MPG Trials Continued..

Trial of Fear (Projection of Mind)

Description
This Trial lasts 15 minutes. You must survive wave upon wave of 4 NPCs (dragorn, wolf, elemental, skeleton). There is no boss, the Master of Destruction simply watches. You must fear the non-fearless mobs to destroy them, and kill the rest with regular DPS. If you live for 15 minutes and kill enough waves of NPCs, the Master of Destruction will congratulate you on a job well done and disappear. The lockout for a successful win is 24 hours.

Strat
The object is to survive wave upon wave of NPCs. You will cast Fear spells on mobs called 'a Dragorn' (replace Dragorn with the appropriate NPC model obviously). Anything called 'A Fearless Dragorn' (again, replacing Dragorn with the appropriate model) will resist Fear spells and must be killed using regular DPS methods. The actual strat is simple, the people who can Fear will vary depending on group makeup. The group I was in had a bard, enchanter, druid, and cleric for Fear. The bard used AoE Fear to buy time for myself (the enchanter) to tash and Fear everything. The cleric assisted with Fear on skeletons, and the druid assisted with Fear on the wolf / dragorn NPCs.

Position your group on the EAST wall (behind the Master of Destructions podium). This offers the best perspective to target incoming mobs, and room to re-Fear. Why? A Feared NPC will run to the entry-ramp and stand put, or run off to a far corner of the room. If your group is placed at the entry-ramp (base of center podium), when you Fear an NPC it will simply stand still as if mezzed. After Fear breaks, it immediately turns and attacks, thus allowing you 0 time to re-Fear. The Fearable NPCs can quad 1300 dmg also and as a caster (or tank for that matter) you don't want to tank that. Its not worth using regular DPS on the Fearable NPCs, though DOT damage is especially useful (see shaman), and caster damage works since neither break Fear, but your best option is damage from Fear spells; the amount of damage from nukes on the Fearable NPCs isn't enough to offset the benefit from using Fear. Use nukes on the non-Fearable NPCs.

Enchanters will use Invoke Fear & Trepidation, due to recast on Fear spells. The mobs are somewhat resistant, and you may not land Fear on the first cast, which is why several Fear classes (namely bard) are necessary just in case. The mobs will respawn when all 4 die, and they will respawn in the order they perish. So if you kill a wolf, then elemental, then skeleton, and finally the dragorn the repop will happen in that order. I survived approximately nine waves of NPCs for the victory; dont worry, just kill everything you can.

The NPCs you cannot Fear will hit around 7-900, and are slowable. Occasionally, you may see a proc from them, but its not often.

Group-Makeup
1. Bard, Enchanter, Druid, Cleric, Warrior, Beastlord

Rewards
Supple Crimson Choker
Facade of Fright
Despair
Greater Rune / Glowing Rune

Misc Info
I know people have said there's a 'hidden' # of waves to defeat. Don't worry, just kill everything you can; You obviously cannot tank one wave to win. Sometimes you will only get one Fearable mob, sometimes three. It all varies. You will have at least one Fearable NPC at all times, though. Our Epic is useful due to AoE Boggle, simply click the effect before you enter the trial, and again mid-Trial if necessary. It works to pull the Fear aggro off you when it lands, and long enough to free up time to re-Fear NPCs.

Trial of Efficiency (Projection of Arcana)

Description
This Trial lasts 15 minutes, and requires you survive 4 waves of 3-5 mobs of three varying types (a Muramite Soldier, a Muramite Elite Guard, a Muramite Commander), as well as avoiding a 3k HP / Mana drain AoE every 5 minutes to ultimately defeat the Master of Destructions underling, the Emissary of Destruction. The lockout for a successful win is 24 hours.

Strat
This will vary depending on group setup. To avoid the AoE completely, use a bard. Their group Divine Aura refreshes long enough to recast every time the AoE fires if you pay attention to the timing. Position your group on the center podium, and have one person start the Trial. Immediately use bard DA and move to the base of the podium ramp. If you miss DA, a maxed Radiant Cure will suit just fine. You will lose 3k HP & Mana upon being hit by the AoE, and casters can quickly become a detriment. The DOT recourse from the AOE also cancels Spiritual Dominion / Ascendance (beastlord KEI) and is 20 HP & mana damage per tick. Just use a bard and all is well. Otherwise you'll waste Gather Mana.

