DoA 5-man

Overoad

Introduction

These are safe, casual tactics for 5-man DoA runs. There are plenty of optimisations that could be made to enchance speed, but the design of these tactics is structured around safety and relative consistency between 5 players.

Provided the tank is experienced, all other players can (perhaps surprisingly) be relatively inexperienced in the tactics, provided they have a solid foundational knowledge of DoA (e.g. can play Spiker and Backline roles in FBGM tactics). Having a single tank means that the s/he can speed up or slow the run down as needed, depending on the experience of the team and how the run is progressing.

Voice communication is (as always in DoA) strongly recommended no matter what level of experience the team has.

These runs should expect times of around 35mins.

Tactic Overview

Gloom

5-man runs always start in Gloom if the team wants to do a full run. This avoids failing the run if the tank is getting rupted while doing Cave. Additionally you don't have to pop the Gloom trench in Veil or do the long run in between Gloom and Veil.

• Entrance must be pulled by the Tank to allow the TK to quest run safely. The TK should take the quest and run straight into Cave as quickly as possible to trigger the cave spawns whilst the EMo waits for the Tank at the wave 1 spawn.
• Cave spawns 4 and 8 should be walled and killed by the EMo and Spikers respectively. The Earth's shouldn't cause too much concern for the Tank, but there is no reason not to be safe and take them anyway. The Tank should ball the enemies on the wave 12 spawn area for speed.
• Rift is completely pulled by the Tank to the wall between Deathbringer and Rift. The EMo and MeMo should cap rift quickly and escape through the Earth tormentor spawn, running around the Tank so the Tank's run to Deathbringer is as quick as possible.
• Deathbringer will be whirled by the tank with aggro from Rift. The team may need to finish off a couple of enemies if the tank cannot get a good position.
• Darknesses first wave is whirled on spawn by the Tank. The second wave is pulled against the wall into a 1 dot and also whirled. The Earth wave is spiked by the team (mostly MoP) and leftovers are cleaned up afterwards.

Foundry

• Room 1 is done like normal.
• Room 2 is done Safeway. The Spikers and EMo should wait on the south wall and barely trigger the room. If they get aggro, spike immediately. If not, they should walk back into the corner and the Tank should make a ball. Try to get right into the corner before killing the last enemy, so that for the second wave, you have as little chance as possible to get aggro.
• Room 3 can be triggered immediately. The Necro should place EoE early and the Tank should get all the aggro. Spikers can start killing the Dryders once they are balled up (there is no chance of chain aggro). Rock pull the big ball for safety and call the spike.
• Room 4 is spiked from the first corner. EoE can be placed in the crag if you get aggro of the Earth wave too early.
• Room 5 can be tricky. The Necro should not take the quest and the TK will take all snakes, using Recall to jump out. The Tank will pull the enemies out of the way of the Captain for the TK to take the last snake. The team should then run across the Black beast spawn to the other side to break aggro from the Captain spawn. The MeMo should ping until the General is free, after which the EMo pings.
• Black Beast can be a dangerous spike. The Necro should wall in the glitchspot on the left side (re-apply LB title), and YMLAD the touch if it happens. Spike hard and the EMo should do everything to keep the Necro alive, and take Fury immediately.
• Fury is whirled by the Tank.

City

• Spikes will die VERY quickly with MoP and Whirling, provided the Tank isn't hit with Wild Throw. Therefore it is very important that the off-damage is hit early on all spikes. In less experienced teams, the Tank should consider only Whirling once that off damage has been hit. Additionally, Dwarven Stability should not be used, so Whirling runs out quicker and the mobs dont scatter during successive pulls.
• The Wall will be slow. Pop ghosts for the Necro's energy. The Necro is always on Manks whereas the Mesmers are on Sus, although the MeMo should have unlimited energy and can help on everything. Always leave the last Mank alive until after the 2nd outer spike so the Tank has better timing on the Inside pulls.
• Inside City is done Left side first for Patrol timings and for the Team to have a safe space to stand. If experienced, the TK can delay the Right Side patrol for better timings.
• Jadoth should be done Inside City for Safety. The EMo should stay in Bond range but far enough so if the Tank gets interrupted on Shadow Form, the mobs will break.

