Knowing Your Role
The Idea of Teaming is that you can create a Line of Attack and Defense from the enemy. You also can design in depth party skill keepers such as healers and cooks and even blacksmiths, to maintain you and your gear. This is the ideal in creating guilds, and should also be the foundation of making a team as well. The idea of safety in numbers and the ability to keep above and beyond the reach of the enemy during heated combat situations. Or at least to know that when your knocked out cold, someone will eventually make their rounds to revive you, and you can walk over and pick up your 31,000 gold valued helmet and not pay 1/3 that to get it back from Duncan or Eavan.
General Team Setup
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| General Placement in combat (click to zoom in) |
- 2-3 Tanks, or front line melee, for front line wall, or ambushes. (This is also a good way to get the TANKER title, stand on the front lines and hit some heavy damage for the rangers with Windmill or Smashes and you'll get the TANKER on several of the criticals! Good Luck!)
- 1-3 Archers, this also good place to try out the Fire Arrow Title, if you think you can deliver a kill. (can be replaced with mages)
- 1-3 Mages (can be replaced with archers)
The idea here is for the ranged combatants to pick a target, the enemy takes notices and charges, ignoring the melee or tankers. The tanks then strike the enemy unawares, you can take out large enemies doing this tactic easily if you can work together as a team. It always good to bring plenty of feathers, band aids and other folks that can heal or are good to stay out of harms way. I don't know how many times I was happy to see our lowest level teamer running body to body reviving people- now thats a true hero!
Another thing that is important to remember is there are other members in the team. You may be able to one shot everything or be able to take a hit, but this is a team effort and you are not the only one there. Sometimes people can feel useless or feel like they aren't doing anything to contribute, causing contention within the group. So Ranged people, keep attack at the ready after the first pull and let the meleers do what they do. Be prepared to back them up if needed. Meleers, don't run into a group alone or try and kill the baddies on your own. The ranged people rely on you to help keep them alive, so keep a close eye on them. And chances are, if you help them, they will return the favor when you need it.
The following are what I find to be some helpful hints for each class. I've done a lot of research, observation, and experimentation to reach these conclusions, so I hope that these are helpful. I don't claim to be an expert, and there will always be new things to learn concerning this. (Yes I know, most of my sources go to Mabiworld, the best place that I know of with this kind of information in english)
A few links that you may be interested in:
Mabinogi World Wiki article on Human Race Attributes
Mabinogi World Wiki article on Status
Mabinogi World Wiki article on Critical Hit Skill
One combination skill I have found useful for all classes, is the spell counter. The easiest spell to use this with is Firebolt, since it knocks back rather far. Charge your Firebolt to the max level and let it loose on your target. Immediately charge your counter attack and wait for them to come to you (if they look like they aren't going to be moving for a while, go ahead and charge a bolt or two to smack em out of it). As your counter is following through with the animation, charge your firebolt once. By the time it's charged, you should be able to knock your opponent away from you and charge another counterattack. Just rinse and repeat until dead. This can be an effective way to take out bosses and harder mobs.
Archery Overview and Tips
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| An Archer |
Main Stat - Dexterity
- Dexterity (Dex) adds a damage bonus to Ranged attacks, affects Balance and Wound rate, as well as the success rate of production skills.
- Every 10 Dex adds +4 to maximum damage and +2 to minimum damage to ranged attacks. (The exact distribution is: +2.5 Dex adds +1 to maximum damage; +3.5 Dex adds +1 to minimum damage)
- Every 4 Dex adds +1% to balance to melee, ranged, and magic attacks. (The exact formula is (Dex - 10) / 4, rounded down)
- Every 10 Dex adds +1.0% to maximum wound rate and +0.5% to minimum wound rate.
Mabinogi World Wiki article on Ranged Combat Skills
When one thinks of archery, several names come to mind, Robin Hood, Link (From Legend of Zelda), Legolas (From Lord of the Rings), etc. And all of these have that uncanny quickness and reflexes that are mandatory to be an archer. But like all things in life, you can't expect to be able to shot as expertly or as quickly just by picking up the bow. It takes time patience and a willingness to learn.
