TUGOWU Speedrun Thread

All TUGOWU members are allowed to post here. Discussions on Speedruns are to be the focus. Be it assistance with one, progress reports, completion time reporting, tactics/tips submitting, discussions about the accepted max completion time, rules, etc. Only TUGOWU members are included in the list of runners *so no ballofsnow* although good runners are always figured into this thread.

Members that have announced interest/intention to do one, have started one/are working on one *pending* and completed runs *even if they don't qualify* will be listed so long as Speedrunning was the intention behind the playthrough. These rules will be further fleshed out as this thread develops.

RULES

[spoiler] -In GoW, the speedrun ends at the "Olympus" save point. For a God Mode NUR/NUR+it ends atthe "Final Battle" save point.

-In GoWII, it ends after Zeus, at "The Loom Chamber" save point. *when it is crumbling* 

-CoO lacks a save AFTER Persephone as well as a way to see a final time. I need assistance with figuring a way to deal with this situation. For now we can't post specific 'final times' that aren't just guesswork.  The case is the same for GoS if I'm not mistaken. GoWIII does this too in that there is no final save aside from the one before Zeus S2.

-Urn/Possession usage creates its own run type. I'll have to cover this in the future.

-We will be accepting certain costume runs in the future. It could be awhile before I figure out how I should handle this.

-Only times that stay below or tie *strictly* with the maximum time accepted will be included as completed runs.

-Runs that do not succeed at the above will be marked as "timed out" until the run is done successfuly

-A runner does not have to continue working on a run that "timed out" but if they succeed, their new run will replace it

-Only the user best time of the specific run type is kept while lesser runs are replaced

-"fairplay" runs do not use major exploits/unnatural skips. This will need to be elaborated on.

-We are currently working on times for non-fair play conditions. [/spoiler]

Tags

-The tags associated with being a "TUGOWU Speedrun veteran","TUGOWU NUR veteran"and "TUGOWU Speedrun/NUR veteran" require that you have completed those runs with success. If you only have "pending" and/or "timed out" runs for Speedrun/NUR you are not awarded these tags. curlfro will administer punishment for offenders of this rule.

Brief Definition

Speedrun: Completing the game/run in the fastest amount of time possible.

Recognized Run Types

GoW:A Normal - 02:30:00?

GoW:A Hard - 02:45:00?

GoW:A Very Hard - 03:00:00?

CoO Easy -2:00:00?

CoO Normal -02:10:00?

CoO Hard - 02:20:00?

CoO Very Hard - 02:30:00?

GoW1 Easy - 02:15:00

GoW1 Normal -02:30:00

GoW1 Hard -02:45:00

GoW1 Very Hard - 03:00:00 

GoS Easy - 02:10:00?

GoS Normal - 02:10:00?

GoS Hard - 02:20:00?

GoS Very Hard - 02:30:00?

GoWII Easy - 04:30:00

GoWII Normal - 04:45:00

GoWII Hard - 05:00:00

GoWII Very Hard - 05:15:00

GoWIII Easy - 04:30:00 --- 02:30:00

GoWIII Normal - 04:45:00 --- 03:45:00

GoWIII Hard - 04:50:00 --- 02:50:00

GoWIII Very Hard - 05:00:00 --- 03:00:00 [/spoiler]

NOTE: The times listed for GoW1 are finalized basically.  GoWII might need re-evaluation.  CoO was just made up on the spot.  GoS copies CoO.  GoWIII copies GoWII.  GoW:A copies GoW1.  These times are pulled form thin air and need input.  Besides this, we should discuss whether we have special considerations (alternate deadlines) for certain variants of these settings like with using each costume, NG+/BP, possessions/urns on, etc.  Or maybe just leaving them be and having people do Easy with 'super costume' and possessions/urns *if an option*.  AR MAX allowed as well? PS3 versions of PS2/PSP games?

Club Members plus Runs

completed/pending

[spoiler] AimForTheHead:

-GoWII Titan Mode Speedrun - 04:48:20 *fairplay*

Evan:

-GoWII Spartan BP Speedrun - 03:32:14 *fairplay*?

findlestick:

-(Urns) GoWII E NG+ (God Armor) - 01:08:58

-(Possessions) GoWIII E NG+* (Fear Kratos) - 01:30:26

MistryMan:

-GoWII Titan Mode Speedrun - 03:51:31 *fairplay*

MrFranchise:

-GoWIII Easy Speedrun - 04:22:00 *fairplay*

-GoWIII VH Speedrun - 04:50:00 *fairplay*

salamoj:

-GoW1 VH Speedrun - pending

Satvara:

-GoW Hero Speedrun - 01:21:41

shenminiu:

-GoW God Speedrun - 01:05:11

-(Urns) GoWII Easy Mortal BP (God Armor) - 01:35:08

-GoWII Titan Mode Speedrun - 03:32:40 *fairplay*

-GoWII Titan Mode Speedrun - 03:07:25

Shinobier:

-GoW CoO God Speedrun - 02:05:24 *fairplay*

-GoW CoO God Speedrun - 01:53:12

tyrhhjy:

-CoO ? Speedrun - pending

-GoW1 E (God Armor) AR MAX - 00:30:56

-GoW1 VH Speedrun -00:54:29

-GoS E NG+ (Deimos) - 01:08:56

-GoWII ? Speedrun - pending

-GoWIII VH Speedrun - 02:51:38

Wulf:

-GoW1 VH Speedrun - pending [/spoiler]

NOTE: If any of the info listed regarding runs/runners s not accurate, please do tell me. Currently pending and non-pending are as one in this thread (unlike in the Specialty Run version).

I'll add the update in time...For GoW the end of a run is the save point on Olympus *not when you sit in the throne*. For GoWII the save point after killing Zeus in the crumbling Loom Chamber is the end of the speedruns.

~AFTH, is this when/where you reported your speedrun time from?

Are you going to include BP runs? I've got one of those I did a few months ago (4:22 Titan). If so i'd like to do another soon to improve that time, since it was really just me going nuts with the BoO.

Also, will there be a time cap on runs? Obviously anything around 10 hours wouldn't cut it but I think anything under 6 hours is okay for a plain Titan run. Probably something around 4 hours for BP runs (if included of course).

EDIT: Nevermind, I just saw the update. Does mine qualify then?

A- can some one remind me what BP means?

B- gmg; can i please ignore my current cursed TM:NUR+ and skip to a speed run?

Okay I started another Titan BP speedrun. Normal Kratos w/o urns (of course) and i'm currently just past the unmasking of the horses at 46:47. I've did a few things slow here or there and got hit a bit too many times but it's going well.

Also BP is Bonus Play evanescfan.

Evan: BP=Bonus Play. Also, as long as you are doing something God of War related and advancing in it I will have little to complain about.

Are you going to include BP runs? I've got one of those I did a few months ago (4:22 Titan). If so i'd like to do another soon to improve that time, since it was really just me going nuts with the BoO.

Also, will there be a time cap on runs? Obviously anything around 10 hours wouldn't cut it but I think anything under 6 hours is okay for a plain Titan run. Probably something around 4 hours for BP runs (if included of course).

EDIT: Nevermind, I just saw the update. Does mine qualify then?

Okay I started another Titan BP speedrun. Normal Kratos w/o urns (of course) and i'm currently just past the unmasking of the horses at 46:47. I've did a few things slow here or there and got hit a bit too many times but it's going well.

Also BP is Bonus Play evanescfan.

booyakasha128

Of course I'll need the exact run type as well as time. You say it was a GoWII Titan Mode BP. I need the exact time and it must follow the rules stated. (for your run it would be at the "The Loom Chamber" savespot after Zeus with hours:min:sec)

In my update I covered "time caps" in the sense that I said there will be. Right now only one of the many variations has a working 'limit'. It will be awhile before I have a good idea. or how much time to cut off/add on based on the conditions.

From 04:00:00 in the GoW God Mode Speedrun I'd *just for a toss up example*..it is just a stand-in number...

I maymake it:

Mortal: 02:45:00

Hero: 03:00:00

Spartan: 03:15:00

God: 03:30:00

None of this is calculated..simply numbers that sound fair based on what little I know of speedruns done and the number of runs of the regular/NUR sort I've done/heard of. I feel I'm being generous..perhaps too much so. I may close the gap after some testing is done. ballofsnow did his God Mode Speedrun in 2:16:23, so I think these numbers are quite fair.

I'm not sure what to approximate for GoWII just yet. It feels quite arrogant to be creating the scale and all being that I haven't even finished my GoWII Titan Mode Speedrun..it would be nice to hear more from AFTH on this matter although I don't think he has done any GoW1 Speedruns. I'd love to have ballofsnow in TUGOWU but I've only spoken to him once and that was through GameFAQs while argueing with keltin.

~The reason why I also answered Evan's question is that he sometimes skims (and misses info in) posts

Well the time is 4:22:47 and it was a Titan BP, but I forgot it was with God Armor too >_>.booyakasha128

LOL whoops.

Perhaps I need to clarify some unspoken (typed) parameters.

No Urns in any of the accepted runs *until an arguement is made for a run using them* or costumes with the one exception being the GK:TM:NUR. *for the moment* God Armor obliterates everthing in a hurry. I'd have to say that takes it from Titan and reduces enemies to Mortal level while giving them the recovery and aggressiveness of Titan. Collision damage is severly reduced.

IN SHORT: No Urns or Costumes in BP runs (other then a GK:TM:NUR where Urns aren't acceptible to begin with)

well i miss having the upperhand in a battle, so i think i'll start a spartan BP.
whatch out, here i come!!evanescfan

Would that happen to be a Spartan BP Speedrun? I may have to just start making loose approximations for time limits for now..at least until an EPIC run is done that shapes the rest.

I have some updates that continues from the last update at GF:

- Great Chasm. Used MistryMan's trick on Cronos. Used S. Harpoon on the Beast Lords to kill them. No cyclops were summoned.

- Spike Room. Cronos had them all stunned. Used quick roll to get to my next save point, East Auditorium.

-1st Translator. Took 2 minutes(Excluding cutscenes). Cronos had them stunned, open for attack. Killed natural spawns before the summoners. Used Rage to finish the scene.

