Spiral Knights - How to not die in the Apocrea mission!

How to not die in the Apocrea mission!

36 replies [Last post]

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 02:06

Xtweeterx

IS BACK!

Stuck? Can't figure out how to solve them puzzles? Getting mobbed by scarabs and your face laser'd by Slender-Thing? Fear not! My guide will be sure to get you the maximum amount of sigils along with your face fully intact!

GENERAL TIPS:

• Being with a group ensures survival!

Much like Nick said, going solo is a challenge. So be sure to form the best team you can in order to get sigils.

• Rely on hearing and listening!

Rely on your sense of hearing to alert yourself if Slender-Thing is near or chasing you, so be sure your sound effects volume is up in options. Headphones really help for this. Unless you don't have speakers, or you're deaf. Which would suck even more :c

• Be sure to free team-mates from the tentacles!

Much like Freeze, freeing a team-mate from the clutches of Slender-Thing's tentacles will undoubtedly grant you success, and conserve your sparks. Getting in and out with a melee weapon is the best choice for this, and using a gun will be even better.
• Gotta go fast!

If Slender-Thing thrusted his tentacles into the ground and is going after you, run away from him in the opposite of his general direction in a straight line (WASD buttons work for this or if you're really precise with the mouse). Don't forget to dash if you need to.

• Hit every cracked gravestone you see!

There's a buttload of gravestones out there, yet you never know what the might yield. So take the gamble and destroy them. Using a melee weapon's charge attack is the best way to ward off scarabs if they pop up. If they're bombies then just touch them and shield-bump them away.

• Call for help if you're caught!

Either be quick on the keyboard or use that microphone of yours (in the one-in-a-million chance your team hears voice chat) to call for help from your team-mates or use the /helpme chat emote (numpad 0 by default).

• Dying a lot? Play on a low difficulty

Though Elite mode does guarantee more sigils, there's still no shame in playing it on an easier difficulty if you're having a hard time.

• Use your shield if he's about to laser you!

This one's self explanatory, but I'll elaborate. If Slender-Thing is close and ready to laser you, put up a shadow-protective shield to reduce health loss. Please note the tentacles do absolutely no damage whatsoever, but they still hurt your shield. So if you're caught, let the tentacles finish slapping you and put up your shield when he lasers you.

• IMPORTANT: Kill those scarabs!

This I can't stress enough. If you see a scarab, please, for the love of all that is good and holy, kill it. If people ignore scarabs they will eventually be everywhere hitting everyone and draining their much-needed shields.

• Point out puzzles!

You'll know a puzzle if you see it. If you're afraid you don't know it, point it out over the chat and if you're lucky, one of your mates might know how to solve it.

• Know when to call it quits

Timing is everything. Despite the huge map an in-numerous amount of gravestones, know when it's time to go down the elevator. If you feel like you're dying a lot or having a hard time killing dark souls, it's your call if you wanna move on or not. Heck, careful calculations prove that you can get more sigils per minute/hour if you pick the right time to quit the mission/level.

• Bring shadow protection!

Self explanatory.

ADVANCED TIPS:

• Find a place to meet up at (By Glacies)

Find a landmark to meet up at, be it the Elevator, Gate, or Key, meeting up at a specific landmark will help decrease talking time and allowing more people to survive and stick together. Elevator is preferred as people will use it as a Waypoint. (IE: "Key is North of Elevator", "Water is North-west of Elevator," etc)

• Use the shadow cloak!

For Maskeraith owners such as myself, if you're afraid Slender-Thing is about to get you or if you're already caught, Use the shadow cloak to turn invisible. This can save you a lot of health. However, be sure everything is maxed out, and you have an elite harness of any kind.

• Baiting

Have a brave team-mate of your distract Slender-thing so you can kill dark souls or get past him. But be sure to free said mate with an attack if he/she happens to get caught

• Split up!

I know this sounds kind of dumb, but splitting up will actually make you and your team survive longer as slender-thing can only chase one target at a time. So do it at your own risk. If you get a jumpscare on you screen, he's after you.

• Stay with at least one teammate

This one really isn't advanced as much as it is helpful. Staying with at least one team-mate (works well with duos) can ensure survival for yourself as he/she can free you from tentacles. Just be sure to return the favor.

HOW TO SOLVE PUZZLES (Difficulty may vary depending on how the map is laid out)

• The one candle Difficulty: 2/10

This one consists of a 2 candles. one lit, and one not. Find the fireball and throw it at the unlit candle to light it up. Simple as that!

