Return of the Kroguard (Platinum Solo Outlaws Sandstorm)
Sept 2, 2018 3:18:22 GMT
antsu, Terminator Force, and 4 more like this
Post by vanelsa on Sept 2, 2018 3:18:22 GMT
This was my hardest Platinum solo yet because I wanted to play the Krogan Vanguard like the unkillable Krogan Vanguard from Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer. Many people did their first Gold solos with the Kroguard against Geth on Firebase Glacier. With no enemies that could sync-kill, the Krogan could charge in and headbutt or swipe melee every Geth around him. On Mass Effect Andromeda Multiplayer, the Kroguard was weakened significantly. His paper-thin shields, plodding movement, and lengthy power cooldowns (without boosters) meant that you had to be extra careful if you wanted to rush in where angels fear to tread. With experience and a certain spec, however, the Kroguard can make his triumphant return to Andromeda.
Nevertheless, this solo took over two hundred attempts because the Outlaw faction on Sandstorm is A LOT harder than Kett on Sandstorm. Flying Observers, biting Adhis, and stunning Berserkers make "easy" objectives like Devices and Retrieval very challenging. Boss can be difficult too because the Kroguard doesn’t want to fight at distance; he wants to be right in the thick of it. With 12 enemies on the field at a time, there is little margin for error if you are surrounded by enemies.
Because I failed so many times, I played the rest of Wave 4, 5, 6 and 7 much more conservatively. On Wave 5, I used my Kett Platinum Sandstorm strategy, but I know it’s possible to play the Kroguard similarly to how I played him on Waves 1, 2, and 3. Observers are your main priority on the first three waves. Anointed, Sharpshooters, Saboteurs, and Hydra (when their targeting eye and rockets are still active) are what you have to be wary of on the subsequent waves.
Objectives: Devices / Devices / Devices
* Wave 1: 0:01:17
* Wave 2 Devices: 0:03:47
* Wave 3: 0:08:43
* Wave 4 Devices: 0:14:51
* Wave 5: 0:20:31
* Wave 6 Devices: 0:35:32
* Wave 7: 0:44:58
Build: thethirdrace.app.goo.gl/KdR4
* Charge: 4B 5A 6B
* Fortify: 4B
* Nova: 4B 5A 6A
* APEX Training: 4A 5B
* Rage: 4A 5A
* Equalizer Siphon X
* P.A.W. Siphon II
* Vulnerability VI
* Disruptor Ammo IV
* Power Efficiency Mod III
Powers and Weapons
The Kroguard prefers combat indoors, and I situated myself in the room below my favorite rooftop and waited for the horde to arrive at the start of the mission. In such a confined space, you can prime multiple enemies with Seismic Nova and Disruptor Ammo. Charge can then detonate every primed enemy within 3.5m of the impact zone, which can lead to tremendous damage potential. With APEX Training 5B, each biotic combo results in 1759 damage in a 5m radius. Say I primed 5 enemies with Seismic Nova, one Charge into the group can result 8759 damage to everything in the surrounding area! Tech Combos can strip or seriously weaken shielded enemies like Observers and Anointed. If I follow up with Seismic Nova, those now unshielded enemies will be knocked to the ground and are re-primed for a Biotic combo.
Both Charge and Nova have invulnerability frames, so if you can get your cooldowns low enough, you can do this again and again without fear of dying, even when surrounded by many enemies. For this successful run, I sported a Power Efficiency Mod III to go with my 10% Power Recharge Bonus Stat. I also experimented with the following equipment and boosters.
* Power Efficiency Mod III: Charge 4.2 and Nova 7.7 seconds
* Power Efficiency Mod IV and Structural Ergonomics: Charge 3.5 and Nova 6.2
* Power Efficiency Mod IV and Expert Package: Charge 3.6 and Nova 6.5
* Power Efficiency Mod III and Structural Ergonomics: Charge 3.7 and Nova 6.7
* Power Efficiency Mod III and Expert Package: Charge 3.9 and Nova 7.1
* Power Efficiency Mod IV: Charge 3.9 and Nova 7.1
If I play with a group, I’ll sacrifice weapon damage in favor of power damage and faster recharge speed. Ultimately, I equipped the Vulnerability VI because I wanted to kill enemies faster in between detonating combos.
As for weapons, the P.A.W. and Equalizer are the ones to equip because you don’t have to worry about reloading. Because you will frequently be stunned, reloading can be a death sentence. If you don’t have a P.A.W. Siphon, use the Equalizer Siphon for close-up and short-range combat and a good Siphon ranged weapon. I equipped the Equalizer with the Receiver, so I could hit enemies behind the one right in my face. The Scattershot is also a possibility, but keep in mind of its low accuracy at distance.
