(65) Death from Below

[brasswire12]

I remember that I was able to do this first time on my LM, but it was close. At the end I was using the "get all the aggro and run in circles" strategy because I was down to about 200 morale. The npcs and my pet managed to finish off the last few mobs while I was running for my life.

[Tborg1]

I have try 6 times before i make it with my mini. One think i have seen is the dwarf doing close to no dmg at one point, you need to debuff some npc so the dwarf can finally hit some dmg.

I was in WS, used food for regen, its still a very hard fight that should be tuned down a little. I try it once on my captain, i wasn't able to heal enouth those poor dwarf and decided to wait a little to have a better dps weapon.

SoM is a joke for the difficulty of the quest, the hardest part is not be ninja of your mob's. This quest is prolly one of the hardest and the most challenging solo quest of SoM. You need strategie, good buff (food) and a part of luck depending what class you play.

[ArcticAurora]

Did this on my Guard at 64. Had no issues, and thought it was rather easy.

[Fatefoot]

Personally, I don't see it being much of a problem at level 64 on classes other than champs and burgs especially after a death or two to do reconnaissance! lol

It appears that a lot of players finding this hard haven't learned to inspect mobs in instances. This is standard and if you aren't doing it, start now - the skirmishes will require you to do it until you have done them all enough to have met every type of mob and lieutenant! In this instance, inspect the Goblin Driver in the last room - the crowd fight. As on any class you should have learned fairly early on in this instance to enter that room well ahead of the idiot dwarves and to pay particular attention to that particular mob, if you haven't inspected him, you just had a lesson in entering new instances!

SPOILER ALERT! Well, if you haven't inspected him, here's to save you another wipe while you do so.... he has a healing aura. That decides the main factor in deciding your strategy for that fight!

I agree with others - this fight being tough and solo makes it such a fun challenge that it should be left exactly as is. And making it repeatable would be fun but having finally managed it at 64 with lvl 60 wepaons, being 65 with lvl 65 weapons would remove much of the challenge. But PLEASE don't nerf it! It isn't an essential quest for some gating gear and it isn't part of the epic so you don't HAVE to do it if you aren't in the mood for a challenge.

Good luck with it and PLEASE TRY TO HAVE FUN HOWEVER FRUSTRATED YOU ARE!

[Vastin]

This quest was in fact designed as an endgame solo 'challenge' quest. It is meant to act as something of a proving range for characters who have reached 65 and are upgrading their gear in preparation for end game group instances and the like.

I do rather wish our quest UI had some way of designating above-normal-difficulty quests like this. I suppose I could put a red-text note in there to that effect.

But yes, if you go into this quest under geared or under level, or just not really on your A-game, fair odds you are going to get stomped.

So far I've heard of most classes successfully clearing this quest, including classes that classically have the hardest time with large pulls, so I'm currently not planning any changes - though I may change my mind if I get data that suggests a particularly bad class disparity or a truly hideous failure rate.

For those who are really bouncing on this, gear up and read some of the player strats offered. There are some important notes available.

[Porlock]

Easy quest was easy.

/me snickers at the non-Wadens.

(But, seriously, I was pretty curious how you other classes would manage this one, because it seemed like it could be fairly difficult without a large morale pool or long-term CC.)

[farnorthYP]

i ran this quest both in Beta and on Live on my RK and really enjoyed the challenge of it. I think i failed it twice on Beta because it really requires some solid strategy and knowledge of what is coming down the cave. That final pull requires some serious kiteing/DPS/heals at the end to keep both yourself and those idiot dwarves alive. Super fun challenge quest.

I think the funniest thing for me was the fact that in Beta i didn't realize that if you ran from the troll at the end that he would get blown up in the cave. I got stuck in there with him and had to DPS/kite him around for the kill. Lemme just tell you, a 40k troll at the end of that instance is NO picnic. When i did it on live, i was all pumped for a big troll fight at the end and lo and behold, he gets blowed up lol! In a game who's cornerstone gameplay is solo/easymode/faceroll we could certainly use some epic solo challenges like this quest here and there. Thanks a bunch Vastin for putting this quest in there

[leroyleroy]

This quest was in fact designed as an endgame solo 'challenge' quest. It is meant to act as something of a proving range for characters who have reached 65 and are upgrading their gear in preparation for end game group instances and the like.

