Fighting Verona Skeletons as Romeo

• Chihaya wrote on 2011-05-03 14:20
  As we all know, fighting Verona Skeletons as Romeo is a huge pain in the ass, especially on Hardmode. I personally took about 12 tries with this mission. I'll base this guide on Hardmode.
  
  This Guide will also not use pets... Pets aren't useful except for swiping
  
  ==Verona Dark Skeletons==
  HP: About 2000-2500 each
  Heavy Stander Lv. 1
  Possesses EXTREMELY high attack rates
  Also has the following skills: Defense, Counterattack, Smash, and Windmill (likely r5).
  
  ==Romeo==
  Our lovestruck protagonist of G14... For an RP, I will say this -- [SIZE="3"]HIS SKILLS SUCK[/SIZE]
  
  Windmill rF
  Counterattack rF
  Smash r1
  Defense r1
  
  Quite unfortunately, these monsters tend to be weak to Windmill, which is also a good skill to spam... and Romeo has rF of it.
  
  [spoiler]I can see all the Melee players raging right now[/spoiler]
  
  General Rule of Thumb:
  With merely a single rapier, Romeo's damage isn't the best, so your main attack will be Smash. Do not use Defense; it'll force you to use a combo attack, which will only trigger its Heavy Stander. Contrary to popular belief, Smashmill is ineffective. It has been observed that when cornered, it may use regular attacks or even windmill. With its high attack rates and low hp from windmilling, you'll likely be killed in a single hit. (And it's pretty hard to corner them in the first place)
  
  [SIZE="4"]THE KEY IS TO SMASH THEM WHEN THEY ARE DEFENSELESS!!![/SIZE]
  
  HOW TO KILL DEM SKELETONS:
  
  The skeletons have the skeleton AI, so it's very easy to defeat them if you see the pattern. No racist joke intended, but they are black, so you must watch their sprites as they use skills to determine what they're using since Romeo does not possess Sharp Mind (Them non-Milletians). After using smash, immediately load another one; as long as they don't load another skill, you can get another smash in.
  
  When they run straight towards you, which is only after aggroing for a while without a visible skill use, it's recommended to use windmill or counterattack. (Windmill Preferred, since you'll be able to get in another Smash)
  
  When it uses a skill but their sprites do not flash, they are using windmill, and may be in it for a while. It is recommended to stay back just outside of their windmill radius and load smash; when they start to run in any direction or load another skill, smash them.
  
  When it uses a skill AND their sprites flash, cancel any skill you're using and watch them. If they run at you, stab it once and windmill--then smash it. If they don't move, Load smash immediately and get near them. Let them have it once they drop their skill (which will be when they start running IN ANY DIRECTION)
  
  Tl;dr Version of the Guide:
  1) Smash is the only viable skill used for damaging the skeletons
  2) Whenever the skeleton runs in any direction after using Windmill, Defense, or Counterattack, unleash thou Smash.
  3) Windmill will allow you to Smash the skeleton afterwards
  4) Stab the skeleton once and windmill when it uses smash
  5) You will NOT have skeletons use regular attacks if you did this properly (Unless you trigger HS when you "stab" it)
  
  Feel free to leave comments and critiques; I wrote this within 10 minutes, so it might not be as good. I'll also write guides for fighting other monsters if a request is made. Remember that this guide is based on Hardmode, and other difficulties are likely easier
• Rozel wrote on 2011-05-03 15:04
  This might be really helpful for me (: Planning to do g14 today~
• Alexane wrote on 2011-05-03 15:16
  i just countered, ran and if i saw them walking smashed them.
• Intaine wrote on 2011-05-03 15:37
  Or you could.. Wait for inevitable mob lag courtesy of Nexon, then do the mission :D
• Nanachi wrote on 2011-05-03 15:57
  I just kept spamming Counter unless it was walking. Worked just fine for me. :D
• truefire wrote on 2011-05-03 16:50
  I just Windmilled them when they ran at me, followed up with Smash, then waited for them to run at me to repeat the process. 3 attempts, also hardmode. Still, I'm appreciative of this guide because a lot of people have been whining about the skeletons--a lot of people who shouldn't be--and I'm glad someone took the time to write a guide detailing how easy and utterly un-hard the Romeo skeleton RPs are, even with his skillset. I'm also simply pleased to see there's been no trolling comments like "just cheese it with pet lol".
  
