Archer Column: Reap Mob Basics
Hey folks! Cala takes a break this week we so can take a look at some of the tactics she used in Chapter 7, as well as some other basic principles of Archer gameplay. I won't be looking at skills specifically, but tactics that an archer will need to become intimately acquainted with very quickly after setting foot on the Isle of Dawn. I'll outline how to handle those pesky little clusters of mobs, as well as the bigger 'medium' sized mobs, and the variety of ways you can spell their doom.
Ok, so you're running around on the Isle of Dawn, you've popped a few Ghilliedhu, learned a couple new skills, and have made your way to the Expeditionary Supply Base (the one Cala is almost at). Outside of here, you'll notice Terons, groups of small earth spirits bent on your destruction – should you choose to pester them, and let's face it, you will! In an early article by EME, these mob clusters were referred to as Reap mobs, presumably because you swoop in just reap their little lootz.
Attacking a cluster of Reap mobs means one thing, a LOT of hate directed at you. If you've played an archer class in other games before, you may have had times when you accidentally stole aggro from the tank, or you may yourself have 'evade-tanked' on occasion. Archers in TERA are NOT tanks. I can't stress this enough. You won't be able to sustain a beating, meaning you won't be standing in the center of a cluster of Reap mobs letting them wail on you while you pick them off one by one. With the exception of Multi-Shot, and the post Isle of Dawn Penetrating Shot, you WILL be picking off mobs one at a time.
In every cluster of Reap mobs, you'll notice one who stands out a little taller, a little bolder, perhaps even a little more rude than the rest. This fella will be the one calling the shots. He'll be the one saying “Oh, what have we here guys, fresh meat!” and getting his followers to trun on you... He'll be the one granting buffs to the little buggers, and he'll also be the one tapping into the Titan's dream to replace the reap mobs you've previously dispatched! Clearly, there is reason to take the leader out first. My recommendation: unless the little guys are arranged in such a perfect ball and you can't resist opening with an AoE to watch them fly, open with a powerful attack on the leader first, and take him out fast.
TERA's archer class is all about evasion, just not the evasion you are used to in stat-based combat systems. You won't be auto-dodging any attacks, and you won't dodge better even if you did have an evasion stat, which you don't. You're dodging comes from your keyboard and mouse. Kiting and dodging are going to be your bread and butter, and the more proficient you become at this, the more challenging the obstacle you can overcome.
Two things to remember while kiting:
1.)Be aware of your surroundings! It won't help you to survive longer if you have a half dozen mobs on you and you run blindly into another pack of Reap mobs! Sure individually they might not hit hard, but when you have a bunch on you, things can get hairy!
2.)Kiting doesn't do damage, your bow does! Leave enough room between yourself and the mobs that every few seconds you can turn, fire, and keep running.
Kiting Reap mobs is not only your best option for survival, it's also an extremely efficient way of massing the critters into a 'chain' or 'ball', which makes your AoE (Rain of Arrows, Arrow Shower) or linear attacks (Penetrating Shot) more effective. If you were standing your ground, taking a beating, and firing your bow for all you are worth, a few things would happen. First, you would be having to swivel about to find a target, since they tend to surround you. Second, you'd run out of mana because you are simply popping shots off full tilt. Archers have the smallest mana pool of all the mana wielding classes, and it gets empty very quickly. Of course, it fills very quickly too, but not if you aren't giving it a chance to. Kiting – taking a couple steps, turning, then firing, repeat – allows time for your mana to replenish itself between shots, so you won't need to worry about hearing that dreaded 'out of mana' sound.
In Chapter 7, Cala balled them up by kiting, forced them into approaching a cliff, put them betwixt her and the cliff, then sent them flying. You can do this too! When you get Backstep (the basic Archer dodge skill, also known as Caelixian's FAVORITEST SKILL EVER!) you will be able to do some pretty slick and tricksy maneuverings to grant yourself the advantage. Train the Reaps towards the cliff. Once they are upon you, quickly turn your back on them, facing the cliff, and hit backstep. Waste no time charging your penetrating shot, and unleash it at the ball. Feel free to snicker at their pathetic little screams; chances are they would if it had been you going over! Knockback won't be very viable for an Archer in PVP, (the physics are excellent – a heavy target won't do much flying, but the little ones will!) but you can still use Backstep to quickly get behind your foe for a chance to knock them down. All of your back-attacks have a chance to knock down your target, so try to score them as often as you can. Oh, while we're on the topic, IF you score a knockdown in PVP, resist the temptation to approach the target, or continue attacking and use the opportunity to put a bit more distance between it and you, or charge up a powerful attack for big numbers.
There you have it, a Reap mob primer with minimal side-tracks. Hope this helps those of you who are only just dreaming of getting your hands on an archer, and find yourselves on the Isle of Dawn in the very same scenario as Cala!
Filed by TERA Fans News at 10:46 pm under Uncategorized Tagged Curse, Fans, Hey, Png, San Fransisco, Tera
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