I do rather wish our quest UI had some way of designating above-normal-difficulty quests like this. I suppose I could put a red-text note in there to that effect.

But yes, if you go into this quest under geared or under level, or just not really on your A-game, fair odds you are going to get stomped.

So far I've heard of most classes successfully clearing this quest, including classes that classically have the hardest time with large pulls, so I'm currently not planning any changes - though I may change my mind if I get data that suggests a particularly bad class disparity or a truly hideous failure rate.

For those who are really bouncing on this, gear up and read some of the player strats offered. There are some important notes available.

This was a great quest. I ran it on my guard in OP, and the few people in my kin who had already hit 65 kept saying, "No way you can do it, it's too hard!" It felt good to prove them wrong, lol.

People are often asking why all the challenging instances are group based. I think this quest was a great example of a challenging solo quest. Bravo!

[LagunaD]

This quest was in fact designed as an endgame solo 'challenge' quest. It is meant to act as something of a proving range for characters who have reached 65 and are upgrading their gear in preparation for end game group instances and the like.

Nice. Personally I liked it and wish there were more challenging solo quests like this.

I do rather wish our quest UI had some way of designating above-normal-difficulty quests like this. I suppose I could put a red-text note in there to that effect.

Why not make it a Level 66 quest?

[Dean340]

i never noticed any extra challenge in this instance. but then again, i always try the small fellow stuff solo too.
also, overpower is for sissies...i always run with axe and shield, as a true guardian should

[Ariandi]

It took me about 5 tries to get this quest done. The more I failed, the more determined I was to get it done. RoT, kiting, traps, fear, and distracting shot are your friends as a hunter in this quest.


Completed 'Death From Below'

12/03/2009 03:44


Achieved level 65

12/03/2009 15:07

[nolins12]

I finally managed to do it. It was cheap, but i did it.

For the final fight I ran in first burned the sig down as far as I could in a very short time, and did some quick AOE to get everybody's attention.

I then proceeded to run back and fourth across the dungeon over and over trailing all these mobs. When I would pass the helpers they'd get a couple hits in and eventually pull a mob off. I would continue to run back and forth getting a heal and a hit or two in as I passed them. they would eventually get that mob down and then get another.

No reason I should have had to resort to this.


And yes, my OP is a little harsh, but I was very frustrated when I made it. I do hope the frustration didn't show.

Haha i also ended up doing this, These dwarves are absolutely terrible btw...they do no damage and die extremely easily

[happyballs]

Easy quest was easy.

/me snickers at the non-Wadens.

(But, seriously, I was pretty curious how you other classes would manage this one, because it seemed like it could be fairly difficult without a large morale pool or long-term CC.)

I mostly agree (except for the easy part). So far I've only played my Guardian in SoM and I took him through this the other day. For me, it wasn't easy, but I'm sure I've had closer. I did walk away from it wondering how I would beat this with most any of my other characters. I love the buffs to tank survivability.

[Toot]

This quest was in fact designed as an endgame solo 'challenge' quest. It is meant to act as something of a proving range for characters who have reached 65 and are upgrading their gear in preparation for end game group instances and the like.

I do rather wish our quest UI had some way of designating above-normal-difficulty quests like this. I suppose I could put a red-text note in there to that effect.

But yes, if you go into this quest under geared or under level, or just not really on your A-game, fair odds you are going to get stomped.

So far I've heard of most classes successfully clearing this quest, including classes that classically have the hardest time with large pulls, so I'm currently not planning any changes - though I may change my mind if I get data that suggests a particularly bad class disparity or a truly hideous failure rate.

For those who are really bouncing on this, gear up and read some of the player strats offered. There are some important notes available.

