Harclave Mid-Difficulty setting impossible to do now?

[Gargamel]

<DIV>Just curious if anyone else has tried the "Difficult" not "Very Difficult" or "Normal" instances of Harclave since the patch or recently?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'm having a real hard time fighting the +4lvl (orange) v Heroic groups.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The main issue is that pets don't get the buff, so that zombie tank pet doesn't last long against the outrageous odds and I'm left to 'tanking'.  Considering the very large decrease in HP Regen, and without pet tank OR pet dmg (since they always 'steal' aggro), I can sometimes squeek through, but not often.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Nearly all mobs in the final chamber are coming up orange v Heroics, and I was wondering if I just had to upgrade my equipment (finding the new spell adepts is tough), or if anyone else had problems too.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Xalmat]

Difficult and Very Difficult, even on Harclave, aren't meant to be a walk in the park. And for Harclave in general, since your pet doesn't get the buff, you're supposed to tank anyway.

[TheFat]

Since the revamp I've actually had an easier time on difficult and very difficult in Harclave's. I'm over 45 now so I can't do those versions any more but when I did, my PBAoE was burning through the mobs faster than I ever could before. As far as my pet goes, I've always treated him like a DoT. Before I get the buff I make sure I turn off the defend self and defend me options on the pet otherwise he'll get slaughtered when he charges into battle. Instead I just throw a couple of AoE's and then send my pet to attack whatever mob I have targeted, that way he doesn't get aggro and he lives. Like Xal said, once we get the buff, we're the ones that are supposed to tank. Now if you try taking on more than one group at a time, yeah, you'll die. But against just one group you should be having an easier time now.

[Psyrus2]

I could not hold up on difficult mode.  I died in the final chamber at level 40 due to the large group of orange mobs (lots of resists).  I don't know the answer for this one, but for me, I will give up on ddifficult mode. <div></div>

[BigDa]

I can't do it on 'normal' myself. Then, that's probably because I can't afford (or find) decent equipment or spells in Freeport on Innothule server. I'm doomed to not be able to do anything decent, since, it seems SOE balance for Adept1 and decent equipment these days.

[evhallion]

I have been able to walk thru all 3 settings at lvl 43. Though I can't seem to do long range pulls like I use to have could. Like pulling the groups of Dreadsnouts in the last chamber off their ledge. Also not very good at pulling from 1 chamber to another if I don't have direct los.

[Nosewar]

<DIV>I did it yesterday. Not that much harder than normal, and normal is a joke. 90 minutes tops.</DIV>

[Moridian]

<DIV>Normal was easy enough, Difficult I could not finish at 31, though only tried once. Decent gear, upgraded all my slots pretty much at 30, and several Adept IIIs. The boarsnout pull got me. Might give it another whirl on Difficult, if I can stand it. I think once through was enough for me, was pretty boring second time around. </DIV>

[Anganos]

<DIV>Hey All,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> I have a 35 Necro that wants to do Harclave. I've read the above posts about how our pets are to be used as "DoTs". That said would it be wiser to use an Assassin or Warlock pet instead of my tank? I understand not to have the defend itself, but rather just defend me. Are there any other tricks that would help me accomplish this zone efficently?</DIV>

[Astria]

I can do "Difficult" @ lvl 35 as a necro, but it takes a LONG time....with the resist rates of Oranges, particularly the groups in the final chamber, i simply can't do an entire encounter in one go unless it is yellow....i have to rush in, do a blight & breath of the unearthed to gain aggro, set pet ( Adept3 Grim Thulian for AoE's ) on Defend Me - then take down 1 or 2 if i can ASAP, by this point, i am in the RED, so i sprint off to ditch the encounter...then i run back and kill the remaining 3-4....i simply cannot do it any other way, and even if i were to upgrade EVERY spell i use to adept3 - that wouldn't change the resist rate, which is the REAL problem....i won't even bother with Very Difficult, and generally speaking it's not worth the time to do it on Difficult because running from encounters the re-engaging them extends my time in there to 2 1/2 hours, as opposed to the standard 90 min...not sure if that changes when you go up, but @ 35 that's how i handle it.

[Anganos]

I see - But for regular level. I would still use your tactics right? Using Blight & Breath of the Unearthed to gain aggro. Making sure I use my Grim Thulian for the AoE's. Now since my Grim will be using AoE's, he most likely wont last thru one or two groups right? Thanks for the tips!

[Astria]

yes for regular level the same tactics - i do harclaves way too often, and since there are so many group mobs, i took Breath of the Unearthed Master 2 for my lvl 34 training option, and holy ( 467dmg )....that coupled w/ an Adept3 Grim Thulian = destruction!but yeah, normally i leave the pet as neutral, so he doesn't defend me or himself - that way i walk into a group of mobs, do a blight & breath of the unearthed - then i click on my pet, set him to Defend Me, and i chain cast on whatever mob he is hitting/targeting, to ensure he doesn't get any aggro....rinse & repeat <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />If you are using the Grim Thulian, I would suggest always leaving him neutral until you get off an aoe or 2, because sometimes he opens up his first cast as a pretty beefy aoe that does 346dmg to the encounter, and if you haven't gotten off at least a breath of the unearthed before he does so, he's toast - and you have to finish the encounter a little slower and then re-summon him.

[Anganos]

SWEEET! Yeah I took that as Master 2 as well!!! Thanks again for the tips!!!