How to solo Caed Nua like a pro

[Raven Darkholme]

So while testing Caed Nua for my Ultimate ToI I found this method to avoid fighting the phantoms without a rogue and shadowing beyond.

I thought this method was posted before but couldn't find it so I made a video:

Non embed:https://youtu.be/0-crG5AutCI

 

You need 2 move speed, 5 stealth and should be able to defeat 1 shadow in case it comes after you.

Should work with any class not just chanter.

Edited September 6, 2016 by Raven Darkholme

[Jojobobo]

Seems like a nice strategy.

 

Personally I find it pretty easy to let the Shadow lead the pack and go in the bottom right corner. That way he blocks off the Phantoms and you can pick them off one by one, and if you're using Rymrgand's Mantle you shouldn't really have problems (easily obtainable as it's in the inn in Gilded Vale at the start as long as you don't do anything weird like serial rest before you check there).

 

On my current playthrough PotD solo, I even went so far as to clear the whole Caed Nua grounds and also the library where there's additional Phantoms before taking on Maerwald. It was good fun.

[Raven Darkholme]

Seems like a nice strategy.

 

Personally I find it pretty easy to let the Shadow lead the pack and go in the bottom right corner. That way he blocks off the Phantoms and you can pick them off one by one, and if you're using Rymrgand's Mantle you shouldn't really have problems (easily obtainable as it's in the inn in Gilded Vale at the start as long as you don't do anything weird like serial rest before you check there).

 

On my current playthrough PotD solo, I even went so far as to clear the whole Caed Nua grounds and also the library where there's additional Phantoms before taking on Maerwald. It was good fun.

Yes that sounds very valid, too.

I also tested a setup with max Fort and not too low Deflection which enables you to facetank 2 phantoms in the upper left corner next to the throne long enough to fan of flames them to death.

It's just on a ToI save you might not want to take the rsk of the fight going wrong since there is no reload and also there's people doing pacifist runs.

[Jojobobo]

With Caed Nua at least, you can attempt it in a couple of hours - being level 3 doesn't make a whole lot of difference in comparison to being level 4 at that low a level so attempting it early is perfectly fine. In that, though it's a little frustrating to retry a few times if you die, you're sinking a relatively short amount of time into it (in terms of an RPG) so I'd say on ToI it's fine to give slightly non-standard builds a shot.

 

I'm just not masochistic enough to want to play ToI. Even going solo, where you rest quite a lot, I imagine the rests you have to put in to ToI to make it work and keep you safe are a hell of lot worse. While it definitely is an accomplishment, dead is dead modes always err on the the side of tedious for my tastes.

 

Besides, any run that completes the game solo PotD can technically have done the same thing as playing ToI if you were extremely lucky - that's good enough for me.

[Raven Darkholme]

Yes I don't like ToI too much myself, but I want to do it at least once for completionist sakes.

It's just very relaxing if you find ways to either avoid fights or make them super safe.

[knownastherat]

Indeed, it was posted before. Actually I thought it was standard. With figurine, even without increased move speed, its possible to do it without killing anything. Handy for, rogue, pacifist runs. 

 

As developer commentary suggest this fight was made to be hard, and possibly interesting, as it serves as gate opening story further. Also as mentioned in linked thread, it was game stopper for many solo runs as it was not easy to consistently win it. 

 

---

actually, +1 Speed is probably essential as I recall now. Food .. 

Edited September 6, 2016 by knownastherat

[Raven Darkholme]

Indeed, it was posted before. Actually I thought it was standard. With figurine, even without increased move speed, its possible to do it without killing anything. Handy for, rogue, pacifist runs. 

 

As developer commentary suggest this fight was made to be hard, and possibly interesting, as it serves as gate opening story further. Also as mentioned in linked thread, it was game stopper for many solo runs as it was not easy to consistently win it. 

Oh yeah I specifically remembered the post being made by you but search function didn't help me.

Good job, I didn't use this before since I always had paladins but I found this a tad bit less reliable to tank with a chanter and even tho I couldn't find your post managed to reconstruct the strategy on my own.

I think other classes might find this even harder than chanter, maybe not wiz and cipher those should have it pretty easy and ofc rogue has it easiest doesn't even need figurine.

[knownastherat]

IIRC I only breezed through this part with high Fortitude Monk Torment-Reaching the spirits to death. For consistency, reliability I would sneak. 

[Raven Darkholme]

Oh yeah I guess Monk is better than even paladin in this.

[Kaylon]

You don't have to return to the entrance. You summon the animat to attack the closest phantom and then send him in the NE corner of the throne room with all the aggro while you wait near the stairs to the next level until the fight ends.

[grausch]

Another option is to summon the animat somewhere between you and the phantoms, run into the room with the stairs going down and just close the door and wait for the fight to end. In all of my playthroughs that has worked perfectly since everyone engaged the animat.