View source for Where to grind before Inferno - ID: 1532

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'''This topic was started by rakenan on 09/03/2018, 05:23:32'''

<div class="postinfo">Post by rakenan on 09/03/2018, 05:23:32</div>

OK, so I'm at the point where the next step in my quest is to go to the Inferno. I get slaughtered in the Inferno, need to farm at least a few (more like a lot) more levels. I expected that - I don't even have all my Archmage spells, that kind of suggested that I needed to work on things.<br/>
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Is Horon's Sanctuary the best farming spot, or is there some place else I should go hunting for some juicy experience and loot?

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 09/03/2018, 16:43:32</div>

<div class="quote"><b>Quote from Author: rakenan</b><br>OKIs Horon's Sanctuary the best farming spot, or is there some place else I should go hunting for some juicy experience and loot?</div>

In my opinion, Horon's Sanctuary is the best farming in this part of the game because there are so many fixed encounters. You can easily pick up 100-150,000 XP with a good route that hits the fixed encounters, then exit, re-enter, and do it again.<br/>
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The loot isn't bad, either. You'll have to drop a lot of things to keep room for better stuff, but you should be able to upgrade some characters with andursteel armor, runes, harmonic gems, horns, etc.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by rakenan on 10/03/2018, 02:57:57</div>

<div class="quote"><b>Quote from Author: Visstar</b><br>In my opinion, Horon's Sanctuary is the best farming in this part of the game because there are so many fixed encounters. You can easily pick up 100-150,000 XP with a good route that hits the fixed encounters, then exit, re-enter, and do it again.<br/>
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The loot isn't bad, either. You'll have to drop a lot of things to keep room for better stuff, but you should be able to upgrade some characters with andursteel armor, runes, harmonic gems, horns, etc.</div>

Do you have any route advice? I tend to go north from the sanctuary entrance and just wander around the rooms, but there don't seem to be any fixed encounters. Maybe they went away when I claimed the shard. The random battles are usually pretty good, but not as consistent as finding something like the 18 stosstruppen in the Bandet Hideout.<br/>
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Edit: Never mind the "missing" fixed encounters. I was just misinterpreting the term, there are plenty of spots that always generate fights, just not fixed roster encounters.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 13/03/2018, 17:54:20</div>

Rakenan, here's the route I take. The fixed encounters are red circles. You can hit more by doing the ones in the south as well. To reset, just exit the sanctum and re-enter. You can do this for days as long as you drop any junk you pick up and only hang on to the valuable items, like Andursteel armor, rings, horns of fury, etc.<br/>

<ATTACHMENT filename="Horon_mining.jpg" index="0">[attachment=0]Horon_mining.jpg[/attachment]</ATTACHMENT>

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<div class="postinfo">Post by rakenan on 14/03/2018, 02:46:50</div>

Thank you, that's a solid route, and you found a couple of encounter hotspots I missed.<br/>
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You did miss one spot I've been hitting. At the end of the last arrow on your suggested path, there's a door to your right. There's an encounter hotspot directly behind it.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by rakenan on 24/03/2018, 03:42:42</div>

Horon's Sanctuary is definitely a solid grinding spot. I'm taking the opportunity to level a Paladin to replace my under-performing Hunter. For a character who allegedly instantly kills her targets 99% of the time, she leaves enemies alive way too often. A Paladin with the Stone Blade is probably as good at close combat, and better against crit-immune enemies. I can hopefully rely on my Rogue with 99% Thief Mastery to instagib distant high-threat crit-susceptible enemies.<br/>
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The loot drops are really good too. Plenty of good armor drops.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 24/03/2018, 17:47:21</div>

<div class="quote"><b>Quote from Author: rakenan</b><br>I can hopefully rely on my Rogue with 99% Thief Mastery to instagib distant high-threat crit-susceptible enemies.</div>

A rogue with the Dragonbone Bow is outstanding at killing things, but they do have to be susceptible to critical hits, as you say. Since so many things I face now are not, I put my rogue in the front ranks with her Assassine and use Close Combat or Great Tattoo as needed to pull things into melee range.<br/>
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I had my paladin using the Axe of Souls for a while but went back to the Stone Blade. It's so satisfying to see all those nasties turned to stone — though I wonder why the landscape isn't littered with statues of monsters by now.  :)

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<div class="postinfo">Post by rakenan on 28/03/2018, 04:33:11</div>

And now I am discovering just exactly how slow it is to build Spell Mastery for Sodar's Wrath. At least all the fights are super easy.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 02/05/2018, 18:05:49</div>

On my latest play through I wanted a sorcerer's hood to use in the Bandit's Cave, so I went to the Ridge Fault after finishing the Burial Mound. I found I could take the Mountain Dwellers, who are at least as tough as Stosstruppen, with the same trick (Farther Foe + Hailstorm or Flame Horn). There aren't many fixed encounters, but there are a few, and it makes fairly good grinding, especially if you're looking for good gear.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 03/01/2019, 17:39:47</div>

Update: on my current play through, I went to the ridge fault immediately after getting farther foe and hailstorm. I farmed it (very slowly at first, then further in, then eventually going in over and over) till I gained several levels and picked up two sorcerer's hoods and two rings of destruction. It's so satisfying to wipe those nasty orc shamans away in one round!  :D  And there's very few monsters that can survive two blasts of Sodor's Cleansing at 30', then two more at 20', then two more during melee. With those items (plus horns and armor) the grave mound and bandit's cave were pretty easy.<br/>
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Weirdly, for all that grinding, I never found knuckledusters. I completely finished paradosa, inferno, crystal sea, etc., and never found a single pair. (Eventually it didn't matter, as my monk used the silversword.) I eventually bought a pair at the shop in the Gateway to the Planes, but just put them in the bank.<br/>
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Anyway, I now consider the ridge fault essential grinding for any year with farther foe and hailstorm.

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