Shard by shard roundup: Melissa fight

[Evilminion]

So a bunch of us were idly killing balrons yesterday in Melissa's dungeon abode, waiting for her to spawn, and we got to wondering: how are other shards doing against the vengeful little wench? The most common tactic on Lake Austin seems to be using a couple of pets to tank, while EVs, Nature's Furies, and the occasional paladin whittle down her health. We can usually take her down in around a minute to a minute and a half.

How goes the battle on your shard? Are you using different tactics? For that matter, do you plan your mix of characters or just work with whoever and whatever shows up? Do you fight the balrons or "stick" them to the wall with a lure in the adjacent room?

..........

And what exactly is muculent? Webster's defines it as "slimy; moist, and moderately viscous," but that's an adjective. What is it, really? A vial of snot? Lich squeezin's? Just a creepy name for Jell-o shooters?

 

[Connor_Graham]

It's pretty much the same on Pacific. Either a GD or a meleer tanks while the mages cast EV's & Fireballs. Most people work together on keeping the Balrons & Imps busy and/or off each other so Melissa can be taken down quickly.

 

[Cacophonix]

There's never anybody there on Origin when I go, so I end up soloing it with my GD most of the time. I'll toss GE pots when she's almost dead, to speed the process up.

 

[timbeOFbaja]

It's pretty much the same on Pacific. Either a GD or a meleer tanks while the mages cast EV's & Fireballs. Most people work together on keeping the Balrons & Imps busy and/or off each other so Melissa can be taken down quickly.

Bajans have a far more clever way of handling the balrons and imps.

 

[Crysta]

Usually the same on LS, tho we've done it with just a few mages and warriors.. and well, one person was able to solo her even, or at least that's what i've been told.

 

[Krystal]

she is pretty easy to kill with 2 way overpowered greater dragons.

 

[Gildar]

She's pretty easy to kill even without greater dragons I would imagine (I'd gladly try to solo her with either my mage/weaver or samurai... but I don't think the 6-20 other people around during any of the times I can play would let me).

A common tactic on Catskills is corpse-skin and wildfire. I tend to take advantage of the necromancers in the room by summoning a fire elemental, casting wildfire, and attacking with my staff of pyros.

Greater dragons, energy vortexes, nature's furies, energy bolts, fireballs, mind blasts, explosion potions, cu'sidhes, archers, swordsmen, and words of death are all fairly common though.


The balrons and imps are pretty much ignored when Melissa is out on Catskills, unless we get a paragon balron... in which case just about everybody dies because nobody wants to stop fighting Melissa long enough to deal with the balron.

 

[Basara]

I think here on LA, the most common strategy for a paragon balron is all the mages recast their EVs as Melissa kills them, on the Balron instead, while keeping up the fireballs on Melissa - after all the fireballs do more dps than the EVs, due to Melissa's low fire resist (even before corpse skin). A mage tamer will also sic their cu or GD on the balron, while switching to fireballs on Melissa, and letting the pet mostly fend for itself until it drops to about 1/3 health.

 

[legendsguy]

i'm sure the "tactic" for every shard is to use superdragons. it's a tough tactic, maybe someone should put out an ultima strategy guide so people know how to type 'alll attack'.

 

[Ender]

i'm sure the "tactic" for every shard is to use superdragons. it's a tough tactic, maybe someone should put out an ultima strategy guide so people know how to type 'alll attack'.

Pretty much. See an average of 5 or so on Great Lakes usually.

 

[Kellgory]

Usually when I'm on LA, someone has an alt char in the hallway with the Balron and imps agro'd on it, and everyone else hugging the opposite wall. The other shards I've played on usually play with the Balron and imps while waiting for her to spawn. They seem to take out the new non-young players first. As far as taking her down. It seems to be pretty much the same on all the shards I've been on. About the only difference is some shards are a little better a cross healing pets and players than others.

 

[Emil Ispep]

Pacific; pretty much what Connor said.

It's pretty much the same on Pacific. Either a GD or a meleer tanks while the mages cast EV's & Fireballs. Most people work together on keeping the Balrons & Imps busy and/or off each other so Melissa can be taken down quickly.

