Thoughts on the Illusionist's Gambit

ltsmithneko · April 2017

Is it really worth going for gold? It takes roughly 12-15 minutes depending on the group, you get the exact same rewards as if you were running Bronze, except for +5 I think only drops in Gold I believe. But you can get about 4 runs on Bronze in the time it takes you to get Gold. You'll sill get +4's very rarely, (unless your Cratch ;P ) overall just giving you more chances at loot that doesn't seem to want to drop even in gold.

meraks · April 2017

Other posts I've seen state +4 and +5 are only dropped in Gold runs. I haven't personally seen one drop outside of a gold run yet, but that doesn't mean its a fact...

sfgreenberet · April 2017

+4 Can drop in Bronze runs... The most my guild and alliance have farmed... the more we realized the drop seems increased in Gold runs.

Collectively we ran about 40-50 Bronze (1 +4 Drop), 20 Gold (3 +4 Drop)

2/3 drops from Gold were Heroics... Imma stick to gold

thefiresidecat · April 2017

yup, I've ran a good number of bronze runs. saw one plus 4 drop for someone but green is mostly what I saw. doing gold I've gotten 4 plus 4's and 1 plus five. I'm gold run only. bronze is a waste of time for me at this point (since I want gear) a mantra has somehow popped up because of pc people that bronze is the way to go. but those people are going for fleece and ad only. they already have their companion gear.

randomdigits · April 2017

With a PUG group I would only go for gold if we have a "bubble" (a good OP and/or DC) otherwise we are likely to get wiped at some point (and I still haven't figured out how to return back into the fight through the obstacles course). When you are wiped the reward is way less epic.

Btw any insights on the silver run vs. gold and bronze?

thefiresidecat · April 2017

I've heard tell of people getting the plus fours from bronze but you have to run SOOO many of them. I ran a few and got nothing but green. I've ran a lot of golds and gotten five purples so far. one plus five but it was trash stats so I recycled it. I've mostly pugged it. had a few fails but mostly wins. when it says reflection of powers is on I just switch to basic powers only and don't use encounters or if I do I only use the lowest hitting ones. but sometimes we all ignore it and do fine. I'm not sure how the mechanics work. I think there must be something you can do to mitigate that..

ltsmithneko · April 2017

Stinks that in total there's 240 Companion only equipment within the Skirmish and so far Ive gotten 1x +3 n' 1x +4 and im nearing good old 100x runs wih about 90% being Gold runs n' the others being Bronze. :P At this rate ill have the gear I want by Module 16.

andyufcfan · April 2017

I did it only once, dies on the 3rd or 4th round, then got stuck on the stupid swinging axes because there's ALWAYS lag no matter how well I clear the axes I get knocked off 9/10 times before the last ones (the reason I hated the timed event last year). By the time I got through them everyone had died and it failed.

randomdigits · April 2017

The drop rate seems to be comparable with the gear drop rate for SH HEs, except that it takes at least x2 times longer to run the gold IG and the skirmish itself get boring after 20 runs or so.

I'm not sure why did the devs thought that random permutations or mobs/environments/physics would add replayability given that you'd be able to experience all of these possibilities in about 3 runs or so.

I've run it about 30 times now, got a companion and a +4 pow/arp knot which I have no use for and I struggle to make myself run it a few more times a day as it such a slow and boring grind.

In that sense boss lairs seems to be more interesting as you can work to improve your skills towards the mechanics, there are hidden secret titles and the progress toward rewards is much more tangible there (plus you have a good chance to get evidence of evil from there).

dunaught · April 2017

I've run a few runs... I got my +4 talisman for my fire archon. I also got a +4 necklace. I enjoy the skirmish, but I have been lucky. Only one wipe. I did have one run where I was the pally and I was alone for quite some time, but when my group showed back up... We finished gold.

fearhodorwillie · April 2017

I always shoot for gold unless I'm in a pug group that wants to quit early. And it's not even about the rewards ( I still don't have a single +5 ring I use from throne/prophecy/edemo). I go for gold because I like the skirmish. Low gravity and being a chicken? Count me in! Lol

mordekai · April 2017

I'm of the same mind, but with a 100% record on Gold with zero downs, my GF has yet to see even a +3 reward, having got four +1 RINGS (not even a talisman or sword knot or something) in a row I'm somewhat disappointed to say the least.