Archery seems to be the middle child damage wise between Magic and Melee, but our true power comes from our unbeatable and invaluable injury rating and consistent wound damage. At first, archery is rather hard to level with and get adjusted to because unlike the other two classes, archery has a chance to miss, and unfortunatly, it does usually when you need it the most. The best I can say to that is, don't lose heart and keep on trying.
Also, unlike melee and magic, archery has very few pure archer related skills. We have a max of four skills related just for us and one of them is nearly useless (support shot). But by far the bread and butter of any archer is Magnum shot. The shear amount of damage this skill has is uncanny and invaluable in nearly any scenario. I cannot tell you how many times I've used a Magnum shot to knock back an enemy that was trailing a comrade. But again, like all archery, you can miss, so it is always good to have some sort of back up. One of the more effective ways to keep yourself alive is the windmill combo. Say you are aim and you shoot and miss, and the baddie is running right for you, charge a windmill and as soon as they get close enough, fire it off. During the animation, you can start the charge for your ranged attack. The windmill usually knocks them back far enough to shoot them. Defense and/or counterattack can be used as well. I highly suggest taking any skill that can increase your Dexterity, such as; Instrument Playing, Handicraft (soon to come), Tailoring, Weaving, etc. Your dex can keep you alive. Taking a little Defense and Combat mastery wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Equipment wise, there is nothing more important then your ranged weapon and your Ammunition. When first starting out in archery, I suggest a fast short ranged weapon, such as the crossbow or short bow, upgrading to a composite bow or long bow as you see fit. Each weapon has it's own ups and downs and depends on personal preference. But by the time you reach rank B Ranged Attack, it won't really matter much the speed of your bow. Take your time and consider which is the best for your style. One thing that isn't mentioned in the wiki, is point of ammunition. With bows, (short, composite, and long) you have three slots taken in your inventory for 100 arrows, while with the crossbow, you have two slots for 200. Be sure to carry enough ammunition at all times. Also, as a bowman, you can maneuver while all your shots are charged, though slow, you can still move if a baddie decides to walk around the corner while you are trying to snipe him with Magnum. As a Crossbowman, you can be at a full run with regular ranged attack but you cannot move once you charge your Magnum shot. I personally use the long bow, for I feel the range and injury rate outweigh the ammunition crisis and the speed, but again, that's my personal preference. Also, upgrades are a necessity to your bow. You will see a dramatic difference as you upgrade.
Mabinogi World Wiki article on Long Range Weapon Upgrades
In a team setting, the archer, in my opinion, should be the one pulling. More so, because we usually have longer range and our injury rating can help against regenerating monsters. It's important to recognize when the best time is to use Magnum and when isn't. Using Magnum takes up quite a large chunk of stamina, but it's use can merit your team surviving. Use Magnum in instances where a teammate is being chased, to keep an opponent knocked down, or pulling to allow more time to run behind the meleers. In most other instances, using regular Ranged Attack is fine as it stuns mobs and can aid a team mate in a few extra seconds to react.
Magic Overview and Tips
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| A Mage/Wizard |
Main Stat - Intelligence
- Intelligence (Int) adds damage to Magical skills, contributes to Magical Balance, and affects the success rate of reading books.
- The formula for extra magic damage based on Int is: [(log Int)2]×3
Mabinogi World Wiki article on Magic
To be a mage or not to be a mage, that is the Question. Well there is very little in game that doesn't need the touch of a decent mage. Party Healing, and Range backup support, Luring and the overall comfort of having a creature so close to the supernatural and super unknown close at hand.
The cheapest way thus far to learn all three magic skills would be through taking magic school classes. Although taking classes does require you to go talk to Lassar at the school once each day for three days, it does cost less.
You can talk to Lassar after 7 AM for your class. As well, unlike battle studies, there is no quest at the end of the class. There is, however, review each day in which you're asked three questions related to the previous class. Taking the classes gets you a small amount of experience at the end of the class.
Firebolt seems to be the spell with the most damage potential with Ice bolt in second and lastly, Lightning bolt. Each spell has it's uses and all are mandatory to learn the only way to regenerate mana without Eweca, Meditation.
