How far did you already get into EA?

SilverBride

Arc 2

ComradeBiscuit wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

We made it to Arc 3 Tho'at and took her down fairly quickly but the shards got us. I don't understand why they don't die when she does but they take a very long time to defeat.

By the shards you are referring specifically to the little blobs?

Lore-wise, the atro, mantikora, dragon, and blobs are all Tho'at shards, so all Tho'at herself. Her knight aspect might be defeated but she is not, so the blobs respawning does have an in-game explanation.

(Technically, you don't need to focus taking them down, though aoe'ing them obviously helps; just interrupting is enough, as they don't really do anything when they aren't channeling.)

I'm talking about the little blobs and the big atronach looking ones. They are all called Tho'at Shards and those big ones definitely do damage and take a long time to defeat. Then Arc 3 Sho'at had an even bigger and badder Shard and that is what defeated us.

YffresTrill

Arc 3

SilverBride wrote: »

I'm taking about the little blobs and the atronach looking ones. They are all called Tho'at Shards and those big ones definitely do damage and take a long time to defeat. Then Arc 3 Sho'at had and even bigger and badder Shard and that is what defeated us.

Gotcha, so that will be the mantikora.

I haven't noticed the mantikora itself being much of a threat, though perhaps it can be. It does however add a new mechanic of glass falling on you, which is telegraphed and can be blocked (with high enough defense) or dodged.

The atronach shard, and its associated mechanic of tentacles, will not spawn until the knight (original Tho'at form) is at a certain health percentage, and the mantikora shard (and its associated mechanic of falling glass) will not spawn until the atronach shard is at a certain health percentage. There is also a fourth dragon shard in the final evolution of Tho'at, which also does not spawn until the mantikora shard is at a specific health percentage.

Unfortunately I was not paying attention to the exact percentages, but I think it is about 60%?

So it's much easier if you focus the knight first, then the atronach, then the mantikora -- this way you have no more than two big bads up at a time.

SilverBride

Arc 2

ComradeBiscuit wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

I'm taking about the little blobs and the atronach looking ones. They are all called Tho'at Shards and those big ones definitely do damage and take a long time to defeat. Then Arc 3 Sho'at had and even bigger and badder Shard and that is what defeated us.

Gotcha, so that will be the mantikora.

I haven't noticed the mantikora itself being much of a threat, though perhaps it can be. It does however add a new mechanic of glass falling on you, which is telegraphed and can be blocked (with high enough defense) or dodged.

The atronach shard, and its associated mechanic of tentacles, will not spawn until the knight (original Tho'at form) is at a certain health percentage, and the mantikora shard (and its associated mechanic of falling glass) will not spawn until the atronach shard is at a certain health percentage. There is also a fourth dragon shard in the final evolution of Tho'at, which also does not spawn until the mantikora shard is at a specific health percentage.

Unfortunately I was not paying attention to the exact percentages, but I think it is about 60%?

So it's much easier if you focus the knight first, then the atronach, then the mantikora -- this way you have no more than two big bads up at a time.

I didn't notice the falling glass... maybe that's what got me. I'll watch for it next time.

Well we aren't giving up and I appreciate the tips. Maybe we will do better next time!

Also since it was a new build for me my new skills are just level 3 so hopefully I'll do better when I get them maxed today.

YffresTrill

Arc 3

SilverBride wrote: »

didn't notice the falling glass... maybe that's what got me. I'll watch for it next time.

Well we aren't giving up and I appreciate the tips. Maybe we will do better next time!

Also since it was a new build for me my new skills are just level 3 so hopefully I'll do better when I get them maxed today.

If you really pay attention, you can see it forming up above the arena, but generally what you want to watch out for is an aoe forming under you. It will appear a second or two before the damage hits.

You can do it, just takes practice. Good luck.

Billium813

Arc 5+

Solo: Arc 3
Co-op: Arc 7

There's a huge disparity between Solo and Co-op in terms of difficulty. Solo is reasonably difficult IMO starting at Arc 2, but Co-Op is a snooze fest until ~Arc 5, assuming both players are competent. Some bosses are OK, most bosses you can do in your sleep. Tho’ at Replicanum is usually adequately difficult.

Co-op also has the HUGE benefit of not losing Threads if one person dies. Solo suffers from getting one shot and dying to BS bugs all the time. If one person is Tank, they can most likely pull the team forward by rezing over and over with no Thread loss.

EdjeSwift

Arc 5+

Ilsabet wrote: »

Necrotech_Master wrote: »

Ilsabet wrote: »

I can now say I've made it to Arc 4. Had a guildie join me partway through Arc 3, and they beasted the mantikora after I got jumpscared by the falling ceiling. Then we got pummeled by a marauder on the first wave of 4-1-1. Probably would have made it further if they'd had all of their visions and I hadn't lost a thread stupidly on an Arc 2 boss.

