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Order of Difficulty in Master Mode Flashpoints


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While I have not done all of them recently, i want to make an assessment of the difficulty in each flashpoint. I'll start from the hardest to the easiest. (I haven't done Maelstrom Prison yet, although I think the damage output might still be excessive)

 

*Blood Hunt: The first boss is a gear check, I haven't made it past this one yet.

 

*Korriban Incursion: The Droid's soft enrage can wipe a group if you don't have a good healer and dps.

 

*Depths of Manaan: Ortuno can be tricky but it is doable if you know the tactics. Stisavin is slightly difficult due to the adds. Bonus Boss requires lots of coordination

 

*Battle Of Rishi: I heard the bonus boss is tough although I have not done that one. The hardest fight is the final boss due to the strong adds and Aoes.

 

*Lost Island: It is still the hardest flashpoint out there, the bonus boss is the toughest since he hits very hard and has a tight enrage timer.

 

*Assault on Tython: The final boss can be tough for some PuGs due to the amount of Aoes that drop.

 

*Battle of Ilum: Darth Serevin's attack where he hurls crystals can do lots of damage.

 

*Czerka Corporate Labs: The droid boss can be tricky with the adds.

 

*Kaon: The trash is the hardest part of the flashpoint.

 

*Czerka Core Meltdown: I found the Jungle Beast to be the hardest since the adds can be brutal.

 

*False Emperor: HK-47 can be slightly difficult for some PuGs

 

*Red Reaper: The Final Boss is mildly challenging but doable.

 

*Legacy of the Rakata: Hardest boss is the Bonus Boss.

 

*Foundry: HK-47 is tough again.

 

*Taral V: Not too hard

 

*Directive 7: Only boss that might prove a challenge would be Mentor.

 

*Boarding Party: Not too difficult, bonus boss requires some coordination.

 

*Mandalorian Raiders: Mavrix can be tough if you dps him too much and ignore the turrets.

 

*Cadememu: Final Boss requires coordination.

 

*Athiss: Easy, the beast can be difficult with the adds especially if you get stunned.

 

*Esseles/Black Talon: Very Easy, the only hard boss are the last ones.

 

*Hammer Station: Easiest One, it gets farmed alot.

Edited by MrNihulus
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For the most part I agree with the general ordering of your list, in that there is nothing I would move more than 5 spots up or down (but that could just be chalked up to preference). That said I wanted to talk a little bit about some of the fights that you haven't had the chance to encounter or finish yet.

 

In my opinion, Commander Mokin (BoR bonus boss) is the hardest flashpoint boss there is. That's not to judge on raw numbers, but how comfortable I feel an average PuG group being able to pull off the fight without grinding at it. And I think a large part of that is how unforgiving the mechanics can be, and how quickly the group will wipe if one person makes a mistake. Of course certain group compositions can make it easier, and a experienced group can make anything look easy. Just talking about the average pugs.

- The tank has the easiest job for the most part, but smart management of defensives makes it a lot easier on the healer and losing aggro at any point can potentially lead to things getting out of control.

- The DPS have to actually be aware of stacks and positioning, which is something you really don't see in most flashpoint encounters.

- The healer has to keep track of their own stacks and positioning like the dps, while (usually) keeping track of tank stacks as well. Throw in one of the harder flashpoint heal checks, and the healer has more to do than in most HM Ops fights.

 

Now on to Blood Hunt. Compared to the other flashpoints, Blood Hunt probably has the highest raw DPS and Healing checks. However it's still very capable in basic endgame gear, and with the saturation of 248 gear it really isn't so bad at all right now. That said, I still consider Shae Vizla one of the harder flashpoint bosses purely based on the healing requirements of the fight. The exact numbers will vary based on your groups ability to mitigate damage of course, but between my own experiences and those of friends, it's not uncommon to heal upwards of 11k eHPS and still fail the heal check on that fight. That said, I have never seen the boss enrage, so using a strategy such as A) Having the tank stay at range from the boss and only taunt or B) Have the DPS throw plenty of offheals, make the fight seem much easier in comparison and almost average.

 

Outside of those couple of fights, my vote is still for Lost Island as the hardest flashpoint overall. Again, an experienced group will make it look easy, but from my own experiences, the average PuG group has quite a lot of trouble with completing it. The DPS and heal checks are relatively high among flashpoints, the add groups also tend to be more difficult than other flashpoints, and failing to adhere to mechanics is very unforgiving. It doesn't seem to help that the tactical version isn't included in GF, so you see a fair number of people run into Master Mode Lost Island without having ever seen the fights in the easier setting.

