Maiden's Eye

My husband and I (69 monk and 70 beastie) hadn't been to ME for about ten levels and thought we would stop by. As soon as we entered we were completely mobbed. Three XI's (who were healing everything)and their pets, a ravenous beast, two spectral wolves, a goranga gatherer, a toiler, and a couple of those small skellies. We thought it was a leftover train or something. We stayed for a bit trying to clean up what we thought was someone elses mess but the mobs just kept popping and we hadn't even left the tunnel to go into the zone.

Finally gave up.

I feel sorry for any lower levels who happen to wander into that. Complete clusterf*ck.

I loved the Goranga camp north of the chief tree as a 60SK and 50+cleric. So, I was anxious to try them out with my new pair of necros at 54.

The prize coveted spot on the hill just south of the ME tunnel only works when there are no other people in the zone. A single quad-kiter in that valley just before the ME tunnel can ruin the pull cycle of gatherers/followers/lookouts. Either it's the server I'm on or that and the attraction of PoP zones, but I'm actually the only one in ME about 1/3rd of the time I'm there.

When I can get the sweet spot alone, pulling in the gorangas mentioned above is easy to pull single (pull w/ lifetap ring), easy to avoid hunters, and the go down at about the span of an invoke fear, cast as the second spell.

I seem to remember the goranga dropping more acrylia. Didn't get a single one in the dozen or so Gorangas I've killed so far. Goranga xp was about 1/2% per kill for two iksars.

Tried camping behind (on the zone-line hill to the west of) the coterie ruins to the south. Pulled in a couple drudges np. Pulled in a bat; bats are immune to fear. Then pulled in a bat through the coterie ruins and I got a coterie add; coeterie was threatening to me while fighting my pets. My non-aggro faction is amiable. Moral is that the coterie must like those bats more than me.

ME used to be the OT/DL of the 50+ crowd but sadly it has turned into a ghost town since PoP. The only ones ever here are soloer quadding toilers or charming wolfs. (Or the people doing the scouts for the VT key).

So the trains have virtually stopped and it's pretty safe to hunt near the DS zoneline.

I recommend the Vampires to do as a group. They drop some nice caster boots and a nice melee range item. The 4 arms are good for the Var Shir earring but can be a little tougher to pull.

I started hunting here at level 46 on and off. Fortunately on my server, trains haven't been too much of a problem. Your heart does race when someone runs by you ;-)

The gorangas by the Dawnshroud Peaks zone are farily easy for druids. At my level, you don't want more than one. They have a lot of HP. But there's generally decent areas you can pull them too and remain somewhat safe. I've yet to venture far out in the zone, as I know there are some pretty nasty things out there.

For me, I like taking down the yellows and reds. I just never could get into quad'ing. So at my level, this zone is pretty good. If you're looking to quad then you'll want another zone.

Like most higher level things, they break root and DOT's don't last as long at times. You'll want to be at full mana, to deal with any surprises. KEI is nearly a must at this level. They do have a lot of HP. Usually takes me several rounds of DOT's to take them down, doing about 120 dmg per tic.

And yes, I can attest to how things like to hang out at the zone line after being trained. I had an add, and had to zone. I zoned into DP only to get feared by a Fungi Shroom, and I lost wolf form due to zoning so I was slow. I regained control and zoned back to ME with about 15% health hoping the Gorangas had gotten bored and moved off. Well, they proceed to give me a nice Goranga welcome and thumped me good. So I then zoned back. Since someone else was in DP when I zoned out, I figured the Fungi, would have made friends with them. No luck, one nuke from that thing finished off what little HP I had left.

When I was but a wee halflin' of 46 I decided to see how well I could kite in here. Well, the guy never got a hit off. Problem was that my DoTs only did 2% dmg per tick when I had all 4 on and the exp was NOT worth the effort. Don't try this til later.

Could I two box here with a 53 Shammy and 50 Wizard? Or is this zone too tough for this? If this zone won't work for me, any recommendations as to where I should hunt?

How and what is the safest way for a druid to get to Umbral Plains?

I've found that my warrior has to adjust pulling tactics a little bit in this zone. If I bow pull the gorangas, I seem to get adds regularly. If I walk up to aggro range on a goranga and let the mob aggro, though, I can get a single every time. I have to assume that the gorangas are flagged to assist if one of their tribespeople are attacked, but not to have the same aggro range if one of their comrades decides on his own to take on a PC.

I guess when your on a blue server that have 30 peeps+ to a zone there would be alot of trains.Not on Sullon and I stay close to the DSP zone but not close enough to get trained.I just Dire Charm a goronga and speed him up then pull Vamps,Toilers,Xi Vius,bats,wolves,skellies and anything I see slow it and the pet desimates them and I get wicked exp and loot and this is at 60 btw.On our server there are never more than 5-10 peeps in a zone and usually im the only one in ME just gotta watch for pkers but having the zone to myself is far more worth playing on a blue server.Also can anyone tell me if the Toilers in the middle of the zone not near the boathouse still drop the Transient arms?I pull from the DSP wall from the center of the map.Do they drop off these?

I quite like the zone. Nice challenge, fairly good exp, and chances for awesome loot. The key is to avoid hunting near zonelines. Yes, trains are very common, but our fave spot is NE corner, and no trains ever touch us. Most trains seem to go to DSP or UP. Akheva seems to have less. A good group would be 2-3 tanks, chanter, cleric, shaman, all prefferably 53+. Anything less will be underpowered.

Navigating through: SoW and invis. Best thing is to use a free view camera that shows whats happening behind you. Running as a bunch is NOT advisable. Autofollow NOT advisable. Reason: drudges. The zone has traps all over it, which can spawn wolves, worms, or drudges (skeletons) Wolves and worms dont see invis, drudges do. If you run and get a 'a drudge reanimates itself', if you SoWed you are likely to be out of aggro range before it aggroes. But your buddy who is 2 seconds behind you WILL pick it up. Best is to have people run with enough intervals in between, and to the side rather than directly behind, so if you see a skel pop up in front of you in wake of a groupmate's passing, you'll have time to skirt around it.
Also, Xi: some see invis, some don't. Assume they all see invis and avoid them all. Ditto for bats.

Did not fight gorangas much. Coterie - I assume same tactics as cents/generals in TM vamp castle. Slow/cripple to minimize their procs.

Umbrous toilers are easy, especially if you charm one to beat on others. Just make sure you ready to deal with a charm break. Xi are either SKs or clerics, and best way to beat them appears to be chain-stun while tanks hack at them.

Umbrous Toilers are a great place to quad if you're a Wizard 57 or above.

To get there use improved invis and run strait out from the DSP zone along the akhevan wall, but not too close. Sometimes the Xi Vius's see invis, sometimes they do not. Con everything as you go, and be careful because there are trap spawns and sometimes they will see invis, in which case you better shout "train to dsp zone" and try the journey again.

Once you make it past the wall, to your left will be a hill with a tree which is where the toilers spawn. Just grab a C3, and load up 2 of your pillars. Flame isn't necessary but it definately helps, I just got mine at 59 and have been quadding toilers since 57. Use flux staff to pull, and make sure you have Run3 or jboots or SoW, Atol's and Pillar away. Have fun.

Hi all,
I am curious if you think a 55 cleric would be able to single pull the vamps to a safe spot and sols them?

If not, you suppose a 50 Pally could with c3?? maybe a 49 druid ??

The idol sounds sweet and the ac 12 +4 to all stats boots sound like the bomb!

I have all 3 characters camped close and ready to try...just deathly afraid of DEATH!!

Thanks,
Mccash, Thoraank, Iwena