[SIZE="6"][COLOR="red"]== The Guide to Shadow Missions ==[/SIZE]
1. Introduction - What is a Shadow Mission?
[COLOR=#4169E1]2. Basic Info - How are Shadow Missions different?
3. Rewards - What's so good about Shadow Missions?
____A. Enchants
____B. Equipment
4. Shadow Mission List
____A. Taillteann Field Missions (2)
____B. Taillteann Switch Missions (4)
____C. Taillteann Infiltration Missions (2)
____D. Taillteann Square Missions (4)
____E. Taillteann Miscellaneous Missions (2)
____F. Tara City Shadow Mission List [SIZE="1"](in progress)[/SIZE]
5. Strategy - Divide and Conquer!
6. Shadow Mission Yellow Pages [SIZE="1"](2nd Post)[/SIZE]
____A. List by Party Size
____B. List by Difficulty
____C. List by Recommendation
____D. List of Prizes[/COLOR]
[SIZE="5"]Introduction - What is a Shadow Mission?[/SIZE]
Shadow Missions are an alternative to traditional dungeoning. Unlike dungeons which send you through a maze of rooms with keys and switches, Shadow Missions drop you into an dark parallel world where you're free to run around. Some fights will be confined within circular walls, while others will make use of barrier entrenchments. In each mission you will be assigned a unique task that you must accomplish in order to hinder the Fomor's invasion of Erinn.
[SIZE="5"]Basic Info- How are Shadow Missions different?[/SIZE]
[Image: http://i42.tinypic.com/34y7eok.jpg]
Unlike Dungeons, you do not need passes to start a Shadow Mission. Instead, all missions and difficulties are available for you to choose from at the Shadow Mission Bulletin Board. While the experience given by monsters isn't as rewarding as dungeons, the mission clear bonus is enormous. The catch is that there are no Statues of Morrighan in the Shadow Realm, meaning a total party wipe is only recoverable with Nao Soul Stones and Advanced Feathers, both Cash Shop items. Harder difficulties are identical to easier difficulties, with the exception of stronger monsters and greater rewards. However, higher missions have level requirements.
Basic - Level 1+
Intermediate - Level 100+
Advance - Level 300+
Hard - Level 1000+
[Image: http://i40.tinypic.com/29x9768.jpg]
Each player may only carry one Shadow Mission at a time, after which they and their party must proceed to Stonehenge, where the Shadow Altar stands. After all members are present and the leader clicks on the altar the mission begins.
[Image: http://i47.tinypic.com/34fxqm8.jpg]
In Tara, both the Shadow Mission Bulletin Board and Shadow Altar are conviniently located between Tara and Corrib Valley. This requires far less travelling than Taillteann as you can even see both from the same spot.
[SIZE="5"]Rewards - What's so good about Shadow Missions?[/SIZE]
The clear bonus of Shadow Missions is sort of like a Party Quest in that all members in the party receive a chunk of experience and gold upon completion. The difference is that this bonus is not divided amongst the party, but given in full value to each person. With the harder missions giving rewards of over 100,000 experience, this ends up being extremely fast leveling for parties and for soloing alike.
[SIZE="4"]Enchants[/SIZE]
Along with other useful enchants such as Thief and Golem, Shadow Missions contain many unique, rare, or otherwise useful enchants. While all enchants drop out of reward chests, most are only available from Advance and Hard difficulties.
Ancient - r5* Prefix [Light Armor]
20 Luck (Rest r8+), 6-12 Max (Rest r7+)
Avenger - r2* Suffix [Heavy Armor]
12 Max, 20 Str (if Pot Poisoned), 10 Crit (if Deadly), -20 Bal (if Poisoned)
Burgundy Bear - r9 Prefix [Metal]
1 Def (Life Drain r9+), 1 Prot (Wind Blast r5+)
Color - rA Prefix [All]
3 Min (Alchemy Mastery rD+), 2-4 Max (AM rB+)
Crocodile - r7 Suffix [2H Weapons]
20 Str (Giant/Ally), 29 Max (Wind Blast r6+), -40 HP, -5 Def, 150% Repair
Darkness - r7 Suffix [Armor]
5-15 Max (Level 30+), -5 Will, -3 Def
Defensive - r9 Prefix [Heavy Armor]
7 Str, 4 Dex, 4 Def
Destruction - r9 Suffix [2H Weapons]
9 Min (Level 32+), 15-26 Max (Combat Mastery r9+), -40 HP, -20 Dex
Earnest - rA Suffix [All]
1~3 Crit (Fragmentation rA+)
Elegant - rA Suffix [Hands/Feet]
5 Crit, 10 Balance, -20 MP
Scholar - r3* Suffix [Clothing]
+2% Synthesis, Fragmentation, Crystallization Success, x5 Repair Cost
Shadow Hunter - r5* Prefix [Weapons]
10 Max (Water Cannon r1), 5 Crit (Life Drain r6+), 15 HP (Alchemy Mastery r9+), +15% Repairs
Stone - r7 Suffix [Heavy Armor]
3 Def (Active Golem), 6 Def (Golem r9+), 1 Prot (Golem r5+)
the Rich - r7* Prefix [2H Weapons]
35 Str (Combat Mastery r1), 20 Str (Final Hit r5+), 30 Dex
Wild Boar - rB Suffix [All]
1-3 Max (Alchemy Mastery rC+)
Wyvern - r7 Suffix [Weapons]
12-20 Max (using Dragon Knight), 5 Crit, -10 Str, -20 Dex
*Enchant Enabled Rank Regardless
[SIZE="4"]Equipment[/SIZE]
Fashionable clothing such as the Bat Set (without Wings) and Dashing Gothic Set are only attainable from Hard level missions. Some missions also drop strong weapons, such as S+ Grade Battle Swords, Iron Maces, and Leather Long Bows, along with Dustin Silver Knight Swords and the extremely rare Broad Axe.