Most effective group tactics involve staying behind the meleer or 'tank' at all times. As mostly a range class, the further away you are form your target, the longer you live. Keep the target bouncing around if the meleer looks like they may need help. Mages have some of the highest damage potential due to the easy access to skills that add to your main stat. Some sealed books in book stores give intelligence as well as skills such as; Magic Theory, Composition, Herbalisim, etc.
While it is true that intelligence is fairly easy to increase, the logarithmic damage formula (log(Int)^2×3) makes it very difficult to actually squeeze out more damage. At 67 int, the formula comes out to just about 10. To squeeze the damage value up to 11, you need to increase int another 16 points to 83. Add 17 for 100 int to produce 12 damage, add 21 for 121 int and 13 damage, etc. As you can see, we get diminishing returns from our Int investment.
Archers and melee fighters with flat benefits every +2.5~3.5 in their main stat can depend on their primary stat a bit more. At 145 dex, an archer will be enjoying +38 minimum damage and +54 maximum damage, compared to my 14 bonus with 145 intelligence. This is assuming all these formulas are accurate. I haven't seen the trials they used to find them and haven't enough data to confirm nor deny them.
I have never seen an analysis of magic balance based on Int, so I have no idea how it progresses. Based on the "bonus damage" formula though, I highly recommend that dedicated casters put off the Int building skills in the short term in order to get more ranks in their primary spells. Each rank directly contributes several points to the amount of damage you will be producing, to which a few points of intelligence can not hope to compare.
That said, intelligence does help and you should definitely consider all the intelligence boosting tricks in the long term for your character development. Balance and crit rate mean a great deal in a sustained battle. Intelligence also directly contributes to your chance to successful enchant items, and a few fountain enchants can go a long way for a skilled caster.
Strength, health, and stamina will be helpful when (not if) you have to fall back on melee to survive an encounter. Dexterity, as far as I know, does not directly contribute to the magical arts.
Will and Luck are often overlooked. Both of these contribute to your critical hit chances. Luck influences critical rate more than will, but will also gives you a higher chance to go into "deadly status" so that you can keep going even when you have less than 0 health.
On Mage Skills
As noted above, getting your spells to high ranks is the best way to raise your damage output. Spells will also become faster to charge as you increase the rank, but at the expense of more mana. You should examine each rank in a spell to weigh these pros and cons before you advance in it. I'll cover each of the three elemental bolt spells in detail in the tactics section below.
Meditation:
If you learn all three of the basic elemental bolts, Stewart will teach you the meditation skill. This is very useful, especially if you can afford a wand. I use meditation almost constantly and rely on the dropped stamina potions other people rarely care to pick up to keep my stamina strong. Even if you don't have a wand, any time your character is standing still is a great time to activate meditation.
If you really want to milk your meditation, I'll let you in on a secret. If you click in the distance to move, you can activate your meditation while you're moving and continue running at full speed. As soon as you change destinations you'll revert to slow walking, so you'll have to toggle it off, click on a new place, then turn it back on. With a little practice you'll be able to keep meditation up almost constantly without delaying your party.
Enchanting:
Enchanting does not change your chance of successfully enchanting items. Only your intelligence and the type of powder you use effects that chance. Enchanting only determines your chance to enchant burn items (including entrusted burning) and how much durability an enchant scroll loses when you fail. If these things don't matter to you, skip enchanting altogether.
Other skills for mages:
Combat mastery: A few extra hit points never hurt anyone! There will also be times when you want to fall back on basic melee, because a monster is too close or too fast for you get a spell ready.
- Critical strike: determines spell critical damage just as physical criticals. High ranks of critical are recommended for anyone who intends to fight by any means.
- Defense: I rarely use the skill actively, but each level also passively enhances your defense score.
- Counter: Great for the firebolt/counter combo Kaly mentioned. You really don't need it higher than rank F, unless you have spare AP to burn.
- Windmill: This skill is useful for a variety of reasons: some critters can only be safely attacked with windmill, it can be used in emergencies to knock down all nearby critters and give your party some breathing room, and you can even use it to reach those damnable finishes that were knocked slightly out of you room and you can't reach them with other skills. If can spare the AP, I recommend getting it at rank F.
