The next rotation of Ascension Island begins tomorrow. To help you get ready, we interviewed the winners of the last rotation, players from the Brutas server, Ex-CORE and Rangger.
Is this your first ascension? If not, what's your track record?
Rangger: Oof! It's been three years since my first ascension where I got stuck on Ougaa in normal mode. Made a lot of progress since then! I've ranked in the top three for Interserver nine times, and six of those were first place. Which wasn't easy at all! I had to really struggle for it! Since teaming up with Ex-Core, everything's gotten a lot better, and we've beaten every record!
Ex-Core: Far from it! I haven't kept count, but I think I've scaled Ascension Island around 13 or 14 times out of the 23 rotations there've been! I still remember my first ascension with my Chance-specced Cra alongside two of my friends. We made it to floor 40! I still remember back when Nyom would put the rankings on an Excel sheet every week.
What did you think of this rotation of Ascension Island?
Rangger: It was one of the best rotations I've had the chance to participate in. I don't think I've ever seen so many good teams fighting for the top slot. I learned a lot during this rotation – it was a really interesting one. The length was perfect, which made it a real joy to complete. And the top prize was consistent with the effort put into it.
Ex-Core: It was amazing! Whether it was the length, the challenges, or the difficulty of bosses in this rotation, it was all top-notch. And how there was the greatest battle since the Ascension started, three teams at over 38,000 points! It's wild! With so many teams fighting hard, having won is a huge reward in itself, not to mention the top goultine prize!
What was the hardest part of this Ascension Island rotation for you?
Rangger: I think room 2 of Obsidemon and room 2 of the Crakillian Guardian were the hardest ones for my teammate and myself. The combination of the challenges, the map, and the mobs' characteristics, plus the fact that these are rooms 75 and up, made this room really hard – so we had to be careful. And as in every rotation, the hardest part for us is coordinating our schedules, Ex-Core and me.
Ex-Core: I think my teammate Rangger and I agree on this. Room 77 (room 2 of Crujikylian) and room 83 (room 2 of Obsidemon), those two were a real nightmare to mechanize. The Scanty challenge for the Soft Oak and the Chafer were also pretty difficult, as was the Elitist challenge for Missiz Freezz, but I think the hardest part was battling the best interserver teams of the Ascension. That aspect really motivated us!
What advice would you give to players who want to go for an ascension?
Rangger: My most important piece of advice is to be really patient, to not get discouraged if you fail – that's normal. Redo the rooms again and again until you succeed. Very few things are truly impossible! Learning and studying the mobs' AI is crucial in nightmare mode, and most of all, climb up and try whatever you can during the time the island is open.
Ex-Core: Patience, dying over and over, that's the key to success on Ascension Island. Run through all possible rotations to test out and get to know the dungeon bosses at every level, that's the way to learn. Ascension is a multi-day race, and the key is to take baby steps! I encourage you all to participate in the island as much as possible – you'll learn a lot about the game and you'll get great rewards!
Final thoughts?
Rangger: How many times do we have to get first place worldwide for [Yawn] to build us a statue at the entrance to Ascension Island? That's a genuine question! I also want to thank all the people who helped me learn about the game, my teammate and our guild, -Community-!
Ex-Core: I want to thank my teammate Rangger for all the time we spent together – it was amazing. I'll thank our Ascension Discord group, where we have many French friends from Herdegrize and Terra Cogita. I'll thank my favorite koalaks [Kazil], [Wyze], and [Yawn] for putting up with me talking about Ascension day after day! And of course, a big hello to members of my guild, -Community-.