Duskruin Arena - Strategies?

[LivderaDeralleur]

With Duskruin on the horizon, I'm curious as to the strategies everyone else employs in the arena for different level/class combos. I realize it's very subjective, though it'd be interesting to see how everyone else handles things - perhaps it'll spark some ideas for others to try during the next run.

The character I usually take in is only L45, but he is a THW Berserking Warrior with a fully bonded 6x perfect maul and 7x mist armor full plate.

I've sort of been going into the habit of doing the 'WATCH' command immediately, doing what ever action and then open swinging 2-3 times - usually kills them by then, if they're squishy. When golems used to be a thing that showed up, I'd use 'BERSERK' on them, but otherwise saved stamina for 'BERSERK'ing the champions. I don't have any Ambush training on this guy and am not sure how successful opening aiming may be - might try this instead of just open swings, as his 2x CM may be enough.

With this strategy I was usually good to get to 20 creatures killed and at least once I got all 25. Had a bit of a score dip, I think, when the score formula got tweaked a bit last run, though.

I've yet to use the command that gives you some stamina/mana back - would be interesting to know if anyone uses that successfully without gimping their score.

What strategies does everyone else use?

[Aganii]

For a warrior the basic strategy is to focus mstrike or open ambush the normal critters and berserk the champions. However, you can crit kill the champions too if you dont want to berserk unless they changed them. It requires 2 death crits(ie left eye and right eye) instead of one. This should work with mauls as well (head then neck). Quickstrike and stamina burst are great tools to use as well to further your success.

[beldannon5]

I can kill majority of non champs without one swing but usually berserk champs. If lucky i can get berserk to last through like 4 or more creatures. Level 90 now so not sure how it will go we shall see

[Archigeek]

I find that TWC is the most effective method. One of the challenges is that you are on a timer, and misses that take full RT are a problem when time is important. TWC gives you more strikes per attack, so if you miss with one, odds are that the other one will hit. It doesn't hurt that I'm TWC hurling, but even without the hurling the premise is still the same: more strikes per attack. Mstrike the champs and one strike is usually enough.

[LivderaDeralleur]

Hm. Good thoughts.

I've actually not tried AIMing anything with my Warrior as of yet - no Ambush training and 'BERSERK' usually slaughters anything pretty quickly.

I do sometimes get lucky/unlucky with the BERSERK in the Arena where it keeps going even after killing one of the creatures and will kill 3-4 in a row. Though then there is the issue of it running out right before the champion and then I have no stamina left to re-start the Berserk. (Or I run into a harder to kill creature and the trap goes off before I can kill the thing while berserking.)

Had no idea 2 crits would kill a champion - may have to try that this run.

Has anyone made a Sniper build work in the Arena? My Sniper Ranger seemed to fail hard there, especially at the champions. She'd 1-shot kill most of the other creatures and then take too long plinking at the champions.

[Ososis]

My anecdotal experience is that if you kill a critter on the EVEN rounds of your berserk, it will carry over to the next combatant. So if it takes 2 rounds to kill each critter your berserk will just keep on keeping on. If I continue on to a new combatant and kill them the first round, berserk almost always ends.

Know your enemy. Once you get them figured out a bit you will know how to deal with each specifically, be it feint, ambush, mstrike, or berserk. This also is a big deciding factor in the arena, what lineup you get. If all my champions are brawlers, I stroll through it like nothing, get me caught berserking on a turtle for 9 rounds and I'm boned.

Also, if it wasn't mentioned. HAVE DEEDS! They will prevent spell loss from death in the arena.

[LivderaDeralleur]

Ambushing may be too much for my Warrior at this point - tried it a bit and it's an 8 sec RT when ambushing with his maul. And he doesn't hit his mark all the time. Seems a better gamble to just swing open twice and rely on the high damage. His RT swinging open is only 5 secs. I can do qstrike -3 to get the Ambush RT down to 5, but it's a big stamina hit.

Might be able to do Ambush when he's a higher level and has some Ambush ranks under his belt.

[Ososis]

The important thing about ambushing is it combines cman AND ambush. At a certain point, your cman skill will be enough to make up weak ambush. I had 30 ambush most of my life and that was plenty, though i also 3x cman. The point being that to be good at open ambushing, you don't need to have even 1x to do it, though it's probably not super viable to get set up before this arena. Yeah, that RT hit is rough, though the magic of the maul is it's ALWAYS crush, making targeting the head a pretty solid kill shot maneuver. Not sure if you have looked into your AGI/DEX thresholds, if you are close to one you may be able to take 1RT off ambushes and mstrikes with some junker enhancives.

[SHAFT]

I just did the arena for the 1st time and only got through the 3rd champion before time ran out.

Any suggestions for pure wizards?

[Warriorbird]

24 ranks of ambush gets you there, RE: Warrior aiming.