I'm starting to think "Fleece" is less of a commodity and more of an evaluation of the Illusionist's reward scheme.

thefiresidecat · April 2017

it would be nice if they added evidence of evil to the gold reward

mordekai · May 2017

randomdigits#2166 said:
With a PUG group I would only go for gold if we have a "bubble" (a good OP and/or DC) otherwise we are likely to get wiped at some point (and I still haven't figured out how to return back into the fight through the obstacles course). When you are wiped the reward is way less epic.

Btw any insights on the silver run vs. gold and bronze?

Just wondering, with that comment about rewards being worse if you wipe, is it possible that my run of absolute HAMSTER gravy (many +1 rings on Gold) is because the rest of the party is getting killed and re-enterring?
My GF is not winning any DPS awards (unless they introduce a "Most shockingly low" category) but he can stand still and get smacked in the mouth for prolonged periods of time.
Consequently he always comes out of IG with Gold, and zero downs, but inevitably at least one other PUGer has to find their way back in.

Do other players "downs" impact on rewards???

randomdigits · May 2017

mordekai#1901 said:
Do other players "downs" impact on rewards???

Only developers would know for sure, but I have never seen any correlation between my position on dps chart and the drop level.You'd definitely have a higher chance of good loot if you do more runs in the same amount of time, so sticking with high dps party helps.

My worst experience thus far was a run when I randomly queued with a 4-people premade group of low level chars from the same guild. They ranked between 1600 and 2200 IL and only one of them had a rank 8 bonding. Nevertheless they were able to survive in the skirmish using an OP/DC combo. By the time I noticed that this is going to be a very long run I've already invested enough time into it, so I stayed out of curiosity, but it took over 40 minutes, with me doing the majority of the damage (and I not an HDPS, mostly doing CC and AoE damage). While most normal runs I've seen finish within 14-15 minutes.

mordekai · May 2017

I don't generally do the sit down and repeat the same dungeon/skirmish over and over to be honest.
That way lies madness...
I did, however, just break my run of unenviable horse HAMSTER when I glanced at the rewards and saw... PURPLE.
Not only Purple... but PLUS FOUR...

Now, if only I can find a companion that a) uses a Pact Blade, b) DOESN'T cost 3/4 million AD, and c) isn't completely useless I'll be over the moon.

Seriously... guys can someone point me at a decent Pact Blade wielding companion?

mahburg · May 2017

mordekai#1901 said:
I don't generally do the sit down and repeat the same dungeon/skirmish over and over to be honest.
That way lies madness...
I did, however, just break my run of unenviable horse HAMSTER when I glanced at the rewards and saw... PURPLE.
Not only Purple... but PLUS FOUR...

Now, if only I can find a companion that a) uses a Pact Blade, b) DOESN'T cost 3/4 million AD, and c) isn't completely useless I'll be over the moon.

Seriously... guys can someone point me at a decent Pact Blade wielding companion?

Not judging here, but the only one I found that will take it is the Zen Store Companion the Rage Slayer (plus its bugged).
So if you really must use it, then for 2500 zen sir, the store will be most accommodating

mordekai · May 2017

Yeah, gotcha..
That's the only one I could find too.

Because it supposedly applies its 10% damage vs Cloaked Ascendency Active Bonus to both you AND the summoned companion, it makes more sense to have a better summoned companion, rendering equipment of any sort fairly moot on the Mage Slayer itself.You'd surely just swap it in and out of idle depending on when you visit Riverside.

You can pick them up on the AH (sans Bonding...) for about 100k less than the Zen route.
But its still well over 800'000 AD which I ain't spending just to use a ruddy pact blade...

thefiresidecat · May 2017

also a high dps party isn't going to go down as much. kill em fast means it's less likely you're going to die other than that nasty reflection phase.

mordekai · May 2017

The reflect phase is the HAMSTER.
Watched as three guys over 3.2k vapourised themselves in seconds back when the skirmish first launched. I noticed with my HR that hitting stuff from a decent distance seemed to have no reflect, but as soon as they swarmed, all that extra dps I get for foes within 20 feet that normally lets me run through mobs like a rotavator... oh lordy it got messy... Soulforged, Lillend and Lifesteal at nearly 20% PLUS my bear cub giving me OUTRAGE... still looked like I'd gone through a wood chipper.

