Michaleo
Big Battles 102: Helm's Dike Recipe
There are many recipes for how to succeed at the Helm’s Dike BB. This one I learned from Makii. It may take longer than others, but it has produced platinum results consistently.
You can take as much time as you like to set things up for the main quest as well as prepare for all possible side quests. Unfortunately, if you are low rank, you may not be able to do the things you want to do to succeed at the quests. If possible find a rank 5 player to help you set things up. A rank 3 player will be able to do most things, but a rank 5 can practically guarantee platinums for the main quest and the 3 side quests.
In Helm’s Dike solo/duo, for the main quest, mobs attack through 4 approaches, 2 to the west of the gate, and 2 to the east. Either the west 2 or the east 2 will be attacked first. Then the opposite 2 will be attacked, then the middle 2 will be attacked. During each of these phases there will be a side quest.
The Main Quest
With a small amount of preparation, the soldiers can handle themselves and complete the main quest. There are many barricades set up in useless positions. Moving a few barricades and setting the commanders should allow completion of the main quest.
Numbering the 4 approaches from west to east, approach #1 simply needs a single upgraded barricade, placed north-south just behind the bodies on the ground. By slowing and damaging the approaching mobs in this narrow area, the soldiers can handle what comes. Set both commanders here to two-handed stance and target the sappers.
Approach #3 just to the east of the gate is similar. A single upgraded barricade and orders to the two commanders and they can take care of themselves.
Defending the Watchtower
Approach #2 needs more because it is the approach for the side quest Guarding the Watchtower. Many more mobs will come up during that side quest heading for the tower just to the east. Also, in the side quest A Stone Obstruction, mobs will come up to attack the archer who will be on the platform to the north of the tower. To address this, make a line of 4 upgraded barricades, starting behind the dead bodies, leading to the end of the (immovable) wall between the approach and the tower. This is the path the attackers will take, so keep them under the influence of barricades the whole way.
Once the barricades are in place, set up a ballista to target the first barricade the mobs will encounter. Don’t worry about “friendly fire”. Your shots don’t damage your barricades or NPCs. When Guarding the Watchtower starts, you’ll just fire the ballista at that spot as fast as you can.
Defending the Statue
Approach number #4 also needs extra attention because it is where the mobs, including trolls, come to attack the Statue of Helm Hammerhand during that side quest. Because it is a little wider, set two barricades north-south a little to the right, and two parallel a little to the left. Put the first just behind the bodies, the second behind it, the third to the left of the second, and then the fourth behind the third.
After the barricades are in place and upgraded, set up a ballista, aiming just to the left of the first barricade. When the Statue of Helm Hammerhand quest starts, you’ll just fire the ballista as fast as you can.
The War Machine
The final two side quests (you will get one or the other) are the most challenging, so go nuclear. Flames at the Gate brings a war machine right up to the gate to attack it. You go around picking up arrows to resupply archers and you go down to repair and douse flames on the gate. Or, you set up a catapult right next to Gamling to drop heavy shells right on the machine. Position a catapult right over the gate pointing north (it looks precarious, but works). Upgrade speed and damage. Aim it for right in front of the gate. Crank and fire as soon as it will let you. Fire a few heavy shells to be sure it’s in the right place. Now you’re ready for that quest.
Keeping Powder from the Gate
The most difficult side quest is Powder at the Gate. Mobs, including sappers carrying bombs, will attack from the south and leave them near the gate. You can fight the mobs and deactivate the bombs and repair the gate. Or, you can create a forest of barricades and bombard it with a catapult.
You’ll be surprised how many extra barricades there are in this instance. Some are crated and ready for pickup, others are placed in useless positions (away from the fight, high on the side of an approach, etc.) There are a total of 19 barricades in the instance, and we have placed only 10 so far. Take as many of the others as you can find down the rope by Gamling. Head south about half-way to the stables and place the first barricade north-south along the water where the path is narrowest. Put 3 more parallel to it so you have the path covered. Then line up the rest behind those 4. The last two should be held by the two players (if they are able) to use on whatever side quest they are doing. Be sure the commander here is set two-handed and targeting sappers.
