How to play a sorcerer in the shroud run?

[bolang]

Made a bit of a fool of myself last night doing the shroud run using a lvl 18 sorcerer. At the last stage with final boss fight.

Saw a fire elemental so started hitting it with polar rays and feeling pretty good about myself only to have the raid boss start screaming at me for being a fool.

Ended up just tossing displacement and stone skin on the party as my contribution.

So what I really want to know is as a sorcerer what should I be doing in this raid and in the last stage in particular? What spells should I use and how can i best help the party with out being a ****?

[Hordo]

Made a bit of a fool of myself last night doing the shroud run using a lvl 18 sorcerer. At the last stage with final boss fight.

Saw a fire elemental so started hitting it with polar rays and feeling pretty good about myself only to have the raid boss start screaming at me for being a fool.

Ended up just tossing displacement and stone skin on the party as my contribution.

So what I really want to know is as a sorcerer what should I be doing in this raid and in the last stage in particular? What spells should I use and how can i best help the party with out being a ****?

Well, there usually is a plan. I'd likely have assigned you to polar ray the Fire Ele and drag it away from the main group to facilitate our killing the other lieutenants faster.

As for what he was wanting you to do, I have no idea. Buff folks, get your mana back by wading in and out of one of the pools and then be ready to polar ray Harry occasionally during the endfight while making sure that whatever shlubs die get rebuffed and the melee stay hasted.

That's about it...other than that...not much else to do in that fight.

[sweez]

Sounds like they were saving the fire ele. Hah.

Anyway, displacement is useless vs. Harry, just keep the party raged and hasted.

[twigzz]

Part 1- Stay 2 portals ahead of group cleaning trash. Keep party hasted and raged. Get a G. construct bane weapon.
Part 2- Waves on everything. Buff party smash crystal.
Part 3- Knock doors and run water
Part 4- Buff party, crowd control, waves and CK on Harry. Polar rays, spam mass prot on melee's. If it goes past 1 round then take out knolls.
Part 5- Buff party. Most people kite the ele till healers are full on SP. Repeat 4.

Loot

[sirgog]

People save the fire ele in part 5????? I've never seen a group do anything other than kill him fast (usually I'll kill the gnoll first if he's there, then the fire ele)

As for your contribution - you should be able to do around 12000-35000 damage to the Pit Fiend by casting nothing than Polar Ray over and over (12000 if not at all fire/ice specced, 35k with full fire/ice spec, Major Ice Lore, SP increasing gear, +2 caster level gear and Xaochasian Eardweller). Of course, Haste and Resist Fire are critical and should be cast on everyone (unless that's someone else's job; I get Rangers and Paladins to do it and arcanes if we have none of the other classes)

12k is 8% of his HP; 35k is 23%. That's a lot of damage.


(Edit for clarity: That's 12-35k damage by the time your SP bar is exhausted, which takes a couple dozen Polar Rays.)

[Vellrad]

Part 1- Stay 2 portals ahead of group cleaning trash. Keep party hasted and raged. Get a G. construct bane weapon.


Can I ask why to buy expensive weapon, if casters can just cast damaging spells on portals?

[uhgungawa]

Sounds like they were saving the fire ele. Hah.



Why not, makes it a little more exciting (but only a little)

[bradleyforrest]

Can I ask why to buy expensive weapon, if casters can just cast damaging spells on portals?

The portals are immune to most of a caster's arsenal. You're basically relegated to MM/CM/Disintegrate, and the portals save on a 2.

[Freeman]

The portals are immune to most of a caster's arsenal. You're basically relegated to MM/CM/Disintegrate, and the portals save on a 2.

Ice Storm works fairly well, and you can have it going on multiple portals at once. Combined with the occasional Meteor Swarm and MM, you can do a significant amount of damage before the melees get to a portal.

[Scortius]

Made a bit of a fool of myself last night doing the shroud run using a lvl 18 sorcerer. At the last stage with final boss fight.

Saw a fire elemental so started hitting it with polar rays and feeling pretty good about myself only to have the raid boss start screaming at me for being a fool.

