Guild Wars 2

Are there others that seem to struggle with HoT content? I main a warrior, as I have played one since my GW1 days. I run Nike’s build with A/M + GS with Zerker’s gear. I’ve never had a problem with content until now, and I am just now at Tangled Depths. Is there something I can do to make it a little easier, as I love the story stuff but am currently hindered by needing EXP for Nuhoch mastery and the map seems fairly dead for events.

Also, what second class would folks recommend that is more survivable for experiencing story-related content?

I use a Ranger, with no build whatsoever (just use whatever has dropped or been awarded through the years, haven’t ever changed Traits) in all the Story content, and I don’t have a problem, at all.

Are you using the LFG to find populated maps?

If you’re on a US server, hit me up in game. I’ll show you how to get around and deal with HoT. You dont’ need another class. You might want a long bow or rifle though.

I also main a ranger through this content. I want to stress that he’s a ranger, not a druid. Although I completely unlocked the elite, I don’t like using it; it’s just not my style. Going through the HoT content, I found it all challenging, but I didn’t really hit a wall until the final fight against Mordremoth.

I don’t really know the warrior class that well, so I can’t really give any advice besides A) always have a ranged base attack option and maybe it’s time to look at your build? Berzerker is not the king it used to be.

I’ve run HoT (and LWS3, which is comparably lethal) on a number of characters in all 3 armor weights (LWS3 E1 I’ve run on 10 of my 11 characters, 3 of whom have full ascended gear, one is half asc/exo, and the rest have mixed crafted, dungeon and temple exos, with a 2 not even using level 80 weapons because I was lazy about getting them off the level 60 crafted exos.) I’ve had little to no trouble soloing everything in storyline.

Some characters are squishier, some have less AoE kill ability, etc. It’s all just a matter of knowing those limits.. my Chronomancer uses lots of clones and progresses slowly, my Warrior takes on 2 or 3, but stays away from huge groups until they’ve been whittled down around the edges, and my Engineer (p/p celestial turret/flamethrower) lets the Thumper mostly tank and tries not to die too much. Ranger is good survivability even with mixed Berserker/Assassin/Marauder ascended gear, thanks to pet tanking and Longbow piercing (side note: Marauder’s is 100% better for solo play than Berserker, especially on an alt, and isn’t even noticed by PuGs when I do events or dungeons.. it’s worth considering as a secondary set of armor if you’d prefer to keep a Berserker set to group in.)

For top tier survivability, my Reaper (GS/axe+focus, marauder Shouts, half ascended armor), Dragon Hunter (LB/Staff, viper’s with traps and burns, full ascended) and Tempest (scepter+dagger, carrion armor/viper’s weapons and trinkets, Signets/Shouts, full ascended/legendary) run in, pull a room and let the mobs wash around them and die in the AoE nastiness (to be fair, my ele was always played like this, even before The Great Condi De-Nerfing. Tempest just gave me the extra AoEs with Overload and Shouts. This is why she’s been my main since I decided to try something other than D/D ’Zerk.)

Also: XP in all the HoT zones will credit towards mastery, I strongly recommend AB metas or Bloodstone Fen (especially since you can buy a permanent +30& XP buff for that map) as your best options for getting mastery xp quickly so you can move pasted story gates, as TD is often a low population map.

There’s gonna be people saying “do this, do that, use this build, dont’ do that, play like this”

You know what my advice is? Run with a zerg, it’s the easiest way. Find a good populated map and just go with 50 other players, you will face absolutely no resistance and your XP bar will fill up in no-time. Do hero points and nab your specializations while you’re at it too. Really, I tried all the ways people said would be successful and it was mindnumbingly boring me to tears. Then I gave up and realized Hot = ZERG LOL and went with that. Also, Tarir meta = Massive XP, so find it and do it over and over.

Really, HoT isn’t hard once you figure out that a zerg is what these maps are created for and only that.

Hapmuhr.2781:

There’s gonna be people saying “do this, do that, use this build, dont’ do that, play like this”

You know what my advice is? Run with a zerg, it’s the easiest way. Find a good populated map and just go with 50 other players, you will face absolutely no resistance and your XP bar will fill up in no-time. Do hero points and nab your specializations while you’re at it too. Really, I tried all the ways people said would be successful and it was mindnumbingly boring me to tears. Then I gave up and realized Hot = ZERG LOL and went with that. Also, Tarir meta = Massive XP, so find it and do it over and over.

Really, HoT isn’t hard once you figure out that a zerg is what these maps are created for and only that.

I don’t think I could disagree with this post more. Two or three people in a party is enough to do 90% plus of HOT. There may be one or two things you can’t do in each zone, but it’s minimal. Only the metas, which always need groups, require more people, and even then zergs aren’t required.

