Observation about Harpy

Darkette - Sanctuary

I've been away from PWI since before the new legendary pets were introduced; so, I thought I'd role a new veno and start with a Harpy. (I've previously leveled three venos to 95 or above.) I'm strictly a PvE player; I don't enjoy PvP or TW. I do all of the quests, really, all of them, and a flexible pet is super important to me.

So far, I'm finding the Harpy my best investment in this game to date. Were I not also leveling a Herc, I'd probably use the Harpy for 99% of all quests. Today, with Harpy and my veno at level-45 I solo'd Ch'in and Gouf easily. The Harpy really showed her advantage with Ch'in, where I was able to stand off (in the air) beyond Ch'in's AOE, but could still heal the Harpy. Questing is an absolute joy with the Harpy because she kills so quickly. And grinding is pretty cool, too -- when she was level-43 we were grinding on level-60 Foxwing Supremes, and killinng them quickly enough that it was worth the time and effort.

Other than my starter wolf, I have not tamed other pets. The Harpy simply does it all.

I realize this post is adding little to the body of knowledge, but I thought a comment from a super casual player was in order.

Cheers

Desdi - Sanctuary

That's completely fine hehe. Thanks for sharing your experience.

I think there's plenty of people (including myself) that don't know much about using the Harpy during the "baby" days since most of us were already lvl100 when the new pets were released.

Darkette - Sanctuary

Desdi - Sanctuary wrote: »

That's completely fine hehe. Thanks for sharing your experience.

I think there's plenty of people (including myself) that don't know much about using the Harpy during the "baby" days since most of us were already lvl100 when the new pets were released.

Thank you, Desdi. Trust me, I've appreciated your well-considered posts about the new pets very much.

The Harpy was a no-brainer for me. Having leveled any number of water pets, including a level-2 tortois up to 80, it's comfortinng to know I can stick with the Harpy for the duration. And, my favorite battle milieu is in the air, so I've always been fond of the Phoenix, which the Harpy replaces quite nicely for PvE.

It's Harpy and Herc for me all the way till 95, when I'll swap in a Glacial Walker that I'd previously outfitted with Herc skills plus flesh ream.

morenawolf

Thank you for sharing! could you let us know what's your experience in team and in istances with the Harpy? I'm so courious!

Vedovis - Lost City

morenawolf wrote: »

Thank you for sharing! could you let us know what's your experience in team and in istances with the Harpy? I'm so courious!

Comment I made on the various uses I've found for the harpy.She really is an amazing and versatile pet to have, and fills several roles in one

In Teams instances, depending on the squad I either use my Harpy or no pet at all. She really does help increase in the DD of slower squads and the AoE zhen skill is fantastic to help kill large groups of mobs - for example, Warsong or CV.

Darkette - Sanctuary

Under the heading of *Just for Chuckles*

A level-60 Harpy can solo Sonic Oppressor b:chuckle

(It takes 2 hours and 27 minutes)

Desdi - Sanctuary

That's pretty neat lol!

Darkette - Sanctuary

Have leveled my Harpy to 95 as of this entry. The only mini boss she's had trouble with is Gargantakong at level-75 (haven't tried him since). At level-90 the Harpy was able to handle Jewelscalen easily.

I remain convinced that if someone leveling up a new veno is choosing a Legendary Pet and is primarily interested in PvE, the Harpy would be an excellent choice for all-around questing.

OFate - Heavens Tear

Desdi - Sanctuary wrote: »

That's completely fine hehe. Thanks for sharing your experience.

I think there's plenty of people (including myself) that don't know much about using the Harpy during the "baby" days since most of us were already lvl100 when the new pets were released.

I really liked the Harpy also, but I did not get her until level 80 or so. Mine is evolved and so much stronger now.

Really like using her as often as possible.

Darkette - Sanctuary

Level-99 on first Reawakening. Before I commence RB2 I plan to evolve a couple of my pets. With no reservation whatsoever, my first evolved pet will be my Harpy. More and more I'm soloing BH bosses in fox form, where I'm the tank. Kills simply occur faster when my Harpy is doing DD.

For Morai and Primal dailies, nothing beats a Harpy. Often, I simply put her on AOE and let her do all the work from the safety of the air -- this is especially helpful in Primal. I need to add that I'm a super cheapskate -- if I can kill mobs without burning mana for heals and skills, that's what I do, and my Harpy excels at this.

I rarely get my herc out these days and use my nix only for auto-culti on the 108/109 flying mobs in Momaganon.

