PART ONE - Preperation
:: Introduction
This guide will tell you how to solo farm as a Warrior in the Fissure Of Woe (FOW). In order to gain access to the Fissure you must be Ascended. If you dont know what that means, keep playing the game, this guide isnt for you! (at least not yet)
The Fissure of Woe is a high risk, high reward area. It requires your Realm (server, continent, whatever) have the Favor of the Gods, and you pay a 1,000 gold entry fee (in addition to being Ascended). If you die, you do not respawn, you are simply kicked out.
Kneel before the shrine to Balthazar, and pay tribute, then you will enter the Fissure of Woe.
:: Warning
This is not an easy run. It is likely you will fail the first couple of times you try, and it is feasible that many of the people who read this will never get the hang of it! Its far from impossible, but it is certainly an acquired taste. My runs now take 1/3 as long as they used to, simply because I now know what to do.
:: Ideal Equipment
If you are a Warrior who hasnt done so, I highly suggest you read the thread about absorption and armor found here:
http://forums.gwonline.net/showthread.php?t=365109 There is a lack of clarity on the first post, so read a couple of pages into the thread until you feel comfortable that you are understanding things as they were meant.
Superior Absorption is far more effective in this run then Superior Vigor is. While Superior Vigor provides you with 9 more hp then Major Vigor, Superior Absorption reduces one additional damage (per attack). This quickly adds up. I personally use Superior Vigor and Absorption, and have no idea how big of an effect using Major (or even Minor!) runes will have. You are free to try it, but Superior is of course recommended.
The only Elemental damage you will be taking is meager at best, so Gladiator's Armor stands out as an ideal choice. Also, it is a very good idea to have one piece of Armor that has an innate 'reduces damage from attacks' mod. Only one is neccessary for the full effect. It is most adventageous to put it on your Feet, Hands, or Head as these spots are least likely to be hit. Feet is ideal, as the Head slot gets juggled alot for various reasons, and if you ever decide to use Hammers you will surely also be using Stonefist Gauntlets.
Be sure to bring along a Lieutenant's Helm (craftable in the Henge of Denravi) for those times when you have to aggro Skales.
:: Armorment
First and foremost, be sure you have a Flatbow/Longbow for pulling. There are times when this is simply invaluable, as it can salvage an impossible spawn into something easily doable. I used to not bring one, but now I always have a Flatbow in my inventory. Damage and mods dont matter, youll only be using it for one shot.
You can use either Swords or Axes for this. I personally use Swords because I happened to have a Sword perfect for it when I picked this up, and have never bothered changing, as its always done the trick.
In either case your ideal weapon will be a Zealous (+1/-1 is max) weapon of Shelter (+7 AL vs Physical damage is max).
While not as good as Shelter in this case, a weapon Of Defense (+5 AL is max) will do.
Depending on your build, Vampiric may do more damage, however the -1 degen can come into play at a bad time, and since this run can be stressful enough as is, I suggest you skip on Vampiric, and take Zealous (or perhaps Furious, depending on your build) instead.
Hammers are capable of doing this run as well, however it is easiest with Sword or Axe. Hammers are not suggested, as Shields provide a huge advantage.
As for your shield, a simple collectors shield with +45/-2 stance will do. However, ideal is +8 vs Piercing / -3 damage recieved while Hexed. There are of course not enough of those to go around, so -2 stance -3 hexed is a significantly cheaper (and still extremely functional) alternative. I personally got a req 10 STR Defender -2 Stance -2 Hexed for only 2k around a month ago (note, max is -3 for Hexed). It is what I used for the longest time, and while I got a good price, you can find a similar shield for under 20k easy, and probably around 10k. If your really pressed for cash you can probably get a req 13 dual damage reduction shield for almost nothing =) (5k or less)
Do not be fooled into thinking that stacking health bonuses will help you in the long run. While health is nice, each -1 dmg recieved can prevent literally hundreds of damage over a fight.
It is best to make sure that your primary sword (the zealous sword of shelter) does not have a 'while enchanted' or 'health over 50%' mod, because no enchant will stick to you for long, and your health will often dip down below 50%. Stance is okay if your build utilizes a stance. I personally use (customized) 20% while hexed, and simply kill the Doubter's Dryders last. Use similar logic when deciding on a shield.
