Thread: Skirmish difficulty scaling for solo.

The scaling in difficulty in skirmishes, while solo seems a bit off. They go from being close your eyes easy, to impossible to solo kill an encounter/counterattack in a manner of one level. I know it's not just me that thinks this, as i hear it a lot on the server i play on. I don't want to skip things, i love doing skirmishes when i have nothing else to do, or i don't have enough time to do something long, so a quick skirmish is perfect, except that they are just weird. Some are scaled perfectly (ford of bruinen) and are tough, but not impossibly so, whereas some get plain MEAN post 40 or so - like thievery and mischief (the overall skirmish isn't so bad, but the encounters post 45 are just plain disgustingly mean, not to mention the fact that you just died to this encounter and when you finally beat it, it has no loot, either). I don't know but skirmishes just feel off after a certain level. my suggestion would be to have a really good look at them.

Thanks in advance.

In solo, the lower level skirmish encounters are signatures, and as you start going up in levels, you start encountering elites.

Pretty much any character can solo signatures, but soloing elites requires a combination of practice/gear - you're not just going to be able to steamroller them. That said, with an appropriately leveled soldier, you should be able to solo most elites, but it's questionable whether it's worth the time and consumables to do so. Depends on class, of course, some can practically faceroll elites.

Originally Posted by Shivos

Wow, i make 2 suggestions and now i don't know how to play? wow. i don't even know how to respond. Two things out of this WHOLE game frustrate me, so i post a suggestion (to be followed or NOT) and you have the audacity to say that i don't know how to use the skills i have? ... Maxal, don't reply to my posts anymore, please. I don't value your opinion at all, EVEN if you agree with what i'm saying. You're just one of those people who like to come off right all the time, and that's not constructive to me.

But i guess forum trolls will NEVER change. EVER. 2 posts i make lol and get a troll in both, i love it. Screw posting here anymore. i pay to play this game, not some freeloader, and want my opinion heard, nothing more. Go troll the WoW forums or something Maxal.

So if someone doens't respond in a way you like, they're trolling? Bear in mind that if you posted twice, and got a negative response both times, the correlating factor may possibly be you.

Also keep in mind that this forum is a place for everyone... this thread is a resource for everyone... not just you. you have not groudns to request that someone not repsond to you, becuase you are not the only one who will read it. Others might too. Others might want to hear what he has to say, even if you do not.

The encounters ARE meant to be very challenging at upper levels and tiers. While the instnace itself cna be a face-rol, then encoutners are supposed to be hard. in most cases you will NOT be able to smply tear through it, but will have to utilise some intelligent play or tactic to deal with it.

For a hunter like myself fighting Ruingalad (old, melt your face, Ruingalad, that is), I need to play carefully to beat him. If I just go in bow blazing, I'll die. (admittedly, my soldier is langouring in a pit of neglect)

In most cases, it's my opinion that the encounters are fine; notably more difficult than the content around them, but certianly doable.

A lot depends on your class when doing a solo skirmish - especially the encounters in an offensive skirmish.

I have a Captain, Lore Master, Guardian, Champion, Minstrel, Hunter and Burglar all 65. The easiest class - for me - is Guardian. You are so sturdy. You can crush all the encounters except that Grim in Danneglor without breaking out a sweat. I find the Lore Master is another easy class for the encounter. Hunter is rough because you are squishy - end up with the aggro. I finally solved the aggro problem with a well trained protector.

IMHO - If you are using that level 55 Guardian - you should be face rolling everything in a Skirmish. I do not have any problems doing solo skirmishes with any of my characters.

Hopefully, you picked a soldier type that is a good match for your class and play style. Slotted traits that work together to get the most of you and your soldier. Plus bought a reasonable number of ranks. At 55, you are rank 10 across the board you are set.

The best thing would be to list some details. What traits are you using? What rank? Which skirmish? What did you set it for? What are you have problems with? What class and level is your character? You are a class like a guardian. Are you sword and board in block stance? Are you trying the over power with a 2-handed axe?

Get some these very skirmish savvy folks to make suggestions on how to improve your performance. There are talented people running solos at 2 or 3 levels above their character level. Tier 3. Having good results.

yep, not my guardian that i have trouble with, it's my hunter that i have the most trouble with. i have a well trained protector, and i still can't keep aggro off me for long, even using the stance that lowers aggro, and once i get it, i die pretty quick. My guard is awesome for skirmishes (and solo content in general) and i enjoy playing him, but my hunter (in my opinion) shouldn't be having THIS much trouble in skirms. Soldiers bug out, stand there, doing nothing and i have to deal with it all (meanwhile, my horn is on cooldown and i can't do a thing about it). So yeah, it's not fun to me.