If that was the intention then I am all for having this quest left as is. Marking it as a challenge is a great idea. The rewards do not indicate that it is anything special, and given that many people can solo small fellow quests, it comes as quite a (bad) surprise.

If people wish to throw money at repairs and retraiting to complete the quest simply for the challenge and knowing you can do it, then I say knock your self out

[Lurkerinthemist]

This quest was in fact designed as an endgame solo 'challenge' quest. It is meant to act as something of a proving range for characters who have reached 65 and are upgrading their gear in preparation for end game group instances and the like.

Build more of these! Challenges are good! Ezmode is bad!

The concept of "red" quests is interesting. I think there'd be a lot of support for that - a non-raid challenge at end-game. Maybe with a super cool cloak or something as a quest reward - or a series of quests that incremented a deed with a title.

(and yeah, I died once on my well-geared captain, only because I was watching tv and not paying close attention. Once I focused though, this was challenging but not too bad.)

[APErebusAU]

I managed to do it as a 63 Champ (with 5/6 rad), 3rd Age Weapon and in Fervour.

I had to burn most of my long term cooldowns but I managed to hang in there

I really enjoyed the quest A really good challenge

[bucklemaker]

I did it as a 65 RK after a couple of tries. I like quests of this difficulty level, where you have to pull out all the stops and struggle to survive. They're exciting. I'm not saying that all quests should be this difficult, just that I like that some of them are.

[adamantiumdragon]

Ran first time with no problem as a Captain

[Bodkin]

This quest was in fact designed as an endgame solo 'challenge' quest. It is meant to act as something of a proving range for characters who have reached 65 and are upgrading their gear in preparation for end game group instances and the like.

Well it's GREAT to see something a little more challenging being included in the solo quests. Great little solo instance.

/salute

[Rolfie]

Easy quest as a Loremaster. At the end when the troll showed up and the dwarfs said run. I take it I was supposed to, so I did.

I turned around laided tar and prepared to fight the troll when the tunnel collapsed. I was about to send my pet in.

[Loth_Don]

I've completed this on my guard, captain and champ on the first run, no problems. That said I've noticed my burglar struggles in most escort scenario's, and I expect it to be pretty rough for him when he reaches this quest.

[kgrac]

I'm a Champ, did it no problem. Just have to take some aggro, not all.

Where is this quest located? Haven't stumbled on it yet, but like a challenge.

[aleczander]

This quest was in fact designed as an endgame solo 'challenge' quest. It is meant to act as something of a proving range for characters who have reached 65 and are upgrading their gear in preparation for end game group instances and the like.


For those who are really bouncing on this, gear up and read some of the player strats offered. There are some important notes available.

I've found that, in mirkwood, the vast majority of quests,(including this one), involve thinking ahead and paying attention to EVERYTHING that's going on. I did this one on first try no problem, and I have average gear. I've failed other quests before I started paying attention to objects, buffs, and npc strength and AI types. Like some other quests, it's just prudent to get ahead of NPC's so that they don't break cc. Othertimes, you notice that the npc's are strong and you need them to help, in which case you pull the mobs to them.

In this particular quest, the npc's aren't that strong or that smart, so your best bet is to try to cc mobs far away from them. I also noticed that they attack mobs that currently have threat on you. If you establish aggro first, and then quickly cc another mob and quickly switch back to first, then the npc will stay on the first mob and you don't have to worry about their AI shortcomings.
just my .02

[Angadan]

On my cappy, easy peasy...on my hunter, it was a real challenge. Three or four (failed) practice runs on Bullroarer gave me the experience needed to win it on the first try on live servers, but it's no cake walk!

[Dotlbeme]

Where is this quest located? Haven't stumbled on it yet, but like a challenge.

It is part of a quest arc given by the two dwarfs in the back of the Elf Camp in Gathburz. They have you run out and destroy a few things first.

I have run it several times on my hunter to no avail. Finally got to the end fight but I could not keep one of the escort's alive so I 86ed it. I have alts to raise so not bothering with it further...