Bat Jacket, Bat Dress, Bat Hat
Dashing Gothic Cape Suit, Shiny Gothic Frill Dress, Dashing Gothic Enamel Shoes
[SIZE="6"]== The Mission List! ==[/SIZE]
Shadow Missions in Taillteann can be catogorized into 5 general groups by similarity. Field Missions, Switch-Based Missions, Enemy Infiltration Missions, Taillteann Square Missions, and Miscellaneous Missions. For the sake of simplification, this list will group by mission types and not in order of experience amount (as they are on the board).
[SIZE="1"]Reward information is taken off of Mabinogi World Wiki. Accuracy of rewards not guaranteed.
Enchants come on generic items (usually Cylinders, Gathering Tools, or "Tork" Items) unless stated otherwise.[/SIZE]
[SIZE="5"]Taillteann Field Missions[/SIZE]
There are 2 Field Missions to choose from - The Stones of Sliab Cuilin and Defeat Crag Cow. The missions take place in Sliab Cuilin and Abb Neagh respectively, and require you to run around defeating the wild animals and enemy fomors which guard valuable sources of Cuilin Stones (used for crystallizing Golems) and Arat Berries (which act as a radar when eaten).
[SIZE="4"]Defeat Crag Cow[/SIZE]
Party: 1-2
Time Limit: None
Difficulty: 3/10
Recommendation: 3/10
Recommendation: 3/10
Rewards
B: [8,000 Exp, 2,100 Gold] - Color
I : [14,399 Exp, 2,939 Gold]
A: [24,000 Exp, 4,200 Gold] - Burgundy Bear, Avenger
H: [40,000 Exp, 6,300 Gold] - Burgundy Bear, Avenger, Wyvern ES, Leather Long Bow (A+ Grade)
- You will begin on the shore of Lake Neagh. Arat Trees growing around the lake are guarded by groups fomors which must be defeated. Not all Arat Trees are spawned in the beginning of the mission, so it may take two or more laps around the lake.
- Each tree is accompanied by 1 Shadow Shire and either 2 Shadow Fighters, 2 Shadow Lancers, or 2 Shadow Archers.
- All mobs are single-unique-aggro in this mission. This means that only one enemy of a kind will attack you, unless you hit them directly or while they are defending. However, mixed types of mobs will still multi-aggro you. Because Shadow Shires move very fast, it is best to lure them away from the tree and defeat them first.
- Once the guards are defeated, the Arat Trees will grow Arat Berries which you can collect and use in any Shadow Mission.
Pink Berries locate enemies on your minimap.
Orange Berries act like Pink Berries, but also detect Cuilin Stones, Arat Trees, and Orb Switches.
Red Berries act like Orange Berries, but also reveal Ice Mines.
Purple Berries act like Red Berries, but with double the range.
- When all mobs have been defeated, a Crag Cow will spawn somewhere around they lake. Treat it like a Shadow Shire with a large amount of HP, Defense, and Protection. It also has Rank 1 of all Passive Defenses. Decently ranked range and magic skills can easily get the job done.
[SIZE="4"]The Stones of Sliab Cuilin[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-2
Time Limit: 30 Minutes
Rewards
B: [9,000 Exp, 2,900 Gold] - Color
I : [16,199 Exp, 4,059 Gold]
A: [27,000 Exp, 5,800 Gold] - Burgundy Bear, Avenger
H: [45,000 Exp, 8,700 Gold] - Burgundy Bear, Avenger, Wyvern ES, Bat Hat, Bat Dress
- You will begin on the small plateau of Sliab Cuilin. A chest containing 4 Red Arat Berries will spawn beside you, and you must eat 1 in order for the mobs and Cuilin Stones to spawn.
- Out of the 10 possible Cuilin Stone locations, 8 will spawn in Advance, and 7 will spawn in Hard.
- Each stone is accompanied by 4 Arat Deer, 4 Arat Boars, or 2 Arat Deer and 2 Arat Boars.
- All mobs are single-unique-aggro in this mission. This means that no more than 1 Arat Boar and 1 Arat Deer will attack you unless you hit them directly or while they are defending. Excessive usage of Windmill works wonders.
- You can mine each Cuilin Stone up to 5 times for materials to make Golem crystals. When a stone is mined for the 5th time, an additional wave of 2 Arat Boars and 2 Arat Deer will spawn.