Ended up just tossing displacement and stone skin on the party as my contribution.

So what I really want to know is as a sorcerer what should I be doing in this raid and in the last stage in particular? What spells should I use and how can i best help the party with out being a ****?

The only thing I can think of is that if the fire elemental was close to another lieutenant (and surronded by little whirling globes) you might have been wasting mana, as proximity to other lieuts give them a bunch of wards. The main issue when dealing with the lieuts is to get them isolated so the wards lapse. Even if they're not separated, you can, however, reduce their hit points, and you can regain the mana in the pools after.

Screaming abuse at players isn't usually something that good leaders do - even if someone makes a mistake.

As Hordo and Sirgog noted, whacking the fire ellie with a few polar rays is exactly the right thing to do. Polar ray is the spell of choice for the ellie and Harry.

In parts 4 and 5, if the fight has been going on for a bit drop another Mass Protection from elements on the melee. No one will bug you about not doing this, but it can help a little.

[twigzz]

Can I ask why to buy expensive weapon, if casters can just cast damaging spells on portals?

Hmm don't see where I said buy...

As bradleyforrest said, there's not a whole lot a sorc can do to damage portals. Throw an Icestorm and go to work. Disin is a major mana drain for minor minor damage.

[OldCoaly]

People save the fire ele in part 5????? I've never seen a group do anything other than kill him fast (usually I'll kill the gnoll first if he's there, then the fire ele)

On at least one server, the elementals get parked in part 5.

I know that on some servers, the elementals are killed first and something else (usually Orc or Kobold) is preserved, often by kiting it around, sometimes by kiting it around and then getting the group to body block it in place while the person with agro stays out of range.

Having seen and participated in both methods first hand, it seems like MADNESS to park anything but one of the elementals.

Both methods require that the party cooperate to the extent of not pulling agro off of the person who's managing the boss.


However, parking an elemental requires only ONE person to position the mob and then stand still.

Once the elemental is parked, the rest of the group need only stay away from it. The person who parked it, if it's positioned properly, will take no damage.

No need for body blocking. No need to remind people that shield blocking will irritate the mob and cause it to cleave.


Apologies in advance for thread derailment.

[holfrar]

On Orien, we always 'park' the elemental. it makes life a lot eaiser.

Designated 'Parker' runs up to elemental, hits him a few times then goes to the alter. stand the otherside, then go make a coffee or have a smoke.

This is my Guildies fav part, from the Earth Ele he takes zero damage, from the fire he will take occasional damage (6-10 points).

I have plenty of SS of him 'sleeping with the ele'

The rest of us kill the other 3, heal up, buff up, get SP back, then finish up.

Edit. here is a pic of how 'difficult' it is
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v444/holfrar/ScreenShot00073.jpg

[sweez]

Why not, makes it a little more exciting (but only a little)

Better than saving the Earth, **** hippies.

[phillymiket]

I have recently capped an arcane and had my first half-dozen shroud experiences with him.

The plan for an arcane in the shroud is pike-city baby.

:D

Seriously, arcanes in the shroud seem the easiest class to play there.

Run ahead and WoB the mobs in the first part.
Park in front of the crystal and throw a FW under it and pop it with a disintegrate at the right time next.
Knock open rooms and solve puzzles for people who can't seem to master the skill of plugging in patterns into a solver next.
Buff the party then drop polar rays, something else while ray is on timer and mass procs and kill gnolls next.
Buff re-gen SP and polar ray et al and mass proc for the final fight.

There is very little chance of being killed or causing a wipe. (if you have some way to heal yourself a bit)

I haven't heard of the "save the elemental" method. Usually on Ghalanda gnoll goes down first and elemental second.
Makes sense if there is a safe spot.
Thanks for the tip.
I'd love to try it but then again everyone is so set in there shrouding ways it would be too much convincing to get anyone to change.
It's not like blocking in Kesqik is hard or anything anyway.

[Xenus_Paradox]

On Orien, we always 'park' the elemental. it makes life a lot eaiser.

Designated 'Parker' runs up to elemental, hits him a few times then goes to the alter. stand the otherside, then go make a coffee or have a smoke.

