Crystalline Entity event returns

[Wupteedo]

Just posted on Cryptic's Forums:

Quote:

Our special Crystalline Entity event returns later this week for a limited-time! Exchange earned Crystalline Shards for bonus Dilithium, Fleet Marks, and Reputation Marks. More details about the event will be posted when it starts on Thursday.

Lots of fun when done with Fleetmates.

[VADM Kor]

I strongly urge all our Fleet-mates to do the Crystalline Catastrophe reputation project and complete it as soon as possible. I mention this because right now on the KDF side we need lots of Fleet Marks to get the Mine upgraded, along with all our other Fleet Holdings projects. Once you do the first CE reputation project, you get a massive reward, and then you can do a daily one that gives 50 Fleet Marks and 2000 Dilithium. Check out the details below:

http://sto.perfectworld.com/news/?p=989241

"For the next three weeks, from now until Thursday, October 17, 2013, around 10AM PDT*, max-level Federation, Klingon, and Romulan Republic players can queue up for our 10-captain “Crystalline Cataclysm” event to defeat the Crystalline Entity and earn one Crystal Shard every 20 hours. After collecting 14 of them, players can complete a new Event Reputation project to be rewarded with 50,000 Dilithium Ore, 500 Fleet Marks, 250 Marks of their choice (Fleet, Omega, Romulan or Nukara), and a Very Rare Gravimetric Scientist Duty Officer!

BONUS! Once the new, main reputation project is complete, a brand-new bonus 1-Shard project will become available to slot. Completing this will earn players 2,000 Dilithium Ore, 50 Fleet Marks and 35 Marks of their choice (Fleet, Omega, Romulan or Nukara).

To participate and earn Crystal Shards, queue up for either the Normal or Elite version of the event – a successful completion of either will award you with one Shard, in addition to the normal rewards.

Already have the past Crystalline Entity reputation project in progress? You will have the opportunity to finish or cancel it**. Once one of these actions is taken, the new reputation project will become available for you to slot.

Lastly, stay on alert, Captains! Recent intelligence reports reveal that there are a few new tactics the Entity and its allies are using during this event to thwart your attempts of destroying them."

One additional thing I would note is that you can play Crystalline Catastrophe once every 1/2 hour, but you can only get the shard for the reputation project once every 20 hours. So, if you haven't done it, you need 14 of them to complete the fist project and you only have through October 17 to get them all! Let's show this mineral monster who's boss!

[Wupteedo]

You got to know when to fold them, when to hold them, when to walk away, and when to run. - Ancient Human Proverb

Last night, I watched the communications between BranFlakes (Cryptic's Community Manager) and the Teams he was leading into Battle against our dreaded foe. Apparently on the early rounds, some of the Developers were with him. Some short-term changes where made by the time the second round started. Apparently, in some cases, there will be a mass of Mirror Universe ships, but you only need to focus on the Tholian Ships and the CE itself. However, if Mirror Ships are agro'd, they will re-spawn in greater numbers and will Zerg (over run by sheer numbers) you.

BranFlakes wrote if you start the CE and there is already a large number of Mirror Universe ships, just to leave and try again. There will be no penalty for leaving. Hopefully, this issue will be resolved with the next update. This has something to do with the new "leveling" mode they are putting into effect.

To mirror Commodore Kor above, please dust off your KDF Captain and have a go at this beast. We have been very good at filling out all the other requirements for the various building projects, but are way behind in Fleet Marks. Thank you.

Respectfully submitted,

[T-Jericho]

Any confirmed tactics on this yet? It seems like there are scores of enemy vessels that I mainly ignore and focus on the entity.

[VADM Kor]

Some of us were playing this last night and did run into hordes of Mirror ships. Mostly we just blew them up and then they did not seem to spawn a lot more ships, so we were then able to continue to fight the CE.

I was playing an Elite map, and it seriously took my team over 15 minutes to blow up all the ships to get to that point because there were so many of them. But, once we beat them, we were able to then fight the CE and win. I think Runaz did the same thing with a group he was in the CE with.

In the game I played, there was one rift that was far enough away from the CE so we could ignore it, but the rest we had to blow up.

[Jason32]

As a friendly reminder - this is also one of out Fleet Events for the month of October.

[Wupteedo]

Running five toons through this event:

1) Vo'Quv Carrier -- Start BoPs on intercept to clear out Tholians; Carrier assist in Tholian removal. Bring BoPs back home when CE starts storing energy. Once CE blows out energy, send BoPs back in on attack mode. Carrier hangs out around 9.5 klicks and hits CE with GW and forward weapons array. No prize, but if you keep your shields up, you don't get blown up. Ignore Mirror ships.

2) Risian Corvette -- don't laugh, but it was like the ship was built for this. Help clear out first group of Tholians. Most success with a Tetyron Cannons and Torpedo/mine combo. Start at either top or bottom of CE and circle around the CE at full impulse; like a spiral staircase. When CE starts storing energy, punch the Subspace Wake Generator and fly out of harms way. Come back in once energy blows out and repeat. You may to assist in Tholian removal before you start again. Ignore the mirror ships if possible.

3) Heavy Destroyers (all 3 versions). Come in hot with cannons blazing away; hit the CE with Lance Weapon. Change mode, and blow out of there. Chances are you will attract some shards, so be kind and don't fly into a group of friendly ships. While waiting for cool-down to end, I focus on taking out the Tholians, while others can focus on CE. Move out of range (10.2 klicks) when Energy storing is announce and wait for energy blow. Come in hot again and hit CE with everything you got. Pull back out and go after Tholians again. After the second Energy Blow you should have Lance weapon powered back up, so call back in and hit CE; it should be under 31% when you hit it. At this point, I just weave in/out hitting the CE with my weapons and keeping my shields/heals up. When ever charged, also hit CE with a GW. Ignore the mirror ships if possible.

4) Fleet T'Varo -- same as number 2 above, but with one major difference. This ship comes with a massive Plasma Ball (Red Ball of Death) attack. You go in hot, fire off the Plasma Ball, do a tight 180 turn, and you have to be about 5 klicks out to avoid damage. Turn around, and come in with cannons blazing. It great to see the CE turn red for a few moments. Ignore the mirror ships if possible.

"Brace for Impact" is your best friend!

Cheers!

[Jason32]

We ran it on elite last night with no major issues. Just have your Sci guys with grav wells to keep the CE shards occupied and it went down as normal.

We shouldn't have any issues with it next weekend during the Fleet CE event.