Sampire vs Arachnid Spawn

[Obsidian]

I've been working some arachnid spawns with my sampire. He's the traditional Connor build (with parry) and uses mace weapons. The first two levels are fine. I'm getting into trouble with the matriarchs and dread spiders. If I can lure out 2-3 and kill them at once I'm ok. It's when I get myself surrounded that I get into trouble. Once I kill the creature I'm attacking I can't see it... and therefore I'm not leeching any life. Those precious seconds mean death. I tried whirlwind (using a black staff), but I have to be attacking a primary creature for it to go off. Do you have a technique for pulling casters out and disposing of them with your sampire? Or should I just be more careful and stick to 2-3 at a time?

Also, I cannot think of a method to kill off the spawn that ends up on ledges with no means to enter them. How do you all handle those?

Do you carry an ethereal mount or a charger for travel once you get rezed? I haven't been able to find a good method to save my swampy once I get sacked.

Thanks all! I soloed Navrey yesterday (I actually found him alone) and think I can complete the Arachnid spawn... if only I can get to Mephitis.

-OBSIDIAN-

 

[Connor_Graham]

Casters in the arachnid spawn are handled the same way casters in, say, the Barracoon spawn are. You pull a few, whirlwind them all down, then move a screen or so and repeat. I usually work in a circle around the altar, using the altar as a point of reference. I always make sure to clear out my "getaway route" completely, and keep it cleared so I have a safe path out in case of trouble. The last thing you need is to be down to 20 hp's and have a stray caster right in your path that nails you with a flamestrike before you can heal.

 

[[JD]]

This applies for both my sampire and stealth archer:

I always go for casters first and direct all attacks at them.

If I get more than 3-4 on the screen I will make a stragetic retreat half to a full a screen away and try to pick them off individually.

I keep moving so that I don't get surrounded if there are casters.

I may retreat to the outside of the spawn and work my way in, making sure I always have a path to get out.

Casters are really a pain, I want to add resist to my sampy.

 

[Nyses]

Hey Obsidian, I posted my Sammy build in this post.

I use that char as my main spawn character. The only spawn I don't do solo is Oaks.

 

[Obsidian]

Thanks guys. I've got my char's skill and suit mainly complete... just need M&S glasses and the right turquoise ring with SSI and he is done. Those are on my "shopping" list. I've been doing very well with him fighting some of the big stuff solo. This is my first foray into fighting a whole bunch of smaller stuff with him at once. Arachnid level 3 is tough because ALL of the monsters from that level are casters (dread spiders and terathan matriarchs). I'll just keep practicing and I'm sure I'll get it down. I think I'm running in and engaging too many at once right now. I'll start clearing a get-a-way path and luring a smaller number at a time.

-OBSIDIAN-

 

[Diggity]

... It's when I get myself surrounded that I get into trouble. Once I kill the creature I'm attacking I can't see it... and therefore I'm not leeching any life. Those precious seconds mean death. I tried whirlwind (using a black staff), but I have to be attacking a primary creature for it to go off. ...

For sampires, being surrounded is something to strive for, not avoid. The bushido whirlwind bonus combined with the vamp form life leech gives the most benefits when you are surrounded. You want to pull as many critters as possible (not so many you are insta killed) next to you so you hit and leech all of them.

Since you can solo Narvey and have parry, I think you have the hitpoints and suit resists needed to try the ww approach for sure on level 3 spawn and most level 4 spawns. For the casters, magic resist is better to have than anatomy. Your damage boost comes from bushido ww bonus. The bigger the group you take on, the more you will hit and more life you will leech. Alternate evasion/confidence as needed. Key is to have cycle target macros to quickly attack different mobs to bring them to you and to have a target nearest /whirlwind key so you can spam whirlwind as well.

Try it out on the level 1 and 2 spawns. Aggro everything on the screen and ww them. Always be moving towards the mobs and bringing them next to you. Then at level 3 and 4 caster levels, know that running away at low life means death from ranged spells. At least if you are next to them, you can ww and leech. Plan on dieing a few times while you determine just how many of each level you can aggro at one time. But once you find a rhythm, I find it a fun way to tackle a spawn.

