Which new hero DA arc is the easiest/fastest?
By
Agent White,
Posted on: 2012-04-06 11:52 in Player Questions
If I recall correctly, you can skip to the end of Max's arc. It'll be harder by not breaking out all the Malta leaders, but seems like it'd be quick if you have a character capable of handling it.
Global @StarGeek
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I find the first one (Heather's?) can be run in under 15 mins, so in less
than an hour per day, I can get:
* a component (nearly always a Common)
* a couple Astrals (sometimes an Empryean)
* 10-12 threads (10 for the reward, with usually a drop or two)
Follow that up with a quick repeatable mission (~5 mins)
for another 10 Threads, and you've made pretty decent
progress, pretty quickly.
It's a little grindy running the arc 3X, plus the repeatable, but
not *too* grindy, and after doing that daily for a little while,
you can get several of the basic iPowers crafted while unlocking
their slots.
If you save your Threads (using the component drop for Commons),
it's not too hard to get T1/T2's crafted, and if you're lucky on either
components or Empryean drops, you'll be pretty close to crafting
a T3 by the end of a week.
To be sure, that's nowhere near the progress you'd make running
iTrials, but it's a convenient way to get started for a soloist.
Regards,
4
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Quote:
Max's arc doesn't give a component roll at all. To make up for that, Dream Doctor's arc has 2 reward tables, but is also twice as long.|
Originally Posted by StarGeek
If I recall correctly, you can skip to the end of Max's arc. It'll be harder by not breaking out all the Malta leaders, but seems like it'd be quick if you have a character capable of handling it.
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I recommend doing each Arc fully once a week, with the mission from Taskmaster Gabriel in your missions list, so you get the 2 Emp Merits per week. You don't have to do all of Max's to qualify, though, just the last mission.
Then, if you've gotten through all of them and still have part of the week left, re-run Heather's arc - it's the fastest and easiest.
Also, difficulty setting has no impact on the final rewards, and -1 enemies have the same drop rates (except for Inf, Xp, and Prestige) as +4's. Thus, I run stuff in DA on either -1/x0 (when I'm in a hurry) or -1/x8 (when I want drops) most of the time.
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If you take your settings down to -1/x1, the last mission (the only one that's required to complete the arc) isn't too bad even if you're alone. However, if I'm remembering correctly, that arc doesn't give you a reward table at the end. Probably for exactly that reason.|
Originally Posted by StarGeek
If I recall correctly, you can skip to the end of Max's arc. It'll be harder by not breaking out all the Malta leaders, but seems like it'd be quick if you have a character capable of handling it.
|
So Heather is still probably your best bet.
Also, OP, don't forget about Taskmaster Gabriel. Two guaranteed Empyrian merits a week (plus the rewards for the individual arcs) isn't a bad deal when you're not doing trials, and it's a little less grindy than doing the same arc over and over again.
EDIT: Ninja'd! And also, make sure you do a repeatable mission every day. Those ten-thread rewards add up.
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Thank you all for the feedback!
In regards to Taskmaster Gabriel, I'm not entirely sure I understand how he works. Does he give you a mission that you need to keep in your mission list while you complete all the other arcs? And you have to complete all the DA arcs in a single week? Lastly, what defines "a week"?
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So far as I can tell, the week cooldown is like the SSAs. Complete them whenever, then it's 7 days cooldown before you can collect the reward again, but you don't -have- to do it within 7 days. You still get it if you take like 10 days, it's just you can't collect the reward again for a minimum of 7 days.
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Originally Posted by flipside
Thank you all for the feedback!
In regards to Taskmaster Gabriel, I'm not entirely sure I understand how he works. Does he give you a mission that you need to keep in your mission list while you complete all the other arcs? And you have to complete all the DA arcs in a single week? Lastly, what defines "a week"? |
Basically, you talk to Gabe, and he gives you a mission to complete all the other arcs. You can do them normally, or via Ouroboros. Once you've completed all of them, you go back to him to collect your reward. Then you can get his mission again right away, but he'll only give you the Emps if it's been seven days (or longer) since the last time he did. Essentially, you have to wait a week between collecting the rewards from him, not actually doing the arcs.
As far as I can tell, only arcs completed while you actually have Gabe's mission in your list count toward it, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
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Ah, good to know.
