Midnight Dodger attempt

The Midnight Dodger badge continues to elude me, as all Tin Mage TFs I've run have not successfully acquired this badge. So, I've decided to plan a time specifically aimed at acquiring this badge and, by extension, Master of Tin Mage badge as well.

My strategy, outlined below, will allow up to four attempts to defeat Director, so long as everybody meets the prerequisites listed. Failed attempts will result in TF disband and reforming, up to four times, with fine tuning of strategy as/if needed. Of course, should the team successful acquire the badge, I'm perfectly happy to continue the TF through completion.

So, without further adieu, details as follows:

Date: Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Time: 6:00 p.m. EST / 3:00 p.m. PST

I have a specific strategy in mind, and am looking for seven other players to join me who are looking for the badge and/or have run it successfully in the past and might be able to offer advice.

All players who wish to join will require the following:

1. Filled Alpha Slot.

2. At least four (4) available Shivan summons.

3. One (1) of each nuke (biological, chemical, nuclear).

I'm asking players to acquire these PvP powers on their own beforehand. Advertising nuke/shivan runs here, as part of this event, invites PvP griefing, particularly during a week where many folks continue to be off work or school.

Two of the spots will need to go to controllers/dominators, as my strategy involves immobilizing Director 11 for the encounter.

Shout out for invites! Please include global, character name, AT, and power sets.

1. @Spatch - Cinnamon Red - Peacebringer (me!)
2. @Neuronia - mind/bubbles
3. @Cyber-naut - SS/WP brute
4. @Kahlan
5. @Amily
6. RESERVED
7. RESERVED
8. RESERVED

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After extension discussion with other players here, and in game, about this badge, I've essentially come down to a Blitzkrieg approach to the encounter with D11. Here's the encounter, in bullet format:

1. Take down outside war walkers to unlock the warehouse.

2. All players enter the warehouse.

3. Glowies are ignored (deliberately failing "Hacker" badge requirements) and the team defeats all mobs and ambushes in the warehouse.

4. Seven of the eight glowies are clicked.

5. Team gathers around the 8th glowie.

6. All players summon a Shivan. Other pets may also be summoned, if available (Snowbeasts, HVASs, etc.).

7. Once all the pets are summoned, two players predetermined by the team leader drop their bio nukes.

8. Team leader (me) clicks final glowie, spawning D11 at that location.

9. Upon spawning, controllers/dominators do nothing but spam immobilize powers on D11.

10. Two players predetermined by the team leader drop chemical and nuclear bombs on D11.

11. D11 is then blitzkrieged with attacks by all players, and killed within 30 seconds, the lag time between the D11 spawn, and when the mine layers appear.

That's it. I'm certainly open to revising the foregoing, but this strategy has been fine tuned already with extensive in-game and forum feedback. Barring another dev patch, for example nerfing nukes in this TF (a specific concern of mine), I'm confident the strategy will result in successful acquisition of the badge.

Having gotten the badge 5 times now (1 immob run before that was fixed, 1 nuke run, and 3 runs getting it without even trying), just want to point out a couple things to hopefully make your run easier.

For a Nuke run:
Nukes needed are 8 Chemical nukes (-400% resistance, can be less depending on team build), Only 2 Bio nukes are needed as that is 300% dmg buff which caps everyone's dmg. Nuclear nukes can be used but arent as important as other nukes. HVAS would be better mileage than a nuclear nuke, and most people wanting this badge would probably have tons of Vmerits.

When engaging director 11 everyone raptor packs and pops 4 purple insps to avoid web grenades, do not fly near the rafters or shelves as the invisible bombers can jump.

A possibly better way about going about spawning him is:
-1 person with vet tp stays outside the warehouse.
-the other 7 go in the warehouse and click all the glowies
-vet tper tps team outside of the warehouse immediatly when last glowie is clicked.
- Drop pets, 2 Bio nukes, pop raptor pack and purple insps and enter warehouse together.
- have the pets aggro director 11
-Drop chem nukes on 11, and any debuffs.