This is my Guildies fav part, from the Earth Ele he takes zero damage, from the fire he will take occasional damage (6-10 points).

I have plenty of SS of him 'sleeping with the ele'

The rest of us kill the other 3, heal up, buff up, get SP back, then finish up.

Edit. here is a pic of how 'difficult' it is
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v444/holfrar/ScreenShot00073.jpg

Mommy, what's the Earth ellie doing to that altar? :o

[holfrar]

I have recently capped an arcane and had my first half-dozen shroud experiences with him.

The plan for an arcane in the shroud is pike-city baby.

:D

Seriously, arcanes in the shroud seem the easiest class to play there.

Run ahead and WoB the mobs in the first part.
Park in front of the crystal and throw a FW under it and pop it with a disintegrate at the right time next.
Knock open rooms and solve puzzles for people who can't seem to master the skill of plugging in patterns into a solver next.
Buff the party then drop polar rays, something else while ray is on timer and mass procs and kill gnolls next.
Buff re-gen SP and polar ray et al and mass proc for the final fight.

There is very little chance of being killed or causing a wipe. (if you have some way to heal yourself a bit)

I haven't heard of the "save the elemental" method. Usually on Ghalanda gnoll goes down first and elemental second.
Makes sense if there is a safe spot.
Thanks for the tip.
I'd love to try it but then again everyone is so set in there shrouding ways it would be too much convincing to get anyone to change.
It's not like blocking in Kesqik is hard or anything anyway.

It one of those things that can easily catch on.
When i first started doing the shroud, the part 2 method was always done by splitting all4 mobs to seperate parts, bringing them down to minimal health, then killing in order.
Then someone showed others the SW method (bring all 4 into the SW corner, hit untill they have zero hp, then split)
I find this method much easier than the first and AFAIK every shroud group on Orien now does this.

As for the caster 'pike-fest' well it's pretty true.
Had a run earlier today, had 1 caster, halfway through part 1 the Caster DC's, a few seconds later he's back.
In party chat he said his dad was 'having a go at him and he was sorry but has to go'
Fair enough, it happens.
We finish part 1 and decide *** lets carry on without a caster (have bard/cleric for buffs)
Part 2 AA takes out crystal
Part 3 no problems
Part 4 Really annoying, Harry must have had 1 HP left before he 'ran away' if the caster had still been on, he would have died a long time before that.
Part 5 a monk DC's but it's still not a problem.

You don't even need a caster in the shroud, but if you have one they can 'pike' and no one will notice lol :)

[phillymiket]

You don't even need a caster in the shroud, but if you have one they can 'pike' and no one will notice lol :)

Just to be clear I don't "pike". I do my job.
The arcane does contribute a good deal.
They make the job easier in all the parts and add a great deal of DPS against Harry.
:)

I just meant that the arcanes jobs are ones that are done pretty much solo and are so easy anyone could do them while eating nachos, drinking beer, watching F-troop, fixing the toaster and arguing with the neighbor.

If you are a bit squishy you will still survive unlike the rogue.
If you miss hitting that polar ray it's no big deal unlike the healer missing that heal.

[Emili]

I prefer not waiting round and kill it all...

[Vellrad]

The portals are immune to most of a caster's arsenal. You're basically relegated to MM/CM/Disintegrate, and the portals save on a 2.

Ah, OK. So this is place where wiz got better DPS than sorc (at least if he got PrE).

[holfrar]

Just to be clear I don't "pike". I do my job.
The arcane does contribute a good deal.
They make the job easier in all the parts and add a great deal of DPS against Harry.
:)

I just meant that the arcanes jobs are ones that are done pretty much solo and are so easy anyone could do them while eating nachos, drinking beer, watching F-troop, fixing the toaster and arguing with the neighbor.

If you are a bit squishy you will still survive unlike the rogue.
If you miss hitting that polar ray it's no big deal unlike the healer missing that heal.

Oh yeah, didn't mean anything nasty by it i always have at least one caster in my groups (normally 2) casters do make it easier, and i'm all for easy :)

[bolang]

Thanks guys for all the great replies.

