The FTP Rebellion. Who wants to join? (Part 1)

[Noble_Weasel]

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback and the congratulations. Back to my laptop now so I can answer at length.

@akionna

I have a bucket of scopes if you need them. Because you know, zero blue legendaries for me.

Would gladly send you a dupe Vela for six scopes. Would even throw in a duplicate of The Mighty Thorne.

@Muchacho

For me healers, if it came down to it, only needed to be leveled enough to get their special to 8/8 and survive long enough to use their special.

Yes, I kept Vivica at 3^70 for a while with just this reasoning. I think you are right about Raff in this regard as well.

@Shohoku79

his special sounded like Icy Hot Treatment that Shaquille O’Neal endorses on TV

I know! He’s like the anti-Thorne in this regard. Thorne’s special name = uber cool. Raff’s special name = … not.

@Shohoku79

do you have Ariel too? If so, the need for Raff may not be as urgent.

I wish! You’re right that this wouldn’t be a question if I had Ariel.

@sleepyhead

do you stack mono?

For Titans, but in raids, I usually go 3-2. My blue stack is usually Kiril (in or out of costume, as the situation calls for), Sonya (in or out of costume, as the situation calls for) and one of Vela, Thorne or Magni. For Titans, it’s Kiril - Nordri - Grimm - Vela - Magni. Blue is my best mono squad.

@sleepyhead

she has completely replaced Grimm in raids etc.

I could see that. My Grimm +20 would still get use in barbarian trials.

@BigSlick

My Vivica never used her special before being slaughtered until I fully ascended and leveled her and I have similar issues with 4* healers that aren’t fully ascended

I wouldn’t be brave enough to run a four-star healer that wasn’t fully ascended. Most of mine are also fully emblemed along the def/HP path. Ascending Vivica did make a noticeable difference in her usefulness.

@sleepyhead

He’s proven really useful in this week’s tournament.

Yeah, I can see that, especially in rush attack. Wish mine was ready to rock, but he’s on the way up. This tourney has seen me call on my LJ +20 and Skittles +18 more than usual, though.

So, my thinking on Raff vs. Isarnia is this.

Regarding Raff:

• I try to use two healers on every team, so having another healer would be helpful.
• Competes only with Joon for emblems.
• Slow mana isn’t much of a disadvantage. Raff specializes in turning the tide late.
• Get to use a non-vanilla hero. Also get to try and prove his nay-sayers wrong. I think he’ll be much better than the reputation he got on the boards at release.

Regarding Isarnia:

• I can use Shredder Kiril +20 for defense down to all, and a bonus heal, at average mana. Less def down, for less time, than Isarnia, though. She also has much better tile damage, obviously.
• Possibility of drawing a costume for extra boost.
• As noted, can end a raid if she fires.
• Can serve as a makeshift tank because her special is so scary, even if she is slow and squishy.
• Competes with several heroes for emblems, including Onatel and Sartana.

At this point, I think I’m leaning toward Isarnia, but I sure was looking forward to kicking the tires on Raff.

[Muchacho]

@Noble_Weasel

I try to use two healers on every team, so having another healer would be helpful.

I would note that Raff’s heal so is big you could only bring one, which frees up hero’s with other abilities. He also cleanses and you have Sonya (and others in different colors) to debuff. While maybe not ideal in raids it is absolutely feasible in gaming modes where you can bring items, like mana pots, to boost him as needed.

Good luck!

[TGW]

@akionna

Also @TGW, I have plenty of sturdy shields for you.

Awesome! I have plenty of trap tools and orbs of magic for exchange if you need them.

[Shohoku79]

So last night, pulled a few straight 2* heroes (like 3 or 4 in a row), I just said screw it, and popped my last EHT into the portal, flashed purple, expected to see a Prisca or Oberon, but ended up getting Jack. So, this would be the 3rd year I am missing out on Valeria, but at least I have both the Morlovia 3* now.

I think this will end my Morlovia pulls this year. Yet another reason why I had wished 3* and 4* can be retrained, and older seasonal 3* - 5* can appear in the HA.

