ikis
12-25-2006, 07:54 AM
You need testicles of solid steel for this camp. (Or some sutible replacement.) It's at the top of the mountain near the Ashengate in Direwind. When you see the two huge-ass statues you found the right place. It's an open area with some dead trees and it's somewhat hilly. Gives a little bit of targeting hassles, but if that's bothering you then you can just stop here, because the rest of this isn't getting any better.
The undead gnoll mobs, Ratkins and Ratcallers are trash mobs for the raid encounter beyond. They are however fairly high level (74 to 77) and do not summon. They are snareable, but move at SoW speed until you do land one on them. They aren't particularly resistant, and I was able to solo them with only a few resists here and there at level 70. (Probably could do them as early as 65, but would be very time consuming.) Now so far this dosen't sound so bad and it's not, the Ratkins are easy as pie to kite, particularly with all this open space. They change into this huge rat form during portions of the fight, but it does nothing to your kiting except make them look a lot closer since they are so big. So don't drop a load if you turn around and see a big rat right on your ass, he's probably further away than he seems.
However the Ratkins aren't the only mobs over there. There is an Ashengate Ambasidor which I would just avoid, since it's a name and all names I've encountered in TSS summon. There are also Blight Pyre Golems which fear (Magic -500) so even if they don't summon it's probably not worth it. This leaves the Ratcallers.
If you could just pull Ratkins all day this would be an easy camp. However, the Ratcallers spawn too. These mobs are why I said you need balls of steel. They spawn 4 level 70 Plague Rats. The Plague Rats also run at SoW speed, they hit hard and fast and they will stun you and they will kill you. If you let them get into melee range that is. The problem is that you don't know when he's going to spawn them. I've had it happen as soon as 98% and as late as 60%. I've heard others say that the spawn didn't happen until as low as 20% for them. The mobs move so fast that if your back is turned to the Ratcaller when he spawns the rats, you are probably dead. Because when you turn around to look they will be on you. If you do manage to get FD off, the rats will despawn after about a minute. The Ratcaller will not summon more than once, so once you despawn the rats he is just any other melee mob that you can kite. Even if you die and have to run back, and pull him again, he will not summon more rats. (Just be sure you have the right one!)
The trick I use is to snare and pull the mob to a good spot quickly. (Use Embracing Darkness so he won't take too much damage before you get him to the spot.) Then root him. Use whichever you please. Then rot him slowly with your finger on the FD button. Keep him rooted and freshly snared and be ready to FD the second the rats pop. Once the rats pop hit FD and wait. It's probably a good idea to have the AA FD just in case the rats pop just after you refresh the snare or something. (If you have the Ossien of Limitless Time, then you don't have as much to worry about.) I still wet myself every time the rats pop, because if you are in spell casting range (even with extention) the rats will be half way to you even if you hit the FD instantly. If you are slow or your finger slips you are probably toast. I have noticed the Rats tend to spawn most often between 85% and 98% With 90% or so being the most common spawn point. I can't say for sure, but the Ratkins and Ratcallers seem to have much less HP than the Spiders in Icefall. Maybe only 2/3 the HP.
So why go through the hassel of kiting these mobs? Well, maybe you just want to brag that you solo a level 77 mob that summmons 4 level 70 mobs. Maybe you are looking for kiteable mobs that are over level 75 for experience. Maybe you are just tired of fighting over spawns at the Spiders camp in Icefall. Allakhazam says that the Ratkins can drop "Song: Song of the Dryads Rk. II" I suspect that they also drop the other level 72 Rk. II spells. Not very common it seems, but since they nerfed the drop rate on the spiders in Icefall they probably drop about the same. Was about 20% AA experience a kill at level 70. Though for the difficulty I'd take the spiders in Icefall if they are available, or just kite the lower level gnolls down next to the Druid Ring, if you aren't more than level 69-70. Since the gnolls near the druid ring are only level 72. (They give about 16% AA experience at level 70, and 20% at level 69. It's that magic Yellow/Red level that gives the best experience.) The best thing about this camp is that you won't likely have to fight over it. Necromancers are the only class that could do this camp solo due to the Ratcallers.
