QBD help

[bjanko]

Hey guys! I've taken some advice and given killing the QBD a go. I first tried on the beta again after they removed the mandatory ability queuing, and with the ability to actually use thresholds and walk back and forth through the fire waves I actually managed a kill! 

 

I gathered up some supplies for about 10 hours of camping QBD to see if I could calculate what kind of gp/hr i'm looking at getting.

 

After factoring in the cost of everything (Food, pots, ovls, etc) I've gathered up around 5.4m of supplies, which should last 10 hours. I'll take more off at the end for the cost of gear repairs.

 

So far i've done 45 minutes and in that time i've done 11 kills and made around 2.3m gross profit, including one crossbow piece. That works out to be a bit over 3m per hour, and over the course of 10 hours factoring in the cost of supplies (without the cost of armor yet, as i'm not sure how quickly it will degrade/whatnot), that will come out to be around 25m total profit, or 2.5m an hour. I've heard people saying it's 4/5/6/10/20/a partyhat per hour, so I must be doing something wrong.

 

The gear i'm using is tetsu helm and legs and torva platebody along with dual drygores.

 

1) Tormented souls

 

I can't seem to get the timing down for these down. As soon as I get the message and they spawn I move across 2 spaces and still end up getting hit for a big fat 1k. This is a pain in the later stages when I have to eat a few food when this happens because of getting hit for ~2k when the stuff spawns underneath me, despite already having moved. Is there any particular trick to this apart from practice?

 

2) Scrimshaws

 

So, at the rate I was going through food (The QBD hits like a truck even with 2/3 tetsu and torva on), I was thinking that perhaps it might not be a bad option to start looking at using some scrimshaws. I have access to superior vamp scrimshaws, which would effectively double my soul split healing for around 200k/hr in potential cost (Using 800k for a regular vamp scrimshaw). This would help negate the adren loss of food and make kills a little smoother as well as saving a little money. Is it worth using these when soul split can't really keep up?

 

3) Final Phase

 

I've been getting slowly better at the final phase and when something prevents me from simply zerking and thresholding the QBD out (A time stop, souls + firewall combo) i'm able to salvage the kill, but it ends up a minute or two slower. In the case that you simply can't just "Wham, bam, thank you ma'am" the final phase, is it worth taking some defensive measures such as debilitate and anticipation to block out 60% damage while gaining adren for a threshold, or simply tanking the firewalls/souls/timestop/whatever and just zerk + thresholding and praying for success?

 

4) Grotworms/positioning

 

These things are a pain in the rear. Up to the start of the third phase, I usually have about 2-3 on the arena tops. By the end of the kill, there's more then (insert idiom here). Is there special positioning I should be taking for the third and fourth phase to minimize the amount that spawn? I usually stand in the spot one left of the first artefact.

 

5) Adren stalling

 

I've been told a good way to speed up my kills is by adrenaline stalling between kills. However, at the end of a kill, I end up with around...Maybe 35% adren tops, after zerking and thresholding once/twice. It might help a little bit, but asking around randomly people have said it can up to double your kills per hour. Am I doing it wrong, or understating the effects of it?

 

6) Torva vs Tetsu

 

Simple question, really. I'm getting hit like a truck anyway - Should I just use torva instead of tetsu? How much would it speed up my kills? (Is it really worth getting torva gloves/boots over bandos gloves/boots? It's only 1 mainhand damage, which is 2 damage on a 100% damage ability.)

 

I think that should just about cover it. I don't use backhand in my rotation as during my beta kills I never saw the qbd take damage from it, so I assume it's not stun immune. If anyone else has any tips or tricks, i'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much =]

 

EDIT: In light of the patch notes, i've now added backhand to my rotation for use as a 188% ability. =]

[Major Dash]

What is your current ability rotation? Compared to the majority of people that post in H&A, I suck pretty hard at QBD, but I rarely have to eat save for wombo combos on the 4th phase. Are you using soul split and turmoil the whole fight, as well as the vampyrism aura?