Now get the catapult. Set it up behind the barricades so that it will cover that area after one crank. Upgrade for speed and damage. Use grape shot. Fire it a few times to be sure you cover the area.
Protecting the horses
There is a cheat for doing well with protecting the horses. An option while they are being attacked is to release the horse. You lose less merit if you release them than if the mobs defeat them. The cheat is to release them before starting the main quest. You don’t have to worry about them, and you don’t lose merit for releasing them during the side quest. (Of course, this bug could be fixed at some point.)
When the quest starts, get down here and set up the barricades you are carrying just past the westernmost horse. (If you’re trap is available, set a stun trap then place the barricade over the spot.) The mobs arrive from the west. Unlike the narrow approaches above, they come across a wide area, so place the barricades north-south. The soldiers don’t arrive until the side quest starts, so you’ll have to switch to officer and set two-handed stance (sappers don’t matter here), then switch back to engineer. You’ll want to set traps whenever they are off cooldown. Fighting the mobs does help in this side quest.
Ready, Set, Go!
After you’ve placed and upgraded the barricades, ballistas, and catapults, check that you have set all commanders to two handed stance and targeting sappers. Don’t forget the commander by the Statue of Helm Hammerhand. If you are able, you and your partner should each have a barricade to place. You’re finally ready to start the main quest by talking to Gamling. You will hear whether they are coming from the west or the east. You can check on the approaches, but there should be no problems.
East start
If they start from the east, you can go down and set up the barricades you’re carrying in preparation for Protect the Horses. After it completes, pick up your barricades and fill the empty spots so you have 2 rows of 4 for the final side quest. When things switch to the west, you’ll need to be ready to guard the tower. If you have time, you can pick up a couple barricades from approach #4 (far east), since it will not be attacked again. Decide who will fire the ballista, and who will fight any mobs that make it to the tower. You can set the barricades you’re carrying between the wall and the tower to help. After that completes, pick up your barricades.
West start
If they start from the west, your first side quest will be A Stone Obstruction. There are 3 archers, one on the platform to the west, one near Gamling, and one on the platform to the east. You need to give the archers orders to shoot whenever they stop. You also need to protect the archers. The middle and east one are less of a problem, so one person should go back and forth between those archers telling them to fire and dealing with any mobs that show up. The other should stay with the west. Using a trip-wire trap to halt any mob approaching the archer is a good idea. Add a caltrops trap when the cooldown expires. After the main quest switches to the east side, head to approach #4. You can place the barricades you’re carrying and decide who gets to shoot the ballista and who takes care of any mobs that get through. Set traps between the approach and the statue to help take care of any mobs that make it that far. After it completes, pick up your barricades.
Protecting the gate
If the last side quest is Flames at the Gate, one person will fire the catapult while the other keeps the archers supplied. There is an archer near Gamling, and one on the platform to the west, another on the platform to the east. There are arrows (you will see them glowing when the quest is active) you can pick up, then run near an archer that has stopped firing. He should resume firing, then you can pick up another set of arrows and go to another archer. If your catapult is properly placed, you should be able to destroy the war machine before it does any damage.
If the last side quest is Powder at the Gate, go down the rope, place any remaining barricades, set traps and start firing the catapult. Whoever isn’t firing the catapult needs to fight by the soldiers and attack any sappers that get through before they can place their bombs. If they place them, you need to deactivate them before they can explode. But the catapult, barricades, and soldiers focused on sappers should take care of them.
Check the results
Once the third side quest has ended, you can check the commanders and banners. Ideally, you’ll see almost no damage to either. With careful preparation, this BB can be a source of many platinum rewards.
by Michaleo on 2015-03-03 06:04:02