- When all mobs have been defeated, a Cuilin Golem will spawn at the center of the map. This is a typical Golem, so employ common tactics like Final Hit, Fire-Counter, or Smashmill to dispatch it quickly. Pets are handy for pushing it against the ledge before you begin your attack. Once defeated, the Golem will drop a crystal according to the mission difficulty (B: Stone, I: Forest, A: Sulfer, H: Snow).
[SIZE="5"][U]Taillteann Switch Missions[/SIZE][/U]
There are 4 Switch-Based Missions to choose from - Defeat the Shadow Warrior, Defeat Fomor Commander 1 and 2, and Defeat the Shadow Wizard. All 4 missions follow the same format, you start at the south gate of Taillteann and must activate the switches around town in order enter the main square and defeat the boss. Hitting a switch will erect a circular wall around you until all enemies are defeated. The 13 possible switch locations are identical for all missions. 8 switches will be spawned at the beginning of the mission, and for Defeat Fomor Commander 1 and 2, 8 more switches will appear for a second lap.
[Image: http://i43.tinypic.com/6h8aw7.jpg]
The above map shows all 13 switch locations with red dots. The blue line is my personal suggested route which minimizes the amount of backtracking necessary.
[SIZE="4"]Defeat the Shadow Warrior[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1
Time Limit: None
Difficulty: 1/10
Recommendation: 7/10
(Arguably the best solo mission)
Recommendation: 7/10
(Arguably the best solo mission)
Rewards
B: [10,600 Exp, 1,700 Gold] - Color, Hamster
I : [19,079 Exp, 2,379 Gold] - Color, Powerful
A: [31,800 Exp, 3,400 Gold] - Color, Powerful, Defensive
H: [53,000 Exp, 5,100 Gold] - Color, Powerful, Defensive, Bat Hat
- Each switch will spawn either 3 Shadow Fighters, 3 Shadow Lancers, 3 Shadow Archers, or 3 Grumbills. These versions are much weaker than those found in other missions. They are single-aggro with much lower HP and defenses.
- Beware that Grumbills that have noticed you may still attack, even if they do not aggro. These are Lightning-type.
[SIZE="4"]Defeat Fomor Commander 1[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-2
Time Limit: None
Difficulty: 4/10
Recommendation: 6/10
Recommendation: 6/10
Rewards
B: [18,000 Exp, 3,100 Gold] - Color
I : [32,399 Exp, 4,399 Gold] - Color
A: [54,000 Exp, 6,200 Gold] - Color, Powerful, Defensive
H: [90,000 Exp, 9,300 Gold] - Color, Powerful, Defensive, Ancient (ES)
- Fomors in this mission are double-unique-aggro, meaning that two mobs of the each kind may aggro at once. Mixed switches will always feature Shadow Lancers, which have dangerous splash. Only Shadow Fighters and Grumbills are single-aggro.
- Beware that Grumbills that have noticed you may still attack, even if they do not aggro. These are Fire-type, Ice enchanted equipment makes easy work of these.
- A second round of switches must be cleared before access to the boss room is granted. The second round spawns slightly harder waves.
[SIZE="4"]Defeat Fomor Commander 2[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-3
Time Limit: None
Difficulty: 5/10
Recommendation: 6/10
Recommendation: 6/10
Rewards
B: [21,000 Exp, 7,500 Gold] - Color, Wild Boar
I : [37,799 Exp, 10,499 Gold] - Color, Wild Boar, Golem
A: [63,000 Exp, 15,000 Gold] - Color, Wild Boar, Golem, Tilted, the Rich[?], Darkness, Ancient (ES)
H: [105,000 Exp, 22,500 Gold] - Color, Wild Boar, Golem, Tilted, the Rich[?], Darkness, Ancient (ES), Elegant, Broad Axe
- Fomors in this mission are double-unique-aggro, meaning that two mobs of the each kind may aggro at once. Only Shadow Fighters and Grumbills are single-aggro.
- Beware that Grumbills that have noticed you may still attack, even if they do not aggro. These are Ice-type, Fire-based attacks work wonders. For people enchanted with Ice, building a Campfire and using range gets the job done.
- A second round of switches must be cleared before access to the boss room is granted. The second round spawns slightly harder waves.
[SIZE="4"]Defeat the Shadow Wizard[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-8
Time Limit: None
Difficulty: 10/10
Recommendation: 9/10
(Very good exp for large parties)
Recommendation: 9/10
(Very good exp for large parties)
Rewards
B: [33,000 Exp, 11,000 Gold] - Color
I : [59,399 Exp, 15,399 Gold] - Earnest, Thief, Shadow Hunter, the Rich (DustinSwd)
A: [99,000 Exp, 22,000 Gold] - Earnest, Color, Sweet Pea, Healer, Shadow Hunter, the Rich (DustinSwd)
H: [165,000 Exp, 33,000 Gold] - Earnest, Color, Sweet Pea, Healer, Shadow Hunter, the Rich (DustinSwd), Bat Jacket
- This mission features heavy multi-aggro making it hard to handle with a small party.
- Each switch will summon 5 waves of mobs before being cleared, while each wave contains 7-9 mobs.
