Ouze Stinkeefeets
has something against frogs
Posts: 3354
(8/31/03 12:18 am)
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HoT Pulling Guide
I suppose Sleeka doesn't need this, but the rest of us should give it a peek.
Originally posted on Monkly-Business.
Halls of Testing by Glencannon
I wrote this as a guide that the Monkly Business site could pick up, should the mods decide it is worthy. Please correct any errors I have made, and feel free to post your own tips. I may incorporate them into the guide; on the other hand, I reserve the right not to add your tip if I don't feel I understand it well enough to describe clearly.
I would like to thank my guild for letting me pull this fun place, and apologize to the guilds I trained while learning :-)
Pulling the Halls of Testing
This guide is based on about 50 hours of experience pulling HoT as a 56-59 monk. It is no doubt easier at 60. The main goal was to distribute the map I made - it is more accurate than the other ones I found out there. I also wanted to write down some tips I figured out. These are obviously spoilers so if you don't like spoilers, stop reading! It is not really very hard to pull HoT - you can figure all this out by yourself if you just exercise a little caution and use a peeler.
Bring some friends:
- Level 54+ (56+ will help with resists)
- 100+ unbuffed FR and CR (this is minimum - 140 is much better)
- Indiff to CoV (Ally for loot)
- Two good tanks (60 warrior is best but ranger paladin or SK will all work)
- An enchanter for mana-seive (otherwise gaters and CHs will wipe you out)
- A shaman - well maybe not quite necessary but will help hugely
- A druid for resist buffs - Circle of Seasons preferred
- A bard with resist song - not necessary but again helps hugely
- 2-3 clerics
- 24 people minimum if its your first time
General rules:
- Always ask if the HoT door is clear before opening it.
- Never push mobs into walls - they will warp and then summon you one by one
- Always stand up when you get the incoming message
- Let the main tank get some good aggro before attacking
- Don't loot armour unless you are Ally to CoV - you can't quest it without Ally
- Casters, if you can, use a wall or firepot to hide from AoE
- All melees except main tank should hit the mob from behind, to avoid ripostes
- If a melee gets aggro, evade or FD if you can, or move around to stand beside main tank and turn off autoattack
Pulling guidelines:
- Javelins are essential
- Wurms warp onto you so they will hit you a lot (hence javelins)
- Wurms get caught in the doors into the pit and into Doze - they will warp onto you after a bit
- Wurms seem to have the best armour drop rate so grab em if you can
- Do not get too far ahead of drakes / racnars / wyverns - they sometimes path the long way
- You can get aggro through doors
- Learn to jump up the ledge (using the pillars) without stopping
- Respawn time is 74 minutes - make sure you time it
- Try to alternate wurms with non-wurms, to give clerics a chance to get mana back up
Map of HoT
The >>map<< itself is accurate to the best of my knowledge, and corrects some minor problems with the other maps out there. All the spawns with numbers I have seen and pulled myself. All spawns without numbers (i.e. everything east of the cubby) I have not personally pulled. The placement of those mobs was taken from the map by Rebraz and Gumkak found at http://www.geocities.com/waldi_waldmeister/ so I can't guarantee their accuracy. I will update as I learn more.
Pulling to Entrance
This is usually the safest spot, since it is easy to get to and easy to do CR (unless one gates on you). The main risk here is the door. You have to keep it closed. If you open it during a fight, you will aggro the drakes outside who will kill you. There are several ways to open the door - someone can walk in, someone can click on it accidentally when trying to target someone, or if you get mobs too close to the door they will open it (or maybe aggro through it). If ToV is very busy or there are multiple guilds in HoT, you may want to consider moving in - the chances are good that someone may get forgetful and open the door during a fight.
My guild pushes mobs back and forth in front of the door. I have read that some push the mob into a firepot but haven't done that myself. Casters can hide from AoE by being on the north or south side of the middle island, but they'll have to switch as the mob gets pushed. You may also be able to hide in the doorway, but that's risky because if you get aggro then the mob may come close enough to aggro the ones outside. Don't med in the doorway under any circumstances - if you forget to stand up then you could get aggro and cause a wipeout.
Breaking the pit mobs. There are several ways to do this. First, the way that works best for me:
1. From Bwuce: Pick a side and throw a shuriken at the wurm on that side. They will both come. FD and let them reset, then aggro the same one and it will come solo. Somehow when they reset they are spaced further apart and won't aggro each other.
Some other options:
2. From Bowle: Sneak and inch forward on the right side until you aggro the right one, then back up quick. Do not throw a shuriken because that will aggro both. This works every time, tested from level 52 and up.
