Farmstead, question on battle long abilities

[Timmy the Tooth]

Everything I've read says run Vest, X (i went jest), MAA, MAA and pop bolster at the start of fight.
Only problem is, my bolster lasts just until the 1/3 mark and then is gone and I can't reuse it. This intended? Doesn't seem like it should be from the strats I'm reading.

[Tenebris]

Yeah, it's really the worst mix of what a "battle" constitutes of. Only a single section of the bar counts for the purpose of duration,, but the ENTIRE bar counts for the cooldown. It basically encourages you to tactically use your limited use abilities instead of popping them instantly every time. On the other hand, Shard Dust circumvents this by refreshing the uses of those abilities

[Alex Darkcrowne]

Originally posted by Timmy the Tooth:

Everything I've read says run Vest, X (i went jest), MAA, MAA and pop bolster at the start of fight.
Only problem is, my bolster lasts just until the 1/3 mark and then is gone and I can't reuse it. This intended? Doesn't seem like it should be from the strats I'm reading.

I don't know what guide you read, but the most common Farmstead comp is:
Vestal - Jester - SB/Leper - SB

Anyone reliant on a limited use ability gets neutered on Famstead. Flagellant, for example, is one of the worst picks for that place.

[Timmy the Tooth]

As far as which guide off the top of my head, sorted by most popular on steam it's the second or third listed most popular guide of all time (breakdown of supplies to take by zone). And Gamerant, and a few other that I found.
Your's makes more sense though. I felt that double MAA MAA front was severely meh, ESPECIALLY once bolster was gone.
I think I'm going to try to put together something like (which is pretty much what you have )
https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/8ukqsx/how_to_dominate_the_farmstead_comp_guide/

[Alex Darkcrowne]

PFHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

No wonder that guide sucks. Avoid Reddit and Steam Discussions, you're basically playing Russian Roulette.

There's an official Darkest Dungeon Discord, use that for advice.

[Magni]

Originally posted by Alex Darkcrowne:

PFHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

No wonder that guide sucks. Avoid Reddit and Steam Discussions, you're basically playing Russian Roulette.

There's an official Darkest Dungeon Discord, use that for advice.

I'm reasonably sure that the whole double MaA idea predates the patch that made battle-length buffs like Bolster have limited uses in the Farmstead. Back then Leper was an absolute god in Endless Harvest because you could pop Withstand and Revenge at the start of every wave and then lawnmower through everything.

Also, the lineup in that guide is pretty good? Ves-Jes-HWM-SB is a very effective group for endless runs.

[RopeDrink]

Flagellant, for example, is one of the worst picks for that place.

Depends on what you are using (vs) what you intend to accomplish. If all you care about is the 300 achievement (without specializing in anything in particular), Flagellant is one of the best.

If you're looking to conquer thousands and thousands of waves, then you're probably going to stick with per-battle buff-spamming teams - typically abusing dodge.

Conversely, "most common" implies most people use X team, but there are plenty which have conquered thousands of waves, many of which avoid Lepers, Jesters and Vestals outright.

Shield Breakers are common (in general) because they're the best raw projectors and just so happen to directly address Miller + Sleeper gimmicks. Vestal & Jester are the best non-specialized sustain battery, so they're good for generic runs, but not often used for thousands of waves (where hyper-fast dodge and prevention does more than merely healing the most).

[Timmy the Tooth]

Ahh, so there was a time when the current mechanic was different. That makes a lot of sense, as I think these guides are 2 or more years old.
Maybe I'll log into discord like dude suggested, I keep running into old suggestions that don't seem to work.

[RopeDrink]

Yes, certain elements were reworked after release, so I would avoid older guides. Some of the teams they describe may still work, but a lot of information may be outdated.

Also, there's a big difference between wanting to complete achievements and/or gain some easy crystals (vs) trying to get as far as possible through thousands and thousands of waves, so I would consider what you are trying to achieve before taking any suggested teams.

[Timmy the Tooth]

I'm just trying to beat the miller (second mission offered) for the first time. Technically, I'm tryin to get enough crystals to buy the diamond tipped spear and I need about 30 more.
Do characters that die on the farm still able to show back up? I lost a MAA but already filled my roster back up.

[Tenebris]

Originally posted by Timmy the Tooth:

I'm just trying to beat the miller (second mission offered) for the first time. Technically, I'm tryin to get enough crystals to buy the diamond tipped spear and I need about 30 more.
Do characters that die on the farm still able to show back up? I lost a MAA but already filled my roster back up.

They DIE die on the first two missions, but during the Endless Harvest quest, they just become "lost in time" for a week or two. No different than if they go missing while doing a stress recovery activity.

[RopeDrink]

Indeed. The Apprentice & Veteran tutorials can claim dead heroes for good, whereas the main endless mode will simply steal them temporarily. So, make sure you are adequately prepared.

Just like any Veteran mission, be sure to use fully upgraded heroes.
In this case -- level 4's with Upgraded Weapons, Armor, and good (relevant) Trinkets.

Just like most bosses, the Miller is not that complex, but he does involve various gimmicks to learn and keep in mind. You will have to face him again in Endless Mode, so Veteran is basically a tutorial. Keep what you learn in mind for the future.

There are countless comps that can dunk the basics (Miller > Sleeper > Enter Endless) -- and to go in-depth might spoil it for you. If you want a generic non-specialized backbone to help you get started through the worst of it (without too much spoilery info), then a combination of VES+JES by itself will cover many bases. It's the best non-specialized sustain duo in the game (during prolonged battles), and will work relatively well with a tonne of other duos.

You can back it up with something like HWM+FLA (additional sustainer + bleeds + mobility to bypass crystals and fix shuffles), or things like SHB+SHB if you want to go full-counter + full-projection, though that is a very squishy approach.

I wouldn't bother with specialized comps (eg. Virtue Fishing or Dodge Stacks) unless you actually reach Endless Mode and want to go as far as possible. Personally, I always use VES-JES-HWM-FLA to get the usual Miller/Sleeper + Extra, and happily go home with an armful of crystals. It's a very strong comp that will have very few struggles (until you start going really deep and don't abuse Virtues).

If we were discussing thousands and thousands of waves in legitimate Endless mode, the suggestion would be different. Either way, that should help you get a comfortable taste.