Guardian Mage Tower Rant

Community General Discussion
1

Sorry for the novel, but I have some thoughts on this stupid mage tower.

I played in Legion and I did the tank mage tower on my Veng DH. So I am familiar with the fight. I have been wanting to switch to Guardian Druid as my main for a long time because when my mother played with me, she was a druid so I would love to carry on her legacy but every time I look at myself without the old mage tower werebear form, I die a little inside for not taking the time to do it when it was current.
When Blizzard announced mage tower, I busted my butt to get my druid up to par, began using it in raid, etc. I was so excited to finally have a chance to be a werebear form! My desire to pay a little homage to my mom has finally come true…

… over 300 pulls later, it’s the last day for Legion TW and closest I’ve gotten Kruul down to is 4%. I have literally pumped every opportunity I’ve been able to play into getting this, spent all the gold I have on this toon to optimize for what people are saying are the “best” trinkets, socket items, etc. (Which in itself is a problem if you have to spend MORE time to go hunt down old content gear or blow all your gold just to optimize enough to make it EASIER.)

Point is, I main a tank and I like to think I am a decent tank. I should have this by now. I pay my $15/month and MORE on in-store items I should be able to obtain the cosmetic items that I want to have. I do think it should be a challenge, but it should be a challenge for a CASUAL player, not someone that has to pump 10-15+ HOURS of their life into something cosmetic (I know most have dedicated more, I know I have.) Especially, when “just a bit of luck” will be the determining factor for tipping the scales JUST ENOUGH. AND when so many people got this while they were dead and their dots were the killing blow. Some players do make this look easy, and that’s good for them. More casual players want to look pretty while they play too. I’m not even a super casual, I get AOTC every raid tier. I would hate to see what an even more casual player that never plays tank or even druid would be feeling. The elitist can have their 20+ keystones and their CE achievement, etc. Something cosmetic that adds nothing but personal enjoyment out of the game should be THIS hard to get. I’ve almost thrown my keyboard several times these last two weeks and I don’t typically rage.

I see both sides the arguments. The people that have it will say “its not that hard, don’t nerf” but I feel it should be nerfed. When Legion came out with the MT, they stated that if you saw someone with the MT weapon, you knew they were a high-skilled player in that role because it was meant to challenge their ability as that class/spec. Legion legendary combo exploits made it so you could cheese parts (at least for guardian druid that I’m aware of) so did it really give that purpose? And as you geared up in other aspects, it got easier. Besides, those old colorations aren’t coming back so you can keep your victory there. I didn’t play the PTR, but those who have say it was easier there. Can we meet somewhere in the middle, Blizz?

Some possible suggestion: First, just nerf it. Second, have a “normal” and “heroic” mage tower, rewards scaling as appropriate, having only the “heroic” variation count towards the book mount achievement. With the uniqueness of this werebear form, I think a casual player base would be content with having a “normal” coloration that they felt was challenging enough. The elitists can have their uber form and those that want to continue to work towards the “heroic” form can do so each time TW comes around. This mode could even be harder for those that feel the MT was easy as is. Third possibility. Implement a system where the more pulls you have, the easier it becomes. Stacks of determination maybe? You’d have to get to P2 or something, couldn’t just spawn in and jump off for a stack. I think if someone puts every waking hour their allotted to play into this thing, time invested should be rewarded. Even druids I’ve talked to that have it say it took them 200+ attempts.

Bottom line, this is TIMEWALKING. I don’t feel as though I am reliving the Legion experience, I feel like I’ve wasted days of my life for something and rather than pushing me towards enjoying my form and looking pretty, I really just want to throw my computer out the window and quit the game all together. I don’t feel that it should be a given reward just for doing it. There should be a challenge and I think the idea of managing priority mobs, avoid dmg is good at challenging the role of tank. But this is too much. Sorry for rant >.< See you in July, Azeroth!

1 Like
2

I have it and I say it needs nerfed. I get aotc and ksm. It should not be that difficult to get but it’s extremely challenging for me.

I’m not looking for a hand out when I say it needs nerfed. I just can’t fathom why they tuned it for such a small percentage of the playerbase.

it was not fun for me and I have no idea how the majority of the playerbase, which should be less skilled than me/less committed than me, find it fun. (Please, I’m using generalizations here. I know this. Don’t argue with me over it)

2 Likes
3

They extended it so you still have time.

1 Like
4

I agree! and thank you for understanding this. This is NOT fun. This is difficult for no good reason. I expect to get alot of hate about this from people saying it was too easy or its just fine, looking to argue.

1 Like
5

Oh, I missed this! Thanks for sharing. 300 more attempts, here I come! xD

6

I really don’t see how spending money on cosmetics and mounts in the cash shop makes you a good tank, the two don’t have much to do with each other.

But I also don’t think it is “difficult for no good reason”. It’s difficult because it’s a challenge mode.