By now the first wave of NPCs have arrived, between 3-5, all named 'a Muramite XXX' (XXX denoting a different rank, see the Trial description). The ONLY NPC you can mez are 'a Muramite Soldier' and their susceptible to Bliss or higher. You can use Sleep or lower, but its just easier to use Bliss (the actual level varies on the A Muramite Soldier NPCs). You will control, at most, two mobs with Bliss, occasionally getting three, sometimes all to lockdown with mez, sometimes none to mez. The NPCs are 100% slowable, and I recommend Tepid Deeds (due to cast time). DO NOT HAVE A BARD AOE SLOW BECAUSE IT IS A DOT. AOE SLOW IS BAD.

The NPCs have average magic resistance, so Tash is occasionally needed. Once you mez the regular muramite soldiers, use Tepid Deeds to slow them (in case your nuking and one breaks, you can tank their DPS with Ethereal Rune easily). Our bard was the MA, and gave the group the current target, while our warrior taunted any loose aggro to him. Your MT
will tank all unmezzable mobs, while your bard plays DPS enhancing songs (DS, Nuke Focus, Regen, etc). The druid will heal, and may nuke on occasion. The rogue & ranger will conserve disciplines unless absolutely necessary, same as warrior.

The mobs MUST die in 4 minute intervals. Meaning, you have 4 minutes PER wave to kill all the Muramites, or you will fail the Trial. The order you should kill the muramite NPCs are a Muramite Commander (highest level, highest HP), a Muramite Elite Soldier (second highest level, medium HP), a Muramite Soldier (lowest level, low HP, mezzable). You will need to dodge the AoE 3x during this Trial, so keep track of the AoE timer AND the spawn timer too. One AoE going off mid-battle can really mess up aggro, and cause a complete wipe.

If you clear each wave BEFORE the 4 minutes expire, you will have time to recoup between spawns, which is good because this applies to the final fight too. Do not be sitting when respawns occur though, or you risk death from sitting aggro. The usual amount of time per wave for recuperating, depending on DPS output, is :30 to 1:00; a good group will have upwards of 1:30 to recover. After the final mob dies, and the timer expires, the Emissary of Destruction will appear and rush your group. IMMEDIATELY engage. The boss is 100% slowable, and easily beaten down.

Group-Makeup
1. Bard, Enchanter, Cleric, Ranger, Warrior, Rogue
2. Bard, Enchanter, Druid, Shadowknight, Warrior, Ranger
3. Bard, Enchanter, Druid, Cleric, Warrior, Beastlord

Rewards
Girdle of Efficiency
Rime-Encrusted Pikestaff
Eyepatch of Expert Archery
Greater Rune / Glowing Rune

Misc Info
This is an EXCELLENT opportunity, like Trial of Fear, where the Occulous of Persuasion is beneficial due to AoE Boggle. Click the Epic before entering the Trial, and again mid-Trial if necessary. In the event you pull aggro from nukes or anything, the effect will let the tank regain aggro immediately. Seems the only place our epic works properly is MPG Trials. Tepid Deeds is the obvious slow of choice, mainly for the mezzable mobs, due to cast time. You will not need to use Gather Mana here with a bard; if you've already used GM in another Trial though, by the time you reach Efficiency it will have refreshed.

Trial of Ingenuity (Projection of Realms)

Description
This Trial lasts 15 minutes, and requires you defeat the Master of Destruction using his own weapons against him. The trick is part of your group will keep the Master of Destruction busy, while the rest of your group uses their 'Ingenuity' to kill him. The lockout for a successful win is 24 hours.

Strat
There are six dragorn NPCs in the room, each on their own pedestal, and wielding various weapons (1hs, 2hs, 1hb, 2hb, Piercing, etc). These are the bane weapons needed to defeat (and damage) the Master of Destruction. These weapons will also disintegrate after a certain amount of use (approximately 30 swings, though if used on a pet, infinite). Our group contained a Warrior, Enchanter, Shaman, Paladin, Rogue, and Cleric.

