Master of Underground Trial Guide

[Living Brain 3000]

Ladies and gentlemen I am Living Brain 3000 and this will be the all inclusive guide to Master of Underground Trial. 

 

Now a bit of lore for those who would like to know where to run this in the cannon timeline

 

The Underground Trial is the fourth Incarnate Trial, released with Issue 21: Convergence, which takes place in First Ward, Praetoria. It requires  a maximum of 24 players to join this raid. The Underground.in the cannon lore,  takes place after the Keyes Island Reactor Trial

 

The all but abandoned subway and access tunnels beneath Praetoria have been the home to the Resistance for many years now, They have a plan they have been working on for a few years now it is time to implement this plan. This plan is to bring down the city and put a stop to Marcus Cole. 

Desdemona plans to meet a group of Incarnates and lead them through the tunnels into the belly of the beast to rescue Vanessa DeVore from the monsters that dwell alongside the Resistance. However, the passage is not without its perils and is guarded heavily by the IDF lest anyone finds out one of Praetoria's darkest secrets….

Before we talk about the badges to attain Master of Underground Trial we need to discuss common terms you might hear in the league.

1. LoS or line of sight- to break LoS simply stand behind any object blocking your view from the AV

2.  The next abbreviation you might hear is the 20/10/5 Rule- When fighting the final At which point you will rush the Health of Hamidon to 20%.  then slow down your major damage powers while still hitting the AV down to 10% once at 10% the league needs to CAREFULLY tap the AV to 5% (note 3% is the lowest you should go before getting the FEW kill order from the league leader

 

The Badges that are needed for Master of Underground Include…

Underground Seeker-  You will get this badge simply by running the trial to its end.

Regenerate This Badge- You will earn this badge by killing the Self-Repairing War Walker and Lichen Infested War Walker within 8 minutes of starting the fight

Tour Guide-  While keeping Desdemona's health above 50%

Preservation Specialist badge by killing all the IDF bombs before they detonate 

 

Avatar Assassin-  Defeat the Avatar of Hamidon at the same time as a Detonating Seedling

After you have earned each of the badges you will earn Master of the Underground

 

It's important to know what destiny powers players should equip. 

Ranged Damage dealers should bring Clarion.

Debuffer/Buffers should have Barrier or Rebirth slotted depending on preference.

Melee damage and Tanks should consider equipping Ageless. 

DO NOT HAVE INCAN SLOTTED BECAUSE DESDEMONA IS NOT TELEPORTABLE.

 

Now let's discuss each phase in the trial

 

DURING TRIAL

PHASE 1-  Desdemona Ritual

The League must protect Desemona while you clear the initial groups of IDF in order to gain access to the Underground proper.

Please NOTE; Olympian Guards have a stacking mag 30 stuns. 

Once all the initial IDF have been cleared you will go down the stairs. Once Demona is down the steps she will stand between 4 pillars and begin a ritual. While she is standing there players should deal with the two waves of approximately 10 IDF. Once this first part is done Desdemona will run to the other side of the room and you will do the exact same as before. Once you finish PHASE 1 proceed down the nearest elevator to start PHASE 2.

PHASE 2- Subway Halls 1

The league must proceed down the long subway hall killing all IDF along the way. It is recommended that the league treats this section as a kill all due to Desdemona’s habit of letting her pets aggro everything. Conversely the league can proceed down the right hand side of the hallway killing only the mobs on the right side .After killing everything along the way the league should head into a room that will give you a popup counter. Once everything is dead proceed to Phase 3.

NOTE: If you are a tank during this phase head into the room and find the nearest elevator and pull the mob(s) closest to the elevator to you. Your league's tank should be one of the first few people down the elevator.

Optional if your team is low on healing: The person with Desdemona can stay in the room prior to avoiding her taking damage.

PHASE 3- War Walker 1

Mechanics- All War Walkers have a variety of AoE attacks that will appear as red text with the following: Crowd Dispersal, Targets Acquired and Lethal Force Authorized. If you have any of the red text by your health bar it is advised to break line of sight or LoS behind the pillars. If you are a tank it is advised to turn the War Walker away from the league to lessen the number of targets affected by the AoE

Once the league is down the elevator you will encounter the first of 3 War Walkers. There is no need for Lore pets at this time however you must be this War Walker in less than 8 minutes to have a chance at Regenerate This. Once this War Walker is defeated you will proceed down the elevator closest to where the War Walker was standing.

