Question for Rangers that have completed the Trials of the Truthbringer

[Dirty Jack Rackham]

<DIV>How did you do it?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I am stuck on the last of the trilogy of solo quests leading to the reward of the Cloak of Valor. I wear mainly mastercrafted xegonite armor with the odd fabled/legendary piece as well as a xegonite primary sword and a fabled dagger in the off hand. I have the Raincaller bow but rarely manage to get more than one bow shot off. No matter what I try I am overwhelmed by the knights and fail to survive long enough to pass the test. I've tried to use thorny trap on them. I carry a mastercrafted heal potion. I've tried using the hit point boost from the first Marr quest reward and the 4th tier blessing/miracle, mastercrafted poison with a damage/heal proc and the best I have been able to accomplish is dispatching 2 of the knights before being decimated and having to revive in the nursery. I've about given this up as undoable (at least in anything less that full raid gear ). :smileysad:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tips? Hints? Suggestions? Help? :smileyindifferent:</DIV>

[hieronym]

someone else posted this issue so have a look back through a few pages. Best advice is as soon as trial starts invis and range one of the knights, they dont have to be in the circle. Get them down as quick as possible using stuns etc then wait for the next one.  As they are paladins they will heal themselves so you really have to go balls out before they get to you. I think the minimum number is 4 to kill before you die but you should still pass the trial<div></div>

[Lesca]

<P>Agreed, that's what I did. Shoot the Paladins as soon as they spawn - they don't run over to you straight away, so if you can snare them and get them into the orange before they even get to you (you being inside the circle) then you'll find it much easier. Finish them off with melee, your roots and a couple of well placed arrows.</P> <P>You aren't the only one, by a long shot. My first attempt I tried doing it the chivalrous way and fighting only in the circle. Second time I figured "screw this for a game of soldiers" and starting taking potshots at Pallies soon as I saw them. This, while not exactly adherring to the code of valour, worked pretty darned well. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P>

[Teksun]

It took me three tries to 'beat' this and I thouhgt I'd lost again the third time. I didn't get any ranged off before they closed (I couldn't find them - LOL) but I did happen to win (barely)<div></div>

[Gareorn]

<DIV>I'm having the same problem.  I gave up for a while, but will be returning soon.  My problem is that I can't seem to target the mobs when they spawn.  Tab isn't getting them, and they move to fast for me to click on them with the mouse.  It's very frustrating.  All of my gear, AAs, etc is built around range attacks and I have very little mitigation.  I've gotten to the 4th guy in defensive stance, but in offensive I can only kill two.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've read the other thread probably 100 times because I know I'm missing something.  Eventually, I'll figure it out though.  My problem is that I just can't kill them fast enough.  Once I kill the first mob, I pretty much have two on me all the time.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Edit:  One time I thought I was going to make it.  I was on the 4th mob and he was at half health (I was in the red), I stunned him, stepped back, fired off the triple volley and he just ran away.  That's when I saw the message that I had stepped out of the ring.  I was in 3rd person view, and graphically I was still inside the ring.  So be careful, don't get near the edge of the circle.</DIV><p>Message Edited by Gareorn on <span class=date_text>12-08-2006</span> <span class=time_text>11:31 AM</span>

[Hisvet]

<DIV>I did it first run though.  I never saw the paladins spawn or I would have shot at them, they were just 'on' me right away so I fought.  But that doesn't mean you can't range.  Bows have a more minimum range then most use and I keep a shortbow on me for those occasions. I have a few fabled but mostly legendary pieces of gear.  I was in defensive stance the whole time, I did drop a thorny trap before starting the trial.  I used GM Vitality Breech so that when I did hit them I was likely to get health back from them.  I used Turgurs to slow them down, strength to hit as hard as I could and all my strenght gear.  I used the Dark Linger blade for its healing proc with a dagger in the other hand too but if you can find a stun poison that would be better.  I used HOs and I used my cheap shot, my agility knockback CA, anything that rooted, stunned or knocked them back and my shortbow so I could stun them step back two steps and fire one to two shots every time they recycled.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I got the heroic with the last name when he was about halfway down.  I just stunned the heroic when I could and used hunting hawk and concentrated on finishing the dwarven guy.  I died quick enough but I got the dwarf first.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV><p>Message Edited by Hisvet on <span class=date_text>12-08-2006</span> <span class=time_text>12:32 PM</span>

[Dirty Jack Rackham]

<P>I managed to locate the thread mentioned by hieronymous at the bottm of page 2. Linked here for those who might wish to compare notes. <A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=39&message.id=41037" target=_blank>OMG!!! Mithaniel Marr instance </A>. I really did try to use the search feature (multiple times) but I've found the feature to be of dubious utility.</P> <P>I rarely see them spawn myself so I am unable to rain stabby death upon their ghostly bows. I'll try to incorperate some of the suggestions you've provided in to my next sojourn into the Trials and perhaps I will reign victorious. Thanks again. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P>

[Dirty Jack Rackham]

