Forging Steel (Living Story)

[misterman.1530]

So, been away for several months. So bear with me if this topic has already been brought up.

 

Thought I would catch up on the Living Story. Got up to Forging Steel - and was unpleasantly surprised I had to run a "strike mission" and couldn't just solo this story.

 

Is this for real? Or is there some other way to get through this without having to search for a group of people who know what they are doing?

 

It appeared that, even though I had been away, the 3-4 people with me had no concept of what to do. Got up to the Forgemaster and, I assume, you are supposed to use the tank and the grappling spear-thing. No one else seemed to know that though. Never got the thing down below 90%.

 

Do I have to do that? Or is there another way to finish that part of the LS?

 

 

[Mortifera.6138]

Check LFG, I usually get a competent enough group. Strikes are made to be puggable.

[Linken.6345]

> @"misterman.1530" said:

> So, been away for several months. So bear with me if this topic has already been brought up.

>

> Thought I would catch up on the Living Story. Got up to Forging Steel - and was unpleasantly surprised I had to run a "strike mission" and couldn't just solo this story.

>

> Is this for real? Or is there some other way to get through this without having to search for a group of people who know what they are doing?

>

> It appeared that, even though I had been away, the 3-4 people with me had no concept of what to do. Got up to the Forgemaster and, I assume, you are supposed to use the tank and the grappling spear-thing. No one else seemed to know that though. Never got the thing down below 90%.

>

> Do I have to do that? Or is there another way to finish that part of the LS?

>

>

 

You can do it solo mate just take longer then going in with more people. ( well if they are not good the scaleing will make it harder with more people to be fair.)

If you do it solo you can break the bar with skill 3 in tank when the blue bar pop up.

When broken use all skill 2 on the chest of the boss then spam skill 1 untill out of ammo get out and collect ammo destroy portals while the tank do its 3 laps rince and repeate

[Cuks.8241]

Use lfg under strike missions, Forged steel pops up regularly. It's really easy and by now everyone knows what to do.

[Zaraki.5784]

First timers can only do Public, not Squad (if I remember correctly).

[Cuks.8241]

> @"Zaraki.5784" said:

> First timers can only do Public, not Squad (if I remember correctly).

 

Oh possible yes. Well that kinda sucks if you want more people to join strikes. So their first experience could be frustrating instead of a nice smooth run.

[Randulf.7614]

It isn’t part of the main story, it is a side story filler for coop groups. The main narrative continues to be fully solo.

 

You don't search for a group either, just jump in a public one

[Danikat.8537]

If it helps at all this isn't strictly part of the story, it's kind of an interlude giving us more insight into the enemies we're facing via an interactive flashback. So if you strictly just want to do the solo story instances you could skip it and wait for the next actual episode, which will be later this month.

 

Alternatively if you're doing it with a group and you've worked out what to do but they don't seem to understand the solution is to tell them. Write exactly what you wrote here in map or squad chat in the game, so they can learn from your insight and you can all finish the mission.

[Pifil.5193]

It's easy to do as a public squad these days, I've done it a lot of times and people seem to have figured out the harpoon and that you should use it on break bars. In surprised you encountered people that didn't know that. I haven't seen a problem getting a group either as it's worth doing for the 2+ gold and other loot you get.

 

It is solo able but just takes longer.

[kharmin.7683]

I didn't want to do it either, but was able to get through it several times with pugs. Being a very casual player, it wasn't so bad. Heck, one time through I got lucky and was with a group who really knew what to do and we just cake-walked through the thing.

[misterman.1530]

> @"Pifil.5193" said:

> It's easy to do as a public squad these days, I've done it a lot of times and people seem to have figured out the harpoon and that you should use it on break bars. In surprised you encountered people that didn't know that. I haven't seen a problem getting a group either as it's worth doing for the 2+ gold and other loot you get.

>

> It is solo able but just takes longer.