- Cerberus Breeders. Used S. Harpoon on the puppies. When the gladiators started spawning I quickly activated G.Rage then Atlas. Some C.Breeders were not hit but Rage and Hammer took care of them. I was blessed with one Typhon bow shot of magic so that made the cyclops scene end fast.

- Underground Entrance. I tried the spear trick and it works, but I figured the hammer is better off for me. No offense, creeper.

- Skipped the gift of magic. I figured that getting it has big risks of falling into the lava below.

- Phoenix Chamber. Used G.Stare on the first captain. Smacked the skeletons. When the statue was exposed, I quickly activated a Cronos to keep them stunned(didn't slow down time) then went quickly to the lever. Used Cronos on the entire fire room and a bit of Rage to avoid stun. The minotaurs and skeletons were killed as usual.

- Puzzle before the Kraken Battle. I disconnected both the chains for the extra orbs in one of the chambers. Used quick roll to activate the Spartan battle and cutscene.

- Kraken Battle. Went down as usual. Finished the Bell Puzzle before I saved at the Temple of the fates.

Finally, a speedrun thread. I was getting tired of updating at GF because it just dies out.

I tried the slow time trick that creeper mentioned. It works but in the third phase it's kinda hard to manage. You want to hit to hit ONLY Lahkesis but sometimes it hits Atropos.

Current Stats:

Time: 4:06

Deaths: 0

Saves: 19(estimate)

Nice work on the thread here GMG. I'm not gonna be able to get this capture card for a while still so I'm just gonna go for it and start my speedrun today. I'll maybe make videos of a later one after learning things from this run.

AFTH, 4:06 just before sisters fight sounds like a pretty good time. What level are your weapons at? And have you been getting any chests at all (eyes/feathers/red orbs)?

Nice work on the thread here GMG. I'm not gonna be able to get this capture card for a while still so I'm just gonna go for it and start my speedrun today. I'll maybe make videos of a later one after learning things from this run.

Thanks. That's fine. I certainly don't have proper equipment to even 1/2 ass mine. *whenever I get around tokeeping up with it as I still have work to do here*

AFTH, 4:06 just before sisters fight sounds like a pretty good time. What level are your weapons at? And have you been getting any chests at all (eyes/feathers/red orbs)?

So far it looks like he is making great time for aTitan ModeSpeedrun.

MistryMan

I have some updates that continues from the last update at GF:

- Great Chasm. Used MistryMan's trick on Cronos. Used S. Harpoon on the Beast Lords to kill them. No cyclops were summoned.

- Spike Room. Cronos had them all stunned. Used quick roll to get to my next save point, East Auditorium.

-1st Translator. Took 2 minutes(Excluding cutscenes). Cronos had them stunned, open for attack. Killed natural spawns before the summoners. Used Rage to finish the scene.

- Cerberus Breeders. Used S. Harpoon on the puppies. When the gladiators started spawning I quickly activated G.Rage then Atlas. Some C.Breeders were not hit but Rage and Hammer took care of them. I was blessed with one Typhon bow shot of magic so that made the cyclops scene end fast.

Don't you hate when Rage misses without reason?

- Underground Entrance. I tried the spear trick and it works, but I figured the hammer is better off for me. No offense, creeper.

No offense taken. It is MistryMan's find. Plus it is meant more for NURs where the Hammer isn't all that powerful..it is even more awesome for a GK:TM:NUR where power is scarce and wasting magic/RotT is foolish as it doesn't return.

- Skipped the gift of magic. I figured that getting it has big risks of falling into the lava below.

I find that a bit odd..I've never had trouble here. What goes wrong when you do it?

- Phoenix Chamber. Used G.Stare on the first captain. Smacked the skeletons. When the statue was exposed, I quickly activated a Cronos to keep them stunned(didn't slow down time) then went quickly to the lever. Used Cronos on the entire fire room and a bit of Rage to avoid stun. The minotaurs and skeletons were killed as usual.

- Puzzle before the Kraken Battle. I disconnected both the chains for the extra orbs in one of the chambers. Used quick roll to activate the Spartan battle and cutscene.

- Kraken Battle. Went down as usual. Finished the Bell Puzzle before I saved at the Temple of the fates.

Finally, a speedrun thread. I was getting tired of updating at GF because it just dies out.

I understand that completely. Proto and the others are all to happy to derail threads.

I tried the slow time trick that creeper mentioned. It works but in the third phase it's kinda hard to manage. You want to hit to hit ONLY Lahkesis but sometimes it hits Atropos.

That's something I fail to mention. It works for almost all of the first fight but on the second it requires you to monitor the appearance of Atropos.

Current Stats:

Time: 4:06

Deaths: 0

Saves: 19(estimate)

AimForTheHead

QUESTION: What do you guys think of the (GoW1) time limits I set up for Speedruns? *they are approximations based on the run done by ballofsnow* Are they fair yet tight enough that they make runs that qualify worthy?

NOTE: I'll likely be using your run (AFTH) as a working guide concerning the GoWII Speedrun time limits.

QUESTION: What do you guys think of the (GoW1) time limits I set up for Speedruns? *they are approximations based on the run done by ballofsnow* Are they fair yet tight enough that they make runs that qualify worthy?

NOTE: I'll likely be using your run (AFTH) as a working guide concerning the GoWII Speedrun time limits.

the-creeper

As an estimate, I think 3:30 is fair for a GOW1 god mode speedrun. But as fast as ballofsnow's run is, there are still ways it can be improved, particularly with the use of homerun techniques etc. I think we won't know for sure until a few of us go all out on a GOW1 speedrun.

I started my GOW2 titan mode speedrun yesterday. Saved at the entrance to the steeds just before theseus at 1:02. I made a few silly mistakes in typhon's cavern so maybe I could have shaved a couple of minutes off that like AFTH did. On to theseus tonight, should be interesting as I am normally relaxed and take my time with dealing with the minotaurs and conserving health. I will definitely be using the techniques in your videos GMG.

[QUOTE="the-creeper"]

QUESTION: What do you guys think of the (GoW1) time limits I set up for Speedruns? *they are approximations based on the run done by ballofsnow* Are they fair yet tight enough that they make runs that qualify worthy?

NOTE: I'll likely be using your run (AFTH) as a working guide concerning the GoWII Speedrun time limits.

MistryMan

As an estimate, I think 3:30 is fair for a GOW1 god mode speedrun. But as fast as ballofsnow's run is, there are still ways it can be improved, particularly with the use of homerun techniques etc. I think we won't know for sure until a few of us go all out on a GOW1 speedrun.

I know there are. One very large one is skipping the Harpy Conveyor Belt fight thanks to Vortex whose technique wasn't yet created back when ballofsnow did the run. Then there are places where my own finds "High Jump" and "Homeruns" can be used. Also a combination of his "Double Lever Pull" and the "Sweet Spot" *for the Boss Minotaur* with proper double use of RotG in the fight bring it to a close MUCH faster then he did it. Using his I gave plenty of space for other speedrunners to earn an honorable mention through qualification. If we find my restrictions too loose I'll close the gap.

I started my GOW2 titan mode speedrun yesterday. Saved at the entrance to the steeds just before theseus at 1:02. I made a few silly mistakes in typhon's cavern so maybe I could have shaved a couple of minutes off that like AFTH did. On to theseus tonight, should be interesting as I am normally relaxed and take my time with dealing with the minotaurs and conserving health. I will definitely be using the techniques in your videos GMG.

Shinobier's latest run through of Theseus seems to use the same techniques I did for the most part. Not exactly as I do as there is the obvious attempt at switching things up to keep it interesting for the viewer. What I don't show in my short vid of tricks against Theseus are:

-During the first part, after 'downing' him I use a quick 3x square comb w/ RotT *turning it off as they final hit lands*

-I do the above once, before he powers up his weapon and again (sometimes twice) afterhe emits the aura

-I largely ignore his pillar summon in stage 1 as I can *if I try hard* negate them with the Bow's invincibility frame in the draw or simply attack from point blank as they are ALWAYS summoned in the same way/pattern. I prefer to not use the Bow here.

-I messed up in the video at the point that I'm using the 3x square RotT combo to clean up the mess I left (after using Orion's Harpoon on both Minotaurs)..my cross-swipe didn't hit anyone so I had to sustain RotT longer just to get one to "O" state fast

-After killing one of the two Minotaurs (of the first wave) I will normally fire off ALL of my bow shot at Theseus while ignoring the Minotaur as sometimes you'll find yourself getting more magic orbs then you need..I'd rather my refills have the maximum refill effect

UPDATES: Battle with the Sisters of Fate. Lotsa stuff

- Went to fight her as usual. The battle started at 4:07.

- Use Argo's Return on her orb blasts. Went Rage and Hammer on her when she get hit. Used the bow cancel frame in her final strike of her 3 hit combo.

- Used Cronos when she uses her dive attack. Apparently she took a lot of damage because soon after her very first dive attack(5 of them actually) she then turned on her next phase.

- Next Phase. Used creeper's trick on slow time. Works 200% of the time. She wasn't able to make the floor shine.

- Atropos Fight. I may have discovered a trick that would get her down on her first attempt to destroy the sword. First, parry all of her green orbs(not necessarily all of them). Then, when she reaches for the sword, right before she will activate her magic, use Rage then Hammer and pound away without hesitation. I have yet to test this trick further and figure out a way for it to be foolproof as at the moment I don't.

- Last Phase. Atropos is annoying. Didn't use the slow time trick this time. Used Cronos when she uses her dive attack. After destroying the two mirrors, she went on her last phase. I evaded the first pillar blast then went in her face and gave her some pounding. I also discovered that when you're in close proximity, her pillar blast wont do much damage and it won't go long range. You would only get stunned. Unloaded the rest of my Cronos and Rage then finally she went to her minigame. Another satisfying end after an epic fight.

A time limit for speed runs? I think that GoW1 should have 3:00 or less and GoW2 has 5:00 or less.

This fight, including cutscenes, took me about roughly 7-8 minutes. I was a little hesitant at the last phase but after discovering some tricks I became confident.

