Graveyard Tactics and Equipment

Tactics

(Originally posted on ACVault Frostfell forums by Taomagicdragon)

The spawns in Graveyard vary by time of day or night, with each in-game day and night cycle being measured by one real-life hour. Day time lasts from Dawnsong until Evensong. During the day the following creatures can be found:

Daytime

Grave Rats (Weak to Lightning/Slashing/Bludgeoning) (Uses piercing and acid damage)
Pyre Minions (Weak to Fire/Bludgeoning) (Uses bludgeoning damage)
Pyre Skeletons (Weak to Fire/Bludgeoning) (Uses AR fire damage and can cast vulns and fire wars)
Corrupted Dreads (Weak to Fire/Lightning/Slashing) (Uses cold damage as well as vulns and cold wars)

Out of these, the Corrupted Dreads can be found only inside the crypts on the landscape, while the others can be found both in the crypts and outside. Melee damage is the main danger, with magic being employed commonly by the Corrupted Dreads and Pyre Skeletons. Corrupted Dreads cast Frost Vulnerability, while Skeletons cast Fire Vulnerability. During the night the spawns, and the danger, increase dramatically. Night time lasts from Evensong until Dawnsong. The following mobs are out at night:

Nighttime

Wights (Weak to Slashing/Fire) (Uses bludgeon damage)
Wight Captains (Weak to Slashing/Fire) (Uses slash/bludgeon damage and can cast imps/vulns/slash wars)
Wight Blade Sorcerers (Weak to Slashing/Fire) (Casts imps/vulns/fester/slash wars)
Pyre Minions (Weak to Fire/Bludgeoning) (Uses bludgeon damage)
Pyre Skeletons (Weak to Fire/Bludgeoning) (Uses AR fire damage and can cast vulns and fire wars)
Pyre Champions (Weak to Fire/Bludgeoning) (Uses a shield as well as AR fire damage and can cast imps/vulns and fire wars)
Corrupted Dreads (Weak to Fire/Lightning/Slashing) (Uses cold damage as well as vulns and cold wars)
Spectral Dreads (Weak to Fire/Lightning/Slashing) (Uses cold damage as well as vulns and cold wars)
Sorrow Wisps (Weak to Slashing/Bludgeoning) (Uses Neutral damage as well as vulns and cold wars)
Hatred Wisps (Weak to Slashing/Bludgeoning) (Uses Neutral damage as well as vulns and fire wars)
Despair Wisps (Weak to Slashing/Bludgeoning) (Uses Neutral damage as well as vulns and acid wars)

All of these can spawn outside but, for the most part, the Dreads tend to be the only real residents of the crypts. The spawns this time around are far more magic intensive; but do not underestimate the power of their physical attacks as they do hurt, badly, when imperiled and vulned. It tends to be easier (not easy) to stay on the top of the crypts as well as avoiding the wisps altogether due to the time it takes to kill them.

The strategies for hunting in this place are as varied as the players exploring and so I have taken the liberty of writing a few tactics for different templates; solo or group (though this place is designed for groups).

(Boundary trap refers to using the outside borders on the eastern, southern, and northern exits to trap spawn and dispatch in a safer fashion.)

Note: Alchemy grenades are mentioned but you can obviously use life magic at your discretion.

Solo Tactics

Mage

Day: Grave Rats and Corrupted Dreads.
Night: Corrupted/Spectral Dreads, Wights, and Wisps.

Jump atop the crypts, heads, or towers then vuln appropriately to match a same-type CS wand (slaying property where applicable) and then cast wars from above. Using a rend weapon (Slaying when applicable), you can fire into the graveyard from beyond the boundary markers where, if you angle correctly, you can trap the spawn.

Missile

Focus:

Day: Grave Rats and Pyre Minions/Skeletons.
Night: Pyre and Wight Creatures.

Note: Exquisite Composite weapon is a MUST for the Pyre Champions (for soloing due to shields)

Jump atop the crypts, heads, or towers then vuln/imperil appropriately to match a same-type CS/AR bow (slaying property where applicable) and then shoot from above. The composite bow works great for this when not using a slaying weapon. If using a generic AR/CS bow (without slaying) then the Dark Idol Fetish will be of use here. Using the royal runed weapon, cast into the spawn to cast an imp and then switch to the rend/slaying weapon of your choice. For this strategy I would recommend it being best employed near the boundary stones in order to trap spawn.