On Mage Tactics
Your spells are the heart of your combat ability. Always try to have your spell fully charged (unless you know a lesser charge can finish of the enemies that are coming) before anyone triggers the spawn. If you're in a chest room, you don't see a key yet, and your party is cleaning up the last of the critters; you should be charging up. Chances are you'll need that spell ready when something bigger and meaner spawns as the last monster of this set dies!
Group Dynamics
A mage can easily blow the group dynamics and ruin any hope of teamwork. you have the range to pull mobs, ruining the archer's chance to shine. You have the damage potential to obliterate your foes before the melee people can get in range. You can very easily frustrate your team to no end and send them running to the far reaches of the room looking for something to do. However, mages are the also most dependent on the party to keep foes away while they charge up spells. Be patient and considerate of your comrades and your party will be a success. Jump the gun and you'll doom your party. Most particularly, do not hit mobs when they are down! They will spring rapidly to their feet ready to do battle, instead of laying there and letting your comrades charge spells and skills or recover their balance from a flurry of attacks.
I usually wait in the background and watch the flow of battle. The designated puller, usually an archer with superior range, selects and pulls the target. Then I wait until it closes with the melee fighters, who do whatever spectacular maneuver they choose, then I unleash my magic. This way everyone gets to take part. If you ping it with low damage spells, even more party members can get a piece of the action and you conserve mana. Not only does this keep everyone engaged and having fun, it helps everyone get some of the bonus "battle participation" experience for helping with the kill.
If something interferes with the desired flow of battle, I can help correct it. For instance if the monster stops short of the melee wall to charge a spell or other skill, a single icebolt can jar its focus and bring it charging headlong into the waiting swords of my friends. If an unexpected mob turns hostile, I can delay it until other party members can shift focus to deal with it. If my team can easily deal with the monsters, I can save my spell and precious mana for the next spawn.
Ice bolt:
This is the most mana efficient and versatile of the three basic elemental spells. Even as high as Rank A, it still costs 1 mana per bolt and it does a fair amount of damage. With meditation up and judicious use of this spell, I can actually gain mana over the course of combat. If you don't focus primarily in icebolt, I highly recommend it as your secondary spell.
Icebolt is the best spell for controlling the flow of battle. A single icebolt will usually break whatever skill a mob is maintaining and stun him momentarily so your other party members have an extra heartbeat or two to prepare their next attack. With icebolt's rapid fire, you can stun and delay multiple mobs if your party gets swarmed. You can even interrupt the melee combo of a critter thumping on a teammate. If you have 1 icebolt left, you can stun a charging attacker with it so you can get in the first melee hit.
Three consecutive icebolts will knock back many mobs. It's best to stop at that point so it won't spring back as quickly. If it's far away, you can use this delay to charge another quick icebolt (giving you another flurry of 3 if you started with a charge of 5.)
Try to save one or two icebolts at all times so you can quickly react to unexpected shifts in the flow of battle. If a critter suddenly attacks an ally who is caught unaware, or a friendly caster has run out of spells and still has a hostile after her, a quick icebolt from your reserve will change the critter's focus to you and let the ally recover. Hopefully your friend will return the favor as it charges you!
A fun fact of icebolt: if something is already airborne due to some knockdown, an icebolt will increase its airtime! A party of ice mages can launch lesser creatures great distances, or even play volleyball with unsuspecting monsters lured between them.
Lightning bolt:
I really dislike this spell. It's a shame because it's the most spectacular looking, but it's just not practical. Once you start charging the spell, you only have 15 seconds to unleash it or your invested mana and the spells charged simply disappear. It's a fast spell and can be useful for a quick finish on something that has already been damaged, but icebolt is just as fast and much cheaper. The very worst thing about lightning bolt is that it becomes weaker the more you charge it! It will hit a number of closely grouped enemies equal to the number of charges stored, but it will do less damage to each one. Technically it's more damage overall if you add it all together, but now you have multiple angry critters!
I have lightning bolt only to complete my grimoire and to allow me to learn meditation. Right now, it's just a novelty spell to me.
Fire bolt:
Firebolt is the heavy hitter of bolt spells. Each charge gets stronger than the previous one and all charges are discharged in a single burst of extreme damage. This all or nothing aspect is firebolt's greatest strength, but also its downfall. If you charge up 5 firebolts and meek bats spawn, you'd have to unleash all five wasting 4 spells worth of mana. In such situations, I usually just wait for my allies to clear the spawn and save the bolt for the horrible things about to pop out.