Current Stats:

Time: 4:16 (including saving time)

Deaths: 0

Saves: 20

UPDATES: Battle with the Sisters of Fate. Lotsa stuff

- Went to fight her as usual. The battle started at 4:07.

- Use Argo's Return on her orb blasts. Went Rage and Hammer on her when she get hit. Used the bow cancel frame in her final strike of her 3 hit combo.

Have you perfected use of the Amulet against her? Also, I don't think you saw my update - it was in a thread discussing a SoD FAQ in the making - where I had stated this finding: RotT doesn't change weapon damage *despite what you may think it only changed the ground moves of Athena's Blades into stronger attacks, gives some ammunity to attacks, reflects small attackers and grants a great deal of protection from damage dealt to you*. So using it when she is downed isn't entirely useful. For Atropos However it is suggested so you can 'swim' through her green beam of energy whilst hammering her. I too use the bow cancel on her final hit if I decide to let her even swing at me.

- Used Cronos when she uses her dive attack. Apparently she took a lot of damage because soon after her very first dive attack(5 of them actually) she then turned on her next phase.

Very nice. What level Cronos do you have at the moment? *lvl3?*

- Next Phase. Used creeper's trick on slow time. Works 200% of the time. She wasn't able to make the floor shine.

Excellent. The tricks wasn't my find but I was the one to actually make use of it. They guy who did it first just didn't seem to know how to launch a proper followup (damage dealt) or when to use it for stopping her other attacks. *not all can be*

- Atropos Fight. I may have discovered a trick that would get her down on her first attempt to destroy the sword. First, parry all of her green orbs(not necessarily all of them). Then, when she reaches for the sword, right before she will activate her magic, use Rage then Hammer and pound away without hesitation. I have yet to test this trick further and figure out a way for it to be foolproof as at the moment I don't.

That is what Shinobier did..I believe her first used it during his first GK:TM:NUR but I'm not 100% on it..fairly sure it was on that run.

- Last Phase. Atropos is annoying. Didn't use the slow time trick this time. Used Cronos when she uses her dive attack. After destroying the two mirrors, she went on her last phase. I evaded the first pillar blast then went in her face and gave her some pounding. I also discovered that when you're in close proximity, her pillar blast wont do much damage and it won't go long range. You would only get stunned. Unloaded the rest of my Cronos and Rage then finally she went to her minigame. Another satisfying end after an epic fight.

I would have used it anyway. Whenever Atropos pops out I just run and slice at her *not necessarily aiming to connect* then freeze time some more. Cronos during the dives in your situation is a wise call. I wasn't able to use the Bow trick for her moving pillars so I would just get in her face and use CR+RotT+Hammer. In a NUR I might be waiting for her to try her pillars in my face so I keep to one side or the others so a quick "R1" can be pressed. I just bet she went down fast. She has a defensive shield and an actual pillar summon. The shield doesn't do much of anything..especially with Rage on as it won't repel you.

A time limit for speed runs? I think that GoW1 should have 3:00 or less and GoW2 has 5:00 or less.

I'm waiting for your run to reach its conclusion but 05:00:00 sounds like a good cut-off point for a standard Titan Mode Speedrun. So for GoW1 you'd want:

Mortal: 02:15:00

Hero: 02:30:00

Spartan: 02:45:00

God: 03:00:00

I'd say that is plent fair enoug being that ballofsnow didn't even have ALL of the tricks available for a speedrun and came out with such an impressive time on God Mode. I might add about 2 hours for a NUR and 2.5-3 hoursfor a NUR+. What are your thoughts on that? If we go with the time you say for GoWII it will go:

Mortal: 04:15:00

Spartan: 04:30:00

God: 04:45:00

Titan: 05:00:00

^Or would you prefer I went by 20 minute drops/climbs between difficulties? One of use would have to at least do a Mortal run to test how long it would take while playing as hard as we do in Titan.

This fight, including cutscenes, took me about roughly 7-8 minutes. I was a little hesitant at the last phase but after discovering some tricks I became confident.

What tricks are you referring to this time?

Current Stats:

Time: 4:16 (including saving time)

Deaths: 0

Saves: 20

Very nice. Can' wait to see the end result.

AimForTheHead

UPDATE: Endurance Run

- Started from my save point at 4:16.

- Wave 1: Used Euryale on the gladiators. They went down very easily. The last gladiator was cake. Used the Hammer to the rest of the legionnaires.

- Wave 2: Parry, Argo's Counter, Hammer, done.

- Wave 3: Not hard but not very easy either. You try to reflect the gaze but sometimes the sirens interrupt that. Whenthe gorgons become stoned, I used Might of the King (L1+T) in the exact same spot where the gorgon is. The hammer strike of that attack(when the hammer hits the ground) kills it in one hit.

- Wave 4: See Wave 2.

- Wave 5: Had a hard time on this one. I was confused on which skill to use. I tried Euryale but the minotaurs won't go down fast. Next I tried Cronos. Seems effective but still not fast enough. I had to dodge because I got cornered one too many times. I need tips on beating this wave fast.

- Wave 6: Uh...see Wave 2 or 4.

- Wave 7: Easy. Rage then Euryale on the first two cyclops. Used Rage on the last cyclops with hammer and bow cancel. Smacked everything else to dust.

- Clotho. Easy as usual.

Current Stats:

Time: 4:33 (missed the 4:30 mark *sob*)

Deaths: 0

Saves: 21

MistryMan, at that time I have Hammer Lv2, Euryale Lv3, and Cronos Lv2. Now when I saved I have maxed Cronos.

Creeper, I was gonna put 4:30 for Titan mode (fresh game) but I believe it was too strict. The rest I believe should be fine limits, though I don't play those difficulties at all. The tricks I mentioned btw are the pillar and Rage trick.

UPDATE: Endurance Run

- Started from my save point at 4:16.

- Wave 1: Used Euryale on the gladiators. They went down very easily. The last gladiator was cake. Used the Hammer to the rest of the legionnaires.

Fear the Rage of a Gorgon. Their stare petrifies and their wrath crushes..They do not forgive.

- Wave 2: Parry, Argo's Counter, Hammer, done.

- Wave 3: Not hard but not very easy either. You try to reflect the gaze but sometimes the sirens interrupt that. Whenthe gorgons become stoned, I used Might of the King (L1+T) in the exact same spot where the gorgon is. The hammer strike of that attack(when the hammer hits the ground) kills it in one hit.

Might at point blank hits with a strike plus the shockwave for plenty of damage to destroy even a Gorgon Queen along with all petrified Sirens that may be in the line of fire. With lvl2 on Titan that would be 33.75 damage..more then enough to break a Gorgon Queen. The Shockwave certainly would cut it by itself. There remains some things for me to test in this matter but that is for later.

- Wave 4: See Wave 2.

- Wave 5: Had a hard time on this one. I was confused on which skill to use. I tried Euryale but the minotaurs won't go down fast. Next I tried Cronos. Seems effective but still not fast enough. I had to dodge because I got cornered one too many times. I need tips on beating this wave fast.

I had warned of the Minotaurs having 50HP in their Stone form (5 second break out). Their stone resistance is only 500 so a single lvl3 Gorgon Flash willdo the job while dealing the damage needed to rid yourself of theirpresence is something you need to do quickly. Using cancels between triangle Hammer strikes you should bring them down fast enough. while Satyrs have 800 points of resistance (Gorgon Rage emits 1000) and a 10 damage statue form. I advise the Tactics/Tips thread because it also gives the info that is readily available to me through the guide such as these things. Gorgon Rage tends to miss in this fight but is worth going for at least once IF you have a lvl1 or lvl3 version of Atlas Quake. In that fight you are better off targeting/singling out Hades Minotaurs with Gorgon Flash then breaking them with either Hammer strikes or two back to back lvl1 Atlas Quakes *your case*. It is difficult to get all enemies in your clutches. IF you can score a Gorgon Rage on all enemies present you should use two Atlas Quake in a row *that should destroy the Satyrs and the second will do in the Minotaurs if all goes well*. Don't feel bad..this fight is the only one I really worry about.

- Wave 6: Uh...see Wave 2 or 4.

- Wave 7: Easy. Rage then Euryale on the first two cyclops. Used Rage on the last cyclops with hammer and bow cancel. Smacked everything else to dust.

Got to love the Rage for this part. Makes it into a joke.

- Clotho. Easy as usual.

No suprise there.

Current Stats:

Time: 4:33 (missed the 4:30 mark *sob*)

Deaths: 0

Saves: 21

MistryMan, at that time I have Hammer Lv2, Euryale Lv3, and Cronos Lv2. Now when I saved I have maxed Cronos.

Creeper, I was gonna put 4:30 for Titan mode (fresh game) but I believe it was too strict. The rest I believe should be fine limits, though I don't play those difficulties at all. The tricks I mentioned btw are the pillar and Rage trick.

I could already tell 04:30:00 would be too strict. Even 05:00:00 will be very difficult for future speedrunners to keep up with though plenty fair from what I can tell.

I assume your last save was at the Loom Chamber just before fighting Zeus then. Time to wrap things up.

AimForTheHead

Time to wrap things up.

And it shall be:

- Started the battle at 4:35

- Used the maxed Cronos on the sirens then the L1+T attack of the Olympus blade. When Zeus smacks the ground with his palm I aim the L1+T at that part.

- Phase 2. Used 2 Cronos's and Rage to unload damage. Reflected all thunderbolts and parried his 3 hit combo. Added L1+T to the mix for some extra damage. Zeus was stunned most of the time so that made this phase safe.

- Phase 3: Used up all the Cronos I have. I managed to upgrade the blades to Lv. 2. I handled this one just like in my NUR run.

- Phase 4: Same as Phase 2, although this time I don't have any magic left and I only managed to unload one Cronos on him.

- Phase 5: Rage. 'nuff said.

- Minigame buttons, cutscenes and viola, I'm done.

Final Stats:

Total Time: 4:48:20

Deaths: 0

Rank: Spartan >_>

I believe this time is way much better than the first, and it passes GMG's limit. Now I need a way to shave off those 18 minutes.

