Group Dungeon Crawling Tactics 101 - Specialized Room Tactics

(Continuation of Group Dungeon Crawling Tactics 101 - What is my Role?)

Upon running a Guild Coill Dungeon Run the other day, I realized that most of our tactics for rooms were not mentioned in the previous post! So I have condensed down our usual tactics and other tactics I see used by other groups or have used in the past.

I want it noted, I'm not trying to be strict, I am just trying to keep the team safe and help everyone feel like they are playing a part in the success of the dungeon run. Also keep in mind, -the most fair finish rule- is By Turn.

Orb Rooms

"You and your team are proceeding cautiously through a fomor encrusted dungeon and you come across a room with the same color orb in each corner and a locked door. Upon inspection of this seemingly empty room, you become to realize the door is connected to the switches in some way. What do you do?"

The most commonly used tactic used by our guild is:

• One person, usually the team leader or the one responsible for pulling, will run into the room and hit one of the orbs, while the rest of the team sits back and waits in the previous room. The Door does not close!
  
  
• If Fomors spawn, the one that hit the orb runs back into the room, behind the rest of the group. Therefore, leading any mob that might have seen them run into the group. If the door opens, duh! Go through it!
  
  
• After the 'switch hitter' (*cackles*) runs behind the group, the person or persons designated to pull will do so.
  
  
• From here on out, its your basic team tactics covered in the previous post. Rinse, repeat until room is clear and door is open.

There are many other ways to clear this room. Some of them are:

• Have different groups go to different corners of the room and have one person/group hit an orb and each group attacks as things agro.
  
  
• Everyone chooses a corner and hit all the orbs at once, with someone in the middle that has Nao's service and hit a bomb as the room fills with mobs. (Best used with 'By Turn' Finish setting)
  
  
• Everyone chooses a corner and one person hits the orbs and everyone attacks their own target.
  

Sometimes, the boss room is an Orb room and not a key locked door. If you hit all the orbs in the room until you find the right switch, all the spawned fomors in the room will disappear upon the cut scene/opening of the boss room door.

Chest Spawn Rooms

"Finally! The dangers of the Orb room complete, the door opens and your group is free to continue their quest, a little banged up but no worse for wear. After a short time of travel deeper within the bowels of this dank dungeon, you and your party of adventurers come across a single solitary chest. Is there treasure within this enthralling wooden strongbox or nothing but a trap set up with the enticement of possible wealth?"

These rooms are rather simple, a chest in the middle of the room, open it or leave the dungeon. But if you decide to open the chest, the room will fill with monsters and the doors slam shut!! The tactic our guild most often uses:

• Either everyone huddles into one corner of the room closest to the chest and the one pulling or the group leader opens the chest and runs back to the group or, if you have a larger group, separate into groups and get into different corners. One group is closest to the chest and another would be in any other corner they desire.
  
  
• Once the chest is opened, the person or persons designated to pull, do so.
  
  
• Rinse, repeat basic team tactics until all waves are defeated, and the key is found.
  

Other Tactics:

• Everyone chooses a corner and one person opens the chest, becoming a free for all.
  
  
• One person runs ahead into the room and hits the chest, other sit outside and come on in afterwards (either on accident or on purpose).
  

Most Chest rooms spawn One to Three waves of Fomors. Best tactic in these rooms is to watch the fomor type and amount and you can determine how many waves there will be. The key also appears in the last wave of the room. For example, you open the chest and two Gray Town Rats spawn. It has been my experience that it means there will be three spawns.

First Wave: Two Gray Town Rats
Second Wave: Eight to Twelve Gray Town Rats
Third Wave: The typical spawn of that dungeon (Ciar - Goblins, Fiodh - Werewolves or Jackals, Rabbie - Skeletons, etc.) With the key

The safest way to combat being jumped upon by a large spawn of uglier baddies, is to save one creature alive until the group is ready for the next wave if no key has been found yet.

Prespawned/Mimic Rooms

"Key in hand with minimal causalities, you continue along your danger-ridden path. After a time, you hear the gruff language of the fomor echo throughout the tunnels. You inch closer as quiet as possible towards the sound. The noise grew in volume as the party encroaches upon the enemy territory. Picking the smallest, least noticeable member of the party, you push then around the corner to take a peek. You hear a scream and see the member flailing his arms in the air as arrows whisk past him. He darts around the corner with the rest of the team only to scream again as he notices he was being pursued."

Well, I'm sure all of us have seen something similar in one dungeon run or another. Someone, who thinks they are invincible, runs into the fray ready to kick some trash, only to be yelling a moment later for someone with a feather. This situation is embarrassing to not only the individual but the group they affiliate with. Our Society likes to keep our members alive and well to the best of our ability, so we use the following tactic most often:

• The person or persons designated to pull, do so.
  
  
• Basic Team tactics, rinse repeat until all live fomors are defeated.
  
  
• The team is then free to run inside and attack the mimics to try and determine where the real chest with the key is.
  

Other Tactics:

• Run into the room swinging like a wild man/woman.

Boss Rooms

"Phew! Close call! All your members a bit shaken from the last encounter, sit and relax while you sort through the goods from that room. One of which is a larger then usual crimson iron key, so lovingly named "Boss Room Key". You chuckle to yourself and announce to the rest of the group that the end was near. Morale rising at the prospect of returning to the surface soon, they stand up and the groups continues along the way to the ever anticipated end. You approach a large wooden door with an extremely large lock and chains firmly placed upon it's front. Placing the key within the lock, it slides into place. A loud clank is heard as the lock opens and falls to the ground. As the door creaks open, you peer inside and notice the room is much larger then that of the rest of the dungeon, and for good reason! A large pile of rocks lie in the center of the room, guarded by about half a dozen Skeletons clad in armor! Maybe the treasure you seek lies beneath the rubble!"

Well, we are all very familiar with that scene. Ciar Basic anyone? Anywho, the big no no in this room is running inside. You would not only grab unwanted attention from the Skelies, but from the large pile of rubble. Usually the Boss room door stays open, but I have seen instances I have seen the door shut and force the party to venture inward.

Typical Tactic for Open Boss Room Door:

• After the door is open, the party positions itself near the middle to the back of the room with either one Meleer at the door ahead of the group ready to smash/windmill the fomor into the group, or a Mage with Firebolt/Icebolt facing the wall ready to bolt them into the corner to avoid them being knocked back into the boss room.
  
  
• The designated puller, runs into the room and picks one to pull. Shoots and leads them into the room where the party is.
  
  
• The Meleer at the door smashes/windmills the target into the room or the mage knocks them into the corner with the bolts.
  
  
• The party is then free to attack at will.
  
  
• Rinse, repeat until all that is left is the boss.
  
  
• Enter the boss room and position yourselves to attack the Dungeon boss.
  
  
• The puller charges their most powerful knockdown and fires it at the boss, running towards the group.
  
  
• The group goes all out until the boss is defeated.

The Tactics for the closed door is quite simple. Just get everyone inside and hope that you can find a safe spot before you are detected. Then treat the room as a prespawned room, reverting to the boss tactic when he's all that's left.

- Phew, that's about it for now, I'll probably find more to post, but I'm leaving this post open for questions, discussion and additions. I do not consider myself to be an expert, there is much I need to learn. These are only my observations and experiments that I have observed or taken part of myself. Have fun and save grouping!!!

And I'll probably make a movie to go along with it, but I don't feel up to it currently!