Veil

• 360 the Tank pulls all waves and walls fiend waves. The EMo walls melee waves.
• Underlords must be done one at a time, usually starting with Derv Lord as the team is already in position for the hill. If the tank is confident, a one-pull is possible as the Lord will die very quickly and you have full bonds.
• Trench pops are pulled into the Monk Lord glitchspot. If the timing is good, the Tank can pull the left side of clover. If this happens, the team should focus any Stygian Fiends and casters that may be pulled before spiking the glitched mobs. EoE should be placed slightly behind the Glitchspot so it doesn't die to Golem flash enchantments.
• Monk Lord is killed first, as the team is already there. If the TK is experienced and the timing is bad, s/he can pull the Lord whilst the Tank pulls the patrol away. Otherwise, the Tank can pull Monk Lord just like FBGM tactics. Note that if Hungers need to be popped, the whole team is there so just request an EoE and Tank/Spike the mobs.
• Clover can be tricky in these tactics. If the Tank's pull is poor, the team does not have a huge amount of recovery options. If the Tank is inexperienced and 1 side of Clover was not pulled earlier, consider spiking each side separately, beginning with Left-side considering patrols.
• Ele/Necro Lord are very similar to 8man tactics, but the TK should help on the Ele Lord patrol.
• 3-3 is another dangerous part of the run. It is crucial that the front tendril dies at a good time. This allows the Tank to be ahead of all the enemies and wall him/herself, which will allow the EMo to step back and fuse pull for a more stable spike. The Tank can even run into the glitchspot on the first spike if there is enough time. If the enemies are ahead of the Tank, then the EMo must wall, which adds a significant amount of risk.

Tank

Build

/ Tank
Expertise: 12+3+1, Shadow Arts: 12, Marksmanship: 3 OgcTc588ZimUn5A6uU4ABC3pzBA

Equipment

• Sup Vigor, Blessed and Vitae
• High HP headpiece for Veil.
• One-handed weapon of Enchanting and a Demon Shield
• Staff of Enchanting
• Flatbow of Enchanting

Role Walkthrough

The tank generally determines the speed of the run. In inexperienced runs, you will be responsible for managing the pace so that the rest of the team can keep up and allow for explanations of tactics. In experienced runs you will need to push hard where you can to gain time. The Ranger should be an experienced tank from 8man tactics and ideally have experience doing solo Gloom. If the Tank is new, ensure that there is enough experience on the rest of the team to help cover.

Gloom

• Entrance - Recall the Emo, HoS up the cliff and pull the enemies out of Gloom entrance so the TK can quest run safely. Recall out to catch the Flesh spawn and receive/ask for a balth.
• Cave - Aggro cave mobs and clear a path for the TK to escape from cave. Kill the rupts (Sanities first, then Spirits) and then any long range tormentors to minimise the off damage for the spike. Once waves 9-12 groups begin spawning, pull everything towards wave 12 spawn and Recall the EMo before making a ball. Whirl the off damage (you may need to deal extra damage if the Heart Tormentors heal) and then jump into the main ball to help complete the spike.
• Rift - Recall out to the EMo and place a new Recall whilst getting full bonds. Ping Shadow Form when you and the Rift team are ready. Stand on the caster spawn and pull all the enemies on the wall between Rift and Deathbringer and Whirl the melees. Once the team has capped rift, make your way to Deathbringer.
• Deathbringer - Wait for all the NPCs to die and a tight ball to settle. Get a fresh Shadow Form and walk in to the enemies. If the Spirit runs out, Whirl it before jumping into the rest.
• Darknesses - Whirl the first wave on spawn. Pull the 2nd spawn against the wall between Deathbringer and Rift and jump in. When they die, stand on top of their corpses so you can hit as many Earths as possible. Jump into the rest of the Tormentors after the spike to help finish off any leftovers with EoE. Grab chest and Recall out.

