Preparing to attempt Blackwater

[Rory Mac]

Well, I'm thinking it's about time to make a serious run at Blackwater. I made a feeble attempt back around level 16, and felt I wasn't strong enough. I'm now level 24. I'm leaving the gargoyle cave, going to Fallhaven to buy more bonemeal (I will have around 500) and give it a go. Along the way I'll stop at Flagstone prison and make a few runs to level up to 25. I've equipped myself with most of the best items available in the original section of the game. I'm lucky enough to have the RoLS. I've got 50 HP, 131 AC and 20-21 AD with the venomous dagger, and my BC is 54. So here's my question: For those of you who've been to Blackwater at around my same level, which attribute should I be adding in my next couple of level-ups to be of the most benefit to me in Blackwater? And why?

Thanks.

[Pyrizzle]

Well, I'm thinking it's about time to make a serious run at Blackwater. I made a feeble attempt back around level 16, and felt I wasn't strong enough. I'm now level 24. I'm leaving the gargoyle cave, going to Fallhaven to buy more bonemeal (I will have around 500) and give it a go. Along the way I'll stop at Flagstone prison and make a few runs to level up to 25. I've equipped myself with most of the best items available in the original section of the game. I'm lucky enough to have the RoLS. I've got 50 HP, 131 AC and 20-21 AD with the venomous dagger, and my BC is 54. So here's my question: For those of you who've been to Blackwater at around my same level, which attribute should I be adding in my next couple of level-ups to be of the most benefit to me in Blackwater? And why?

Thanks.

Definitly AC, because some of the monsters on the mountain have very high DC and it makes it very hard to hit them regularly. An addition to your HP might also be helpful i seemed to do alot better once i hit 60hp because i didnt have to heal as often. I am betting you wont have as big of a problem since you have a ROLS (SUPER JELLY!!!). Good luck on your run up the mountain.

Also checkout the "great places to grind" thread for info about a great spot to level on the mountain.

Good Luck!!!!

[Chest_Rockfield]

1. I was level 38 when I went, and I went through 400 Bonemeal potions messing around up there. I recommend never going anywhere without at least 1,000 of them. I just re-upped and I have 1400 right now.
2. Some of the monsters up there can potentially hit for near 60 damage I think. I know other people have less than my 80 and make it work, but I like the cushion. You never know when you'll be grinding in the zone and forget to save and watch your life. It seriously sucks to lose a huge chunk of experience.
3. Save a game in a separate slot before you pick a side, just in case you want to check them both out to see which you like better. I did both, and I prefer, only ever so slightly, having BW allow me to buy for A. the off chance that there will be one more piece of BW equipment that will make the rest of the stuff wearable, B. have a bed on both sides of the trainers that could drop the ElyR so I can respawn when I make a pass to and fro if I decide to go after that legendary item C. I saw absolutely nothing worth while in Prim.
4. Your block chance is already higher than mine (by 3%) and I do okay up there (I use zero Bonemeal when I grind on BWM). I may need to add more BC in the future, but for now I'm fine. You should probably dump it all into AC & AD for a little while.
5. What other items are you wearing? If you are missing out on a few levels worth of stats you left on the table by buying cheaper items, you'd be much better served by spending the money now instead of working your butt off to have the same stats. At some point, money won't mean anything to you you'll have so much.
I may be forgetting some stuff, but I've been up for 24 hours...

[tuner240]

Well, I'm thinking it's about time to make a serious run at Blackwater. I made a feeble attempt back around level 16, and felt I wasn't strong enough. I'm now level 24. I'm leaving the gargoyle cave, going to Fallhaven to buy more bonemeal (I will have around 500) and give it a go. Along the way I'll stop at Flagstone prison and make a few runs to level up to 25. I've equipped myself with most of the best items available in the original section of the game. I'm lucky enough to have the RoLS. I've got 50 HP, 131 AC and 20-21 AD with the venomous dagger, and my BC is 54. So here's my question: For those of you who've been to Blackwater at around my same level, which attribute should I be adding in my next couple of level-ups to be of the most benefit to me in Blackwater? And why?

Thanks.

You are going to gain a lot of levels, just have patience and don't get in a hurry. Some mobs can do large amounts of damage in one round. Save often, and good luck.

[Cervando]

Definitely ac, as currently you will miss a lot. Personally I managed with only 40 HPs as I prefer to kill quickly. There is an item that grants 20 HPs which drops from a boss.

I got mine by killing the BW king. The ring of shadow embrace gives 20 HPs,10 AC and 2 AD

[Dreia]

I wouldn't touch that place pre 35, at 33 I'm still missing enough AC to reliably hit the broad side of a barn. This is not because I've been neglecting it either. The BC of the trainers is 90 points, the BC of some mobs on the mountain are over 130, this is a drastic jump that forces you to grind out a ton of levels before you can safely take on these new mobs in my opinion.

~D

[Cervando]

I wouldn't touch that place pre 35, at 33 I'm still missing enough AC to reliably hit the broad side of a barn. This is not because I've been neglecting it either. The BC of the trainers is 90 points, the BC of some mobs on the mountain are over 130, this is a drastic jump that forces you to grind out a ton of levels before you can safely take on these new mobs in my opinion.

~D

I did it in my mid 20's, but I had focused on AC early on, in order to kill the trainers in the caves as I wanted a RoLS. My issue was low HPs, but reloading and bonemeal solved that issue. I have frequently said AC and AD are very important to ensure you kill quick, as then low BC and HPs are less of an issue. However, I did have a BC of 60% and HPs of 40, so they weren't totally neglected.

[tuner240]

I did it in my mid 20's, but I had focused on AC early on, in order to kill the trainers in the caves as I wanted a RoLS. My issue was low HPs, but reloading and bonemeal solved that issue. I have frequently said AC and AD are very important to ensure you kill quick, as then low BC and HPs are less of an issue. However, I did have a BC of 60% and HPs of 40, so they weren't totally neglected.

Hit the nail on the head. AC is very important here, since the fatigue will cause you to lose 1 point of damage and increase the amount of AP needed for strikes. Make 'em count.

[Dreia]

The issue isn't that you *can't* do the mountain at mid 20's, the key word here is safely. You could spend dozens of meat trying to take down a single wyvrn, or multiple bonemeal potions. Even then the possibility is that you could still die (It happened to me at 32 so. . .) You need both HP to survive and AC to hit and Damage to actually do enough per hit to really matter. currently I have 9 levels devoted to HP and the rest to either damage or AC and I still felt the need to retreat and get a bit more AC.

~D

[Cervando]

The issue isn't that you *can't* do the mountain at mid 20's, the key word here is safely. You could spend dozens of meat trying to take down a single wyvrn, or multiple bonemeal potions. Even then the possibility is that you could still die (It happened to me at 32 so. . .) You need both HP to survive and AC to hit and Damage to actually do enough per hit to really matter. currently I have 9 levels devoted to HP and the rest to either damage or AC and I still felt the need to retreat and get a bit more AC.

~D

All I am saying was that your original remark that he shouldn't attempt it until level 35 was a generalisation as other builds, which focus more on AC, can do it. I completed all the expansion before reaching 30 and I didn't need huge amounts of potions like you intimated. I do accept that for those like you who have a lower AC, it would prove more difficult, as the frequent misses would mean the mobs would hit you more. Hence I suggested he add all his points to AC for the foreseeable future.