Guarded Docks, am I missing something?

[zijinx]

I played through and beat the whole Geneforge series before, so I'm not new to this, but I can't get through the Guarded Docks. Like not even close. On regular difficulty.

 

I am a Level 19 shaper, have two drayks lvl20, one cryodrake lvl20, one ur-glaahk lvl19, one iron claw bug lvl14, and on the last try added a charged vlish lvl17 (hoping the weakness field would make a difference) and I get pounded into the dirt. I put on essence shields, mass energize, etc.

 

I have killed Goettsch, destroyed the Geneforge, wiped out the Takers, killed the leader of the Awakened, etc. and cleared the map (except Diarazad won't go green no matter what I do) and am a wrecking machine. But I go the Guarded Docks and just get wiped out. I have tried luring some out to fight them separately to no avail. This isn't a "oh, hard challenge, gonna have to reload a buncha times to get through". This is like a toddler fighting Mike Tyson.

 

Is there some trick I'm missing? Because at this point I'm just about ready to just call it quits.

[Randomizer]

This zone is much harder than the original game. But there are two non combat methods for getting through here. Feeding the servant mind and with leadership 5 you can get it to provide a diversion or using a red spore baton you can sneak through. It's a tough fight and I've never had it go well without losing lots of creations.

 

Welcome to Spiderweb Software. Please leave your sanity at the door. It's the price you pay for playing these games.

[zijinx]

Ah! I fed the servant mind before! I shall go enlist his help.

 

I also have the red spore baton to try as well.

 

A straight up fight was definitely not going to work. I was just shocked at the difficulty jump. I've beaten just about everything else in the game (even the cockatrice swarms, which are new, didn't see those last time I played these) and couldn't see how/why this area was SO much tougher than the rest of the game.

 

Thanks!

[Mechalibur]

Yeah, it's usually just less of a hassle to go down the south route now.

 

That being said, the battle is still beatable. I recommend liberal use of the Dominate spell since most Sholai have no resistance to mental. Essence Shield can also usually make your creations last an extra hit before they die.

[zijinx]

"I recommend liberal use of the Dominate spell since most Sholai have no resistance to mental."

 

That's weird. Stabby (my ur-glaahk) wasn't getting much traction with his Dominate ability. I noticed the augmented guys didn't get charmed at all, but sometimes the warriors  would in my many retries.

[Mechalibur]

Actually, on a second look, the sholai seem to have 30% mental resist at the docks (you can right click an enemy to see their resists).

 

If your ur-glaahk is a low level, it might just be missing, which can happen before the chance to resist is even rolled. Still, even with the resist, I found dominate to be the most reliable strategy for the docks, especially if you're doubling up on it with your character and ur-glaahks.

[TriRodent]

I usually went down & around (through the red mines) to get to the boat.  For the times I fought my way through, even as a solo agent on veteran, I'd whittle things down before they all attacked.  Stand juuuust out of their visual range & stun the nearest one with airshock at the furthest it could reach.  That was usually good for three turns, so run in on the first stunned turn & hit him with searer, run back out & continue the airshocks while the poison/acid whittled hit points away as well.  Run back in on a new stunned rounds, etc.  Usually I'd have to head back to town to recharge after killing just one, but as there was no penalty to do so/day counter to advance, why not.  Come back & find someone else who could be picked off the same way. Rinse, lather, repeat.  Eventually (eventually....) you'd get down to just a couple within the actual docks area & probably could handle them.  Never tried dominate on them as airshock became my go to/take on everything spell.

[Randomizer]

Dominate when it works help greatly, but I have had it fail too often there. Works best against Trajkov's creations and Goettsch.

[zijinx]

Well recruiting the servant mind did the trick.

 

I even got a good ending (I played shaper loyalist allied with the obeyers). We now can have some Order! None of this crazy people thinking they can have divine power from a pond, bloody peasants!