Before doing anything, make sure anyone who has not done the High Priestess reads this extremly helpful guide.
http://mygw2.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/simin-high-priestess-of-dwayna/
I thought I’d create this thread to further clarify some of the points listed in the guide, and also to explain some of the tactics my group used to make this path easier.
Group Composition-
I would highly suggest bringing at least 3 full berserker characters, preferably thieves and warriors. Unfortunately with the regen rate being what it is, you will need great DPS and great spark running/tear throwing. I’ll stop short of saying you HAVE to have a mesmer, but the time warp is going to be essential for most groups to push past phase 1 into a comfortable area of phase 2 (25-35%) that will give you some leeway if one of the two spark runners has a bad rotation, or gets petrified temporairly.
The 4-1 Trick -
Absolutely essential due to the fact if the sparks aren’t put in place at <60% health, she will continually autostealth at 50%. Also, some clarity on the 4-1 to help some of the people who say it doesn’t work for them.
Lets say a spark runner gets petrified in the AoE and dies during an invulnerability phase. The other runner puts his 2 sparks in, but the group agrees its a wipe and backs out. The boss DOES NOT reset, which means the encounter still recognizes 2 sparks being in place. The next time you set up your 4-1, you must only place 2 balls in, then let her regen to 100%. No matter how many stealths she does, the game always keeps track of how many sparks are in place.
The Fight Itself -
Make sure the boss is placed according to the map in the guide, which is to say directly to the right of the middle shrine as your facing the encounter as you walk in. Make sure the boss is as close to the wall as you can get her, as you don’t want accidental spark aggro.
If you can manage it, I highly suggest everyone to be in or close to melee range for the fight. This makes life much easier on your tear thrower, as they will not have to identify single targets, and can instead lob the tear in the middle of the group to clear petrify.
When you initially start the fight, have one of your DPS only players be the first to walk in. We found that this person would get alot more of the petrify aggro then others, which made the fight considerably easier. (Ash Legion Spy Kits also work very well for dropping petrify aggro.)
Placing sparks-
After you aggro your (2 or 3) sparks, you will want to run past the first placement area by 2-3 feet to get the spark to lock in place. (I know feet is arbitrary in an MMO, but its the best I can do.) After the first spark is in, run directly west (towards the group) and stop a couple feet past the last placement area. This works very well at getting all the sparks in quickly. Also, make sure all sparks are in place before EITHER of the spark runners goes back to the group, as they switch aggro easily.
General advice -
-Make sure everyone in the party knows this is generally a 4+ hour path, and try to confirm they have that much time to complete it.
-MAKE SURE that the dungeon owner is someone who will not ragequit, linkdead, etc., many groups have been kicked when the dungeon leader decides he/she is done and leaves.
-Bring food buffs AND potions
-Bring at least 1 repair canister if your group skips alot of mobs
-If you have a pet class running sparks, make sure they are passive during spark phase
-Use voice chat – Even if all players do not have a mic, the extra coordination gained from one person directing traffic helps a great deal
In closing, this fight and path is doable with the right group and good mechanics. That being said I’d like to offer my suggestions to any content designer that may have taken the time to read this:
This is the only fight in the game that has a DPS check in it, and unfortunately right now its set too high for most to complete. Due to the multiple threads about this path, I’m going to assume it ill be nerfed eventually, and the 4-1 trick removed (fixed). IMO the easiest way to fix the fight, while still keeping it diffcult takes just 2 steps.
1) Slightly lower the regeneration rate
2) Remove the 50% autostealth – Most important. The fight can only be done using 4-1 as its currently designed, and thats only becuase of her autostealth at 50%. I suggest instead starting her 30-45 second stealth timer she gets in phase 2 to start as soon as you initially attack her.
These steps will keep the fight mechanics the same, keep its difficulty still reasonably high, while giving more players a chance of being able to complete it.
Reshi X – Blackgate