Big Battles: Defence of Minas Tirith (1/2/3 Man)
THE DEFENCE OF MINAS TIRITH – EPIC BATTLE
The Defence of Minas Tirith is a new epic battle (big battle) released with Update 17. This can be completed solo, duo, or three-man.
BUILDS (SUGGESTED)
SOLO
If you are a class with a lot of DPS you can run the instance in an Officer / Engineer build (will post a suggested build), or just switch back and forth between a full officer an a full engineer build.
If you are not a DPS class it is suggested that you use an Officer/Vanguard build (will post the suggested build) on one tab and a Vanguard/Engineer build on the other tab. You can swap between the two builds and still have Rending Bark.
DUO
Same as above. Ideally you want at least one DPS class.
3 MAN
Ideally you want at least one DPS class.
THE START
When you first enter the instance you will see Mithrandir with a ring over his head. As you walk near him he begins speaking. If you click the ring, the Epic Battle immediately begins. If you do not click it, you can begin preparing (more to follow) and the Epic Battle will automatically start after 5 minutes.
Head in and take a left (just past Mithrandir) and run until you can turn right. Use your DELETE key to locate the Coiled Rope (it is on the right). Use the Coiled Rope to port you to the top of the wall (inside the tower). The layout of the wall is a central tower with a catapult on top, and a wall on each side (scaled down version of Deeping Wall). These walls are referred to as North (left or northwest as you face out over the wall toward the enemies) and South (right or southeast as you face out over the wall toward the enemies) which can be VERY confusing.
THE SETUP
Each section of the wall has three Captains, three Spiked Barricades, four Supplies, and three Armaments. The battle always starts on the North Wall. Be sure to drink coffee or use some other speed boost.
SOLO
Head up the stairs of the South Wall toward the top. On the landing there will be a Captain. Set him to Two-handed weapons and target priority Warriors. Continue to the top and upgrade the Catapult’s Damage. Do not upgrade the distance or armour.
Head to the South Wall and set the Captains to Two-handed weapons and target priority Warriors.A rank 6 officer / engineer can get all Captains changed over and prepare the catapult with time to spare before the Epic Battle even begins.It is good to tooltip the 3 barricades and the 3 Captains. Do this by hovering your mouse over them and press the H key.DUO / 3 MAN
Same as above, just split up (one North, One South). You can use the Catapult to speed up the side quest procing by targeting the mobs heading to the wall if you like but then get it ready for Beasts of Harad.
It is good to tooltip the 3 barricades and the 3 Captains. Do this by hovering your mouse over them and press the H key.
THE MAP (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
PHASES OF THE EPIC BATTLE
There are 5 phases to this Epic Battle
1) Side Quest #1 (Epic Foe: Raghathai or Beasts of Harad or Awash with Flames)
2) Siege-tower #1 (runs simultaneously with Side Quest #1)
3) Side Quest #2 (Despair in the Streets or Epic Foe: Ahartal or Rain of Death)
4) Siege-tower #2 (runs simultaneously with Side Quest #2)
5) Two Trolls (Rakothas and Shemator)
The Siege-towers will pop at some point during each of the side quests. These are not a priority.
SOLO: Focus on the side quests and then come back to the Siege-towers.
DUO / 3 MAN: You can have everyone start at the sides (especially the ones that require healing people as there is a long cooldown per person). Each person can click on a person to heal and then 1/2 head back to the Siege-tower.
SIEGE-TOWERS
These are not side quests, but can affect the overall rating as you must destroy both of them to get platinum (no time limit though) and there are mobs that spawn from the towers. The longer the tower is in place, the more mobs assault the soldiers, barricades, and armaments. Each Siege-tower is wheeled up to the wall by the enemies below. Once it “docks” to the wall there will be 3 Tower Grapnels that you must target and “kill.” Once these are down one person runs on to the Siege-tower (there is a plank) and ignite 3 Powder Kegs. Once lit, run off the Siege-tower.
OVERALL BATTLE
Platinum
– 44 Soldiers of Gondor Survived
– 20 Supplies and armaments defended
– 8 Siege equipment and barricades in tact
– 2 Siege-towers destroyed
– Platinum on all side quests (2)
THE SIDE QUESTS
NORTH WALL
EPIC FOE: RAGHATHAI, FARAMIR’S BANE
Platinum
– Defeat this boss in under 30 seconds
Strategy
This is very straight-forward. He spawns at the far end of the wall (northwest). Use the nearby Captain and use the Damage command. DPS Raghathai.
3 Man is currently bugged, it is not possible to get Platinum.
NORTH WALL (INSIDE TOWER)
BEASTS OF HARAD
Platinum
– Kill 2 Mumakil
– Defend the food stores
– Defend the injured soldiers
– Kill the Southron soldiers (5 waves of two attackers each)
Strategy
SOLO: Head up to the Catapult. Load a Spreadshot, crank 3 times, aim in between the 2 Mumakil that are away from the wall. Fire. It should kill both. There is a 3rd Mumakil against the wall; you cannot kill it. Head down inside the tower. Place a trip-wire just in front, and in between, the front two injured soldiers (see screenshot). DPS the Southron as they come through the window. When your timer is up, place a bear trap. You can heal the injured soldiers and food-stores with healing skills. You can head to the North Wall in between the waves of Southron and destroy the Tower Grapnels of the Siege-tower. I am an RK and was able to completely destroy the Siege-tower before the Beasts of Harad completed.