  Edit: Actually *reads your spoiler* they would be the least likely to rage, as they use it the most often and understand it the best. :p
• Kenero wrote on 2011-05-03 17:04
  Good tips but I cleared 6 skeletons with smashmil, so no need to dismiss it... though the viable tactic isn't good if you lag. =)
• Roy Mustang wrote on 2011-05-03 17:57
  I wouldn't dismiss pets either. In my HM. My griffen proved to be invaluable and managed to take some aggro that would have gone to Romeo and with magic counter managed to succesfully kill it faster than Romeo could and was able to kill another 2-3 before it ran out of stam and met it's unfournate end. By that time I had all the herbs and I then just waited the skeletons out with counter and tossed in a few smashes when I felt safe to do so.
• Benier wrote on 2011-05-03 18:20
  You can summon pets in an RP?
• Kenero wrote on 2011-05-03 18:35

  Quote from Benier;433305:

  You can summon pets in an RP?

  
  
  Summon them outside the Globe Theater Door with a magic counter ai... then go into the mission. Your pet will automatically be teleported in. You can't feed it potion or change its AI, but make sure it has the magic counter ai.
• Chihaya wrote on 2011-05-03 19:28
  Now... are you people on Hardmode? =3
  
  I believe the damage done by pets are too small to actually be significant, and then there's the limit of mana that pets can have.
  
  I DID say that it'll be easier on any other difficulty that's not Hardmode ^^
• paladin wrote on 2011-05-03 19:29
  I think he wrote this guide as not everybody has a fleet of pet cannons waiting for them
  But good guide
• Roy Mustang wrote on 2011-05-03 19:34

  Quote from Chihaya;433340:

  Now... are you people on Hardmode? =3
  
  I believe the damage done by pets are too small to actually be significant, and then there's the limit of mana that pets can have.
  
  I DID say that it'll be easier on any other difficulty that's not Hardmode ^^

  
  
  I did mine on hardmode O.o
  
  My Griffin STILL killed the skeletons faster than Romeo ever could.
  
  I'll post a vid of it when I get to that point in my processing of my entire G14.
  
  

  Quote from paladin;433341:

  I think he wrote this guide as not everybody has a fleet of pet cannons waiting for them
  But good guide

  
  
  I'm aware of that. I'm arguing that pets aren't useless, even in Hardmode as my experiences with my Griffin in Hardmode showed quite the opposite.
• Chihaya wrote on 2011-05-03 19:38

  Quote from kingofrunes;433347:

  
  My Griffin STILL killed the skeletons faster than Romeo ever could.
  

  
  
  I honestly do not doubt this for a second. Romeo doesn't even have Combat Mastery or Critical Hit ._.;;
  
  What level is your Griffin? It seems like it's high leveled if it has plenty of Mana to fight those skeletons on Hardmode
• Roy Mustang wrote on 2011-05-03 19:40

  Quote from Chihaya;433353:

  I honestly do not doubt this for a second. Romeo doesn't even have Combat Mastery or Critical Hit ._.;;
  
  What level is your Griffin? It seems like it's high leveled if it has plenty of Mana to fight those skeletons on Hardmode

  
  
  I can't remember. I know it's at level 40+. I'll have to check later. It ran out of mana part way though though and the skeletons were slow enough to allow it to spam counter but then it ran out of stam at which point it was dead but Romeo only had to deal with 2 or 3 skeletons by that point.
  
  Like I said, my Griffin managed to take out 3 Skeletons before it kicked the bucket :/ Still 3 out of like 7-8 isn't bad. Saved Romeo a lot of hassle and work.