That's it for GoW2 for now. I'm gonna get off this game until I get back to Chicago, But I'd be willing to discuss stuff such as strategy and platforming.

Time to wrap things up.

And it shall be:

- Started the battle at 4:35

- Used the maxed Cronos on the sirens then the L1+T attack of the Olympus blade. When Zeus smacks the ground with his palm I aim the L1+T at that part.

- Phase 2. Used 2 Cronos's and Rage to unload damage. Reflected all thunderbolts and parried his 3 hit combo. Added L1+T to the mix for some extra damage. Zeus was stunned most of the time so that made this phase safe.

- Phase 3: Used up all the Cronos I have. I managed to upgrade the blades to Lv. 2. I handled this one just like in my NUR run.

- Phase 4: Same as Phase 2, although this time I don't have any magic left and I only managed to unload one Cronos on him.

- Phase 5: Rage. 'nuff said.

- Minigame buttons, cutscenes and viola, I'm done.

Final Stats:

Total Time: 4:48:20

Deaths: 0

Rank: Spartan >_>

With as well as you are doing I'm going to have to amend the list. 10 minutes is not enough leeway. An hour is too much in this case..

Just for clarification, did you get your final time after having reverse time and headed back towards the mirror? Either way the run passes. I wouldn't sweat the "Rank"..that crap is silly.

I believe this time is way much better than the first, and it passes GMG's limit. Now I need a way to shave off those 18 minutes.

It makes the list to be sure. So how do you feel when you look at your first time (05:35:45) and see your current one? Progress is good amirite?

That's it for GoW2 for now. I'm gonna get off this game until I get back to Chicago, But I'd be willing to discuss stuff such as strategy and platforming.

At ease..you've done a great service on this day. You've earned the tag for NUR/Speedrun veteran. IF you wish you may add it to your GameSpot account's sign. The choice is yours.

AimForTheHead

4:48, that is an awesome improvement on your first run, well played AFTH. So you ended on MAX Hammer, MAX Euryale, MAX Cronos and Lv2 Blades. It's interesting that you upgraded the blades for the final battle - aside from upgrading magic, that is the only way I can see to speed up the slowest phase of the fight. I hope you make some videos of a speedrun soon too. I have some questions and thoughts for you which I'll put at the end of my post :)

** Speedrun Update:

Big post ahead lol. I've been playing sporadically for short periods of time, hardly getting any free time to sit down and play properly.

- I brought theseus to minigame in 8:23 using a lot of GMG's techniques in his video. Not as good as AFTH at ~7mins but I am no good at urgency in this fight - missed harpoons and bad bow shots etc. I used rage square combo after launching theseus and did this twice (as GMG advised). Didn't stop attacking when he went for the pillar summon (occasionally getting an entire square-to-spirit combo in).

- Cyclops fight at destiny's atrium, secondary harpooned as many boars as I could setting up with a square-triangle, I think in this run I managed 3 harpoons. Also used rage square combo on the first cyclops twice. As soon as "O" appears, I get a quick rage combo in, turn off rage and press O. After this, I brought cronos to Lv2.

- BK fight, I used shinobier's technique in his recent video. Rage on 1st form (with some cronos thrown in - just enough so I will get it back), and rage on final form.

I'm using masses of cronos at the moment, unloading full bars when necessary, and especially when I know there is a magic chest ahead. I've saved just before the rotating platforms on the lava (just after the corpse/switch/stream puzzle) at 1:46.

At the moment I'm getting upgrades for magic in order to unload bucketloads of magic, especially cronos for combos and subsequently red orbs. The full magic refills for an empty bar in between boss fights will be a big help. I planned to skip the lengthy feathers, and planning to unload magic in key fights before receiving every 6th feather. For anyone who is interested I can post what I planned.

AFTH I wanted to ask, how much did levelling euryale's head help in later fights? I plan to level up cronos to max first so I can build up orbs to level up hammer. But I think maybe lv3 cronos combos will not yield enough orbs early enough to cover the long gap between lv2 and lv3 hammer. Gift of experience, secret message and remaining phoenix chests are extra pools of orbs I will get so that after reaching max of both those, I can level up blades for the final battle. I guess the main discussion is this... will the extra orbs from lv3 cronos for a slightly earlier Lv3 hammer destroy enemies and bosses quick enough to make up for not stoning them? I guess as I progress through this run, that question will answer itself.

4:48, that is an awesome improvement on your first run, well played AFTH. So you ended on MAX Hammer, MAX Euryale, MAX Cronos and Lv2 Blades. It's interesting that you upgraded the blades for the final battle - aside from upgrading magic, that is the only way I can see to speed up the slowest phase of the fight. I hope you make some videos of a speedrun soon too. I have some questions and thoughts for you which I'll put at the end of my post :)

I updated the times so that there is MOAR room for deviation then a meere 10 minutes. So now the maximum time accepted for his run is 05:15:00. That gives plenty of room for forgiveness while staying strict enoug that only truelyexcellent runs are accepted.

** Speedrun Update:

Big post ahead lol. I've been playing sporadically for short periods of time, hardly getting any free time to sit down and play properly.

- I brought theseus to minigame in 8:23 using a lot of GMG's techniques in his video. Not as good as AFTH at ~7mins but I am no good at urgency in this fight - missed harpoons and bad bow shots etc. I used rage square combo after launching theseus and did this twice (as GMG advised). Didn't stop attacking when he went for the pillar summon (occasionally getting an entire square-to-spirit combo in).

Very nice. I assume you used RotT 2-3 times on his first stage and followed up some (if not most) of the double OH on Minotaurs with the same RotT 3x square combo *specifically speaking, the cross-swipe for masssive damage*

- Cyclops fight at destiny's atrium, secondary harpooned as many boars as I could setting up with a square-triangle, I think in this run I managed 3 harpoons. Also used rage square combo on the first cyclops twice. As soon as "O" appears, I get a quick rage combo in, turn off rage and press O. After this, I brought cronos to Lv2.

Sounds good.

- BK fight, I used shinobier's technique in his recent video. Rage on 1st form (with some cronos thrown in - just enough so I will get it back), and rage on final form.

Also good.

I'm using masses of cronos at the moment, unloading full bars when necessary, and especially when I know there is a magic chest ahead. I've saved just before the rotating platforms on the lava (just after the corpse/switch/stream puzzle) at 1:46.

Makes sense.

At the moment I'm getting upgrades for magic in order to unload bucketloads of magic, especially cronos for combos and subsequently red orbs. The full magic refills for an empty bar in between boss fights will be a big help. I planned to skip the lengthy feathers, and planning to unload magic in key fights before receiving every 6th feather. For anyone who is interested I can post what I planned.

I'm interested. Know that geting Gorgon Feathers will cost you time unless you only go for the ones in your direct path. The Gift of Magic being the greatest upgradeas it is a won shot deal.

AFTH I wanted to ask, how much did levelling euryale's head help in later fights? I plan to level up cronos to max first so I can build up orbs to level up hammer. But I think maybe lv3 cronos combos will not yield enough orbs early enough to cover the long gap between lv2 and lv3 hammer. Gift of experience, secret message and remaining phoenix chests are extra pools of orbs I will get so that after reaching max of both those, I can level up blades for the final battle. I guess the main discussion is this... will the extra orbs from lv3 cronos for a slightly earlier Lv3 hammer destroy enemies and bosses quick enough to make up for not stoning them? I guess as I progress through this run, that question will answer itself.

I'd have to say that it did pretty well for him, but I'll leave that for AFTH himself to answer.

MistryMan

how much did levelling euryale's head help in later fights?

I'll put up all the scenes where I found the Head most useful: (atleast Lv. 2 Head)

- Satyr Champs before Perseus battle. G.Stare at Lv.2 kills them fast.

- Hades Minotaur before Icarus Battle. G.Flashes petrify those creatures in one, if not, two shots.

- The Wraiths of Asphodel before Icarus. G.Flash them in one line and smack then you're done.

- Platform in Atlas. G.Stare the captain.

- First Translator. G.Rage the summoner then smack. I didn't do this method though, so if you want to know more about this ask GMG.

- Cerberus Breeder Room. G.Rage the gladiators then Atlas. You may not hit the Cerberuses but that leaves them open for Rage and Hammer smack fest.

- Endurance Run. G.Rage on First and Seventh Wave. I'm not sure whether to use this on Wave 5 but I also considered using G.Flash. I'll look it over and decide which one's the fastest.

Hmm, judging from all these scenes, the Head is helpful in a LOT of ways. If any, there are some scenes that I forgot to mention, but you'll be able to see them as you progress.

I didn't worry about Cronos early on the game. After it hit Lv. 2 I just left it there and went on with Hammer and Euryale. In my last run, you will be able to max Cronos after the Endurance Run.

Hope that helps.

will the extra orbs from lv3 cronos for a slightly earlier Lv3 hammer destroy enemies and bosses quick enough to make up for not stoning them?

I bet it would make boss fights a lot easier but in this type of run, you may not be able to get those two at max level. Let alone leveling up the blades. You only kill what needs to be killed and the easiest ones. In lower difficulties you may be able to but in Titan I don't know. But I think it would cover up for not stoning the enemies because of their damage output.

If you add the total upgrade of Euryale(from Lv. 2 to max), you need 12k orbs. To max Cronos you need 19.5k. The hammer requires 21.5k(estimate). It is really up to you to choose upgrades. Who knows, maybe it will yield a better strategy.

One tip I can give you is to choose your upgrades wisely.

GMG, I checked the time right after Athena's cutscene.

AFTH: That's a lot of good uses for Euryale's head. I think I mis-read one of your posts earlier, I thought you had a maxed out hammer at the sisters fight. So that means you were at Lv2 hammer, MAX cronos and MAX head after endurance run - thats ~35k. For my run I am planning MAX hammer + MAX cronos which works out to be ~40k. The difference is how early I can get those orbs by spamming the crap out of CR so I can speed up the kraken/sisters/endurance run with hammer. I guess it will be interesting to see if it's possible or not. I won't be too beat up if it isn't, as this is just my first speedrun and I'm aiming for roughly the 5hr mark. I can always do another that focuses on Euryale's head.

