Given the new (more classic) mechanics for Quillmane, I was keen to explore the possibilities and discover a new way to lock him down. I was also motivated by needing a cloak for my necro. I succeeded, and would like to share my method in the hope of helping others. In terms of tracking, I'm limited to my 55 bard - so high run speed, terrible tracking radius. Fortunately, there are enough tools at any tracker's disposal to guarantee that you never lose the PlaceHolder (PH) and eventually don your cloak.
In about 3-4 hours of trying (and making multiple mistakes), I spawned Quill three times. The first, he dropped legs. The second, someone else sniped him (sad face). The third, cloak landed for my necro.
In terms of speed and efficiency, there is no substitute for a ranger with max tracking. But even a ranger will lose the PH sometimes. This guide is for those classes who can't hear a mouse fart on the other side of the zone.
To provide a
TLDR:
spawn each PH inside a narrow window between two known and static mobs, and then travel the zone with those mobs.
Requirements:
1. Track (any level)
2. Timers (multiple)
3. No one else in the zone can be killing PHs or trying to spawn Quillmane
4. Either AOE or the identified Placeholder
Nice to have:
1. SoW or faster movement
2. Charm (to identify as soon as Quill is up)
Here we go. I will not mention faster tactics that a ranger might employ. I will also assume you are acting alone. There are clear ways to enhance this method with a partner - particularly a tracker, or someone who can cast SoW on charmed mobs.
FIRST STEP - claim the camp
This will not work if anyone else is killing these mobs indiscriminately, or trying to spawn Quill. So check camps, and then announce your intentions. If you have competition, come back another day.
SECOND STEP - find the PH
My method was to spend up to ten minutes trawling the zone for all of the mobs that might be the PH. From other threads and my brief experience, I believe they include:
- an escaped splitpaw gnoll
- a treant
- a mist wolf
- a shadow wolf
- a lion
- a lioness
- an elephant
- an aviak egret
- an aviak avocet
- a centaur sheltie
- a centaur charger
- a cyclops
- an aviak harrier
Gather them in your wake, like a toddler's ride-on-train, until you have a good 15-20 mobs. I actually ignored treants when possible, hoping to avoid faction hits.
THIRD STEP - choose and kill your static spawn timer mobs
Pick any location with static mobs, and choose two. Note that for the rest of your hunt, you will effectively have these two chasing you around the zone. The only requirement is that you MUST be able to get back to their spawn point and pick them up before anyone else does, every ten minutes or so. For this reason, the gnolls are no good (too popular). I used the two aviaks in the first hut up the ramp. I also used two of the undead at their pyramid.
Once you've picked them, and with the train of mobs still chasing you, pull the two static mobs and kill one. The moment it dies, start a 6-minute timer. (That's the standard zone respawn time.)
Now, you need to know how long it will take you to burn down your train of mobs. If you are just a lone 55 bard, and you have a couple of cyclopses and avocets in your train, then three AOE dots will take at least a good minute - maybe a little more.Let's assume it will take you 1 minute to kill the train.
Kill the second static mob 1 minute after the first static mob. As it dies, start your second 6-minute timer.
FOURTH STEP - wait for the window, then nuke your train
You now have two timers - one at 6 minutes, the other at about 5 minutes. This is going to create a 1 minute window for the PH.
When the first timer has 78 seconds (1m 18s) remaining, nuke your train as fast as possible. You need every mob dead before the second timer has only 78 seconds remaining.
FIFTH STEP - pick up your static timer mobs, and start the search
You now have two timers - one at about 15 seconds remaining, and the other at about 78 seconds. All of the mobs you just killed will respawn in six minutes ... except for the PH (or Quillmane) who will respawn in 78 seconds.
Head back to your static spawn point, and pick up the two mobs as they respawn. They are now your travelling companions, and you must protect them until you find the PH.
If you have any form of charm, charm something and use "/pet attack Quillmane" to identify if Quillmane has spawned.
Now start running around the zone, dragging your timing window mobs with you. Tracking for bards and druids will always show mobs in spawn order - with the most recent spawn at the top. Hit track constantly until you find the ONLY mob in the zone that spawned between your two timer mobs.
I can tell you, after running around for five minutes and wondering why you didn't main a ranger, it is quite a thrill to see a lioness pop up in your track window, neatly wedged between Aviak Rook 1 and Aviak Rook 2. Huzzah, you have your PH.
In the event that you do not find the PH, all is not lost (unless someone else is killing these kinds of mobs). There will be one or two (or more) mobs that you missed in your initial sweep of the zone. These mobs will be
lower in your track window than your two static spawns. I recommend keeping an eye out for any of the listed mob types that spawned before your static mobs, and drag them around with you while you search for the PH. If you decide that the PH was not in the first train, then repeat with your new, smaller train. You could even deisgnate two NEW static timers, and travel around with both sets of static timers, searching for the PH within either window.
SIXTH STEP - repeat with a narrower window
Now that you have the PH, you can narrow your timer window to ten seconds. Simply repeat the process with a narrower window - making sure to kill the PH within it.
And that's it. Eventually Quillmane will spawn, and you will probably do what I did the first time - freak out, sprint across the zone, kill him in glorious bloodlust, see your new pair of pants, and realise you've just lost the PH and have to start again. /sit /camp.
Or possibly you'll do what I did the next night - and try to avoid a faction hit on a treant PH by letting it kill itself on a cyclops, but just missing your window by a couple of seconds. Argh.
More likely, during your interminable wandering limited to the pace of two angry mobs, you'll see that someone else has silently joined the hunt. The true enemy for all Quillmane hunters is other Quillmane hunters who don't check the camp. Every mob these silent assassins kill while you are plodding around with your measly bard tracking is another chance that you will never find that wolf hiding between Rook 1 and Rook 2 in your track window.
But sooner or later you will be alone in the zone, or alone with the camp, and Quillmane's feathered cloak will be yours.
Thank you Nilbog for scripting Quillmane's new mechanics, and Daldaen and Haynar for informing the coding - it felt like discovering an old friend from live. Thanks also to Robot and Greenspectre for the discoveries they shared. It's all in this thread:
https://www.project1999.com/forums/s...d.php?t=389682
Good luck! I hope this method helps a few others, as so many have helped me during my travels.