Warden as Main DPS

[OldGamer]

So I am trying to do Warden's challenge this week and I keep getting Warden's DPS swapped with weird choice right after 200 levels. Even though Warden has been the main DPS throughout the run.

Therefore, just really looking for inspiration. I have tried various formations:

Tyril / calliope & hitch / warden-deek-birdy / celeste & nayeli + evelyn

an evil one, just swapping them around eternally most commonly however:
krull - spurt & makos - warden/toro/jarl - koth/farideh - arkhan

The champs I don't yet have are: (hence why not above)
Order to get:
Avren (must have - free in next event)
Havilar (speed)
Regis (Gold Gain / DPS increase)
Morgaen
Sisapia
K'Thriss
Paultin
Barrowin
Vlahnya (Free in 2 events (5 weeks)
Nerys
Krond
Artemis (4 events away)
Dhadius
Rosie

I end up having arkhan (fair enough) or makos (odd to me) as DPS but only after 200. I have done the "don't upgrade them" trick and still even with some champs being way lower than warden, they out DPS him.

I interchangably use DPS with dmg in my head, just noticed I said DPS throughout. I mean highest dmg.

[Zrazzt]

Just stop leveling everyone else, and use formation specific champs, level them til their spec choice, then stop leveling them.

[Soteria]

Whatt Zrazzt said. I also really like the combo of Bruenor, Celeste, and Calliope to target someone specific. Or you can do things like use Paultin, K'thriss, and Makos, who don't buff champs adjacent to them, making it easier to make sure only your target is getting all the buffs.

[ptor]

the "trick" is to only upgrade once each time, wait to see how the average changes, and go accordingly. Just keep a healthy e2 or more difference between your target and anyone else, and you should be fine

[Coo Coo Pigeon]

What everyone above me already said.

Fiddle with champions will work as well, but stopping to upgrade them past where they need to be to reach area 250 is easiest.

[Phantom]

Originally posted by Zrazzt:

Just stop leveling everyone else, and use formation specific champs, level them til their spec choice, then stop leveling them.

[Noeh23]

I don't get these answers - stop upgrading lol - easy way out but newer players sometimes cannot afford not to upgrade as they need all the extra % buffs to climb to 250. There is usually a good formation to target a specific slot to make sure that particular slot with the DPS race. Knowing how to do this (especially for newer players) is important so that one can pass the Patron challenges that have odd heroes that need to be the highest damage dealers. I can usually just click through and put in that hero only, but I remember the times when I had to fiddle around to actually get to 250 and have the right hero do the damage.

OG, so for inspiration here is what I would do with your heroes:
Let's assume Sword Coast (Mad Wizard)

Krull (just doing what he does)
Calliope ; Makos
Warden ; Bruenor ; Paultin (Tier 4 blessing helps this column's damage)
Celeste or Donaar ; Aila (Celeste or Donaar for healing and buffs - whichever can sustain you better, Aila for debuffs)
Gromma or Tyril (whoever can sustain)

Just a quick draft of what I would probably do in your place. No way somebody out-DPSes warden in this formation and you should be able to get to 250 no problem.
Let me know how it went.

[Phantom]

Well if you can't get it then you can't get it

not a huge loss early on anyway

but you should so some E runs because then you can easily do it

go look up the azaka farm on reddit

[Coo Coo Pigeon]

Originally posted by Noeh23:

I don't get these answers - stop upgrading lol - easy way out but newer players sometimes cannot afford not to upgrade as they need all the extra % buffs to climb to 250.

He got e2x favor, he can click his way to 250 . . .

[OldGamer]

Originally posted by Coo Coo Pigeon:

Originally posted by Noeh23:

I don't get these answers - stop upgrading lol - easy way out but newer players sometimes cannot afford not to upgrade as they need all the extra % buffs to climb to 250.

He got e2x favor, he can click his way to 250 . . .

only just e20 but yes I can click to 250.
But my thinking was you had to do the champ all the way through haha.
so all I really need is warden and celeste (maybe tyril - he does have other duties on the other party though (doing another challenge)) and click to 250. And warden will be DPS.
I hope.
I do it both ways...Noeh & click through, see what works. I got enough time. well for the challenges, would like to get more variants done with varja though (and start on strahd).

[Zrazzt]

Originally posted by Noeh23:

I don't get these answers - stop upgrading lol - easy way out but newer players sometimes cannot afford not to upgrade as they need all the extra % buffs to climb to 250.

If you're doing patrons, you're probably not a "newer" player. There shouldn't be an issue in getting to 250.

[Zrazzt]

Originally posted by OldGamer:

But my thinking was you had to do the champ all the way through haha.
so all I really need is warden and celeste (maybe tyril - he does have other duties on the other party though (doing another challenge)) and click to 250. And warden will be DPS.

Put Nayeli in front, since you know her buff goes behind. Left Spec
Put Bruenor in same column. Left Spec
Put Celeste beside warden. Left Spec
Put Tyril alone and not touching anyone. Moonbeam spec

Put a familiar on Warden, stop leveling the rest, go afk.

[OldGamer]

Thanks everyone, I got it just now with srt of a combination of all your advice. Ironically, I was losing it a bit (aka couldn't get to 250), so just went "F" it and levelled everyone up and Warden went to e90 dmg and killed everyone. One shot the boss in 250 haha!

Seems like I was overthinking it.

[Noeh23]

Originally posted by Zrazzt:

If you're doing patrons, you're probably not a "newer" player. There shouldn't be an issue in getting to 250.

Well it might have been long time for you but I still remember doing my first patron challenges and it was a struggle for me to suddenly switch my main DPS (Krond back then) and get to 250 without some trouble. So speaking from experience, there are players who are doing Patron challenges and actually have to work for it :-) Now it's just a chore.

[ptor]

Originally posted by Noeh23:

So speaking from experience, there are players who are doing Patron challenges and actually have to work for it :-) Now it's just a chore.

Absolutely! One thing newer players need to know/learn is that not all challenges are necessarily clearable outright, such as "250+ with <rubbish champion>" or "area 400" and so on.
but 5000 free play tokens, that one is always clearable (given time) and they should

[OldGamer]

Originally posted by ptor:

Originally posted by Noeh23:

So speaking from experience, there are players who are doing Patron challenges and actually have to work for it :-) Now it's just a chore.

Absolutely! One thing newer players need to know/learn is that not all challenges are necessarily clearable outright, such as "250+ with <rubbish champion>" or "area 400" and so on.
but 5000 free play tokens, that one is always clearable (given time) and they should

I get past these three sets of challenges (only just three as of this week and last) within three days. But the cap, takes me a further two days. So in the end I never "advance" - or doesn't feel like it - as I am not getting variants done with them to make them better to then get the challenges quicker.

So really now I am like, do I still graft the cap? Or do I do variants so later on that may be better.
I now can do 300 levels with Mirt and Varja with Strahd I am not sure as haven't started his yet!

What I would like is to get to Speed potion on each shop. Mirt, is already there. Varja has about 2 to 5 more variants to do and strahd, hasn't even got the pieces yet.

I guess my question is. Do I leave a weekly cap? Or is imperative to get it, as its basically free currency per week and you only get x amount of free currency with patrons?