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Originally Posted by Blue_Fenix
Max's arc doesn't give a component roll at all.
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Quote:
Gabriel will track arcs completed even if you don't have his mission, but he doesn't count arcs completed before he was added in.
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Originally Posted by Doctor Roswell
As far as I can tell, only arcs completed while you actually have Gabe's mission in your list count toward it, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
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Alright, good to know. Thanks.
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Originally Posted by Hopeling
Gabriel will track arcs completed even if you don't have his mission, but he doesn't count arcs completed before he was added in.
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Quote:
He does, but you don't have to get it. He tracks what arcs you do whether you have spoken to him or not.|
Originally Posted by flipside
In regards to Taskmaster Gabriel, I'm not entirely sure I understand how he works. Does he give you a mission that you need to keep in your mission list while you complete all the other arcs?
|
Quote:
| And you have to complete all the DA arcs in a single week? Lastly, what defines "a week"? |
As for what "a week" means, for the Signature arc 'one week' timer, it actually means 6.75 days (6 days, 18 hours). I have not checked Gabriel's timer (like I did for the Signature arcs) but it seems likely to be the same duration.
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Interesting...I always feel the Duncan arc is the fastest. The first mission you can basically skip. The second one you can stealth to each of the points (saving Ajax, talk to D, and kill the Keres). Third one takes a bit due to the dialogue, but only had three groups to kill and the fourth mission you just stealth to the back.
Guess most people would rather skip the EBs.
Just to echo what others have said on here already... I can do the Heather arc in about 20 minutes with a character that has only native attack (yes, one of those pesky Empaths you hear people gripe about alot). With Lore pets and Judgment, I can run it in about 15 minutes. I do keep a few temporary powers on hand, just in case I need it - bat and hammer, primarily.
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Others have already covered the rest of this (that is, there's no reward table), so I'll touch on the part I bolded. If you're breaking out the Malta leaders every time you run through Max's "arc for Gabriel, you're wasting time. As long as you've run Max's other missions once, whenever you run the final mission via Ouro Gyrfalcon will show up as an ally and the others will do their thing behind the scenes as well. There's no need to actually run the lead-up missions after you've already done them once.
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Originally Posted by StarGeek
If I recall correctly, you can skip to the end of Max's arc. It'll be harder by not breaking out all the Malta leaders, but seems like it'd be quick if you have a character capable of handling it.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Doctor Roswell
If you take your settings down to -1/x1, the last mission (the only one that's required to complete the arc) isn't too bad even if you're alone. However, if I'm remembering correctly, that arc doesn't give you a reward table at the end. Probably for exactly that reason.
So Heather is still probably your best bet. Also, OP, don't forget about Taskmaster Gabriel. Two guaranteed Empyrian merits a week (plus the rewards for the individual arcs) isn't a bad deal when you're not doing trials, and it's a little less grindy than doing the same arc over and over again. EDIT: Ninja'd! And also, make sure you do a repeatable mission every day. Those ten-thread rewards add up. |
One thing you need to be careful of. If your powers have any sort of KB component at all, running at even level or less can result in enemies getting tossed around all over the place.
The first time I ran through the DA super-arc, I ran at +2x8. The only missions I had problems with were the last one in the first half of the Dream Doctor arc (after you get Audrey'ed and break free you have to fight several mobs of BP). The Sorrow-based BP nuked the crap out of my defenses on a capped Inv/SS tank. Made me feel positively squishy...
But all the "final missions", I had zero problems with.
Imagine my abject shock in failing the rescue at the end of Heather's arc at +0x1! All due to most of my attacks becoming Foe-Tossing Charges and the extra time incurred chasing them down.
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Actually that's false. Or at least it was false when I ran through.|
Originally Posted by Hopeling
Gabriel will track arcs completed even if you don't have his mission, but he doesn't count arcs completed before he was added in.
|
I'd dithered with the DA arcs until he was put in the game. And hadn't completed it on anyone.
Yet when I picked him up the first time on my main, I was credited for all the arcs I'd completed previously.
Don't know if it works the same for farming via Oro. But I DO know I didn't have to rerun the arcs I did prior to Gabe's inception to get the 2 emps. Indeed, his presence has basically killed any arguments I had about the deterministic issues with the DA arcs. While still quite slow, at least it allows a diligent player to accumulate Emps for Rare and VR salvage at a steady pace that doesn't rely on an RNG.