Vayne.8563:

Hapmuhr.2781:

There’s gonna be people saying “do this, do that, use this build, dont’ do that, play like this”

You know what my advice is? Run with a zerg, it’s the easiest way. Find a good populated map and just go with 50 other players, you will face absolutely no resistance and your XP bar will fill up in no-time. Do hero points and nab your specializations while you’re at it too. Really, I tried all the ways people said would be successful and it was mindnumbingly boring me to tears. Then I gave up and realized Hot = ZERG LOL and went with that. Also, Tarir meta = Massive XP, so find it and do it over and over.

Really, HoT isn’t hard once you figure out that a zerg is what these maps are created for and only that.

I don’t think I could disagree with this post more. Two or three people in a party is enough to do 90% plus of HOT. There may be one or two things you can’t do in each zone, but it’s minimal. Only the metas, which always need groups, require more people, and even then zergs aren’t required.

That’s the rub though, “could” as in doing it with lots of difficulty. It’s obvious that HoT is a collection of meta maps where you are supposed to run with a zerg to do most things. Going against that is just an excersize in frustration as far as I’m concerned. I mean, look at VB, you have your camps, all meta. Look at AB, same thing, tarir meta, pylons and what have you. Look at TD, chak meta. It’s all designed for large groups and denying that just ends up with frustration.

Hapmuhr.2781:

Vayne.8563:

Hapmuhr.2781:

There’s gonna be people saying “do this, do that, use this build, dont’ do that, play like this”

You know what my advice is? Run with a zerg, it’s the easiest way. Find a good populated map and just go with 50 other players, you will face absolutely no resistance and your XP bar will fill up in no-time. Do hero points and nab your specializations while you’re at it too. Really, I tried all the ways people said would be successful and it was mindnumbingly boring me to tears. Then I gave up and realized Hot = ZERG LOL and went with that. Also, Tarir meta = Massive XP, so find it and do it over and over.

Really, HoT isn’t hard once you figure out that a zerg is what these maps are created for and only that.

I don’t think I could disagree with this post more. Two or three people in a party is enough to do 90% plus of HOT. There may be one or two things you can’t do in each zone, but it’s minimal. Only the metas, which always need groups, require more people, and even then zergs aren’t required.

That’s the rub though, “could” as in doing it with lots of difficulty. It’s obvious that HoT is a collection of meta maps where you are supposed to run with a zerg to do most things. Going against that is just an excersize in frustration as far as I’m concerned. I mean, look at VB, you have your camps, all meta. Look at AB, same thing, tarir meta, pylons and what have you. Look at TD, chak meta. It’s all designed for large groups and denying that just ends up with frustration.

I can solo most of it. I do almost none of it with a lot of difficulty even if it’s just me and my wife. I don’t know why you find it difficult, because it’s not that difficult. If you don’t believe me, I’d be happy to show you.

Vayne.8563:

Hapmuhr.2781:

Vayne.8563:

Hapmuhr.2781:

There’s gonna be people saying “do this, do that, use this build, dont’ do that, play like this”

You know what my advice is? Run with a zerg, it’s the easiest way. Find a good populated map and just go with 50 other players, you will face absolutely no resistance and your XP bar will fill up in no-time. Do hero points and nab your specializations while you’re at it too. Really, I tried all the ways people said would be successful and it was mindnumbingly boring me to tears. Then I gave up and realized Hot = ZERG LOL and went with that. Also, Tarir meta = Massive XP, so find it and do it over and over.

Really, HoT isn’t hard once you figure out that a zerg is what these maps are created for and only that.

I don’t think I could disagree with this post more. Two or three people in a party is enough to do 90% plus of HOT. There may be one or two things you can’t do in each zone, but it’s minimal. Only the metas, which always need groups, require more people, and even then zergs aren’t required.

That’s the rub though, “could” as in doing it with lots of difficulty. It’s obvious that HoT is a collection of meta maps where you are supposed to run with a zerg to do most things. Going against that is just an excersize in frustration as far as I’m concerned. I mean, look at VB, you have your camps, all meta. Look at AB, same thing, tarir meta, pylons and what have you. Look at TD, chak meta. It’s all designed for large groups and denying that just ends up with frustration.

I can solo most of it. I do almost none of it with a lot of difficulty even if it’s just me and my wife. I don’t know why you find it difficult, because it’s not that difficult. If you don’t believe me, I’d be happy to show you.

Thank you, but no thank you.

I know the ways to solo it, but it always requires pidgeonholing into some solo meta or some tactic that I have no wish to learn when I can just play as I regularly do if I’m in a zerg. So soloing is just pure tedium in these maps, that’s my entire point. It’s doable yes, but why would I when I can make it easy on myself?

Tangled Depths is a vile place, nobody likes it. It has 4 HPs that are completely soloable. For masteries experience farm the AB – AB is king.

