Is it just me or is the Apex TF just that tough?
By
Canine,
Posted on: 2010-12-30 24:25 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
It's not just you, but it's not uniformly considered hard. For example, I find the TF straightforward, and have not yet been on a run of it where I did not end up with the "Master of" badge. I think the most I've ever died in one run was twice. I usually don't die, even in the last mission.
The strategy I use is as follows. The main challenge in my view is the patches on the ground. Keep an eye on the ground, and stop activating powers when you see a patch appear under you. If you have queued powers, cancel them. (This took me a few tries to get into my reflex reaction to the patches.) Move away from the visible warning patch, quickly. It's best to keep active a movement power that doesn't suppress, such as Sprint, Combat Jumping or even Hover (or any combination thereof), so you can move away swiftly.
If you are a melee character and Battle Maiden is left in a patch, use whatever ranged powers you have on her until either she comes out of the patch or the patches on her expire. Then re-engage in melee range. This may lead to a hit-and-fade situation where you beat on her, patches form on her and you recede, then the patches on her fade and you can go back in, then the cycle repeats. She doesn't seem especially regenerative, and this hasn't been a problem for teams I have been on, even when melee-heavy.
Beware the brown hills behind where Battle Maiden appears. My experience is that the warning patches do not dutifully appear on top of the terrain, and sometimes clip into the hill. This means the nanite patches can seemingly appear without due warning.
I play with sound on. The patches have a very distinct incoming sound. If you are having trouble seeing them, try using the sound as a warning. It's much louder if it's centered on or centered near you.
If you can't afford to ignore her swords and subordinates during the fight, or if you are fighting during BM's retreat phase, the advice I've been given is to concentrate on the human subordinates. I believe this is because there is a literally never-ending supply of sword waves, but the same is not true of the human allies.
The patches are extraordinarily damaging. They ignore defense and resistance, and their DoT frequency is very high. I don't even recommend jousting through them, though it's do-able with strong enough healing and high HP.
Edit: One last bit of advice regarding flying and hovering. The patches appear at the elevation the character they targeted was at. However, the patch effects themselves are a sphere. This can lead to the situation where a flier can cause a patch in mid-air that people watching the ground may not see but which can still kill them. The recommendation here is for fliers to stick near the ground, and if anyone forms an "air patch", they should warn the team ASAP.
Blue
American Steele: 50 BS/Inv
Nightfall: 50 DDD
Sable Slayer: 50 DM/Rgn
Fortune's Shadow: 50 Dark/Psi
WinterStrike: 47 Ice/Dev
Quantum Well: 43 Inv/EM
Twilit Destiny: 43 MA/DA
Red
Shadowslip: 50 DDC
Final Rest: 50 MA/Rgn
Abyssal Frost: 50 Ice/Dark
Golden Ember: 50 SM/FA
Here's a guide. TL;DR: don't fret the swords because they will respawn when all wiped, blue patch shows up eight seconds before the deathsword drops, look over the edge of the building when returning from hosp to see if the door is covered with deathpatch, don't give up.
Quote:
Now there's something you'd never have read a year or so ago.... |
Originally Posted by UberGuy
It's best to keep active a movement... <snip> ...Hover, so you can move away swiftly.
|
Warning:
The above post may contain Cynicism, sarcasm and/or pessimism. If you object to the quantities contained, then tough.
Did you forget to leave "Hover" in that snippage? 
Blue
American Steele: 50 BS/Inv
Nightfall: 50 DDD
Sable Slayer: 50 DM/Rgn
Fortune's Shadow: 50 Dark/Psi
WinterStrike: 47 Ice/Dev
Quantum Well: 43 Inv/EM
Twilit Destiny: 43 MA/DA
Red
Shadowslip: 50 DDC
Final Rest: 50 MA/Rgn
Abyssal Frost: 50 Ice/Dark
Golden Ember: 50 SM/FA
Quote:
Yep, overenthusiastic use of the snippers. Mea Culpa.|
Originally Posted by UberGuy
Did you forget to leave "Hover" in that snippage?
|
The point stands though
Warning:
The above post may contain Cynicism, sarcasm and/or pessimism. If you object to the quantities contained, then tough.
I ask this because last night was my first attempt at this after I just got my Alpha Boost for my level 50 KM/SD Scrapper which I went with the Damage Boost. Regardless, I still ended up dying too many times to count. Either I had to Hosp. it or self-rez if I had a wakie. Now, I've ran many TF's in this game from Hami to Tin Mage, but for some reason and it seems from what others have said, this TF is a slaughter house. I know the first time I ran it (without boost) I was instructed to keep moving around constantly otherwise you will get hit with that blue wall of energy which pretty much did me in last night. I know having the right mix of players is key to this. Knowing what your assignments are is also key. I tried to find more info on this TF through paragonwiki but it really didn't give strategies on how to do this one the best way to stay alive. Who has the best strategy on this TF that would be helpful?