A Solo Guide for OSRS' Chambers of Xeric: Part 2

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If you haven't seen the first part to this article, check it out here at (Part 1). For Part 2, we will be dealing with the different strategies you can employ for the various puzzle/obstacle rooms that you may encounter in the Chambers of Xeric. Remember, the better you do in the raid, the better your rewards! The better your rewards, the more OSRS gold you can potentially get.

Without further ado, here's how to get through the rest of the rooms.

Puzzle/Obstacle Rooms

•          Jeweled Crabs Room

Your main goal to get through this room is to turn all the colored crystals in the room white. A carved statue somewhere in the room shoots out orbs that you have to guide to the crystals. However, before they turn white, the orb has to change color first. To do that, simply bounce it off a crab.

Crabs change color depending on how you attack it. Melee attacks turn them red, Magic turns them blue, and Ranged attacks turn them green. You can also stun the crabs with a hammer, though that will initially turn it red. Note that crabs can be attacked again to change its color. The magenta crystal needs a green orb, the yellow one needs blue, and the cyan one needs red. Black crystals need a white orb, so you have to lure the crab into position without binding it.

Activate your protection from melee prayer, as they deal considerable damage. Also, keep in mind that colored orbs won't change color again. If a blue orb hits a green crab, it disappears.

•         Ice Demon Room

A frozen Ice Demon blocks the way to the next room. You have to melt it first by lighting the braziers around it. There are an infinite tinderbox and bronze ax spawns to help you there, so don’t fret too much. It is recommended to stockpile kindling before lighting the braziers. You can gather 64, 54, or 48 kindling to light 4, 3, or 2 braziers. The more braziers are lit, the faster the demon thaws.

When the Ice Demon is fully-thawed, you'll then have to fight it. It has two attacks: a snowball attack and an ice burst attack. Both have a 3x3 AoE range, which makes it easy to dodge by moving two to three tiles away from where you were standing. The latter also has a slight binding effect, so that's even more reason to try to avoid its attacks. Good thing you can keep a prayer active to limit the attacks. It will keep on using ice burst if Protect from Magic is active. If Protect from Missiles is active, it will keep on using the snowballs instead. You’ll be free to continue when you've defeated it.

•          Lizard Shaman Room

Here, you'll encounter two lizard shaman. They're not any different from those found outside the mountain, but it's not required to have 100% favor with the Shayzien House to kill these. Keep your Protect from Missiles prayer active, and don't go in melee range of them. Their melee attacks deal quite a considerable damage! They'll sometimes spawn minions that can poison as well, but you can avoid them with a few simple dodges. There are also some safe spots in the room, though you may have to move when there are minions.

•         Dark Altar Room

There are three Skeletal Mystics in this room. You’ll need to defeat them all to continue. They use magic but will switch to melee when in range. As a solo player, you can trick them into trying to use melee but not hit you. The Protect from Magic prayer will also reduce their spell's power and accuracy by half, so keep it on. These mystics drop seeds, which will be useful later on when you need more potions.

•         Creature Keeper Room

Feed the Corrupted Scavenger blocking the way to make it move. There are chests scattered about, containing either cavern grubs (what you'll feed the keeper), poison, or a one-time loot of five Psykk Bats. If you want to conserve your run energy, find a cluster of four chests. These chests can be gathered even as the player walks in a 2x2 square. Otherwise, just go collect grubs as you walk around the room.

Stockpile the grubs in the trough before feeding the Creature Keeper. A blue bar above its head will indicate how full it is. It would take about 30 grubs to make it full, for a solo run.

•         Tightrope Room

You literally have to walk a tightrope to clear this room. However, there are mages and rangers who will attack you if you try to cross, so beware! You can defeat them all first before crossing the rope, or just try your luck and run through the hail of arrows and spells. The latter is not recommended, as damage lands in one tick when crossing. It's possible to die as you're crossing the tightrope because of that mechanic. Protect from Magic/Missiles only decreases their damage by half.