- Because of this, advanced magic can be a valuable asset. Windmill spamming works well too.
[SIZE="5"][U]Taillteann Infiltration Missions[/SIZE][/U]
There are only 2 Enemy Infiltration Missions, named Battle for Taillteann 1 and 2. In both missions, you begin outside Taillteann and must break through enemy fortifications consisting of Barrier Spikes and Ice Mines before defeating the boss. It is recommended to use Arat Berries, L-Rod Exploration, or pet decoys to avoid Ice Mines, meanwhile circling behind the enemy and pinning them against the Barrier Spikes. Beware of the Shadow Archers which have extremely long range and somewhat fast aiming speed.
[SIZE="4"]Battle for Taillteann 1[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-4
Time Limit: 40 Minutes
Difficulty: 6/10
Recommendation: 4/10
Recommendation: 4/10
Rewards
B: [16,000 Exp, 5,600 Gold] - Color
I : [28,799 Exp, 7,839 Gold] - Color
A: [48,000 Exp, 11,200 Gold] - Color, Earnest, Sweet Pea, Healer, Powerful, Defensive
H: [80,000 Exp, 16,800 Gold] - [? ? ?]
- This mission asks you to split up into two groups to defeat the enemies around both sides of the town square simultaneously. While you aren't required to do so, the mission will fail if you don't kill both sides quick enough.
[SIZE="4"]Battle for Taillteann 2[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-3
Time Limit: 25 Minutes
Difficulty: 6/10
Recommendation: 6/10
Recommendation: 6/10
Rewards
B: [14,800 Exp, 4,800 Gold] - Color
I : [26,639 Exp, 6,719 Gold]
A: [44,400 Exp, 9,600 Gold] - Burgundy Bear, Avenger
H: [74,000 Exp, 14,400 Gold] - Burgundy Bear, Avenger, Wyvern (ES), Leather Long Bow (A+ Grade)
- Unlike Battle for Taillteann 1, there is only one path to overcome in this mission.
[SIZE="5"][U]Taillteann Square Missions[/SIZE][/U]
4 Missions available take place in Taillteann's Main Square - Scout Rescue, Offering, Provocation, and Dorren's Request. Each of these missions are unique - meaning, unlike the above missions, they do not have similar missions with varying difficulties. Generally, these missions encourage more coordination than the previous ones and a single person's death could spell trouble for the entire mission, so choose your members wisely.
[SIZE="4"]Scout Rescue[/SIZE]
Party Size: 2-4
Time Limit: None
Difficulty: 7/10
Recommendation: 7/10
Recommendation: 7/10
Rewards
B: [16,000 Exp, 3,600 Gold]
I : [28,799 Exp, 5,039 Gold] - Wild Boar, Golem
A: [48,000 Exp, 7,200 Gold] - Wild Boar, Golem, Color, Tilted, Darkness, the Rich[?], Ancient (ES)
H: [80,000 Exp, 10,800 Gold] - Wild Boar, Golem, Color, Tilted, Darkness, the Rich[?], Ancient (ES), Elegant, Broad Axe
- 3 Guard NPCs will spawn, one of each race, along with 3 chests containing a total of 9 Barrier Spike Supply Crystals, and 6 Supply Ice Mines. The priority is to protect the NPCs, if any one NPC dies, the mission fails.
- Scattered waves of Shadow Archers, Alchemists, Warriors, Fighters, and Lancers will spawn every minute. They must be handled quickly to ensure following waves don't overwhelm you - if around four waves of Fomors are spawned at once it also counts as a fail.
- This mission is easily handled as long as you can maintain the damage output to quickly dispatch the waves. There are about 16 waves, and no boss.
- Barrier Spikes can be easily trained here due to the 9 free Crystals. At high ranks, surrounding the Elf Guard with walls can be helpful, since the Elf is the weakest NPC and can also Ranged Attack over them.
[SIZE="4"]Offering[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-4
Time Limit: 40 Minutes (However, you will either Succeed or Fail before then)
Difficulty: 9/10
Recommendation: 8/10
Recommendation: 8/10
Rewards
B: [18,000 Exp, 0 Gold] - Life [r8 Suffix]
I : [32,400 Exp, 0 Gold] - Life [r8 Suffix], Thief, Delicate
A: [54,000 Exp, 0 Gold] - Life [r8 Suffix], Thief, Delicate, Fragment
H: [90,000 Exp, 0 Gold] - Life [r8 Suffix], Thief, Deilcate, Fragment, Spike (Battle Sword), Battle Short Sword (S+ Grade), Scholar (N.Alch.Shoes), Shiny Gothic Frill Dress
- The object of this mission is to defeat the Fomors while making their corpses land inside the glowing Magic Circle on the ground. A kill is marked on where the corpse initially lands, if the kill lands outside of the circle while the "Finish" blow puts them inside, it still will not count. Likewise, if they land inside but are knocked outside by the Finish, it does count.
- A set of 4-5 Fomors will spawn each minute. You may be faced any staple Shadow Fomor (including Crag Cows and Shadow Shires) that appears in multiple other missions, but not Arat Boar, Arat Deer, Sulfer Spiders, or Golems.
