Adra Dragon (Was she changed?)

[Niclole]

Did they nerf the Adra dragon since release?  I remember her being much harder on hard than she just was on Path of the Damned but I haven't played since before white march.  Fight seemed a bit easier than I remembered.  Could just be knowledge, but Im also curious if there were any changes I might have missed.

[Boeroer]

The stats remain untouched as far as I know. Now you might have additional abilities, talents and levels. And also more knowledge. Frankly knowledge about this game is the best buff you can have.

[MaxQuest]

Nope, her stats/defenses where not changed.

You are just likely having higher level now, or durganized weapons.

 

Although there was something about her movement speed and hobbled effect.

She had a slow crawling speed of 3. While hobbled enemies are slowed exactly by 3 units; basically rooting her in place.

 

Do I remember right and some of the updates nerfed hobbled to -2ms? Or it's my memory failing me in favor of imagination?

[Kaylon]

Yes, she was harder to beat before WM1 was released. She was nerfed indirectly after 2.0 (when perception started adding accuracy instead of deflection) because she became easier to hit. 

[IamNOOB]

Do people still use the mass scroll ownage when fighting the dragon? Scroll of paralysis abuse...

[Boeroer]

Yes, she was harder to beat before WM1 was released. She was nerfed indirectly after 2.0 (when perception started adding accuracy instead of deflection) because she became easier to hit. 

You mean +8 or +9 points of accuracy (at max) make a huge difference?

 

You could prone her with a priest's seal - like forever. It alsways hit because hazards' ACC was very high. She had no immunities and no resistances. If you ask me it was easier to beat her before (on lvl 12 or below), not harder. You could hit her with stackable disorienting, reducing her defenses until they dropped to nearly zero if you were fast enough. Stuff like that.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Boeroer

[Niclole]

Do people still use the mass scroll ownage when fighting the dragon? Scroll of paralysis abuse...

 

Yes, she was harder to beat before WM1 was released. She was nerfed indirectly after 2.0 (when perception started adding accuracy instead of deflection) because she became easier to hit. 

 

Yes I used scroll of paralysis spam at level 11 on all my characters while still in act II.  This is why I felt like there had to be some sort of nerf or change because I remember it being next to impossible on hard when I was level 13 lol.  I think it was mostly just knowledge and the fact my Barbarian was hitting her for like 80 damage + tidefall.  I just had my chanter spam scrolls of paralysis while my barbarian fought the Adra dragon alone and everyone else killed the adds.  By the time the adds were dead the AoE and Barbarian alone had taken her to nearly dead.

 

Felt easier, if anything my gear was worse than my first play through. If I didn't use scroll of paralysis though she was still one shotty BS.  Its just my chanter was landing nearly every scroll hit for 10 seconds of paralysis.  All in all the fight took 50 seconds, though it did take me 5 tries before I was like "Eff it, craft a bunch of paralysis scrolls".

 

I don't really know if it was the perception change though as I don't really go high perception, though all of my characters do have atleast 14 perception when tower buffed. 

 

Thanks for the answers guys.

[IamNOOB]

I am level 13 and still cant kill it......I didnt use paralyzing scrolls cause I wanted a challenge. But this thing uses an attack which one hits half of my team plus there are damn andragans in there, damn it, I dont know how to kill it. I mean without abusing. This dragon is too OP for me even though it is easy for many of you. The sky dragon was much easier. Maybe I ll make a deal with her, I dont know yet. On my first walkthrough I didnt even bother going to her, but now I am there and after the Adra Dragon I left just the "KILL Thaos finally and end it all " quest

[Niclole]

I am level 13 and still cant kill it......I didnt use paralyzing scrolls cause I wanted a challenge. But this thing uses an attack which one hits half of my team plus there are damn andragans in there, damn it, I dont know how to kill it. I mean without abusing. This dragon is too OP for me even though it is easy for many of you. The sky dragon was much easier. Maybe I ll make a deal with her, I dont know yet. On my first walkthrough I didnt even bother going to her, but now I am there and after the Adra Dragon I left just the "KILL Thaos finally and end it all " quest