3. Sit aggro. Have a level 55 or less inch forward along the north or south hall towards pit, sitting as he goes. Eventually you will get close enough to aggro one and only one. Back up quick and kill it. This doesn't seem to work for level 56 or higher.
4. Pull em both and keeel em. Then 74 minutes later be ready to pull the first repop immediately, before second spawns; space em out.
In all cases, watch for wanderers. There are two who path through the pit.
After you have killed the two pit wurms, kill the two wanderers and the mob labeled 0 to the south. Regardless of whether you are pulling north or south, you will need to kill 0 first.
Jumping up the ledge: Once you are experienced, you can single pull right up to the entrance with little risk of adds if you're careful. The key skill is learning to jump up the ledge without stopping. Here's how to do it for the south pillar (mirror image for north). Run at the west at the pillar, pointed just a little towards south. Jump while running, then just turn slightly to the north as soon as you get up. You'll pop right onto the staircase. No need to stop, no need to jump a second time. Note that barbarians don't seem to be able to do this.
If you are doing this for the first time - you should have a peeler for safety. Peeler should stand back beyond the stairs, and should only come forward when you say (make a hotkey). Your peeler should have arrows or throwing devices - spells take too long to cast for peeling wurms, since wurms move so fast. The map has two feign spots, X and Y. These spots are for pulling from the south; mirror image for north. X is the best spot to feign - it will give your peeler the max amount of time to aggro your pull. However if another guild is fighting at A, you will train them. In this case, feign at Y - it will not train A and will still give your peeler time. The key about X and Y is that they are off the line between the north and south doors. If you feign right between the doors, your mobs will path away too quickly.
Pull order: The mobs are numbered in the order that you should pull them to entrance. North and south mobs are independent so that's why there are two of each number.
Tips on north mobs: Pull 4 around past 1... don't pull 7 first because 4 may add. I have gotten an add with 7 which is why I pull it after 6. Maybe it was 8?
Tips on south mobs: 1 will not aggro 3 if you pull with a javelin. 2 and 3 will likely aggro through the door; definitely 3. If you pull 5 with a javelin past 6, 6 will not aggro (at least to a 56+ monk)... but be sure to wait until 5 is getting close to you before running back, because otherwise it will path way around to the southeast and aggro wurms on you. Also beware that there is a wanderer that paths past 5-2-3-1 and then out the east door - pull this one when you can.
Pulling to Pit
This is not that great a spot. You have 2 wanderers through here, plus the two pit wurms. On the other hand you can CoH anyone KOS to CoV. Personally I would choose almost any spot over this one.
Pulling to Doze
If Dozecar the Cursed is not up, this is a good spot because there are no wanderers who path through here. However if Doze pops on you, you will be wiped out. He only pops once a week so your chances are pretty good. The key here (just like entrance) is to stay away from the door. You can aggro pit wurms and wanderers through the door. Keep your crew around the firepot and keep casters and mobs away from the door. Casters, don't use the doorway to hide from AoE - too risky.
The pull order is close to the entrance order, with a few exceptions. North: pull 7 4 5 1 2 3 6 8. Note that 3 and 5 will path around past 1 if you run too quickly. Which is good for 3 if you pull in the above order... but bad for 5. Be a man, take some hits. South: pull 1 3 0 2 4 then in numerical order.
Pulling to Cubby
A great place for casters to hide from AoE - fight outside the cubby, casters inside. I haven't camped this spot yet so I don't know the details. I believe the two wanderers who go through the pit also pass by here, so be careful. If you got here, presumably you know what you're doing.
Pulling to A
I have seen people fight here, but it is not very good a spot. You have two wanderers, plus you will aggro the north pit wurm when it spawns (but not south wurm).
Pulling to B
I have seen people fight here too. No wanderers, but you will aggro 2 and 3 when they spawn.
Pulling to C
From Korl: Another good spot to camp at is the blue dot at -1800, -1000. (We've done this before when another guild has the entrance area.) Only one pop there and no wanderers. And the pop is always a racnar/wyvern/drake (who are much easier than wurms obviously). Also, lots of walls for casters to hide behind.
EDIT 5/24: Incorporated feedback from Korl, Bowle, Bwuce, Choppin.
EDIT 7/05: More info on splitting the two pit wurms.
Glencannon | 60 monk | Vallis Scortor | Ayonae Ro
Grave Lord of Da Hui - Quellious - obligatory magelo link
If I cannot bend heaven, then I shall move hell. -Homer
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