Here is what I personally take - keep in mind, this is more of a 'what you should aim for' thing instead of what is neccessary. I recently sold my -2 stance -2 hex Defender, so the -2 stance -2 enchant Ornate Buckler is standing in for now. [though, I see no need to replace it - I have never died while running except due to a lag spike]
:: Enemies
Just so you know what youll be getting yourself into - here are the enemies you will be encountering.
Snarling Driftwood - Warrior - Warrior's Cunning, Hamstring, Protectors Strike, Victory Is Mine {E}
Notes: Their damage is pathetic, and they dont deal enough conditions for Victory Is Mine to be truly effective. The most dangerous thing about them is getting Crippled while a Skale aggro's you.
Doubter's Dryder - Mesmer - Shatter Enchantment, Drain Enchantment, Guilt, Shame, Wastrel's Worry
Notes: Just incase you thought that spell casting would be a good idea... its not.
Ancient Skale - Necro - Rend Enchantments, Life Transfer, Life Siphon {E}, Grenth's Balance {E}
Notes: Ancient Skale are avoidable, and very nasty. I dont even try to kill them.
Armored Cave Spider - Ranger - Called Shot, Apply Poison, Healing Spring, Melandru's Resiliance {E}
Notes: These are at the mouth of the cave. Notice that applying conditions to them is counter productive, as they use Melandru's Resiliance.
Armored Cave Spider (type two) - Ranger - Same as above, plus Savage Shot
Notes: These are in the cave itself. Savage Shot makes spell casting a big no-no.
Shadow Army - multiple - Hardly matters, you cant fight them, just run past!
Notes: Run!
:: Skills
There is no single skillset for this run, however until you get used to it I suggest you stick to this basic build:
-Switch Skill
100 Blades {E}
Galrath Slash
Power Attack
Watch Yourself
Dolyak Signet
Healing Signet
Sprint
Your switch skill can be many different things. Most people prefer Thrill of Victory, Frenzy, or Flurry.
However, many of you will want to make your own build, so allow me to talk about why I use this build, and what other sorts of builds would be feasible. This build can basically be broken down into three parts.
The first is dealing damage. This is the part of the build which you can decide how to do best yourself. Just be wary of casting spells, using enchantments, or applying conditions. Some of the Spiders have Savage Shot, Doubter's Dryders have Shatter/Drain Enchantment, and Armored Cave Spiders use Melandru's Resiliance. Sheer weapon damage is what works best here.
The second group is tanking skills. It is entirely possible to have it so that you take no damage from the Spiders. Dolyak Signet + Watch Yourself is often enough to be able to take -0 from Spiders and Snarling Driftwood. Infact the only things which damage me when I do this run are Wastrel's Worry and Poison. I only take single digit damage from attacks, if that, while using Healing Signet.
The third is escape. Sprint is simply for getting out of dodge. Shadow Army and Ancient Skale are nasty mobs, which you can not effectively fight. Running away is the only option.
:: Attribute Points
There is a fundamental delima when setting up your attributes. You can raise your attributes higher at a penalty to your health, but doing so can increase your survivability. I personally use *three* Superior Runes for this run. Superior Strength, Swords, and Tactics. Yes, I only have 305 HP, on a Warrior solo farming build!
The reason is that with 15 Strength Dolyak Signet can be kept up constantly, and additional Tactics decreases the overall time I have to spend healing. Superior Swords is just there because after experimenting with those 2 Superior Runes I decided that I could live with another -75 health to speed things along, since I never let my health dip that low anyways.
You may want to limit your use of Superior Runes at first since it will give you a greater leadway if you get in a tight spot. I still suggest Superior Tactics as the extra health it grants you is very beneficial.
Here is what I personally use:
14 Strength 10 + 1 + 3
13 Swords 10 + 3
14 Tactics 10 + 3
I switch out Sup Swords and Tactics with Minor runes for while I am running.
