Guild Wars 2

Hello

I finally got past the first rock throwing stage in the Hearts and Minds mission!!

However, just as the second stage began, the final boss threw a rock at me at the exact moment I ‘took to the skies’. This caused it to instantly hit me and I fell down and died…

Just wondering if you could add the option of allowing the playable character to actually take shelter under Braham’s barrier? Obviously, this would give noob players like myself a better chance of beating this mission solo. Awesome players can then focus on their ‘avoiding the rock’ achievement.

Or can you please please please stop the rocks from causing an instant death?
One sugestion could be to reduce the hit stun from a rock and allow the character to re-glide after being hit.

You could be playing immensely well, but a single stray rock leads to an instant mission reset. Was this genuinely intended? I know it’s a big rock! But falling onto an electrified floor and dying from a single hit is pretty sad design. There’s almost no chance of recovery.

Otherwise I have no issues with this mission. I just think it would be a nice quality of life change to maybe… modify it slightly?

Also, I’m wondering why Braham would be like:
“Lolz, you can’t stand under my barrier. Take your chances in the skies while an evil thingy throws rocks at you.”

The rocks move fairly slowly so you should be able to dodge them.

You can also land on one of the branches in the northern part of the map, which blocks the rocks. It’s the one you look straight at when you go to the penalty area.

onevstheworld.2419:

You can also land on one of the branches in the northern part of the map, which blocks the rocks. It’s the one you look straight at when you go to the penalty area.

Oh wow!
Thanks man, I’ll give this a try

If I remember correctly, it was designed in mind for stealth gliding mastery to have some use/meaning here.

Just hide on the branch like other people have said. Best way to do it if you are bad at dodging rocks as well as getting the achievement.

Randulf.7614:

If I remember correctly, it was designed in mind for stealth gliding mastery to have some use/meaning here.

I was trying this initially, but no matter when I stealth, he will always target me with a rock. I suspect the White Mantle in Bloodstone Fen learned their rock throwing technique from this guy, although their range is arguably more ridiculous

I did complete the mission! So thanks for all the suggestions.
In addition to the branch, cancelling gliding for a split second also seems to work.

I do still stand by wanting minor qol changes to the mission though. I don’t think it’s a ‘difficult’ mission overall… I just think that collectively, it’s a really long, drawn out grind fest. Having the whole fight reset for a small slip up is sad

Still.. the thing with braham sheltering everyone except the player under his barrier is a little strange.. considering the pact commander is made out to be super-important. Wouldn’t you make sure your commander is prioritised over a couple of grunts? And aren’t some of those grunts imaginary? O_o

What, does standing in Braham’s shield not work? It was my understanding that you have a choice between the shield or a much riskier round in the air.

I usually go for air, because I still need the achievement (curse those black dots!) but I thought this worked. Does it not?

Redenaz.8631:

What, does standing in Braham’s shield not work? It was my understanding that you have a choice between the shield or a much riskier round in the air.

I usually go for air, because I still need the achievement (curse those black dots!) but I thought this worked. Does it not?

It does not.

Redenaz.8631:

What, does standing in Braham’s shield not work? It was my understanding that you have a choice between the shield or a much riskier round in the air.

I usually go for air, because I still need the achievement (curse those black dots!) but I thought this worked. Does it not?

It doesn’t, even though the dialog right before a gliding phase implies that it does. Yes, it’s dumb and misleading, and possibly bugged (entering Braham’s shield disqualifies you from the “don’t get hit in the air” achievement, so presumably it’s supposed to be an alternative).

Well, that’s surprisingly worthless. :\

Thanks for clearing me up on that.

Bah. I was gonna use that, specifically because of the achievement’s wording, to ease frustration when trying to solo it on the rest of my chars. Guess it comes down to praying the updrafts work or coming along with random party invites and inevitably sitting in the room of shame.

Agreed that it would make sense to allow the player to stand in the shield. It would also prevent a lot of frustration. From what I learned the gliding and updrafts are not bugged, they’re just poorly designed and take several failures to figure out.

I was so mad and ready to quit when I did this but I was afraid I’d have to redo the entire part of the story that led up to the fight so I kept going. Several failures later and lots of forum research, I figured it out.

1. The only gliding masteries you need are the ones the story tells you to get. I’m sure others help, but they’re not needed.
2. You shouldn’t die after one hit by a rock. You may need more HP, but also have shields, invul skills, or heals on hand for when you do. Try to get more HP and Invulnerability skills if you do nothing else – it saved my butt!
3. The updrafts don’t work like any other updraft in the game (DUMB). Do NOT glide into them, do not press F, do not do anything at all. Just walk into them, that’s it. Walk and it will throw you into the air immediately – then, you will need to open your wings so you don’t fall.
4. When you see a rock coming at you, stop gliding for a second to dodge them. It worked every time easily when I did this. Just let go of the button for a second as it comes toward you and then glide again quickly.
5. Gliding in circles above the updrafts keeps you in the air along with the occasional rock.

1 -3 check
4 panic flail arms overcome with adrenalin desperately try to imagine actually succeeding this time go blind from sweat dripping into eyes forget how to use fingers
5 if not dead then go back to 1

having done it once I’d really like to just take a knee behind the shield please on other toons

Leiloni.7951:

Agreed that it would make sense to allow the player to stand in the shield. It would also prevent a lot of frustration. From what I learned the gliding and updrafts are not bugged, they’re just poorly designed and take several failures to figure out.

I was so mad and ready to quit when I did this but I was afraid I’d have to redo the entire part of the story that led up to the fight so I kept going. Several failures later and lots of forum research, I figured it out.

1. The only gliding masteries you need are the ones the story tells you to get. I’m sure others help, but they’re not needed.
2. You shouldn’t die after one hit by a rock. You may need more HP, but also have shields, invul skills, or heals on hand for when you do. Try to get more HP and Invulnerability skills if you do nothing else – it saved my butt!
3. The updrafts don’t work like any other updraft in the game (DUMB). Do NOT glide into them, do not press F, do not do anything at all. Just walk into them, that’s it. Walk and it will throw you into the air immediately – then, you will need to open your wings so you don’t fall.
4. When you see a rock coming at you, stop gliding for a second to dodge them. It worked every time easily when I did this. Just let go of the button for a second as it comes toward you and then glide again quickly.
5. Gliding in circles above the updrafts keeps you in the air along with the occasional rock.

This is useful advice!

Although for point 2, you instantly fall to the floor and start taking insane damage right? Using a healing skill would probably result in death during the cast time.
Invul skills as you say, may allow you to make it to an updraft just in time (and pray that it lifts you up!). Otherwise, I don’t see how else you’d survive being hit

Sorry, I just had to nitpick

Your advice is great, especially point 4. This seems to be the best method for rock dodging.