You're probably better off in 69.1 instance, but sometimes you need a change of pace.
The undead gnoll mobs, Ratkins and Ratcallers are trash mobs for the raid encounter beyond. They are however fairly high level (74 to 77) and do not summon. They are snareable, but move at SoW speed until you do land one on them. They aren't particularly resistant, and I was able to solo them with only a few resists here and there at level 70. (Probably could do them as early as 65, but would be very time consuming.) Now so far this dosen't sound so bad and it's not, the Ratkins are easy as pie to kite, particularly with all this open space. They change into this huge rat form during portions of the fight, but it does nothing to your kiting except make them look a lot closer since they are so big. So don't drop a load if you turn around and see a big rat right on your ass, he's probably further away than he seems.
However the Ratkins aren't the only mobs over there. There is an Ashengate Ambasidor which I would just avoid, since it's a name and all names I've encountered in TSS summon. There are also Blight Pyre Golems which fear (Magic -500) so even if they don't summon it's probably not worth it. This leaves the Ratcallers.
If you could just pull Ratkins all day this would be an easy camp. However, the Ratcallers spawn too. These mobs are why I said you need balls of steel. They spawn 4 level 70 Plague Rats. The Plague Rats also run at SoW speed, they hit hard and fast and they will stun you and they will kill you. If you let them get into melee range that is. The problem is that you don't know when he's going to spawn them. I've had it happen as soon as 98% and as late as 60%. I've heard others say that the spawn didn't happen until as low as 20% for them. The mobs move so fast that if your back is turned to the Ratcaller when he spawns the rats, you are probably dead. Because when you turn around to look they will be on you. If you do manage to get FD off, the rats will despawn after about a minute. The Ratcaller will not summon more than once, so once you despawn the rats he is just any other melee mob that you can kite. Even if you die and have to run back, and pull him again, he will not summon more rats. (Just be sure you have the right one!)
The trick I use is to snare and pull the mob to a good spot quickly. (Use Embracing Darkness so he won't take too much damage before you get him to the spot.) Then root him. Use whichever you please. Then rot him slowly with your finger on the FD button. Keep him rooted and freshly snared and be ready to FD the second the rats pop. Once the rats pop hit FD and wait. It's probably a good idea to have the AA FD just in case the rats pop just after you refresh the snare or something. (If you have the Ossien of Limitless Time, then you don't have as much to worry about.) I still wet myself every time the rats pop, because if you are in spell casting range (even with extention) the rats will be half way to you even if you hit the FD instantly. If you are slow or your finger slips you are probably toast. I have noticed the Rats tend to spawn most often between 85% and 98% With 90% or so being the most common spawn point. I can't say for sure, but the Ratkins and Ratcallers seem to have much less HP than the Spiders in Icefall. Maybe only 2/3 the HP.
So why go through the hassel of kiting these mobs? Well, maybe you just want to brag that you solo a level 77 mob that summmons 4 level 70 mobs. Maybe you are looking for kiteable mobs that are over level 75 for experience. Maybe you are just tired of fighting over spawns at the Spiders camp in Icefall. Allakhazam says that the Ratkins can drop "Song: Song of the Dryads Rk. II" I suspect that they also drop the other level 72 Rk. II spells. Not very common it seems, but since they nerfed the drop rate on the spiders in Icefall they probably drop about the same. Was about 20% AA experience a kill at level 70. Though for the difficulty I'd take the spiders in Icefall if they are available, or just kite the lower level gnolls down next to the Druid Ring, if you aren't more than level 69-70. Since the gnolls near the druid ring are only level 72. (They give about 16% AA experience at level 70, and 20% at level 69. It's that magic Yellow/Red level that gives the best experience.) The best thing about this camp is that you won't likely have to fight over it. Necromancers are the only class that could do this camp solo due to the Ratcallers.
You're probably better off in 69.1 instance, but sometimes you need a change of pace.