Source
r/DragaliaLost•
Pos5Main

Let's talk about the current new player experience + advancement to HDTs

Discussion

Hey there,

I was hoping to start a discussion about the current state of DL for new players with the addition of eHDTs and all the events going on. There's a lot of information of there that is old and doesn't take into account the current bonuses new players are getting. For reference, I started playing 13 days ago and thanks to various bonuses my best team is at 18.8k might and I have a lvl 8 Halidom (550 facility level).

Hopefully I'm not missing any, but these are the current active rewards:

  • Anniversary bonuses (Wyrmite, materials, etc)
  • Free 10 pulls for new players
  • Expedited construction (1/2 time to complete construction for 30 days)
  • Main campaign half stamina
  • Various additional events (2x IO drops etc)

As a result of these rewards and Cygames generosity, I feel like I'm miles ahead of where day 1 players would be 2 weeks into the game. However, there are a lot of questions that come up between myself and my friends who I got to join the game.

  1. Is the dismantling trick worth it for us? Guides say no due to twinkling sand from MG and events, but I definitely don't have the MUBd dragons to clear high tiers of MG.
  2. What else should new players use ingots on? Many people have told me to save for eHDTs but thats months and months away (at a minimum)
  3. Should we prioritize 5t3s for eventual use in making eHDT weapons? (Given that you need to obtain the 5t3 to make the corresponding eHDT weapon)
  4. What other old/outdated pieces of advice don't apply to newer players? (Skippable content, etc)
  5. What mistakes did you make when you were new that new players should avoid?

Posted Oct 20, 2019, 7:21 PM UTC

1829
5-s•
  1. Do not use ANY ingots on 5.3 these days. We're at a point where by the time you get to EHDT's, we could easily carry you on your void weapons. Save ingots for tier 2 hdt weapons.
  2. Just save them. Seriously.
  3. Yes, generally the ones you can use 5t3's on will also benefit more from HDT weapons.
  4. Certain things that used to be hard to farm aren't anymore. Don't worry so much about that for now.
  5. Letting my wings cap. Once you can co-op 25 stam maps do so with wings until eventually your level ups are infrequent enough that you can actually let both wings and stam regen.
17
Pos5MainOP•

Letting my wings cap.

This is so infuriatingly difficult to avoid as a new player. There was a 25+ level stint where I was capped on stam and wings and even though I was running the highest tier Fractured Futures raids I could get into nonstop, I would level after 3 or 4 runs. Plus you're at a weird point where you can't clear Master IO or any other high stam cost content so your stam 'sinks' are stuff like RtF or RtP. It's gotten so bad that another new player I spoke to couldn't upgrade his Halidom cause he was maxed on stam and couldn't spend it. I'm hoping most other new players will spend their wings where they can, but won't stress out too much. It can definitely feel like a treadmill.

5
kernersLeif•

It is continuous until it plateaus around level 6x-7x, can't remember. Don't sweat it

2
Sevarin•

This was me when I started too, I didn't want to waste resources at cap but you level faster than you can spend it so after a point I just gave up and continued the story.

1
Neofalcon2•
  1. imo, the dismantling trick was never worth it. Costs way too many rupies.
  2. Save them for eHDTs still. You're gonna need 16 of em to max out 1 weapon of each element, and you're probably going to want even more of them in the long run. Unless you somehow find yourself with 100s of ingots, save for eHDT
  3. New players should do the same as always: 4t2 MUB -> 5t2 MUB -> 5t3 0UB. The only difference is that you now have no reason to give a 5t3 more than 0UB, ever, because you can just use void weapons to farm up a HDT T1 weapon instead.
  4. I don't know what other advice is out there, but I think it should all still be pretty relevant - the introduction of HDT weapons hasn't changed much for new players, I don't think.
15
Pos5MainOP•

Yeah the grind for Gold Fafnirs seems to be a sticking point for new and old players - I ran the void event and got every endeavor (and ran many other voids as well) and only ended up with one gold faf after I got my slime statues. Running RtF for rupees is so awful.

You now have no reason to give a 5t3 more than 0UB, ever, because you can just use void weapons to farm up a HDT T1 weapon instead.

I'm a bit confused about the above. Without a ton of amp crystals/gems and a severe lack of event facilities, I feel like I need every point of str/hp from every source I can get it. (Which means ensuring that my 5t3 is MUB). Will I even be able to get into content without it?

2
Neofalcon2•

As a day 1 player, by the time HDT weapons released, I only had a single MUB 5t3. They're obscenely expensive to make in terms of mats, and you're better off making more 5t3 0UBs for more characters than you are MUBing a single one. Plus, now that HDT weapons exist, they're really not worth the cost, when you only need one copy of the weapon to unlock the ability to craft the HDT T1 weapons.