Foundry

• Room 1 - Unlike in 8-man tactics, make sure to use Shadow Form.
• Room 2 - Make balls if the team doesn't have aggro. If they do, attack to support the damage.
• Room 3 - Aggro the Dryders first, and then the rest of the enemies. Pull the Dryders into a ball and then right wall block the rest on the rock for the spike.
• Room 4 - Pull like normal towards the start of the room.
• Room 5 - Pull like normal for the first 2 snakes and then clear the Captain from aggro. Jump on the Runds and whirl these down first before using the small rock opposite the Black Beast entrance to right wall block the Titans. Once they are dead tell your EMo and MeMo to drop Prot and Life Bond to give you a chance to drop below 50% health for additional block chance and Whirling damage.
• Fury - Right wall block and kill the buggy enemies, then kill the rest. Pull the enemies away from the chest

City

• Outer - First 2 balls like normal. Don't use Dwarven Stability, or your Whirling Defense will last too long and cause scatter when doing the next pulls.
• Left inner Like normal, but leave off damage, as the team has plenty of time to clear up. Ensure you have Recall on the EMo.
• Right inner - Run to where the Mesmers normally spike and DC to the Spirit/enemies down below.
• Jadoth - Pull inside City. Try to get the enemies to ball up on the gate pillar. Don't spend any more time than necessary in Veil to avoid Demonic Miasma. Once the ball is complete, pop a cupcake.

Veil

• 360 - Pull waves from all three hills and wall waves 3,4 and 6.
• Derv Hill - Pull like normal. If you can do it cleanly, pull the lord and the exit pull in one.
• Underlords - Pull like normal. If you have a cupcake active, sidewalk for the Water Tormentors on Ranger hill.
• Trench Pops - Run into Mes Trench and pull the back group to the glitch spot. If you can safely pull the left side of Clover at the same time, do so. If you have a cupcake active and didn't manage to pull a side of Clover, consider dying outside the glitchspot to make Clover safer.
• Monk Lord - Pull the Lord. If your TK is experienced and the timing is bad, Recall the TK and pull away the patrol for him/her to pull the Monk Lord.
• Clover - Pull Clover like normal. If you're not confident in your team, consider splitting the Spike in 2, starting on the Left Side. After Clover, pull out Necro Lord.
• 3-3 - If you're in position to wall the groups, communicate with your EMo and let them fusepull the groups in.

SS

Build

/ SS
Curses 12+3+1, Beast: 11, Soul Reaping: 6+3 OAJUYsDbXsQWC5BuQwB3g2kPHQH

Equipment

• Sup Vigor, Radiant and Attunement
• 40/40 Curses set
• +30/-2 High Energy set
• Any Flatbow/Longbow for pulling

Role Walkthrough

A Necro spiker is used in lowman due to skillbar compression across the team, synergy of MoP with Whirling and the energy management that Soul Reaping provides. Given the long cast times, try to cast SS as early as possible.

Gloom

• Cave - Trigger the mobs at the start of Gloom. Wait for the Tank to pull enemies out of the way and then kill waves 4 and 8 like in 8man tactics. Place EoE behind the crag where waves 4/8/12 spawn, ensuring it cannot get aggro from mobs on the other side. Wait for the Tank to hit the off damage after wave 12 and MoP the main ball when the tank jumps in.
• Rift - Provide the TK with a Recall target when he takes the next quest and then just run straight to Deathbringer.
• Deathbringer - Trigger the mobs and place spirits in range (relatively quickly so they recharge in time)
• Darknesses - Place spirits once the Tank has pulled the 2nd wave to the wall. MoP the Earths and clear up any stragglers.

