Non-mainstream way of doing Advanced Heliophage third wave

[nrennat (BADASS CRATER OF BADASSITUDE)]

So over my many times beating (and many many more times trying to beat) the Heliophage, I would have to say that the part I’ve wiped on the most and with the most agony, is the two bosses just before Rendain.

So two days ago I took a step back and looked at why that was. Even in my tips thread, (Shameless Plug:

Tips and Tricks to Every Advanced Campaign Mission

There are a few tricks to every mission that I can impart since I’ve been running missions exclusively on Advanced for a long time now: Algorithm ~Slow and kill rhonin bots before any other enemy, because I bet they are responsible for 95% of deaths. ~Don’t bunch up when fighting elite bots because grenades are nukes. ~Only have one player shooting down Geoff in his last phase while everyone else focuses adds because they will add up and wipe you if you don’t. ~When the Galactic Emperor goe…

Many of these tips are still applicable even after patch), I said to kill Nix first, then clean up all the adds before proceeding to kill the varelsi. The problem with this solution is that after you burn down Nix, many thrall adds have spawned and there are probably a great deal of skulks making the sky black with tar balls. While manageable on the island where Nix spawned in the cave (debatable sometimes), I’ve found that if someone dies, then it is nigh impossible to get back into the fight with so many adds focusing you as you launch onto the middle island.

So I luckily had an obedient pug group yesterday that followed what I pinged, and I decided to just kill the varelsi boss while trying our best to avoid Warlord Nix. We got knocked down a few times and had one death, but they had no problems getting back into the fight without the thrall brutes and friends hammering them. After killing the varelsi, kill Nix on the same island as the varelsi was and get up to the flat platform and jump on the crates with your backs against the wall ready for rendain. This makes it so the thralls on the other islands wont notice you up there. Just mind the ones that do and take care of them before proceeding to pound on Rendain and you should get through without too much trouble. We did that and we finished with a gold and in my fastest time of 47 minutes and 14 seconds!

Let me know if you have any other game-changing tips that may go against the grain but work out!

[Kaleidodemon (Creator of the Battleborn Discord)]

At the spawn area there is the launchpad/jumppad that everyone knows about but there is also other pads that you can use off to the side. There is an opening in the room that gives you access to several pads floating in the air. One is easy to access and drops you off on the Tempest themed area. The others are a little harder to jump to depending on your character.

[nrennat (BADASS CRATER OF BADASSITUDE)]

In all my months…I’ve never noticed that. Thanks

[Pain_Parade]

i ALWAYS kill the monster first…if Nix comes over to the bliss island with you and the varelsi beast then lure HIM back to the cathedral island and go back to dealing with the beast…it is the method i have the most success with.

[wisecarver]

OK, Advanced Helio is something I do a lot, even have that title now.
(Currently 665 hours Adv Story, Helio 52 times, Missions completed 618, attempted 927, 2126 deaths)

…With those stats I’m somewhat of a Helio Hero, as Randy would put it.

So my short list:

1. Knockback is a thing. Be aware of what direction your back is facing, you are going to get pitched.

2. If you are on a team please have at least one person who is ranged and can whittle down Musk.
   When Must spawns it does massive damage in all directions, at all times, so keep moving.
   The mud pies it tosses are in cascading waves from side angles, they are not random. So dance.

3. It helps a lot if your team agrees to a Holding area.
   You want to fallback to a spot you and your team can hold and one that has at least minimal cover.
   This is by far not the center area.

4. When you respawn there is a dropoff in the back of the spawning area that takes you to the Blue area.
   This is helpful because the normal jump pad drops you in the middle, and at the wrong time that’s murder.

5. When Rendain calls for help, do your best to keep whittling him down, you can kill him at that point and end this.

[timtoborne (The Art of the Foxtrot)]

The way I’ve always done it is to have a Support and a tank deal with the varelsi adds, a damage dealer and another support deal with the adds on the platforms that don’t have Nix on them, and a Marquis to assist them, and deal with the adds that spawned around Nix.

At least, that’s how it always ends up on my end, every time a new boss duo spawns, more adds spawn on each of the platforms, not sure if it’s supposed to do that though.

[wisecarver]

The way I’ve always done it is to have a Support and a tank deal with the varelsi adds

…There are very flexible team methods indeed.
I love being the Ambra.

[DevonS3 (Devon (XBL: DudeVonDude S3))]

I beat adv helio 5 out of 6 times the last two days of Lootpocalypse (all pugs). The loss was before we had reached the boss, and there were a couple CR < 10s in the group.