Firebolt also has the benefit of knocking down most critters, even with a single charge. As with any attack make sure your opponent is standing first, then pop it with any level of firebolt. It'll drop like a stone. A pair of mages with good timing can juggle some of the meanest monsters without giving it a chance to hurt either one of them. (Fiery and I killed the 5 Ogre Warriors of Barri Normal this way, though I have to admit they smacked us around a little in the process.) If you find yourself alone with a creature, the firebolt/counter combo Kaly mentioned is a very effective method.
Melee Overview and Tips
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| A Meleer |
Main Stat - Strength
- Strength (Str) adds a damage bonus to Melee attacks and skills.
- Every 10 Str will add +4 to maximum melee damage and +3 to minimum melee damage. (The exact distribution is: +2.5 Str adds +1 to maximum damage; +3 Str adds +1 to minimum damage)
- Note: for enchant scrolls, a change in Strength is indicated by "STR"
Mabinogi World Wiki article on Melee Combat Skills
To start off the Melee Combat minded person is always wanting to be on the front lines and be the Tank. Tank is slang for the one unmoveable force or wall between the "Air support, or Range support" troops in the rear lobbing rounds in a teaming situation
However, you don't need to team to be a tank. You can do this on your own and many do follow the art of being one in the class of Solo runners.
It is good to follow a strict regimen as far as training goes whether your a solo player or a teamer. Training up your stats for a front line defense is very important. You will hear many say that certain skills are just a waste of their AP and time. But in the case of the Melee player, all the defense you can get is the better. These feed into your over all ability to defend against higher level attackers.
For the moment, Melee is the harder of the three, due to the fact that more often then not, the ranged combatants have the target dead before you reach them or they reach you. And also because there are few skills that give large amounts of the stat that determines your damage, Strength. Thus far, it seems the most effective way to build your strength is through skills such as; Combat Mastery, Windmill, and Rest, as well as through effective and careful rebirthing and leveling. Having a large amount of defense, protection, and health can make a huge difference as well, since you will more then likely being the ones to take most of the damage. Also, though Strength is your main stat for damage, there is nothing wrong with trying to work on a little Dexterity as well to enhance your balance, critical and wound rating.
Part of being a Meleer means you have to react quickly and play the “rock, paper, scissors” game with your abilities: Defense is defeated by Smash, Counter Attack is nullified by Windmill, etc. So having a high Sharp Mind skill is very important to be able to read what your opponent is doing. It only costs one AP per rank as well as it gives you a little extra life which could mean the difference between life or death. Mabinogi World Wiki article on Sharp Mind Skill
The weapon:
By far it is the most important thing to a meleer. There are many opinions on what is best, but personal preference will determine that for you. Two handed weapons have tremendous power but are slow due to the sheer amount of strength and control it takes to wield such monstrosities. One handed weapons, though not as powerful, have speed and give you the option of holding a shield for a little extra boost in protecting yourself. Again personal preference will rule on this point. It is also debatable if wearing armor in this game helps. So far, I've seen very little difference between having clothing vs armor except the price of upkeep and purchase.
Mabinogi World Wiki article on Weapons
Mabinogi World Wiki article on Equipments
Melee has it the roughest right now when it comes to groups - our range is short, our skills are situational, and most of the range types just "balls-to-the-wall" with no regard for the melee in the group. As of right now, our best fit into this game is the "Tank" role, stalling the mob and keeping it off the ranged types. You will take damage, you will die first, you won't kill a damn thing, but that's not exactly the point The point is to keep the mob occupied long enough for the others to kill it, so it doesn't kill them first.
