Delves: Strategies, tactics and tips

Gotcha, yeah thats probably true. Thanks for your input!

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Thanks for your input! Is it just me that does not see a rework coming for the Factions so they are able to get done without the all in Tuesdays faction event max pain? I mean, so much time have already passed now, that I’ve lost hope.

The developers’ long term plan for Delves seems to involve death by a thousand paper cuts. I think (but will not claim certainty) that the devs want to give us a slow trickle of stats over time, which will eventually combine with higher purchased Hoard levels to make these things doable. Elite levels; slowly having kingdoms give up to +5 stats each (two from levels and three from power stars); and Hoard bonuses, which are all but certain to go up to +100% when kingdoms can go to level 20. All of these are much slower than spending 3000 gems and an entire Tuesday. But if you are willing to be (very) patient, you’ll eventually arrive at the same place.

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I agree with others - even counting layout change Primal Rift should be the most doable.

Stonesong Eyrie still has infinite harpies in the boss room (took me about 70 minutes to finally finish it yesterday with 140 + 25% hoard) but, at least, they don’t spawn two at a time anymore.

Then - from what I’ve done potionless - it’s a coin toss between Warrens (175 + 50% hoard) and Dark Pits (241 + 50% hoard) as both require fair deal of luck. Warrens were much luckier for me (lower hoard, fewer tries), but…well, can’t really recommend any of them.

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Thanks for the input! I will try again and see if I can manage Primal Rift with a little higher hoardlevel first, I think.

The first faction guide was popular so definitely going to make more! Full disclosure, I’ve reached 500 in several factions but none with the pure team yet. I’m mostly compiling tips from other users here and adding advice regarding medals. Let me know which one you’d like to see me do next.

PRIMAL RIFT SUPER GUIDE

  • Run the following team (Recommended by Spectrum).
    • Summer Banner (+2 Green/+1 Purple/-1 Blue)
    • Redthorn
    • Dark Dryad
    • Alderfather
    • Alderfather
  • This is probably the most capable faction to reach 500 with, aside from RNG factions like Crypt Keepers and spending thousands of Gems on potions during events. Your goal here is skull spam, using Green Golem and Alderfather to entangle enemies and create skulls, respectively. This will be grindy and slow, especially since the enemy can entangle you as well.
  • Alderfather allows you to summon troops to replace ones that die, and can importantly create the non-Primal Rift troop Treant. Treant’s spell removes Brown gems from the board, then provides himself with extra toughness and attack. With careful casting, you can avoid Treant dying and push his attack high enough to kill of enemies.
    • This DOES work for the faction clear. As long as the starting team has 4 Faction troops, it doesn’t matter if troops die, or get replaced with troops from the faction or from outside the faction. You still get the renown.
  • Look to lose the Redthorn in the first battle while filling Alderfather, and being careful not to risk losing anything else. Then, try to get lucky summoning a Treant with Alderfather. Once you get a Treant online, use Alderfather to entangle enemies and Dark Dryad to strip enemy armor and boost Treant’s power (hopefully either gaining Attack or Magic to gain more Attack).
    • Other earlier teams used Green Golem, but I think using a second Alderfather is more reliable, in case one dies. Also you get 2 entangles per Purple match!
    • Remember that Treant can’t gain attack while it’s entangled. Also be careful of Redthorn’s infernal armor.
    • I put Redthorn first slot because it dies more easily and can deal damage to the enemy when they attack.
  • Note that the faction route HAS recently changed. Before around December of 2019, it was behind the Rare and Ultra-Rare room in the bottom right, and now it is behind a Common/Rare and a Legendary room in the middle.
  • For medals, I highly recommend three Medals of Cedric. Being inflicted with Entangle and being unable to deal damage with skulls is a big deal here, and being able to dispel it quickly is crucial.
  • A couple of Elite Levels, especially on Treant, can be really helpful when affecting survivability.
  • The Kingdom Level hoard bonus and pet bonuses can help too. I’d make Primal Rift your second priority for Green Deeds after Zhul’Kari for the extra Magic.
  • As with most factions, my stance on Hoard is “If you have the gold lying around and think it’ll help, then by all means”
  • Gameplay by jzg, albiet with a different team and before the layout changed.

EDIT: Added advice on Elite Levels.

You can find other Delve Super Guides here:

Delve Super Guide Quick Links
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As this thread approaches 1500 posts, would it be better to post new guides in the thread I started, and leave this guide for questions and answers?

There are links between the two already. I still haven’t been able to access this site from my laptop despite clearing browser history, and its difficult for me to carry it downstairs to connect it directly to the modem.

Great guide, by the way. Much more detail than I could provide.

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@Eika seriously Rift is not that hard, this was my 2nd try with the new legendary room. Primal Rift Level 5 with fraction team - YouTube

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It’s not hard if the tactic works with treant etc. But it have not worked for me this far. Been close once tho.

Did it in my first try this morning. Used the suggested team from Elite’s synopsis.
I actually got a golem and bumped it up to 1000 life (in boss room) :smiley:
Dryad gave him twice a bump to attack late in the fight (just before dying).
Redthorn killed my 2nd and 3rd lost, but my alderfather summoned two treants after that…Not that i used any…

Also to answer a previous question, i also finished stonesong eyrie the other day. Not as easy as the rift of course but it’s quite possible if you kill their queen before she does too much damage…Good luck down there…

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It is doable, and I was trying to encourage you as the boards here seemed to blow up that a legendary room was moved without any notes or anything and, at least for this delve, it is not too much of an issue, but does not make it any easier. Good luck!

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Thanks! :slight_smile:

iI did stone song with 150 hoard… crypt keeper with 200. I’d go for those. But now I’m going to try the rift myself.

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Presuming I have all faction troops at mythic x4, is there no difference at all between the factions as I open chaos portals in search of more treasure? I can’t think of a difference, but maybe there’s something I haven’t considered.

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Yay, first try today. Was extremely lucky this time, with the Alderfather summoning Treants. Hoard Level 150/25% bonus skills. 1 Anu, 2 Aranaea medals selected.

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Do you think this would have been easier with Medals of Cedric equipped? 8 attack isn’t that much compared against your existing stats from hoard and kingdom bonus. Potentially quadrupling your cleanse rate seems extremely useful when the AI can entangle your first troop almost at will.

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Not much of a difference I think. Cedric medals is good, but they never seems to do me a favour when I have had them selected.

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Personally when doing this one before the faction bonuses, there were two issues.

Plain Bad luck - with too many green golems and no treants soon enough.

Treant being entangled all the time from AI Green Golem or Alderfather.

I’d suggest Cedrics are a win-win in it now, any time that entangle wears off, you can boost the attack with casts, if it’s entangled it won’t boost the attack. Same with Dark Dryad casting on it. :slight_smile:

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Was this a pure struggle, or? Which team did you go with? I see someone managed it with just 100 hoard as well, jzg or what hes called.