Winning difficult fights

From HoAWiki

Contents 1 Winning difficult fights 2 Enemies that all classes ought to beware of (and how to kill them back) 2.1 Early-game 2.1.1 Vampires 2.1.2 Daemonwoods 2.2 Mid-game 2.2.1 Greater Gorgons 2.2.2 Daemonwoods 2.2.3 Golems 2.2.4 Strangleweed plants 2.2.5 Evil Oculus 2.2.6 Dark Knight and/or Shadow Thief 2.2.7 Dragons/Hellhounds 2.3 Mid-Late 2.3.1 Dark Forest Paladin Keep 2.3.2 Flesh Hunters 2.3.3 Battle of the Plains 2.4 Late Game 2.4.1 Reavers 2.4.2 Thallis Heroes and monsters 2.4.3 Krolm's Anvil

[edit] Winning difficult fights

What kind of enemies each class is especially weak/strong against. Keep in mind that the number of strengths/weaknesses do not reflect a class's total difficulty. These weaknesses usually can be overcome over time

Stunners refers to enemies with the Paralyzing Gaze/Petrify/Entangle spells. Mobs refers to any large group of enemies who can deal out decent amounts of damage to you. Hard-hitters refers to enemies who can deal lots of physical, non-magic damage per hit.

Weak vs// Strong vs

• Adept: Magic-users, Poisoners // Mobs, Magic Resistant
• Barbarian: Poisoners, Mobs, Armored, Critical-resistant // High HP, Regenerators, Magic Resistant
• Cultist: Mobs, Magic users, Hard-hitters // Poisoners, Animals, Regenerators
• Dwarf: High HP, Hard-Hitters // Magic users, Stunners, Poisoners, Magic Resistant
• Elf: Melee, poisoners, Hard-hitters // Magic resistant, Ranged
• Healer: Mobs, Magic users, Hard-hitters, Stunners // High HP, Poisoners, Invisible
• Gnome: Regenerators, Poisoners, Armored, Hard-hitters, Stunners // Mobs
• Monk: Armored, Poisoners, hard-hitters, Magic Resistant, Stunners // Magic-users
• Paladin: Mobs, Poisoners, Stunners, Regenerators // High HP, undead, Magic Resistant, Armored
• Priestess: Magic-resistant, High HP, Regenerators // Magic users, lesser undead
• Ranger: Melee, poisoners, Magic Users, Stunners // Ranged, Magic Resistant
• Rogue: Poisoners, Magic Users, Stunners // Mobs (lategame), Magic Resistant
• Solarus: Magic-resistant, magic-users, Hard Hitters // Mobs, Poisoners
• Warrior: Magic-Users, Poisoners // Mobs, Hard-hitting, Magic Resistant
• Warrior of Discord: Hard-hitters, Magic users // Mobs, Poisoners, Regenerators, Magic Resistant
• Wizard: Magic-resistant, Ranged, Stunners, Poisoners // Mobs, Magic users, Regenerators, Invisible

Counters:

• Magic-Users-> Counter with anti-magic gems and MGR items or invisibility buffs
• Magic-Resistant-> Counter with Medusa potions and Int items or counter with physical attacks
• Regenerators-> Counter with poison and healing aids
• Invisible-> Counter with poison
• Stunners-> Counter with regeneration buffs/poison or invisibility buffs
• Hard-Hitting-> Counter by maximizing parry/dodge or invisibility buffs
• Armored-> Counter with magic attacks or strength/damage-increasing buffs
• Poisoners-> Counter with healing aids or get the Aura of Health from the Dark Forest Castle Encounter

[edit] Enemies that all classes ought to beware of (and how to kill them back)

If you have trouble and you don't want to avoid a fight, use as many combat aids as possible.
Using Invisibility gems combined with a multiple-enemy-targeting attack (Lightning Storm Wand/Meteor Storm/Deathblast/attack multiple enemies ability etc.) is a generic solution to a lot of battles

[edit] Early-game

[edit] Vampires

These nasty little suckers are magic-users, magic resistant and regenerators (with high Dodge/Parry and poison immunity to boot). Unless you can reliably deal 20 damage per round against them or have good magic resistance, these guys are impossible to kill. Low-level heroes can afford to ignore them entirely, high-level heroes with good MGR should win most fights with them. Exceptions: Dwarfs and Wizards will rip them apart with a few Anti-Magic Gems and the Priestess can simply charm them.