:: Keys
Dont forget to bring Keys! Obsidian Keys are what you want for the Fissure. They might be pricey, but Fissure chest drops are totally unrivaled. A lucky drop can be worth up to (or more then) 500k+
Granted, you wont find one of those every day, but they do exist!
PART TWO - A Day At The Beach
Do not talk to Rastigan the Eternal. =)
:: Run! Shadow Army!
When you first spawn in the Fissure, there will be two groups of Shadow Army nearby, one to your left and one to your right. Turn to your right. Study the spawn, then take note of the wall on your right. You will want to roughly follow this wall, except go in a straight line so as to break aggro quicker. A second or two after you have aggro'ed, hit sprint.
Once the Shadow Army is off your tail, try to seek refuge in a small indentation in the wall. A group of 2 Shadow Warriors and a Shadow Monk will come running nearby. If you are in the right spot, you will just barely avoid aggroing them. Heal up, and wait for Spiteful Spirit to wear off, then proceed to follow the wall.
You will soon aggro a Shadow Beast (who is a popup, you cannot see him until its too late). Once you do so, sprint and look for a path to the left to run away - because around the same time, a large group of Shadow Army will be coming from a pass to your right. They will splinter up into seperate patrols and go their merry way. With a bit of practice you can easily avoid them. Hide in the area farther away from the wall, and circle around, trying your best to avoid aggroing the Shadow Army. Once youve done this, proceed to go back towards where the swarm of Shadow Army came from. It should be a pass cut into the wall that you had been following, with a downwards slope.
:: First Blood
There will be a group of 3 Snarling Driftwoods. Run near them (they have a delayed reaction time) then Dolyak Signet and stand still. They will very likely hit you for no damage, however if you move Protector's Strike spam can easily start chipping away at your health.
Kill them in whatever method is most appropriate for your build - I prefer to use 100 Blades so it hits all 3 Driftwoods at once, so I have something of a headstart after Ive killed my primary target. Power Attack is a powerful skill, and Galrath Slash can be lethal in the combination Power Attack+100 Blades+Galrath Slash+Power Attack.
All in all, Snarling Driftwoods are a joke. There are two ways this fight can get interesting however - one is that you take so long killing them that a patrol of Shadow Army comes back and starts attacking you. (dont worry, they wont go down the corridor very far at all) Shadow Army is hostile to Skales/Dryders/Driftwoods, so Sprinting away once they have found each other works well.
The other is that the patrolling Doubter's Dryders could sneak up on you, and start casting. Their only real source of damage is Shatter Enchantment (you didnt bring any Enchants, right?) and Wastrel's Worry (WW).
The key to defeating Wastrel's Worry is spamming skills. A more strategic approach is to keep from using long recharge skills (100 blades, Galrath Slash) until after you have had Wastrel's Worry on you for around a second. Dont worry too much if a Doubter's Dryder adds itself to the fight, as it is best to know how to fight over the long term while they are hexing you.
If you see Shadow Army approaching, be sure not to reapply Dolyak Signet at a bad time! Also, do not walk away while you are crippled. This will merely result in the Driftwoods spamming Protectors Strike, something you dont want.
:: Dodging The Skales
After your done, move further down the corridor, and take note of the lay of the land. Spawns differ, so the same tactic wont work here every time, but a good tip is to wait until a patrol of Snarling Driftwood moves near the Skale, then pull out your Flatbow and plink one of them with an arrow. Slowly move backwards as they run up to you, then hit Dolyak Signet right as they are about to close range. Just be sure that you are significantly far enough from the Skales that you can fight without worry of aggroing them.
After you have dispatched the Driftwood, it is time to pull the Skales. Wait, I know I sound crazy and hypocritical, but listen to what I have to say. Trying to kill Skales will get you killed. However if you are to aggro them, then lead them up the corridor, then Sprint away (breaking aggro), they will not return to where they were previously, but will stay more uphill, and closer to you, on this pass. You can then run past them and towards the beach itself, and loose aggro on them before aggroing anything else. Clever, aye?
