nostura's Daytona Fey Castle, using Q is very important (more specifically, you will need the Q to finish the final lap of the race with minimal risk). At the beginning, I wasn't that comfortable because I was too used to Kabal's version. Once I get the hang of it, I actually realized fighting Gyrion to the bitter end wasn't that hard.
The main problem actually lies in the 2nd Super Mario phase. To navigate this safely, you'll need to jump down once you reached a particular floating platform resembling a ruined gate. If you think it's possible to jump from there to safety, it means respawn. There's actually a platform below that one I'm talking about. In fact, it took a YouTube video to inform yours truly that there wasn't a glitch in the process. Funnily enough, the previous group run actually involved a bug triggered somehow and somewhere. That's why I jumped the gun and sent a bug report where in fact there's nothing wrong.
I'm pretty sure there is more than just one vid demonstrating how to complete the boss fight. The reason why I chose this vid was that Myrreas is a TR as well. At the same time, I'm pretty sure the protagonist here was an executioner since I saw the words Shadow of Demise.
When we talk about scoundrel, chances are that very few TR players will choose that tree. In terms of damage, the scoundrel will lose to the saboteur due to combat advantage caused by stealth (note: apparently, the saboteur is your only ticket to perma-stealth dps). When it comes to maintaining the highest amount of dps possible, the executioner is way ahead (which is also the reason why executioner TR builds tend to be considered hdps more than the other two paragon trees). If there's any encounter power which should be considered staple for any scoundrel build, it'd be Deft Strike.
Now let me just say something bad about this move. The moment you pull it off, you'll land a short distance from the target. Because the TR melee attacking reach is quite abysmal, it means the opponent can easily turn around to face you. I've tried that before. Trust me when I say Deft Strike can't put a question mark hanging above the opponent like Marauder's Rush.
However, the dynamics can change drastically with a single feat. Namely, Low Blows. Due to a combination of Skullcracker and slow effect, it means you'll be having an easier time exploiting your low blows. Just nick it, take a step forward (because the TR's melee reach sucks), and lay down the smackdown.
The most challenging aspect of lies in knowing when to stealth. For some funny reason, Skullcracker doesn't stealth refill like what the in-game tooltip says. Rather, the feats table tooltip is more accurate by omitting the stealth refill part. Basically, I opted for Improved Cunning Sneak. The reason why is due to the stealth mechanics greatly nerfed. Yes, stealth meter regen has been upped, but stealth duration has been greatly nerfed. Considering the fact that getting attacked will deplete/slow the stealth meter, this means a great deal for scoundrels. I don't like doing Twilight Adept (imo, TA is more for saboteur perma-B2 builds). Being a scoundrel merely means less reliance on stealth mode, NOT zero reliance. It's like comparing 50% to 0%, that's how I'd do the scoundrel maths.
Impossible to Catch is a must for me. This is due to the power increment proc done by Press the Advantage. 10% bonus is a great deal for TRs since you'll need to kill stuff asap (not just trash mobs, mind you). Once you use ItC outside stealth, it gives you control immunity. Basically, it means you can do all sorts of bs with impunity without the fear of getting caught with your pants down (at least for the duration period, that is). Personally, I enjoy a safety first approach despite my growing confidence of going yolo. What this means is that I actually prefer doing ItC outside stealth instead of as a stealth effect. Ofc, exceptions do occur, most notably when you're dealing with Baphomet (apparently, you should be expecting a much more painful blow after that animal decides to poke you with his weapon). And in case you're still in the dark over what ItC does as a stealth effect, it's duration based auto-dodge.
