Which Redside Villain's Arc for Patron Pools?

[Clave Dark 5]

HI all, I recently got to a "stuck moment" with a build I was following when it hit 35 and I hadn't yet unlocked the redside Patron Pool that my build called for.  So I first off, of course, I started questioning myself, "do I really want this Patron Pool?" and so on.  But along the way I started questioning which Patron Arc I should go for.  I know everyone jumps for Black Scorpion, but is it really all that much better or different? 

 

So I headed over to the Wiki and started talking notes for myself (because that's much faster than slowly scrolling past the long pages for each patron while y brain turns to mush.  So now I might have the beginnings of a GUIDE to post in tat section, if someone hasn't already.  Nothing complex, just "here's what N00bz should expect when they sign up for this Patron's arc for the sacred badge to unlock the Patron Pools."  (Yes, I am a n00b because i haven't done all of these multiple times yet.)  Something easy to peruse and easily skim when you want to make the choice quickly (for am such a skimmer).

 

So here's where you come in: I want to steal you brains thoughts you may have on each of the Patron arcs, such as "don't take this one if you have a Psy hole in your armor," "avoid that one because too many defeat-alls," etc.  Got a favorite?  One you always avoid?  I wanna know and why!

[Snarky]

I will do you one better (one different?)  Do not pick based on the criteria above

 

Look if you want it unlocked there are multiple opportunities to jump into the unlock mission on a busy server. Done

 

Pick what is right for your character.  I run a lot if undead….Ghost Widow.  If I was a VEAT I might pick BS as his powers are similar.  Rogue who thinks he is noble…Scirroco. Etc

Edited January 26, 2022 by Snarky

[Clave Dark 5]

I was coming in at the angle of "oh spit, I need to level to 35 but I haven't unlocked this yet!"  It's like going to a thrift shop looking for say green pants: you will never find green pants again if you're waiting for it, I couldn't just mope around and hope some dear would flit my way with an offer for the single badge mission.  Best to grab that villain with your own hands and shake them upside down until the badge drops out.  Picking based on your character works too, I did that for my Illusions/Devices 'troller because Scirroco's "Mirage" badge seemed perfect for him to wear.

 

[SeraphimKensai]

If you do the first arc of any of the patrons you unlock access to all the patrons' power pools when it comes time to pick powers/respec.

 

Thus people tend to favor the Black Scorpion arc because it's really easy. You can run all the arcs though via teaming and get all the badges though.

[Clave Dark 5]

Also noted.  Thinking about all this I ended up taking my toon through Mako's because I wasn't sure I had ever done it before (I had).  I didn't really find it much easier or faster than any of the others I've done.  GW's had a coupe extra AV fights along the way, which some people might want to avoid... or run towards.  But she also has Carnies, so...

[The_Warpact]

I run Scirroco just because of the many AVs I can kill.

Except the Wretch mission I skip that, his dumbass running around aggro everything is an annoyance. Then the cherry on top of the sundae, beating Numina to unlock patron.

 

[Lusiphur Malache]

My answer is move your toon to the beta server and try them all.  I tend to go with Soul Mastery most of the time.

[Snarky]

As I am leveling a toon (and really always) I keep half an eye on the LFG chatter.  You would be surprised how often the chance to get a patron badge pops up, at least on Excelsior.  But yeah, BS is known to be fastest.  I do GW each time though.  One mission I autocomplete and it is pretty smooth

[Clave Dark 5]

22 minutes ago, Lusiphur Malache said:

My answer is move your toon to the beta server and try them all.  I tend to go with Soul Mastery most of the time.

No no, not which Patron Pool itself to pick, but which story arc to do, if you're of a mind to.

[Clave Dark 5]

5 minutes ago, Snarky said:

As I am leveling a toon (and really always) I keep half an eye on the LFG chatter.  You would be surprised how often the chance to get a patron badge pops up, at least on Excelsior.  But yeah, BS is known to be fastest.  I do GW each time though.  One mission I autocomplete and it is pretty smooth

Since HC came back, I think I've only self-leveled a toon through these once because he was a solo-only, yeah.  Well, twice now.  But I also tend to play during vampire hours,s o often I won't see one all day.

[Apparition]

Most people go for either Black Scorpion or Ghost Widow as their patron.  They are the easier of the four.  Scirocco's patron arc is pretty good, but you fight a lot of Mu, so having some sort of endurance drain resistance is a big plus unless you just hate having endurance or something.

 

Personally, I always take Captain Mako.  Why?  Well, I'm from Philadelphia, so I have to always root for the underdog. :P  Generally perceived to be the most difficult and most annoying of the four, thanks to all of the "defeat all Longbow" missions and multiple missions with the Knives of Artemis.

 

So, for ease and in relative popularity: Black Scorpion/Ghost Widow --> Scirocco --> Captain Mako.

[Virtual Green]

I tend to choose my character's Patron Arc based on purely RP reasons, most of the time!

Is my villain pure evil, a known killer and/or psychopath, with no remorse in his evil deeds? He'll follow Mako the apex predator of the Isles.