Position your MT and healers in front of the Master of Destruction. Position the rest of your group in front of a weapon NPC. The Warrior will begin the Trial, and immediately engage the Master of Destruction. Cleric and shaman begin spam heals, as slow is impossible and virtually all spells bounce off him. Think of Zun Muram Tkarish (Texvu boss); unless the spell is unresistable, it will not land. Damage shield is excellent here, especially with a bard and mage in the group, though druid DS is just as effective.

While the MT and healers keep the MoD busy, I (the enchanter) and my group farmed weapons. The weapons are tradeable, and you'll equip your weapon farmers first, after you stockpile enough weapons to shuttle to the melee. Once you've garnered enough weapons, hurry to the center podium and assist in killing the Master of Destruction. Youll notice the insane DMG from the bane weapons, and eventually see them 'poof', requiring new weapons. Have the casters drop weapons on the center podium as their farmed, so melee can quickly pick them up and equip. Our warrior used a 1hs with shield combination to DPS + keep aggro.

Regular melee (without bane) works but I guarantee you will lose, and the DPS from regular weapons is virtually nill anyway. Your warrior will end up doing nothing but building aggro during this fight via procs. The healers will use fast heals & such to keep the MT alive. You can expect to re-equip weapons at least 4-5x during this encounter, but with the right DPS and group setup, the boss isn't terribly difficult. Keep in mind, the Master of Destruction isnt leashed to the podium either.

Group-Makeup
1. Warrior, Enchanter, Shaman, Paladin, Rogue, Cleric
2. Warrior, Mage, Cleric, Cleric, Enchanter, Bard

Rewards
Bane of the Stonegazer
Strategist's Indigo Cloak
Greater Rune / Glowing Runes

Misc Info
This Trial is basically how fast can you kill the boss. Dont even bother with slows. Just get your group their weapons and KILL KILL KILL. The aggro radius of the dragorns is low, thus you're free to run back and forth on a whim to each podium without aggroing other NPCs. Damage shield is excellent. Also, the weapons (if you take them out of the Trial) they don't break, and you can use the click effect in duels it seems (800DD, unresistable). The weapons are LORE however, so keep this in mind when trying with weapons already banked.

Trial of Weaponry (Projection of Body)

Description
This Trial lasts 15 minutes, and requires you to kill 4 mobs each with a weakness to a certain 'art'. These include piercing, blunt, spells and slashing.

Strat
The only group setup for this trial is to be loaded up with melee DPS, 1 caster DPS and a healer of any type. It's random which of the 4 mobs you start with and the order that you get them in as well. Everyone in your group MUST be equipped with decent weapons for slashing, piercing and blunt. The group should consist mainly of dual wielding classes with two weapons of each type. The Bazu is weak to slashing, the Dragorn is weak to piercing, the Golem is weak to blunt and the lightning mob mitigates all melee but has low hp and takes full damage from spells. The strategy for this is to kill 1 mob at a time and use the appropriate weaponry on each mob. If you use the right weaponry your damage is multiplied by 4 and the wrong weaponry is heavily mitigated, making them useless. All of the mobs weak to melee have around 850,000hp and the spell mob has about 200,000. Also, for rogues who are in this trial it is essential that you swap out for a piercer whenever backstab pops because that lands for full and is the DPS edge that is needed to win this. If you manage to beat all 4 of the mobs in 15 minutes you succeed.

Group-Makeup
1. Shadowknight, Rogue, Rogue, Ranger, Wizard, Shaman
2. Shadowknight, Rogue, Rogue, Ranger, Wizard, Cleric
3. Warrior, Rogue, Rogue, Ranger, Wizard, Shaman
4. Shadowknight, Monk, Rogue, Rogue, Mage, Shaman
5. Shadowknight, Rogue, Rogue, Ranger, Mage, Shaman
In all cases shaman can be swapped for cleric or vice versa, as well as shadowknight for warrior. I am unsure if a paladin would be an efficient tank in this due to the inability to provide sufficient DPS.

Rewards
Painbringer's Velvet Pelisse
Sash of the Battlemaster
Signet of the Armsman
Greater Rune / Glowing Rune

Misc Info
Mobs hit up to about 1100 but are slowable, and also hit slow naturally. It is quite simple to tank these for awhile without heals and have the cleric break from DPS to throw a pious light on the tank. Yes the priest class should be DPS'ing especially on the spell mob or you will fail.