Okay, so now we're in a Luxon alliance, obviously we want to farm Luxon faction round the clock, to get ourselves a town (much easier for Luxons koz we kick ass at AB) and generally look awesome. Well actually, the real reason is because MQSC is the most fun ever; it's probably my favourite thing in the whole of Guild Wars ever. I've already maxed my Luxon title through enjoying this so much, but that doesn't mean I don't want to do more. What it does mean is that I know enough to teach anyone to do it, even if it's not as easy as Mistyway MTSC. Here's my wonderful guide:



Overview:
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Professions:
Ritualist
Monk
Necromancer
Paragon

Summary:
The team consists of 8 humans, split into 4 groups known as the yeti team, wallow team, naga team and runner. (PUGs call the naga team "beach team" for some wild, reactionary reason, even though they are exclusively responsible for killing nagas, and half of their fighting doesn't take place on the beach.) Each of these teams kills all of a particular kind of monster: yetis, rot wallows, nagas and outcasts. There can be some small overlap if one team is finished and another needs help, or if monsters wander into the path of another team, but in the perfect run, the only overlaps should be the beach team killing a patrol of rot wallows and the runner wiping out a handful of nagas. Once a team is finished, they may also trigger and kill oni pop-ups for extra faction and drops.

The vanquish starts from Aspenwood Gate (Luxon) - all players accept the blessing at the shrine and the teams go their separate ways. The yeti team (yeti tank, yeti smiter and finisher) turns left and takes on all of the yetis, including 4 bosses: Chehbaba Roottripper, Tomton Spiriteater, Huhkrah Earthslove and Arrahhsh Mountainclub. Meanwhile, the wallow team (Channeling rit and Communing rit) crosses the bridge and clears all the rot wallows and island guardians. The naga team (naga tank and naga smiter) turns right and takes on every group of naga, right down to the beach. The runner follows the beach team and buffs them with paragon speed boosts until they reach the lake, at which point the runner breaks off, runs to the beach, aggroes 2 groups of naga and pulls them into the outcasts, where the nagas kill all of the outcasts.


The Roles
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Yeti Tank AKA ytank

Builds:
Ritualist: OAOi8whMpFZxUPQTGTS8oLqPAA
or
Monk: Owgj8wQTITaRWM1D0kxkEP6i6DA

Armour:
Lowest armour rating possible; if you don't have your starter armour any more, go to Shing Jea Monastery or whatever and buy some 15 armour. You'll need to go there anyway to get a headpiece with the inherent +1 attribute - either Restoration Magic or Protection Prayers.

Runes:
Survivor insignias on every armour piece, superior rune of the headpiece's attribute, 3 vitae runes, the very best vigor rune you can afford.

Equipment:
Weapons aren't really important, since you'll be holding up the ashes of Vengeful Khanhei so often, but if you want the best, a caster weapon (+5 energy, +20% enchants) and a focus of devotion with a "Live for Today", or "Forget Me Not" for a Restoration Magic focus.

Usage:

Follow the yeti route. Before engaging, make sure your smiter is bonding you with Life Attunement and Retribution, you are maintaining Essence Bond on yourself and your finisher is bonding you with Balthazar's Spirit. The smiter and finisher should also be bonding you with Essence Bond, but if they're not, that's their problem; not yours. The smiter should have enchanted with you with Holy Wrath before you engage and should enchant you with Shield of Judgment as you go in.

Whenever you're fighting yetis, you MUST maintain Protective Spirit and Spirit Bond. Protective Spirit is a simple matter of re-casting before it runs out; Spirit Bond is more demanding. It runs out after you take 10 hits - when you're tanking a big group of yetis, this will happen extremely quickly. With that in mind, you need to cast Spirit Bond every time it recharges, or you'll die. Use Vengeful Was Khanhei whenever you can, or if you've used that, use Vengeful Weapon. Every time you consider using any skill, check that Protective Spirit isn't about to run out and use Spirit Bond again. Never ever lose those enchantments while the yetis attack you. With those 5 skills (Essence Bond, Protective Spirit, Spirit Bond, Vengeful Was Khanhei, Vengeful Weapon) you should be able to keep yourself alive and have energy to spare. You can also use "I Am Unstoppable!" as an anti-KD if you're being attacked by warrior yetis and you're suffering from a condition, but generally it's just a quick way to remove Cripple and speed up the run.