GMG: I'll try and post up that plan tomorrow. It's in a word file at the moment but I'll grab the text and format it properly so it looks right in the forum.

**Speedrun update:

- Used CR on rotating platforms and refilled just before the stone minotaur. Unloaded a full bar of CR on the minotaur during his ground pound. After that I was lucky that he kept doing his "spaced out" animation without attacking so I just smashed with hammer + bow without needing to use rage. Is there any way to provoke this particular animation?

- Brought the cerberus to minigame in 1:02. Used 1/4 bar of CR on first half of fight + hammering. Second half, used rest of magic and rage+hammer. I maybe could've shaved off a few more seconds by using rage to move through some attacks during the first half as I still had some left at the minigame.

- Brought Euryale to minigame in 2:27. Used a few CRs and hammer in first phase. Second phase, hammer+bow non stop while she is attached to the pillars. When she goes for the massive stare, I wait until Kratos starts slowing down (almost stoned) and cast CR, cancelling the effect of the stare so I can carry on hammering. Final phase, unload rest of CR and go all out with rage+hammer.

- Saved just after Euryale at 2:04 with ~4500 orbs. Time for me to make an orb related decision :O

EDIT: Outta curiosity, does anyone know where I can find a list of the orb rewards for combos? Otherwise I guess I'll have to test in the arena.

QUESTION: How much do you guys think BP effects a difficulty? Enough to drop the time allowed by 30 minutes or an hour? I estimate NURs to add about 2 hours and a NUR+ to add about 2.5 hours. Until these are tested I'll leave them in italics to signify uncertainty with the time for the moment.

the-creeper

well i just finished my spartan:BP speed run

3:32:14

hope that helps.

Evan: I'll add you to the list and make the amendments to BP times.

AFTH: That's a lot of good uses for Euryale's head. I think I mis-read one of your posts earlier, I thought you had a maxed out hammer at the sisters fight. So that means you were at Lv2 hammer, MAX cronos and MAX head after endurance run - thats ~35k. For my run I am planning MAX hammer + MAX cronos which works out to be ~40k. The difference is how early I can get those orbs by spamming the crap out of CR so I can speed up the kraken/sisters/endurance run with hammer. I guess it will be interesting to see if it's possible or not. I won't be too beat up if it isn't, as this is just my first speedrun and I'm aiming for roughly the 5hr mark. I can always do another that focuses on Euryale's head.

GMG: I'll try and post up that plan tomorrow. It's in a word file at the moment but I'll grab the text and format it properly so it looks right in the forum.

Very well.

**Speedrun update:

- Used CR on rotating platforms and refilled just before the stone minotaur. Unloaded a full bar of CR on the minotaur during his ground pound. After that I was lucky that he kept doing his "spaced out" animation without attacking so I just smashed with hammer + bow without needing to use rage. Is there any way to provoke this particular animation?

I'm still not sure of how to provoke the ground poinds from in front of the first Titan Minotaur.There is a grassy spot in front of him that I sit at just outside of his rangewhich provokes the spins..here I jump straight up. I haven't yet figured a full proof way to provoke this one. I can provoke the second but not the first or third *who does his own thing*.

- Brought the cerberus to minigame in 1:02. Used 1/4 bar of CR on first half of fight + hammering. Second half, used rest of magic and rage+hammer. I maybe could've shaved off a few more seconds by using rage to move through some attacks during the first half as I still had some left at the minigame.

- Brought Euryale to minigame in 2:27. Used a few CRs and hammer in first phase. Second phase, hammer+bow non stop while she is attached to the pillars. When she goes for the massive stare, I wait until Kratos starts slowing down (almost stoned) and cast CR, cancelling the effect of the stare so I can carry on hammering. Final phase, unload rest of CR and go all out with rage+hammer.

- Saved just after Euryale at 2:04 with ~4500 orbs. Time for me to make an orb related decision :O

EDIT: Outta curiosity, does anyone know where I can find a list of the orb rewards for combos? Otherwise I guess I'll have to test in the arena.

Hits - Title - + Orb bonus

10 - Vicious - +2
20 - Sadistic - +4
30 - Savage - +6
40 - Inhuman - +8
50 - Bloodthirsty - +10
80 - Relentless - +15
100 - Merciless - +20
200 - Pitiless - +25
300 - Monstrous - +30
400 - Tyrannical - +40
500 - Immortal - +50
600 - Ferocious - +60
700 - Godly - + 70
800 - Omnipotent - + 80
900 - Olympic - + 90
1000 - All-Powerful - + 100
1250 - Herculean - + 200
1500 - Supreme - + 300
1750 -Unearthly - + 400
2000 - Impossible - + 500
100,000 - Keep Going - + 9999
200,000 - More, More, More - + 9999
300,000 - Not Bad For A Mortal - + 9999
400,000 - The Mystery Is Unfolding - + 9999
500,000 - More Hits, More Hits! - + 9999
600,000 - Your Destiny Awaits! - + 9999
700,000 - Your Fate Is Unraveling! - + 9999
800,000 - Almost There! - + 9999
900,000 - The Secret Is Near! - +9999

999,999 - http://www.islandofrhodes.org/ - +9999

^I believe this is what you asked for.

MistryMan

AFTH: If I'm assuming correctly, you used the time that you get immediately after returning rather then after reseting the mirror to the Great War. Is it possible that you can get the other time for us? If you had already done so we have your final time and all is well.

Thank you GMG that is exactly what I was looking for.

Short update on the speedrun today:

- Continuing to spread the love with full bars of CR. Grabbed the gift of exp.

- Perseus went down without much of a struggle (forgot to time the fight itself). Saved just after at 2:31 with ~10k orbs. I will start the next session with the secret message.

Here is the list of feathers I was talking about. They are listed in 3 groups of 6 followed by all other feathers. The number in the square brackets is the 'chronological' number of the feather.

Main feathers:

1. [1] typhon grapple hook (chest behind gate)
2. [3] wall climb after typhon (centre chest)
3. [4] 2 chests on left at cliffs of lahkesis (right chest)
---Theseus (refill)
4. [5] right side of horse
5. [7] in statue room entrance (right chest)
6. [8] behind broken statue (left chest)

UPGRADE + REFILL

---Barbarian King (refill)
1. [9] suspended cement block after cyclops+beast lord
2. [10] inside golden fleece cave, just after broken gears (right chest)
---Cerberus (refill)
3. [12] symbol on wall with double elevators
---Euryale (refill)
4. [13] grapple puzzle after euryale, ledge on right at end of grapples (left chest)
5. [14] before stone minotaur, climb rope (right chest)
6. [15] above hall of atropos, over bushes on left

UPGRADE + REFILL

---Perseus (refill)
1. [18] atlas, pull vertebrae to left of hole, jump on ledge (left chest)
2. [19] after stone minotaur, glide off left side of ledge
---Get AQ (magic refill)
3. [20] palace of fates, on the right after fire jet
4. [21] garden of the gods
5. [22] freeze room, doorway SW
6. [23] after skeleton elevator (left chest)

UPGRADE + REFILL
GIFT OF MAGIC

Remaining chests that will be opened for red orbs:

[25] left of lever on upper floor after putting ashes in fire
[26] left of sitting phoenix
[28] pool of water after sisters (right chest)
[29] glide on left just before endurance run

Chests that require too much time to reach:

[2] fire pit (right chest)
[6] cracked wall after divine pool
[11] gorgon beam conveyor belt, 1st beam
[16] vine puzzle, between trees
[17] before lowlands, amulet floor/gate puzzle (left chest)
[24] phoenix chamber, right door (right chest)
[27] temple of fates, move bell ringer arm to SW

Is it possible that you can get the other time for us?

Care to explain what this is?

Is it possible that you can get the other time for us?

I don't have any idea what this is. Care to explain?

Is it possible that you can get the other time for us?

I don't have any idea what this is. Care to explain?

AimForTheHead

I am under the impression the time given was taken immediately after having beat Zeus at "The Loom Chamber" where as there is still one small task afterwards. There must be an agreed upon save spot toend things at. We can either have the run end the second you exit the mirror OR after pulling the threads back to the time of the Great War. *which would have you, if what I am hearing isn't mistaken, loading, doing said task and given the updated time* Being that you are the first actual runner here I leave the decision to you:

1. I heard you wrong, you already have the time after reseting the threads.

2a. I heard right, you wish to make it so that the moment of exiting the mirror ends the run.

2b. I heard right, you will reset the the mirror using the threads, make your way back and save for a final time.

~In a nutshell..that is what I'm trying to say. It is important that an established end point is declared.

If you want the time after resetting the threads, it's 4:51(estimate)

I can't really remember the exact time, but I believe I'm close to that.

**Huuuuge speedrun update, I actually managed to play for some extended periods of time.

-Re-loaded the save just before perseus to do the secret message and get the feather behind the tree (I originally planned to skip this feather, but doing the secret message requires having to go back along the first vine anyway). This brings my feather upgrades forward by 1. Still managed to save after perseus at ~2:31 O_O.

-Endurance Wave 1: Dropped CRs in between hammer smashes. Trying as best I can to keep combo counts consistent and high for the sake of red orbs. Upgraded CR to level 3 after the first wave. Wave 2: Used CR to keep the satyrs suspended, then hammer them (bursts of rage if I'm about to be interrupted by a juggernaut). Once the satyrs were gone, remaining rage + hammer to clean up the juggernauts. I think I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer damage inflicted by lvl3 CR.

-Atlas Stone minotaur. Used bow cancelling on first phase to get in 3 hammer strikes instead of 2. No phase 2 glitch this time (still haven't found a way of exploiting it). Phase 3, glided around to side of minotaur during ground pounds to smash with hammer. Also unloaded a chest's worth of CR (half a fully upgraded magic bar).

-Grabbed the magic chest during the harpy hive section to bring magic up to full. Turning platform, CR to suspend the first captain followed by hammer strikes. Once the second arrived, unloaded all CR, killing both those captains and heavily damaging the third. Rage+hammer finished him off.

-Spammed the CRAP out of CR during the fight when getting Atlas Quake. Managed to get a 2000+ hit combo. This gave enough red orbs to bring hammer to lv2 at the entrance of the palace of the fates.