 

PHASE 4- BOAT ROOM

During PHASE 4 the party will see glowing spores as they proceed to kill everything once more. When the league reaches a room with a large boat like barge it is advised to clear this room. 

Optional: The league can leave Desdemona in between the four crates on the boat after PHASE 5. Simply have the Desdemona player stand in the middle of the 4 crates in the boat room. Then one league member can teleport the Desdemona person to the rest of the league.

Once the boat room is clear the league will work its way down two hallways that culminate with a large metal door. DO NOT CLICK THE DOOR TILL DESDEMONA IS SAFELY AROUND THE CORNERS AND AT THE DOOR. When you enter this room you will have reached PHASE 5.

NOTE; Clicking the door before Desmona is around the corner to see the big doors will trigger an ambush that has a high chance of killing her.

 

PHASE 5- Trap Room

Once the league has gotten Desdemona around the corner and near the big metal doors you will open the door and have everyone split up into the 4 corners of the room. While you get set up Desdemona will stand in the middle of the room. Desdemona cannot be healed so it is imperative to kill the adds and the crystal in each corner. Once you have cleared your crystal head to the next closest corner and help out the rest of the league. 

Note: the spawns of Devouring Earth are EBs that reduce the damage dealt to the crystals

Once you have finished the room the league will proceed to PHASE 6.

 

PHASE 6- Subway Hall 2

Once the league has cleared the trap room of its crystals head out the only unopened door. As you go along make sure to pick up the glowing mushrooms these will be used on the next War Walker you will fight. 

Once your league has cleared the room with a counter on how many enemies are left to kill, your tank should head down the elevator and proceed down the hallway where he will taunt the War Walker ( Self Repairing-War Walker) into the corner at the opposite end of the hallway. 

NOTE: Tanks should behave just like the prior elevator make sure you are one of the first few down this way it is easy to grab the door and rush to the War Walker.

Once everyone is down the elevator proceed to summon your lore pets or any extra damage you might have on hand. As your league proceeds to kill the War Walker make sure you are hitting him with the temp power received from clicking on the glowing mushrooms along the way. This will stop his massive regen advantage. 

NOTE: The temp powers behave just like the nades in Lambda. All robots operate on the same targeting mechanic as before

Once the first War Walker is dead you will immediately begin PHASE 7. If you killed this War Walker in less than 4 minutes you are on pace for the Regenerate This Badge

NOTE: the mechanics for this War Walker are the same when it comes to targeting. 

PHASE 7- Lichen-infused WarWalker

Immediately after the Self Repairing War Walker is dead a 2nd War Walker will spawn. While the tank pulls this War Walker up against the wall or in the corner, the rest of the league should clear any of the mushrooms next to or close to the War Walker. Once your tank has given the go ahead or there are no mushrooms close by. The league should use ALL of their damage to kill the War Walker. You will have 8 minutes to kill the First War Walker and the second War Walker. If you have congratulations you have earned the Renerate This Badge as long as you finish the Trial

NOTE; This War Walker still has the targeting mechanic in play so watch out.

 

PHASE 8- Spores and Bombs

NOTE PRIOR TO PHASE 8: There are two generally accepted methods. The first method is commonly referred to as Zerging. The second method that is accepted is to do the Sniper method.This guide will explain how to do both methods

Zerg Method: Once both War Walkers are dead the league should head down the elevator and clear the room. Then proceed to dismiss any and all pets as well as turning off any powers that give the players/league +speed (this includes but not limited to Speed Boost, Fly, Afterburner, Super Speed, Super Jump). Once this has been achieved the party will stand behind the LEAGUE LEADER until they give the kill command. At which point the whole league should use short animation powers to destroy the demolition charge. Once the first 2 bombs are down the league will have a debuff applied that does sustained toxic damage as well as a -Range Debuff. The league comes to a side room the league leader should give the kill command and rush the bombs and the any adds leftover.

Sniper Method: The league leader as well as Blasters and or Corruptors WITH SNIPE GREATER THAN 150FT should proceed down the hallways and use ONLY their sniper power to kill the demolition charge. If the league leader does not have heals it is advised to bring 1 healer to keep the party full life. 

Once the first 2 bombs are down the league will have a debuff applied that does sustained toxic damage as well as a -Range Debuff.

NOTE: Both methods have their downside and is up to the league leader’s discretion on what method they use.

