Combat Strategy:
The MoM trial is broken up into distinct "phases" between which you have time to rebuff, buy inspirations, and talk to various NPCs that you've encountered. It also gives the league lead time to explain the next phase. Here's the short version breakdown.
Phase 1: Malaise's Magical Tea Party OF DOOOOOOOOM
Malaise starts in the middle of a huge courtyard surrounded by minion-to-boss level Mother Mayhem clones. Malaise himself has a huge perception radius, so tanking types should be running in first, as he'll aggro on you pretty much as soon as you start towards him. AOE will burn the trash mobs, while the rest of the league focuses fire on Malaise. Because Malaise should have known better than to bring minions to an Incarnate fight. Silly Malaise.
At 50%, Malaise decides that concussions are not enjoyable and phases, running away and leaving an AV. These are randomly picked from a pool of 15, including Trial AVs (ironically, the Lichen Walker from the Underground is a LOT easier without his regen patches buffing him). Also, purple patches similar to Battle Maiden will spawn, which are nasty DoTs. However, unlike Battle Maiden, the MoM Trial is a bit more polite about its patches of horrible burny death. There is a timer informing you of when they will spawn in your UI. With a simple strategy, avoiding them entirely is simple.
![[Image: Nightmares.png]](http://union.virtueverse.net/uv/images/6/62/Nightmares.png)
One thing to note is that
no one should be flying here. The DoT fields will spawn at the elevation of the player they targeted on. If you're targeted in the air, someone could theoretically walk *under* the patch and get killed. There's no real benefit to flight in this fight, so it's easier just to skip it.
After killing the first, a second AV will spawn, same rules. Tank and spank it, and spawn your Lore pets just as it's dying. A third Nightmare AV will arrive, because Malaise is a one trick pony, and will meet the same grisly fate.
After the third Nightmare, Malaise returns, running under the same rules as the previous 3 AVs. However, this time the tables are turned, as a Nightmare AV will spawn *on your side* as an ally. If you're lucky with the RNG, you could be fighting alongside the friendliest Jade Spider you've ever met. Kick Malaise in his Evil Goatee Frenchman face until he starts begging for scones and we're on to Phase 2.
Phase 2: In Which Shalice Tilman Relives Her Childhood by Bodyjacking Someone Else's.
In this phase, you fight Penelope Mayhem, Mother Mayhem's psyche taking over Penelope's body. There are a few unique mechanics here.
1. The room she is in is full of
Tempest Gyros (bosses) and
Storm Voids (objects). Penelope herself is completely untouchable until her protection is stripped away.
The large part of the league will just cluster around Penelope and sit there while a tank drags Storm Voids from the room all over to Penelope. Upon doing so, mez and kill
one void at a time. The Void will die, creating an Eye of the Storm bubble, that renders Penelope damageable, while also protecting
you from the Psi-damage DoT constantly running in the room. Everyone targets through whoever's tanking Penny, and repeat until she's beaten.
Tempest Gyros in this phase can be ignored if you have sufficient Barriers and heals, or killed if they're doing too much damage. Either way works.
Phase 3: Mother Mayhem, 1st in a 3 Part Series
In this fight, you take on Mayhem herself, while a small portion of your group has to infiltrate the psionic prison where Aurora Borealis is imprisoned and keep her alive. A portal will spawn early into the fight. Two DPS types (preferably one a tank) will jump through along with a healer, heading into Aurora's prison. The healer will keep Aurora's HP up while the DPS types fight the hordes of Reflections that Mother Mayhem sends to kill Aurora. +Regen powers REALLY help here, obviously.
Outside the prison, everyone else gets to punch Mother in her psi-boobs, but this makes Mother ANGRY. She has two new powers,
Suffer in Silence and
Shared Suffering.
When the powers trigger, you will be given an alert.
Shared Suffering reduces damage taken from its affects the more people are close together, whereas
Suffer In Silence will kill anyone in the circle instantly when it fires. The best method is to clump around Mayhem (don't grope the Psi-Boobs!) to benefit from the damage mitigation from the blue circles, while anyone that gets a red circle should run immediately away from the group until it fires.
Tank and spank Mother Mayhem while the Portal Team (now you're healing with portals!) keeps Aurora alive, and it's on to Phase 4.
Phase 4: Mother Malaise, a Crossdressing Horror No One Asked For.
Mother Malaise is Tilman jumping into her loyal minion to continue the fight, and operates much like Malaise did in Phase 1, including the return of the Purple Patches.
When you burn Mother Malaise down to 50%, he phases and despawns lest you ruin his
fabulous fashion ensemble, and Shalice Tilman spawns by one of the 4 statues at the outer wall of the arena, slowly walking towards the well of power in the center. Also spawned with her are 4
Nightmares, who are Boss class this time instead of AVs. You have to beat Tilman before she gets to the well, but slowing her down is nigh impossible with her massive mez protect.
But guess what! You can kill that mez protect dead!
Luring Nightmares next to Tilman and then killing them will drop her purple triangles, rendering her weak to any mez you can bring to the table. Slows are especially good here. Mez her and kill her, and she'll despawn, then spawn again at the next statue at the far rim (going clockwise from the room entrance). Repeat this once for each of the 4 statues, then Mother Malaise respawns in the middle. Tank and spank him back to the Praetorian Pocket D, and proceed onto the final phase.
Phase 5: Shalice Tilman's Mental Meltdown
You've been drawn out of the Seer Network and into Tilman's mind so she can kill you insolent gnats personally. In
2 minutes and 30 seconds, you will all be killed. Furthermore, your league will be Demoralized by debuffs, lowering your damage output. A losing battle, yes?
WRONG.
Shalice has no special powers here, she's just a plain old AV. Burn her ass down like Romulus and Reichsman before her. The more damage you do to her, the more you
beat her debuff to death with its own spleen. Kick Shalice's skanky ass, take your badge for beating her Trial, and parade it in front of everyone.
Because you just won, and this trial is done.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."
![[Image: strikersetcfinal9_th.jpg]](http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/uploads/strikersetcfinal9_th.jpg)