All my g16 gear, including weapon, is +10, I have 11K HP, and 24K MAG Attack; thus, I'm really looking forward to seeing what pet evolve does.

Rebeacca (my harpy ) -- far and away -- remains my favorite and most used pet.

Evryn - Morai

Darkette - Sanctuary wrote: »

The Harpy really showed her advantage with Ch'in, where I was able to stand off (in the air) beyond Ch'in's AOE, but could still heal the Harpy. Questing is an absolute joy with the Harpy because she kills so quickly.

In the past I was informed that this tactic (I used it on a Mystic with a Storm Mistress instead during archo assault) was "bug abusing" and "bannable" (it has the same range advantage). Not sure if I hold much stock in that anymore... you'd have to work a lot harder to get a ban then bomb something from the air methinks.

Desdi - Sanctuary

It's probably bannable..or was...doubt anybody cares, really xD I see people do it.

Anyhow, @Darkette, thanks for continuing to share your experience with the Harpy! It's very much appreciated. It's nice seeing people's adventures with the new pets in lower levels and/or non-endgame settings b:victory

Darkette - Sanctuary

There was a time when venos could get in trouble for a lot of things; i.e., luring Quinzi through a closed door using the old camera mechanism. In BH39 (and elsewhere) you can go through the wall at certain points, and using that old camera feature it was possible to attack the bosses such that they could not return fire. But these *glitches* were fixed. Long ago, low-level venos could take their flying pets down to Cromagnon Village and grind on level-100 mobs with flying pets for HUGE exp, but the programmers fixed this by nerfing the exp.

I've been *confusing* ground mobs with Petite Sawflies since 2009, and several new expansions have been introduced since where some ground mobs are stymied by flying pets. I'd hardly call these glitches, as programmers have had more than ample opportunities to make corrections if, indeed, they were ever considered program errors. With respect to the TOS, does this give venos a unique advantage over other players? I think not; if this were the case, APS equippers would have been unilaterally banned vis a vis the TOS.

As for the Harpy, it was introduced pre-Lunestra; so, I'm quite certain the wise program developers, coordinators, and directors at Wanmei wouldn't have launched yet another expansion allowing venos to leverage their flying pets in a way that would cause them to be banned. Thus, I will have no hesitation whatsoever in using my pets to best advantage.

When I think about having to switch to PK to evolve my pets, or having to try up to 15-20 times to get into Cube Room 4 to level my pets, I'll not feel the least guilty about using my pets' abilities to their utmost. From that perspective, it's rather quid pro quo: when PWI corrects the things that impact only venos negatively, maybe we can call exploitation of program peculiarities favorable to venos bannable.

Finally, just where is it written that venos have to play the game with one hand tied behind their collective backs while other classes, like Assassins or r9rr equippers can take full advantage of unforeseeable programming outcomes? For that matter, where is it specifically spelled out that venos cannot attack ground mobs with flying pets while staying out of the line of fire?

This whole *bannable* business is sounding very much like an old wives' tale. Within the specific context of this post, the old meme of venomancers engaging ground mobs with flying pets being bannable is utter poppycock! And this was proved completely by introduction of the Harpy.

opkossy

The rule is that you cannot attack ground mobs from the air in a way that keeps them from attacking back.

So sending an air pet after Gouf or Kimsa and having the bosses not fight back? Still a bannable offense.

Sending them after Chi'in who has a range attack and will fight back meaning you have to actually heal the pet (or sending it after a mob without having the mob unable to fight back) is totally fine.


In short, what you described in your post that was quoted (and what Evyrn was told was bannable) is perfectly fine. It's the act of glitching the bosses in a way to where they can't fight back that isn't allowed.

Darkette - Sanctuary

Thank you, OPKossy, for the clarification.

opkossy

No prob. Thank you for the chronicles of your time with the Harpy. Kinda makes me want to start up a new veno and get it a Harpy from level 1 just to have the experience.

Darkette - Sanctuary

OPKossy wrote: »

No prob. Thank you for the chronicles of your time with the Harpy. Kinda makes me want to start up a new veno and get it a Harpy from level 1 just to have the experience.

