# Delves: Strategies, tactics and tips **URL:** \ **Category:** Gameplay Chat (PC/Mobile)\ **Created:** [September 8, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522 "2018-09-08T20:01:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 113
**Author:** ![xolid99](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/xolid99/32/66856_2.png) [@xolid99](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/xolid99)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2273 "2021-06-23T13:21:02Z")
> [@Shimrra](#): > > I don’t disagree, but I still think this line of thinking is just inadequate. > > Because lycanthropy needs to not be in anything at all ever. Just not exist. Straight up _not in anything_ . > > With that out of the way … I did clear Indrajit’s Palace _400_ factionless with a _Roc_ as my last troop. Suffice to say that it didn’t contribute. So I imagine 500 is still going to be doable, but not particularly easy. 400 did take me a few days. I think the problem is that honestly will the Devs consign Lycatrophy to history as an epic fail? I don’t necessarily disagree with potentially removing it altogether, but I don’t think they will want simple removal on their copybook/resume. Whilst, a halfway house is exactly that, the chances of a simple removal is imho going to be zero. They have already alluded to that and are making changes. I mean they cannot even accept that it is a negative thing 99% of the time. I could work with different ideas on how to implement it. I get their need to change things up, but it comes at a cost to the playerbase in that it is a handbrake on play, it’s weighted against you most times and absolutely slows down playing the game. We are playing GoW at a time where we are falling behind the curve every day unless we are playing 16 hours daily, we don’t need more reasons to slow down gameplay or incur people’s wrath for playing. I just see it as a reason to curtail play as is, and by jove it does that. Another thing that actually concerns me as much is Devs admitting to altering skyfall rates. It’s something we never know and have to take them at their word. When we are in a GoW era where monetisation is the be all and end all, that does not sit well with me. I no longer give them the benefit of the doubt on anything, whilst people might think that’s what we should, and I used to, I no longer do - cash is king. The actual failing to dislose VK rates, whilst it may be legal or illegal, seems to me to be something that they should be doing to help community confidence. Putting those tarot troops in the vault was quite a poor act, without drop rates and then silence on the subject. Anyway rambled on… ---
**Author:** ![xolid99](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/xolid99/32/66856_2.png) [@xolid99](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/xolid99)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2274 "2021-06-24T12:57:04Z")
Today’s delving in IP… Delve 1 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/4/f/4f3406153d1f462d7378abefbe4bace4a879fd74.jpeg) Delve 2 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/f/e/fe13109ac6c6dd0529e7bc19489ac1ca0bed37e5.jpeg) Resorted to 3 Orpheus and Mimic devoured 3 times on 3 casts, the s/s is before the last devour… Delve 3 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/2/3/233f126d48bcb5741e92a51dddcfd9affb9179f3.jpeg) ! 😬 ---
**Author:** ![xolid99](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/xolid99/32/66856_2.png) [@xolid99](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/xolid99)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2275 "2021-06-29T01:45:56Z")
Indrajit’s Palace done potionless. Basically 2 Warriors and 2 Indrajit’s. 3 Nysha and Hellclaw Banner. L15, Hoard 155. First room was reasonable but 1 skull hit from losing top slot. 2nd room was Bogstrider and Florian and co, avoided entangle on first warrior, skulled them. Third room, Bandit and Sea Dog and co, fairly easy but could have lost top warrior. Gained agile from beating it. Boss room - went as well as possible. Not hit by skulls, did 1 double hit with my Warrior vs their infernal armour whilst burning but my warrior had 206 attack (doubled), so only did 103 damage to it. Killed it after it healed once with spells, then basically skulled the rest. Lyco gems all over the board but took them, 1 converted their Mage into a Griffon Knight, but made no odds, did same damage as the troop it replaced and cast once when game was done. Their converter basically left me loads of purple and red, I could refill all troops, withstand 1 Indrajit cast and then build the attack for damage. 1 skull hit I would have died as I was burning and it would do 800 damage, but managed to kill it and then cleanse a burn later. ![Photo 29-06-2021, 02 02 04](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/d/b/db0048435c1042e62221821a6ef522699bdef030.jpeg) ![Photo 29-06-2021, 02 01 55](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/7/1/717c15f80aa705aa4bfe71068c0fab946705a84b.jpeg) ![Photo 29-06-2021, 02 00 46 (1)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/6/d/6da2515955f906985d5c061e434eec95a1e6f7a9.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/3/2/3272998ed9a888ddc01405989452a90fb3c9f80f.jpeg) Couple of things. It’s doable with 100 hoard if you get a run like I had and completely avoid being skull hit (yep, often impossible!). Don’t be tempted to raise the base stats with MoS, use Nysha and /or Orpheus. ---