You can watch Wave 1 and 3 to see how effective this strategy can be.
The Kroguard can also be a triple combo detonator when using Incendiary Ammo for Fire Explosions, Explosive Purge Fortify for Tech Combos, and Seismic Nova for Biotic detonations. I ultimately chose against this build because it required me to micro-manage another power (turning on and off Fortify) in an environment where I’m already making split second decisions.
Objectives
Firebase Sandstorm is generally an easy map for Device and Retrieval objectives when playing against Kett, but it’s a whole different story against the Outlaw faction. Multiple Observers, biting Adhis, and stun-locking Berserkers make the "easy" objectives very difficult for a slow and large character like the Kroguard. He can’t be caught out in the open with the pizza or the Observers will red laser beam him to death (not to mention the Hydra’s missile barrage). With Devices, he has to be extremely diligent kiting enemies away from devices or else the Adhis will bite him or Berserkers will flak cannon him off the device.
With Boss, the Kroguard’s desire to be right in the middle of battle exposes him to fire from all twelve enemies on the map. While you can use larger enemies as shields for you (because they will block fire from enemies between you and a Hydra for instance), enough enemies will have line of sight on you to drop you in an instant. As be very careful about
Having enemies surround you can also be useful because the larger ones function as shields for you. Position yourself correctly, and those Anointed won’t be able to hit you with their Soned if a Hydra or Berserker (or two) is between the two of you. Just watch out for the Sharpshooter or Saboteur taking shield-draining pot shots from across the map!
The Attempts
I attempted this Platinum solo over 200 times before finally completing it. This easily was my most frustrating and difficult solo to complete. Take a look at my failed runs the past two days:
August 31 Evening Runs
1. Hack
2. Boss Hack
3. Devices Hack
4. Upload
5. Boss - tough. used up 4 first aid kits and 2 gels. Died on Wave 3 in the room
6. Devices. First in Building 8 and the second at the LZ. Got Observer red laser beam of death and Flak Cannon’ed and it’s on to the next attempt
7. Hack
8. Retrieval - shot by curving and cheating Hydra missiles as I was jumping up to the second level. Not worth continuing at this point.
9. Boss Upload
10. Hack - Respeced afterwards to be a weapons platform at the expense of Fortify (movement and unmoving defense).
11. Devices - and the enemies were right at the first device so what can you do? Slow movement of this character is challenging
12. Devices - what can you do when the Adhi bites you? Respeced in Fortify 4 and Rage 4 only.
13. Adhi bit me on Wave 1.
14. Devices - with the Hydra camping on it
15. Adhi bites me again on Wave 1
16. Boss - could not target enemies after taking out the Blaze Hydra. Kept on getting killed. Is it because of my lack of survivability in Rage? Respecced again into Rage 5A and Apex Training 5B (but no 6A)
17. Boss. Could not isolate the Berserker and was subsequently killed by every enemy on the field.
18. Devices. Wave 3 Hydra kept meleeing me to death in the room
19. Devices Upload. Can I at least get to Wave 6 to see what objective RNG is going to saddle me with?
20. Hack.
21. Hack. Last one for the night.
September 1 Morning Runs
1. Devices. What can you do when the dogs keep biting you???
2. Berserker triplets melee attacks on Wave 1
3. Another Berserker triplets melee attacks on Wave 1. No unmoving defense caused this one to happen.
4. Boss Boss Hack. One of my better games to date but Hack, please???
5. Devices and the enemies were all at the third device
6. Boss. Cleared boss and died three times running away.
7. Died on Wave 1
8. Devices. And the Hydra melees me before rocketing me to death.
9. Boss. Died too many times killing Berserker and Blaze Hydra
10. Devices and the Biting Adhi
11. Retrieval. Hydras, Observers, and Adhis
12. Boss. Charge can’t target quickly enough before dying
Imagine doing have runs like this times 6 and you can understand my frustration with this solo. The Kroguard would not be denied, and on the 210th attempt, he was victorious!
After completing Wave 4 in around 19 minutes, I admit to playing the Kroguard much more conservatively. Losing two Revive Packs on Wave 5 made me be even more careful. I desperately wanted to get to Wave 6, so I don’t care that Wave 5 took me 15 minutes. After all, this is a smart Kroguard, not a dumb one! And with just one Revive pack left after disabling the last Wave 6 Device, I was super careful cleaning up the wave. I wasn’t about to Charge into a Hydra and have it melee me to death. There was no way I was going to charge into a group of Anointed and see who won between my Charge and Nova combination or their Soned assault rifles. And, I definitely was not going to Charge into an Ascendant, start performing a Nova, and have her grab me.