NOTE: In both methods it is advised to NOT CHASE the mobs that run away from you to lessen the chance of accidentally setting off a demolition charge

NOTE: Any devouring earth left in the side rooms will count as a fail due to them being counted as part of the bomb.

 Once the league encounters a group of runners down a hallway after the bomb you will have finished PHASE 8 and procced into PHASE 9

 

PHASE 9- Zig Zag Bombs

As the league clears the adds they will come to a large room. The league leader should have any player with a snipe power greater than 150ft (45.72 Meters) head into the next hallway where they will see more bombs set up in a zig zag pattern. The leader should inform the snipers to ONLY USE THEIR SNIPE POWER. Once the 8 bombs are cleared in the hallway their are two more bombs. 

NOTE: Advise your snipers to hug the right hand side wall to see the left bomb at the end of the hallway

The final bomb is at the end of the hallway inside the room on the right hand side in view. Once all 10 bombs are destroyed you have earned :Peservation Specialist Badge as long as you finish the trial. You league should now proceed into PHASE 10

 

PHASE 10- Hami Time
 

Mechanics- 

Discordant Spores: This is a PBAoE confuse with a 600 foot radius. This power is a mag 20 confuse that does not require line of sight and is used every 20 seconds. The confusion lasts for 10 seconds.

• Will of the Earth (Grasp of Gaea): This power works like the other powers that use a targeting selection system. The player that is targeted by Will of the Earth has 6 seconds to move away from the rest of the league before players near them are damaged and the Avatar heals. The damage scales based on how many players are caught in the attack. It will hit for a minimum of 15% damage and increase by 5% per additional player. Up to a maximum of 50% damage. The Avatar heals 2% per character affected by the attack.

• Cripple: This is a cone attack that the Avatar uses to drain players of endurance. A target is chosen at random, and a few seconds later the Avatar fires the attack at the location where the target was when they were selected. You can avoid being hit by this attack by continually staying to the back of the Avatar.

• Devour: This is a PBAoE buff that has a 40 foot radius will buff the damage and to-hit for the Avatar.

• Infection: This is a PBAoE debuff (40 foot radius) lowers resistance and defense by 33%.

Once all the bombs are clear the league leader should inform the person Desdemona is attached to that they need to stay put in the large room with Desdemona.

As the league proceeds to the final PHASE they will be greeted with a cutscene with Desdemona and Hamidon. After the Cutscene the tanks and melee toons should stand on the bluish of Hamidon while squishy players should stay on the more spore-covered side of Hamidon. As you are fighting Hamidon the league should follow the 20% 10% 5% Rule. Once Hamidon is at 10% the league leader should go into field general mode advising the league to STOP OR KILL. The league should time up Hamidon’s Death with a Seedling Detonation to earn Avatar Assassin Badge as well as Master of Underground Badge.

NOTE: If your league is light on damage then go to 3% before killing

NOTE: Tanks and melee toons should use Ageless to counter Hamidon’s Cripple Attack. Ranged Damage should use Clarion to avoid having someone on the team being hit by Discordant Spores. 

 

 

POST TRIAL

After defeating Extinction War Walkers and a score of the IDF, the allies find that Vanessa DeVore has already been slain, and that an Avatar of Hamidon killed her to keep her silent. However, Desdemona dons her fallen mask when the beast has been defeated and finds out that Emperor Cole made a deal with Hamidon to keep it at bay, a deal that forced Praetoria's Marcus Cole to attempt the destruction of Primal Earth to keep his end of the bargain!.

 

 

Thank you for watching and the next trial guide will be about TPN Campus. Don’t forget to like and comment.

Edited December 14, 2022 by Living Brain 3000

[Glacier Peak]

Great guide! Only comment I've got to offer is to try linking hyperlinks using the Homecoming wiki:

 

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Main_Page

[Meknomancer]

So theres been a lot of UG trials run and lately most of them have been speed runs. The last few i did with @Living Brain 3000running them went very smoothly and we got a good few badges/run but those were non-speed. 

 

DO NOT HAVE INCAN SLOTTED BECAUSE DESDEMONA IS NOT TELEPORTABLE.

 

The speed runners run with incandes and tp the league regularly skipping large parts of the trial and let you complete the whole thing within 25-30 minutes easily and you end up with all the badges bar preservation specialist. Avatar Assassin is either a fail or a fluke, an attempt is made and you either get it or you don't. I don't know how the teleports affect Desdemona but the runs with incandes have never failed and tour guide is pretty much guaranteed so i'm uncertain why you feel its essential to not slot that particular destiny.