I'm on one of the mages =).. EVs, fireball, fs, rez. in that order. Not many people on early at Melissa, so it proves to be a challenge sometimes when both the para balron, and mel are up. If shes not being attacked constantly, she heals very fast.

Bajans have a far more clever way of handling the balrons and imps.

I hope its not leaving someone (attended obviously ) in the teleporter room.. i hate that.. the paras drop the artys.. and i hear they drop crimmys.. dont know if thats the case tho..

 

[Sarphus]

she is pretty easy to kill with 2 way overpowered greater dragons.

You should preface this statement with the fact that you're playing on Siege.

On normal shards, various dexer templates are far superior to anything a tamer can throw at her. A sampire can solo her in the time it takes 2 greater dragons to kill her.

I seriously doubt that is happening on siege, though. When your suit drops every time, you don't usually have the kind of suit you need to solo melissa with a dexer.

 

[Sarphus]

i'm sure the "tactic" for every shard is to use superdragons. it's a tough tactic, maybe someone should put out an ultima strategy guide so people know how to type 'alll attack'.

Most of the people I"ve seen soloing it have been on sampires. Tamers can also solo it with a greater dragon, but you have to be mindful of target switching.

 

[Ash]

I think here on LA, the most common strategy for a paragon balron is all the mages recast their EVs as Melissa kills them, on the Balron instead, while keeping up the fireballs on Melissa - after all the fireballs do more dps than the EVs, due to Melissa's low fire resist (even before corpse skin). A mage tamer will also sic their cu or GD on the balron, while switching to fireballs on Melissa, and letting the pet mostly fend for itself until it drops to about 1/3 health.

I have noticed this several times, even when I am the only person down there, and seen Melissa and the balron (even the paragon balron) fight it out. I don't think she actively targets the spawn in the room, but her mass curse will hit the spawn and then they become aggressive to each other. The only problem is the people that don't know that RUNNING near a paragon will cause it to target switch, but even then Melissa kept attacking the paragon balron.

I tested this theory by being only person in there and having balron and Melissa target me while i am in the room to the west. Her mass curse effects hit me even through the wall and when she cast that then her and the normal balron in the room started fighting. She destroyed the balron who barely scratched her.

I have also seen her break from a fight to walk over and kill an imp a few tiles away, and all without anyone there provoking (which i don't even think you can provoke or provoke onto Melissa).

All that said, it is kind of risky to use that as a strategy as the balron is just as likely to be attacking whatever is tanking Melissa. Just saying it does happen and the few times managed to get a paragon balron to tank her it was pretty funny.

 

[RavenWinterHawk]

I saw a guy throw like 20 greater explosion in 30 seconds.
Looked like a machine gun.

Do exploits count as tactics?

 

[Kellgory]

Haven't heard of the Balrons drop ML arties or crimmys, only Melissa. Some of the shards that I've played on there isn't a lot of people fighting her late at night so if a para Balron does pop it very well could wipe out everyone in the room if spawned at the wrong time.

 

[Connor_Graham]

I'm on one of the mages =)..

As am I. Other than a Tamer, the Mage is by far the easiest template to have down there. Finish off with a WoD.

I hope its not leaving someone (attended obviously ) in the teleporter room.. i hate that.. the paras drop the artys.. and i hear they drop crimmys.. dont know if thats the case tho..

Only Melissa drops the Crimsons. I got one last week. What's good about the para Balrons is that not only do you have a good chance at a minor artie, but also have a chance at a level 6 chest, which is 1100 points.

 

[Sneaky Que]

I saw a guy throw like 20 greater explosion in 30 seconds.
Looked like a machine gun.

Do exploits count as tactics?

Easy to do without any exploits i think (although I cant say I have tried it, but this would work), set exp pot stack as last object, have a last object macro, spam macro, target enemy, pots fly. This way you could chuck pots as fast as you can use your last object and target your enemy with it, which could all be done in the one (in game) macro, no exploits, cheats or 3rd party apps involved.

 

[timbeOFbaja]

Bajans have a far more clever way of handling the balrons and imps.

I hope its not leaving someone (attended obviously ) in the teleporter room.. i hate that.. the paras drop the artys.. and i hear they drop crimmys.. dont know if thats the case tho..

Actually, it's typically a released unicorn or kirin. It's a clever shard.