- After 10 successful kills, the circle will shrink, making it harder to land kills inside. After 10 additional kills, it will shrink again. A third set of 10 kills will summon the boss, consisting of a Shadow Wizard and two Shadow Alchemists.
- If too many kills land outside the circle (supposedly a total of 51 misses) the mission will auto-fail. Likewise, too many waves spawned at once will auto-fail. It is not recommended to use Adniel or Advanced Magic because they will often cause kills to miss.
- The most effective way to clear this mission is to set up walls in an X formation and Windmill the mobs into the center. As long as nobody destroys the walls with Windmill, the spawns will all be trapped in place by the walls and are mostly guaranteed to die in the circle.
(Credits to Kyouriharu for this method)
[SIZE="4"]Provocation[/SIZE]
Party Size: 3
Time Limit: 30 Mins
Difficulty: 9/10
Recommendation: 9/10
Recommendation: 9/10
Rewards
B: [20,000 Exp, 0 Gold] - Wild Boar, Thief
I : [35,999 Exp, 0 Gold] - Wild Boar, Earnest, Moist, Thief
A: [60,000 Exp, 0 Gold] - Wild Boar, Earnest, Moist, Fragment, Difficult [r9 Prefix], Wyvern (Mace)
H: [100,000 Exp, 0 Gold] - Thief, Earnest, Moist, Fragment, Difficult [r9 Prefix], Wyvern (Mace), Iron Mace (S+ Grade), Destruction (DustinSwd), Dashing Gothic Cape Suit
- Trapped within a circle of Barrier Spikes, a series of increasingly difficult Fomors confronts your group.
- The staple monsters (including Ice Grumbills - use Fire) should pose no threat, however the Sulfer Spiders are more dangerous. Like in Rabbie, Barri, and Castle Dungeons, these explode upon death dealing around 60-100 unprotected damage. Explode resist gear, high defenses, or Mana Shield is recommended. Magic Fire Shield also works well.
- After 7 waves of normal enemies (including 2 waves of Sulfer Spiders), a Giant Sulfer Spider will spawn alongside 3 regular ones. After dispatching the normal ones, proceed to Windmill or ranged/magic spam the Giant Spider, taking advantage of its large hitbox. Upon defeat, it explodes for around 300 damage, so make sure you are above half HP to ensure deadly.
- Three mini-boss waves follow the Giant Spider, in which one member of the party must alone with the others sent outside the Barrier Spikes. Each member must fight a single wave, with the third wave consisting of 3 mini-bosses. It is helpful to have a Giant use Taunt to aid the solo player. Thunder and Mirage Missile can chain to the mobs inside if they are close to the Barriers, and Fireball can shoot clear over the walls to any spot in range.
- After the mini-bosses are defeated, all members are reunited inside to fight a very strong version of the Shadow Commander, which has 60-79% Protection (depending on the difficulty) and also summons Snow Golems. Poison is a great help here, otherwise it is best to Windmill spam it against the wall while being careful not to unstun it and get your party mates killed.
- This is one of the only missions where the time limit actually matters. It's best to clear the early waves as quickly as possible and try to minimize deaths, especially on the final waves, to ensure you have enough time for the boss.
[SIZE="4"]Dorren's Request[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-3
Time Limit: 40 Minutes
Difficulty: 10/10
Recommendation: 9/10
(Good mission for people with high rank Adv.Magic)
Recommendation: 9/10
(Good mission for people with high rank Adv.Magic)
Rewards
B: [37,000 Exp, 3,900 Gold] - Bold, Stiff (M.F.C.)
I : [66,599 Exp, 5,459 Gold] - Bold, Stiff (C.K.B.), Delicate, Stone (ES) [r7 Suffix]
A: [111,000 Exp, 7,800 Gold] - Bold, Stiff (C.K.B.), Delicate, Stone (ES) [r7 Suffix], Crocodile (2H Swd)
H: [185,000 Exp, 11,700 Gold] - Bold, Stiff (C.K.B.), Delicate, Stone (ES) [r7 Suffix], Crocodile (2H Swd), Shadow Hunter, Solid (Melka), EJ Pg.3, Dashing Gothic Enamel Shoes
- Although this mission gives the most experience upon completion, the mobs do not give any.
- There are four orbs that each summon pre-determined sets of mobs, which each drop a specific item. You must synthesize one item from each orb together in order to make Shadow Cubes. The success rate is extremely low, and a bad run may require over 10 of each item. The success rate is between 21-39% depending on Alchemy Mastery and Synthesis ranks, which each add 1% per rank (only 15% if both are Novice). Scholar and Delicate can add up to a total 5% bonus, with weather and Samhain adding a bit more.
- With the exception of the whitish orb, the mobs spawned will always be exactly the same, and each orb will always drop the same item. This makes the mission easier if you are organized about collecting which ones you need.
- Fireball works wonders in this mission. At least Rank 9 is recommended, which can handle Advanced difficulty fairly well (though Rank 5 will OHKO much more often). Thunder works to a lesser extent, although mobs are not always neatly packed. A combination of either Ice Spear or Thunder alongside Fireball (right before impact on Golems, or as they charge the party on everything else) is also effective if you like to burn thousands of mana.