•          Guardians Room

Two Guardian statues have to be destroyed before you can pass. These statues can only be damaged by a pickaxe. They have two attacks at melee range, a cleaving attack and a stomp. Flinching them will help reduce damage, although you can run two tiles back to avoid the attack as well.

That's All for the Chambers of Xeric

You're not going to encounter all of these rooms solo, but it's still good to know just in case. Be prepared for anything, and remember that practice makes perfect. As you repeat the raid, again and again, you get better at running it. So don't be discouraged, and continue running the dungeon!

Enjoy OSRS!

A Solo Guide for OSRS' Chambers of Xeric (Part 1)

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The Chambers of Xeric is a raid dungeon in OSRS with a unique mechanic for item rewards. Players are awarded items depending on their ‘participation' points. If they die, they lose about 40% of their points. If they have low or insufficient points, the team's points are deducted instead. The points determine what common rewards a player gets, as well as the quantity. Be warned that leaving early will reduce the multiplier, but the difficulty will remain the same. Players have to cooperate and stay together to get the best rewards. The better the rewards, the more OSRS gold they can get.

Players can access it through the mine cart system in the Lovakengj House (requires at least 65% favor). An alternative way is going to Shayziens' Wall and making your way to Mount Quidamortem. You'll have to watch out for aggressive creatures in that path, though. Talking to the Mountain Guide at the foot of the mountain will open a two-way transportation system between the mountain and wall. After clearing the dungeon once, players will receive an ancient tablet that will let the owner teleport directly to the mountain.

At any rate, starting the raid requires a leader to create a team. The team is the leader's Clan Chat and a number of its members. Then the chat owner will enter the chambers' starting room to wait for the rest of those who want to join. Once everyone's ready, the leader will then confirm that the team is complete. That confirmation is a point of no return, and nobody can join in the middle of the raid. The action also signals the calculation of the mechanics in the dungeon (such as the strength of the bosses).

Strategies and Mechanics

Many guides recommend high combat skills (Melee, Ranged, and Magic at least 90+). They should also have at least 70+ Prayer, 78 Herblore, and 55 farming. As a bonus, 99 Mining, Woodcutting, and Herblore, as well as 30 Construction and high agility will make some rooms easier for you.

Void equipment is the best set you can wear for this particular raid. If it isn't available to you, there are alternate equipment you can wear. As for weapons, the Zamorakian Hasta, Trident of the Swamp, and a Toxic Blowpipe are the best ones to bring along. Other good weapons are the Twisted Bow and the Abyssal Tentacle.

Next, bring along a Dragon Pickaxe, switches for amulets/jewelry, and potions. Those potions should be a Super Combat Potion, Ranging Potion, and 2-3 Stamina Potions. Don't forget some high-leveled food or Saradomin Brews. If you're using alternative equipment, your inventory should have the best ranged/magic body and legs. Also, a Rune pouch with water spells will also help you in the raid.

Bosses

You can encounter some bosses from a pool of eight in this raid. Since this is a solo guide, you'll always fight one boss, the Great Olm, at the end. The rest could either be puzzle/obstacle rooms or other bosses.

Here are the strategies for each boss.

• Tekton
Tekton has a ton of defense and a mean melee attack. Good thing you can avoid his attacks by running corners, as well as hit and run tactics. These should be done with precision timing, though, as ill-timed attacks will let him run to an anvil to repair himself. Use Dragon Warhammers or Elder Mauls for this boss as using any other weapon will make defeating him tedious.

• Vespula

She's a pretty tricky boss to defeat, especially if her room greets you as the first chamber of the dungeon. A portal and four lux grubs accompany her, and you have to destroy the portal to defeat her. Things become complicated if she degrades the health of a grub. She gets a soldier while also healing herself and the portal. It's important to prevent her from succeeding in this regard. There are blossoms you can collect to heal the grubs.

By using a crossbow or a Twisted Bow, you can avoid Vespula's attacks by targeting the portal once and running out of her melee range. This tactic, along with a prayer enhance potion and the Redemption prayer makes defeating her an easier task to accomplish. However, a single mistake can really cost you, so choose if you'd rather restart the raid or complete her room.