-Cancelled the summons for the beast lords, used CR in the spike room and grabbed all red orbs. The race is on for level 3 hammer!!

-Translator, 1 cast of CR during first wave + hammer. More CR during second wave + hammer. Quick-roll and refill magic at entrance. Unloaded CR during wave 3 + hammer wherever I could squeeze it in. Tbh, level 3 CR tears up this wave, plus most strikes were connecting with the hammer so I didn't even need to use rage.

-Final feather in the frozen room. Grabbed all available red orbs. Cerberus Breeders + Juggernauts, casted an initial CR followed by all out with rage+hammer for the first breeders. When the juggernauts arrived, unload rest of CR and finish with hammer. As effective as secondary harpoon is, lvl3 CR and rage+hammer was just quicker for me.

-Kept returning to the amulet for the cyclops fight and finished it with hammer. Used the laughing+spear trick for the elevator. Still grabbing all red orb chests incl. remaining feather chests. Got the gift of magic and continued to the phoenix chamber save.

-Rolled *just* past the skeletons at the entrance and cast 1 AQ to push them close to the lava. Piercing shards to then push them over. Launch+pierching shards to send the captain up and flying over onto the spikes. Grabbed the red chests and continued on (I think I needed to press the switch 3 times to get all chests and to pull lever). The further two red chests behind the bars + the previous ones brought the orb count above 17500 to like 19k orbs WOOHOO! MAX HAMMER!

-Did the phoenix chamber in 1 pass, casting CR followed by statue kick. The captains are extremely vulnerable to level 3 CR, especially the exploding core. Had only enough for 1 cast of CR during the minotaur/skeleton fight, but level 3 hammer was more than enough. Upgraded blades to lvl2 just before the last spartan fight (in preparation for zeus). 3 casts of CR and rage+hammer to finish the spartan very quickly.

-Kraken. Wiped out the ugly beast with level 3 hammer. Used 2 casts of CR to weaken the second tentacle lump thing, only needed one square swipe to break it off. Ended it quickly with hammer. Saved at the temple of the fates at 4:05.

-Lahkesis, used the time trick a couple of times when she was rising. But fleecing can sometimes take bloody ages if she keeps returning. On the final run, I used the time trick once or twice then finished her in the air with CR.

-Atropos, I used the strategy mentioned by AFTH earlier. Shot her with 1 or 2 arrows and then went all out with rage+hammer when she starts damaging the sword. The fight was over in like 20 seconds or something silly like that.

-Lahkesis and Atropos. Relentlessly damaging Lahkesis with CR+hammer, didn't even need to worry about Atropos as CR+hammer was bringing down Lahkesis for the amulet FAST. Broke the mirrors and finished Lahkesis with rage+hammer.

-Saved just before the Endurance run at 4:14 with 4666 red orbs. The endurance run should yield enough red orbs to bring me up to 5250 for level 3 blades so I think I can safely skip all chests from here on.

**Huuuuge speedrun update, I actually managed to play for some extended periods of time.

-Re-loaded the save just before perseus to do the secret message and get the feather behind the tree (I originally planned to skip this feather, but doing the secret message requires having to go back along the first vine anyway). This brings my feather upgrades forward by 1. Still managed to save after perseus at ~2:31 O_O.

-Endurance Wave 1: Dropped CRs in between hammer smashes. Trying as best I can to keep combo counts consistent and high for the sake of red orbs. Upgraded CR to level 3 after the first wave. Wave 2: Used CR to keep the satyrs suspended, then hammer them (bursts of rage if I'm about to be interrupted by a juggernaut). Once the satyrs were gone, remaining rage + hammer to clean up the juggernauts. I think I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer damage inflicted by lvl3 CR.

-Atlas Stone minotaur. Used bow cancelling on first phase to get in 3 hammer strikes instead of 2. No phase 2 glitch this time (still haven't found a way of exploiting it). Phase 3, glided around to side of minotaur during ground pounds to smash with hammer. Also unloaded a chest's worth of CR (half a fully upgraded magic bar).

-Grabbed the magic chest during the harpy hive section to bring magic up to full. Turning platform, CR to suspend the first captain followed by hammer strikes. Once the second arrived, unloaded all CR, killing both those captains and heavily damaging the third. Rage+hammer finished him off.

-Spammed the CRAP out of CR during the fight when getting Atlas Quake. Managed to get a 2000+ hit combo. This gave enough red orbs to bring hammer to lv2 at the entrance of the palace of the fates.

-Cancelled the summons for the beast lords, used CR in the spike room and grabbed all red orbs. The race is on for level 3 hammer!!

-Translator, 1 cast of CR during first wave + hammer. More CR during second wave + hammer. Quick-roll and refill magic at entrance. Unloaded CR during wave 3 + hammer wherever I could squeeze it in. Tbh, level 3 CR tears up this wave, plus most strikes were connecting with the hammer so I didn't even need to use rage.

-Final feather in the frozen room. Grabbed all available red orbs. Cerberus Breeders + Juggernauts, casted an initial CR followed by all out with rage+hammer for the first breeders. When the juggernauts arrived, unload rest of CR and finish with hammer. As effective as secondary harpoon is, lvl3 CR and rage+hammer was just quicker for me.

-Kept returning to the amulet for the cyclops fight and finished it with hammer. Used the laughing+spear trick for the elevator. Still grabbing all red orb chests incl. remaining feather chests. Got the gift of magic and continued to the phoenix chamber save.

-Rolled *just* past the skeletons at the entrance and cast 1 AQ to push them close to the lava. Piercing shards to then push them over. Launch+pierching shards to send the captain up and flying over onto the spikes. Grabbed the red chests and continued on (I think I needed to press the switch 3 times to get all chests and to pull lever). The further two red chests behind the bars + the previous ones brought the orb count above 17500 to like 19k orbs WOOHOO! MAX HAMMER!

-Did the phoenix chamber in 1 pass, casting CR followed by statue kick. The captains are extremely vulnerable to level 3 CR, especially the exploding core. Had only enough for 1 cast of CR during the minotaur/skeleton fight, but level 3 hammer was more than enough. Upgraded blades to lvl2 just before the last spartan fight (in preparation for zeus). 3 casts of CR and rage+hammer to finish the spartan very quickly.

-Kraken. Wiped out the ugly beast with level 3 hammer. Used 2 casts of CR to weaken the second tentacle lump thing, only needed one square swipe to break it off. Ended it quickly with hammer. Saved at the temple of the fates at 4:05.

-Lahkesis, used the time trick a couple of times when she was rising. But fleecing can sometimes take bloody ages if she keeps returning. On the final run, I used the time trick once or twice then finished her in the air with CR.

-Atropos, I used the strategy mentioned by AFTH earlier. Shot her with 1 or 2 arrows and then went all out with rage+hammer when she starts damaging the sword. The fight was over in like 20 seconds or something silly like that.

-Lahkesis and Atropos. Relentlessly damaging Lahkesis with CR+hammer, didn't even need to worry about Atropos as CR+hammer was bringing down Lahkesis for the amulet FAST. Broke the mirrors and finished Lahkesis with rage+hammer.

-Saved just before the Endurance run at 4:14 with 4666 red orbs. The endurance run should yield enough red orbs to bring me up to 5250 for level 3 blades so I think I can safely skip all chests from here on.

MistryMan

Making good time I see. Sorry, been assisting catkiller and dragonpwner with the upcoming Spear of Destiny FAQ so I'm not making any headway on my run. At least I'm finding new tricks to exploit here and there and making the weapon look pretty in the vids.

Making good time I see. Sorry, been assisting catkiller and dragonpwner with the upcoming Spear of Destiny FAQ so I'm not making any headway on my run. At least I'm finding new tricks to exploit here and there and making the weapon look pretty in the vids.the-creeper

The vids are looking good, I'll be interested to see what is in that FAQ. Where were you last in your own speedrun?

[QUOTE="the-creeper"]Making good time I see. Sorry, been assisting catkiller and dragonpwner with the upcoming Spear of Destiny FAQ so I'm not making any headway on my run. At least I'm finding new tricks to exploit here and there and making the weapon look pretty in the vids.MistryMan

The vids are looking good, I'll be interested to see what is in that FAQ. Where were you last in your own speedrun?

I stopped at the save before BK with 01:25:54 "Destiny's Atrium"

~Speedruns aren't my thing really but I'm doing it for the sake of the thread

**Speedrun Update

- Skipped all red orb chests after sisters and started endurance run.

Wave 1: Juggernauts and undead, quickroll to juggernauts, unload 3 CR as they are spawning. Rage+hammer to finish them off. Turn off rage and finish last juggernaut with 2 more CRs and hammer. Clean up with hammer.

Wave 2: 1 CR and charge with hammer. Magic bar should be approx. half full.

Wave 3: Common method of avoiding siren damage while provoking gorgon blasts. I used AFTH's method of breaking gorgons with Might of the King. Refilled magic and health.

Wave 4: Hammer.

Wave 5: Casting CR at a rhythm (rather than spamming) to ensure the satyrs are occupied while charging the minotaurs with hammer+bow cancelling. Level 3 hammer made this wave fairly painless.

Wave 6: Hammer.

Wave 7: Unloaded an entire bar of CR with rage+hammer thrown in for good measure.

- Upgraded blades to lvl 3, continued on to clotho and saved before zeus at ~4:30.

I plan to finish up 2moro. I tried a few methods on zeus before switching off, it's another battle I am not used to fighting with any sense of urgency. For the first phase, I used a few CRs and rage to end it fast. Second phase, I tried casting CR to keep him stunned and following up with square, trianglex3 at point blank. Sometimes all the hits connect and sometimes he blocks them all. I'm not sure how to ensure that he doesn't block. Any tips would be helpful.

**Speedrun Update

- Skipped all red orb chests after sisters and started endurance run.

Wave 1: Juggernauts and undead, quickroll to juggernauts, unload 3 CR as they are spawning. Rage+hammer to finish them off. Turn off rage and finish last juggernaut with 2 more CRs and hammer. Clean up with hammer.