[sleepyhead]

completely agree, @Shohoku79 it’s just ridiculous that 5* can be retrained, but not 3* or 4*… what’s wrong with making Proteus or Wilbur or Valeria or Lady Wooly more widely available anyway? Sigh, silly SG and HA…

[Shohoku79]

I didn’t read the list very clearly when HA10 was initially released, but I remembered it being a long one (and I guess the in-game screenshot indicates it so), but the gist of it was that it would include Season 2, Event, and HoTM that are at least a year old (means starting from Hel, who was the very first HoTM featured). But I didn’t know it didn’t include the seasonal.

I mean, I get that they didn’t want the newer 5* challenge event heroes in there for obvious reasons, that’s why you can get a King Arthur, but not a Lady of the Lake. But what’s wrong with letting one possibly retrain a hero into say Master Lepus or Victor (these are older heroes aren’t they?) Oh… I see, SGG don’t want everyone and their grandmas having Mother Norths… Because that will make Raids “boring.” Gotcha, and another back at ya, SGG.

But when @Guvnor announced that there is no “retrain” of 3* and 4*, but there is a train Vanilla 4*, that was a big moment. I mean, SGG thinks everyone just want 5* and no one cared for 3* and 4*? Also, what a waste of level, you’d think by the time a player who has played long enough to build SH25, with all the supporting logistics / resources buildings upped, to the point where they build and research a Hero Academy, that they will still be looking for needing vanilla 4*? I haven’t looked the training time and cost for them yet, but seemed like pretty expensive feeders.

Finally, why not make costumes be made to be trainable in Advanced TC? Why not make costumes retrainable in the HA? Everyone has duplicate costumes they hang onto because they didn’t feel like feeding a 4* costume off to a 3* costume, right?

Side note, is it just me or in today’s Atlantis Rising, they made the bosses smaller in size? Example, I farm in S2 4-3 for monsters/sea dragons, I noticed the normally super-imposed Gil-Ra now smaller in size in comparison to the dinos flanking her.

[Noble_Weasel]

Holy crap, y’all! I made it into the top 100 globally!

I finished a raid chest and noticed I had broken 2700 cups - a new record for me, and good for top 250, so I burned a couple of raid flasks to see how far I could go. Didn’t have the horses to get any higher than 89, but I was shocked that my little roster made it that high. Incidentally, I think a maxed Kadilen could have really helped against a team I lost to three times after this.

[akionna]

Congratulations @Noble_Weasel! Well done.

[amrath]

That’s awesome, @Noble_Weasel!

I recently made it to 2500 cups: a great feat for my team. I can feel your excitement! You must be elated!!!

[sleepyhead]

sweet! great accomplishment!

[Noble_Weasel]

@amrath

I can feel your excitement! You must be elated!!!

Yeah. It’s weird, because I had always figured I’d never be one of those people who got anywhere near the top, and I was OK with that, but when I noticed that top 250 ranking, I thought, “Well, let’s just see how high I can get.” One day, when I’ve had a chance to emblem some more heroes, I think I might have a shot at getting all the way to number 1.

Interestingly, for all the hate he got on release, I saw a ton of Jean-Francois on those high level defense teams, and I really have trouble with him. When punching above your weight, defense down is huge, and he flips that to defense up, plus extra defense against blue (my strongest color).

Also, I fought my first Zulag (+7) tank on the way up, and I was kinda disappointed. You really can just make her into a tile sink and pick off the wings. I went after her with my mono blue team and had very little problem. I still plan to max her and try her as my tank, but I can see why the top players aren’t that excited about her.

[Muchacho]

Congrats @Noble_Weasel, that’s amazing!

As for Zulag I wouldn’t worry too much. Most heroes have a weakness. I don’t see her as a hero to build a team around, but rather an accessory. If she has the right heroes around her in D she’ll play better I think. I think dispel is easily avoidable when she on your offense too.

[amrath]

I’ve finally got enough scopes to level 1 hero. Who should it be (they’re all at 3/70): Ariel, Vela, Misandra, Alasie or Magni? And why…

Any input will be wonderful

[akionna]

Ooooooh! I would choose Ariel @amrath. I am partial to healers. She is one of the best. I think @CaptainjaKCsparrow recently got her? He could give you good insight.

Unless you want a damage dealer? Then one of our fellow FTPers could chime in.

Out of those blues, only Ariel makes me wince. All that healing + cleansing + mana gen? No thanks.