• Vasa Nistirio

He has a special attack that scatters teams, teleporting half near him, and the rest in random spots. Then he releases projectiles that will deal damage depending on the players' current health. For solo players, this is inevitable. His normal attack launches boulders that have a 3x3 AoE range at the players, as well as a stomp attack.

He heals himself by interacting with the crystals at the corners of the room. These are weak to stab attacks so you can use the Zamorakian Hasta to prevent him from recovering. Try to keep your health low (to keep his special attack from dealing too much damage), and avoid the boulders he throws.

• Vanguard

They're tricky bosses in the raid as they will fully heal themselves if any one of them reaches a significant difference in health. Use a medium damage weapon and balance the damage out to the three of them. Try to keep their damage in equal amounts, and don't let their shuffling distract you.

• Mutadiles

Keep them in range, and don't let them eat from the meat tree. They have a melee attack to be reckoned with as well. Binding it in place will help, but some methods aren't as effective on the bigger one. Don't let the relatively simple tactics for this boss fool you into complacency though, as they can still defeat a careless player.

• The Great Olm

He's the final boss of every instance of this raid, and he goes through three (at the very least) phases. Make sure you have all you need before entering his room. You can't resupply once you've entered unless you die.

He begins the battle in the western or eastern side of the chamber and will start out with either fire, acid, or crystal powers. His left hand is weak to melee, and the right is weak to magic. The Great Olm's head is only vulnerable during the third or last phase. To force him to move to the next phase, both of his hands should be disabled. Start with his right, because he will clench his left if its health is low enough. In its clenched state, it cannot be damaged, but it also won't be able to attack.

For solo raiders, they can take advantage of his ‘blind spots' and attack his hands while he turns his head. He has to ‘see' a player to attack, so if done correctly, you can defeat him with minimal damage taken. Use the appropriate prayers to further minimize damage to yourself. Dodge the falling crystals as best as you can, and remember that you won't get everything on the first try, so don't get discouraged!

The rest of the possible rooms, the puzzle/obstacle ones, will be detailed in the next article. See you then!

Sniping Tips and Guide for Fortnite Players

Sniper rifles have the best damage output—even if it is somewhat limited by its difficulty of use. In the hands of a master, it's a weapon of lethal accuracy. It's your ticket to get a good Fortnite account level, so here are some essential tips so you can master sniping in the game.

#1: Bullet Drop

Unlike the other weapons of Fortnite, sniper rifles are affected by bullet drop. To put it simply, bullets don't instantly hit where you aim no matter how far you are. Past a certain distance, gravity will take effect and bullets will start hitting lower than where you aim.

To compensate for this, you should start aiming higher than your intended target if you want to hit at long range. How high you should aim depends on how far away the target is. The farther away they are, the higher you should aim. It'll take a bit of practice to get accurate results with these mechanics, so don't worry when you miss often. Practice makes perfect!

#2: Positioning

A wise man once said, "It's over… I have the high ground." This applies to snipers as well. Towers, as well as anything that will let you see over a wide area, are the best friends of snipers. It’s also fine to snipe on a plain, just make sure you have cover and are not being surrounded or flanked when you're there. Still, it’s way better to find a defensible high place, so be sure to make that a priority.

Fortnite's fort-building feature can help you get the high ground quickly, though it's a bit of a double-edged sword. Towers draw the attention of other players, so be aware of your construct and don't be afraid to abandon altogether it when necessary.

#3: Go for the Head

As much as possible, aim for the head. You're going to miss it many times before you can hit headshots often enough. Practice, more patience, and taking risks will eventually pay off. Just wait until they all come together. Besides, you'll never know if you could’ve have made a shot if you didn't take it altogether. Nobody likes uncertainty, so it's best to make the shot certain for better or for worse.

#4: How to Deal with Approaching Enemies

So you've been found and the other player(s) are approaching your sniping spot. They know you're there so they move erratically to prevent headshots. You take potshots but can't knock them down. What you need to do is to switch to another weapon to finish them off in a relatively easier fashion.