 

As for me, I usually berserk the third phase because sometimes you have to do a bit of running around on the 4th, so I just threshold the 4th phase. I also just tank the majority of the souls because I'm a bad player, but I still seem to manage just fine.

[Saradomin_Mage]

I just use anticipate/freedom to stall from the coffer to the first phase, lose about 15% adrenaline (but am at 100% when the kill ends).

[bjanko]

What is your current ability rotation? Compared to the majority of people that post in H&A, I suck pretty hard at QBD, but I rarely have to eat save for wombo combos on the 4th phase. Are you using soul split and turmoil the whole fight, as well as the vampyrism aura?

 

 

My ability bar is setup as follows: Slice-Punish-Decimate-Sever-Dismember-Slaughter-Destroy-Assault-Flurry (I use the same bar for slaying) -Berserk-Sacrifice-Escape. Usually I can sustain a rotation using the first 4, but I keep dismember for just in case. I use Sacrifice when I can for free healing and Slaughter (despite being unable to move the QBD), because it hits for 100-250%. I use Assault and Destroy when I can, but hesitate for the third phase to save them for berserk on the final phase. 

 

I use Turmoil and soul split at all times, and don't turn it off when running to the artefacts. I'm always Overloaded, and bring an Adrenaline flask for use after berserk on each kill.

 

I don't use any auras as at the moment i'm trying to work out a sustainable way to camp the QBD - and the vamp aura would only be usable for 1 out of every 4 hours. (The scrimshaw not so much, hence why I asked.) I would look into using auras to cut down on costs and make trips a little more comfortable after i've become better at the QBD and can get a good method/rhythm/profit per hour going. 

 

 

 

 

As for me, I usually berserk the third phase because sometimes you have to do a bit of running around on the 4th, so I just threshold the 4th phase. I also just tank the majority of the souls because I'm a bad player, but I still seem to manage just fine.

 

I think i'm managing okay. I don't see it worth using Berserk on the third phase because the 4th phase is the most dangerous and best to get over as quickly as possible (I could be wrong though). It's just that my profit per hour is nowhere near what people say it is/should be/whatever.

 

I just use anticipate/freedom to stall from the coffer to the first phase, lose about 15% adrenaline (but am at 100% when the kill ends).

 

 

How are you at 100% after the kill? Do you gain adren on the worms before activating the final artefact? Do you not zerk the final phase? 

[xpx]

Don't use berserker on the final phase. It's only worth it if you are tying for the fastest kill, otherwise it's pretty pointless. Penace aura works nicely in allowing you to do a full hour without extra prayer. 

[bjanko]

Don't use berserker on the final phase. It's only worth it if you are tying for the fastest kill, otherwise it's pretty pointless. Penace aura works nicely in allowing you to do a full hour without extra prayer. 

 

How is it pointless? It seems to help me a lot by avoiding a lot of damage from all the special attacks or speeding up kills by not having to deal with time stops/etc. Is it in order to use thresholds on the first phase for the next kill?

[Perfect Wave]

 

Don't use berserker on the final phase. It's only worth it if you are tying for the fastest kill, otherwise it's pretty pointless. Penace aura works nicely in allowing you to do a full hour without extra prayer. 

 

How is it pointless? It seems to help me a lot by avoiding a lot of damage from all the special attacks or speeding up kills by not having to deal with time stops/etc. Is it in order to use thresholds on the first phase for the next kill?

 

 

I'm fairly sure it's not useless. You should be going for fast kills because more kills=more $.

copy paste from my guide on another site on qbd:

 

 

When you enter the room you want to drink your Overload, Prayer Renewal, and Super Antifire when she starts to lift her head. 

If you're meleeing you should stand 1 square to south of the middle. Range/Mage should stand 1 square south of the first pillar.

Like so:

(Where to stand melee picture)

 

(Where to stand mage/range picture)

 

As soon as you can attack her you want to use Sever/Impact/Binding shot and begin building adrenaline using an ability rotation such as:

1,2,1,3,1,2,1,4,1 etc. 