Melee

Same as Missile.

Note: Being solo, it may be best to avoid the Pyre Champions due to their shields.

Using an Sanguinary Aegis (Shield of Isin Dule/Shield of Perfect Light/Aegis of the Golden Flame) and Royal Runed Weapons, attack the spawns to imperil them, and then switch to the appropriate rend/slaying. Keep your back away from the spawns, and try to lure out near the boundaries or fight within the few safe crypts as to retreat quickly if needed.

Against extreme Melee creatures like Pyre Champions or Wight Captains, don't forget Pacification (Incant of Blood Loather) and Clouded Motives (Incant of Turn Blade) on the mobs weapons. It doesnt aggro them towards you, and can make a big differnce to the damage you take. Generally only a high level mage will have the item skill needed to land on these creatures.

Note: If you have Alchemy Grenades then (for missiles and melees) you can use them to lure spawn to you, setting up the boundary-trap, as well as use them to actually vuln/imperil.

Group Tactics

Mage + Missile

Day: All.
Night: All

Eerily efficient in the Graveyard, the mage and missile character will follow either the first or second ideas simultaneously. The difference being that the mage imperils/vulns everything and heals the archer as they go to loot. The archer will use CS/AR/Slaying weapons. This set up is perfect for using the terrain and the only huge weakness is when it comes time for the mage to loot unless the missile character can heal.

Mage + Melee

Day: All.
Night: All but the Wisps.

This grouping is centered around the mage luring into the boundary-trap or into a choke point in the door way of a crypt. The mage will imperil/vuln everything and the melee takes them out. You could also have the mage sit high up on a crypt or tower and keep the spawn bust while the melee swings away with a CS/AR/Slaying weapon in relative safety. Though the melee and mage will be more vulnerable to damage, it makes looting easier without a total breakdown of tempo. Stick to the door way choke points or boundary-traps and you’ll be fine.

Missile + Melee

Day: Grave Rats and Pyre Minions/Skeletons.
Night: Pyre creatures and Wights (sans the Blade Sorcerer)

In this set up, the archer will lure with the royal runed weapon to lay the imps as well as set up a choke point or boundary trap. The melee will swing away with the rend/slaying weapon appropriate. Makes looting easier at the cost of more exposure to damage. If one of the players uses the Alchemy Grenades then they will perform the role of imp/vulning to set up the strategies. The lurer could also be high up to distract the spawns keeping the melee safe. If the melee has the grenades, then both members can perch above in safety using the strategy a Mage + Missile team would.

Mage + Mage

Same as Mage for all points except one mage can take the role of support while the other mage uses CS/Slaying weapons.

Missile + Missile

Same as Mage + Missile with one archer using the royal runed weapon to lure and imperil or use the Alchemy Grenades.

Melee + Melee

Day: All
Night: All but Wight Blade Sorcerer and Wisps.

This plays vastly different due to the melees being able to turn shielded opponents one way so the partner can attack from behind. One melee will use royal runed weapons to lay down the imperils while the others swings away with a rend/slaying weapon. If a melee uses the Alchemy Grenades then assume the Mage + Melee scenario.

Geography

The Ancient Graveyard has two sides: North and South and are separated by a gated boundary. Each half is unique:

North:

Amelia Quest
Lord Mhoire Quest
Lady Mhoire Quest (Sealed vault is in this half)
Jester Quests (Marbles/Spectral Weapons)
1 mausoleum (with the statues)
5 crypts
2 towers
1 large rock cave
2 head-crypts
1 entrance/exit (with boundary for trapping)

Highlights: Perching perching perching! The Mausoleum on the hill can be used as a safe house during the day while the cave can be used at night..

South:

Vendors
Exhumed Bones Turn-in
Pyre Shrouds Turn-in
Grave Rat Kill Task
Deathtail Quest (rat bunkers are all over Graveyard)
Jester Quests (All)
Rytheran’s Journal quest
4 Crypts
2 Partially sunken heads
2 statues
1 large pillar
3 exits for quick escape (East has a gating boundary for trapping while the South has a small loose boundary and another one is fairly safe for escape in the West)

Highlights: Has a wide open field for larger groups and melee bashing! There is also a safe crypt at 65.6S 43.0W and another one a bit north of that where you can duck into to heal up and/or take a break and log. Use the statues and pillar as well as the heads to dodge wars, line up spawns, or steal a chance to heal.