You should be able to do all but the most endgame-iest of content with MUB 5t2s

8
Ruanick•

I'm a bit confused about the above. Without a ton of amp crystals/gems and a severe lack of event facilities, I feel like I need every point of str/hp from every source I can get it. (Which means ensuring that my 5t3 is MUB). Will I even be able to get into content without it?

Yes the requirements for eHDTs are strict right now but it's content aimed at a small percentage of the playerbase. In a few months the general power level will rise, and more people will be able to clear/carry it.

This game is a marathon, not a sprint. But every time new content drops with shiny rewards people go into a sprint and then come here to vent their frustrations. Don't let them worry you, just keep on at a comfortable pace.

MUBing a 5t3 is a very inefficient way to increase your might right now. Some people are doing it in their attempt to sprint towards the new content but in the long run it will likely set them back.

By the time you're close enough to consider that sprint you'll be swimming in augments, we'll have level 60 mana circles, and a bunch of facilities will re-run.

When I started six months ago a lot of the Master/Nightmare content was out of reach and HDTs seemed impossible. This morning I was expecting a new mode to unlock after nightmare because I autod it on the first try.

1
Fishbard•

Sorry but I have to ask about your suggested weapon progression - is there no use for 4t3? I've heard that on-element 4t3 (since they are easily mub with ingots) are better than mub 5t2, but maybe I misunderstood?

1
dark_eboreus•

5.2.0 is easier to make and usable by every element. 4.3.5 is usable by only a single element for not much benefit besides bit extra attack.

3
Fishbard•

Fair enough, I guess the 5.2 is also more future proof since it can be enhanced to 5.3 later. Just wondering what to do with my Steel ingots now.... Might be worth making 4.3.5 for units that arent ever gonna be used in hdts (and thus arent gonna get 5.3s)? That is, if I dont have any extra 5.2s for them

1
dark_eboreus•

i've heard people using it on the void 4.2.0 to skip part of the void grind so they can quickly get the dragon bane weapons.

alternatively, you could also use it on the 4.3.0 anyway if you happen to need the medals. though if you've grinded for dojos, you probably don't need medals anyway.

3
toxophysicsTaro degozaru•

  1. Dismantling would only help to hasten your entry into all the HDTs if all the units you are going to use happen to use the same type of weapon, e.g. you only want to play swords. Otherwise ingots will not help building the first 5T3 any faster. In which case, it is best to keep the ingots to MUB an HDT weapon instead.

  2. HDT weapons. You just gotta be patient.

  3. Yes. I mean you'll be using that unit anyway.

  4. Most of the advice is still pretty much the same, I think. Just remember to have fun with the game.

  5. Hitting auto on the fifth mana circle.

3
Pos5MainOP•

Oh wow, it's toxophysics! I've re-read your dismantling guide many times. Thanks for that.
I've decided I'm running all staves for HDTs except maybe HBH - rn I'm building Lowen, Verica, and Heinwald. Hoping to use Than for eHBH many eons into the future. Would dismantling be worth it in my case?

As for hitting auto on that 5th mana circle, I think that's a right of passage. I did it with my precious delphi and it still pains me to look at his 48 mana circles. :) Alas.

1
toxophysicsTaro degozaru•

I am happy you found it useful. Thank you.

1
Masa_IxMaribelle•

Well at least you did it to a character that can be good in the right hands if you get what I assume is the last 2 co-ability nodes

1
Quasar350•

You dont need 5.3 weapons to make the HDT weapons. Just having same weapon type void and tier 5 weapon at 1 unlocks the requirements. Example (Wind Katana Void 5* 0mlb + wind katana 5* 0mlb)

1
Pos5MainOP•

Ooh, thanks!

2
TodorokillDelphi•

I started playing at the anniversary and understand none of this ;—; I don’t understand much about the weapons and resources yet, rly confusing x.x

1
due_the_drew•

Same. I've read a guide and still don't really know how to make "5t3" weapon. I can make a 5 star sword since I just got my workshop to level 9 and upgrade it and unbind the sword but I have no idea how to tell what tier it really is. Still trying to wrap my head around everything. I haven't even done anything to upgrade any wyrmprints yet either because I don't know if i'll need some over the others

1
_depressionOrion•

A 5t3 (sometimes called 5.3 or 5.3.x (where x is a number 0-4)) is a 5-star weapon that's fully enhanced to an elemental weapon. The first number refers to the star-level, while the second number relates to its position on the weapon's crafting tree. An easy way to see what 'tier' a weapon is, is to look at the Roman numeral on the weapon's icon, just above its star-level. But let's look more in-depth:

When you're at the 'Crafting' screen, if you choose the 'View Tree' option, you'll see a branching path of options for each weapon. Let's look a the 5* sword's options.

