Did the "River" Nodes Become Much More Difficult Following the Update?

[Optimus_Pig]

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m dying a lot more now in the “River” nodes after the most recent update in April (iOS). In particular the massed groups of shotgun pigs and the kamikaze pigs.

The Pig City and Wild West nodes seem to be about the same as before.

Topic

[Nothing]

The shotgun pigs are probably the problem, as them being in groups will make you have a heck of a time. It is therefore recommended to have all Transformers at level 10!! You know, for max weapon and armor. Vehicle COULD drive you away from danger quickly with Transformers Bumblebee, Lockdown, Thundercracker, Jazz, Brawl, Starscream, all Energon characters, and High Octane Bumblebee. They have low-damage weapons that fire quickly and can zoom away very fast!

[Optimus_Pig]

I’m Rank 243, so the majority of my TFs are L10. Not really helping though.

The Energon TFs are having a particularly difficult time.

[Nothing]

Is there a lot of Energon structures in the Cobalt Plateaus nodes to heal the Energon bots?

[Optimus_Pig]

[Interesting, didn’t realize that “Cobalt Plateaus” was the correct name for the “River” nodes”.]

I’d say no, at least not relative to the amount of damage being dealt.

I don’t seem to have a problem getting healed up in the “Pig City” nodes.

[Nothing]

[Well, the “River” nodes are in the Cobalt Plateaus area, so…yeah :P]

That’s because there is a crazy amount of Energon structures in Pig City, explaining why there is the achievement “Pig Hunger”.

[20Qmindreader]

I’d say that I also noticed that too as an iOS player. Those nodes also seem to have walking mortar towers or falling towers out of the gate with lots of deadly flying pigs with few cubes to collect to use to protect, plus the risk of calling in a buddy if only for a couple of seconds of help…and being crushed by a tower. I’ve paid the 600 to regenerate and try again with different strategies for those nodes. I’m at 245 and the logic of the rank system still baffles me. I mentioned the illogic to very easy-very hard level setting regarding the nodes in another thread. In these cobalt plateaus, I’ll get a level 10 TF at an easy or even very easy, and experience insta-death. Then the same node, but at a medium level with another transformer who sails through…so, I just gave up trying to predict what may happen :) different TF with different abilities…but to me, insta-death with a level 10 TF on very easy node doesn’t make sense.

[Nothing]

@20qmindreader How I try to get the most out of the choose-your-buddy system…

ALWAYS find a Transformer who’s fighting time is 10 seconds or more, and make sure their level is 6 or above. If you’re playing as a light and fast character like Bumblebee and Jazz, choose a medium or heavy damage dealing bot. Ex. Soundblaster, Bludgeon, Heatwave.

For a slow loading or reload Transformer who deals moderate or AWESOME wreckage, vice versa.

See where I’m going at? A 5 second level 10 bot who deals insane damage can’t do much if they’re in and out(but “boosting your buddy” works out too) and a level 2 Transformer for 15 seconds is practically useless once you’re at higher ranks. Choosing the right buddy is ESSENTIAL and is nearly vital for success in clearing a node.

This entire reply is probably off-topic to yours but I don’t think I care. :D

[oldschool]

Well, I do agree that 5 s mates are less useful than the others – it is undeniable, after all – but there is still one advantage. When the birds are deployed, they release some sort of invisible bomb. This can be of use if there are lots of glass or TNT blocks on-screen. But the animation often prevents you from transforming into vehicles, so it should not be used near falling poles.

[20Qmindreader]

@autobird thx, every tip that I can use to revise a strategy is appreciated!

[Nothing]

@oldschool Don’t ALL Transformers do that? And I agree with you about the falling MONOLITHS(that is what they are called) part.

@20qmindreader You’re very welcome!

[oldschool]

Oh, yeah. Birds or pigs, they all do it.

[ChrisKelworth]

I’ve been noticing the helicopter-pigs pack more of a punch since the last update, both in firing at you, and smashing into you kamikaze-style if you don’t shoot them down in time. They’re particularly tough to clear out when playing a transformer whose Energon power is the airstrike, as helicopter pigs are in the foreground and the airstrike only seems to damage pigs and structures in the mid-ground.

To help with them, I tend to choose a buddy who can fire on them effectively, which means avoiding Heatwave, Sentinel Prime, the two black hole Megatrons, and often the soundwave variants.

[20Qmindreader]

@chriskelworth thx I’ll know which TFs to avoid as buddies for those tougher nodes.

[Nothing]

@chriskelworth Well said :) and thanks for elaborating on my point, whether it was intentional or not :D