 

Successful preservation specialist runs have been made on speed UG's but i've only seen them on torch and not since @PF? took a break from the game. Lining up the league and assigning half to one side of the tunnel and half to the other then just bum rushing the bombs as fast as possible seems to work without spending 45 minutes shuffling teams and assigning snipers.

[Astralock]

7 hours ago, Meknomancer said:

So theres been a lot of UG trials run and lately most of them have been speed runs. The last few i did with @Living Brain 3000running them went very smoothly and we got a good few badges/run but those were non-speed. 

 

DO NOT HAVE INCAN SLOTTED BECAUSE DESDEMONA IS NOT TELEPORTABLE.

 

The speed runners run with incandes and tp the league regularly skipping large parts of the trial and let you complete the whole thing within 25-30 minutes easily and you end up with all the badges bar preservation specialist. Avatar Assassin is either a fail or a fluke, an attempt is made and you either get it or you don't. I don't know how the teleports affect Desdemona but the runs with incandes have never failed and tour guide is pretty much guaranteed so i'm uncertain why you feel its essential to not slot that particular destiny.

 

Successful preservation specialist runs have been made on speed UG's but i've only seen them on torch and not since @PF? took a break from the game. Lining up the league and assigning half to one side of the tunnel and half to the other then just bum rushing the bombs as fast as possible seems to work without spending 45 minutes shuffling teams and assigning snipers.

 

 

Living Brain is correct that Desdemona is not teleportable.  You can use the Incandescence Destiny, but whoever Desdemona is on must have the "Prompt for teleport" setting enabled.  If you're not PUGing that Underground Trial, like you're doing it with only your SG or something, that can work.

 

However, if your Underground Trial is either mostly or entirely full of PUGs, it may not be worth it.  You have to make sure whoever Desdemona latches onto can read and follow instructions to either make sure that he or she has the "Prompt for teleport" setting enabled, or enables it.  To be frank, as someone who has led many raids and trials on both live and Homecoming, I know that most people have the attention span of fruit flies and have little to no reading comprehension skills.  You can repeat instructions over and over again in ten different ways, and some people will just completely ignore you.  So not having nor using the Incandescence Destiny is a safer, and probably better, method if your Underground Trial is mostly or entirely full of PUGs.

Edited December 18, 2022 by Astralock

[Glacier Peak]

2 hours ago, Astralock said:

can read and follow instructions 

Your faith in humanity is admirable 😆 

[Meknomancer]

So far the excel ones i've been on have all been PUG's but the leader always makes sure whoever gets Des takes a tp then leaves her to someone who understands the mechanics and the one of the speedrunners starts incandesing the league with the leader specifically telling everyone to accept the tp. Not going to start putting players globals on here but if you play on excel you'll know who i mean. From what i've seen so far it only takes 2-3 players who know each other and co-ordinate well together to knock 60-90 minutes off it without skipping any of the standard badges.

 

Bit different with badge runs but like tinpex you can fluke them if you speed it often enough.

 

There is a problem with this as you say, players attention spans and them getting far too used to someone who knows what they are doing teleporting them through every trial and tf (starting to see a lot of players advertising speed runs then doorsitting waiting for a tp that never comes, then being asked why they aren't helping, trying to speed and faceplanting on every mob due to their build being made up of every primary/secondary/epic power with flight as the last pick and i'm not talking about new players, i've seen a vet level 1000+ doing this) .

 

I'd agree if it was entirely a PUG it may cause a problem but when was the last time you saw someone who didn't know what they were doing lead an itrial 🙂 Nowadays its chock full of old vets chasing the new currencies for the mini modes and vanity pets.

 

I have no problem either way, if they wanna speed i don't mind, if they wanna take it slow and organised thats fine too, all i was saying was that of the last 40+ i've been on about 90% were speed runs with incades getting used and there were no problems with it. 

[Astralock]

I've led iTrials, back on live and on Homecoming, including recently.  As you said, those that are speeding the Underground Trial have at least a couple of other knowledgeable players with the Incandescence Destiny slotted that they can rely on.  Not every iTrial leader has that luxury.  I know that I certainly don't, at least.  And if you care about badges, the slow way is the safest way to go.