Melee requires a little more thought and strategy than the other two. We have to play the "Rock, Paper, Scissors" game with the mob - which can be annoying, as mobs don't always follow the rules, and the higher you get, the more erratic the mobs behavior can be. Here's a short rundown of how it goes:
- Normal Swing > Smash
- Smash > Defense
- Defense > Normal Swing and Windmill
- Counterattack > Normal Swing and Smash
- Windmill > Counterattack
So what's the best way to play this game? A high ranking Sharp Mind and a large amount of practice. Contrary to what most people say, Sharp Mind IS useful - for melee, being able to figure out what the mob is doing is vital to your survival…and a high rank in Sharp Mind gives you a better chance to see what they're doing. What do you do when Sharp Mind isn't helping much? Watch how the mob moves:
- Slowed walk: Defense
- Straight run: Either Smash or Normal Swing
- Standing still: Either Counterattack or Windmill
It should be noted that mobs can do fake outs. Sometimes they'll slow to a walk, but will actually have Smash up. The tougher mobs you fight, the more likely it is that their behavior will vary - and as far as I know, there's no solid aggro system - some mobs will just run around, hitting whoever they feel like no matter what.
What melee is good at right now though is being the wall in between the mob and the back line, even more so in multi-aggro situations. While very difficult, it's possible to keep two or even three mobs at bay while the mages and archers do what they do best. So, what's the best way to do that?
Windmill.
If you don't have it - get it. Get it NOW! Get it and train it as high as you can, this is our best aggro-management tool right now, and it's one of our only sources of our main stat: Strength. In high level dungeons, a well timed Windmill can mean the life or death of the back row.
There are skill combinations that you can do as well…but most of those you probably won't get the chance to use in group play. There are a couple advanced tricks as well that take much time and practice to learn to do reliably, but once again…due to the strict timing and rhythm that's needed, it will usually be interrupted in a party.
Specialized Room Tactics
Upon running a Guild Coill Dungeon Run the other day, I realized that most of our tactics for rooms were not mentioned in the previous post! So I have condensed down our usual tactics and other tactics I see used by other groups or have used in the past.
I want it noted, I'm not trying to be strict, I am just trying to keep the team safe and help everyone feel like they are playing a part in the success of the dungeon run. Also keep in mind, -the most fair finish rule- is By Turn.
Orb Rooms
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| A book with pictures. |
"You and your team are proceeding cautiously through a fomor encrusted dungeon and you come across a room with the same color orb in each corner and a locked door. Upon inspection of this seemingly empty room, you become to realize the door is connected to the switches in some way. What do you do?"
The most commonly used tactic used by our guild is:
- One person, usually the team leader or the one responsible for pulling, will run into the room and hit one of the orbs, while the rest of the team sits back and waits in the previous room. The Door does not close!
- If Fomors spawn, the one that hit the orb runs back into the room, behind the rest of the group. Therefore, leading any mob that might have seen them run into the group. If the door opens, duh! Go through it!
- After the 'switch hitter' runs behind the group, the person or persons designated to pull will do so.
- From here on out, its your basic team tactics covered in the previous post. Rinse, repeat until room is clear and door is open.
There are many other ways to clear this room. Some of them are:
- There are many other ways to clear this room. Some of them are:
- Everyone chooses a corner and hit all the orbs at once, with someone in the middle that has Nao's service and hit a bomb as the room fills with mobs. (Best used with 'By Turn' Finish setting)
- Everyone chooses a corner and one person hits the orbs and everyone attacks their own target.
Sometimes, the boss room is an Orb room and not a key locked door. If you hit all the orbs in the room until you find the right switch, all the spawned fomors in the room will disappear upon the cut scene/opening of the boss room door.
Chest Spawn Rooms
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| A book with pictures. |
"Finally! The dangers of the Orb room complete, the door opens and your group is free to continue their quest, a little banged up but no worse for wear. After a short time of travel deeper within the bowels of this dank dungeon, you and your party of adventurers come across a single solitary chest. Is there treasure within this enthralling wooden strongbox or nothing but a trap set up with the enticement of possible wealth?"
These rooms are rather simple, a chest in the middle of the room, open it or leave the dungeon. But if you decide to open the chest, the room will fill with monsters and the doors slam shut!! The tactic our guild most often uses:
- Either everyone huddles into one corner of the room closest to the chest and the one pulling or the group leader opens the chest and runs back to the group or, if you have a larger group, separate into groups and get into different corners. One group is closest to the chest and another would be in any other corner they desire.
- Once the chest is opened, the person or persons designated to pull, do so.