• The three colored candles Difficulty: 2/10

You might see three candles on a wall: Red, Purple, and Yellow (only these variants exist to my knowledge). Later in the map you'll find a big gravestone with the same candles on it stacked and with different sizes. Biggest is first, and smallest is last. Go back to the wall and touch the candles in the right order. If done right, one will light up, if wrong the light(s) will explode and you'll get hit. Use you're shield if you think you're going to get a wrong guess.

• What Dark Ritual? Difficulty: ?/10 (By Culture)

There is an obelisk with a dark purple path snaking around it. Walk along the path and you'll hear devilite sounds. Once you finish the path a key will appear along with three devilites.

• Dem bones Difficulty: 5/10 (By Sirius-Voltbreaker)

There is a pile of bones somewhere. Hitting it spawns normal mini skeletons. Not ice ones. Kill 'em, and break the mound of bones.

• Classic FSC! Difficulty: 4/10 (By Sirius-Voltbreaker)

Find and carry a water ball and put out a patch of fire (similar to FSC's). Then break the box and press the button to get 40 sigils and an obsidian crafting mat.

• Shadow runes Difficulty: ?/10 (By Sirius-Voltbreaker)

There is a purple rune. Take out a shadow weapon and you should get something from it.

• Classic Heart of Ice! Difficulty: 4/10

Similar to "The one candle" one, there is a candle. You need a fireball. Except it's surrounded in everyfrost. Lighting ip up will spawn an ice deadnaught. Killing it should release a soul.

• Skull Pile. Difficulty: results may vary/10

You might find a pile of skulls somewhere, maybe inside bushes. Hitting them will spawn yellow scarabs. Kill them all as quickly as possible to ensure they don't scatter all over the map. Starting out with a Shivermist Buster or Jack Froster can help this!

• "Sticky" keys. Difficulty: 3/10

You will see piles of green goo around walls that form a square. Going into said square will spawn a Toxic Polyp (poison jelly turret). Kill it, then break the torches on the corners. Doing so will spawn a key and some Toxigels (Poison jellies). The gate the key goes to will also have green goo around it.

Unfortunately these are the only things I can think of for now. But I will think of more as I get more into the mission, AND contributors are welcome!

Post your thoughts on this guide, or suggest me one. if I like it, I'll add it here.

Thanks for reading, and have fun in the Grasping Plateau!

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 03:55

Doodaadoo

Thumbs up

Good guide.

To add to puzzles:

If you find the 'statue' you will have to kill some grass to find a placeholder for it!

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 07:39

Culture

Hmm

What Dark Ritual? puzzle:

There is an obelisk with a dark purple path snaking around it. Walk along the path and you'll hear devilite sounds. Once you finish the path a key will appear along with three devilites.

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 07:50

Hellscreams-Forum

@Culture

Thanks !! I thought it's a bug :P thanks for pointing that out bro....

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 09:38

Sirius-Voltbreaker

Also.

When Slender-Thing is attacking circle around at a far distance. He can send out more than 1 wave of tentacles but they travel in a straight line.
There is a pile of bones and hitring it spawns normal mini skeletona. Not ice ones. Kill em, and break the mound of bones.
There is shadow fire. Get water and put it out. This should land you a shard.
There is a purple rune. Take out a shadow weapon and you should get something from it.

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 10:15

Zipb

The water and fire puzzle

Find and carry a water blob to bring to and put out a patch of fire (similar to FSC's). Then break the box and press the button to get 40 sigil and an obsidian crafting mat.

Also, it's possible to consistently evade being captured by the tentacles by dashing away when they are closing on you.

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 11:43

Xtweeterx

Thank you all for your

Thank you all for your posts/Suggestions. I'll gladly add these to my guide. Keep 'em coming! I won't add difficulty rating until I try them for myself. However you guys posting difficulty rating for puzzles would also help a lot too.

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 14:31

Skyguarder

Xtweeterx, did you swap brains? Because I was thinking that the monster that follows you around in the Plateau would be Slender.

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 14:49

Xtweeterx

@Skyguarder

Its real-name is the Apocrean Harvester, but my team said "if you see slender, RUN" and made a bunch more references. If something is tall, human-like, has a concealed face, is dressed in black and has tentacles, what else are you going to think of?