But hey, dye achievement acquired. \o/

at this point i usually enjoy going to at least arc 4, and i like to regularly list myself on the group finder for archive because i find it more enjoyable to go through with 2 players (and i can help people get arc 4 clears lol)

ive probably helped at least 3 friends, 1 random player from the group finder, and a few others get arc 4 clears at this point lol

Maybe I should keep an eye out for your listings and snag me a clear carry.

You should, it's pretty chill.

Necrotech_Master

Arc 5+

SilverBride wrote: »

I fixed my pet using Sorcerer up with an EA build and went in with my friend last night. He was also trying a different character but not sure how much he tweaked his build. But we did significantly better.

We made it to Arc 3 Tho'at and took her down fairly quickly but the shards got us. I don't understand why they don't die when she does but they take a very long time to defeat.

I'll be happy to just get the first 4 Arcs completed because that's all the time I can sit for on one activity like this. Hopefully we can luck out with some good visions and verses and make it one day.

the human tho'at, the ice atro (first appears on arc 2), the mantikora (first appears on arc 3), and the dragon (first appears on arc 4) are all mandatory bosses in the tho'at fight

each one of those spawns blobs separately (so when a boss is killed, it only kills off blobs spawned by that boss)

if you kill the human tho'at, it does kill off any mechanics that were ongoing from the human tho'at (eye beams, blobs, ice patches)

if you kill the ice atro, it kills off associated mechanics to it (tentacles, blobs, eye beams)

if you kill the mantikora it kills off associated mechanics to it (blobs, eye beams, ice walls)

killing the dragon kills off any remaining mechanics (blobs and ice patches)

its recommended to focus 1 boss at a time, because they spawn sequentially

ice atro boss spawns when human tho'at at 60%
mantikora boss spawns when ice atro is 60%
dragon spawns when mantikora is 60%

EdjeSwift

Arc 5+

Necrotech_Master wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

I fixed my pet using Sorcerer up with an EA build and went in with my friend last night. He was also trying a different character but not sure how much he tweaked his build. But we did significantly better.

We made it to Arc 3 Tho'at and took her down fairly quickly but the shards got us. I don't understand why they don't die when she does but they take a very long time to defeat.

I'll be happy to just get the first 4 Arcs completed because that's all the time I can sit for on one activity like this. Hopefully we can luck out with some good visions and verses and make it one day.

the human tho'at, the ice atro (first appears on arc 2), the mantikora (first appears on arc 3), and the dragon (first appears on arc 4) are all mandatory bosses in the tho'at fight

each one of those spawns blobs separately (so when a boss is killed, it only kills off blobs spawned by that boss)

if you kill the human tho'at, it does kill off any mechanics that were ongoing from the human tho'at (eye beams, blobs, ice patches)

if you kill the ice atro, it kills off associated mechanics to it (tentacles, blobs, eye beams)

if you kill the mantikora it kills off associated mechanics to it (blobs, eye beams, ice walls)

killing the dragon kills off any remaining mechanics (blobs and ice patches)

its recommended to focus 1 boss at a time, because they spawn sequentially

ice atro boss spawns when human tho'at at 60%
mantikora boss spawns when ice atro is 60%
dragon spawns when mantikora is 60%

For a true challenge you fight all 4 at once! *Ducks under thrown tomatoes*

SilverBride

Arc 2

ComradeBiscuit wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

didn't notice the falling glass... maybe that's what got me. I'll watch for it next time.

Well we aren't giving up and I appreciate the tips. Maybe we will do better next time!

Also since it was a new build for me my new skills are just level 3 so hopefully I'll do better when I get them maxed today.

If you really pay attention, you can see it forming up above the arena, but generally what you want to watch out for is an aoe forming under you. It will appear a second or two before the damage hits.

You can do it, just takes practice. Good luck.

Thank you!

shadyjane62

Arc 1

Thought I would try it even thought I was sure it wasn't for me.

I should have listened to myself.

FelixTheCatt

Didn't enter EA (yet)

Haven’t had the chance to try it out yet myself. Oddly enough everything I’ve heard about it has been remarkably positive which is a nice change of pace.

Ilsabet

Arc 3

Update:



Necrotech is a very good tank. And I was not completely useless.

*collapses after 5.5 hours in there*

jecks33

Arc 5+

Arc 7 solo then I had to sleep

James-Wayne

Arc 5+

The RNG in visions plays a massive part in your run, its either a super easy time or a very long hard grindy one, no middle ground.

boi_anachronism_

Arc 3

Trier_Sero wrote: »

Trash waves get too powerful on 3rd cycle so probably won't go further solo.

Its typically the infusers that get people because they enrage everything. Id try and keep an eye out for those buggers. They have wrecked more of my runs then anything else.