 

And before anyways comes in and talks about how these fights are a joke compared to HM Revan or NiM Brontes, or how they can run them all in their sleep with no weapon equipped, I'm mostly focusing on comparisons relative to other flashpoints. I find them fun for what they are :)

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While I have not done all of them recently, i want to make an assessment of the difficulty in each flashpoint. I'll start from the hardest to the easiest. (I haven't done Maelstrom Prison yet, although I think the damage output might still be excessive)

Your list of difficultly differs a lot from my perception for some of the FPs. I would rather rank them for how complicated the mechanic are especially for new players, not simply DPS or heal checks which seem to be your measure, as these aren't usually the issue if you know how to play your class halfway decently.

Or maybe how difficult the bosses can become if you group does play them wrong.

Also difficulty depends heavily on the role you play, as a healer the perception is quite different from what a tank might think hard or what challenges a DPS. Having great players in your group also can make things a breeze, without really noticing what exactly they are doing to make it so.

 

1. Blood Hunt: The first boss is a gear check, I haven't made it past this one yet.

Not so much a gear check (there are actually videos around with people doing this naked, having only the stats bolster gives), but a check if people know how to play their role somewhat decently, the damage done especially when being forced to move regularly. Much can be improved by positioning the group behind the boss, for the Mandos to be hit together with the boss and not waste too much time killing each one alone. Then a lot of people forget about their group buffs too.The other two bosses are not easy either, especially Shae Vizla can really stress the healer. Would be first on my list because of the class knowledge needed but it's not really difficult mechanic wise.

 

2. Korriban Incursion: The Droid's soft enrage can wipe a group if you don't have a good healer and dps.

Would be quite a step lower on my ranking, neither are the dps/hps needed that high nor is the circle mechanic really difficult. A simple question of decent DPS, no healer is supposed to heal through the enrage for long nor through people eating all the circles. And no, it is not 'normal' to get the soft enrage above 30% boss health as a weird ranged operative DPS wanted to convince me some time ago, that just means at least one of your DPS isn't ready to run Master mode FPs yet.

 

3. Depths of Manaan: Ortuno can be tricky but it is doable if you know the tactics. Stisavin is slightly difficult due to the adds. Bonus Boss requires lots of coordination

As with Ortuno the bonus is mostly knowing the tactic, keep next to the wall until the mine forces you to run to the opposite wall and assign an order of who explodes the mine endangering the group when there are three in one row, a healer dispelling the frost effect before the player is frozen also helps enormously

 

4. Battle Of Rishi: I heard the bonus boss is tough although I have not done that one. The hardest fight is the final boss due to the strong adds and Aoes.

Is certainly one of the harder FPs, if you count the bonus boss. Yet Mokan is also mostly tactic, there is no direct DPS check, though the longer the fight goes the more strenuous it might be on the healer. It is very punishing though, if one player screws up and dies, the group often follows short time later as the third green puddle goes random and screws the stack management of the other players. Final boss is hard because of the often delayed positioning in this game, like getting hit with the aoe although you are miles out of it.

 

5. Lost Island: It is still the hardest flashpoint out there, the bonus boss is the toughest since he hits very hard and has a tight enrage timer.

LI is one of my favourite FPs. Curiously I had quite a few RND groups who were able to beat the bonus, which is more or less the tank knowing his def CDs, a healer able to anticipate damage and DPS able to do damage while moving and not killing each other with the ice, but who then failed at Lorrik because of the several stages there, where you need to focus on different things, while keeping out of puddles, interrupt and so on. Not even talking about how hard it seems for some people to stand under the boss jumping on the pipes or channel a switch.

 

6. Assault on Tython: The final boss can be tough for some PuGs due to the amount of Aoes that drop. If the group can handle the first boss and the Aoe there properly (I don't participate in the cheese tactic with the stairs out of principle), I'm usually quite confident for them to manage the final boss too, though some seem to not know the holocron heals and empowers the boss when not destroyed or don't remember the basic advice, behind a boss is almost always healthier than in front of it

 

7. Battle of Ilum: Darth Serevin's attack where he hurls crystals can do lots of damage.

Not sure if that is the case here, but there is one cast he does, that is even more dangerous and should be interrupted. The crystals do unavoidable damage yes, but not that much that a healer isn't able to heal it, if the rest of avoidable damage is avoided. Also huddle together, makes things easier for the healer and the tank/mdps. I never thought this one hard if he is interrupted, merely annoying with Serevin vanishing that often

 

8. Kaon: The trash is the hardest part of the flashpoint You are right here, a well placed interrupt, CC or hard stun helps a lot. The bonus boss requires some DPS though and the giant rakghoul someone who knows when to explode the barrels correctly.