I doubt you'd regret it; Harpy is a real game changer. After leveling up three previous venos I didn't think I could enjoy doing so again, but I was wrong -- it was that much more fun developing new ways to approach old challenges with the Harpy's ranged skills. And, at least based on my playstyle, there's not a better luring pet in the game.

morenawolf

Just for clarification: I'm leveling my Sawfly, and to do this I use the aurora beasts in Savage fields, on the ground. I don't use the insects near Raging Tide because they have 300 hp, and since my physical attack is very low (I turned to pure mag after the first reawkening) it's very boring to hit them and follow them hoping to hit them again befire they come back to their spot with some seconds of immortality. So I use aurora beasts, because they have only 100 hp and I can oneshot them with Befudding Mist. I stay on my flyer to avoid the usual glitch of the flying pets stuck on the ground and I kill them flying near the ground in foxform. They don't attack back in any case, so it's legal, right?

Coming back in topic. I hate/love this discussion about the Harpy because I don't understand how pople can have all the legendary pets and I can't even efford the Herc. b:cry I play since years the same tactic with my Veno, send the melee pet ahead and attack from the distance, so I'm so courious to try the Harpy and experience such a game change... I guess I will wait until I will be able to raise 180 golds. Sniff.

Desdi - Sanctuary

morenawolf wrote: »

Coming back in topic. I hate/love this discussion about the Harpy because I don't understand how pople can have all the legendary pets and I can't even efford the Herc. b:cry I play since years the same tactic with my Veno, send the melee ahead and attack from the distance, so I'm so courious to try the Harpy and experience such a game change... I guess I will wait until I will be able to raise 180 golds. Sniff.

A bit off topic but... to be fair I charged real money to buy my Hercules as a birthday gift for myself after saving pocket money for a very long time, about 4 years ago (I was 17 or so). My Phoenix was a gift from my current game husband. Then I farmed/saved up money and bought gold while it was cheap as soon as we got news from PWCN, way before the update was announced for PWI so I had enough time to save gold to buy the Harpy on day 1. The Monkey was obtained through farming together with my game husband.

So yeah... I was lucky and had some help. b:surrender

Back on topic now though!

opkossy

morenawolf wrote: »

Just for clarification: I'm leveling my Sawfly, and to do this I use the aurora beasts in Savage fields, on the ground. I don't use the insects near Raging Tide because they have 300 hp, and since my physical attack is very low (I turned to pure mag after the first reawkening) it's very boring to hit them and follow them hoping to hit them again befire they come back to their spot with some seconds of immortality. So I use aurora beasts, because they have only 100 hp and I can oneshot them with Befudding Mist. I stay on my flyer to avoid the usual glitch of the flying pets stuck on the ground and I kill them flying near the ground in foxform. They don't attack back in any case, so it's legal, right?

They're not a mob that are supposed to attack back in the first place, so you're fine. Kinda like if you chose to attack Kun Kun from the air for whatever reason.

Jadsia - Lost City

morenawolf wrote: »

Just for clarification: I'm leveling my Sawfly, and to do this I use the aurora beasts in Savage fields, on the ground. I don't use the insects near Raging Tide because they have 300 hp, and since my physical attack is very low (I turned to pure mag after the first reawkening) it's very boring to hit them and follow them hoping to hit them again befire they come back to their spot with some seconds of immortality. So I use aurora beasts, because they have only 100 hp and I can oneshot them with Befudding Mist. I stay on my flyer to avoid the usual glitch of the flying pets stuck on the ground and I kill them flying near the ground in foxform. They don't attack back in any case, so it's legal, right?

Coming back in topic. I hate/love this discussion about the Harpy because I don't understand how pople can have all the legendary pets and I can't even efford the Herc. b:cry I play since years the same tactic with my Veno, send the melee pet ahead and attack from the distance, so I'm so courious to try the Harpy and experience such a game change... I guess I will wait until I will be able to raise 180 golds. Sniff.

I farmed my legendary pets. It takes a long time but once I finally traded the coin for gold and bought them it felt like a weight lifted from my shoulders. I'm not kidding I lived in HH. It was my home for almost a year or so. I must have ran it over 1000 times.

I'd have my harpy now if I wasn't cross eyed and drowsy when I accidentally bought another 10K soul root stones for a monkey when I already had one. I didn't need the 2nd monkey so I sold most of the stones and gave away the rest.

OFate - Heavens Tear

When FF/FC was fairly frequently > I found my evolved harpy did a very nice job of clearing the halls as I walked forward with her. Love her aoe stun and wood.

Also - I take her up to the chronos map (with the mobs that are very ranged and right outside the teleporter) and I put her on auto (defend) and set her into place.

Then I bramble, go fox and run mobs to her.

She tends to aggro them anyway.


But she basically does a good job of killing them quickly and I just pick up the drops/coin.