About the only thing I can think of is not investing in all of your skirmish traits, and just the class one. All of them have a level on them, and that needs to (preferably) exceed your current level.

In the case of hunters, a lot of the harder encounters come down to using CC and kie tactic to minimise your face time withthe enemy. If you trait Bards and Strong intimidate, and the creture can be hit with Bard, then you can pretty muhc reduce your face time onthe enemy to zero, allowing him a swipe every so often jsut to prevent reset.

If an enemy can't be barded, then it'sa little trickier, but you can still optimise your non-face time in a couple of ways: Pull from your longest range, with the strongest criple you have (strength quickshot, generally). When the creature reaches you, use either Cry (most things you can't bard will likely be creatures that you can CotP), or if that's no good, Thorns. Range up, then release it with your strong cripple again and take a second set of range close time to pump damage into it. Ideally, you should be standing right by the trap you put down before pulling now, and can step back and put the enemy in that, then range up for a third time. This time, wait out the trap duration before releasing it, to give your CC skills more time to cool.

If Cry isn't up again (and thorns won't be) after your next set of run-in damage, then you can do a couple of things to give yourself some distance again; short term daze and run, or low-cut and run both work fine. Eiher way, continue to maximise your away time from the enemy, and you'll do fine.

Also, Next time you get a SM refund, ditch the protector. they're worthless, even ranked they won't hold off you, unless you're on different targets. I use a herbalist, but that's jsut me.

Originally Posted by Shivos

yep, not my guardian that i have trouble with, it's my hunter that i have the most trouble with. i have a well trained protector, and i still can't keep aggro off me for long, even using the stance that lowers aggro, and once i get it, i die pretty quick.

Get used to it. I had to rank my protector to 25. Use endurance stance with threat reduction legacies to keep them off me.

A better choice would probably be a Herbalist. Tank the mobs with your Hunter.

No big surprise. In many group instances, it is pretty easy for the Hunter to take aggro from the tank. You can learn to work with your protector. You are ready for group time with real people. They are going to love the quiet Hunter in the corner killing away not needing any healing or help from a tank.

Originally Posted by Yula_the_Mighty

Get used to it. I had to rank my protector to 25. Use endurance stance with threat reduction legacies to keep them off me.

A better choice would probably be a Herbalist. Tank the mobs with your Hunter.

No big surprise. In many group instances, it is pretty easy for the Hunter to take aggro from the tank. You can learn to work with your protector. You are ready for group time with real people. They are going to love the quiet Hunter in the corner killing away not needing any healing or help from a tank.

This is actually very good advice. I know Hunter is difficult in skirms because of your DPS, but learning to control it to prevent aggro is crucial!!! Hunters that take aggro from a tank, simply don't deserve heals imo. I've seen more group wipes from Hunters that were over aggressive and I'd rather the Hunter wipe than the whole group. Maybe try some different tactics like letting your Protector gain hate?! I understand your frustration, my son who plays a Hunters feels the same as you, but I think Yula's suggestion is quite sound.

Originally Posted by Shivos

yep, not my guardian that i have trouble with, it's my hunter that i have the most trouble with. i have a well trained protector, and i still can't keep aggro off me for long, even using the stance that lowers aggro, and once i get it, i die pretty quick.

Definitely try switching to herbalist. They will grab agro through healing threat on everything you're not attacking and keep you healed and powered. You should be able to handle 1 mob attacking you at a time, so go ahead and switch stances to Strength or Precision. On Tier 3, even my maxed out herbalist dies with a bad pull, you'll need to use all of your CC skills and use a little extra caution for those.

Hunters have always had this issue of grabbing aggro. If you just run strength stance you are going to get aggro. that is what it was designed to do. When I hit Mirkwood with my hunter at 60 I found that if I trait for CC, it made that area doable. But just trait red ended up caused more defeats.

Same with the instances, if you go solo trait for CC and they are no so hard. i use a herbalist and she works fine.

It is a common issue with must of us hunters when we run solo we think red trait line for huge DPS. That works most of the time but in the higher level skirmishes, being set up in the trapper line helps a lot.

I have noticed they have increased the difficulty in the ford of bruin at least. I have never seen both brothers die at the same time before.
Either they made the brother a lot weaker or they made the mobs hit harder. I used to be able to do this skirmish and clear all mobs but now I failed 5 times
because the brothers died? They never used to die as much. especially when it just the troll and boss. I used to drag the troll to the head of the river so the water horses would get him and he would be hittable. I used to kill him and go help the brothers. But now they die. That's two brothers and a banner guard (who now hits harder) I think the mobs hit harder the way the brothers go down alot faster. Oh and Elrohir is dumber than before going after the defilers during a wave.

Its changed and I cannot do it anymore. Even though I am buffed up better than I used to be. Its changed.