Foundry

• Room 1 - Place EoE in range of the Margo group after it spawns. YMLaD the Vu on the spike.
• Room 2 - Hide in the corner when entering the room, and let the tank ball the enemies if you don't have aggro. If you do, spike on spawn. Either way, get back in the corner before the last enemy of wave 1 dies.
• Room 3 - Place EoE immediately in range of Rock pull. Spike Torturewebs/Dream Rider and then spike big ball.
• Room 4 - YMLaD the Ki from wave 1 to keep it in the ball. Place EoE in the crack to be safe.
• Room 5 - Don't take quest. Place EoE while the TK takes Captain. Wall Black Beast. Place Winnowing for Fury.

City

• Spikes - Lead the spikes with MoP
• Wall - Focus on the Manks
• Jadoth - Place EoE below the hill with no risk of getting aggro from the pull, which will be in City

Veil

• 360 - Try to cast SS early on an incoming enemy so that it is recharged for the spike to use it again.
• Underlords - Aggro Derv Lord
• Trench Pops - Place EoE on the wall behind the Monk Trench glitchspot and stand in Glitchspot. Spike Monk Lord from top.
• Lords - Monk Lord, Clover, Ele Lord Patrol, Necro Lord
• 3-3 - Place EoE early and cast SS on incoming enemies.

Example Video

This video shows more advanced tactics, but the role is mostly the same.

TK

Build

/ TK
Domination: 12+3+1, Fast Casting: 12+3 OQdCAsw0SwJgpz0zGgcZMZnD

Equipment

• Sup Vigor, Radiant and Attunement
• 40/40 Domination Set
• +30/-2 High Energy Set
• Any Flatbow/Longbow for pulling

Role Walkthrough

You are responsible for off damage, particularly in Gloom and City where the main ball will die very quickly due to MoP and Whirling.

Gloom

• Entrance/Cave - TAKE THE QUEST and Recall over the hill. Run straight into the Cave as quickly as possible to trigger the quest, but taking care to avoid aggro so you don't die. Wait for the Tank to move enemies out the way so you can escape safely. Help kill waves 4/8 and the big spike.
• Quest running - Recall the Necro. When Rift team is ready, take the reward and next quest and run to the start of Gloom. Take the reward and next quest immediately. After a few seconds, the NPC will begin running to Deathbringer - keep up with him and take the reward when it's available. Rejoin the team for Darknesses.
• Darknesses - Wait for wave 3 to spawn and help spike.

Foundry

• Rooms - Manage energy well by picking good targets and skill usage. Hide in the corner when entering room 2, and let the tank ball the enemies if you don't have aggro. If you do, spike on spawn. Either way, get back in the corner before the last enemy of wave 1 dies.
• Room 5 - Take the quest. Take all snakes. Recall out from 3rd immediately to avoid getting mirrored.
• Black Beast - Spike Black Beast once it has settled on the Necro.

City

• Spikes - Focus off damage.
• Wall - Kill Sus with ESurge, PI, and Unnatural.
• Inner - Delay right side patrols by Recalling the Necro and running up the hill. The Tuks will follow, but the other Margos won't, so long as you keep moving forward, allowing you to hold aggro without getting Recall stripped. Recall out shortly before the first spike.
• Jadoth - Take Jadoth quest when Tank says s/he is ready.

Veil

• 360 - Pull waves 1 and 5. Off damage all waves.
• Underlords - Stay with the team.
• Trench Pops - Recall the Necro, pop Monk Trench, and Recall out.
• Lords - Monk Lord, Ele Lord Patrol, Ele Lord. If the timing is bad on Monk Lord and you are familiar with Lord aggro, you can pull it whilst the tank moves the patrol away.
• 3-3 - Kill back tendrils. In 4man, only hit off damage if the EMo isn't walling, otherwise focus the main ball.

Example Video

This video shows more advanced tactics, with a slightly different build and some changes to the role.