[amrath]

Thanx, @akionna. I was caught between Alasie and Ariel. Lookin’ like it might be Ariel. Dont have any 5☆ healers but Vivica…and she’s still at 3/70 too. Plus I hear Vivica is kinda squishy and she’s slow compared to Ariel’s avg. Appreciate your input.

[Muchacho]

Congrats on those pulls @amrath! I think some more context of what you’re looking for to have a need filled or a picture of your roster would help.

In a vacuum though Ariel is one of, if not the, best healers. People spend a lot trying to get her.

[Noble_Weasel]

Another vote for Ariel, @amrath. Basically, any time you can level “the best X in the game”, you pretty much have to do it, imo. Ariel is super useful in many different circumstances. You’ve got some great options there, but unless you are just absolutely devoid of damage dealers and need a blue hitter, I think you go with her. (If you don’t plan to, send her on over. I can pair her with Poseidon, and I’ll have the scopes in a couple of days thanks to PoV! )

[amrath]

Will go with Ariel as @Muchacho and @Noble_Weasel have strongly suggested. Thanx guys and @akionna (sorry for not including you(.

[Noble_Weasel]

Advice time again, folks. A few days ago, I took Poseidon - the king of my roster - to +18. Trying to decide what to do with fighter emblems now. Here are the options I’m considering:

• Fighter emblems to Magni, along the attack path - dude is already a cannon blast, and at fast mana, he often lives to fire. And if he fires once, he gets a defense boost that could help him fire again. He’s often the third in my 3-2 blue stacks, alongside Kiril and Sonya. He is also on my team for red titans, which is my best one. In fact, my blue mono squad for raids is also my best one (Kiril, Sonya, Vela, Thorne, Magni).
• Fighter emblems to Elena, along the attack path - tile damage is insane, which puts her on my anti-Telly 3-2 squad and my team for green titans. Problem is, she often dies before firing because of her slow mana. Doesn’t make sense to boost her defense, though, since her main use is tile and riposte damage. Gets way more use than Magni because I don’t have better red options for my 3-2 stack, and I still see Telly and Heimdall everywhere in raids.
• Fighter emblems to Poseidon, boosting crit and attack - I know this isn’t an extremely efficient use of 375 emblems, but maybe it’s just better to stall for time and soak up that sweet, sweet +29 to attack at the end of the tree. Poseidon makes every yellow stack for everything, is a flank on my defense team, is on my first war team 98% of the time, and is also my avatar. Long live the king and his Pitchfork of Doom!
• A four-star option. This would basically boil down to second Boldtusk, Colen, Hu Tao, or Sumitomo at present, but could include Shadereave soon-ish.
• A three-star option. With emblems becoming more abundant, I’m thinking about embleming some three-stars for tournaments and events. Tasty options here include Valen, Gato, Arman, and Muggy.
• Hold for costume summons. I’m not going to hold emblems for very long; they don’t help at all sitting in my inventory. But with another round of costumes coming as soon as this month, and me sitting on a hoard of gems and keys, the decision might get easier once I see what I pull there (cough, costume Elena or Magni, cough, cough)

Any observations from the best advisors in E&P?

[sleepyhead]

heya FTP rebels!

I have 12 Tabards, 11 Trap Tools, and all my 3* and 4* Purples are fully maxed. So…

Should I ascend 2nd Sartana and her costume?

I’ve already decided that 2nd Sartana will get ascended over Domitia and over Obakan. Obakan, for obvious reasons. Sartana over Domitia, because I do NOT have Domitia’s costume, so the mana speed is a big factor. Plus, I already have 2x Sabina and Seshat for dispel.

the question is, is a 2nd Sartana worth it in your opinions?

She would come out for Wars. currently, I split my snipers (Seshat and Sartana) across two mono Purple teams. ascending a 2nd Sartana will allow me to keep more firepower in team 1 = I’ve lost a few war attacks because my Purples couldn’t overpower some nasty tanks.

Currently:

War Team 1: Seshat / Proteus 1 / Tiburtus 1 / 2 of Sabina, Rigard, Aeron

War Team 2: Sartana / Proteus 2 / Tiburtus 2 / 2 of Sabina, Rigard, Aeron

if I ascend 2nd Sartana, she will probably join War Team 1 in place of… either 1 Tibs or 1 healer, depending on the situation.

Watcha all think?