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 14:54

Seventhswordsman

Puzzles

A button that you press and get 40 sigils (elite)
Usually hidden in a corner of a building under a bush

Some kind of ice crown with an unlit candle
Find flame---light---get a shard (well i got one when i lit it so...)

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 14:56

#10

Soulstaker

I hate it when people just

I hate it when people just let scarabs fly around . I usually have to round up a huge horde of them and kill with my VT while losig some precious health while doing it.

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 15:38

#11

Tristicus

Statue puzzle

You have to find the statue and place it on a switch somewhere in the plateau. 40 sigils, same as the others

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 15:55

#12

Xtweeterx

@Soulstaker

Why do you think I emphasized "IMPORTANT" and added "for the love of all that is good and holy" in there? :3

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 23:00

#13

Hexzyle

When you're this swag this world just bows at your knees

It's technically not 40 sigils, it's "The amount of sigils equal to five souls" as the number varies on depth and difficulty. (1, 2, 4, and 2, 4, 8 for Tier 2 and Tier 3, Normal, Advanced and Elite, respectively)

Essentially, if you don't plan on doing Tier 3 on Elite, doing Tier 2 on Elite is probably the best way since it's easier than doing Tier 3 on Advanced. I think.

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 23:50

#14

Seventhswordsman

Picture of button (previously covered by shadow fire)

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5dnqdl&s=5#.UmoVnlMWeVq

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 06:30

#15

Popoixd

I runned aroud them like

I runned aroud them like three time each and nothing happened.
file:///home/justin/Bureau/Capture-Spiral%20Knights%20-%20Popoixd-2LR.png
file:///home/justin/Bureau/nothing.png
file:///home/justin/Bureau/Capture-Spiral%20Knights%20-%20Popoixd-1.png
And my computer dont have sound.

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 07:14

#16

Thunder-The-Bright

popoxid, again, you gotta put them into an hosting site cause we haven't got access to your computer.
anyway, apocreans have GM speed if thier target is out of their range, so you'd better always have them in touch if you bait them, cause they can get your teammates in a flash.

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 07:29

#17

Popoixd

href="http://imgur.com/KsIxam

href="http://imgur.com/KsIxams">

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 11:44

#18

Fangel

@Popoixd

You forgot the <a at the start of your tag, and the </a> closing tag

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 12:05

#19

Jungle-Sword

a bit off topic

i found a good way how to kill souls /scarabs
1. use wrh and toothpick
break gravestone with toothpick and go through the scarabs /souls with a full swing of WRH
most scarabs will be dead,the souls,well, they won't be ^^
also: when i lit the candle,nothing happened,is that normal?

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 12:08

#20

Popoixd

@ Fangel: Imgur hate

@ Fangel: Imgur hate me.

http://imgur.com/Q9zbbFd
http://imgur.com/3AJY5dc
http://imgur.com/KsIxams

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 13:44

#21

Xtweeterx

@Jungle-Sword

I recently used my WMH to deal with scarabs and souls. Works real good.

Are you sure the fireball hit the candle and not a wall behind it? If it lit up you probably missed the sigils in the center from the corner of your eye.

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 16:21

#22

Maharito

The best way to avoid

The best way to avoid Slendy's hand attack: gentle spirals! Assuming Tier 3, as soon as the sound/screen-shake of the hand attack starts, you need to change direction while running--at least 45 degrees a second, but nothing too wild. Always turn in the same direction if you can. The clusterbomb of hands sprouts out faster than you can run, but they're not that good at changing direction!

DO NOT run straight away the whole way or you will probably get caught. If you keep gentle-spiraling, you can even continue to soul-hunt with Slendy in somewhat close vicinity. (Of course, you don't want to be too close when the attack starts, as he gets surrounded by hands as well.)

Sat, 10/26/2013 - 21:45

#23

Xtweeterx

UPDATED!

Added 2 more tips to advanced!

Sun, 10/27/2013 - 00:30

#24

Glacies

*The Apocrean Grip can be blocked once by any five-star shield. For whatever reason, the Apocrean Grip inflicts a completely new status and cannot be resisted. However, an Omega Shell thanks to its high health is able to barely survive two hits from the Apocrean Grip. However, overall, the best Shield to take would be Dread Skelly Shield because of the annoying Swarms of Freeze Enemies.

*The Apocrean Gaze inflicts pure-normal damage. However, no matter what you wear, it won't make a difference how much damage you take from it. It ignores the Shield, however, holding up your shield while within its gaze decreases damage from 14 Pips to 9 Pips (on Elite) though you seem to know about the decreased damage already. Just wanted to make note of the damage though.