DUO: 1 Person does the Catapult (See Solo version) and then heads back to the wall to take down the Siege-tower (Keep an eye on the barricades on the North Wall as they can take a fair bit of damage). 1 person heads inside the tower (See Solo version).
3 MAN: 1 Person does the Catapult. 1 person heads inside the tower (See Solo version). 1 person stays on the wall. Keep an eye on the barricades.
3 Man is currently bugged, it is not possible to get Platinum.
BEHIND NORTH WALL (BELOW)
AWASH WITH FLAMES
Platinum
– Complete in under 5 minutes 30 seconds
– Douse 6 Flaming Debris
– Rescue 4/5 Civilians (solo/3 man)
Strategy:
SOLO: Head down below the wall using the Coiled Rope. Be in Officer stance. Click on a Civilian. Click on 2 Debris. Click on a Civilian. Click on 2 Debris. Click on a Civilian. Click on a Debris. Click on the last civilians. Click on the last two Debris.
DUO / 3 MAN: 1 person head down below the wall using the Coiled Rope. Be in Officer stance. Click on a Civilian. Click on 2 Debris. Click on a Civilian. Click on 2 Debris. Click on a Civilian. Click on a Debris. Click on the last civilians. Click on the last two Debris.
The other one (two) stay on the wall and deal with the Siege-tower.
BEHIND THE CENTER OF THE WALL
DESPAIR IN THE STREETS
Platinum
– Complete in under 6 minutes
– 11 Terrified soldiers rallied
– Free 2 civilians trapped by rubble
Strategy:
SOLO: Head down to the lower level via the Coiled Rope. Switch to Officer. Click on a soldier to rally them. Click on Rubble (can be selected using your Delete key). Click on a soldier to rally them. Click on Rubble (can be selected using your Delete key). You now have 2 soldiers and 2 rubble. You must click on 8 more soldiers to get platinum before the time runs out.
DUO: Both people head down to the lower level via the Coiled Rope. Each person click on a soldier, and each on a rubble pile. One person stays below to click on the remaining soldiers (the person with the most points in to their Officer build) and the other heads up to the wall to deal with the Siege-tower.
3 Man: All 3 people head down to the lower level via the Coiled Rope. Each person click on a soldier, and two on a rubble pile. Two people stay below to click on the remaining soldiers (the people with the most points in to their Officer build) and the other heads up to the wall to deal with the Siege-tower.
SOUTH WALL
EPIC FOE: AHARTAL, HAND OF THE FIRST BLADE
Platinum
– Defeat this boss in under 30 seconds
This is very straight-forward. He spawns at the near end of the wall (southeast). Use the nearby Captain and use the Damage command. DPS Ahartal.
BEHIND SOUTH WALL (BELOW)
RAIN OF DEATH
Platinum
– Complete in under 4 minutes
– 20 Heads cleared from the streets
– 5 Heads cleared from the wall
– 4 Gondorians rallied
Strategy:
SOLO: Immediately head down below the wall. Use the stairs or the Coiled Rope. Be in Officer stance. Click on a Gondorian. Click on 3 heads. Click on a Gondorian. Click on 3 heads. Click on a Gondorian. Click on 3 heads. Click on the last Gondorian. Click on the remaining 11 heads. Now get back up to the wall and click on the 5 heads up there.
DUO/3 Man: 1 person heads down below the wall. Use the stairs or the Coiled Rope. Be in Officer stance. Click on a Gondorian. Click on 3 heads. Click on a Gondorian. Click on 3 heads. Click on a Gondorian. Click on 3 heads. Click on the last Gondorian. Click on the remaining 11 heads. One person stays on the wall to click the 5 heads there. One person (3 man) deals with the Siege-tower.
THE TWO TROLLS (RAKOTHAS AND SHEMATOR)
This is not a side quest, but can affect the overall rating as you must not let them destroy the barricades or kill the soldiers to get platinum (no time limit though). They spawn at the far end of the South Wall. Each troll has 555,571 morale and they hit hard. DO NOT kill both trolls until the side quest has finished. As soon as the trolls are dead the Epic Battle is over.
Strategy:
SOLO: Click the Captain nearest the trolls and choose damage. If you have Vanguard and Rending Bark is unlocked, use it on Rakothas. DPS Rakothas first as he heads straight for the barricade and starts damaging it. You want to get aggro. Once you get aggro, drag him toward the second Captain (closer to the tower). This will get the soldiers attacking him too. Use Damage on the Captain. If at any point your morale is dropping and you fear death, run to the tower and get inside. The troll will remain aggroed on you, but not be able to hit you. Likewise, you cannot hit the troll. However, the soldiers can damage him. Once Rakothas is down, switch to Shemator.
DUO / 3 MAN: Same as solo, except one person should try and grab aggro on both trolls and then run them to the tower. They stay in the tower and the other one/two DPSes.
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