Is my villain more of a mastermind, who'd rather use his intellect to manipulate events? He'll go with Black Widow. (bonus point if he's an Arachnos fanboy)

Is my villain a jobber, a mercenary or generally speaking a pretty chill criminal? He'll work for the idiot that is Black Scorpion. (bonus point if my character is Tech or Natural origin)

Is my villain not so much of a villain, but a loveable rogue, a thief or someone on the path to redemption? Good ol' Scirroco it is!

[Mezmera]

Black Scorpion is the fastest especially if you auto complete that kill all in the middle.  Just to get it done I do Scorpion and go behind his back and choose Widow for my powers.  

[Ironblade]

9 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

You can run all the arcs though via teaming and get all the badges though.

They are also available in Ouroboros.  I did them ALL there in order to get all of their badges.

[MTeague]

I definitely enjoy the Scirocco arc. 

I do wish there was an option to actually choose to try to help him, even if that choice had to end in a railroaded "failure".

 

When I do patron arcs, I inevitably choose Scirocco or Ghost Widow, because they seem the most civilized of the four. Mako is just a brute, and Black Scorp, nope, have no desire to work with anyone who cybernetic'd that much of his body by choice. It'd be one thing if he was more like a Clockwork King scenario, but my understanding is he chose that. 

Edited January 27, 2022 by MTeague

[macskull]

If I'm unlocking patron pools on a character my only goal is to get the arc done as quickly as possible, so I choose Black Scorpion. Auto-complete the single defeat-all mission and as long as you know what to look for in that other weird random Malta boss mission you can knock the entire thing out in like 15-20 minutes.

[Glacier Peak]

Each Patron has two unique story arcs and two copy arcs that all four share, but they change a few names and words to make them seem different. The two unique arcs from Ghost Widow and Sirocco have good story and fun enemies. Black Scorpion has the fastest story arc to unlock the Patron pool, but he also has the longest story arcs (and awful Mole Machines). Mako is more or less similar to Black Scorpion. 

[SuperPlyx]

10 hours ago, Glacier Peak said:

(and awful Mole Machines)

What you don't like fighting a huge bucket of hp for what seems like half an hour only to find out there are 3 more? smh

[Six-Six]

I personally think Mako's is the easiest AV/EB at the end. Black Scorpion "feels" like the fastest since the mission doors tend to be closer together (save for one in St.Martial) and the missions themselves are in smaller maps. Ghost Widow's is slightly tougher with a celebrity AV, "weakened" Numina... only because of the Longbow Ambushes every quarter health. I rarely do Scirocco's because of how the mission (maps) are designed. That said, though Serafina is a pushover, especially with 2 Fortunatas to assist you, you still get two missions that will have you tangle with Barracuda (EB/Boss) and Silver Mantis (AV/EB) which I think are two of the toughest buggers in Arachnos. Purely preference on my part. All of them have really good stories, though. Even the ones after the Patron Badge. Incidentally, only Mako's 3rd arc (Iron Fist) gives a temp Bane Summon (3 days???) I just repeat it from the Pillar to keep having a bane by my side. Black Scorpion's portal stuff will help you earn the Fake Nems, Warhulk and Jaeger badges for the sheer number of spawns in 2 missions.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Six-Six

[Apparition]

39 minutes ago, Six-Six said:

I personally think Mako's is the easiest AV/EB at the end. Black Scorpion "feels" like the fastest since the mission doors tend to be closer together and the missions themselves are in smaller maps. Ghost Widow's is slightly tougher with a celebrity AV, Numina... only because of the Longbow Ambushes every quarter health. I rarely do Scirocco's because of how the mission (maps) are designed, but Serafina is a pushover. Purely preference on my part. All of them have really good stories, though. Even the ones after the Patron Badge

 

Ace McKnight is a pushover.  That said, my friends specifically ignore me whenever I call out that I have the Captain Mako patron badge mission up because of all of the Knives of Artemis in the mission. 😆

[Glacier Peak]

1 hour ago, SuperPlyx said:

What you don't like fighting a huge bucket of hp for what seems like half an hour only to find out there are 3 more? smh

 

A suggestion I made last year after slogging through these things.

[TheZag]

When i solo it i choose Mako because i consider it the easiest.  Kill alls arent hard,  they just take time.  Knives of artemis can be a pain but you can skip most of them.  Use the auto complete on the plant bombs on the boat mission skips all of those knives of artemis.  Skip the knives on the last mission too and head straight to the boss.  The boss in the last mission on low settings is a boss where its an elite boss on other arcs.  The fact that you never have to fight anything harder then a boss is why i feel its the easiest.

[Clave Dark 5]

15 hours ago, TheZag said:

The boss in the last mission on low settings is a boss where its an elite boss on other arcs.  The fact that you never have to fight anything harder then a boss is why i feel its the easiest.

This is what I discovered with my squishie blaster a few days ago.  Jet pack + low settings = I was out in like 2 minutes.