I’ve ran HoT with 7 characters, all in fracral/glass canon builds and gear because defense is for the weak.

For warrior grab rifle and/or bow – I don’t melee when solo. All HoT mobs are easy/-ish to kite but pain if you are face-tanking. Yes, they go down faster with higher DPS melee weapons but what’s the point of that when you can play ranged with your foot. The only character I consistently melee on is necro but c’mon, two health pools and meat shields.

Summary: grab a ranged weapon, kite. Don’t play in Tangled Depths more than necessary. Give your love to AB.

Warrior is one of the stronger solo classes I’ve tried in HoT, and one of the few that performed particularly well even before unlocking the elite spec. However, I’m far from an expert on the class. If I had to guess, your lack of a ranged option may be causing you unnecessary difficulty. Try greatsword/rifle with a power build including the defense line . That worked really well for me for solo HoT as a warrior.

For alternatives, necro and ranger are good options for players who struggle with HoT. Their pets are effective distractions in combat and you can trait for strong heals with ranger or excellent survivability with necro.

My personal preference for solo open world is thief, though. They move fast, kill fast, and with the right build their reputation for being “squishy” goes right out the window! They are less forgiving than warrior, necro, or ranger, though. If you aren’t good at actively avoiding damage with movement and timing, thief may not be a good choice.

Hapmuhr.2781:

Vayne.8563:

Hapmuhr.2781:

Vayne.8563:

Hapmuhr.2781:

There’s gonna be people saying “do this, do that, use this build, dont’ do that, play like this”

You know what my advice is? Run with a zerg, it’s the easiest way. Find a good populated map and just go with 50 other players, you will face absolutely no resistance and your XP bar will fill up in no-time. Do hero points and nab your specializations while you’re at it too. Really, I tried all the ways people said would be successful and it was mindnumbingly boring me to tears. Then I gave up and realized Hot = ZERG LOL and went with that. Also, Tarir meta = Massive XP, so find it and do it over and over.

Really, HoT isn’t hard once you figure out that a zerg is what these maps are created for and only that.

I don’t think I could disagree with this post more. Two or three people in a party is enough to do 90% plus of HOT. There may be one or two things you can’t do in each zone, but it’s minimal. Only the metas, which always need groups, require more people, and even then zergs aren’t required.

That’s the rub though, “could” as in doing it with lots of difficulty. It’s obvious that HoT is a collection of meta maps where you are supposed to run with a zerg to do most things. Going against that is just an excersize in frustration as far as I’m concerned. I mean, look at VB, you have your camps, all meta. Look at AB, same thing, tarir meta, pylons and what have you. Look at TD, chak meta. It’s all designed for large groups and denying that just ends up with frustration.

I can solo most of it. I do almost none of it with a lot of difficulty even if it’s just me and my wife. I don’t know why you find it difficult, because it’s not that difficult. If you don’t believe me, I’d be happy to show you.

Thank you, but no thank you.

I know the ways to solo it, but it always requires pidgeonholing into some solo meta or some tactic that I have no wish to learn when I can just play as I regularly do if I’m in a zerg. So soloing is just pure tedium in these maps, that’s my entire point. It’s doable yes, but why would I when I can make it easy on myself?

No, it doesn’t require pigeon-holing anything into any meta. I don’t even run meta builds. It requires knowing the enemy and knowing your profession and having a friend or two. That’s all it really requires.

My friends and I do it for fun. I’ve already trained all my masteries.

Hapmuhr.2781:

Vayne.8563:

Hapmuhr.2781:

Vayne.8563:

Hapmuhr.2781:

There’s gonna be people saying “do this, do that, use this build, dont’ do that, play like this”

You know what my advice is? Run with a zerg, it’s the easiest way. Find a good populated map and just go with 50 other players, you will face absolutely no resistance and your XP bar will fill up in no-time. Do hero points and nab your specializations while you’re at it too. Really, I tried all the ways people said would be successful and it was mindnumbingly boring me to tears. Then I gave up and realized Hot = ZERG LOL and went with that. Also, Tarir meta = Massive XP, so find it and do it over and over.

Really, HoT isn’t hard once you figure out that a zerg is what these maps are created for and only that.

I don’t think I could disagree with this post more. Two or three people in a party is enough to do 90% plus of HOT. There may be one or two things you can’t do in each zone, but it’s minimal. Only the metas, which always need groups, require more people, and even then zergs aren’t required.

That’s the rub though, “could” as in doing it with lots of difficulty. It’s obvious that HoT is a collection of meta maps where you are supposed to run with a zerg to do most things. Going against that is just an excersize in frustration as far as I’m concerned. I mean, look at VB, you have your camps, all meta. Look at AB, same thing, tarir meta, pylons and what have you. Look at TD, chak meta. It’s all designed for large groups and denying that just ends up with frustration.