The ideal way to pull them is to plink them with a Flatbow, then quickly turn around and walk away, keeping just outside of their aggro range but not using any speed boost. This is unneccessary, but makes the process quicker. Using a Liuetenant's Helm will cut the duration of Life Siphon / Drain by 33%, essentially cutting their damage by the same amount. Also unneccessary, also preferable. Just dont aggro any Dryder's while you are wearing that helm!
Proceed along the beach, pulling mobs as far away from Skales as possible. If neccessary, pull the Skales out of their spawns as I described above, to let you run past them easier. Beware the last big group, as you will have Skales wandering *very* close from both sides. This is why I suggest you pull each group of Skales out of their normal spawn before you try to run past.
:: Dodging The Skales - Gone Awry!
If you should accidentally aggro Skales while fighting something else (they have wide areas they wander about in, so this is easily possible) -do not panic-. Minus ten degen is hella scary, but simply stay still and stay calm. Use Healing Signet whenever its charged. The degen will deal 120 damage to you over 6 seconds, but your Healing Signet should heal for more then that. If you have other mobs on you, be sure to use Watch Yourself for the Snarling, and carefully timed spam skills to defeat the Doubter's WW.
Once you have niether Cripple nor Dolyak Signet on you, its time to make a run for it. Sprint away from the Skales, preferably into an open area, but intentionally aggroing a mob you know you can handle is sometimes neccessary.
If you are pro, or if you simply have enough time to do so, switch your armor out so you are using only Minor Str and Minor Swords. Superior Tactics is worth its weight in platinum here, so suck it up and live with the health penalty.
Switch to a Lieutenant's Helm only if you plan on not aggroing any Doubter's Dryders. The reduced hex duration makes WW *more* dangerous to you, and can often result in dying faster with it then without. However, if you have aggroed Skales and no Dryders, the Helm is an excellent switch.
Once you are away from the Skales, find a secluded spot and start luring killable mobs to you, trying to make it even more secluded.
PART THREE - Arachna-cide
Progress along the beach until you see a group of 3 Doubter's Dryders in a Delta formation to your left, with another Dryder behind them. Now its time for the hard (fun) part =)
:: Manipulating The Spawn
This is the cave. Dont simply run in unprepared, as Armored Cave Spiders will drop down from the cieling once you aggro them. Like the Shadow Beasts you wont know when you will aggro them until you have already done so. So, prepare yourself, make sure you are focused and will not be pulled away, then walk into the cave until you see Armored Cave Spiders drop down.
Now... Run away! This is important! Hit sprint and get yourself out of there. Armored Cave Spiders will continue to spawn in groups of 3 at regular intervals. They will, if noone has aggroed them, spread out along the beach in front of the cave. Let them do so, but not for too long. Your goal is to get them to spread out so few Spiders are healed by anothers Healing Spring, and yet not so far that when you aggro them they will be forced to move up to attack you - which clumps them together. (note, the previous sentence was underlined for a reason)
:: Fighting It Out - The Fun Way
Once they have stopped spawning, and before they are spread out too much, Sprint into the middle (aggroing all Spiders at once, preferably) and start wailing on a lone spider. You will notice that despite their name, their armor is not really all that hot.
Just to mock them (and to cover your hide, actually) use Dolyak Signet to gain ~40 armor and ask yourself (while their damage turns to -0) - whos Armored now, huh?
You will want to pick off lone Spiders first (so another Spider's Healing Spring doesnt help heal them), however you have a delima. Bonus damage while hexed (+20%) and damage absorption while hexed (-3) outperforms similar effects that trigger when you are stanced, but killing the Dryder's first makes things easier since WW is the only real damage you will face. Do whatever you want, but I personally keep them alive till (almost) last for the challange =) [I will explain why I dont keep them for last in a bit]
Attacking a Spider will interupt their Healing Spring, try to do so as often as possible. It is on a 20 second recharge, same as Dolyak Signet. Use that as a benchmark, and make sure that you arent using a Healing Signet while they are activating Healing Spring. With a bit of skill you can get to the point where WW hardly touches you, as you can activate Sprint, Watch Yourself, and if you brought it, Flurry/Frenzy to cancel WW during the middle of a Healing Signet.