**Author:** ![Shimrra](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/shimrra/32/87_2.png) [@Shimrra](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Shimrra)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 4:58am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2276 "2021-06-29T04:58:36Z")
Double Warrior does seem ideal, Mage is risky. I’ll try that next then. ---
**Author:** ![Shimrra](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/shimrra/32/87_2.png) [@Shimrra](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Shimrra)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2021, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2277 "2021-07-11T15:50:47Z")
This is getting out of hand. Though in this case I’m not sure I actually hate this. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/0/6/063f42ffc27942a15eb86fc65a3d0647c019c202.jpeg) This is supposed to be the Indrajit boss room mirror match. Instead its the massive RNG fest of Lyrasza’s Lair AND Werewoods. Its actually interesting. (For the record it started with the red/green Werewoods cat, turned into Tobern, turned into the bird. Healed each time!!! 25% chance each cast, only cast twice …) I’ll edit this with results. But on this board, well, may as well make a gazillion more skulls… it made another hound and I got skulled, figures. Note that Lyrasza’s Lair is also horrible. 33% chance to NOT instantly win this round, but noooooooooooooo. Ugh I should have known. This is like 60 seconds later. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/8/a/8ab70671c836f45831a8c480df6e217c8cd59abf.jpeg) Worth noting that I got the boss room down to maybe half of one troop in the run prior because lycanstupidity gave me an Umberwolf. But THIS time they got two different skull transformers and all I got was a Chaos Hound. ---
**Author:** ![Eika](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/eika/32/103088_2.png) [@Eika](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Eika)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2278 "2021-07-11T16:27:13Z")
Looks very close. Hopefully you will manage it upcoming week. ---
**Author:** ![Shimrra](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/shimrra/32/87_2.png) [@Shimrra](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Shimrra)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2279 "2021-07-11T16:40:57Z")
I’m sure it will be fine once lycanstupidity goes away. It hasn’t been pointed out much but having a near-permanent red/purple storm only makes things worse regarding purple-\>lycan gems … So clearly this faction being released during this wretched pathetic campaign\* is not a coincidence, we know better. (\* that’s wretched and pathetic _relative to the usual amount_. I already need to rein in my cursing about campaigns on a regular basis as it is, its freaking difficult.) ---
**Author:** ![Eika](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/eika/32/103088_2.png) [@Eika](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Eika)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2021, 9:12pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2280 "2021-07-11T21:12:45Z")
Check my thread, experienced the same thing yesterday and the day before. I am not gonna destroy another screen. ---
**Author:** ![TheIdleOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@TheIdleOne](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TheIdleOne)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2021, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2281 "2021-07-11T21:40:47Z")
The one faction I would try during Lycanthropy is The Labyrinth. I’m sure it could/would backfire, but if you get into a Horned Guardian vs Horned Guardian stalemate, you can try to Lycanthropy the enemy… ---
**Author:** ![Eika](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/eika/32/103088_2.png) [@Eika](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Eika)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2021, 10:38pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2282 "2021-07-11T22:38:03Z")
So there is a chance for me to max it without 300 hoard level afterall ? ---
**Author:** ![TheIdleOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@TheIdleOne](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TheIdleOne)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 4:09am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2283 "2021-07-12T04:09:02Z")
without having tried it myself, maybe. The biggest problem of this faction is largely the unkillable enemy Horned Guardian in the last room and Lycanthropy can change that. Your Horned Guardian is pretty valuable and the longer you can keep your full team alive, the less likely it’ll be hit by Lycanthropy as well ---
