User:Quizzical12571

Someday I might make a meaningful user page. In the meantime, I've rewritten the strategies against M. Bison and Dzagonur Bastion. Those were previously terrible, which is what forced me to register an account in the first place.

I've posted single-class builds that can beat M. Bison at Guide to defeating Magni the Bison, but now am tweaking them some to be able to get through the preceding opponents better. All the builds were already known to beat M. Bison before the further experients and tweaks. My notes go here until I have everything ready to post.

I'm fighting through the tournament with a given build enough times to at least reach the fifth round at least ten times, and stopping on a run which encounters no new opponents. That will let me take a shot at most of the AI opponents, which is enough to get a good idea of how well the build does.

Some of the mobs who like to spam heals take quite a while to wear down, but it can eventually finish off opponents like Mhenlo or Danika. I didn't encounter any I couldn't beat, and of the ones I didn't encounter, only Eve looks potentially troublesome.

Opponents not attempted: Eve, Devona

I can't beat Danika with this build. Alesia beat me, but I think that was just a fluke where I messed up, and the build can probably beat her. Of the opponents I haven't faced, Zho might be trouble for the same reason as Danika: can't kite two mobs at once, which is how you beat most melee. The rest should be easy.

Nature's Renewal is a critical part of the build, as it really messes with the AI if you drop it behind the wall. The only reason this build can beat Tydus is that instead of attacking you, he mostly stands there and shoots the wall, trying to kill the spirit. Some mobs won't even bother trying to cast potentially nasty hexes, and those that do are much easier to interrupt with the doubled casting time. Gwen in particular doesn't use any skills at all, but just stands there wanding.

Magni will purge poison, but not bleeding or cripple. It's thus safer to kite him if you don't use poison, though poisoning him makes it go much faster.

Opponents not attempted: Panaku, Zho, Ghostly Hero, Headmaster Vhang, Argo, Talon Silverwing

Sorry to use a pve-only skill here, but without a decent direct damage skill, it simply wasn't possible to do adequate damage against some opponents. Having a reasonably high Sunspear rank (I had rank 8) is only necessary against a couple opponents like Devona and Alesia that play for the stalemate, not the win.

I was able to beat all the opponents I faced. Of those that I didn't face, only Old Mac and the often difficult Danika look potentially troublesome.

Opponents not attempted: Melonni, Old Mac, Danika, Panaku, Kahmu, Nika

I beat everyone I faced with this build, and expect that it should destroy the opponents I didn't face. Mhenlo takes long enough that if you draw him as an opponent, it may be quicker to just give up. Beating Mhenlo requires interrupting two consecutive casts of healing breeze, which can take many tries, as you must start casting gale before he starts casting healing breeze in order to interrupt it.

Opponents not attempted: Orion, Danika, Razah, Nika

This build cannot beat Razah or Devona, but can beat the rest of those I fought. Of the opponents I haven't faced, it would likely struggle with Danika and Mhenlo. Opponents that rely heavily on degeneration are typically difficult, but beatable. Those that like to start healing at about half life can usually be finished off with bane signet, holy strike, and castigation signet in that order, starting just above the threshold at which the character heals, and while the character is attacking so that bane strike will knock him down. This doesn't work with Devona because her lifeline is just too long.

Opponents not attempted: Alesia, Melonni, Danika, Ghostly Hero, Mhenlo

The only opponent I faced that I couldn't beat was Danika, though she may be beatable with alternate tactics. Razah is difficult, but beatable. This build handily destroys everyone else I faced. Potentially annoying mob healing is blocked with either spirit shackles or ignorance, depending on the opponent. Of those I didn't fight, only Gwen looks like trouble.

Opponents not attempted: Koss, Gwen, Mhenlo, Nika

I was able to beat all the opponents I faced except Lukas, though Gwen and Razah can also be troublesome. Lukas is beatable with this build, too, though, as I twice came within a timely interrupt of healing signet of beating him. Among opponents I did not face, only Eve looks like a potential problem.

Opponents not attempted: Kilroy, Old Mac, Eve, Devona

The only opponent I didn't beat was Danika, though the game randomly minimized in the middle of the battle, so that fight probably wasn't very representative. Mhenlo, Norgu, and Razah have funky AI, so the battle proceeds a little differently, but they're quite beatable. Argo will destroy the spirits while taking minimal damage, making for a harder fight. The opponents I didn't draw should be easy unless they have unusual AI to not die in the normal manner.

Opponents not attempted: Sogolon, Old Mac, Nika

I beat all the opponents I attempted with this build, and expect that none of the ones I didn't face will provide a meaningful challenge. Some take quite a while to wear down, and Mhenlo is only beatable if he doesn't decide to cast mending early on.

Opponents not attempted: Kilroy, Sogolon, Melonni, Warmaster Tydus, Koss

I beat all the opponents I faced, through Razah is hard if it opens with wanderlust or shadowsong. Among those I haven't fought, Danika and the Ghostly Hero look troublesome, the latter because immunity to bleeding really messes up this build.

Opponents not attempted: Kilroy, Vekk, Danika, Ghostly Hero, Headmaster Vhang, Gwen, Nika