 

I dont think it can be legitimately called abuse.  If they didnt want you to use paralysis or other CC they had the option of pumping her resistances or just making her immune.  But if you stil dont want to use them anything that allows people to come back from knockout will probably be useful as she is pretty one shotty. When I let her get off an attack she was able to take out my 250+ endurance Barbarian in plate armor in one or two attacks.  I didnt even pull her or maneuver her in any fancy way, didn't split pull.  If anything it is simply utilizing the tools the game gives you to beat a challenge.  How her damage numbers are and with how easily she can wipe a whole party I feel it was intended that she must be stopped from utilizing those attacks at all.  Even with the Paralysis scrolls easy is still relative. There was some level of challenge in properly positioning the party to deal with the adds and in managing the Adragans that can ruin your day. It definitely isn't, imo, an "easy" fight. While I said originally the fight felt easier that is because it only took me a few tries instead of the 2-3 hours the first attempt took me on hard.  By no means would I ever claim the fight was "easy".  It was just easier than I remember it to be.

[Madscientist]

Before the expansions (at lv12) I had no chance to beat her.

 

The last time I managed to kill her it was very easy (on hard difficulty with a full party):

- I was lv16 and had WM2 equipment

- I talked with her and agreed to help her

- My party split up, so they stood around her in a circle with equal ditance between them (so not all af them are hit by the breath)

- I cast all kinds of buff on my party

- All chars attack her with the strongest attacks they have

 

result:

The dragon did only 1 physical attack, everything else from her got interrupted. The adragans petrified 1 or 2 of my chars, but the dragon died fast and my chars had no problem finishing the remaining enemies.

 

Yes, I know this was complete cheese.

I did the same in BG2 to kill the red and black dragon.

[Boeroer]

Speaking of cheese: I killed Firkraag with a Wizard's Eye. The eye is invisible and indestructible. But Firkraag can see invisible things. So when I placed the Eye right in front of him he would start to attack it and the Eye was tanking like in god mode - while all party members hit the dragon. Cheesefest times hundred. And a very early Carsomyr +5.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Boeroer

[HoopleDoople]

I am level 13 and still cant kill it......I didnt use paralyzing scrolls cause I wanted a challenge. But this thing uses an attack which one hits half of my team plus there are damn andragans in there, damn it, I dont know how to kill it. I mean without abusing. This dragon is too OP for me even though it is easy for many of you. The sky dragon was much easier. Maybe I ll make a deal with her, I dont know yet. On my first walkthrough I didnt even bother going to her, but now I am there and after the Adra Dragon I left just the "KILL Thaos finally and end it all " quest

 

For some reason it seems like the Adra Dragon is much less likely to use its devastating AoE attacks if you immediately close into melee range. This usually is enough to buy you a brief window to properly buff/debuff in preparation for landing CC on the Adra Dragon. Between Prayer Against Fear, Devotions for the Faithful, and Scale-Breaker your attack roll (attack accuracy minus the relevant Adra Dragon defense) will be a whopping 52 points higher. At this point landing CC should be little trouble for a decently geared level 13 party and you're well on your way to victory.

[Madscientist]

What kind of CC can you use against dragon? I think they changed it at some point in the past.

 

I have read the adra dragon can be stunned/paralyzed but not petrified, and the alpine dragon is the opposite (or was it the other way round, not sure)

What about knockdown? I think Boeroer said in the other thread you can do it. I also think they have a higher resistance against it.

What about charm/dominate? A long time ago I have beaten the adra dragon when he was charmed and killed the adragans with his breath while I shot and casted from the distance.

 

The biggest problem was to hit them in the first place. Once you managed to hit with a debuff (so they are easier to hit), it is easy to keep them debuffed and your attacks interrupt them often.