Make sure you're proficient enough in that other weapon that you can actually finish off the approaching threat. Practice will help you know when to switch weapons, so prepare yourself from the inevitable series of failures until you get much-needed experience. If there’s an opportunity, there’s also no shame in running away as an added option. Who cares about pride, anyway? It’s better to live to fight another day.

#5: Counter-Sniping

If you do end up in a one-on-one shootout with another sniper, there are a few things to remember. First is to find defensible cover. In team matches, you can have allies protect you from ambushes from the enemy team while you focus on their sniper. Alone, you can trap your sniping point and listen for any approaching enemy. Duck in and out of cover to bait them into giving away their position. Prepare your shot when you know they're reloading, and take the shot the moment they try to aim again.

Don't be discouraged if sniping isn't working out for you. It'll take time to get used to the gun's different mechanics and all these tips you've just read. Take it easy and enjoy the game. Soon you'll be getting those levels to add to the sweet Fortnite items you have.

Continue enjoying Fortnite!

Building Your First PC: Do's and Don'ts

So you want to build your own PC, huh? Well, good news! It’s perfectly doable. Thanks to the internet, PC building has never been easier for those who aspire to build their own partners in crime. It’s a rewarding experience that provides just enough difficulty and challenge to earn you some bragging rights at the finish line.

The truth is, PC building can still be intimidating. While resources are easy to find, the difficulty rests in knowing where to start. As a first-time builder, you can easily be overwhelmed by the amount of information available on the internet and that sets you up for failure. The secret is to take things one step at a time and learn things that you can easily accomplish along the way.

So before you get busy with which brands to buy and where to go shopping, let this article guide you through the basics of PC building. This article should help you get started the right way, without intimidating you to surrender even before you start building.

Step 1: “Why Are You Building a PC?”

Shopping can be very costly and quite confusing when you don’t have a goal set in mind. Do yourself a favor and give yourself a sense of direction.

What are you building a PC for? Do you need a PC that can handle extensive gaming? Do you use it for streaming? If so, what are the extra components you should need? Are you a creative and are looking for a machine that’s compatible with your video editing or graphic design needs? Perhaps you’re looking to build a custom PC with killer looks?

All these are necessary questions that will help you make better decisions when it comes time to shop. It will also help you nail the results you really want.

Step 2: Choose a Processor

To put it simply, your processor or CPU is the brain of your computer, making it the most important component of your build. Currently, the best players in the game are Intel and AMD and you can’t go wrong with either one, although many will argue that Intel does a tad bit better when it comes to gaming while AMD handles editing and other creative tasks faster.

Determining which of these processors to choose is important because it will also dictate the type of motherboard you should get. Remember: always check if your motherboard has the correct CPU socket.

Purchase the latest gen processor because it will give you more leeway and options if you ever decide to upgrade.

Overclocking is also another thing to consider. Overclocking is basically tuning up your computer so it runs faster than how it was originally intended by the manufacturer. It is usually common among gamers who want to step up the speed of their machines. However, modern CPUs are now built with incredible power that overclocking is slowly losing the charm it once enjoyed among PC enthusiasts.

Still, if you want to overclock, there are unlocked CPUs in the market today that are specifically designed for overclocking. They are typically more expensive than locked CPUs or those that can’t be overclocked and require more expensive motherboards and coolers to accommodate them. So if you’re willing to shell out a few more dollars tooverclock, go right ahead and do so.

Step 3: Choose Your CPU Cooler

To optimize the performance of your CPU, you need to prevent it from getting too hot. A CPU cooler serves this purpose. However, it does not suffice to buy just any cooler. The better CPU you have, the hotter it can get, therefore, the need for a better CPU cooler.

So see to it that the cooler you choose is at par with your CPU type. If you’re a hardcore gamer or you’ve opted to overclock your CPU, it’s always advised to go for a higher-end cooler.

You have two cooling types to choose from for this step: an air cooler or a liquid cooler, both of which have their own pros and cons. Which one is better would always depend on your habits and how you are going to use your PC.

You will also have to determine the compatibility of your PC cooler with your motherboard’s socket and with the size of your case.