Wave 2: 1 CR and charge with hammer. Magic bar should be approx. half full.

Wave 3: Common method of avoiding siren damage while provoking gorgon blasts. I used AFTH's method of breaking gorgons with Might of the King. Refilled magic and health.

Wave 4: Hammer.

Wave 5: Casting CR at a rhythm (rather than spamming) to ensure the satyrs are occupied while charging the minotaurs with hammer+bow cancelling. Level 3 hammer made this wave fairly painless.

Wave 6: Hammer.

Wave 7: Unloaded an entire bar of CR with rage+hammer thrown in for good measure.

- Upgraded blades to lvl 3, continued on to clotho and saved before zeus at ~4:30.

I plan to finish up 2moro. I tried a few methods on zeus before switching off, it's another battle I am not used to fighting with any sense of urgency. For the first phase, I used a few CRs and rage to end it fast. Second phase, I tried casting CR to keep him stunned and following up with square, trianglex3 at point blank. Sometimes all the hits connect and sometimes he blocks them all. I'm not sure how to ensure that he doesn't block. Any tips would be helpful.

MistryMan

I'm at the Endurance Run too, although I'm refering to my SoD GK run. I've recorded Wave 1 and 2 but ran out of batteries and by the time I'd return from getting new ones, I will have run out of daylight. Until tomorrow.

~As for Zeus' BoO blocks, I haven't entirely figured away around it. I'm not very worried about Zeus as I don't have to rush until I continue my Speedrun. I think you may be better off using the square, triangle, triangle, triangle combo while aiming AWAY from Zeus as he is tied up by the CR then dropping "Spirit" down his throat. I'm unsure of the timing as I haven't exactly tried this out..it is just a theory. I'd guess that he normally doesn't block your first hit but once you try the triangle/second hit he blocks from there on. I'd have to fight him myself again before I can give sound advice here

I'm at the Endurance Run too, although I'm refering to my SoD GK run. I've recorded Wave 1 and 2 but ran out of batteries and by the time I'd return from getting new ones, I will have run out of daylight. Until tomorrow.

Did you use launch followed by infinite air grapples on the undeads to flatten the juggernauts in wave 1? GK collision damage FTW.

~As for Zeus' BoO blocks, I haven't entirely figured away around it. I'm not very worried about Zeus as I don't have to rush until I continue my Speedrun. I think you may be better off using the square, triangle, triangle, triangle combo while aiming AWAY from Zeus as he is tied up by the CR then dropping "Spirit" down his throat. I'm unsure of the timing as I haven't exactly tried this out..it is just a theory. I'd guess that he normally doesn't block your first hit but once you try the triangle/second hit he blocks from there on. I'd have to fight him myself again before I can give sound advice here

Building up to spirit away from Zeus is the method i've used in previous runs (upgrades and NUR), however I was looking for a way to speed this up by dealing more than just spirit. Of the few attempts that I made, there seemed to be a 50% chance of point blank square, triangle, triangle, triangle (during CR stun) connecting on ALL HITS. Other 50% of the time, he blocks at the second hit as you mentioned. It may just be a case of timing/rhythm. If I can get the full combo to connect consistently, it would destroy this phase.

the-creeper

[QUOTE="the-creeper"]

I'm at the Endurance Run too, although I'm refering to my SoD GK run. I've recorded Wave 1 and 2 but ran out of batteries and by the time I'd return from getting new ones, I will have run out of daylight. Until tomorrow.

Did you use launch followed by infinite air grapples on the undeads to flatten the juggernauts in wave 1? GK collision damage FTW.

KEKEKE But of course. Is their any better way with General Kratos on Titan short of using Urns? This way is best and looks nice too.

~As for Zeus' BoO blocks, I haven't entirely figured away around it. I'm not very worried about Zeus as I don't have to rush until I continue my Speedrun. I think you may be better off using the square, triangle, triangle, triangle combo while aiming AWAY from Zeus as he is tied up by the CR then dropping "Spirit" down his throat. I'm unsure of the timing as I haven't exactly tried this out..it is just a theory. I'd guess that he normally doesn't block your first hit but once you try the triangle/second hit he blocks from there on. I'd have to fight him myself again before I can give sound advice here

Building up to spirit away from Zeus is the method i've used in previous runs (upgrades and NUR), however I was looking for a way to speed this up by dealing more than just spirit. Of the few attempts that I made, there seemed to be a 50% chance of point blank square, triangle, triangle, triangle (during CR stun) connecting on ALL HITS. Other 50% of the time, he blocks at the second hit as you mentioned. It may just be a case of timing/rhythm. If I can get the full combo to connect consistently, it would destroy this phase.

Then I can only suggest you isolate the variables while testing.

MistryMan

Nice run, MistryMan. I see you managed to pull out amazing strategies with a different type of upgrades.

I got two questions:

-What was your total time?

-Are you gonna upload them on the Tube? *please do*

Nice run, MistryMan. I see you managed to pull out amazing strategies with a different type of upgrades.

I got two questions:

-What was your total time?

-Are you gonna upload them on the Tube? *please do*

AimForTheHead

Even though I my latest run wasn't a Speedrun, I think some of the finds would be helpful for them. Especially in Bonus Plays.

~I too would like to have the total time so I can add it to the list as completed

Nice run, MistryMan. I see you managed to pull out amazing strategies with a different type of upgrades.

I got two questions:

-What was your total time?

-Are you gonna upload them on the Tube? *please do*

AimForTheHead

Hey there AFTH, this speedrun was awesome and I'm already planning techniques for my next one(s). I haven't actually had a chance to play properly since my last post here so I'm still at the save before Zeus. I'll hopefully get some time later on to finish up so I can get a final time for the speedrun.

Unfortunately, I haven't got any videos for this run, I planned to buy a capture card but I never got a chance, plus I'm broke :cry:. I hope to buy a card before my next run though. I think 4:30 is definitely possible, there are a number of things I could have done to speed my own run up. Speedruns don't seem to be generating as much interest as NURs though tbh.

Even though I my latest run wasn't a Speedrun, I think some of the finds would be helpful for them. Especially in Bonus Plays.

~I too would like to have the total time so I can add it to the list as completed

the-creeper

Some of the things you pulled off with Euryale's head were devastating, I definitely want some of that action in a BP speedrun!

[QUOTE="AimForTheHead"]

Nice run, MistryMan. I see you managed to pull out amazing strategies with a different type of upgrades.

I got two questions:

-What was your total time?

-Are you gonna upload them on the Tube? *please do*

MistryMan

Hey there AFTH, this speedrun was awesome and I'm already planning techniques for my next one(s). I haven't actually had a chance to play properly since my last post here so I'm still at the save before Zeus. I'll hopefully get some time later on to finish up so I can get a final time for the speedrun.

I can think of a few just from my time doing a BP SoD run..something completely unrelated to a NUR or a Speedrun. It gave me a different angle to learn from. Where I could normally Hammer it out *literally* I found msyelf looking for smarter/cheaper means of obtaining victory. *exploits*

Unfortunately, I haven't got any videos for this run, I planned to buy a capture card but I never got a chance, plus I'm broke :cry:. I hope to buy a card before my next run though. I think 4:30 is definitely possible, there are a number of things I could have done to speed my own run up. Speedruns don't seem to be generating as much interest as NURs though tbh.

There's no doubt that Speedruns paly towards a very different angle of hardcore thenNURs..the drain theytake is enormous for even a guy like me.Far too much stressin pacing yourself and planning ahead. I can help others plan for them easily but inacting these things takes aheavy toll on me.

Even though I my latest run wasn't a Speedrun, I think some of the finds would be helpful for them. Especially in Bonus Plays.

~I too would like to have the total time so I can add it to the list as completed

the-creeper

Some of the things you pulled off with Euryale's head were devastating, I definitely want some of that action in a BP speedrun!

Who would have guessed that Tyhpon's Bane would be so lethal in conjunction with Euryale's Head? Not I. When NOT using GK it is that much easier to let yourself spend 100MP in just two shots (Gorgon Rage+Titan Storm) when the payoff makes an area that takes about 2 minutes drop to 20 seconds...then 100MP sounds quite agreeable. Even 150MP on a GK run isn't bad depending on when you use it. I'd part with 200MP if the situation called for it but there is no such situation in GoWII where I'd need to spend that much in a single fight. I think the most interesting thing that came out of the run, exploit wise is "Lethal Vortex" auto-breaking statues. I didn't like that spell much as 20MP is too much for a 10 damage launcher of a line of enemies even if it passes through barriers, but when you consider that you have a means of spending less then a lvl3 Atlas Quake to get a job *situational* it couldn't get done for 30MP, quicker..that interests me. In the 3rd Major Endurance Run wave I could have lined up one perfect shot (20MP)or two decent shots. (40MP) Either version would cost less then the 50MP Titan Storm...it is just easier to score a hit with an enormous attack so that's what I used for the vid. When down to your last shot in a BP Theseus fight..it makes more sense to use the Wind Blast then a normal shot as the high cost, mulit-hit attack has the special benefit of being used even when you don't have enough for it..so long as you have 4MP. *enough for a single shot* Speeding things along just a bit.

I chose to have faith in the Bow and it finally begins to pay off just as faith in the Spear has. I can't wait to do a fun run with Athena on Titan using the Spear, Blades, Euryale's Head and Typhon's Bane as my primary tools. *also Urn of Olympus throughout most of the fights to add EPIC lulz to the fun run*

Ok I had a chance to play last night after I posted and ended it with Zeus.

- Siren Waves, used CR when they spawn followed by a few divine retributions on the middle siren to bring her to minigame. Used divine retribution on Zeus' hand. Kept up a similar rhythm to end this portion quickly.

- Phase 1, used CR to tie him up and attacked with rage+BoO square combos. I didn't actually realise it before but rage actually increases the attack power of BoO attacks (unlike other secondary weapons). I stopped at half a bar of magic and ~3/4 rage, and finished up with some normal attacks to end the phase.

- Phase 2, a single of cast of CR followed by a point blank square, trianglex3 combo (all hits connected). After that I just kept building up to spirit from a distance until minigame.