Recommended equipment

Below is the recommended equipment for each template that tend to be popular and useful.

Mage

Fire/Slash Rend Undead Slayer fully brass’d or gg’d
Fire/Slash CS Undead Slayer fully brass’d or gg’d
Lightning Rend fully brass’d or gg’d
CS/Rend Bludgeon fully brass’d or gg’d
Ghost Slayer

Missile

Exquisite Composite Weapon
Royal Runed Weapon
Fire/Slash Rend Undead Slayer fully brass’d or hog’d

C*Fire/Slash CS/AR Undead Slayer fully brass’d or hog’d

S/AR/Rend Bludgeon fully brass’d or hog’d
AR/Rend Bludgeon/Fire with Dark Fetish Idol and hog’d
Ghost Slayer

Melee

Aegis shield with A (Isin Dule, etc)L
Royal Runed Weapon
Fire/Slash Rend Undead Slayer fully tinked for damage or brass
Fire/Slash CS/AR Undead Slayer fully tinked for damage or brass
CS/AR/Rend Bludgeon/Slash fully tinked for damage or brass
Ghost Slayer

Covenant Armour Guide

Piercing (day)
Acid (day)
Cold (day and night)
Fire (day and night)
Slashing (night)
Bludgeoning (day and night)

About the only thing you are safe from is lightning damage so when using covenant armour focus on everything else. If you wish to only hunt in the day time then focus on piercing, bludgeoning, fire, and acid damage (cold if you intend on fighting the Dreads in the crypts). For the night time that’s when slashing, bludgeoning, fire damage is most important with cold for the Dreads.

Trophies

In addition to the normal experience and loot profile (which is not shabby) there are numerous trophies to earn on your kills. Below are the items and what creature drops them with the highest rates, there will be a separate section below to explain the Jester‘s Cards:

Pyre Shrouds (Day: Pyre Skeletons Night: Wight Captains)
Ancient Mhoire Coin (Day: Corrupted Dreads Night: Wight Captains/Blade
Sorcerers or Spectral Dreads or Pyre Champions)
Ornate Bone Keys (Same as Coins)
Exhumed Bones (Night Only: Landscape/crypts)
Jester's Tokens/Cards (Day/Night: Any)

These items can be found on other spawns (Most of the night time spawns can drop the first three items for example) but the ones listed have the higher rates, which even still are quite low. The Wight Captains and Blade Sorcerers can drop up to three shrouds at one time so if you’re looking for those, they’re your best bet. Exhumed Bone Piles spawn between Evensong and Dawnsong (Dusk ‘til Dawn) and need to be attacked in order to pick up a bone, similar to how you would break crates in other quests. Coins and keys drop off the spawns during the Evensong to Dawnsong timeframe but only the crypt-residing Corrupted Dreads drop these during the day as they are unaffected by daylight being inside and all. When you wish to turn in these items see the following:

Pyre Shrouds - (10 needed) - 65.3S 44.0W - Apep-Tek the Tolerant - Anytime
Exhumed Bones - (10 needed) - 65.6S 43.0W - Shade of Parieth - Night
Ornate Bone Keys - (1 needed) - 64.6S 44.1W - Guardian Statue - Anytime
Ancient Mhoire Coins - (At least 1 needed) - 65.4S 44.0W - Hurnmel the Smith - Night
Jester’s Token - (1 needed) - Any casino owner - Anytime
Deck of Hands/Deck of Eyes - (1 deck needed, see below) - Jester (random area in the graveyard) - Night

There are no timers on any of the items or when you can turn them in, so think of them as bonuses for hunting. You receive up to 15 million experience for every 10 shrouds and every 10 bones yields 6 million experience. The keys are for use in a quest that will be explained later in this guide while the coins can be used as a sort of currency for use with the vendor in the estate, luckily inside a crypt as to provide some protection while buying. Pages of lore can sometimes drop in which the translator of Hebian-To will gladly translate for you.