MeMo

Build

/ MeMo
Domination: 12+3+1, FC: 10+3, Heal: 8, Prot: 2 OQNEAqwN+CZT62Y6I4sBM9IREPA

Equipment

• Sup Vigor, Radiant and Attunement
• 40/40 Domination set
• +30/-2 High Energy set
• Flatbow of Enchanting for pulling and casting seed. An Enchantment mod is a good idea for Seed casts.

Role Walkthrough

With Life Bond, you'll have unlimited energy between Room 3 and Veil so can drive lots of damage. Seed effectively in Veil and at Black beast.

Gloom

• Cave - Trigger the mobs at the start of Gloom. Wait for the Tank to pull enemies out of the way and then kill waves 4 and 8 like in 8man tactics. Spike the off damage on the big spike.
• Rift - Go to Rift, kill the Claw, Cap, then run through the Earth Tormentor wave to escape.
• Deathbringer - Nothing to do
• Darknesses - Wait for the Tank to kill the first 2 waves and then help on the Earths.

Foundry

• Rooms - Hide in the corner when entering room 2, and let the tank ball the enemies if you don't have aggro. If you do, spike on spawn, making effective use of Empathy. Either way, get back in the corner before the last enemy of wave 1 dies. Put Life Bond on the Tank at the start of Room 3.
• Room 5 - Ping for Snakes until General is free, then let the EMo take over.
• Black Beast - Seed the EMo on recharge to help keep the Necro alive. Drop Life Bond from the tank.

City

• Transition - Use Life Bond on the tank once they've received a fresh Prot Bond from the EMo.
• Spikes - Place a VoR on the main ball before hitting off damage, in case the tank gets hit with Wild Throw.
• Wall - Help with everything on the wall.

Veil

• 360 - Seed the EMo for melee waves and the tank for fiend waves.
• Underlords - Stay with the team.
• Trench Pops - Stay in the Monk Glitch Spot.
• Lords - Monk Lord, Clover (Seed Tank), Ele Lord Patrol, Necro Lord.
• 3-3 - Kill front tendrils. Seed the EMo for the spikes.

EMo

Build

/ EMo
Energy Storage: 12+3+1, Protection: 12, Healing: 3 OgNDwcPPT3MaR1CkE0lxDHEyD

Equipment

• Sup Vigor, Radiant and Attunement
• Staff of Enchanting with useful mods
• High Energy Staff of Enchanting
• Any Flatbow/Longbow for pulling
• Shield Set for Tanking

Role Walkthrough

Maintain all bonds on all team members and keep range of the tank. Keep the team healthy!

Gloom

• Entrance - EE over the hill, run to the Cave wave 1 spawn, wait for the tank to Recall out, and give him/her Balth.
• Cave - Tank waves 4 and 8 for the team to kill. Provide a Recall target for the Tank before the big spike and start running to Rift.
• Rift - Fully bond the tank, help kill the Claw, Cap, then run through the Earth Tormentor wave to escape.
• Deathbringer and Darknesses - Maintain bonds on the tank but stand far enough so that if there is a rupt, s/he will lose aggro when Recalling out.

Foundry

• Rooms - Keep people healthy and use lots of cover enchantments. Hide in the corner when entering room 2.
• Room 5 - Take the quest. Ping for Snakes when General is free.
• Black Beast - Keep the Necro alive. Take the Reward.

City

• Spikes - Maintain range on the tank.
• Wall - Keep the team healthy.
• Jadoth - During 2nd inner City spike, check the tank has a Recall then run towards the NPC to let him/her Recall out towards Jadoth..

Veil

• 360 - Tank melee waves and fuse pull Fiend waves.
• Underlords - Maintain Bond range on the Tank.
• Trench Pops - Pull the front pop of Mes trench and EE to the Necro. Don't worry about losing the tank's range.
• Lords - Monk Lord, Clover (keep Tank alive), Ele Lord Patrol, keep range for the TK on Ele Lord.
• 3-3 - Communicate with the tank - if s/he can wall on his/her own, let them and fuse pull. If enemies are running ahead of the tank, then help wall.