Another important thing to note is the sound. A lot of builders have qualms about noisy PCs and if you share the sentiment, opt for larger fans for quieter coolers. Coolers with 140mm fans are also generally less loud than coolers with 120mm fans.

Step 4: Feed the Speed of Your Hungry CPUs

Your computer’s memory plays one of the biggest roles in your PC’s overall performance. So if you’re building a high-end workstation for graphics and editing works, you will need at least 16GB of RAM. For a budget-friendly gaming PC, an 8GB RAM would suffice.

Not all RAM types, however, are compatible with every system so be sure to check the RAM’s a) DDR generation, b) Motherboard DIMM slots, c) CPU Heatsink Clearance, and d) Form Factor when checking its compatibility with your other components.

Step 5: Check Your Parts for Compatibility

When you’re building your own PC, you’re basically taking parts and components from different vendors and hope they fit together to make a functioning whole. The last phrase is a crucial thing to keep in mind when shopping for components. You don’t want to spend a fortune on the latest CPU and RAM only to find out that they don’t work together.

So how do you make sure your basic parts are compatible? Here’s a quick guide from Windows Central:

●     Check your motherboard CPU socket and compare it against your processor OR check beforehand the compatibility of the motherboard you’re eyeing for with your CPU before you buy

●     See what type of RAM your motherboard supports

●     See what type of RAM your CPU supports

●     Check if your motherboard supports a GPU SLI configuration

●     Check your components’ clearance to your case sizes

●     Make sure your Power Supply Unit (PSU) provides enough power

Step 6: Be Careful in Handling Components

Treat your components like fragile little puppies. Every change in the detail can make or break your build so see to it that you have enough room on your assembling table when putting them together. Bent pins, small chips, and even static damage can easily result in a non-functioning system. So handle packets and packages with utmost care.

Step 7: Static Worries?

You’ll see many PC building articles online warning you of the dangers of static electricity. The static discharge is said to damage components, rendering them useless for the build. But there haven’t been stories of these incidents.

While there is still the possibility, they are rather slim and shouldn’t be the cause of too much anxiety. But if you’d rather be safe than sorry, use an anti-static wrist strap or handle anything metallic first before touching your parts and components. This way, static is dispersed and not built up.

Step 8: Prepare Your Tools

There’s nothing more annoying than having all your assembly materials in place only to realize that you forgot one teeny tiny detail! Now, your excitement is totally trumped and you have to run to the shop to buy the forgotten item–what a bugger!

So get your tools ready before you roll up your sleeves and set to work. You don’t really need much. Here are the basics from PC Gamer:

●     Magnetic bowl – for storing your bolts and screws and instantly turning ordinary screwdriver into a magnetic screwdriver, voila!

●     Isopropyl alcohol – for cleaning off thermal paste

●     Thermal paste

●     Screwdriver and socket set

●     Cable ties

Additional DOs

●     Create good airflow

●     Skip the driver discs

●     Save your boxes and bags

●     Make sure your RAM and motherboard pins are compatible with your CPU or motherboard socket.

●     On-board video is fine if you don't need to play games or perform CUDA programming

●     Invest in a magnetic screwdriver

●     SSD is no longer optional

Some More DON’Ts

●     Overdo your thermal paste

●     Cheap out on PSUs

●     Forget to measure the correct case size you need

●     Install too many fans

●     Buy an i7 if you're not going to take full advantage of its features

●     Trust power supply calculators from manufacturer websites

●     Work the computer while it's on

●     Plug the monitor into the motherboard instead of the GPU

●     Install fans in the wrong direction

●     Install RAM the wrong way

●     Ignore component manuals

●     Disregard cable management

●     Choose the wrong components

Final Word

Now, you are armed with the basic knowledge of how to build your own rig. Don’t be discouraged when you make mistakes. And the biggest hack of all: Don’t forget to research. Read up and watch videos and tutorials to properly guide you with the actual assembly process. If you want to learn in a fun and more interactive way, you can also check out this cool simulator for building a PC.