- This mission is not too difficult, as the only hard part is relying on the horrid success rates to spit two cubes out before the time limit passes. You must report to Dorren with the cubes before the time runs out, or else you will not receive the clear bonus. However, bringing her the cubes after the time runs out will still grant reward chests.
[SIZE="5"][U]Taillteann Miscellaneous Missions[/SIZE][/U]
The two missions that don't really fit in anywhere else are Conflict! An Unexpected Battle and Taillteann Defensive Battle. Similar to Scout Rescue, the priority of these missions is to protect the allied guard NPCs while defeating enemy Fomors.
[SIZE="4"]Conflict! An Unexpected Battle[/SIZE]
Party Size: 3-4
Time Limit: None
Difficulty: 10/10
Recommendation: 4/10
Recommendation: 4/10
Rewards
B: [10,400 Exp, 4,900 Gold] - Color
I : [18,719 Exp, 6,859 Gold]
A: [31,200 Exp, 9,800 Gold] - Burgundy Bear, Avenger, Darkness
H: [52,000 Exp, 14,700 Gold] - Leather Long Bow (S+ Grade)
- 6 Shadow Archers, 5 Shadow Fighters, and 1 Shadow Warrior will spawn behind a Barrier Wall with 5 NPC Human Guards on your side. You must defeat all 12 Fomors before any 2 of the NPCs die to successfully complete the mission.
- The Fomors in this mission have extremely high HP, and the Shadow Archers can easily range you from extreme distances, more than double an Ego LLB. Because of their massive range, it is best to deal with the Archers first, either by killing them or distracting them.
- On the other hand, the Guard NPCs are relatively squishy, especially in the Basic difficulty. You MUST pay attention to each guard and make sure they are not being attacked, or else this mission is nearly impossible. Reviving party members should also be a priority, as you need as much mob control and damage as you can get.
- Having one person aggro all the Shadow Archers and then tank them against a wall with extremely high defense, a shield, and Mana Shield will work if the rest of the party can kill quick enough. Alternatively, since they spawn in a straight line, a properly aimed Ice Spear can trap all 6 of them indefinitely, as long as the mage is protected against the nearby Fighters and Warrior.
- Although there are Ice Mines placed, the enemies will usually detonate these on themselves. Some may be left untriggered, so caution should be taken when near the Barrier Spikes.
[SIZE="4"]Taillteann Defensive Battle[/SIZE]
Party Size: 3-6
Time Limit: None
Difficulty: 7/10
Recommendation: 7/10
Recommendation: 7/10
Rewards
B: [32,000 Exp, 9,200 Gold]
I : [52,199 Exp, 12,879 Gold] - Moist (ES), Earnest (ES)
A: [87,000 Exp, 18,400 Gold] - Moist (ES), Earnest (ES), Difficult [r9 Suffix] (ES)
H: [145,000 Exp, 27,600 Gold] - Moist, Earnest (ES), Thief, Wild Boar, Fragment, Wyvern (Mace), Destruction (DustinSwd), Iron Mace (S+ Grade), Dashing Gothic Cape Suit
- The party will be divided between the 3 gates of Taillteann, each guarded by 2 NPCs of the respective race. You must clear the incoming waves quickly while protecting the NPCs.
- At any gate - if both NPCs die, the spawns will move closer to the Taillteann Headquarters. Likewise will happen if too waves spawn at once. If any gate fails 3 times then the entire mission is failed, although it is possible for all 3 gates to fail twice and still succeed.
- Each wave consists of 1 Shadow Archer, Lancer, Fighter, and Warrior. Between 2 players, 2 NPCs, and 2 pets per gate, this shouldn't be too much trouble as long as you can deal enough damage in the time allotted. Beware of splash from both the Fomors and the NPC guards, especially Giants.
- This is one of the few missions where Adniel will not harm the allied NPCs. This can be used as a emergency weapon if the spawns are overpowering.
[SIZE="5"][U]Tara Shadow Missions[/SIZE][/U]
With G10 comes six new missions located in the Tara vicinity. Unlike Taillteann missions, Tara missions are only available to small parties of three or less people. Two missions - Protect Corrib Valley and The Smell of Wine require special Mission Passes obtained from Wine Making.
[Image: http://i47.tinypic.com/2weji13.jpg]
This map shows the possible locations of spawns for Their Method and Lingering Darkness. (Jacked from jWiki)
[SIZE="4"]Their Method[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1
Time Limit: 25 Mins
Difficulty: 3/10
Recommendation: 7/10
Recommendation: 7/10
Rewards
B: [14,000 Exp, 2,500 Gold] - (All ES) - Giant, Diamond (1.00cm)
I : [25,199 Exp, 3,499 Gold] - (All ES) - Giant, Vicious, Waterdrop, Breeze, Weaving, Diamond (1.50cm)
A: [42,000 Exp, 5,000 Gold] - (All ES) - Giant, Vicious, Waterdrop, Breeze, Weaving, Burgundy Bear, Thin, Diamond (2.00cm)
H: [70,000 Exp, 7,500 Gold] - (All ES) - Giant, Vicious, Waterdrop, Breeze, Weaving, Burgundy Bear, Thin, Diamond (3.00cm)
- Groups of 4 Zombies are spawned throughout Tara. Simply defeat them all and move on to the boss... 12 more Zombies.