Back to Gyrion. The only thing problematic with him lies in a high one-shot damage. On a 10K+ total item level, he still can wipe like 60-70% of Myrreas' HP bar. Fortunately, the Drowned set is every melee dps class' lifeguard. Even more so in this scenario. I don't have to pop a potion (funnily enough, his choice of final Icewind Dale boon is Shared Survival since the final IWD boons are crap in general anyway). Back to Deft Strike here. I don't have to worry about Gyrion's traps. This pretender (not that Neverember isn't one anyway) has two ways to deal damage. You have the multiple red circles littered all over the place, then he's got that Far Realm cannon that works like a dragon's breathing cannon (or even Morlanth for that matter). I tend to use Deft Strike to blindside him, nothing more and nothing less (read: I always save it for moments like the red minefield and magic cannon). Because Gyrion will never set any trap behind him, Deft Strike is a sure strike. Ditto when he's launching that Far Realm nuke cannon of his.
Fighting Gyrion can either be a challenge or a walk in the park. It depends on whether you can attack him from behind while preventing a counteroffensive as a result. Again, Deft Strike.
However, the dynamics can change drastically with a single feat. Namely, Low Blows. Due to a combination of Skullcracker and slow effect, it means you'll be having an easier time exploiting your low blows. Just nick it, take a step forward (because the TR's melee reach sucks), and lay down the smackdown.
The most challenging aspect of lies in knowing when to stealth. For some funny reason, Skullcracker doesn't stealth refill like what the in-game tooltip says. Rather, the feats table tooltip is more accurate by omitting the stealth refill part. Basically, I opted for Improved Cunning Sneak. The reason why is due to the stealth mechanics greatly nerfed. Yes, stealth meter regen has been upped, but stealth duration has been greatly nerfed. Considering the fact that getting attacked will deplete/slow the stealth meter, this means a great deal for scoundrels. I don't like doing Twilight Adept (imo, TA is more for saboteur perma-B2 builds). Being a scoundrel merely means less reliance on stealth mode, NOT zero reliance. It's like comparing 50% to 0%, that's how I'd do the scoundrel maths.
Impossible to Catch is a must for me. This is due to the power increment proc done by Press the Advantage. 10% bonus is a great deal for TRs since you'll need to kill stuff asap (not just trash mobs, mind you). Once you use ItC outside stealth, it gives you control immunity. Basically, it means you can do all sorts of bs with impunity without the fear of getting caught with your pants down (at least for the duration period, that is). Personally, I enjoy a safety first approach despite my growing confidence of going yolo. What this means is that I actually prefer doing ItC outside stealth instead of as a stealth effect. Ofc, exceptions do occur, most notably when you're dealing with Baphomet (apparently, you should be expecting a much more painful blow after that animal decides to poke you with his weapon). And in case you're still in the dark over what ItC does as a stealth effect, it's duration based auto-dodge.
Back to Gyrion. The only thing problematic with him lies in a high one-shot damage. On a 10K+ total item level, he still can wipe like 60-70% of Myrreas' HP bar. Fortunately, the Drowned set is every melee dps class' lifeguard. Even more so in this scenario. I don't have to pop a potion (funnily enough, his choice of final Icewind Dale boon is Shared Survival since the final IWD boons are crap in general anyway). Back to Deft Strike here. I don't have to worry about Gyrion's traps. This pretender (not that Neverember isn't one anyway) has two ways to deal damage. You have the multiple red circles littered all over the place, then he's got that Far Realm cannon that works like a dragon's breathing cannon (or even Morlanth for that matter). I tend to use Deft Strike to blindside him, nothing more and nothing less (read: I always save it for moments like the red minefield and magic cannon). Because Gyrion will never set any trap behind him, Deft Strike is a sure strike. Ditto when he's launching that Far Realm nuke cannon of his.
Fighting Gyrion can either be a challenge or a walk in the park. It depends on whether you can attack him from behind while preventing a counteroffensive as a result. Again, Deft Strike.
Selling Amnian jadeite
Recently, something weird happened in the middle of this current Summer Festival event. For the first week or so, tickets were dropping per normal. Once that particular period has passed, that's where the tickets drop rate got... well, nerfed. So what is the rationale behind this seeming anomaly?