 

Do this until you are 100% adrenaline. Then use Berserk/Death's Swiftness/Sunshine and finish off the phase with basics.

Tag the 1st pillar and go back to attacking her. Use Sever/Impact/Binding shot as soon as the phase starts. Continue building up to threshold and use Assault/Wild Magic/Snapshot

This should pretty much take you to the end of the phase, but if it doesn't build back up to threshold with basics and use Destroy/Asphyxiate/Rapid Fire. 

 

Tag the 2nd pillar and use basics until you are at threshold level. If you are already at threshold level at the start use Destroy (Assault if it's still on cool down)/Asphyxiate/Rapid Fire, followed by Sever/Impact/Binding Shot. Continue basics to get to full adrenaline and finish her off with more basics. 

Take the time to eat to full health before the wave ends so that you can get back to full adrenaline.

 

Tag the third pillar and run up a few squares if you are using ranged or magic to here:

(Range/mage final phase picture)

 

or in the usual spot if you are using melee.

Use berserker, drink an adrenaline potion, and use Sever/Impact/Binding shot followed by Punish/Concentrated Blast/Needle Strike. Then use Assault/Asphyxiate/Snap Shot. Finish her off with basics, followed by another threshold and tag the final pillar. 

Throughout the final phase make sure you can see the two sides where the tormented souls go before the timestop attack. 

 

Tips for throughout the kill:

Use anticipate/freedom while running to pillars to gain more adrenaline. 

Saradomin Brews are extremely underrated at all bosses. They are an easy way to gain HP back without losing any adrenaline. 

 

Adrenaline Stalling after the kill:

I only really recommend this if you have 50% or more adrenaline after the kill. As soon as you enter the room to loot use Anticipation, once you go out of combat use Devotion, and once you reenter the room to fight her again use Freedom.

 

 

 

Sorry that it doesn't have the pictures.

[xpx]

There is a difference between one, very fast kill and faster, more consistent kills. Berserker doesn't help you kill faster, but it will definitely help getting you killed faster.

[Saradomin_Mage]

 

I just use anticipate/freedom to stall from the coffer to the first phase, lose about 15% adrenaline (but am at 100% when the kill ends).

How are you at 100% after the kill? Do you gain adren on the worms before activating the final artefact? Do you not zerk the final phase?

 

No I'm the joker using Ascensions so I don't even use ultimates.

 

Don't use berserker on the final phase. It's only worth it if you are tying for the fastest kill, otherwise it's pretty pointless. Penace aura works nicely in allowing you to do a full hour without extra prayer.

Keep forgetting about this, thanks xpx.

[cowmaster187]

i know how to help on the tormented souls question. the blowy things that follow you don't appear until the soul speaks. so when the talk then you move to the other side of them, at least that is what works for me. when you have more than 2 it is rough as they are more spread out (especialy with melee). good luck

 

~~~legoman187~~~

[Yak-scythe]

i know how to help on the tormented souls question. the blowy things that follow you don't appear until the soul speaks. so when the talk then you move to the other side of them, at least that is what works for me. when you have more than 2 it is rough as they are more spread out (especialy with melee). good luck

 

~~~legoman187~~~

That's pretty much it, is to just delay it for about a second or so then run over quickly.

 

As for final phase:

 

- fire walls just before they come out run all the way back, then when all waves are out run through them and you'll only either take half the damage or no damage from waves.

- Timestop, when 4 souls come out on final phase sometimes one teleports to the corner and thats whats cauing the timestop just kill him as soon as you can to avoid that as it can be frustrating.

- Souls usually you can tank the first 3 phases but its not advisary, when theres 4 souls just run in a diagnol direction towards them and it'll sometimes make them catch the damaging thingy.. not 100% effective but still helpful.

 

GL!

 

EDIT: I use bandos with drygores nothing fancy and i'm able to soulsplit the whole way through the fight?

