GL's Three Minions (in General)

So, I think after lots of deliberation, I'm starting to settle on my ideal 3 minion set up. I doubt I'll be able to run this anytime soon, but the thought exercise makes me smile. ;)

GL's three Minions (As I now bow to Seftons original deliberation that 3 is the optimal number of minions in CB!)



Base 20 HP
Trains: AP, DM, SS
Wears: Corn, AoI, RoBF, EG, BoF


Base 20 HP
Trains: AP, Decay
Wears: HoC, AoI, BoE, CoI, AG, SB, SoC


Trains: HP, PL
Wears: HoD, AoAC, TSA, SC, TG, CML, MGS


A breakdown.

This utilises the power of a totally immune RoBF (the only damage that could target the minion, DD or SoD splash will be picked up by PL without the option of the MoD t bypass it), with the obligatory TSA wearing PL wall.

It has the same XP concentration as a single Minion (give or take for the APs, PL and SS...), 33% EO, 33% DD, 33% HP. But on three dedicated minions, who can all wear stat boosting gear (leading to a massive Decay, in order to put AMF to shame).

Incoming damage is targetted and reduced. For DD, MM hits a high AC+MGS wall. SG hits a RoBF protected no AC minion and Decay cries itself to sleep. CoC and FB are spread and all are then reduced (bar MM) by PL.

Physical damage hits a high AC target, which regenerates. Mageseekers are absorbed by PL (and why the SoC is on the Decay Mage).

Decay is chosen over the other DD for two reasons. I don't need to train HP for AMF backlash (as it can never kill a decay mage) and while GA could be a problem (if my DM isn't enough), the decay mage will still do it's job.

Which is to synergise with the constant, but easily reduced by high AC, RoBF. (I'm aware of the ease of spltting on the two attacks, but I'm not really worried about that).

Speaking of a RoBF, it in turn has to hit my high AC minion. Which regenerates. And SoD splash will be at least reduced by the RoBF on Minion 1.

I always have the option of using an EXBow, if ranged proves too much for my Wall, but I dislike weapon NW in CB, and plan to stear clear of having to constantly sink cash into a weapon.

The HoC helps Decay hit first, even though it's second in minion order, to not lose and potential damage from an earlier RoBF burn.

And DM is to take out all those juicy EDs.

So kill slots, TSA/PL walls, Uber Decay, Single Minion XP concentration, the RoBF and no weapon NW. What's not to like? :P

It's just a shame I doubt I'll be able to run this. :(

you pay for it and ill run it on my next NCB

The RoBF as your only real damage source might not be enough. Of course you have decay but I don't believe that it's reliable enough to be a backup for your main damage dealer. And putting all your pot on PL might be risky, especially with MoDs being so popular.

LoL Tal! I nearly have all the gear. ;)

The MoD isn't an issue. The only minion it can hit is the PL minion itself.

The antithesis of the RoBF (for damage) is high AC. Decay is a natural choice to combat that. SG might be better, or more reliable, but then you'll need to dilute XP further, to give HP to your Mage to survive AMF backlash.

Also, for fun only, I await the day a new Leadership item (or skill!) is introduced, so I can finally get to +100 Leadership and make Decay 1 shot anyone in the game. >;)

Oh damn... you're right. I'd be interested in trying this build since I'm 3 minion anyway and I use a RoBF. But then I'm probably risking like 200k MPR.

I am currently running a similar strat thou it's slightly different and I don't have full equips on. Using AS vs PL and NO DM.

You gonna train a 2M PL?

Phantom Link 1,795,500 1,350,000 3,231,900 2,430,000

Still not enough at times... and I use +30 EB's and +6 EC

Are you sure your minions can survive 5 rounds of ranged before your attack?

Yeah, unless that AC minion has some stellar gear, I don't see how it would survive long enough.

:) just look at my 1/4 team sized minion... it survives long enough

which one, lostling?

and how far past ranged does it survive? GL's 3rd minion would have to continue to survive well after ranged in order for his RoBF to fire.

give me a target around my mpr and i will test it out i suppose

i have some pretty massive ac on my tankwall. you can see who still beats my in my recent battles. ; )

They all seem to have archers. Why not add about 60 AC dude? That's another 10% damage reduction. (12.5 with full SS) You should be able to do that. Might get Zenai off your back considering he's already going into melee rounds to kill you.

Yeah dude, it's just another 300M CBD? Your guy would last a lot longer with SS.

my enchantress does steel skin, i think all of the ones on my list dm it though.

i should have the money for the ac upgrades about the time my encumbrance allows them! ; )

Yeah, that was my point, I last 9 rounds against Zenai with significantly less AC. ( I say significantly, because, 404*.21 = ~.85 440*.21 = ~92.5; so effectively, your AC is 50% better than mine ). Although, short of training 4M SS or getting an RoS, there is not much you can do.

it's all good, the list of people that can beat me now is so much shorter than with my jiggy setup. i am putting more into steel skin but since i have four minions, it may never keep up with their dm's.

i am happy though and slowly but surely taking the ac higher!

Give it 6 months, I predict the popularity of SG and the VB returning.

Unless us hitting the AC soft cap triggers AC to be nerfed/adjusted agian. Like originally (and it should! It should have been adressed already tbh...).

Yeah, god forbid I talk about how awesome something is for a year and a half, and then I finally give in and use it, and it gets nerfed...

please don't nerf something just because it works...

not to mention something that has a MULTITUDE of counters.

I'll list a few...

VB, DM, MM... I'm sure you can think of more, you can do it!

Not the point.

No one should get a gear set that makes them 100% immune to a type of damage. Jon was totally against this, in everything he posted, and every action he took in balancing the game.

Hard/Soft counters aren't in quesiton here.

AC shouldn't ever get to 100% reduction (or it forces every tank to use the VB and *nothing* else) and the MGS sohuld never have the possibility of getting to 100% either.

Yes, the EXBow can make you 100% immune to a type of damage, and I think we can all agree on how broken that is.

To be honest, I'm 100% sure that if Jon was still active we wouldn't have reached this stage again. It's was intantly adjusted prior to reaching this point when freed came close to it, and I'm sure it would have been again.

IMO, it just shows that the way AC works should be re-thought. We can't just keep adjusting it every time someone reaches the next "big number" in NW.

Why the hell not?

If someone can dump a half a billion CB into offense and lay waste to 99% of the game why shouldn't someone be able to focus NW into defense?
We're not talking about a single item or even a couple, this is a setup that requires every item slot and a serious investment in SS.

I'm sick and dammed tired of folks crying for nerfs every time someone makes a strat work.

We can make a game called "Hipppieblender". The game would be balanced so that no matter what your strat or power, all battles ended up as stalemates or draws. Sounds like fun.

nov, here's what it requires to be effective, a tattoo slot, at least 2 minion and 300M NW worth of every item equipped on one minion, and it STILL has counters... yup, nerf it!

All AC discussion aside, is this strat something you're planning on running, GL? I am interested in it myself and would love to see how effective it is.

I do see some potential weaknesses though. Since you have 3 minions your exp is stretched a little so your DM and HP+PL will never be as big as you need them to be vs other people.

I will be running this strat on my next NCB