 

[[JD]]

Do you carry an ethereal mount or a charger for travel once you get rezed? I haven't been able to find a good method to save my swampy once I get sacked.

Forgot to answer this... you can carry one of those or petball something if you like, but I've found it not to be necessary..

Here's the deal, I am a former tamer and utilized invisibility extensively to wipe mob aggro. I am acutely aware of how quickly creatures will aggro once they see you.

Generally creatures won't aggro until 2-4 seconds has passed.

Now imagine you are on your mount (swampy), and you die. The swampy "appears" to them. It takes a couple sec for them to aggro and target.

During this time you simply ninja log out. Your swampy will get stabled.

Run and get a res.

Now log out and back in and swampy is at your side again. Or use a petball.

Doing this my swampy has never died. Not even to something like Miasma

 

[Obsidian]

JD, what do you mean by "ninja logout"? Do you mean to log out immediately upon death? Doesn't you mount re-log in with you when you log-in? Or is that only if they are dead? If the mount is alive when you logout is it auto-stabled even if it has taken damage?

-OBS-

 

[Stupid Miner]

JD, what do you mean by "ninja logout"? Do you mean to log out immediately upon death? Doesn't you mount re-log in with you when you log-in? Or is that only if they are dead? If the mount is alive when you logout is it auto-stabled even if it has taken damage?

-OBS-

Mount wont relog-in with you while you're dead.
Note: be *fast* about this, stuff like Rikktor and the Stygian Dragon can 1-shot your swampy.

For sampires, being surrounded is something to strive for, not avoid. The bushido whirlwind bonus combined with the vamp form life leech gives the most benefits when you are surrounded. You want to pull as many critters as possible (not so many you are insta killed) next to you so you hit and leech all of them.

This doesn't apply nearly so much to spellcasters, since they're ranged, they don't cluster very well for WW. The method Connor mentioned is probably the tactically smartest way to engage them.
... it's also boring, I prefer to charge head-first with wild abandon.


Also, to the OP:
If you're having trouble with arachnid, don't try Abyss level 3.

 

[Obsidian]

Also, to the OP:
If you're having trouble with arachnid, don't try Abyss level 3.

Well I have to start somewhere... I'll get it with a little practice. I'm working arachnid before I move on to Abyss. I have to change up my char before HE sees Semidar. Going to have to add in SS for that and optimize some cold demon slayers first. I am looking forward to being able to craft exceptional black staffs. I am hoping that make makes the next publish after the devs mentioned it in the last HoC chat.

-OBSIDIAN-

 

[Madrid]

Get yourself a Talisman of Dread Spider Protection...defense is needed as well as offense. Protection Talismans are highly underrated and underused. Remember they cap at +60% so if you find one in the 50's you should be good to go.

 

[Connor_Graham]

The "killer" talismans are also good. I've got a 92% Dread Spider Killer talisman that I use specifically just for that spawn. With the talisman, a slayer wep, and 100 DI, I'm just under the DI cap.

 

[Madrid]

I've tested both the "killer" and the "protection".

In my opinion there is much more value in the Protection Talisman.

 

[Obsidian]

Well, I never tried the specific protection or killer talisman, but I got the hang of it better yesterday. I succeeded in doing the spawn without dying. I thought I was raided, but it was actually a few other folks coming to join in. I worked pretty much alone until the end so I could practice my technique. Even so, I fared much better thanks to the tips here. I had 0 deaths and Mephitis went down fast. I found pulling up to 3 casters at a time was reasonable. I would run in, they aggroed on me, pull back slightly, then CW and prep LS or WW, and then charge into them. I switched away from my black staff to a hard-hitting diamond mace in level 4 and that worked well. It was the same weapon I used for Mephitis. I'm going to keep practicing as I find good spawns until I get a little better and do it truly solo.

-OBSIDIAN-

 

[Madrid]

Nice work!

The key to most spawns is to be patient and not bite off more than you can chew. You can really set yourself back by getting overzealous and taking a dirt nap.

"Caution is the better part of valor" holds true for the Arachnid Spawn.

Glad to hear your solo'ing the spawn. The challenge of trying to figure out how to solo a spawn/peerless is one of the best parts of UO.