*The best armor for this is hands down the Dread Skelly Set or Mixed Dread Skelly with a Kat Hood (Black Kat Cowl is preferred): On Elite, most enemies only inflict specialized damage. I'm almost certain that the Bombies and Scarabs inflict Shadow-Damage only.

*Shivermist may seem like a bad idea, it works decently well. Freed Souls can be frozen in place, allowing your teammates or yourself to easily kill them off.

*Find a landmark to meet up at, be it the Elevator, Gate, or Key, meeting up at a specific landmark will help decrease talking time and allowing more people to survive and stick together. Elevator is preferred as people will use it as a Waypoint. (IE: "Key is North of Elevator", "Water is North-west of Eleavtor," etc)

Sun, 10/27/2013 - 06:18

#25

Mysteryzx

What maharito said.

Regardless, the apocrean attack does NOT always go straight, it WILL turn to follow you, but can't make such sharp turns so easily. Circling your path back toward it is the easiest way to escape, as the time it takes to attack again will give you plenty of distance to escape if you try to.

Tue, 10/29/2013 - 20:42

#26

Sonosuke

Advanced Tip

If you're in a 4 player party, have two people distract Slender-Thing while the other two are soul hunting. It's similar to baiting at first but here's where the real challenge comes in. One person, with any sword, spams the attack button on the thing from the back while the other keeps a safe distance and charges. It will use the tenta-hand attack on the spammer, not the charger. The charger then releases, hitting Slender and freeing the spammer. Repeat until dead, then find the next Slender-Thing.

Wed, 10/30/2013 - 01:14

#27

Flix-The-Ninja

@Popoixd

Thats not the one they were talking about.
http://wiki.spiralknights.com/File:Devilite_Apocrea_Ritual.png

Fri, 11/01/2013 - 19:07

#28

Tellacon

I know this may be a bit

I know this may be a bit late, but if you are captured by that thing's hands, using Shadow Cloak before it attacking can make it fall back to the ground and not attack you. Then just wait until the tentacles retract (having a max Enduring Night skill will help wonders).

EDIT: Forgot that the OP has that tip, but just having max Enduring Night is enough (16 seconds of invisibility, 15 seconds of ensnarement) to wait out.

Fri, 11/01/2013 - 17:09

#29

Katmint

I don't think the "take out a shadow weapon and you'll get something" puzzle actually exists. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it was a misinterpretation of the "walk along the rune" puzzle.

Mon, 11/04/2013 - 02:50

#30

Xtweeterx

UPDATED!

New puzzle added! This one I found out myself. I would put up screenshots, but I added that from my PC and I'm on my laptop.. Whoops!

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 06:30

#31

Usevnsevnsixfivfor

I can't believe nobody said this.

How to not die in the Apocrean mission? Don't go to it! XD

But more seerusly, also break bushes in case of Slendy. Breaking gravestones also lets you track if you've been that area or if someone else has.

There is a puzzle with a pile of bones that spawn normal Scarabs. Kill them to get a key. (was this one mentioned?)

Thu, 06/19/2014 - 18:02

#32

Xtweeterx

Hello?

Thu, 06/19/2014 - 18:28

#33

Poomph

Hi.

Thu, 06/19/2014 - 18:39

#34

Whimsicality

Hello, is it me you're looking for?

Unless things changed since last year, Nick is a filthy liar. How to save SoLs!

1) Go Solo. Bring a Haze Bomb. VT or Stagger Storm are good.
2) Dash.
3) Dash on cooldown? Wait for cooldown.
4) Dash again.
5) Play as normal, but with more dashing.

You won't get tokens as fast all by your lonesome, but you surely will have a lot less face-to-tentacle time with Mr. Harvester. Now why is this? If you are in a group, and you dash, the Apocrean Harvester will still aggro you. But if you play solo, and you dash, 49 out of 50 times, he will despawn as though you were dead. Can't tell you how much this has saved my skin.

But the Scarabs? That's what the haze bomb is for. Still gotta deal with those buggers yourself. But now you can deal with them without all that tendril love and care.

Sun, 06/22/2014 - 01:47

#35

Xtweeterx

UPDATED

New puzzle

Sun, 06/22/2014 - 11:58

#36

Dark-Knight-Strike

Heres the screenshots of some of them...

https://imgur.com/a/6mHmB#0

Your welcome....
D:

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How to not die in the Apocrea mission!