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This is so true...what is even more annoying is the powers with KD and it gets translated into KB. I can imagine that farming would be amazingly easy with a toon that doesn't have any KD/KB powers.
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Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
One thing you need to be careful of. If your powers have any sort of KB component at all, running at even level or less can result in enemies getting tossed around all over the place.
The first time I ran through the DA super-arc, I ran at +2x8. The only missions I had problems with were the last one in the first half of the Dream Doctor arc (after you get Audrey'ed and break free you have to fight several mobs of BP). The Sorrow-based BP nuked the crap out of my defenses on a capped Inv/SS tank. Made me feel positively squishy... But all the "final missions", I had zero problems with. Imagine my abject shock in failing the rescue at the end of Heather's arc at +0x1! All due to most of my attacks becoming Foe-Tossing Charges and the extra time incurred chasing them down. |
I ran the first arc again and continue to feel strongly that if your toon can take down yellow EBs that the fourth arc can be done quicker then the first arc. I can usually do the Duncan arc in about 15 minutes.
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Interestingly, on my Blaster, I consistently run Heather's arc faster than Duncans.| I ran the first arc again and continue to feel strongly that if your toon can take down yellow EBs that the fourth arc can be done quicker then the first arc. I can usually do the Duncan arc in about 15 minutes. |
I think the primary reasons are:
* The 8 groups you have to kill take (slightly) longer
* There's no cutscene in Heather's arc (Scirrocco and GW talk too much)
* Killing the EB takes longer than killing the group that have Kadabra and Sigil hostage
I haven't compared times on my Brute yet (he has to run at higher difficulty
due to the KB issue mentioned earlier, and he can't stealth much, so he's always
slower than my Blaster anyway).
Regards,
4
I've been rich, and I've been poor. Rich is definitely better.
Light is faster than sound - that's why some people look smart until they speak.
For every seller who leaves the market dirty stinkin' rich,
there's a buyer who leaves the market dirty stinkin' IOed. - Obitus.
Intresting...I break it down as:
First Mission: Just lead Duncan to the marker on the map and leave.
Second Mission: Stealth/Run to Ajax and kill the boss spawn around him. Run to Diabolique and cycle through the text and then Stealth/Run to the end and kill the Keres and click glowie.
Third Mission: Listen to Scirocco and Diabolique talk (same as the talk scene in the Heather arc). Kill the three groups that come from the cemetary and take down the Sentinal
Fourth Mission: Stealth all the way to the end and defeat Diabolique
With Judgment you can do the third mission pretty easily and overall you are only fighting four groups of characters. Seems like way more in the Heather arc.
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This was not true for me. I ran Heather's on several characters prior to Gabriel being put in game and without fail they all had to repeat her arc to get credit. Now I haven't tried running someone through Heather's arc post-Gabriel without his mission to see if he keeps track of it so that might be true. I did have a character that was up to the final mission before Gabriel was put in and that one did get credit when he finally did finish it but I had grabbed Gabe's mission before going in.|
Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
Actually that's false. Or at least it was false when I ran through.
I'd dithered with the DA arcs until he was put in the game. And hadn't completed it on anyone. Yet when I picked him up the first time on my main, I was credited for all the arcs I'd completed previously. Don't know if it works the same for farming via Oro. But I DO know I didn't have to rerun the arcs I did prior to Gabe's inception to get the 2 emps. Indeed, his presence has basically killed any arguments I had about the deterministic issues with the DA arcs. While still quite slow, at least it allows a diligent player to accumulate Emps for Rare and VR salvage at a steady pace that doesn't rely on an RNG. |
I have at least one friend who is going to have to repeat Heather as well and I'm betting my wife's 50 will too but we haven't looked yet.
Eventually someone had to ask this question, and after floundering around the forums a bit I could not find it asked elsewhere, so figured I'd do it.
I have a character that I play that does not regularly team, so therefore doesn't do any iTrials. The new DA content has really helped with opening up his Incarnate abilities, but I'm sorely lacking in the iComponent department. I understand that you can run one DA arc every 20 hours for a chance at an iComponent and am looking for the easiest arc available. I've run them all but none really stood out to me as easier than the others, but my attention to detail is sometimes lacking.
I appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks in advance!
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