 

Yeah. I had a small Public group - there was only 3 of us. One left part way through the Forgemaster. No matter how many times I map chatted that you had to get into the tank and use skill 3, the other guy wouldn't do it. Took us, no lie, about 1/2 hour to kill the Forgemaster. So tedious.

[Blocki.4931]

You can easily solo it. It's scaled for solo play if you enter it alone. Don't ever be scared if a story instance tells you 5 players recommended. Only Fractals, Raids and Dungeons require that, unless you really want to challenge yourself.

[misterman.1530]

> @"Blocki.4931" said:

> You can easily solo it. It's scaled for solo play if you enter it alone. Don't ever be scared if a story instance tells you 5 players recommended. Only Fractals, Raids and Dungeons require that, unless you really want to challenge yourself.

 

I had hoped, but skill 3 only brought the Forgemasters break bar down so far - it didn't fully break it. Or was I doing it wrong?

[Blocki.4931]

> @"misterman.1530" said:

> > @"Blocki.4931" said:

> > You can easily solo it. It's scaled for solo play if you enter it alone. Don't ever be scared if a story instance tells you 5 players recommended. Only Fractals, Raids and Dungeons require that, unless you really want to challenge yourself.

>

> I had hoped, but skill 3 only brought the Forgemasters break bar down so far - it didn't fully break it. Or was I doing it wrong?

 

How did you get past the door? That got me stuck the first time. You can hold down the button, it will perfectly break it. Or just spam it like a maniac like I do :D

[Fjaeldmark.9043]

> @"misterman.1530" said:

>

> I had hoped, but skill 3 only brought the Forgemasters break bar down so far - it didn't fully break it. Or was I doing it wrong?

 

Hold down the key so that when it flips to the pull skill the game spams it as fast as possible. Does more than trying to mash the key yourself.

[misterman.1530]

> @"Fjaeldmark.9043" said:

> > @"misterman.1530" said:

> >

> > I had hoped, but skill 3 only brought the Forgemasters break bar down so far - it didn't fully break it. Or was I doing it wrong?

>

> Hold down the key so that when it flips to the pull skill the game spams it as fast as possible. Does more than trying to mash the key yourself.

 

I did that, and the break bar went all the way down to ALMOST break entirely. There was still some blue showing. Every time.

 

In any event, it's done. Will never have to do it again (I don't do LSs on more than one character).

 

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Shame you won't do it again, as it's an easy method to acquire Gold, and even Black Lion Keys drop in it.

There's almost always LFG listings in 'Strike Missions', and occasionally listing in Icebrood Saga/Fire and Steel.

[misterman.1530]

> @"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:

> Shame you won't do it again, as it's an easy method to acquire Gold, and even Black Lion Keys drop in it.

> There's almost always LFG listings in 'Strike Missions', and occasionally listing in Icebrood Saga/Fire and Steel.

 

Well, I had hoped so, but yesterday, and today, when I looked, there was nothing in the LFG for it. So...maybe at certain hours of the day, but not when I looked. Which has been the major reason I've never attempted any Strike Mission or Raid. I would like to, but have never had the opportunity.

 

[Khisanth.2948]

> @"Zaraki.5784" said:

> First timers can only do Public, not Squad (if I remember correctly).

 

I did my first run with friends in a squad. Everyone was doing it for the first time.

 

> @"misterman.1530" said:

> > @"Pifil.5193" said:

> > It's easy to do as a public squad these days, I've done it a lot of times and people seem to have figured out the harpoon and that you should use it on break bars. In surprised you encountered people that didn't know that. I haven't seen a problem getting a group either as it's worth doing for the 2+ gold and other loot you get.

> >

> > It is solo able but just takes longer.

>

> Yeah. I had a small Public group - there was only 3 of us. One left part way through the Forgemaster. No matter how many times I map chatted that you had to get into the tank and use skill 3, the other guy wouldn't do it. Took us, no lie, about 1/2 hour to kill the Forgemaster. So tedious.

