Battle Creations

[Delicious Vlish]

I am learning something here.

 

While any number of my Shapers can make battle creations, all of which are quite buff and durable, and supported by magic, my Loyalist Guardian can not. Skill points are so damn tight right now. Battle shaping is low. I can make Alphas, bugs, Thahd Shades, and Thahds. And they all DIE in dozens.

 

I did not realize just how much of a difference canisters made in game play until now. My last Hunter Guardian absolutely dominated. He went in batons blazing and his creations smashing everything in sight. My Loyalist on the other hand... Is getting smacked around badly on Torment. I didn't think there was that much difference. But there is. His Thahd Shades hold up rather well... But he only has two of them most of the time. And that's not enough.

 

This has been a real eye opener on how much effect Canisters have on game play.

[Student of Trinity]

I'm on Spears now as a canister-free Loyalist Torment melee doubleton Guardian half-caff Americano latte with no ice ...

 

I mean, a Guardian with decent Missile Weapons (10) (unchanged since Harmony), but mainly relying on melee attacks, with Alwan but no creations, on Torment, has never touched a canister or been shaped in any way.

 

It really hasn't been bad. Some finesse in making contact so as to avoid engaging too many enemy at a time, but I had to do that sort of thing with my Agent and Shaper too. I've never gotten effective creations with any Guardian, so I wouldn't know about Clawbugs versus Thahd Shades. But you can do quite fine without them. I'd be a singleton, except that I want to see what Alwan has to say.

 

Except for a few spots on Harmony. Quite a few, actually. Those were very tough. I don't know now whether the problem was just hangover from my initial over-investment in Parry (which is good, but not so good you should sacrifice everything else to start it at 10), or too much hoarding of my Speed pods and wands (from not realizing that there would be plenty more ahead), or just a tough patch for Guardians no matter what they do.

 

Whatever, nothing since then has been as difficult. So if it's the Harmony Blues that are getting you down, cheer up, life does get easier.

[Delicious Vlish]

He's on Dhonal. He needs to make contact with Greiner or whatever he's called.

 

Spharons serviles are kicking his hind end. No matter where he goes, he has hit a wall of sorts.

 

Going with no creations might actually be better as there would be more points into vital skills.

 

Harmony was bad no doubt about that. The Vlish Woods was a nightmare! I blew through there the first time somehow. I mean, they didn't even slow me down. And those twin minds really laid into me. Yeeeeeouch.

 

With a Shaper or an Agent, the lack of canisters really isn't that noticeable. With a Guardian, it is.

 

Not getting magic creations was a mistake but that's ok, I wanted to see what it was like. Having a Vlish or two or a couple of el-cheapo Artillas for mortar support would have made everything much easier. My melee monsters have this annoying problem of getting gunned down by ranged enemy fire before they can reach their targets.

[Contra]

How did you guys do in the Shade Caves under Harmony Docks?

[Student of Trinity]

Alwan and I did surprisingly well, by gradually retreating into the dead end near the locked door. The narrow passage let us avoid being swarmed, and I found Swarm crystals surprisingly effective against those specter things. Alwan did get blown away at the end, but then I was able to take Krya and his sustained shade things solo (by using some speed pods, luring the two shades into one-on-one battles, and by shooting Krya with thorns of some kind and running after each shot).

 

It was a tough fight, all right, but it worked out okay.