User:Brankoz

BrankoZ
 Guide to solo farming enchanted mobs in Skyward Reach and Vulture Drifts

This is a technique I use to solo enchanted swords/hammers/bows for runes in Skyward Reach (via Augury Rock) and in Vulture Drifts (via Dunes of Despair). The Skyward Reach portion might be optional as the run to get to the enchanted mobs takes a bit and involves dodging or killing some hydras, but if you only do Vulture Drifts you might get hit with an anti-farming flag. There seems to be no risk of getting an anti-farming flag if you do both areas (at least I haven't had the Hint box pop up telling me I've been flagged). I tried ettin farming in Nebo Terrace, and not only is this faster (and more fun IMHO), but I'm positive that this results in more runes than the ettins. In Vulture Drifts, there are a total of 22 enchanted mobs to be killed; in Skyward Reach, there are eight (a total of 30 for those of you from Rio Lindo).

Skyward Reach Zone into Skyward Reach from Augury Rock, and put on your three enchantments. Hug the right zone wall and start running. You may or may not have to clear out a few hydras; they will take turns casting Meteor so time Prot Spirit and SS accordingly. Just before you start going down the hill, to your left just out of radar range, there is a teleport shrine. Again, you may need to clear out a few hydras. After you go thru the teleport, there will be a single hydra to your left that may be in aggro range; I suggest casting Prot Spirit before you go through.

Just in front of you will be one enchanted mob; not far behind him will be another single enchanted mob. After these are gone, run to the east/southeast away from the Arid Sea zonein. You will soon see two single enchanted mobs, and there will be a group of three walking away. If you go a bit further, another group of three will show up and will start walking toward you. These will be the next mobs that you want to take out, then either the single mobs or the other group of three. Watch out for 2-3 hydras that will approach. After you kill these, you can either kill more hydras to fill up your inventory, or zone into Dunes of Despair, then into Vulture Drifts.

Vulture Drifts The first group you'll contend with has 4 mobs; the makeup varies. If there are more than two hammers or bows in the group you probably want to zone back out and in to get a better "roll". After these, there are two pairs of two, then a group of three, then another group of 4. After killing these, you can either keep going straight to take out a group of three, or turn right, kill the griffons, and then there will be a group of four. Note that in Hard Mode, if the griffon boss Perchingbyrd spawns, he is almost impossible to kill as a 55. You will need to run past the griffons as far as you can. This will take you thru the aggro range of the group of four enchanted mobs, but if you can make it to the far wall, the griffons will peel off.

Tip On Killing Hammers

Hammers use Counter Blow (CB), which will knock you down but only if you're attacking, and in hard mode they use Backbreaker, which knocks you down for 3 seconds. Advice: concentrate on killing one at a time; put SS and IP on him and attack so that he uses Counter Blow. In hard mode he will be dead by the time your first cast of PS runs out. In normal mode you may need to recast PS once, but just make sure to do it soon after he uses CB. If there is more than one hammer, target the next one but don't attack until you've got SS and IP on him again.

Tips on Killing Bows Enchanted Bows are the most challenging of the three. They nearly always start by casting Marksmans Wager, and immediately follow this with Penetrating Atack. This is important, as you will see. They also use Concussion Shot which is the most annoying skill ever for a 55. If you get dazed by Concussion, run away as fast as possible, or just lay down and die. In Hard Mode, they use Debilitating Shot, which drains you of 10 energy. The strategy for killing them differs depending on if there is just a solo mob, or if there is one in a group. Solo Mob

Take off Mending. You need two pips of energy to help offset Debilitating Shot, and they will almost always use Concussion if you try to get Breeze off, so health gain will depend entirely on IP. Let energy get to full, cast SS. then cast PS on yourself. Make SURE he is within attacking range, wait for him to start using a skill, then cast IP on him. If he's not in range, or if you cast it while he's just attacking, he will usually use Concussion and will interrupt and daze you, in which case you need to run or die. If you get both on him, and if you did cast SS on him before PS on yourself, he will usually be dead before your PS runs out, but to be safe, recast PS as soon as your energy gets back above 10.

In A Group

Try to get SS off on the bow before anything else aggros you. If you're able to do that, the strategy above should still work, If not, then just cast Breeze and PS on yourself, attack him, and when he's in range just cast IP on him (don't try using SS or he'll Concuss you). You will have to cast IP on him once more during the fight, but shouldn't be too tough.

Priority of group targets

Bow, Hammer, Sword:

Kill the Hammer first; try to get SS on him before you get aggro'd, then cast PS on yourself, then IP on him, and hope you don't get dazed. Be sure to attack him so that he uses Counter Blow, and he'll be dead before your PS runs out. Then kill the Bow using just IP on him and PS on you; don't try to use SS or Breeze. Finish with the sword. Hammer, Hammer, Sword: SS one of the Hammers, then PS yourself, then IP the same hammer. Attack him so that he uses Counter Blow. Once he's dead, target the next one and just IP him when you're not knocked down. Finish with the sword. Note same strategy if there's three hammers in the group, though that rarely happens. Links

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