 

9. False Emperor: HK-47 can be slightly difficult for some PuGs

Would have expected Malgus here with his *don't-know-the-name-at-the-moment* cast of doom that needs to be interrupted, or the guy at the beginning with the bugging turrets and that spaceship shooting rockets at the group, HK is mostly tank turning the boss away from the others taunt him back and remember not to jump at him with classes that can jump :rolleyes:

 

10. Red Reaper: The Final Boss is mildly challenging but doable.Actually hard with most groups, with the adds rooting players in master mode. Considering how few manage to get the fight done correctly in lower difficulties, I would rank this one higher because obviously way too many people just can't find their interrupt

11. Legacy of the Rakata: Hardest boss is the Bonus Boss.

Yes, though the healer has enough to do with each boss there, DPS can mostly lay back.

 

12. Foundry: HK-47 is tough again.

HK is hit HK, kill adds, hit HK, hit the switches of the machine to not empower HK, rinse and repeat. Neither difficult mechanic nor really a strong heal/DPS check. I would deem the bonus boss more challenging, short enrage and hits like a truck and soo many people dying very fast, standing in the spit

13. Taral V: Not too hard

Sadly most people skip almost everything there, the boss with Ripper can dish out a lot of damage though, if one is killed way before the other and therefore the remaining one soft enrages

 

14. Directive 7: Only boss that might prove a challenge would be Mentor.

Mechanic wise one of the more 'complicated' FPs yes, though not knowing what role you play I get the impression, you have run these with groups where someone just hits the switches or cores when required.

For a group of new players D7 is way more complicated and difficult to learn than other FPs you ranked higher, has with the 3 droids and their alternating shields the only fight you can actually break and make it impossible to finish. With the need to /stuck for another try

 

15. Boarding Party: Not too difficult, bonus boss requires some coordination.

Bonus boss, coordination? Mastermode tactic is burn down the boss and wait behind the generators for the droids to explode, that fight is actually more challenging in veteran mode where you have to kill the adds.

 

16. Mandalorian Raiders: Mavrix can be tough if you dps him too much and ignore the turrets.

Done wrong, the other bosses there also kill the group very fast ;) as do a lot of other FP bosses

 

17. Cadememu: Final Boss requires coordination. Surprised you don't mention the boss with the droid and the trap, it requires slightly more attention than the last boss in my opinion, which mostly is a question positioning yourself optimal and paying attention to your group mates. DPS check is laughable, teaches to prioritise one's own survival over damage

 

16. Athiss: Easy, the beast can be difficult with the adds especially if you get stunned.

My PUGroups usually struggle more with the flames from the last boss.

 

18. Czerka Corporate Labs: The droid boss can be tricky with the adds.

19 Czerka Core Meltdown: I found the Jungle Beast to be the hardest since the adds can be brutal.

Actually surprised to find these two this low, as there are some mechanics that can screw the group very fast, though a good tank and/or a good healer/really good DPS are able to make it look very very easy,

while a bad group make it nearly impossible to compensate

 

20. Esseles/Black Talon: Very Easy, the only hard boss are the last ones. Well, hard isn't a word I would use for any boss in there, except maybe the bonus in Esseless, as I see a lot of people dying there, seems too hard to stand near it. :rolleyes:

 

21. Hammer Station: Easiest One, it gets farmed alot. Gets farmed mainly because it is fast, you can run through there in 15 to 20 minutes without the bonus, the bosses themselves I would rate above BT/Essesless, but in the end all three used to be the introduction into FPs, as such neither the easier modes nor the master have many nor really complicated mechanics, yet again, a DPS probably doesn't notice half of the mechanics there if tank and healer just play them correctly.

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Battle of Rishi bonus boss is the hardest FP boss in the entire game. It requires tactics, coordination, gear and awareness from all 4 people. Unless you are in a guild run or in a PUG run gathered solely for his head (like I was twice), leave him alone. Edited by Gelious
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Battle of Rishi bonus boss is the hardest FP boss in the entire game. It requires tactics, coordination, gear and awareness from all 4 people. Unless you are in a guild run or in a PUG run gathered solely for his head (like I was twice), leave him alone.

 

You do know that people have soloed it before?

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You do know that people have soloed it before?

 

I don't think he was saying the top .000001% of players would have a hard time, but that pugging would be nearly impossible, and still difficult even with people you know. And not being, you know, in the top .000001% of players.

I get where you're coming from whenever you "remind" people that stuff can be solo'd or run naked, but that is just simply not a realistic outcome for virtually the entire player base.

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I have soloed Hammer Station Master in DPS gear on a Shadow, 248 gear and a lvl 50 comp.

 

The first boss can be tricky. Sometimes the comp miss to cleanse.. then the selfcleans comes handy.

 

The last boss, is easy, as long as you push out the adds.

 

Ps. I tried it also with my Tank gear.. but the last boss Enraged. Insufficient dps.

Edited by CountZart
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I don't think he was saying the top .000001% of players would have a hard time, but that pugging would be nearly impossible, and still difficult even with people you know. And not being, you know, in the top .000001% of players.

I get where you're coming from whenever you "remind" people that stuff can be solo'd or run naked, but that is just simply not a realistic outcome for virtually the entire player base.