The answer may be easier than we'd otherwise think. Namely, the Amnian jadeite. As everyone may have noticed by now, the auction house is still experiencing a mass deflation with the only notable exceptions being legendary mounts and any weapon/armor enchantments beyond the lesser rank. In fact, it's now possible to get a Turmish lion mount for less than 400K (which is a bloody good steal, please grab one while it lasts).
By nerfing the drop rate for copper tickets, this also means the same for both the silver and mithral ones. For mithral tickets, you'd most likely have a better chance of getting a date with Park "why always Park?" Shin-hye or Emilia "it makes romance absolutely IMPOSSIBRU!" Clarke instead.
What this means is that anything unbound that is purchasable via the tickets will most likely see a rise in the auction house pricing. If I can sell a southern bikini set for like 600K or so (basically a loose estimation since it's been quite some time), imagine how much 20+ stacks of Amnian jadeites can fetch. So it's not all that bad unless the devs are out to screw the gamers by dropping prices all over the place. Which isn't that likely if you're to ask me. Last time I checked the calender, the next double refinement event starts at 31st Sept (this year, not the next). So yep, the Amnian jaedite will be going quite high. 50K rp per pop can be a great deal for both artifact gear and standard artifacts. Not to mention as well that you can easily max out any artifact (both standard and the gear) by feeding a legendary one to either an epic (for gear) or another legendary (for standard artifacts, applicable only for double rp events). And that is not to mention saving your astral diamonds if you wanna stock up on preservation wards.
And now onto Jurassic Park itself...
Or rather, Chultan Park. I'll be touching on two aspects. Namely, the gear and dinosaurs.
One of the most pressing questions will surely be this: What about the previous ones? Currently, having a two-piece dusk set is a viable option for better gamers like this one below.
The reason why is that the current maximum gear level ceiling is capped at 480. However, it's far more realistic for us to do the capping at 450. There are two reasons for that.
1. Only masterwork tier 3 gear has level 480.
2. Not every gamer enjoys donning frostborn/relic gear despite the promise of much higher gear level via the vivified version.
If we're to compare a two-set dusk bonus with two level 450 equipment, there's nothing much separating the two. The reason why being that a two-piece dusk bonus will give you two bonuses instead of... well, just two. You have constant HP regeneration if you have one dusk gear, but the two-piece wear is what seals the deal for the more technical/tactical gamers. Whenever you're in a party, you gain 1000 power, 1000 defense, and 5000 HP. It's somewhat like seeing your dream girl wearing a two-piece at the Siloso Beach, only much more practical (I mean the dusk set, not your dream girl's bikini).
But therein lies the problem with mod 12. Will the dusk set become redundant in a new gear system boasting a max gear level cap of 500? It's absolutely absurd to imagine having a two-piece dusk wear only to realise there's plenty of options with the tag "level 430 and above". This depends on how you'll want to reconfigure your gear in the event Cryptic decides not to risk breaking the game by upping the dusk gear level to like... maybe, 420?
Apparently, mod 12 will be moving further away from the idiot-proof "gear score above the rest" approach. Let me just say that while the whole total item level rule is generally idiot-proof, what separates a good gamer from a mediocre one lies in the choice of gear. I won't be surprised if this is what Cryptic has intended all the while for mod 12. You want to go for the highest level gear, no problem. You want to play it smart instead of doing it easy, you'll be duly rewarded. Be prepared for what I call the gear turnover trend. Know which of your current gear to keep first. Then decide which of the new gear you want to get. It is now more about your build than your total item level score. Period. That's why you saw me upping that Korean Flash meme above.
Then we come to masterwork gear. Will there be a change in the tier 1 masterwork gear level? Assuming the answer is yes, it means there won't be any changes to the difficulty level when it comes to getting stuff like every manner of aberrant leather, vellum, and Calishite saddle. Pricing wise, we won't be seeing any changes in the relevant masterwork resources (note: any change to tier 1 masterwork gear level will most likely be capped above 460).