- To speed up the mission, group the Zombies together in one spot so that you can Windmill them all at once. If the walls are too far away or unusable (either because of gaps or unevenness), you can use Barrier Spikes as a makeshift wall.
[video=youtube;YC10sp3d5jY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC10sp3d5jY[/video]
[SIZE="4"]Enemy Behind[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-2
Time Limit: 25 Mins
Difficulty: 4/10
Recommendation: 6/10
Recommendation: 6/10
Rewards
B: [13,000 Exp, 2,300 Gold] - (All ES) - Delicate, Small, Difficult, Fragment, Diamond (1.00cm)
I : [23,399 Exp, 3,219 Gold] - (All ES) - Delicate, Small, Difficult, Fragment, Noble, Raven, Diamond (1.50cm)
A: [39,000 Exp, 4,600 Gold] - (All ES) - Delicate, Small, Difficult, Fragment, Noble, Raven, Cold, Diamond (2.00cm)
H: [65,000 Exp, 6,900 Gold] - (All ES) - Delicate, Small, Difficult, Fragment, Noble, Raven, Cold, Death Arrow, Diamond (3.00cm)
- Similar to the Offering mission in Taillteann, the goal is to kill 6 mobs inside a Magic Circle. Hitting a switch will reveal the circle and spawn the first wave of three mobs. These circles will shrink after 2 and 4 kills, after 6 kills the circle will turn white and shrink to indicate that it is cleared.
- Alternatively, some spots will have pre-spawned mobs. Three waves of three mobs must be cleared at these locations.
- After all 6 pre-spawns or Magic Circles are cleared, the boss will spawn near the lower-middle of the map. The Dark Commander is similar to the Shadow Commander of Taillteann, including the summoning of Snow Golems.
[SIZE="4"]Shadow Cast City[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-3
Time Limit: 25 Mins
Difficulty: 6/10
Recommendation: 9/10
Recommendation: 9/10
Rewards
B: [12,000 Exp, 2,200 Gold] - Fierce, Delicate (ES), Stiff, Diamond (1.00cm)
I : [23,399 Exp, 3,219 Gold] - Delicate (ES), Stiff, Waterdrop, Moist, Diamond (1.50cm)
A: [36,000 Exp, 4,400 Gold] - Stiff, Waterdrop, Moist, Glorious (Composite Bow), Diamond (2.00cm)
H: [60,000 Exp, 6,600 Gold] - Stiff (Round Shield), Waterdrop, Moist, Glorious (Composite Bow), Crocodile (Claymore), Diamond (3.00cm)
- 13 waves of 5 Fomors will spawn on the path from Corrib Valley to Tara Town Square. Simply defeat them as you go. Unlike Their Method and Lingering Darkness, the spawns for this mission will only appear after the previous one is defeated. They will gradually increase in difficulty from Bronze to Silver to Gold. It does not stray from the main path.
- After the 9th wave, a single Shadow Ghost will act as a mid-boss. These have Lv2 Heavy Stander, Lv1 Mana Reflector, Thunder, and a Petrification melee attack. Range/Magic is recommended if your melee power isn't overwhelming.
- A single Doppleganger will be the boss when you reach Tara Square. It will copy the appearance of a player, including their name, title, and guild. If the player talks in all chat, the Doppleganger will say the same thing. It may change players throughout the battle. It seems to be unable to change robes, which may cause confusion.
- Be careful, once the boss has spawned whoever it is mimicking will be susceptible to the all player's attacks, and will lose experience and blessings if killed. Damage from players seems to be reduced to (?)10%.
- The Doppleganger can summon up to 9 clones at once, and will be fully resistant to damage until the clones are killed. The resistance is weakened as each clone is killed, and damage is effectively restored when 3 or less remain.
- An easy way to distinguish each type, is that the Doppleganger will have a Cylinder equipped. Clones will wield racial weapons, while the player (hopefully) uses something else. CP Mods are also a clear giveaway.
- It is recommended to taunt the boss with a pet and then unleash Adniel on it and the clones to greatly simplify this battle. Although it does not hurt the player it is copying like in G10, it is still immune to all forms of stun except Ice Spear. Windmill spamming will prevent it from attacking, but not from summoning Clones.
[video=youtube;f5nhJufZLfM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5nhJufZLfM[/video]
[SIZE="4"]Lingering Darkness[/SIZE]
Party Size: 1-3
Time Limit: 25 Mins
Difficulty: 6/10
Recommendation: 8/10
Recommendation: 8/10
Rewards
B: [16,500 Exp, 3,500 Gold] - Energetic, Thief (ES), Diamond (1.00cm)
I : [29,699 Exp, 4,899 Gold] - Energetic, Thief (ES), Hitting, Thin (ES), Diamond (1.50cm)
A: [49,500 Exp, 7,000 Gold] - Energetic, Thief (ES), Hitting, Thin (ES), Wolf Hunter, Broken Arrow (Xbow), Diamond (2.00cm)
H: [82,500 Exp, 10,500 Gold] - Energetic, Thief (ES), Hitting, Thin (ES), Wolf Hunter, Broken Arrow (Xbow), Melody (Elven Short Bow), Diamond (3.00cm)
- Starting at Tara Square and heading towards Corrib Valley, you must clear 10 patches of Fomors before confronting the boss. The spawns take three forms - Magic Circles (like in Enemy Behind), triple-wave pre-spawns (again like Enemy Behind), or small barricade pre-spawns (like in Battle for Taillteann).