Provided you are keeping yourself alive, you should stand next to a ritualist so that the warriors are adjacent and thus get struck by the finisher's Spiteful Spirit and Mark of Pain. Having done that, make sure you're still not dying and you can concentrate on killing the yetis. Use Ebon Vanguard Sniper Support on ritualist yetis and use "Finish Him!" on those that are almost dead. If you have absolutely nothing else to do, go ahead and use Vengeful Weapon.

If you've got the hang of all that, your main threat is losing aggro to the smiter and finisher - if you aren't taking damage, you won't receive energy, and they may get themselves killed. A good way to retain aggro is to stand still and take damage. A bad way is to rage at your smiter and finisher. Also, don't aggro too many yetis at once, or you'll inevitably die. This is particularly evident in the cave, where there are two bosses together and a lot of yetis. Try to pull them closer to the entrance of the cave so that your smiter and finisher don't get separated from you.

The whole job is not easy, but the best way to learn is practice!

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Naga Tank AKA ntank/btank

Builds:
Ritualist: OAOi8whMpFZxUPQTGTKPoLqPAA
or
Monk: Owgj8wQTITaRWM1D0kxkyD6i6DA

Armour:
Lowest armour rating possible, if you don't have your starter armour any more, go to Shing Jea Monastery or whatever and buy some 15 armour. You'll need to go there anyway to get a headpiece with the inherent +1 attribute - either Restoration Magic or Protection Prayers.

Runes:
Survivor insignias on every armour piece, superior rune of the headpiece's attribute, 3 vitae runes, the very best vigor rune you can afford.

Equipment:
Weapons aren't really important, since you'll be holding up the ashes of Vengeful Khanhei so often, but if you want the best, a caster weapon (+5 energy, +20% enchants) and a focus of devotion with a "Live for Today", or "Forget Me Not" for a Restoration Magic focus.

Usage:

The naga tank uses the same build as the yeti tank, so a lot of the role is the same, but there are several tactical changes. You still need to maintain Protective Spirit and Spirit Bond whilst fighting, but whilst facing nagas, the enchantments are more likely to fully expire before you have the energy to cast them again, so your task is one of energy management rather than frantically spamming skills.The only bonds on you should be Essence Bond and Retribution your smiter, as well as your own Essence Bond and Balthazar's Spirit. Make sure you have these enchantments up, as well as your own and Holy Wrath, before engaging the nagas. The smiter should also use Shield of Judgment on you as you engage.

Because you take less hits from a small group of naga, you will gain energy a lot more slowly, so you need to conserve it carefully. Do not use your damage skills unless you have plenty of energy spare. However, when they are available and affordable, use those skills on the archers, because they are the slowest to die.

After crossing the bridge, you will face a patrol of rot wallows - you can take these on when buffed by the runner. Use "I Am Unstoppable!" while listening to an Enduring Harmony so they cannot knock you down. Use your damage skills to kill them quickly. After the wallow patrol is down, follow the rest of the route and kill all of the nagas.

If you finish in good time, you can trigger oni pop-ups and kill them. However, onis will cast Shadow Shroud on you, so you'll need to have all your enchantments up, including Shield of Judgment from the smiter, before you pop them. Make sure you know exactly where they pop up.

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Ritualist 1 AKA rt1/SoS

Build:
OACjEaiM5SlT+gOTbiVTDgXTXMA

Armour:
Max armour

Runes:
Full Shaman's insignias and a Channeling Magic headpiece with a superior rune, Minor Spawning Power, 2 attunement runes and the best vigor rune you can afford.

Equipment:
If you've ever done spirit spam before, you should know what you're comfortable with; I choose to use a Hale Spawning Power staff of Devotion with a "Hale and Hearty" inscription. A Staff Wrapping of Enchanting or of Fortitude will also do the job - Kerrsh's Staff is a unique item with the latter mods. You'll also be needing a longbow or a flatbow with whatever mods; I find it handy to have my Enchanting mod on my bow.