 

With 3 people in the instance you only need 2 people in the tank. I know this because ... actually even with 4 people in the instance you only need 2 people in the tank to break the bar because that is how it went on my first run.

 

> @"misterman.1530" said:

> > @"Fjaeldmark.9043" said:

> > > @"misterman.1530" said:

> > >

> > > I had hoped, but skill 3 only brought the Forgemasters break bar down so far - it didn't fully break it. Or was I doing it wrong?

> >

> > Hold down the key so that when it flips to the pull skill the game spams it as fast as possible. Does more than trying to mash the key yourself.

>

> I did that, and the break bar went all the way down to ALMOST break entirely. There was still some blue showing. Every time.

 

So out of 3 people you were the only one who actually did things correctly?

 

and this is why I prefer to run it solo. It might take longer but at least I know what the duration will be and there is none of the frustration. Also makes it much more leisurely to complete the other achievements at the same time. It would be a bit rude for me to loiter around picking up cannons to shoot if I was doing it with other people.

 

[Westenev.5289]

> @"Khisanth.2948" said:

> > @"Zaraki.5784" said:

> > First timers can only do Public, not Squad (if I remember correctly).

>

> I did my first run with friends in a squad. Everyone was doing it for the first time.

>

> > @"misterman.1530" said:

> > > @"Pifil.5193" said:

> > > It's easy to do as a public squad these days, I've done it a lot of times and people seem to have figured out the harpoon and that you should use it on break bars. In surprised you encountered people that didn't know that. I haven't seen a problem getting a group either as it's worth doing for the 2+ gold and other loot you get.

> > >

> > > It is solo able but just takes longer.

> >

> > Yeah. I had a small Public group - there was only 3 of us. One left part way through the Forgemaster. No matter how many times I map chatted that you had to get into the tank and use skill 3, the other guy wouldn't do it. Took us, no lie, about 1/2 hour to kill the Forgemaster. So tedious.

>

> With 3 people in the instance you only need 2 people in the tank. I know this because ... actually even with 4 people in the instance you only need 2 people in the tank to break the bar because that is how it went on my first run.

>

> > @"misterman.1530" said:

> > > @"Fjaeldmark.9043" said:

> > > > @"misterman.1530" said:

> > > >

> > > > I had hoped, but skill 3 only brought the Forgemasters break bar down so far - it didn't fully break it. Or was I doing it wrong?

> > >

> > > Hold down the key so that when it flips to the pull skill the game spams it as fast as possible. Does more than trying to mash the key yourself.

> >

> > I did that, and the break bar went all the way down to ALMOST break entirely. There was still some blue showing. Every time.

>

> So out of 3 people you were the only one who actually did things correctly?

>

> and this is why I prefer to run it solo. It might take longer but at least I know what the duration will be and there is none of the frustration. Also makes it much more leisurely to complete the other achievements at the same time. It would be a bit rude for me to loiter around picking up cannons to shoot if I was doing it with other people.

>

 

Public instances are super chill and everyone usually does their own thing. Sometimes players go MIA only to show up at a sniper event 5 minutes later (after all the actual sniping has been done by that one guy in your party who actually likes jumping puzzles).

 

No reason to feel guilty about it - everyone does it.

[Khisanth.2948]

> @"Westenev.5289" said:

> Public instances are super chill and everyone usually does their own thing. Sometimes players go MIA only to show up at a sniper event 5 minutes later (after all the actual sniping has been done by that one guy in your party who actually likes jumping puzzles).

>

> No reason to feel guilty about it - everyone does it.

 

Perhaps not but soloing it works just as well and proceeds more predictably. Apparently for Heavy Rival if you kill some stuff too fast it doesn't count which is another thing to worry about in a group.

 

The main benefit of a group is actually for all those damned collection events which doesn't seem to scale at all and Nicabar moves around too much which makes throwing the ingredients less reliable.