Nuggetty Goodness

Having healed 7 groups through this, with only one disastrous failure (who of course opted to play 'blame the healer'), I've come to realise that not only has ANet created a gloriously epic finale... they've also managed to incorporate PvP elements into it.

Yes, PvP elements in PvE - Oh noes!

While some group setups do make things easier, it is entirely possible to do this event *without* a specific setup. Even without the obligatory minion master. So I'm not going to touch on what does or does not make things easier here in terms of which classes/skills are brought. Any group, playing sanely, can get through this. There've been reports of it being done without a healer - so - not even that archetype is indispensable if you play smart. (Again, very PvP.)

PvP stuff that Battle for Lion's Arch teaches:
1) Don't overextend
Don't run out the front gate into the arms of the waiting army, just because you can.
2) Don't clump up
AoE says hello.
3) Know when to fall back
Watch the battle, not just your target. Watch for if your party members ping energy, call for a fall back, or are in general under so much pressure that *you* decide to call for a fall back.
4) Use the terrain
After Isaiah, it's usually a good idea to retreat to the stairs between the two hills. Because Guild Wars has collision detection, this is perfect 'tanking' country. The main object of mobile affection stands between the two hills. The squishies hide behind the hills, and those that need the higher ground cautiously venture up one hill.
5) Your healer is not God
Play smart. You are responsible for yourself, more than your healer is responsible for you. And even if your healer were God, they wouldn't be able to save you from your own stupidity. Nor are they obligated to.

PvE stuff that you really should do:
Wear an infused armour set. Yes, Blimm's 'weapon' gives an aura. That aura only lasts a set duration, and is gone if you die. That means that if you die just one time, for whatever reason, and don't have infused armour, game over. Oh, and Isaiah brings a Jade Construct - before Blimm's 'weapon' is ready.

ArenaNet has outdone themselves with the finale to War in Kryta - the Battle for Lion's Arch. It's just brilliant in so many ways.

1) Choice of Location
Setting it as a Master difficulty quest in Lion's arch means that players can a) Try to do it with just their heroes (effectively depriving them of 2 team members); b) Try to do it in Hard Mode, for the level 20 henches - I tried this for shits and giggles, let's just say I had the shits and the Mantle had the giggles XD; c) Actually brave the waters of going with humans, and ZOMG have FUN! This is the most fun I've had with humans on GW in ages, not counting good friends. It rawks!

2) Epicness!
The two leadup quests, and the final battle feature HORDES of enemies. All those red dots against your pathetic numbers of green dots (unless of course, you have a minion master to make more green dots...). It's fast and intense and just plain fun. It really shows off the great skillbars ANet wrote for the Peacekeepers. Whoever wrote those, kudos to you guys - they are beautiful, beautiful bars. Especially since they don't rely on spamming 'monster skills', which I've always found to be a bit of a cop-out, no matter what the game.

Contrary to the impression people demanding certain classes or builds tend to give, they aren't necessary. Being a decent player with a good bar is. But no specific class is necessary. But what about monks, you say? Well, the monk bar I'm running could also be run with no problems as a secondary, by anything but a warrior or paragon. (Yes, even a ranger could run it). There's only one skill they'd have to change, (a pve monk skill), and it's replaceable with a slow-casting pve equivalent.

3) The drops are good - if you have time to pick them up
I don't personally care. I'd do this if there were no drops! But the drops make it better! =) I got a superior vigor rune my second time round healing this.

In fact, I love this finale so much that if I'm not busy, I will most happily monk for it if you want a human monk. Soooo. Poke Wren Brownfeather (or variants thereof) if you're thinking of doing this quest. I'd love to come along! *smooch ANet* Be warned though, I don't run a conventional bar. And for this finale I don't want to run a conventional bar. I use a build that I find works better for me than the standard WoH/ZB/HB, even though it's not a PvX build. And keeping it isn't negotiable.

I need to post up a few of my 'Man, that looks weird but it works' monk bars at some point. I'd post it here (I'm not just being all SEKRIT LEETIST NUGGEET!), but it does need a tiny bit of explaining if you've never explored beyond HB/ZB/UA/WoH before. And a hero can't run it - it needs judgement to use. So I won't put the build here for now. If you really really want-a-zigga-zig-pie it, just PM me in game, and I'll explain it. =)

:( Only thing that makes me sad is completing this quest removes WiK content except when you have a bounty. For someone who's been killing them near nonstop cause they're so fun, that makes slightly sadpanda nuggets. ~_o Oh well. I can use the bounties to get my kill-vanquish fix!

 

Murr... not sure if I like this colour setup... *mournies*

Oh! What evil powers punny names of doomy doom exercise over this poor, helpless nugget!

I don't have any more character slots for Guild Wars, and I still want to make a mesmer and a paragon. But I've been putting it off - nuggeet! You can't even play *all* the characters you have competently yet, you dun need to bai moar!

Then the Evil Punny Monster said: Hay, I wonder if Black Moa Chic is taken yet. And off flew my money. :(

Here be da Black Moa Chic!

Picked up some Shineh Dragonneh Canthan Elite armour for my baby warrior Cao Ying. I love how 'Oriental' it looks; (since it doesn't really look like any specific Asian culture's armour, ceremonial or otherwise, Oriental's the best word I can find).

I like the front of the Elite Canthan pants, but the red sash thingie at the back makes her bum waggle in a slightly disturbing fashion. >.>

Which is why I think I'm going to stick with Non-Elite Sunspear for the legs. Waggle-bum as she runs is just too distracting!

(Oh, and I didn't originally intend to buy the Elite Canthan pants... I misclicked at the armourer. XD)

Lazy nugget this week. Got so carried away with tinkering my Guild Wars builds that I forgot to start the colour study until it was too late, too late Gromit!

Hopefully I'll be motivated enough to finish the rest of the study this week, but for now, here's a half-done sop to my weeklies! *shame*