ltsmithneko · May 2017

Another tip for ya peeps still running it, two of my friends are already up at roughly 500+ runs and they've only gotten two useful +4's to thier names.

thefiresidecat · May 2017

ltsmithneko said:
Another tip for ya peeps still running it, two of my friends are already up at roughly 500+ runs and they've only gotten two useful +4's to thier names.

they are really unlucky. I have a full compliment on my dc and my hr. I have not done 500 runs I probably haven't done 100 were they doing bronze or gold? I did gold pretty much exclusively except for where I was thwarted by others.

none of them are fierce sadly.. my arpen is stupid high. lol. trying to get rid of it EVERYWHERE else now.

zacoria1405 · May 2017

I completed my 100th run today of which 72 were gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze. From this I have recieved 81 +1, 12 +2 and 7 +3 items........not a +4 in sight. I'm actually starting to wondwer whether the +4 and 5's even exist. Why is the drop rate so ridiculously low? It would be nice to actually use companions that arent ring orientated for change, can the developers not see this?

mordekai · May 2017

I'd almost dip my toe in the water of controversy and suggest... a locked chest at the end and add a key to the campaign tree for a reason to continue the content when its been completed???

thefiresidecat · May 2017

mordekai#1901 said:
I'd almost dip my toe in the water of controversy and suggest... a locked chest at the end and add a key to the campaign tree for a reason to continue the content when its been completed???

a key with a fast recharge rate. as long as the drop on completion is left in I'd more than welcome a chest at the end as well.

sundance777 · May 2017

I like the skirmish in general, it was interesting that it had different mobs and random effects but after several runs and no loot I lost interest. At least it wasn't fishing...but with 239 possible things I don't want that won't even drop, in color varieties that I don't want....this is like 5000 times more agony than the underdark rings...I can't imagine running this 240 times let alone 100x more than that because the drop rate is probably 1% or less...

ltsmithneko · May 2017

Would be much better if It was and endless wave system getting harder and harder as the rounds progress, be rewards as the rounds go on. Of coarse this'll have to give a reward after each round and they chose to stay, or go, but I doubt we'll ever get something like that. :P

Unknown · June 2017

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mordekai · June 2017

;I've noticed over the past few weeks a certain pattern emerging.
This is quite likely to be one of those small sample statistical aberrations, but I thought it worth mentioning.

All the times I've had crappy +1 rewards on Gold have been with my GF. And the good rewards with my CW.
My CW was the first character I put into Cloaked Alliance, and didn't do IG till he was about 50 or 60% complete. I don't think he's ever had a +1 and is fairly regularly getting +3 and +4 since I started running him more.
My GF, on the other hand had barely set foot in the River District till about 3 weeks ago and got nothing but HAMSTER. As he's progressed through the campaign the rewards for IG seem to be getting better.
Now, my HR, who had previously only dipped his toe in the campaign is starting out, and HE is getting a succession of +1 tat in IG,

Is it possible that success in IG is actually linked to campaign progression?
Cos right now, if I were forced to answer that question based only on my own experience I would have to say, "Yeah. Definitely!"

priapism66 · June 2017

I have run right at 700 gold, have between 40 and 50 plus 4s, but can not get a +4 offensive sword knot. I understand RNG, but I am a little pissed. IG sucks, there should not be +1s in a gold run. It has destroyed my soul. Hi Neko it's HOODY HOO.

mordekai · June 2017

priapism66 said:
I have run right at 700 gold, have between 40 and 50 plus 4s, but can not get a +4 offensive sword knot. I understand RNG, but I am a little pissed. IG sucks, there should not be +1s in a gold run. It has destroyed my soul. Hi Neko it's HOODY HOO.

This is what I don't get... if I got gold,and "won" a reward of a +1ring, how is that better than anything I could have got at bronze or silver? Not having done bronze or silver, are they like TOTDG where you can end up with no ring unless you use a key? Had that happen often enough when you get those runs where people either keep killing Hulks or crashing them into open gateways instead of the bloody force field.

Thoughts on the Illusionist's Gambit

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