Best way to get over the Hard -> Challenging gap.

[RimBlock]

So there seems to be quite a gap between hard and challenging.

I am at a GS of 160 and find solo on hard to be ok.  Challenging I have no chance at though on any mission.

My current equipment is also better than higher GS items I am getting from the DZ or from hard level boss drops.

DPS is around 130k (M4) / 89k (M1A), health is 56k and tech is around 15k.

Levels are 30/40.

I have been through the round of matchmaking for hard missions, starting the mission and then getting kicked as the other players do nothing, joining a team and getting kicked straight away.  I am not sure I can get the damage needed on Challenging missions.

Suggestions ?.

 

[Xeromaus]

Soloing challenge missions at 160 would take an insane amount of skill and knowledge of the run/npc behavior. Matchmaking is really the way to go, though PC players seem to be far too uptight about gear score. There's zero reason why you should be getting kicked from hard or challenge runs honestly...we used to run ALL the challenge modes far lower than you are right now gear wise (my first completion of Lexington Event Center challenge, I was solid purple, and for Russian Consulate on challenge I was still half in purple gear)

Lexington Event Center and Lincoln Tunnel on challenge should be rather easy at your level (with a 4 man group), but I'd avoid warrengate powerplant/russian consulate until I was a bit higher, say 170/175. They're not monstrous runs by any means, but they are quite a bit more difficult.

If matchmaking randomly keeps being a pain, try forming a group of others with alike gear scores manually yourself. If you're the leader, you can't be kicked out :10_wink:

 

[Oh. daesu]

@RimBlock. We're roughly in the same timezone, so if you looking to group for mission or DZ give us a shout. I'm gs178 atm.

 

[RimBlock]

@Xeromaus: Ok, so groups seem to be the way to go.  Thanks.  It is good to have a benchmark to go by so the details provided are great.

@Oh. daesu: Awesome, if you wouldn't mind pming my your user id then I will send a friend request.  My user id is the same as here in The Division and Skype.  Presumably weekends would be better for you as there is still a bit of a time gap, unless you are a late nighter  :10_wink: .

 

[HHHope]

Group runs , then gear up with a group in the DZ! 

 

[g1nt3r]

I run challenging solo, but I'm a bad ass so

 

[RimBlock]

Well I teamed up with Oh. daesu last night and we had a pretty good run.

A bit of DZ, some muppet followed us just as a supply drop fell near and grabbed the loot after we killed the AI.  I suspect they fully expected us to kill them and I am sure Oh.Daesu was thinking about it just as I was but we moved on.

Got a bit of loot but nothing better than I already had.

Did a couple of challenging missions (Lincoln tunnel) with a couple of 170+ GS matchmaking people.  Snuck all the way down the right side and up on to the high gantry with the two snipers and we all died within a few seconds of shooting with the rain of fire and grenade spamming the ai were doing.  Retried with two other people, GS204 or so, and completed.  Died twice and was kindly revived but a full extended clip from my M4 (dps 130k) would not take down a melee rusher.  Needed to rely on my M1A from a rear position to take the AI on.  Again, nothing worth keeping off the missions but got the credits and got loads of blue weapons which I could deconstruct to try building a SA-58 from the BP.  Was an ok roll so will try that out over the weekend.

Many thanks to oh.Daesu and if anyone else on this side of the world would like to join me / us then please just shout out.

 

[Xeromaus]

Well I teamed up with Oh. daesu last night and we had a pretty good run.

A bit of DZ, some muppet followed us just as a supply drop fell near and grabbed the loot after we killed the AI.  I suspect they fully expected us to kill them and I am sure Oh.Daesu was thinking about it just as I was but we moved on.

Got a bit of loot but nothing better than I already had.

Did a couple of challenging missions (Lincoln tunnel) with a couple of 170+ GS matchmaking people.  Snuck all the way down the right side and up on to the high gantry with the two snipers and we all died within a few seconds of shooting with the rain of fire and grenade spamming the ai were doing.  Retried with two other people, GS204 or so, and completed.  Died twice and was kindly revived but a full extended clip from my M4 (dps 130k) would not take down a melee rusher.  Needed to rely on my M1A from a rear position to take the AI on.  Again, nothing worth keeping off the missions but got the credits and got loads of blue weapons which I could deconstruct to try building a SA-58 from the BP.  Was an ok roll so will try that out over the weekend.

Many thanks to oh.Daesu and if anyone else on this side of the world would like to join me / us then please just shout out.

Glad to hear you made it in, and through!  Gets easier with every run...

 

[g1nt3r]

Happy to see the agents of this forum getting together for the greater good.

 

[quinch1199]

Yeah, I got "pulled" through Lincoln Tunnels Challenge mode by two friends with 204 & 195 GS against my 129 GS last night, only wipe we had was when the 204 guy got cocky and ran to far ahead, isolated and slapped by the Ai.

And to cap it all...my Gold item drop...

...a pair of kneepads. *sigh* Had a far better time in DZ01-03 with a random other solo guy I picked up whilst in there. GS boosted due to that run to 159 now. 

Great community here though! so many guys I've run with already from here. 

 

[Oh. daesu]

A bit of DZ, some muppet followed us just as a supply drop fell near and grabbed the loot after we killed the AI.  I suspect they fully expected us to kill them and I am sure Oh.Daesu was thinking about it just as I was but we moved on.

Oh man, he had it coming to him. Though, I wasn't sure how you felt having rogue marker on you so early. Wanted t ask but"shall we kill him?" over proximity chat is a tad giveaway. But it was good,

Realised I need to figure out a route through the DZ. Usually I just follow the group and others knowledge. 

Happy to squad up anytime. 

 

[Xeromaus]

Oh man, he had it coming to him. Though, I wasn't sure how you felt having rogue marker on you so early. Wanted t ask but"shall we kill him?" over proximity chat is a tad giveaway. But it was good,

Realised I need to figure out a route through the DZ. Usually I just follow the group and others knowledge. 

Happy to squad up anytime. 

This may help a bit:

(right click the image and select "view image" to get a zoomable version)

 

[Oh. daesu]

Thanks for that. Nice big red skulls to nav by  :1_grinning:

 

[quinch1199]

Nice map! lots of liking. 

 

[RimBlock]

Oh man, he had it coming to him. Though, I wasn't sure how you felt having rogue marker on you so early. Wanted t ask but"shall we kill him?" over proximity chat is a tad giveaway. But it was good,

Realised I need to figure out a route through the DZ. Usually I just follow the group and others knowledge. 

Happy to squad up anytime. 

Going rogue for that I could have lived with  :1_grinning: .  He has a level 30 (no GS) on him though and I thought that indicated he was hacking (he was in the 161+ DZ) ?.

I was following you most the time.  When with others we tended to do the underground area near the central DZ.  Maybe we should work out a route next time so we both know where we are going.  Random can be good sometimes though.

I presume people use Skype or Teamspeak for private team coms ?.

 

[who-dat]

Opened the thread expecting to see tuts on going from hard incursion to challenging incursion....pleasantly surprised to see users helping users!....

...now about getting the cojones to run FL on challenging mode?....

 

[Xeromaus]

...now about getting the cojones to run FL on challenging mode?....

I run challenging solo, but I'm a bad ass so

Borrow some of g1nt3rs, he seems to have enough to spare.

 

[g1nt3r]

haha I didn't mean the incursion, I meant the missions.