- Phase 3, similar to phase 1. Went all out with CR+Rage but ended rage at ~3/4. Spent all the remaining magic on CR until he steals the blade.

- Phase 4, all out with rage on the shield until minigame... and game over.

That puts the final time of my Titan Mode speedrun at 4:44:15. I read this time at the save after returning to the threads (just before jumping in the mirror to the great war). I finished with MAX hammer, MAX Cronos, lvl 3 Blades, lvl1 everything else. I had 5066 unspent red orbs remaining. I believe it can be improved to ~4:30 and hopefully whoever does it (maybe one of us 3) will capture it too.

The name of the game for this run was Cronos, Cronos and MOAR Cronos! Kinda inspired by ballofsnow's GOW1 speedrun with his mass usage of Poseidon's Rage. It was the constant use of CR early on that helped to yield enough red orbs to bring it up to level 3. Then the continued use of CR plus remaining feathers that brought the hammer up to level 3.

As you say GMG, speedruns can be stressful, especially in the first few acts of the game with unlevelled weapons and long stretches between save points. Unskippable cutscenes brought me to my wit's end a few times... lol. I like the fact that you have stuck with the bow long enough to find some sound strategies with it. I look forward to seeing some vids of your Athena run. Any plans on finishing up the speedrun soon?

Ok I had a chance to play last night after I posted and ended it with Zeus.

- Siren Waves, used CR when they spawn followed by a few divine retributions on the middle siren to bring her to minigame. Used divine retribution on Zeus' hand. Kept up a similar rhythm to end this portion quickly.

Sounds similiar to what I chose to do using the SoD. Good call. About 30 seconds for this part I'd guess then.

- Phase 1, used CR to tie him up and attacked with rage+BoO square combos. I didn't actually realise it before but rage actually increases the attack power of BoO attacks (unlike other secondary weapons). I stopped at half a bar of magic and ~3/4 rage, and finished up with some normal attacks to end the phase.

I promise you that isn't the case. The test's are still conclusive. RotT doesn't make attacks stronger. It offers increased resistance to effects, some immunity, decreases damage to you, severally weakens collision damage and gives the Blades some stronger ground combos. For collision damage it goes as follows:

Mortal: 5- w/ GK: 10 - w/ RotT: 1

Spartan: 10-w/ GK: 20- w/ RotT:2

God: 25 - w/ GK: 50 - w/ RotT: 6

Titan: 50 w/ GK: 100 - w/ RotT: 12

The RotT collision number are new. They almost fit the bill for dividing collision power by 5..almost.

For the sake of being sure I of course retested the numbers and RotT doesn't effect the BoO any differently then it does the Blades, SoD or the Hammer. The strategy itself is sound though.

- Phase 2, a single of cast of CR followed by a point blank square, trianglex3 combo (all hits connected). After that I just kept building up to spirit from a distance until minigame.

Spirit is safest. It would be nice to be able to hasten this fight more so.

- Phase 3, similar to phase 1. Went all out with CR+Rage but ended rage at ~3/4. Spent all the remaining magic on CR until he steals the blade.

- Phase 4, all out with rage on the shield until minigame... and game over.

That puts the final time of my Titan Mode speedrun at 4:44:15. I read this time at the save after returning to the threads (just before jumping in the mirror to the great war). I finished with MAX hammer, MAX Cronos, lvl 3 Blades, lvl1 everything else. I had 5066 unspent red orbs remaining. I believe it can be improved to ~4:30 and hopefully whoever does it (maybe one of us 3) will capture it too.

So this is the final time then. I'll add it to your name in post 1.

The name of the game for this run was Cronos, Cronos and MOAR Cronos! Kinda inspired by ballofsnow's GOW1 speedrun with his mass usage of Poseidon's Rage. It was the constant use of CR early on that helped to yield enough red orbs to bring it up to level 3. Then the continued use of CR plus remaining feathers that brought the hammer up to level 3.

Poseidon's Rage was theSpeedrunner's tool of GoW1..no doubt about that.CRseems to fit that roll for most of GoWII aswell.

As you say GMG, speedruns can be stressful, especially in the first few acts of the game with unlevelled weapons and long stretches between save points. Unskippable cutscenes brought me to my wit's end a few times... lol. I like the fact that you have stuck with the bow long enough to find some sound strategies with it. I look forward to seeing some vids of your Athena run. Any plans on finishing up the speedrun soon?

I have no plans on picking up the Speedrun just yet nor did I intend to make vids of my fun run w/ Athena. Although I can say this about Typhon's Bane:

Wind Shots: though they don't get powered up, they do get faster and have the ability to interupt quite a few attacks

Ex: Gorgon Stare, Siren Pillars (charge), Widow Scream (charge), H. Nymph fireball (2 shots), Nymph web (3 shots), light-medum attacker's strikes, Harpy Bomb (buffer between them),Priest Summon (early on), Breeder strikes, Cerberus strikes,

Exceptions: Wraith Burrows, Wraith arm toss, Priest curse, Priest drain, Priest pillar, Priest release, Priest strikes. Gorgon Flash, Gorgon Blast, Beast Lord rush, B. Merc strikes, C. Remains attacks, Seed attacks, Hound attacks,Boarattacks,

Lethal Vortex: Possesses 'shots' ability to stop attacks plus it launches all (launchable)enemies hit by the attack *which continues unimpeded by walls/barriers/enemies. Move also auto-breaks statues. It costs a bittoo much for the damage/effect it does. (20MP for 10 damage at lvl3) Then again, this weapon seems to prefre you play smart rather then spam it for damage alone.

Wind Blast: Isn't very good at interuption but traps small-medium enemies in a stun loop. It costs 25MP to fire it but it can be used with as low as 4MP with no drawbacks. Doesn't target statues at all and tends to spread enemies aparts. Less effective for doing damage as the number of enemies *alsodistance between them*increases.

Titan Storm: Does 50 damage for 50MP. No statues have over 50HP so it will break any statue. Enemies like the Gorgon Queen break out too fast for the effect to catch their statue form. It has a wield field of coverage and like Lethal Vortex, will not stop for barriers/walls/enemies. This move will also shatter any statues (even if they are formed behind the attack's path)as long as the move is still in play.

MistryMan

I hope you find this to be an interesting read.

That is a lot of very useful info. I used the bow a lot on my very first playthrough of GoWII just because I thought it was so cool. It just seemed to me at the time that the upgraded moves (aside from wind blast) were all show and not much use. Of all the things you've shown with the bow, I think using titan storm to break a crowd of statues is one of the most interesting.

About the RotT damage issue, I've seen it said a few times on the GoWII board (by you and others) that RotT does not directly affect damage. I believed this but the fight with Zeus convinced me otherwise. My method for the fight was: turn on RotT, stun him with CR and use the squarex5 combo on him, when the square finisher has connected, quickly cast another CR and continue. If I continued this rhythm non-stop, the phase would end with about 90% of Rage spent and half a bar of magic left. I tried it without using RotT, doing the same method of tieing up with CR and following up with squarex5. If RotT does not increase damage then the phase should end when I reach full magic right? I spent all CR continuing with the same rhythm and the phase STILL wasn't over. This led me to believe that RotT does increase the damage of the blade's attacks.

After reading your reply, I went ahead and tested this for myself in the Arena. Infinite health, magic and rage, titan mode. This is directly after my last run so I had lvl3 Blades of Athena, lvl3 Hammer, lvl1 Spear, lvl1 Blade of Olympus. I tested all secondary weapons with only single strikes (not following up with combos) - so press square for example, run to break combo, press square etc. The format is as follows:

Enemy:

Weapon - move - number of hits without RotT | number of hits with RotT

---

Greek Woman:

lvl1 BoO - square - 3 hits | 1 hit with RotT

Rhodes Soldier:

lvl1 BoO - square - 6 hits | 2 hits with RotT

lvl1 SoD - square - 14 hits | 5 hits with RotT

Fates Sentry:

lvl1 BoO - square - 10 hits | 4 hits with RotT

lvl1 BoO - triangle - 5 hits | 2 hits with RotT

lvl1 BoO - divine retribution - 2 hits | 1 hit with RotT

lvl1 SoD - square - 24 hits | 8 hits with RotT

lvl1 SoD - piercing shards - 4 hits | 4 hits with RotT

lvl3 Hammer - square - 4 hits | 4 hits with RotT

---

To test the lvl3 blades of athena I used 2 methods.

Method 1: I loaded up a fates sentry and did the following: launch with a follow-up jump, attack in the air with Cyclone of Chaos. To test this with RotT, I performed the launch+follow, immediately turned on RotT and used Cyclone of Chaos whilst still in RotT mode. The RotT version of this attack killed the fates sentry at the 16th hit of the total combo (died midair). Without RotT, the sentry was still alive after 19 hits and hit the ground, requiring more hits to die.

Method 2: Build up to spirit with missed attacks (square, triangle, triangle), and only connect with the final triangle (spirit). For the RotT version of this combo, I switched to RotT *just* before spirit lands. The results were:

Cerberus Breeder (to first minigame) - 6 hits | 5 hits with RotT spirit

Hades Juggernaut (to minigame) - 9 hits | 6 hits with RotT spirit

---

At first glance of these figures it seems to me that RotT does in fact increase attack damage, just not for every attack or weapon (PS and hammer). I don't know how you tested and whether or not there is a hole in my testing methods. These numbers make sense to me though with some simple maths - I'll use figures from your Tactics/Tips thread:

The Rhodes Soldier has 20 HP. lvl1 SoD square attacks do 1.5 dmg on titan (200% attack increase at lvl3 brings a 6 dmg square hit down to 3 dmg at lvl1, further 50% decrease for titan mode). 20hp/1.5dmg = 13.33 hits, therefore it will take 14 hits to kill (as displayed in the tests in the arena).

With fully upgraded RotT (as in the arena), there is a 300% increase in damage. So each square attack does 1.5x3 = 4.5 dmg. 20hp/4.5dmg = 4.44 hits, therefore it will take 5 hits to kill (as displayed in the tests in the arena).

Sorry for the MAMMOTH post, but if there is anyone who will take the time to understand all this, it's GMG.