Trundik

Arc 3

I have feeling that archive rewards become mostly useless pretty fast. I don't have necrom so all those leads are not for me, already bought furniture that I was instersted in (just on item - archway) and got DK class set. Got zero purple prints. From that point I think reward not worth time that must be spent, trying to reach next Ark.

Necrotech_Master

Arc 5+

boi_anachronism_ wrote: »

Trier_Sero wrote: »

Trash waves get too powerful on 3rd cycle so probably won't go further solo.

Its typically the infusers that get people because they enrage everything. Id try and keep an eye out for those buggers. They have wrecked more of my runs then anything else.

their enrage is not as strong as typical infusers, the part that makes them more difficult is actually the fact they heal all of the enemies too

if there are 2 infusers that spawn and you have low dmg, and cant interrupt one or both, its going to be very difficult to kill them

the dmg amplification doesnt seem to really do much until it reaches about 6-8+ stacks

out of all of the elite/fabled enemies that show up spelltheif, ascendant bulwarks, flameshapers, infusers, iron atro, lurchers are probably the most difficult especially if they show up in pairs

spelltheives, infusers, totem masters, realmshapers can all do enemy healing in addition to their other mechanics (infusers are arguably the worst because its a massive burst heal instead of a slow heal over time)

EdjeSwift

Arc 5+

On top of this, if you're going Arc 3 and further, be sure you have a cleanse of some sort, Arc 3 is where the bleeds/poisons start being noticeable and can ruin your day.

redsaaryn

Arc 5+

i finished the whole EA but because i was carried hard, otherwise I wouldn't be able to defeat the final boss of the firs arc

LesserCircle

Arc 2

I got bored

ArchMikem

Arc 2

My new farthest on my StamBlade with a pick up partner. I could have kept going but after Arc 3 Tho'at they had to go, and when I tried fighting that first Stage mob pull by myself I didn't even last twenty seconds. I get the feeling if I don't have like an amazing partner, this is as far as I'm ever going to get.

And I don't even come close to making the leaderboard. It cuts off at the 95th rank, and that group was Arc 9. First place group has an Arc 14 score.

jad11mumbler

Arc 2

Personally I have only gotten to Tho'at #3, and have yet to progress further.

However I have only ran it twice since it released.

Toxic_Hemlock

Arc 1

I finally made it to arc 3 having defeated tho'at in arc 2 once. However it is a crap shoot with verses/visions/bosses, and I am not looking for a constant challenge. The companion changes are nice and tho'at is no longer a problem as my tank allows me to concentrate on the blobs, but many of the bosses encountered along the way are still too problematic for me. As it takes me at minimum an hour, with a descent tanky build, to get to the forth boss only to die apx. half the time it has become more of a time consuming chore than something I would do for fun.

I know many find it fun and want to be constantly challenged, and that is good for them. I'll just skip it now, only running it for endeavors, and hope next years road map has something I might enjoy more than beating my head against a wall.

Edit: yep, still old.

FelisCatus

Arc 5+

It's definitely difficult - I don't think that's a bad thing though. Furthest I got was with a friend I made on group finder. Turns out he's on the leaderboards for EA so he usually carries me!

SeaGtGruff

Arc 1

shadyjane62 wrote: »

Thought I would try it even thought I was sure it wasn't for me.

I should have listened to myself.

At least you tried it. I mean to say, now you know for sure.

Necrotech_Master

Arc 5+

ArchMikem wrote: »

My new farthest on my StamBlade with a pick up partner. I could have kept going but after Arc 3 Tho'at they had to go, and when I tried fighting that first Stage mob pull by myself I didn't even last twenty seconds. I get the feeling if I don't have like an amazing partner, this is as far as I'm ever going to get.

And I don't even come close to making the leaderboard. It cuts off at the 95th rank, and that group was Arc 9. First place group has an Arc 14 score.

a pure DPS spec is going to start running into issues in arc 4, mainly because of the incoming dmg, and the DoTs from the add stages, the boss stages are still not too bad

if you really want to make it further than arc 4 i would definitely recommend resist cap, at least 35-40k max hp, a purge, and a couple strong heals

MrCray78

Arc 5+

Arc 11 stop for go work 🤡

SgtWinnie

Arc 5+

Arc 6 solo.
Arc 7 bordering 8 with my mate atm.
Collected all the set pieces.
Warden would have to be my favorite for EA.
Started next account already.
Good hunting all.

Hapexamendios

Arc 4

Best solo now is 3-4-3. Hadn't made it pst arc 2 solo last time post.

Cazador

Arc 3

My new best is arc 4 thoat solo and arc 7 (2-2 i think) in a group. Basically the only thing that gets me killed consistently at this point is the fire marauder spawning (unless I have a really good verse active)