Guild Wars 2

I’m having serious problems completing AC Exp since the patch. I searched the forums here, but didn’t really find anything relating.

First, before the patch, I ran AC just about every day. Didn’t have too much issue really. After learning the fights and what was required, it was truly pretty easy. I farmed out all the tears needed for a full exotic set.

After the patch, though, I’m having serious problems, whether in PuGs or guild runs, with a couple of specific areas. First is p1 with the graveling burrows. We can never seem to get past this area. Now, the only way I’ve ever seen it run is to have one tanking at the NPC while the other 4 are taking down the burrows as fast as possible. This doesn’t seem to work anymore though, the tank ALWAYS seems to die where before the patch, it was rare that that happened. I didn’t see any changes to this event in the patch notes, did something change? Is anyone else having issues specifically with this spot?

The second spot is in p2 with the ghosts in the final room. They seem SO much tougher than before! They hit like trucks! Normally, we focus down in this order: Necro > Ele > Monk > Ranger > Warrior. I’m built as a toughness/trap Ranger, so I’ve got a little bit of survivability, but I still melt to these guys way faster than I did before the patch.

Anyone else having issues at these spots? These are the only two spots I can think of at the moment that I’ve been having serious problems with. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Also of note, I’ve completed all the other dungeons without hardly any issues at all. They seem to pale in difficulty comparison to AC.

P1 burrows: You shouldn’t stand and tank the adds, run around the table and kite them, use speed boosts and stability when required. Also hit/shoot/aoe/ take aggro on any little adds that target Hodgins. Use blinds/cripple on them too. I can do this with my mesmer and my guardian.

P2 ghosts: yeah a bit tougher than before, purely because they had their AI tweaked. You need the right traits and abilities. Blinds, stability, condition removals, reflection of some sort, ressing ppl quickly.

Also don’t forget to take out the mesmer, he shuts one party member down for the fight.

Further this tanking business in this game: it really does cripple a party down if someone tries to be a pure tank in this game, all the dps and movement kiting lost to the party. Parties need to synergise their builds to the situation.

It hurts/cripples parties if anyone tries to be a “pure” anything. No one should kittenhole their class into only doing 1 thing.

Now, the only way I’ve ever seen it run is to have one tanking at the NPC

Tanking at the NPC is a mistake as adds will cleave and hit Hodgkins. Tank the adds on the other side of the table.

the tank ALWAYS seems to die

Are you running with a dedicated group or PUGs? Regardless, the supposed tank doesn’t know what he/she is doing. If they go into the fight without switching in defensive weapons, traits, armour and/or utilities, then of course they will die.

I still melt to these guys way faster than I did before the patch.

Again, dungeons aren’t solo endeavours. You may be doing a superb job, but can you be absolutely certain you can say the same for fellow party members?

Thanks for the input guys. I’ll discuss this and see if we can make any headway. I’ll be sure to report back too

those 2 places you mentioned (p1 burrows, and p2 cannon defend) were allways hard for inexperienced players.

if you read the notes, now downscaling works differently – meaning 80lvl guys downscaled to 35lvl are weaker. that’s why you notice difference in AC dungeon which has highest downscaling.

well that aside. as a designated tank for p1 burrows and p2 bait part, i haven’t felt much difference. i’m sword+focus/staff mesmer in knight gear. worst case scenario in my ac runs that can happen @ p1 burrows is – those 4 pugs die tackling burrows, and i have to let hodgins die to reset.

if your ‘tank’ is dying @ p1 burrows then… your ‘tank’ is bad and you should feel bad

I can help you with AC runs if you need. Im on EU servers and i usually do all 3 paths daily to raise my alts. Give me a sign if you want help and you are on EU.

Cheers!

burrows:

1. optional: get an ele with frostbow
2. 1 person targets the burrow near hodgins (north of the room), but DOESN’T kill it, kills/kites graveling until step 4
3. 4 others destroy the burrow west and the newly spawned one even further west, then run back
4. everyone destroys the burrow east of the one with only a bit health left (the first one near hodgins)
5. destroy the nearly finished one (center north)
6. destroy the north-west one
7. destroy the last one southeast corner.

the reason to not destroy the center borrow is simple: as soon as it’s dead, the southeast one spawns which releases 2 nasty scavengers (or was it stalkers? always mix them up). they jump, knock you down, you’re dead. you want to kill that burrow with as many people around as possible (typical 2/3 people split is not sufficient for this).

ghosts:
they respawn as long as detha is still working.. killing them fast doesn’t really help much (except maybe loot). kill or kite them, you only need to make sure detha is undisturbed. also, use the pillars to get them to group up, for better aoe treatment.

p3 collectors:
while you didn’t mention it, I think its also a ‘hard’ part of the dungeon. a frostbow is very useful here as well, IF you manage to get the second one to someone who doesn’t use the #4 skill at the same time as the ele (thus blowing a cooldown which he shouldn’t have). been doing this using skype with my brother, works perfectly, it only gets a bit harder if you have 3 totally useless people with you (like.. 3 so-called tanks wich all go ranged combat who can’t even finish the few gravelings coming out of the burrows alone, which leads to the frostbowbearers having to drop the bows)

general scaling:
it has gotten harder, yes, I can take a lot less hits and my dmg output seems a bit lower as well. but if you happen to get a useful team (everybody has good damage and a few supportive utilities/traits/weapon choices), it’s really easy..
I’m getting really tired of PVT players (the I’m full tank, I save the team, but I actually only play rifle warriors or the scepter-support-guardians). or thiefs with only shortbows.. or mf leeches.. I wish we could inspect players…