**Author:** ![xolid99](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/xolid99/32/66856_2.png) [@xolid99](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/xolid99)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 12:10pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2284 "2021-07-13T12:10:00Z")
> [@TheIdleOne](#): > > Your Horned Guardian is pretty valuable and the longer you can keep your full team alive, the less likely it’ll be hit by Lycanthropy as well I’d concur with this. Before I did it potionless I had numerous attempts where it was HG v HG at the end, and I ended up retreating, as theirs goes off the scale. All you need is theirs to be hit with Lycanthrophy and yours not. You might have to chip away with your tooth pick for a while, and avoid all those Lyco gems, but it would be easier. ---
**Author:** ![Shimrra](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/shimrra/32/87_2.png) [@Shimrra](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Shimrra)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 7:06pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2285 "2021-07-19T19:06:42Z")
Finally got Palace. Rather lucky than good. ONE attempt today (used three to clear campaign task, had one left sitting on Palace from before), caved to 2x speed to avoid the double skulls which was probably the most excruciating thing I’ve ever seen. Went down to one troop on one hit nonetheless and it wasn’t even a Warrior. (I _had_ a 3v1? But then it turned on me. “Oh its just their rare troop” that still does 260 damage a hit.) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/b/2/b2d76d87ea139d4cb92160a7e9a826df28cb7f40.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/4/f/4f3d90ba3d266aac8e6bd0b81f591321feeef05d.jpeg) Warrior Warrior Indrajit Indrajit 3x Nysha Hellclaw Banner Just deny red \> yellow \> purple \> green at all times. Hold Indrajit casts (and secondary Warrior casts) for when you can’t do that. Also very very important to avoid letting the board reset after your turn, because you tend to just get skulled in the face, so holding casts for when there’s clearly just one move left is also really useful. If their Mage casts, pray? More often than not it just fills the board - particularly if we’re keeping red and purple off the board as much as possible - but having your lead troop burning is usually not great. I actually didn’t clear 500 with a non-faction team and just poured everything into this, hence the 2,490. Awkward. 100 hoard doable. ---
**Author:** ![TheIdleOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@TheIdleOne](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TheIdleOne)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 7:37pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2286 "2021-07-21T19:37:38Z")
Beat The Labyrinth with no potions, Hoard 199, 50% bonus, 2 Nysha, 1 Anu. medaled troops final thought: EZ Clap Room 1: It got a little dicey for my 2 Mechataurs and King Minos from all of the shuffling, but I managed to delay it long enough to get Horned Guardian back in slot 1. Room 2: Glaycion, Winter Wolf, Ice Troll, Snow Guardian. The enemy team shuffling made it a bit easy. Glaycion never got a cast off, but it got close to full. Snow Guardian hit me a few times, but I had enough stats to take it. First slot Winter Wolf with Hunter’s Mark is a little scary, but nothing fatal thanks to barrier. Room 3: Kruarg the Dread, Rock Worm, Cockatrice, Ice Worm. It wasn’t too bad, though I had to make sure I got rid of Rock Worm asap. Unfortunately, there’s no real way for me to win it fast enough to prevent my last troop from dying. (King Minos) Thankfully, I don’t “need” the 50% mana start. Kruarg gets +2 Red and +2 Green from the faction banner, unblocked. lol. Room 4: Started with 3 troops. Thought I had a good start, knocking HG to the back. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/3/d/3d0fb1c4d0d117ac2581d203ae16c2c900aa6315.jpeg) However, they killed off my 2 Mechataurs before I can finish the enemy HG off. This happened though. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/5/0/50bedac330f4eae72c329d24d8e25d74e57e2c35.jpeg) The rest of their team fell like dominos. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/2/9/296510b164ab1c8fcceee3ed1f11242aac676670.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/e/a/ea09c2d6b6d655cb723319a2a14e1a0354485dd0.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/0/7/0706ce325cfc1b86a1d02405209e3642a75d9399.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/0/3/03dac256361801bb75b9b780763696e27d7be7f3.jpeg) Mammoth did get a cast off with no barrier on, which hurt a little bit. New Lycan change made it weaker at least. Team: Horned Guardian (the only thing that really matters) Mechataur Mechataur King Minos Maze Banner (+2G, +2R, -P) I definitely had a feeling the strategy would work, though Lycanthropy wasn’t that common in my matches. If I didnt land that Lycanthropy early, the match might have gone way longer. ---