When I completed the mission, I let out a cry worthy of a Krogan. This solo reminded me of the battle on the Collector Platform or fighting the Praetorian on Horizon in Mass Effect 2. So much dying and repeating until I got through the section on Insanity with my Vanguard. My sacrifice to the gods of MEAMP is your gain. Please enjoy!
Nevertheless, this solo took over two hundred attempts because the Outlaw faction on Sandstorm is A LOT harder than Kett on Sandstorm. Flying Observers, biting Adhis, and stunning Berserkers make "easy" objectives like Devices and Retrieval very challenging. Boss can be difficult too because the Kroguard doesn’t want to fight at distance; he wants to be right in the thick of it. With 12 enemies on the field at a time, there is little margin for error if you are surrounded by enemies.
Because I failed so many times, I played the rest of Wave 4, 5, 6 and 7 much more conservatively. On Wave 5, I used my Kett Platinum Sandstorm strategy, but I know it’s possible to play the Kroguard similarly to how I played him on Waves 1, 2, and 3. Observers are your main priority on the first three waves. Anointed, Sharpshooters, Saboteurs, and Hydra (when their targeting eye and rockets are still active) are what you have to be wary of on the subsequent waves.
Objectives: Devices / Devices / Devices
* Wave 1: 0:01:17
* Wave 2 Devices: 0:03:47
* Wave 3: 0:08:43
* Wave 4 Devices: 0:14:51
* Wave 5: 0:20:31
* Wave 6 Devices: 0:35:32
* Wave 7: 0:44:58
Build: thethirdrace.app.goo.gl/KdR4
* Charge: 4B 5A 6B
* Fortify: 4B
* Nova: 4B 5A 6A
* APEX Training: 4A 5B
* Rage: 4A 5A
* Equalizer Siphon X
* P.A.W. Siphon II
* Vulnerability VI
* Disruptor Ammo IV
* Power Efficiency Mod III
Powers and Weapons
The Kroguard prefers combat indoors, and I situated myself in the room below my favorite rooftop and waited for the horde to arrive at the start of the mission. In such a confined space, you can prime multiple enemies with Seismic Nova and Disruptor Ammo. Charge can then detonate every primed enemy within 3.5m of the impact zone, which can lead to tremendous damage potential. With APEX Training 5B, each biotic combo results in 1759 damage in a 5m radius. Say I primed 5 enemies with Seismic Nova, one Charge into the group can result 8759 damage to everything in the surrounding area! Tech Combos can strip or seriously weaken shielded enemies like Observers and Anointed. If I follow up with Seismic Nova, those now unshielded enemies will be knocked to the ground and are re-primed for a Biotic combo.
Both Charge and Nova have invulnerability frames, so if you can get your cooldowns low enough, you can do this again and again without fear of dying, even when surrounded by many enemies. For this successful run, I sported a Power Efficiency Mod III to go with my 10% Power Recharge Bonus Stat. I also experimented with the following equipment and boosters.
* Power Efficiency Mod III: Charge 4.2 and Nova 7.7 seconds
* Power Efficiency Mod IV and Structural Ergonomics: Charge 3.5 and Nova 6.2
* Power Efficiency Mod IV and Expert Package: Charge 3.6 and Nova 6.5
* Power Efficiency Mod III and Structural Ergonomics: Charge 3.7 and Nova 6.7
* Power Efficiency Mod III and Expert Package: Charge 3.9 and Nova 7.1
* Power Efficiency Mod IV: Charge 3.9 and Nova 7.1
If I play with a group, I’ll sacrifice weapon damage in favor of power damage and faster recharge speed. Ultimately, I equipped the Vulnerability VI because I wanted to kill enemies faster in between detonating combos.
As for weapons, the P.A.W. and Equalizer are the ones to equip because you don’t have to worry about reloading. Because you will frequently be stunned, reloading can be a death sentence. If you don’t have a P.A.W. Siphon, use the Equalizer Siphon for close-up and short-range combat and a good Siphon ranged weapon. I equipped the Equalizer with the Receiver, so I could hit enemies behind the one right in my face. The Scattershot is also a possibility, but keep in mind of its low accuracy at distance.
You can watch Wave 1 and 3 to see how effective this strategy can be.
The Kroguard can also be a triple combo detonator when using Incendiary Ammo for Fire Explosions, Explosive Purge Fortify for Tech Combos, and Seismic Nova for Biotic detonations. I ultimately chose against this build because it required me to micro-manage another power (turning on and off Fortify) in an environment where I’m already making split second decisions.