[Perfect Wave]

 

 

I just use anticipate/freedom to stall from the coffer to the first phase, lose about 15% adrenaline (but am at 100% when the kill ends).

How are you at 100% after the kill? Do you gain adren on the worms before activating the final artefact? Do you not zerk the final phase?

 

No I'm the joker using Ascensions so I don't even use ultimates.

 

Don't use berserker on the final phase. It's only worth it if you are tying for the fastest kill, otherwise it's pretty pointless. Penace aura works nicely in allowing you to do a full hour without extra prayer.

Keep forgetting about this, thanks xpx.

 

 

Shouldn't you use deaths swiftness and unload?

 

There is a difference between one, very fast kill and faster, more consistent kills. Berserker doesn't help you kill faster, but it will definitely help getting you killed faster.

 

Just speaking from personal experience I very rarely die as a direct result from zerk. Also, zeroing lets you finish the phase in like 10 seconds (zerk+kick+sever+assault) causing you to take far less damage as she has less time for firewalls+souls+firebreath+attacking you. Wouldn't this outweigh the small chance of dying?

Also if you're using a yak the food isn't really an issue.

[bjanko]

Hey guys! Just thought i'd update you with how things are going, because something must still be going wrong.

 

 

There is a difference between one, very fast kill and faster, more consistent kills. Berserker doesn't help you kill faster, but it will definitely help getting you killed faster.

 

Just speaking from personal experience I very rarely die as a direct result from zerk. Also, zeroing lets you finish the phase in like 10 seconds (zerk+kick+sever+assault) causing you to take far less damage as she has less time for firewalls+souls+firebreath+attacking you. Wouldn't this outweigh the small chance of dying?

Also if you're using a yak the food isn't really an issue.

 

---

 

This is how i'm imagining the use of zerk. I've tried using thresholds on phases without it and it does seem to work pretty well. It depends on how the rng is feeling =p

 

I just finished doing an hour of QBD to test. My drops came to 3.25m mid ge price - one drop was a royal crossbow piece, so it's a little overpriced at the moment, making the gross profit around 3.15m. With the cost of overloads included (And slightly underpriced at 20k/dose) as well as food (around 100 sharks), my supplies came to a cost of 500k, making the net profit per hour about 2.6m - at which i'd be better off doing even frost dragons, and is under half what people have told me that you can get from the QBD. I used a steel titan + scrolls to help speed kills up and gained 15 kills in the hour, which was real time - including banking/looting/whatever. 

 

I've followed all the advice in this thread, dodged most of the souls, and the qbd still hits like a truck (doing around 2-3 kills/trip, even with soul split - she frequently hits 1.5k+).

 

Does anyone have any other advice, or am I simply just not getting lucky enough with drops? 

 

The only other thing I could think of doing is using a superior scrimshaw of vamp to help with kills as mentioned in the op - it'd cost an extra 200k/hr in potential profit from selling regular scrimshaws, but it'd increase survivability and decrease bank time/adren loss. 

 

Any thoughts?

[Major Dash]

I usually get 2 kills per dose of overload/renewal, so I net around 20 kills per hour. Your KPH seems kind of low, and you really shouldn't be using anywhere near that much food or banking. I really don't know why you are having to eat so much considering that you are using Tetsu. But as a word of advice, just keep going at her. You will speed up and start making more money after you get more familiar with her. Sometimes you do get bad drops, but other times you will get 5 lantadyme drops in an hour along with 3 crossbow pieces. It is kind of a hit or miss, but if you keep doing it, it will definitely be more cash than Frost Dragons.

 

 

You can also try getting the LP boost from burning logs before you start a trip.

[Saradomin_Mage]

Shouldn't you use deaths swiftness and unload?

Unload is junk, it's only very slightly better than rapid fire, and isn't worth burning 100% adrenaline. The three thresholds are much better and usually enough so that unload would only overkill it.

 

Death's swiftness is no good when you cast it and she calls fire walls, nothing like berserk at all.