[edit] Daemonwoods

Regenerators, Armored, Hard-hitters, High HP, generally difficult for everyone and usually inevitable to fight. When fighting them, pull out all of the stops. Use Invisibility Gems, Healing Potions, enhancement potions and poisons.

[edit] Mid-game

[edit] Greater Gorgons

Stunners, Magic-resistant. Little bastards really love to stun you, and in groups of two, can potentially keep you tied down forever. Magic resistance is key to killing them fast. Make sure you have 150 MGR or so and don't forget to use Anti-Magic Gems. Also prepare poison and regeneration as well. You're going to need something while you're stunned!

• For some reason, my Monk really struggles against Gorgons even with high MGR, so be careful Monks.

[edit] Daemonwoods

Same as before, except that now they come in mobs with lots of backup in the form of Strangleweeds, Golems, and/or Elderwoods. Again, pull out all of the stops and don't be afraid to run away. Heavily armored heroes should be able to eliminate normal Daemonwood mobs easily.

[edit] Golems

Armored, Hard-hitters, High HP, sometimes regenerating and mobs. Similar to Daemonwoods but harder to kill due to ridiculous amount of armor. Like Daemonwoods, you often must fight them for quests and advanced items. Your difficulty may vary according to your approach. Best approach to Golems is high HP and damage output and lots of healing items.

[edit] Strangleweed plants

Ranged, mob, hard-hitting poisoners. The normal type: only unarmored classes ought to fear and even then, those classes have no trouble with them at high levels. However, the black death and blue spore varieties can really cause a headache. It's best to avoid them unless you are raiding a lair or quest. They can easily bypass any armor, except perhaps a fully-decked Warrior, and poison immunity isn't going to save you from Sporeweeds. Counter these vegetables with invisibility, high Dodge and high HP.

[edit] Evil Oculus

Stunners, Magic-Resistant, Magic Users. If you are unprepared, they will easily reduce you to a pulpy mess. The only way to beat them is to use lots of Invisibility Gems and a powerful attack or lots of MGR-increasing items and consumables, after which they will fall fairly easily. In either case, don't use magic unless you are confident you can pierce their formidable MGR.

[edit] Dark Knight and/or Shadow Thief

The Dark Knight is Hard-hitting, Magic-User, High HPs, Armored. The Shadow Thief is Invisible, Hard-hitting and Poisoning. Don't bother fighting them, as they just don't give out enough XP and gold to be worth the damage sustained. Only if you can already crush anything else in the forest with ease should you consider fighting them to be worth your while.

[edit] Dragons/Hellhounds

Ranged, Armored, Hard-hitting. They are mostly avoidable, but if you must fight them, stock up on all sorts of combat aids, as usual. Dragon mobs are obviously insanely hard to kill unless you combine invisibility gems with the ability to hit multiple enemies. Use Invisibility Gems if you're not already capable of it naturally. In addition, Dragons attack on Round 0 before you have a chance to attack, so it's highly suggested that you get items that boost your DODGE capabilities (Varg Beard Rings, some special enchantments, Dryad Potion (DOD +35) and items socketed with Varg Beard Rings.

[edit] Mid-Late

[edit] Dark Forest Paladin Keep

OR
This fight can go one of two ways. You take on Hard-Hitting, Armored, Magic Resistant, High HPs (Paladin/Monk) or take on Hard-Hitting, Magic Resistant, Magic-Using(Priestess/WoD/Vampire). Sometimes you'll have a choice between the two. Generally, I found the Paladins and Monks to be slightly easier.
There will be six waves of fighting, so stock up on healing aids and other consumables accordingly. Either way, you'll need the "generic solution": 2 Invisibility Gems and a spell/attack that can wipe out multiple enemies at once (Lightning Storm Wands for classes that don't already have it). The WoDs, Monks and Priestesses shouldn't be much of a threat in the face of such spells/attacks, as they'll die before invisibility runs out. The Vampires and Paladins are the real threat. Thus, bring high MGR (against Vamps) or high Armor/Parry for us against Paladins.