Objectives
Firebase Sandstorm is generally an easy map for Device and Retrieval objectives when playing against Kett, but it’s a whole different story against the Outlaw faction. Multiple Observers, biting Adhis, and stun-locking Berserkers make the "easy" objectives very difficult for a slow and large character like the Kroguard. He can’t be caught out in the open with the pizza or the Observers will red laser beam him to death (not to mention the Hydra’s missile barrage). With Devices, he has to be extremely diligent kiting enemies away from devices or else the Adhis will bite him or Berserkers will flak cannon him off the device.
With Boss, the Kroguard’s desire to be right in the middle of battle exposes him to fire from all twelve enemies on the map. While you can use larger enemies as shields for you (because they will block fire from enemies between you and a Hydra for instance), enough enemies will have line of sight on you to drop you in an instant. As be very careful about
Having enemies surround you can also be useful because the larger ones function as shields for you. Position yourself correctly, and those Anointed won’t be able to hit you with their Soned if a Hydra or Berserker (or two) is between the two of you. Just watch out for the Sharpshooter or Saboteur taking shield-draining pot shots from across the map!
The Attempts
I attempted this Platinum solo over 200 times before finally completing it. This easily was my most frustrating and difficult solo to complete. Take a look at my failed runs the past two days:
August 31 Evening Runs
1. Hack
2. Boss Hack
3. Devices Hack
4. Upload
5. Boss - tough. used up 4 first aid kits and 2 gels. Died on Wave 3 in the room
6. Devices. First in Building 8 and the second at the LZ. Got Observer red laser beam of death and Flak Cannon’ed and it’s on to the next attempt
7. Hack
8. Retrieval - shot by curving and cheating Hydra missiles as I was jumping up to the second level. Not worth continuing at this point.
9. Boss Upload
10. Hack - Respeced afterwards to be a weapons platform at the expense of Fortify (movement and unmoving defense).
11. Devices - and the enemies were right at the first device so what can you do? Slow movement of this character is challenging
12. Devices - what can you do when the Adhi bites you? Respeced in Fortify 4 and Rage 4 only.
13. Adhi bit me on Wave 1.
14. Devices - with the Hydra camping on it
15. Adhi bites me again on Wave 1
16. Boss - could not target enemies after taking out the Blaze Hydra. Kept on getting killed. Is it because of my lack of survivability in Rage? Respecced again into Rage 5A and Apex Training 5B (but no 6A)
17. Boss. Could not isolate the Berserker and was subsequently killed by every enemy on the field.
18. Devices. Wave 3 Hydra kept meleeing me to death in the room
19. Devices Upload. Can I at least get to Wave 6 to see what objective RNG is going to saddle me with?
20. Hack.
21. Hack. Last one for the night.
September 1 Morning Runs
1. Devices. What can you do when the dogs keep biting you???
2. Berserker triplets melee attacks on Wave 1
3. Another Berserker triplets melee attacks on Wave 1. No unmoving defense caused this one to happen.
4. Boss Boss Hack. One of my better games to date but Hack, please???
5. Devices and the enemies were all at the third device
6. Boss. Cleared boss and died three times running away.
7. Died on Wave 1
8. Devices. And the Hydra melees me before rocketing me to death.
9. Boss. Died too many times killing Berserker and Blaze Hydra
10. Devices and the Biting Adhi
11. Retrieval. Hydras, Observers, and Adhis
12. Boss. Charge can’t target quickly enough before dying
Imagine doing have runs like this times 6 and you can understand my frustration with this solo. The Kroguard would not be denied, and on the 210th attempt, he was victorious!
After completing Wave 4 in around 19 minutes, I admit to playing the Kroguard much more conservatively. Losing two Revive Packs on Wave 5 made me be even more careful. I desperately wanted to get to Wave 6, so I don’t care that Wave 5 took me 15 minutes. After all, this is a smart Kroguard, not a dumb one! And with just one Revive pack left after disabling the last Wave 6 Device, I was super careful cleaning up the wave. I wasn’t about to Charge into a Hydra and have it melee me to death. There was no way I was going to charge into a group of Anointed and see who won between my Charge and Nova combination or their Soned assault rifles. And, I definitely was not going to Charge into an Ascendant, start performing a Nova, and have her grab me.
When I completed the mission, I let out a cry worthy of a Krogan. This solo reminded me of the battle on the Collector Platform or fighting the Praetorian on Horizon in Mass Effect 2. So much dying and repeating until I got through the section on Insanity with my Vanguard. My sacrifice to the gods of MEAMP is your gain. Please enjoy!