Usage:

Both the ritualists have the same job; they just do it with different skills. The wallow route has specific spots in which to place your spirits - the only real way to learn this is to first go with someone who knows the route already. You spawn all your spirits in front of patrols and then stand behind them - the Channeling rit should use Painful Bond on the group, and both rits should spam Summon Spirits when they need to heal their spirits. For stationary groups, you can place your spirits just in longbow range of the enemy, and then attack them with your bow. The spirits will also attack your target. These stationary groups will contain any Island Guardian - prioritise this target.

Armed with that knowledge and the path to follow, you can complete the run. Other tips are to stand still if you get hexed with Weaken Knees and take advantage of Boon of Creation by spamming spirits if you need the health. Stand behind your spirits so you don't take aggro, and don't let the wallows get in touch range of you. Res the other rit quickly if they die.

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Ritualist 2 AKA rt2/SoGM

Build:
OACjAyhDJTfTRbOTDgnNObbOXMA

Armour:
Max armour

Runes:
Full Shaman's insignias and a Communing headpiece with a superior rune, Minor Spawning Power, 2 attunement runes and the best vigor rune you can afford.

Equipment:
If you've ever done spirit spam before, you should know what you're comfortable with; I choose to use a Hale Spawning Power staff of Devotion with a "Hale and Hearty" inscription. A Staff Wrapping of Enchanting or of Fortitude will also do the job - Kerrsh's Staff is a unique item with the latter mods. You'll also be needing a longbow or a flatbow with whatever mods; I find it handy to have my Enchanting mod on my bow.

Usage:

Both the ritualists have the same job; they just do it with different skills. The wallow route has specific spots in which to place your spirits - the only real way to learn this is to first go with someone who knows the route already. You spawn all your spirits in front of patrols and then stand behind them - the Channeling rit should use Painful Bond on the group, and both rits should spam Summon Spirits when they need to heal their spirits. For stationary groups, you can place your spirits just in longbow range of the enemy, and then attack them with your bow. The spirits will also attack your target. These stationary groups will contain any Island Guardian - prioritise this target.

Armed with that knowledge and the path to follow, you can complete the run. Other tips are to stand still if you get hexed with Weaken Knees and take advantage of Boon of Creation by spamming spirits if you need the health. Stand behind your spirits so you don't take aggro, and don't let the wallows get in touch range of you. Res the other rit quickly if they die. If the yteam wipes, you should go and res the finisher. If you cannot safely get to the finisher, res the ysmite. Don't res more than one of them - they have Rebirth so they can get the rest of the yteam.

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Yeti Smiter AKA ysmite

Build:
OwAT44HDHCvygIfIVUfAfgeQmAA

Armour:
Max armour

Runes:
Full radiant insignias and a Smiting Prayers headpiece with a Superior Smiting Prayers rune, Minor Divine Favor, 2 attunement runes and the best vigor rune you can afford.

Equipment:
Ideally you should have an Insightful Smiting Prayers staff of Enchanting with a "Hale and Hearty" inscription. An energy-hiding/defensive set is also useful in case you have to use Rebirth if the finisher dies.

Usage:

Cast all three bonds on the yeti tank; you'll never need to take any of them off, unless the yeti team finishes the run and the tank stops tanking. Follow the yeti tank at a safe distance, never taking aggro. Cast Holy Wrath on the tank before they engage the enemy, then Shield of Judgment and Reversal of Damage as they go in. Use these enchantments and By Ural's Hammer again whenever you can.

Apart from that, your only job is to not steal aggro from the tank and to res the tank or finisher if they die. If the tank dies, you'll probably need to run for your life; it may be necessary for you to rescue the entire yeti team if the finisher gets killed. Obviously don't forget to re-apply the bonds on the tank when they're alive again.

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Naga Smiter AKA nsmite/bsmite

Build:
OwAT443AZygIVMfYTDfAgQfQmAA

Armour:
Max armour

Runes:
Full radiant insignias and a Smiting Prayers headpiece with a Superior Smiting Prayers rune, Minor Divine Favor, 2 attunement runes and the best vigor rune you can afford.

