The Vissidal Melee, Solo

Tips and Tricks to Surviving on Dereth.
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Ncatyl
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The Vissidal Melee, Solo

Post by Ncatyl » Sun Dec 25, 2005 4:19 pm

I learned how to die again on Vissidal Isle. Figure there's no harm in sharing the wisdom I painfully gained. When I say melee, I mean it. No hybrid here, no life magic to speak of other than that bestowed through Arcane Lore.


Firstly, Niffis and Remorans are bad. I'm lvl 151 with spec magic D, believe me, they're bad. Supposedly niffis are vulnerable to acid. I don't know what remorans are vulnerable to. Personally I find they're both not worth the trouble to either confirm or find out. Both of these critters have a respectable aggro range, especially for the odd vuln, so give them plenty of distance whenever you've got the option.

Reedsharks hit fast, often, and on occasion, for around 20+ pts through 350+ armor and shield. They're easy to take down if you can keep them in front of you. Even easier if you use the rock pillars to cover 2/3 of your flank. I use a critter de-buff to draw them in if the area is thick with things I don't want to fight, or if I have a good defensive position to hold. Use Pierce to maximum effect.

Moarsmen are tricky. They tend to really swarm you. Their Fire attack can really sting, even through a shield. If a niffis has nailed you with fire-vuln, you're likely going to die. However, the moarsmen also comparatively easy to kill. As above, if you can have your flank reasonably covered by terrain you're in for a much easier time. If not, make sure you retreat from the swarm and limit yourself to 3 or 4, or however many you can keep your shield between. I'm not kidding when I say their fire attack hits hard. They're vulnerable to Slash. Much better XP/hr than the reedsharks, and more fun (challenging) to kill.

Golems are again melee food. All of those bubbling blue beasts are worth the time to kill. They tend to hit mostly with streak-type spells, and frequently forget to vuln you. Even then, an Aegis shield is very effective at mitigating the damage. Their bane is Lightning, and they fall very fast to it. At 1.1Mxp per, they're well worth the time. Be careful though, they will vuln you to acid, which is VERY bad if you wind up fighting moarsmen before it expires. The loot stinks, but they're very much worth the effort when you consider how easy they are to drop vs. the reward.

In a nutshell, don't let anything get behind you, keep your shield between you and your opponent, niffis and remoarns aren't worth the time, effort, or risk. If you're going to die, don't corak on a spawn spot; lure the MObs away and take them on your terms. Watch your back, frequent random spawns can really surprise you. Be sure to pack plenty of Stam rations, & Health philters or Salted meat (from quest). Always have a handful of Stillness gems for those times when Murphy's Law takes control.

If you don't yet have your Aegis Shield, get one. To be really effective you need Slash, Pierce, and Lightning. You can do with slash alone, but Golems will be off your menu.

I have a lot of fun on Vissidal Isle. It's challenging and rewarding. The salvage and loot aren't really that great, but the experience more than compensates.

Good Luck! Hope to see you out there.

>NC
>Ncatyl
BTDT done

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Panzerfaust
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Post by Panzerfaust » Mon Dec 26, 2005 2:44 am

Good stuff. Been a LONG time since someone posted in here.

Thanks, NC
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Post by thunderblade » Mon Dec 26, 2005 3:51 am

AMEN
the name speaks for itself!!!
aka fu man ki level 210 BM
both proud vassals of panzerfaust!
ever need a can of whoop a$$ i,m always carrying a six pack!!!

smoke free as of 4-25-05

little bit of pain never hurt anybody !!!! muwahahahaha

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Post by Laseirna » Mon Dec 26, 2005 6:46 am

I've learned three things out there hunting solo as a melee:

1. Leave the darn niffis alone unless I land a debuff on them. Take too freaking long to kill.

2. Don't let anything behind your shield. . .especially the 5 other sharks that circled around you as you pulled the gold.

3. Run really fast!

I know I'll likely die at some point out there alone so to keep my body accessible I run to a safe spot if I'm able ;) And standing on rocks to debuff everything around me is fun :) I feel like a mage!

Remorans seem to be vulnerable to fire I believe. Slash is ok but I think fire is better. I read that on VN in a post by Neue Regel I think. I debuff them then 2 hit them with my sword. . .if I don't debuff I move on.

When I get enough fins, I drag Div along to protect me when I make the run to the Deep :)
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Post by Ncatyl » Mon Dec 26, 2005 2:33 pm

The run to the deep isn't that rough. Unless you trip and fall.

I run up the beach to 67.1e, then shoot straight north while straffing. I dive into the deep, about-face and tuck in behind my shield. Pop a Stillness gem if I get vulned and anything followed me in, and wait until things calm down outside. If anything does follow me in, I wait for it to thin out up top, lure it out & around the back, unless it's a moarsman, then it's dead.
>Ncatyl
BTDT done

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Post by Laseirna » Tue Dec 27, 2005 5:21 am

It's not that I trip and fall. . .it's more that I totally lose all sense of direction and start running around in circles when I see all those critters swarming at me :oops: I am directionally challenged at the best of times :?
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Post by arcainis » Sat Dec 31, 2005 12:29 am

see and thats why you just need to holla at arc and tell him to follow you out there i can land the imps and island is a breeze... Or better yet you holler at Div and Me then come along and grab the loot. Div imp's Arc kills and Blue usually does the looting. good mage/archer combo out there is a fun.

BTW thanks for the info on the niffis gives me a reason to blow the dust off my acid bow and give it a try. Not sure that fire is that much better than slash or lightning on the remora however when you kill them in two its kinda hard to compare.
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Post by Laseirna » Sat Dec 31, 2005 5:39 am

For a sword, fire is way better on the remorans. . .I tested it yesterday. . .till I died ;) . . .yet again. :oops: BTW, it wasn't remorans that got me. . .but several sharks I believe. . .a golem might have been in the mix, I'm not sure.

Yep, Arc explained what I'm REALLY good at!! Grabbing the loot!! :-D
Laseirna - archer
Blue Orchid - sword
Scorcha Wench - baby magette
Kamikaze Kueen - UA
"They told me I was crazy. I told them they were all crazy. Damn them, they outnumbered me."

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