[edit] Flesh Hunters

Magic resistant, High HP, Hard-hitting, Regenerators, Armored, Mobs, Poisoning. Shamans are also Stunners and Magic-Users. These lizard-like beasts, are, in brief, nightmares. They are nearly impossible to kill without some serious combat aids. Even then it's an ordeal. When fighting the Flesh tribe, keep the following in mind:

• If using magic, use Invisibility Gems and have a powerful attack that hits multiple enemies (preferably Meteor Storm, Deathblast, or Ring of Mighty Devastation. The more and higher level the better. Also, use Medusa Potions. A Medusa-buffed intelligence of 93 is generally not enough for a Wizard to take down a Flesh Hunter pack; you have been warned. Classes other than Wizards and Priestesses should NOT use magic against the Flesh tribe unless they are very confident.
• If using physical attacks, equip poison to counter their regenerative abilities and make sure you have, at the bare minimum, 80 H2H or Ranged (you can never have enough accuracy).
• Only high-level Rogues, Wizards, Priestesses and WoDs with schematic weapons can rely solely on sheer damage. Just pack some invisibility gems and let loose.
• The Flesh tribe's H2H skills and intelligence are limited. At 210 Parry, you are immune to Flesh Hunter attacks; at 240 Parry, to Flesh Reaper attacks; and at 140-150 MGR, to Flesh Hunter Shaman spells. These numbers are easy for Paladins, Monks and Adepts to attain without training and without venturing into too much high-level gear. Also, Dryad Potion brings out the maximum effect in the Circlet of Lycanthropy, and Silverhide Boots are superior to War Chargers if you're aiming for damage immunity.
• Gnome Champions can reach damage immunity (use Elf Beard Rings only), but suffer from a limited ability to do damage. Equipping the Golem Fist or Champion Blade + poison may be advisable.
• Healers do not need to reach damage immunity except against Flesh Shaman magic, but definitely needs H2H over 100; Parry over 130 is also advisable. Golem Fist or Dagger of Valour are musts for them to avoid stalemates or running out of Anti-Magic Gems.
• Other melee classes can achieve damage immunity in the Sunken City but will need training to do so. However, if you're only looking in certain prizes exclusive to the Sunken City, you only need to deal with the Ruined Building encounter, guarded by 3 to 5 Bog Golems (95 H2H), which should be possible for low-parry classes to beat by using 3 stacks of Invisibility Gems, a stack of Gems of Fiery Doom, a stack of Lightning Storm Wands, Medusa Potion and Bandanna of Thought Stimulation.
• ... but the cash rewards in Sunken City are quite fantastic if you can achieve immunity to the Flesh tribe's attacks.
• If you aren't damage immune in Sunken City, either through invisibility plus high damage or through parry prowess, expect your visit to be expensive in consumables.

[edit] Battle of the Plains

You'll have to face a wide variety of monsters. Everyone has their different method of fighting the BotP, but some strategies are fairly common:

• You'll need magic resistance of at least 125 (150 if you want a chance at beating the Flesh tribe random wave), not including spell-based magic resistance.
• You'll need to deal with a lot of Monsters at once. Some classes (all Wizards, Solari and WoDs, also Priestesses, Adepts and Rogues with their Schematic Items) naturally are capable of this, others need multiple Lightning Storm Wands or the Ring of Mighty Devastation. The Wind Storm/Sun Scorch blessings from the Lunord/Helia Temples also help.
• Get as many potions and temple blessings as possible. At least 30 turns' worth of either Bless/Vigilance (and Stoneskin if you're uncomfortable with your armor, e.g. if you're a Monk, Barbarian or Gnome) or Illusionary Hero, as well as some resurrections/reanimations/revives. For potions, Regeneration for everyone, Dryad (or Minotaur) and Dirgo Strength for Melee Fighters, Medusa for Spellcasters (and to help low-armor/low-damage heroes such as Gnomes blast their way through the Gorgon wave), and Fire Balm, Dryad and Dirgo Strength for ranged.
• Dodge of 110+, Invisibility Gems and Lightning Storm Wands will make Dragon waves trivial.
• Poison deals insignificant damage, given that most waves will either be dead or have killed you in the time that it takes for poison to rack up significant damage.
• Invisibility Gems can be helpful, and are essential to Spellcasters.
• Healing items are very helpful but sometimes optional. Use your discretion.
• Visit the above sections of this guide to find out how to deal with specific waves.
• Most of East Cheswick is closed during the battle royale, but you can make use of the Royal Gardens or the Outpost's refreshment (if you're a member already) if you need a small boost.