This eliminates director 11 ambushing you and instead you jump on him, he will not follow you outside the warehouse. It also eliminates the step of having to kill all those WWs.

The controller/dom spots on the sign up sheet aren't really needed, yes immobing Director 11 will make him die a little faster, but you can't immob the invis bombers anymore.

gl with your run.

Another piece of advice, defense buffs. I've been on three runs where we got the badge without necessarily trying because the mines didn't hit us thanks to the colds/bubblers on the team.

I'd like my main to help out on this, @Neuronia Mind/Bubbles with +Def Alpha.

I can proably get the Shivans easily enough and maybe a nuke or two...being pretty low damage the Arachnoids are a bit of a bear to deal with.
Hope I can help out, my main has Recall Friend, Veng, etc. etc.

I got this badge recently (with Shin). We had four good corruptors cold/kin/therm/sonic (me on a cold and Shin on his kin, I think), a cold defender, a blaster and two pity melee. No temp powers as far as I know. Took Director 11 down in less than 5 minutes.

Get moar corruptors!

gl;hf

-Trev.

Thanks to all for the advice offered. It is appreciated!

@Cyber-naut SS/WP brute with fly and some range.

3 colds, you have alot of debuuf/buff. the rest can hammer hard on him, if you beat him down fast enough then you shouldnt get hit by them. Less bomb=less chance to hit, 3 colds=less chance to hit, so Hammer him hard

Ok, we're full up after some gracious input and assistance from @Amily, @Kahlan, and others.

My convaluted strategy outlined in the OP has been summarily nixed, and we are instead going for an optimal team build. So, shivan and nukes won't be necessary. Feel free to bring them along if you'd like though.

So, details as follows for this run:

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010

Time: 3:00 p.m. PST / 6:00 p.m. EST

1. @Spatch - Cinnamon Red - Peacebringer (me!)
2. @Neuronia - mind/bubbles
3. @Cyber-naut - SS/WP brute
4. @Kahlan
5. @Amily
6. RESERVED
7. RESERVED
8. RESERVED

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As this is a specific time set aside to get this badge, we don't necessarily need to complete the TF. So, if others are interested in getting this badge, post your interest, as there may be an opportunity to run this two or three times, just for the badge.

Amily, any other input you think I've missed?

There is some misinformation out there about Director 11, so I thought I'd post some info.

You can see his mez resistances here:



And his mez protections here:


(base AV protection of 3 to all mez is not shown by the power analyzer)

These screenshots were taken yesterday. Note that he seems to have been made less susceptible to immobilize since the Tin Mage TF first came out. Additionally, he has these 'invisible' bomb helpers that run around laying bombs. They sometimes follow Director 11, and sometimes just run around laying bombs wherever they please. People claim the bomb layers cannot be immobilized anymore (they could previously, and would just lay bombs by Director 11 if you got them quickly), though there is no easy way to confirm if it's impossible or just very difficult.

Given all of this info, there are a few strategies that can be employed to get the badge. The main goal is to have high defense and kill Director 11 very quickly. This minimizes the time that someone can be hit by a bomb, and minimizes the chance of the bomb actually hitting them. Temp powers can obviously help with speed, though they are by no means necessary. Additionally, people can pay attention to where the bombs are and try avoid them. Whenever you trigger a bomb, you will see a proximity alert giving you time to get away from the bomb. Bombs also count down before they blow up, though the text can be difficult to see since it is in gray/white. Some people use fly or raptor packs to try and avoid bombs. This can be useful, but you have to be careful of being webnaded, and also of the fact that sometimes he jumps on the shelves or rafters to place bombs. Furthermore the bombs seem to have a larger explosion radius than their trigger radius, though I'm uncertain of the exact values of either.

Got the Defense Alpha slotted, pack of Shivans too. Good to go.

Thanks to all who assisted. Tried twice without temps, to no avail, so took the (admittedly cheap) approach, and nuked D11 into oblivion for the badge.