<P><FONT face=Verdana><STRONG>HUZZAH!!! :smileyvery-happy:</STRONG></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana>I was finally able to live long enough to collect my cloak. I had been using Grandmaster's Vitality Breach but added both Grandmaster's Essence of Turgur and Grandmaster's Warding Ebb to the mix. As before I used the fourth tier miracle and blessing and a mastercrafted health potion. I guess Marr finally took notice of this one ranger struggling against the odds to prevail against a superior force because this battle seemed to go as well as any of the others except I may have managed to live a few seconds longer this time due to the Vitality Breach procing at the all the right times and held off on using the miracle/blessing until I was already engaged and had beaten the first knight. I was never able to get a ranged bow shot off.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana>I would have to say that the preconception that you <STRONG>MUST</STRONG> kill four of the ghostly paladin is just plain wrong. Never did I kill more than two. I had a third one's health down in the orange range before I was once again overwhelmed. Some threads I have read have hinted that you may not need to kill any, simply survive for a fixed yet undetermined amount of time. Others, like myself have defeated no more two but managed to get the update. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana>Some research may need to go into this to determine exactly what the correct set of circumstances are to allow you to carry the day but that will be a job for someone other than myself for I am content in the knowledge that I was able to pass the trial and won the right to wear the cloak. Until a more Ranger friendly deity returns to Norrath, this is enough.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana>Good hunt to you all and safe travels.</FONT></P><p>Message Edited by Dirty Jack Rackham on <span class=date_text>12-09-2006</span> <span class=time_text>08:52 AM</span>

[Gareorn]

<DIV>I found this little gem with a google search of all things...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=quest&message.id=123444" target=_blank>http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=quest&message.id=123444</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I found it after I tried 3 more times times today.  I killed 3 was on the fourth and had a fifth one on me, never saw the named.  Thought for sure I'd get it that time.  I'm actually thinking of respecting my AAs for this, the respec them back.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Jeris Nefz]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Lesca wrote:<BR> <P>Second time I figured "screw this for a game of soldiers" and starting taking potshots at Pallies soon as I saw them. This, while not exactly adherring to the code of valour, worked pretty darned well. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Perhaps this is why we are predators instead of "Holier than thou" stiffs.  :smileyvery-happy:

[Corwinus]

So I repeat what i already posted in a former thread, worked for me :Use some of the gifts from the altar to heal yourself during that fight it really tips the scale. Also you have to kill 4 opponents right so use your hawk on the 1st one  and kill him within a distance (you can do it bro). The second one I  use the trap and just melee him, number 3 and 4 come very quickly after, you can do 3 but you are starting to wear out so now is the right moment to heal yourself, then you can make 4. Others are coming and you WILL die but at least you succeeded in the test and the cloak of valor is yours valorous ranger !I love that cloak ! +50 str +15 dps on a proc that does proc often, best cloak for us atm imho !Corwin Ranger 70 - Oasis<div></div>

[doyler2k]

i had the same problem as you to start and i was getting v frustrated.Think i died like 8 times trying and trying.logged out and came back an hour or so later. Grabbed a mixture of heal/stun/str debuff poisons and also grandmaster master reprieve(paladins do divine dmg). Needless to say with that combination and defence stance i managed to kill up to the 2nd heroic mob before i got splatted <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> The hawk can help also,i used it to distract any over friendly paladins..hehe. Hope this is of assistance. <div></div>

[Dirty Jack Rackham]

<P><FONT size=3>Let me reiterate to those of you who are operating under the mistaken impression that you have to kill four Ghostly Paladins to pass the trial...</FONT></P> <P><FONT size=5>You do not HAVE to kill four of them.</FONT></P> <P><FONT size=3>That's right, I only killed two. Period. It's a matter of staying alive past some as yet undetermined amount of time. Maybe two minutes. If it takes you thirty seconds to burn through each paladin then you will kill four of them before you get the update. If, like me, it takes you more like 60 seconds to bleed a paladin, then you need defeat only two. Killing the paladins just gives you something to focus on while time passes. You may not even have to kill any. Just survive long enough to beat the silent clock (though this is just a theory based upon my own observations and my reading other people's accounts). Those who keep espousing ad-nausium that you MUST kill four are wrong.</FONT></P><p>Message Edited by Dirty Jack Rackham on <span class=date_text>12-12-2006</span> <span class=time_text>07:03 AM</span>

[Zholain]

<font size="2">The one thing I couldn't help but think about during this trial was that it seemed to be a lesson in effective tanking.  Quick acquisition of the target, surviving a beating, using the correct buffs at the right time, using interrupts at the right time.  Needless to say, rangers don't naturally possess some of the same abilities as that tank classes...eg mitigation buffs, interrupt CA's, etc.  However, many of these can be added via poisons / potions.Don't rely solely on inherent abilities, don't rely solely on the tab key for target acquisition (use F8 also), use the miracles granted via previous quests, use stun poisons, use ward potions, use heal potions(all conveniently hotkeyed, of course)....and use the Raincaller (If you're really fortnate, the Raincaller will proc on the first arrow.  If that happens, use Surveillance | Veiled Fire, and the mob is dead giving you downtime before next mob spawn).  Position youself a step or 2 in front of the npc facing away from him giving you the widest field of view of the combat area.  I never switched to Defensive unless it was obvious that a mob was going to make it into the circle.  Only toward the end of the encounter will the mobs begin to breach the circle, by which point, you have already won the encounter anyway.It may be relatively expensive for a single encounter, but the final reward is worth it, and then some.</font><div></div>