So in summary, this is how I can best contribute to the party as a 18 lvl sorcer?

-Polar ray Harry (no idea how to do 12000-35000 damage)
-rage party (don't have yet)
-haste party
-mass protect party (don't have yet)

[sephiroth1084]

People save the fire ele in part 5????? I've never seen a group do anything other than kill him fast (usually I'll kill the gnoll first if he's there, then the fire ele) In the all-caster Shroud I ran a week ago we saved fire as I figured it would be the fastest of the lieutenants to take down for 12 casters. Pretty sure I was right (looked like it took 12 Polar Rays and a dink from someone else to kill it). Saved it another time in a run where almost the whole group have Evasion, and in yet another run just to change things up a bit.
[/quote]

[Lord_WC]

p1 - Keep the party hasted and raged. If someone asks for a gh ask them if they really need the +4 to hit portals. Otherwise learn the usual pattern (usually they are different for normal and speed runs, may vary across servers as well). Be always 1-2 portals ahead the party and just wail down stuff. Conserve your sp until you are not confident in the rythm of this part.

p2 - You really can buff the hell out of your sp bar here, not much to do. Wail/hold the trash, put down some cloudkills, go in the middle, fw the crystal up.

p3 - Have knock and learn how to solve puzzles without a solver. Just run water, goes faster that way.

p4 - While the others are buffing and the usual 'anyone wants this shard?' and 'I still need *insert buff name*' kicks in, go in, separate one and dance it and kill the rest. Dump your sp with spamming polar rays (you shouldnt worry too much about cooldown as a sorc, its fast enough), but leave 200-250 sp just in case the dps is not enough for a 1st rounder. If harry has just a sliver of hp left when the blades are in by all means nuke him down. Dont forget to throw an odd mass prot on the melees after a meteor swarm, healers will love you, and always have harry stand in a cloudkill.

p5 - Nuke what you can, kit out the group, nuke some more and ck. Throw up a ddoor for the few who like double loading screens instead of one (still beats me why ddooring is better then just recalling or /death).

You will be requested to cast haste, rage, knock, gh, mass prot, resists, so nothing special here.

[Fejj]

Thanks guys for all the great replies.

So in summary, this is how I can best contribute to the party as a 18 lvl sorcer?

-Polar ray Harry (no idea how to do 12000-35000 damage)
-rage party (don't have yet)
-haste party
-mass protect party (don't have yet)

Harry in part 5 has 150K hit points or so. (from post on boss stats)
Polar ray @ 50 points a cast say 2500 SP (don't flame the numbers i'm using close approximations)
(you) - Each cast should hit for about 300 + or - so 50 x 300 = 15,000 (10% total hit points)
(with gear) - Each cast should hit for about 700 + or - so 50 x 700 = 35,000 (23% total hit points)
If you have a blue bar left at the end, your doing it wrong. Find the button which casts polar ray and just mash away.

Rage is a low level spell. You have it available, you just did not take it.

Mass Protect - Its a level 7 spell if you want it its available. Its nice to toss one in there after you notice massive damage.

I hope you took more away from this thread than the above.

Part 1 - WoB ahead of party to avoid portal keepers from spawning
Part 2 - CC at south central - then fire on crystal. If the fire ele spawns, hes yours to own.
Part 3 - knock, knock, knock. Break crystals above door to water faster.
Part 4 - if goes to round 2 - FoD or WoB on knolls healing Harry. Then more DPS
Part 5 - Polar ray - again and again. It looks small, but your total damage works out nice.

You can (and should) UMD heal scrolls to help keep pressure off the clerics in part 2 if you are not on the crystal.

[bolang]

thanks Fejj, i'll sort out those spells

Definitely got a lot out of this thread which I am grateful for

Just finished a shroud run on normal. Went well. One death at at part 5 and 1 or 2 deaths in total for the other parts.

My 4-5 shroud run and the most successful. Hasted the party and together with another Sorc were polar raying Harry.

Broke the crystal in part 4 with firewalls, a first for me :)

[sweez]

Broke the crystal in part 4 with firewalls, a first for me :)

Part... 2?