Equipment:
Ideally you should have an Insightful Smiting Prayers staff of Enchanting with a "Hale and Hearty" inscription. An energy-hiding/defensive set is also useful in case you have to use Rebirth if the tank dies.

Usage:

Cast Blessed Aura on yourself and the bonds on the beach tank and follow them with the runner. Don't remove any of the bonds. Before the tank engages the enemies, use Holy Wrath on them, and use Shield of Judgment as they go in. Use "By Ural's Hammer!" as your smiting enchantments start to deal damage. Use Blessed Signet when you have nothing else to do to gain energy. Never take aggro away from the tank, and if the tank dies, run for your life. Once you've escaped the pursuing enemies, come back and Rebirth the tank.

If you should face onis at the end, use Shield of Judgment before the tank engages them, rather than as they go into the fight. Otherwise, that's all you need to know.

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Finisher

Build:
OANDYzxPT6ixk5BbapiyD6DyEA

Armour:
Max armour

Runes:
Insignias of your choice and a Curses headpiece with a Superior Curses rune, Minor Soul Reaping, 2 attunement runes and the best vigor rune you can afford.

Equipment:
The best weapon set for this is a wand of Quickening with a "Don't Think Twice" inscription and a focus of Swiftness and a "Serenity Now" inscription - like a 40/40 set but for all spells. An energy-hiding/defensive set is also useful in case you have to use Rebirth if the tank or ysmite dies.

Usage:

Cast Essence Bond and Balthazar's Spirit on the yeti tank; keep the bonds on until the tank stops tanking. Follow the tank without taking aggro yourself, but once the tank has aggroed yetis, use your damage skills to destroy the yetis. Use Ebon Vanguard Sniper Support and Spiteful Spirit to kill ritualists, and "Finish Him!" to kill off enemies with low health. If the rits are dead, go for the rangers; the warriors should kill themselves, but finish them off if they're the only ones left alive.

If you take aggro, run away as fast as you can, unless you can kill the enemy more quickly and efficiently without risking your own life. This is generally possible if one damaged yeti comes for you when you have full health and EVSS and "Finish Him!" recharged.

Use Dismiss Condition to get conditions off the team, but don't worry about Blind because it's harmless. It's only threatening as a cover condition for Poison or Cripple. You can also use Dismiss Condition as a small heal for enchanted allies i.e. the tank in an emergency. In the event that the tank dies, you should be the one to res them if possible. If the wteam wipes and the runner is far away and busy, you should break off from the yteam to Rebirth one of them.

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Runner

Build:
OQCjUamM6S7Y0k8Yxk0b6imY4YA

Armour:
Max armour

Runes:
Full centurion's insignias and a Command headpiece with a Superior Command rune, Minor Leadership, 2 vitae runes and the best vigor rune you can afford.

Equipment:
Any spear and a Command shield of Fortitude will be suitable for running; any improvements you could make with mods would make such insignificant difference as to be a waste of money and inventory space.

Usage:
Follow the beach team, buffing them with the speed boost shouts. Do not steal any aggro from the beach tank, but use Ebon Vanguard Sniper Support and "Finish Him!" on the enemies to help kill them faster. You can also use Enduring Harmony on the beach smiter to make "By Ural's Hammer!" last longer. When the team crosses the bridge, they will encounter a patrol of rot wallows. Use Enduring Harmony on the tank, followed by "Can't Touch This!" and the damage skills. This should be enough to get the wallow patrol killed.

Continue with the beach team to the lake; at this point break off and go to the beach, where you'll aggro some nagas and pull them into the outcasts. The runner's job is done.

PUG runners frequently go AFK at this point or run up to the yeti cave to leech drops from the yeti team, but a good team player can run back to buff the beach team again and generally help speed up the run.

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Alack, I don't have a screenshot of the runner's route, and the GWbbcode thingy doesn't seem to be working atm, so we'll have to do with a few less delicious pictures than there should be. Hopefully at some point, I'll be able to fix that or someone will acquire the pictures for me.

Will love to learn this once I get my monk roarin' to go.

my nec is on his way