- This mission shares the same spawn locations as Their Method. The boss is a Shadow Commander like in Enemy Behind.
- Because each area consists of small waves of 3-5 enemies, this is another good mission for the "Divide and Conquer" strategy outlined below. However, beware that Magic Circles will sometimes spawn a single Shadow Ghost instead of three normal mobs.
[SIZE="5"]Strategy - Divide and Conquer![/SIZE]
As earlier stated, Shadow Missions provide experience in a unique way. The kill experience is decent at best, but the real prize is the undivided clear bonus which every party member receives in full value, regardless if they soloed or brought an army of 8. Because of this, the speed in which you clear a mission means everything. With the right party, running Intermediate missions has the capability of providing even faster experience than Hard missions while being much easier, but at the cost of crappy gold and item prizes.
[SIZE="4"]How does it work?[/SIZE]
There are 4 Missions that can utilize this technique - The Stones of Sliab Cuilin, Defeat Fomor Commander 1 and 2, and Defeat Shadow Wizard. The concept is simple, instead of sticking together and brushing aside enemies with your combined overkill, the members of the party will split up and take on different areas at the same time while using the "All to Finish" experience rule. Because of the complexity, this doesn't work well with random parties.
Lingering Darkness in Tara also promotes this kind of strategy. Because the Tara spawns are mostly in a line, it requires less organization - everybody can just leapfrog towards the boss and kill whatever fomors they find unoccupied.
[SIZE="4"]What if I'm a Soloist?[/SIZE]
There are people out there who are currently attempting to solo Defeat the Shadow Wizard on Hard difficulty. Eventually, many people will probably achieve that goal and reap the experience alone. It'd probably take them at least 5 minutes per switch, and 40 minutes for all switches. 40 minutes (plus the boss fight) to clear the mission and enjoy the 165,000 experience.
Now, what if 8 of these beasts teamed up, set it "All to Finish" and each fought an orb at the same time? The mission time is cut drastically by 35 minutes (since they clear all 8 switches in 5 minutes), and now all 8 people are earning 165,000 experience every 5 minutes (plus the boss fights), instead of every 40 minutes. Because Shadow Missions do not confine you to chests and keys like Dungeons do, experience loss is not a factor in parties.
[SIZE="4"]The Stones of Sliab Cuilin[/SIZE]
For example, in The Stones of Sliab Cuilin, both members can start at one point and run in opposite directions. Alternatively, both members can start at opposite points and run in the same direction (clockwise or counterclockwise). When all the normal waves are cleared, the members reunite to take down the boss. The video posted in the Sliab Cuilin mission info was an example of the latter (the partner's location is shown on the minimap whenever he uses an Arat Berry).
The Switch-based Missions are not in a neatly arranged circle, which is why this cannot be done effectively with random parties.
[SIZE="4"]Double-Strike![/SIZE]
[Image: http://i41.tinypic.com/mac7wy.jpg]
This map is an alteration from my first map. Here we have two paths, Red and Blue. One player or group uses the Red path while the other player or group uses Blue. At the middle of the map, if all switches haven't been cleared, then the finished group will continue along the other path until both groups meet up. In the case of Defeat Shadow Commander 1 and 2, the a second wave will spawn and all members should backtrack their respective paths. The second wave of switches do not spawn in the same locations.
Using this method cuts the mission time in half, Defeat the Fomor Commander 1 on Intermediate was cleared by myself and a partner in about 6 minutes. With a reward of 32,400 experience, that calculates to ~6,100 exp per minute. With the same partner in Advance, 54,000 experience was earned in 10 minutes, ~5,400 exp per minute. They're comparible to the Defeat the Shadow Warrior on Hard (53,000 in 10 minutes is ~5,300 exp per minute) except even more effortless.
[SIZE="4"]Triple-Threat![/SIZE]
[Image: http://i44.tinypic.com/10px8o6.jpg]
Taking it a step even further, splitting the orbs into three paths will further increase efficiency. Because it is unlikely that 8 switches will be fairly distributed between each path, at least one person or group will probably finish before the others, and should proceed clear any of the orbs within the grey box. Again, backtracking is still necessary in Defeat the Fomor Commander 2.
[SIZE="4"]Cutting Travel Time[/SIZE]
A trick to save time in between missions is to have all party members grab a mission before meeting at the altar. While only the party leader can accept a mission, and any person can only carry one mission, everybody can have a mission and join a party at the same time.
Take a mission, quit the party, and join another party. This lets you hold your mission while running another.[/COLOR][/UB]