I can solo most of it. I do almost none of it with a lot of difficulty even if it’s just me and my wife. I don’t know why you find it difficult, because it’s not that difficult. If you don’t believe me, I’d be happy to show you.

Thank you, but no thank you.

I know the ways to solo it, but it always requires pidgeonholing into some solo meta or some tactic that I have no wish to learn when I can just play as I regularly do if I’m in a zerg. So soloing is just pure tedium in these maps, that’s my entire point. It’s doable yes, but why would I when I can make it easy on myself?

You’re fighting a losing battle – some people believe everything is fine in GW2 and whatever you find difficult they find easy.

Djinn.9245:

You’re fighting a losing battle – some people believe everything is fine in GW2 and whatever you find difficult they find easy.

We can disagree with OP without believing that everything is fine in GW2. I was higly disappointed with HOT, enough that I left that game for several months and only getting back from time to time for the living world episode.

But the difficulty argument will never end. There will always be people finding the content too difficult or too easy. Even if anet make the content easier so that OP feel it’s just perfect, there will still be someone else complaining that they have a hard time with the content and anet need to make it easier.

I didn’t say the content was “too hard” or that ANet needed to nerf it. I simply said I was struggling and looking for advice. I got some advice, tweaked my build, and equipped a longbow. It did not get easier, but I got smarter on positioning and what not. I finished HoT and have now moved on the Out of the Shadows.

Thank you all for your input.

I do not really like the the large PvE based groups anymore. I did like doing DS Meta at one point. But now it seems as if there is just a bunch of noobs who have no clue. You try to help them understand what needs to be done in order of people to get maximum rewards, but they simply do not listen. I hate to say it but most of these new players that have purchased Gw2 with HoT in the last year do not care about anyone but themselves. IT has become quite toxic as well…..

A year ago, I spent about 4 months exploring the 4 new maps on my main and maxing out masteries short of raids, before taking my alt all the way through to DS this year as a level 5 mastery. It takes time, and you will struggle in the beginning, but it gets easier. You just have to get used to the maps, the shortcuts, and what masteries you need and which ones can wait abit. That level 5 account just hit level 50 something last night and it’s more fun, but it’s still nicer on the 165 account.

Maguuma mastery points, imo are plentiful enough, once you get used to the little things you can do to rack them up, it’s the core masteries I wonder about being able to get on the alt. I honestly don’t know where I got enough to max the lines on my main, because I look at what’s left and where that account is and I think, this will take another year…

Struggling? Just drop it like it’s HoT.
And never mind that money you paid. You are of no further use to ANet at this time, like the rest of us.

LoL NooBs.5076:

Struggling? Just drop it like it’s HoT.
And never mind that money you paid. You are of no further use to ANet at this time, like the rest of us.

Or maybe, you should see what the OP posted later in the thread:

“I didn’t say the content was “too hard” or that ANet needed to nerf it. I simply said I was struggling and looking for advice. I got some advice, tweaked my build, and equipped a longbow. It did not get easier, but I got smarter on positioning and what not. I finished HoT and have now moved on the Out of the Shadows.
Thank you all for your input.”

Seems to me that unlike some of the posters in this thread, the OP found a way through HoT, using some of the advice in this thread.

As far as I can tell there are three types of players here. Those who didn’t find HoT particularly challenging to begin with. Those who found it very challenging and gave up pretty fast, without really trying to adapt, and those who found it challenging at first and figured out a way to get through it, or even into it.

Those groups of players probably have some crossover, but you get the idea.

Not everyone that found HoT challenging necessarily gave up. And I know people who found it challenging at first and now really enjoy it.

Saying the company doesn’t care about you, when they went to great lengths to make significant changes to HoT based on player comments seems to be pretty misleading to me.

The problem I have is the term challenging content .
What does this actually mean in objective terms.
Put some numbers on it in terms of how many players are needed, what type of gear must they have , how many mastery points must they have , how many hours of playing are needed etc, to do this challenging content.
Otherwise is just a meaningless term which tells people nothing.

mauried.5608:

The problem I have is the term challenging content .
What does this actually mean in objective terms.
Put some numbers on it in terms of how many players are needed, what type of gear must they have , how many mastery points must they have , how many hours of playing are needed etc, to do this challenging content.
Otherwise is just a meaningless term which tells people nothing.

I dont think that there can be an objective meaning for the term as different people will find different things to be challenging.

Pretty much. I like to try to take on champs, group events, etc. By myself. That’s fun for me. Obviously, that isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time, however. So, I’m very unlikely to complain about an event being too challenging. That doesn’t mean I’m opposed to compromise, though. I thought the April patch was very positive overall.

u might want some condi cleanse and a not be solely glasscannon in HoT. but most importantly is to grind out your masteries asap. that helps alot.