DISCLAIMER:  This article is a guest post written by Madeline Yeoh - is a writer, a cosplayer and game enthusiast. She loves anything related to technology and is addicted to cats. She’s an avid fan of ibuypower and has a customized gaming desktop for her gaming needs. Contact her MadelineYeoh

Path to Decision-Making: Choosing a Class in Path of Exile

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Path of Exile routinely goes through a phase where its popularity gets a boost. Usually, it happens when they release a major update or some video gaming journalist suddenly notices this game that has been flying under the mainstream’s radar for quite some time now.

Guess what! It’s that time of the year again, so be prepared for some fresh blood to the game. This means it’s once time to guide them about the six classes in Path of Exile.

All About Attributes

Before we get to the specific classes, however, there are two key mechanics that must first be discussed: attributes and the passive skill tree.

First one is attributes: Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), and Intelligence (INT). Strength increases HP and physical damage, Dexterity increases evasion and accuracy, and Intelligence increases mana and energy shield. Aside from the bonuses they give, they are also necessary to use active skills as they require certain stats to be able to use it.

Traditionally, these stats correlate to a particular class. But later on in the game, once you have much freedom, you can choose a more creative build and not pump too much of the primary attribute of a particular class.

The Most Important Tree

Next would be the passive skill tree. This is the very thing that sets Path of Exile apart. Rather than learning active skills, they are obtained through skill gems. PoE items are socketed into items so they can be used. This gives the Path of Exile so much more space for passive skill customization for players that you just can’t get from other games.

All classes share the same skill tree. The difference lies in their starting points. Within these starting points are passive skills that form the traditional abilities of the class. For example, Witches’ passive skills are more about elemental damage and energy shield, while those of a Marauder are geared towards physical damage and more HP.

As you progress with the skill tree, the progress will eventually converge with an area for another class, allowing players to give their characters traits that their class isn’t necessarily known for. For instance, a Witch can have more Dex and Critical Hit rate, while a Templar will gain more manaregeneration and energy shield.

Taking Some Classes

Now that all of those things are out of the way, here are the seven basic classes in Path of Exile:

·         Marauder – The game’s pure Strength class, Marauders deal as much damage as they can take.

·         Templar – A hybrid of Strength and Intelligence, this warrior of God can take much punishment and dole out physical and even elemental damage.

·         Witch – Brought to Wraeclastdue to the use of her powers on children, the Witch is the pure Intelligence master of the arcane, able to bend the elements and other malevolent forces to her will and against all those who oppose her.

·         Ranger – A master of survival in the wilderness and marksmanship, this pure Dexterity exile can take out enemies from a safe distance, allowing her to be completely untouched.

·         Duelist – Good with a sword and even better with his feet, the Duelist, whose main stats are Dexterity and Strength, can cut through his opponents while dodging their every move.

·         Shadow – Moves stealthily and deadly to his enemies, the Shadow, an Intelligence-Dexterity hybrid, has a wide plethora of techniques when it comes to dealing with his enemies.

·         Scion – What makes the Scion unique is that all three attributes are her core attributes. That means you can build her however you please.

These classes vary in play style and role—with each having inherent pros and cons. It’s up to you which one suits your tastes, ability, and style.

Taking Things Higher

Later on, these classes branch out into Ascendancy. There are three Ascendancyclasses per base class – except for Scion, which only has one, the Ascendant - and each one specialises the class in a unique manner.

Here are the six classes’ Ascendancy classes:

• ·         Marauder – Berserker, Chieftain, Juggernaut
• ·         Templar – Inquisitor, Hierophant, Guardian
• ·         Ranger – Raider, Deadeye, Raider
• ·         Witch – Necromancer, Elementalist, Occultist
• ·         Duelist – Gladiator, Slayer, Champion
• ·         Shadow – Assassin, Saboteur, Trickster

You’ll have access to this once you finish the Labyrinth, a late-game content, so there’s no need to rush. You’ll have ample time to choose when playing your chosen character anyway.

Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it – the classes in Path of Exile. So, future exiles, which ones are you going to choose? Let us know!