Can we talk about NPC guards on Azura's Star?

Ophh

I switched over to this campaign about 2 months ago, and overall feel that combat between players is much more fun and balanced. However, NPC guards gain a really significant effective strength and become a huge pain to deal with. They deal more damage to players, take less damage from players, and spam the same annoying skills that are much more difficult to deal with when you don't have CP. In particular the negate spam, and the version of Eclipse that for some reason reflects every damn skill in the game, are incredibly frustrating when you're in a small group.

In my opinion Honor Guards, Menders, and Mages really need to be adjusted. I had hoped that the week of global no-cp pvp would bring some attention to this but it really didn't. The appeal of the no-CP campaign is a more level playing field between players, not harder to flip flags and objectives. I'm not asking for a huge nerf, I just feel that the guards need to be brought to a level consistent with Trueflame. From my perspective, removing the roided-out version of Eclipse from their skillset would be sufficient and welcome on all campaigns.

I'm curious what other people think.

Jamini

Naw, the strong guards are fine.

They encourage players to stop and think for a moment when engaging near an enemy flag, and make it more difficult to solo-flip resources. Often allowing defenders time to react while still crumpling to any reasonable sized group of players.

A couple shots from a fire or coldfire ballista can wipe them extremely quickly from relative safety.

I do agree that the frequency that they spam CC and the knight-guards full-heal ability should be toned down a little. But overall they are not dangerous if you do not just rush in blindly.

geonsocal

from what I understand - the basic strategy is to run inside the tower, take out the two guards by the tower door, take out the guard on the second floor, jump down and then beat the four guards by the flag, wait 20 minutes for the flag to flip and then the job is done...

I swear though, every time I try - I end up fighting every single npc any where close to that particular resource (at times it feels like some signal goes out and the other two resources guards come to mess with me)...

DephlaterMouse

As a guy who plays CP vet and BWB. (XBOX NA) I took great pleasure IN vet campaigns, during the no CP event, watching players jump on a flag and get face-rolled by the NPC's.

It's like they all forgot how to fight level 5 NPC'S strategically once they max their CP.

Baconlad

Yes...there is no strategy in fighting guards in TF rofl...i WAS THAT GUY who jumped into a resource and got his face slammed into his d!ck during the no cp test.

IndorilArwynLlethran

Sorcs can try this - grab a friend with a fire ballista, cast Defensive Rune, Hurricane/Boundless Storm -> jump to the flag and cast caltrops + Negate (or any its morf). While your friend is shooting disabled flag guards - go into the tower and deal with the mage. And just stay at the flag

Bazeric

Really the only problem is that they seem to be able to spam CCs and eclipes as they please.

Baconlad

Yeah that tower mage is key. You go inside and wreck her first. Then kill the rest. Thats how i did it

Alphaa

I would rather they did more damage than negate me 6 times trying to cap a resource.

This probably just highlights how strong the current CP tree is.

Enipfodnuos

If you are having trouble with the solo flip simply do this -

Hugging the side of the tower pull the members from the tower door, take them to the back of the tower- kill

Pop rapids, wings, shields etc and run past the guards and into the first floor. Step left or right and pull the door guards away from the flag guards line of sight - kill on first floor.

Again pop buffs run to second floor - kill mage ( this is very important for solo capping as the tower mage provides massive AOE burst for the flag gaurds)

Pop buff, run down and kill the flag guards.

Remember to always kill menders first.

Don't try this if the faction you fighting have emp and all scrolls. The buffed NPCs will probably kill you unless you can keep your buffs up constantly.

iseko

Huh... Resource npcs are a pain yes. But on my magplar, stamdk and my magdk i just run on the flag and solo it. Easiest on magplar but very doable on dk. I can imagine a sorc or nb having trouble with it though. I guess.

Enipfodnuos

iseko wrote: »

Huh... Resource npcs are a pain yes. But on my magplar, stamdk and my magdk i just run on the flag and solo it. Easiest on magplar but very doable on dk. I can imagine a sorc or nb having trouble with it though. I guess.

Well this is a BWB tactic. In vet campaigns I would just jump on the flag as well.

iseko

Enipfodnuos wrote: »

iseko wrote: »

Huh... Resource npcs are a pain yes. But on my magplar, stamdk and my magdk i just run on the flag and solo it. Easiest on magplar but very doable on dk. I can imagine a sorc or nb having trouble with it though. I guess.

Well this is a BWB tactic. In vet campaigns I would just jump on the flag as well.

OP said azura star and that is what I main. I just jump on flag on azura.

Bwb I would not consider it a wise tactic idd

mvffins

I don't think the NPCs in Azura star are stronger it's just that the lack of CP makes mobs tougher to kill. Stats literally get cut in half for max cpers when they enter Azura and we don't get those passives that come along with it.

I do consider this a problem as it deters players from joining Azura even more so. The pop on Azura is already low since many would prefer to play in CP campaigns, and it is drops even more since the not that many can solo a resource (which is required since not many are present).