"Hero's Sword", the basic 5* sword, is considered the 5.1 or 5t1 sword.

If you have a max-unbound (MUB) Hero's Sword, you can use the 'Enhance' option (from the Crafting screen, you can change the tab to the 'Enhance' tab above where the different weapon types are displayed) to create a either a "Hauteclaire" or "Gram". Both of these weapons are considered 5.2 or 5t2 weapons, because they're created by Enhancing a MUB Hero's Sword.

All the way at the far right are the five elemental version of the 5* swords - these are the 5.3 or 5t3 weapons. Crafting these requires a MUB 5.2 weapon. You'll notice that some branch off from the Hauteclaire, while other branch off the Gram - so if you want to create a 5* Fire element sword (Levatein), you'll have to have a MUB Hauteclaire for that.

The general rule of thumb is that, the higher star-level and tier-level a weapon is, the stronger it is. Elemental affinity plays a role in this - a 4.3.4 weapon (aka a MUB 4*, tier 3 weapon) will be stronger than a 5.1.4 weapon, for instance - but for the most part, it's easy to just remember that the higher the star and tier level, the better.

As for wyrmprints, this is a fantastic guide for your end-goal. Most of these wyrmprints are 5*, of course, but that doesn't make 4* wyrmprints useless - there are plenty that are good budget options for the 5* ones listed here (just try to match the stats as close as possible), and others which are valuable for niche content, like events with more than one element or affliction.

For the members of your team that you aren't controlling, it's always okay to have a wyrmprint like the 4* King's Countenance. Dragon prep (dprep) is always worthwhile to bring to a fight, and in raid events it's usually recommended to have dprep on all of your AI.

3
TodorokillDelphi•

This is really helpful! Should i grind for granite/horns somewhere or is there a good source somewhere? And i’ve seen some talk about how only the newest weapons are useful anymore or smth like that, what are they? And how much time would it take to make something like that?

2
Masa_IxMaribelle•

Generally its good to try to grind for another item that can be obtained with it if you can or focus on it when its in a mission that has double drops. You can check drops by pressing the + in the bottom right of a mission

For example right now the light ruins have a double event which gives horns while there is also a double event for the fire Imperial Onslaught (IO) that drops granite and its higher tier form Meteorites which you can trade for each other.

1
_depressionOrion•

Hey, sorry I haven't been able to respond, I've been at work all day. Now then, let's get into it:

Like Masa_Ix replied, the ideal way to farm for weapon crafting materials is to take advantage of double-drop events. The Elemental Ruins have the best stamina-to-rewards ratio for the basic materials like granite and meteroite, but you lose the tablets, dyrenell coins, and insignia drops that Imperial Onslaught also give.

If you're just focused on building your material reserves, or if you want to burn skip tickets for quick gains, then Elemental Ruins are your best bet. Imperial Onslaught is the better overall option, especially during double-drop events, because the coins and insignias are going to be necessary for building up your dojos and creating 5* weapons.

You should also consider running void battles during their double-drop events, particularly (well, pretty much exclusively) the Void Dragons. Not only will the void materials they drop be necessary for building void weapons to help you break into High Dragon Trials, but the higher chance of Void Seed drops will be instrumental to clearing out the void shop in the treasure trade, which resets monthly. Not to mention, the chance of getting Squishums.

As for new weapons - with the release of Expert and Master HDTs, Cygames also made it possible to craft new weapons. These are commonly referred to by the community as "HDT Weapons", but you may also see them referred to as "HDT.x" (like with 5t3 being analogous to 5.1, HDT.1 is analogous to HDT-tier-1). These weapons offer a significant might boost over 5.3.4 weapons, and the HDT.1 weapons give both a damaging skill as well as an HDT Bane ability, making them even more potent against their respective HDT. The HDT.2 weapons - requiring a MUB HDT.1 weapon to craft - trade in that HDT Bane ability for an even higher might boost. These HDT.2 weapons are true endgame weapons, allowing adventurers to surpass 9000 might.

However, the cost to craft these weapons is as high as their might. In order to craft HDT.1 weapons, you need to have crafted both a 5.3.x and 5*void weapon of the same weapon type and element of the HDT.1 you want. On top of that, you need to collect a handful of new weapon materials... which can (currently) only be obtained from being Expert or Master-difficulty HDTs.

If you've yet to begin challenging HDTs, you're still a long ways off from these weapons - but that's okay! The general progression of the game will push you from one challenge to the next, as you reach the might and skill thresholds to handle them. Void dragons were introduced as a step-up in difficulty from Master-level Imperial Onslaught, and HDTs are the step-up in difficulty from Void dragons.