Killing all the Spiders will be slow, but try to pick lone ones off first. If you need to take a break (and this is understandable, trying to interupt Healing Spring, breaking WW, Healing, AND attacking all at the same time can get a bit of gaming adrenalin going!) simply Sprint away and take refuge from the area of the beach where you came (or maybe near the Eternal over there). Again, dont underestimate the wander range for a Skale.
If you do not kill Dryder's immediatly (and not doing so is mostly about the challange) you will likely have a hard time if you have to walk a lengthy distance with Dolyak Signet before you can start charging Watch Yourself and other skills such as WW. So, while you are fighting your first Spider, plot your course. Which spider will you attack next? And next? Take a number of Spiders which are nearish to each other, and then ending up near the Dryders. This will prevent you from dying to WW while you are snared by Dolyak Signet.
Without Dryders, there is no real threat to you here other then poison. If you are taking damage from the Spiders while using Healing Signet, consider a shield with additional damage reduction, or a Superior Absorption, or putting more points into Strength.
:: Fighting It Out - The Easy Way
The previous section was largely a guide on how to fight the Spiders if you are wanting a challange. If you want it to be easy, which is an understandable desire, follow this section. This method is also faster.
Trigger the spawn as per normal, then wait until the Spiders have spread out. Aggro the spider nearest the ocean/sea to the south, (so you stand no chance of aggroing Doubter's Dryders) and proceed to hack them up. Without WW your only source of incoming damage is Apply Poison, which deals 8 damage per second. You can trigger a Healing Signet every ~15 seconds and still be gaining health. Take note, you need to adjust your items if the Spiders are hitting you for more then -0!
As you continue to pick off Spiders, be sure to avoid aggroing Dryders or casting Healing Signet in the second or so that Dolyak is down. As you do so, some Spiders will wander into your aggro radius, and then bunch together as that group moves into range. Once you have picked off all the lone spiders that you can without aggroing a Dryder, run away.
Heal up, and return to slaughter the Doubter's Dryders. If possible pull them to you with a flatbow (you can afford loosing your shield for a second or two) so they bunch together and you can 100 Blades or Cyclone Axe them for quicker damage. Alternatively you can bunch them together by aggroing all 3 of the Dryders which were part of that original delta formation, then slowly walking backwards until they are forced to walk up to stay in range.
After they are bunched, attack them and using the tactics presented earlier to avoid WW damage as much as possible. Thankfully Dryders have a Mesmer's armor, so killing them is fast.
Picking off the remaining Spiders should be easy in comparison to killing the Dryders. Progress from there.
If you are wary of aggroing so many spiders at once, you can wait for all the Spiders to spawn and fan out, then pull the one wandering nearest you with your Flatbow. This way you can easily avoid Dryders until you have cleared most of the Spiders. This is recommended for your first run.
:: Clearing The Cave
Clearing the cave is easy next to the massive spawn at the start. There are roughly two groups of three Spiders on either side of each of the Dryders that are spaced along the length of the cave. Simply handle these the same way that you had before, and be sure to pull when you feel its neccessary (especially to get them to not ball up in a Healing Spring).
You will know you have cleared the cave once a path opens up to the right, where you can probably see Shadow Army. Make sure you have aggroed all the hidden spawns of Spiders, then you can either quit, or go chest running.
Chest running is when you run as far as you can, looking for chests. Keys are 1.5k each, and well worth it. The next time you get a r8 gold Chaos Axe you will know what Im talking about =) If picking up a chest will draw aggro, it is wisest to save your sprint until *after* you have picked up the chest drop, so you can break aggro.
PART FOUR - Summary
The real appeal behind this run is the fact that everything you kill has a chance at dropping an Obsidian Shard (as well as the occassional Ruby/Sapphire). Shards go for 3.5k to other players, and the gems go for about 5k, with prices rising.
Also, it is significantly harder and less forgiving then other types of farming, which is rewarding in its own sort of way. [its also a nice change of pace once youve hunted the entire Griffon race to extinction]
Dont salvage your Gloom Seeds! While they are useless, they are 60g each, and you are far better off if you sell them to merchant. Its not uncommon for me to finance my next run solely off of drops from the previous run.
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