In any case, keep at it and best of luck to you and everyone else trying to complete the Mage Tower challenge.

7

The reason is to be difficult…

Maybe it’s just the “elitist 1%er” in me, but I feel like if you’re putting hundreds of pulls into this, there’s something fundamentally wrong with your strat. Are you using Resto or Balance Affinity? Do you have the Cyclotronic Blast trinket?

8

I’m not saying that paying money makes me a better tank. Although, with as many gold sellers selling MT, you don’t technically have to be tank at all, I was saying that I shouldn’t HAVE to be the best tank in the world (yes, still needs some skill here) I’m saying even a casual tank or someone who enjoys tanking but maybe isn’t Mythic-caliber that still pays for this game should still enjoy aspects just as much as someone who is an amazing tank. Why did Blizz implement LFR? for those that aren’t the best, still play the game and still pay their subscription every month can still see some form of raiding (yeah, I know LFR is painful and I, too, avoid it when I can!)

Again, it should be difficult. But I feel it is too difficult. Its harder than it was in Legion. I did the challenge on my DH in Legion, therefore, I should be good enough to do it now.

9

Instead of just asking for it to be nerfed, why not ask for advice?

I’ve cleared the guardian tower pre-nerf in Shadowlands gear. What are you struggling with? What setup are you running?

10

This is my whole thing. CE players are very few. You’re used to concentrating at that level. You’re used to optimizing rotations and strats at that level.

Most of the playerbase don’t do this at your level.

Blows my mind they’d tune it at your difficulty level instead of normal raid or something. Whatever the majority of the players are used to playing at.

Edit: unless CE players and high myhtic plus pushers are the only ones left. Idk.

11

Right, and it should be challenging, and I get that its hard to balance what is difficult enough and too difficult at first. Thats why Blizz has been putting in slight nerfs here and there.

I’ve watched alot of videos, I’m running Balance affinity for the owl-weaving, for trinkets, I’m using Ravaged Seed Pod and Unblinking Gaze of Sethe, which is what I’ve seen alot of druids out here running and some of the videos I’ve been watching say are the best if you can’t get the mechagon trinket. I don’t have the mechagon trinket because this wasn’t my main in BFA and don’t have Revered rep for the cards I need. And I’m mostly saying that nobody should have to go back to BFA and get a trinket and put hours into rep farming for the upgrades for it just to beat the mage tower easily. (I will if I don’t get it this time around, of course)

I have noticed the growth. Its there, I know I’m getting better and yes, I will probably get it down eventually with getting to 4% a few times. Before I was unable to get out of P1, now I get to P2 and sub 10% health consistently. Improvement is occurring and it seems that there are alot of players who have to put hundreds of pulls in, not just me and not just the bottom 1%.

12

I’ve been asking for advice from a few of the druids out here I see with it. It doesn’t appear that I’m running anything vastly different from them. I’ve watched several videos on people doing it and their walkthroughs. I’ve purchased 6 of the crafted pvp pieces for the agil sockets, I’m running Brambles, Balance affinity, Hotw, Galactic (was doing Incarnation, but I feel like I’m not struggling with adds at all, its all Kruul for single target), Survival of the Fittest, and Rend. Trinkets I have Ravaged Seed Pod and Unblinking Gaze of Sethe (and a few others I’ve tried but so far this seems to be the best combo). Claws of Ursoc (both with Lightless force and shadowcore oils) Flask, drums, pot of phantom fire, steak a la mode.

I get Inquis down before the 3rd infernal and really try to make it so that there aren’t any adds up before the start of P2 and only have Kruul to deal with for a bit. I’m saving orbs for P2. If the 3rd annihilation doesn’t get me, its usually getting clumped up and overrun with adds or getting knocked off. I do two stacks of ironfur for the first annihilate then Survival instincts/barkskin for the second. The last 15% or so is my biggest struggle.

13

I killed him doing two ironfurs for first and just surv. instincts for 2nd or 3rd. As long as your topped off surv. instincts is enough for both of those. You can save barkskin for in-between annihilates.

If you’re getting a 4th annihilate, I’d suggest pushing damage more if you can. With your gear and consumables, you really shouldn’t have to worry about that though.

14

You should be able to survive that one with another Survival Instincts. It’s the 4th or 5th Annihilate where people have run out of cds. You could also try saving Berserk for later in that phase to slam a ton of stacks of Ironfur so that you might not need to use a big defensive cd. Or use it before the first Annihilate so that you can save Barkskin for later.

If you’re between Twisted Reflection casts, you can use Skull Bash as another charge to save you or reposition in a pinch.

15

I will continue to push and try to make sure I’m topped off before the annihilates come. I think I’m too low when they come out so it seems that surv. insticts doesn’t save me as I feel it should. And using barkskin for in between might help. I’ll try it out.