Assuming the answer is no, it means (hopefully) that tier 1 masterwork resources will come cheaper. This will be even more so if they're also needed for the tier 1 and 2 non-masterwork crafting recipes. Either way, epic profession assets will be coming more expensive than ever. Quite likely around the five figure sum. The worst case scenario? No difference between crafting level 25 gear during mod 6 and doing the same for mod 12. Which, if you're to ask me, would be a terribly dumb move. Ultimately, the question on everybody's lips is this: Will there be a tier 3 masterwork gear since the end game seals gear is capped at level 500?
Double seals event is now here for a reason. To let every gamer have a decent chance of hitting the maximum cap of 1200 seals of the elements. Since only seals of the protector (together with seals of the brave) will be available come Tuesday, what it means is that every existing epic dungeons will drop seals of the protector. No questions asked. It'd be interesting to see how the seals will drop by then. There are basically two scenarios here.
1. Every single damn raid instance will be streamlined. In other words, there's no difference between Malabog's Castle and epic Temple of the Spider, no difference between Temple of Tiamat and epic Demogorgon. The problem, however, is this: How are you going to streamline every single damn thing given non-epic raids like Prophecy of Madness and Illusionist's Gambit? And let's not get started on the fact that both Demogorgon and Svardborg have both standard and master versions.
2. This will be the likeliest scenario. Namely, the number of seals dropped will depend on which tier the specific raid instance belongs to. Heroic encounters will yield the least number of seals followed by Throne of the Dwarven Gods, Prophecy of Madness, and Illusionist's Gambit. Afterwards, we have tier 1 raid instances like Valindra's Tower and Kessell's Retreat. Then we have tier 2 raid instances like epic Gray Wolf Den and the equally epic Cragmire Crypts (where Traven Blackdagger can just one shot you with his molotov cocktail special). Finally, we have Fangbreaker Island (also known as FBI in chat, not to be confused with the Feds). Same rule goes for epic trials like slapping Tiamat, banishing Demogorgon, and saving the whole of Icewind Dale (plus the Sword Coast and Koreans).
One interesting question will be this: Will the A*star targets yield such seals as well? Or perhaps even better, seals of the brave?
Above title may be either an understatement or overstatement. Chances are that I'm over-simplifying things. At the very least, however, I hope I've given you all an inkling of an idea on what to do. As for what not to do... this, I will leave it for Kelemvor to explain.
Given Cryptic's post mod 5 approach of streamlining everything under the gaze of Amaunator, I'm going to have some fun analyzing the hunter's food chain. From my personal experience of taking on the undead, the first third of the pyramid's bottom is most likely enemies high on CC and buffs (who can forget Nostura's alluring gaze and that bone golem's curb stomp spam?). The second one is quite likely the tanky mobs (as part of the dwarven race, it's only natural for wild dwarves to be tanky as well). As for the third one, dps (If you can't formulate the conclusion based on fighting spider mobs and a giant scorpion or two, I facepalm you).
As for the middle belt, refer to where the arrows are going and do your own 2+2.
Lastly, but definitely quite the opposite of the least, we have the Electrosaurus Rex. Refer to the last picture, then try asking yourself when was the last time your entire party fought a blue dragon high on voltage, current, and its own damn Ohm's Law.
Potentially the best mod yet?
I'll say yes. But that's provided glitches won't spoil the game. The contents being touted are nothing less than high-end stuff. The bait hunting promises a lot with gamers more than motivated to do lfg requests in zone chat. The combat system also promises much when it comes to movement and knowing what to do in the event of getting zerged. The gear system seems to have plenty of promise in terms of mix and match rather than just throwing in the highest possible level gear (although this may easily work for the average gamer, just that it pays more to be intelligent). As for the seals, I doubt it's gonna screw anything here.
The only problem? Expectation itself is like taking a risk. The lower it is, the less damage dealt. The higher it is, the greater damage possibly dealt.