**Author:** ![Shimrra](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/shimrra/32/87_2.png) [@Shimrra](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Shimrra)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 2:49am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2287 "2021-07-24T02:49:18Z")
Two in a week for me! ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/c/6/c65fd54b9ffa9fe9b9b7529c388c7a3ab5328b85.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/2/9/297324ff8b7e937eac37973831adb94f7f2dac7c.jpeg) Lycanstupidity finally actually helped. Pretty sure I cleared the entry and the tier 5 room in the center without much issue, did lose my Huntsman in the tier 5 but Tomb Spider is pretty intimidating to replace it. Boss room I think lycan got maybe _three_ of them? And then Giant Spider summoning an itty bitty Spiderling while webbed just let me cruise through and let them take all the skulls. This is probably the state of this delve now, even after the campaign. Maybe a bit less, I was able to get a few more applications via gems. But the status effects being thrown all over _will_ include this now. Running this with anything besides triple cleanse medals is, obviously, a really bad idea. I had Huntsman, double rogues and then Matron. Merlantis banner. (Oh and obviously at hoard 100. Because I refuse to raise it higher.) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/jonathan/32/66724_2.png) [@Jonathan](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Jonathan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 3:06am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2288 "2021-07-24T03:06:58Z")
> [@TheIdleOne](#): > > The rest of their team fell like dominos. Always reminds me of this 😅: [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/1/8/18bfe5aa76a54ae82c1429ad6ae0481e00405299.jpeg "Zapp Brannigan Checkmate") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfU69_up02Y) ---
**Author:** ![Dust\_Angel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/dust_angel/32/35256_2.png) [@Dust\_Angel](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Dust_Angel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2289 "2021-07-26T15:13:25Z")
![Capture](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/4/1/41bd299dc85e7aa7dcb0ede26c70f7a9ea8b658b.jpeg) The only time ever Lycanthropy did a good thing. Ever. Hoard 199 + 50%; Orpheus medals; Labyrinth banner Horned Guardian 2x Mechataur King Minos Room 1 - no problems. Room 2 - Pyggra/Pyggra/Lord Ember/Sheggra. Sheggra turned into Wererat, one of my Mechataurs turned into Hyena (on first opportunity with cleanse medals). Other noteworthy thing was them always getting skyskulls after Pyggra cast. Room 3 - Baby Dragon/Baby Dragon/Dragon Eggs/Venbarak. Only my Guardian lived, everything else died. One of Baby Dragons turned into Elemaugrim, other turned into Drake Rider (and subsequent Drake). Boss room - single Horned Guardian against full enemy team… Double Ly gems on turn one - Horned Guardian cleansed, Mechataur turned into Rhynaggor so I didn’t have to worry about getting silenced anymore. Shuffling enemy troops around and slowly chipping away until it was Guardian against Guardian…phew, those Lycanthropy gems took like forever to randomly fall, their Guardian cleansed another five times (so - six in total) before finally, after about 40 minutes, turning into Amarok; and then I sighed - oh, damn, don’t you dare devour me if barrier happens to be down! He cast once with my barrier up. I’ll take this outcome, but it doesn’t change overall aversion against Lycanthropy (one swallow, as they say, doesn’t make a summer). ---
**Author:** ![Shimrra](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/shimrra/32/87_2.png) [@Shimrra](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Shimrra)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 8:00pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2290 "2021-07-26T20:00:44Z")
I don’t think giving someone hope that they can tackle the labyrinth is actually even a good thing. Nobody should have to be subjected to that _thing_ on the sole basis of “maybe this dumb lycan gem thing can cripple them instead of me”. Even if it works!! ---
**Author:** ![Snooj](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/snooj/32/65852_2.png) [@Snooj](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Snooj)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 1:30am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2291 "2021-07-27T01:30:17Z")
Omgomgomgomg. Just cleared Lyra pure faction 500 with hoard 200, no potions. I can’t believe I am going to say this but, thank you lycan! One of my troops lycanned into Queen Aurora who barriers, so I had her and three Hounds that kept summoning each other and skulls. Then, the boss Lyra lycanned into Rover which gave my team yellow. Ommmmggggg. ![Screenshot_20210726-190903](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/3X/4/c/4c7661a627a37a554563889c5512c375585dbae7.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![NerdieBirdie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/nerdiebirdie/32/103793_2.png) [@NerdieBirdie](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/NerdieBirdie)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522/2292 "2021-07-27T01:47:00Z")
Congrats! That one was a pain in my butt for soooo long [Previous page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522.md?page=112) [Next page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/delves-strategies-tactics-and-tips/45522.md?page=114)