Every time we would kill Nix first, then clear the follow-up thralls (mainly fighting them on jungle and cathedral islands). Then we’d get to work on the Varelsi (is it the conservator? I can’t remember the Varelsi boss’s name) on the ice island. We’d have people clearing adds on the lower portion, and I would be getting crits on the boss from above, while spamming my aoe on the adds below (as OM).

Beaten it a few times before the Lootpocalypse streak this way as well. Haven’t ever had an issue with respawns during thrall clearing. (Not that I don’t believe you).

I haven’t tried doing the Varelsi first, but my concern would be that, with the Conservator taking so much longer to kill, you’ll have a lot of aoe spam coming from him and Nix. So unless you had the right team comp to keep Nix and the Conservator in separate areas, you’d get bombarded into dust.

I guess my point is that Nix > Thrall > Varelsi still seems like a more universal strategy.

[DevonS3 (Devon (XBL: DudeVonDude S3))]

Lol. The easiest two runs I had post patch were definitely the ones where we had Ambra. I didn’t even have to spam my aoe as mike on the adds, since she clears so well. I just launched it all at the boss instead.

[wisecarver]

Yup, same for the Sentinel.

[TH3W1NT3RS07D13R (TheWinterSoldier)]

I don’t waste my time with PUGs anymore as most will wipe on every map because the majority of the player base entering matchmaking is using a character they aren’t familiar with at all to level while loot farming.

I farmed every boss drop solo during the lootpocalypse event plus the legendary buff that went into effect June 30th. The last pieces being the Doomsday Key and Helm of the Imperium.

Solo Advanced Helio Gold 129K in 44:26 only losing 2 lives with Thorn post nerf and since the latest update.

Here is my strat:

Helix:

1. Swampfoot
2. Cursed Earth
3. Draw Strength
4. Kreshek’s Judgement
5. Hexsanguination
6. Brutal Blight
7. Vaulting Hunter
8. Enduring Blight
9. Kreshek’s Rage
10. EarthRender

Gear:
Aelfrin Memory Band
Symbiotic Guantlet
Codex Fragment

Redain:
I engage him up top on the snow side, Blight/Ult/Volley spam arrows and jump as much as possible away keeping my back to the wall.

Round 1:
I burn the Maligner down and then Hylis. Blight then Wrath of The Wild on the Maligner, Blight should be back to place on the Maligner and in between you and primal Thralls/Varelsi adds. Varelsi adds will despawn on Maligners death, normally (9 out of 10 times but be prepared for when they don’t). I drop all three guards with one Blight, Nature’s Curse and ult Hylis retreat when he shields. With any luck Hylis was in the initial Blight as well. I stand in my Blight to defend against primal Thralls, snipe the guards, Ult Hylis. Repeat as needed. You can play more aggressively with additional Guard waves but its easy to get overrun with Primal Thralls and have Hylis knock you off.

Round 2:
I work on Foreman Grall and the Gunhulk at once. I nail Grall with Nature’s Curse, Blight/Ult and when he shields I run around the map building turrets and DPS’ing the Gunhulk while Grall is shielded. You can have the Gunhulk at half health or less and moving to the middle as you kill Grall. Sometimes the Gunhulk will chase you and it is possible to catch him and Grall with one Blight or Ult. I try to finish the Gunhulk with just cursed arrows and volley so I have Blight and the Ult ready for the next wave.

Round 3:
I immediately burn Warlord Nix down, in 5-7 seconds between Nature’s Curse Blight/Ult Combo by the cave, The loot he drops is enough for an overshield to 3 and numerous cooldown reduction, which is enough to clear the adds he spawned in the same area. A quick rotation around the outer perimeter of the map with Blight and Ult as available is enough to clear up the adds. I don’t bother with the center unless I die and have to launch back in, and if I do, I wait for all skills to cooldown first. Once I’m down to the Conservator, I get up close and personal for an Ult if its available and use my blight as I retreat to kill adds. If not available, I drop the Blight under the conservator and jack rabbit out as fast as I can. Rotate to kill the wardens and repeat until dead.

Redain:
I engage Rendain on the top of the snow side again and I keep my back to the wall at all times. Blight/Ult/Volley as available spam arrows. I try to time Blight/Ult to melt ads in the area as well. After playing a few times, you’ll get a feel for when he’ll silence you so as not lose your Ult.

[wisecarver]

…Well done!