[edit] Late Game

[edit] Reavers

Strong Mobs, some are Magic Resistant and Magic Users. Don't even think of taking them on unless you have a spell or weapon attack that can hit multiple enemies. Invisibility Gems are a must as well if you want to avoid getting ganged up upon.

[edit] Thallis Heroes and monsters

You thought the Flesh Hunters were hard? Sure, Looters and lesser undead in the Graveyard are easy pickings, but that's about it in Thallis. Almost all heroes in Thallis are optional fights, so if you can't handle it, don't sweat it. Most classes, if properly prepared, should have an easy time getting to their class-specific loot.

• In general, make sure you have a lot of high-level gear, don't use offensive spells if you lack high intelligence, and poison barely helps. Do, however, pack a LOT of Invisibility Gems and healing items. Wizards, Priestesses, Monks, Healers, Paladins, Adepts and Gnomes, if properly prepared, have a relatively easier time with Thallis. If you can hit 280 parry (don't be afraid to use Bless and Vigilance), melee fights will be a cinch.
• Thallis Rogues, Rangers, Elves

- These guys really hurt, even with Invisibility Gems, especially since Dodge can be hard to come by for some classes. They are, however, relatively fragile, and will go down easily if you can withstand the arrows or kill them before invisibility runs out.

• Thallis Priestesses, Wizards, Dark Phantoms

- Around 210 MGR is an absolute must if you don't want to die horribly to Wizards and Priestesses, and Dark Phantoms require 270 MGR for immunity... But if you can hit those numbers, they should splatter easily.

• Thallis Solari, Adepts

- These heroes have mediocre magic resistance and defenses, but require careful planning to defend against since they pack both powerful melee and magic attacks.

• Thallis Warriors of Discord-

- Not much in the way of magical or physical defenses. Just make sure that you have high HP (at least 250) and high damage-dealing abilities.

• Thallis Cultists, Healers

- They heal a lot and occasionally get in a good hit, but should go down relatively easy if you can deal a lot of damage. They are, however, never found alone, and you should be prepared to take down other flavors of Thallis heroes if you're around them.

• Thallis Warriors

- Extremely well-armored. They go down relatively easily to spells, but if you're relying on physical damage, you must have at least 40 points of damage (including strength bonuses), a Golem Fist or a Golem Sledge to take them down.

• Thallis Dwarves

- Thallis Dwarves are the most magic-immune opponent you will ever face. They also have high armor and deal amazing damage, so it is recommended you skip them unless you're a Dwarf and need the loot. In that case, maximize your melee damage output.

• Thallis Gnomes-

You absolutely need high H2H, Ranged or Intelligence to defeat them, but they go down surprisingly fast if you can consistently hit them. They still pack a decent punch though, so don't get complacent.

• Thallis Barbarians

- Barbarians pack a ridiculous amount of melee damage (including critical hits), and aren't too easy to take down. It is recommended that you avoid them unless you can kill them within invisibility time.

• Thallis Monks and Paladins-

They are rather magic resistant, and will give and take a large amount of physical damage, but those are the only obstacles to defeating them. Monk and Paladin heroes shouldn't have much difficulty obtaining the 280 Parry required for melee immunity.

• Sewers-
• Graveyard-

[edit] Krolm's Anvil

• To be continued