 

Well as for Battle of Rishi, I did it yesterday, I was on a freash 65 token toon dps assasin, the other dps was a Marauder with 2 gear pieces with Defence and rest was 180 rating avg. The Tank and healer were almost full 248, we managed to get through it, only 1 wipe on last boss.

 

However, not sure how the bonus boss would go.

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Well as for Battle of Rishi, I did it yesterday, I was on a freash 65 token toon dps assasin, the other dps was a Marauder with 2 gear pieces with Defence and rest was 180 rating avg. The Tank and healer were almost full 248, we managed to get through it, only 1 wipe on last boss.

 

However, not sure how the bonus boss would go.

 

I was referencing the running solo/naked, not the puggability of harder FPs. Your insinuation that they're not hard because a top-level elite player makes them look easy was the point.

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I was referencing the running solo/naked, not the puggability of harder FPs. Your insinuation that they're not hard because a top-level elite player makes them look easy was the point.

 

What people tend to forget is that you only need 2 things in the game:

 

1. Be able to play your class

2. Do mechanics

 

The encouters in the game whether its an MM FPS, Class story boss, NiM Operation, are designed to be doable. They are also designed for a certain gear level, but thats currently only valid for HM and NiM operations. You get bolster everyplace else (expcept for Star Fortress and Eternal Championship). With the introduction of the 230 gear you can buy with tokens the players have been giving the means to beat everything in the game except for the mentioned HM(but you can do those in 230 gear) and NiM ops.

 

What I wanted to say, by claiming I passed BoR with a token lvl 68 toon with 208 gear and another dps Marauder with 190 green and less, is that if you know how to play your class and execute the mechanics well you can beat any boss in the game. The mechanics themselves are not even that hard, its mainly about not standing in stupid. This is not elitism or whatever, this is purely stating facts. People cannot complain about gear not being enough for the fps, its the mechanics and class knowledge.

 

To be honest I was expecting to be kicked from the fps due to me not being lvl 70 and having crap gear, but I wasnt, they gave me a chance and were rewarded, so my respec to the tank and healer who didnt kick 2 dps with below 200 gear in Master Mode Battle of Rishi :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
After Attempting Crisis on Umbara on Master Mode, It definitely earns a high spot on the list of the hardest flashpoints and possibly on the same level as blood hunt, maybe even more. They weren't kidding with the gear requirement. The very first boss is a nightmare to heal due to the high damage output of the technician.
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I have soloed Hammer Station Master in DPS gear on a Shadow, 248 gear and a lvl 50 comp.

 

The first boss can be tricky. Sometimes the comp miss to cleanse.. then the selfcleans comes handy.

 

If you have no problems staying alive otherwise, you can put the comp ability that contains the cleanse on manual control. That way it will always be available when you need it. Otherwise the comp will use it almost on cooldown, as it's one of the better heals.

 

Well as for Battle of Rishi, I did it yesterday, I was on a freash 65 token toon dps assasin, the other dps was a Marauder with 2 gear pieces with Defence and rest was 180 rating avg. The Tank and healer were almost full 248, we managed to get through it, only 1 wipe on last boss.

 

However, not sure how the bonus boss would go.

 

With the (almost total) lack of dps checks on BoR, there's no reason to kick anyone for bad gear.

 

If your group can do last boss, doing bonus is "only" a matter of coordination (and partially group composition). Especially if your healer has some extra oomph.

 

Yet Mokan is also mostly tactic, there is no direct DPS check, though the longer the fight goes the more strenuous it might be on the healer. It is very punishing though, if one player screws up and dies, the group often follows short time later as the third green puddle goes random and screws the stack management of the other players.

 

The third circle is not random, but it can be really hard to know if the player who died had gotten his circle or not. If the dead player hadn't gotten a circle, the third one falls on the tank. And if that happens things tend to go downward. As a healer you might have to select who you want to save. If you survive the C17 release, the third puddle will fall on the tank the next round.

 

It's much easier with only two people alive, as there is no third puddle then. Still, if the tank doesn't have a purge then timing on cleanses is tight. (You need three cleanses/stims in about 23 seconds.)

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After Attempting Crisis on Umbara on Master Mode, It definitely earns a high spot on the list of the hardest flashpoints and possibly on the same level as blood hunt, maybe even more. They weren't kidding with the gear requirement. The very first boss is a nightmare to heal due to the high damage output of the technician.

 

We killed both bosses at the same time, so the technician doesn't go into soft enrage.

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We killed both bosses at the same time, so the technician doesn't go into soft enrage.

I am guessing he referring to his usual damage, not the enraged one.

 

And anyway you supposed to kill Canni first, then deal with the sin and prey your tank and heal are good enough to survive sin's ability.

 

P.S. The hardest part of Umbara is for everyone to stay alive after final boss dies.

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