- Rinse, repeat basic team tactics until all waves are defeated, and the key is found.
Other Tactics:
- Everyone chooses a corner and one person opens the chest, becoming a free for all.
- One person runs ahead into the room and hits the chest, other sit outside and come on in afterwards (either on accident or on purpose).
Most Chest rooms spawn One to Three waves of Fomors. Best tactic in these rooms is to watch the fomor type and amount and you can determine how many waves there will be. The key also appears in the last wave of the room. For example, you open the chest and two Gray Town Rats spawn. It has been my experience that it means there will be three spawns.
First Wave: Two Gray Town Rats
Second Wave: Eight to Twelve Gray Town Rats
Third Wave: The typical spawn of that dungeon (Ciar - Goblins, Fiodh - Werewolves or Jackals, Rabbie - Skeletons, etc.) With the key
The safest way to combat being jumped upon by a large spawn of uglier baddies, is to save one creature alive until the group is ready for the next wave if no key has been found yet.
Prespawned/Mimic Rooms
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| A book with pictures. |
"Key in hand with minimal causalities, you continue along your danger-ridden path. After a time, you hear the gruff language of the fomor echo throughout the tunnels. You inch closer as quiet as possible towards the sound. The noise grew in volume as the party encroaches upon the enemy territory. Picking the smallest, least noticeable member of the party, you push then around the corner to take a peek. You hear a scream and see the member flailing his arms in the air as arrows whisk past him. He darts around the corner with the rest of the team only to scream again as he notices he was being pursued."
Well, I'm sure all of us have seen something similar in one dungeon run or another. Someone, who thinks they are invincible, runs into the fray ready to kick some trash, only to be yelling a moment later for someone with a feather. This situation is embarrassing to not only the individual but the group they affiliate with. Our Society likes to keep our members alive and well to the best of our ability, so we use the following tactic most often:
- The person or persons designated to pull, do so.
- Basic Team tactics, rinse repeat until all live fomors are defeated.
- The team is then free to run inside and attack the mimics to try and determine where the real chest with the key is.
Other Tactics:
- Run into the room swinging like a wild man/woman.
Boss Rooms
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| A book with pictures. |
"Phew! Close call! All your members a bit shaken from the last encounter, sit and relax while you sort through the goods from that room. One of which is a larger then usual crimson iron key, so lovingly named "Boss Room Key". You chuckle to yourself and announce to the rest of the group that the end was near. Morale rising at the prospect of returning to the surface soon, they stand up and the groups continues along the way to the ever anticipated end. You approach a large wooden door with an extremely large lock and chains firmly placed upon it's front. Placing the key within the lock, it slides into place. A loud clank is heard as the lock opens and falls to the ground. As the door creaks open, you peer inside and notice the room is much larger then that of the rest of the dungeon, and for good reason! A large pile of rocks lie in the center of the room, guarded by about half a dozen Skeletons clad in armor! Maybe the treasure you seek lies beneath the rubble!"
Well, we are all very familiar with that scene. Ciar Basic anyone? Anywho, the big no no in this room is running inside. You would not only grab unwanted attention from the Skelies, but from the large pile of rubble. Usually the Boss room door stays open, but I have seen instances I have seen the door shut and force the party to venture inward.
Typical tactic for ppen Boss Room door:
- After the door is open, the party positions itself near the middle to the back of the room with either one Meleer at the door ahead of the group ready to smash/windmill the fomor into the group, or a Mage with Firebolt/Icebolt facing the wall ready to bolt them into the corner to avoid them being knocked back into the boss room.
- The designated puller, runs into the room and picks one to pull. Shoots and leads them into the room where the party is.
- The Meleer at the door smashes/windmills the target into the room or the mage knocks them into the corner with the bolts.
- The party is then free to attack at will.
- Rinse, repeat until all that is left is the boss.
- Enter the boss room and position yourselves to attack the Dungeon boss.
- The puller charges their most powerful knockdown and fires it at the boss, running towards the group.
- The group goes all out until the boss is defeated.
The Tactics for the closed door is quite simple. Just get everyone inside and hope that you can find a safe spot before you are detected. Then treat the room as a prespawned room, reverting to the boss tactic when he's all that's left.
