Bug Hunt Elite

glorthox · November 2014

Hey I absolutely love this STF, However, I am trying to wrap my head around how to survive this place without dying a whole bunch. I have tried different builds and gear. And no matter the case, 9 times out of 10, I am nearly one shotted by two bugs. The pestilant and the Ravager. The ravager has an AOE ability that can be avoided, but that pestilant seems a bit OP. It can hold you in place, then either kill you, or escape narrowly and then only to die by something weaker. I have both the fleet shields and armor, plus the new delta alliance 2 piece. And nothing seems to work against these bugs in terms of surviving.

I am seriously hoping that the delta alliance set will help with this problem and if it doesn't then what is the point in having tier sets? The new shield reduces damage to your shields by 50% and yet, no matter what, your shields are still one shotted. I wish new gear brought something valuable to the table, instead of just a new look.

admiralcarter · November 2014

The interface lag is the most common reason for death in that instance somehow...

Faced that myself several times now. If I am close to death I d like to fire a Hypo,Medical Rezz (from the Reputation) or Defiance (also from the Rep System) but it wont let me click it in time. *snip* sudden death...

phoenicius · November 2014

if you check your damage logs, you'll realize that the pestilent is the most threatening enemy in bug hunt(it hits you for 300 generally, the ravager hits you for 100-150), if one is targeting you, prioritize it, also make sure you're using counter command set, its pretty good against them since it has psionic resists(you can also use a mix of maco and CC set to get the shield heal and some degree of psionic resist(either shield or armor)

ummax · November 2014

I use a full counter command set and tend to spam the nanite heal station IV I got from errm undine as well counter command on my engineer and mines lots and lots of mines. There is lag though lots of it at times. I tried it on my science officer last night.. he will have to bring in lots of shields and other hypos (i was thinking the borg stuff for hypos that you can craft) because he can't create a group sheild or healing station like the engineer can that people can run to.

I also equip all the ground abilities you get from rep and as long as i am not experiencing lag manage to use them. To be honest though in that particular instance engineer seems to be the best equipped for it. He can keep the entire group alive if he spams heal stations and mines.

nephilim83 · November 2014

If you have the lobi to spare, do yourself a favor and buy the Undine armor. If possible, go ahead and upgrade it to mk XIV. The toxic resists on that suit of armor make you immune to nearly all incoming damage on that map. The only thing that might still give you trouble are actually melee attacks from the delvers, the yellow tether-smoke of death from Pestillence, and the hits from the Ravengers in the alcoves around Spawn Mother. As a Science captain, I now spend my heals on my teammates instead of myself.

If you don't have the lobi to spare, just do whatever you can to get your toxic resists as high as possible. The CC armor does work pretty well.

wrenfu · November 2014

nephilim83 wrote: »

If you have the lobi to spare, do yourself a favor and buy the Undine armor. If possible, go ahead and upgrade it to mk XIV.

I'm onto you Cryptic. You can't ruse me

dragonsbrethren · November 2014

Best bit of advice I have is to bring an engineer with shield pulse. Keeping everyone's shields up in this is the most valuable thing you can be doing. I've tried doing the same with health (I absolutely love my medic character on ground) and it just doesn't work anywhere near as well. When someone's shields go down in this, they're as good as dead, you don't even really have time to throw heals.

For my tactical character, I run the 2 piece MACO set for the built in shield heal (gets around the obnoxious shared cooldown on hypos and shield charges) so I can keep myself in the game better.

rattler2 · November 2014

MACO or CC set is a good choice. The new Delta Compression Rifle is pretty fun in there too.

bense2355 · November 2014

I run it all off the time and haven't died once after figuring out I need to step up my game. Having said that, I pretty much maxed out my ground skills with 1.7k hp, the adaptive elite fleet shields and everything activated for my ground play. The undine antigenes give a pretty good acid/poison resistance and the elite fleet shields stack damage type resistance. I still wonder how people think they can go into this elite with only 1k hp, no special ground traits activated and not expect to die at least once in a while. Btw. I run this without any hypos.

sheldonlcooper · November 2014

I do well with it using just the nukara rep box enviro suit with the double toxic resist.

dragonsbrethren · November 2014

rattler2 wrote: »

The new Delta Compression Rifle is pretty fun in there too.

Yeah, wide beams (plasma from Romulan EC vendors, Dyson proton, Delta compression) rule for thinning the hoards in Bug Hunt. It's good to carry some spike damage as your secondary for priority targets, though.

hypl · November 2014

I use the Counter-Command set along with toxic resist traits. However any defense oriented armor or set along with some toxic resist traits should keep you alive.

Bring a pulsewave and/or a sniper. Pulsewave's good for taking out the melee that tend to swarm you. Use the sniper against the pestilent flyers, pulsewave when they're close. Try to take them out first since they deal lethal single target damage. In the end it's really about skill and awareness. Use LoS whenever you can, stay clear of Ravager AoE, take out the fliers ASAP. A competent group that actually invests in the ground game can clear this instance relatively easily.

So enjoy it while it lasts because you know Cryptic's gonna crank up the difficulty of this instance at some point. :P

bierstein · November 2014

I use Dyson personal shield, a Nukara suit, and a rare kobali split beam Mk XIII. Nothing special at all, but I outdamage most teams and have no issues surviving, it was the Dyson shield that changed that fact. The Nukara EV suit (plain one btw from a Nukara box nothing special) just added to it. I was thinking of getting the Lobi store one the other guy mentioned but again I don't really have issues surviving since I got that shield.

So I'm a poor guy on a budget build but it has no issues. As a Tac the main thing that outdamages me is just engineers spamming mines. I find positioning is the most important thing beyond having survivability to sit in a pool for example. If you can get a lot of aimed flanking damage the enemies drop really fast.