1
_depressionOrion•

What kind of things are you confused about? I'll do my best to answer any questions you have, and I can give you an explanation of different systems or things that might be confusing you too.

1
TodorokillDelphi•

I don’t understand the acronyms and the weapons people talk about in general. What am i supposed to be doing? Are the core weapons good? Should i be trying to make those? Or the ones below?

Edit: also i’ve seen people talk about different kinds of weapons for different modes, how does that work? Sorry, i’m really confused 😅

1
_depressionOrion•

As for acronyms, it's unfortunately difficult to come up with a list myself. It would be good for the subreddit or one of the game wikis to have a resource like a glossary though, if there isn't one already.

But on the topic of weapons:

Yes, the core weapons are absolutely solid choices. Your general weapon progression should be twofold:

  • Active Adventurer (the one you're going to be controlling in battles)

For your active adventurer(s), you want to aim for the highest star-level elemental weapon you can craft comfortably - so in your case, probably a 4.3.x weapon (4*, tier 3). It's preferable to use a max-unbound (MUB) 4.3 weapon over a zero-unbound (0UB) 5.2 weapon, because the elemental bonus will more than make up for the might difference.

Once you've completed 4.3.4 (4*, tier 3, 4UB (aka MUB) weapon) weapons for each of the adventurers you plan to actively used - generally one or two per element - you can start pushing for the next level up, 5.3.0 weapons.

With 5.3.0 weapons, you can clear most content - including standard HDTs. Obviously, max-unbinding these weapons would push you to a level of more consistent clears and stronger overall teams, but with the advent of HDT weapons it's generally not recommended to push too many weapons to 5.3.4 status.

  • AI Adventurers (the rest of your team)

Because AI adventurers deal a fraction of the damage that your active adventurer will, building weapons for them isn't quite as important. If your active adventurer is wielding a 4.3.4 weapon, your AI will be fine wielding 4.3.0 weapons, 3.3.4 weapons (but upgrade these as you can), or even 5.1.x or 5.2.x weapons as you build toward those big 5* weapons. If you can't craft 4.3.0 weapons for your AI adventurers on-element, and you don't have 5.1 or 5.2 weapons for them, it's even completely fine to give them an off-element 4.3.x weapon.

By the time you're putting together your 5.3.0 weapons for your active adventurers, you should have the extra resources to be able to kit out your AIs with 4.3.4 weapons on-element, but the priority should always be on your active adventurer.

  • Content-specific Weapons

On the Crafting screen, you'll see below the "core" 3*, 4*, and 5* weapons that there are a number of extra weapons with the portraits of Void Battle enemies next to them. These are 'Void weapons', and there are a pretty significant number of them. It can be overwhelming, but there is a logical progression through them.

Essentially, every void enemy has a gimmick - either a unique affliction they can put on you, or a self-buff they have which makes the fight more difficult. The Golem type enemies will inflict "Dull" on you if you're hit by their attacks - a debuff which severely reduces your damage output. Manticore type enemies have the "Fury" self-buff - a buff that makes it so you can't damage their Overdrive bar. Certain void weapons have abilities that are essentially the 'answer' to these void enemies, and the game is designed so that you can progress through the 'easy' void battles (Shroom and Ghost enemies), to the 'medium' void battles (Hermit and Golem enemies), to the 'hard' void battles (Manticore and Catoblepas enemies) and void dragons (Zephyr, Agni, Poseidon, Jeanne d'Arc, and Nidhogg).

For example, defeating the 'Wandering Shroom' enemy gives you access to materials that let you craft Water element weapons with the "Dull Res" ability, which will let you clear through 'Steel Golem' quests more easily. 'Steel Golem' drops materials you can use to craft Fire element weapons with "Dull Res", which can be crafted to make the fight against 'Void Zephyr' easier and more consistent.

And defeating the void dragons gives you materials you can use to craft weapons with an "HDT Bane" ability - that is, the ability to deal more damage to a specific High Dragon Trial. While these void weapons might not measure up to a MUB 5.3 core weapon in every circumstance, they're also significantly cheaper to build. They're designed to give people an easier path into HDTs, which are the true endgame content.

  • A Note on Staff Weapons

As a little side note, creating staffs for healers is trickier than just pushing up from 4.3.4 to 5.3.0 weapons. For some reason, there are no healing skills on any of the 5* staffs, and only two of the 4* staffs have healing skills (fire and water). Because of that, your best choice for a Fire or Water staff for most content will be the 4.3.4 staff. There are exceptions, of course, especially where damage is much more important than healing - but that's still few and far between.

2
TolududeXander•

Don't use ingots on 5t3s, there's no content a mub 5t3 can do that a 0ub 5t3 or void weapon can't. There are always better to boost your teams strength that will benefit you in the long run.

1