Oh also forgot I use an old Mk X tactical kit I've been meaning to upgrade to the new system.

Edit: I forgot I also use 2 toxic resist ground traits, if you got em use em.

bense2355 wrote: »

I run it all off the time and haven't died once after figuring out I need to step up my game. Having said that, I pretty much maxed out my ground skills with 1.7k hp, the adaptive elite fleet shields and everything activated for my ground play. The undine antigenes give a pretty good acid/poison resistance and the elite fleet shields stack damage type resistance. I still wonder how people think they can go into this elite with only 1k hp, no special ground traits activated and not expect to die at least once in a while. Btw. I run this without any hypos.

I run 624hp, and while I do die it's not very often. But then I also run with hypos and large shield charges plus ground traits.

chaosgod777 · November 2014

I use CC armor, delta shield and gun, tr-116b, and a cc kit(for the 2 piece bonus) other then that depends on your traits. I use the one that gives you toxic resist with the one that gives resistance to DoT's I run elites and very rarely die. I'd also keep some kind of hypo on you just in case you become priority target. other then that modules that grant bonus' to resistances physical and toxic work wonders.

johngazman · November 2014

I think i've died once during maybe six or seven runs on this. Gear isn't what gets you killed, it's knowing and prioritising your targets. Purple Delvers - Alarm Bugs - are No.1 until you don't need to kill them. Then kill Pestilents first, Ravagers second and Delvers last. Keep moving to stay out of the Ravager AoE attacks and hit Delver groups with your own AoE attacks (i.e. Hypothermic Induction Field).

As long as the whole team is aware of how dangerous the Pestilents are, you shouldn't ever die. Protip for players who aren't yet aware; Pestilents are single-handedly the most dangerous enemy in this mission.

cecil08 · November 2014

I have yet to run this (but I will soon) but I have a question. Would force field (the Engineer ability) work well in this? Seems like it would keep the melee bugs off you and you'd just have to worry about the spitting ones. Or can all of them spit?

glorthox · November 2014

For some odd reason I pull insane amounts of threat. Either I am doing too much damage or my group isn't doing the same amount of damage. At current I am using Elite fleet armor, delta shields and weapon for the bonus. My main weapon is the lobi antiproton lance. It does sick AOE damage and works well with my abilities. However, because it hits so hard, so I guess that I am the biggest threat.

At this point I am trying to figure out what the best things to use are. Damage isn't the problem, surviving is the problem. I have seen many people with upgraded gear and I am sporting a couple Mk XIII's and the other half MK XII's. My health is only 800+. I have seen people with higher shields and health, and they still die relatively quick. And on top of that, their damage is low. So I don't see what upgrading will help with.

guilli88 · November 2014

For some odd reason I pull insane amounts of threat.

Same here, so I decided to start recording ground dps as well. Turns out 90% of the people are total rubbish in ground combat.

I'm using
- CC armor
- CC rifle
- Fleet shields

no captain traits for ground (cba switching all the time)

Reputation traits:
- Reactive healing accelerator (crit triggels a heal)
- Regenerative shield augmentation (continues shield regen + boost)
- Active armor hardening (+res on low health)
- Medical nanites (passive health regen boost)

timelord79 · November 2014

These are enemies that work differently than all others in the game. If anything the closest to them are Undine.
They deal physical, toxic ( and psionic?) damage.
Once I realized that I equiped my EV combat armour and immediately improved.
I have since switched to CC armour/rifle 2 piece.
The pestilents die pretty quickly to the rifles secondary...
Since shields are essential i have maco shield/rifle 2 piece as well to regenerate it quickly when being hit hard.
I have yet to look into good ground doffs to equip here. Any suggestions?

spaceeagle20 · November 2014

Never had big problems surviving there but I must point out that I used to run it with a good dps team, especially tacs.
Moreover, I have the Undine shield.
As for weapons, I use plasma grenade and I AP split beam all the time :P

xionstryke · November 2014

timelord79 wrote: »

I have yet to look into good ground doffs to equip here. Any suggestions?

Personally, I find the Botanist DOff for enabling Dylovene and Melorazine to proc to the entire party incredibly effective on this mission.
Frequent full party cleanses, with Armor, HP, and 50% shield hardness (due to Medical Vanguard) on top.

Aside from that, the Counselor DOff to reduce the effects of the Mental effects used via the Willpower buff proc on Science Heals/Buffs.

wintiemintie · November 2014

Be Tactical.

Ques for Bug Hunt Elite.

Hits damage buffs, biotech siphon.

Spams sweeping strikes.

Enjoy not dying.

Also, Counter Command XIV Armor. Counter Command Rifle XIV, Nukura Shatter P.Shield XIV, Nukura Shatter Sword XIV.

tk79 · November 2014

bense2355 wrote: »

I run it all off the time and haven't died once after figuring out I need to step up my game. Having said that, I pretty much maxed out my ground skills with 1.7k hp, the adaptive elite fleet shields and everything activated for my ground play. The undine antigenes give a pretty good acid/poison resistance and the elite fleet shields stack damage type resistance. I still wonder how people think they can go into this elite with only 1k hp, no special ground traits activated and not expect to die at least once in a while. Btw. I run this without any hypos.

How do you even hit 1.7k HP?

guilli88 · November 2014

How do you even get 1k hp? I'm at 567 hp, I don't have any traits that give health tho.

Using CC armor, CC weapon and elite fleet shield...

tk79 · November 2014

Peak Health, Indomitable, Juggernault Armoring, Delta Armor, and level 60 should take you close to 1k. I think I am missing other stuff though.

Bug Hunt Elite

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