imfanboy
Mar 26, 2008, 08:27 PM
Fanboy's Guide To Soloing
INTRODUCTION
"Sometimes, you just gotta fly solo, you know?"
-Vibrator saleswoman
Ah, soloing. The great thing about PSU is that missions CAN be handled by yourself, if you have no friends online or don't trust a random group to give the rare you have claimed dibs on.
But it's a pain in the ASS, especially if you want a rare where your main Type just... isn't suited. Fortefighter in Grove S2? Uh, no.
Fortunately, Uncle Fanboy is here to give you a good guide on how to solo effectively.
Like all my guides, this isn't necessarily meant to be the DEFINITIVE guide to begin with; it's meant to spark discussion and evolve. After all, I am but one player; I can hardly spend the time to play EVERY SINGLE level and master every Type! I'll need input from everyone to turn this into a truly ultimate guide.
Also, there's one more thing: Any Type can solo any level. The game is easy enough that you could take a Fortefighter into Grove S2 or whatever. This is about soloing effectively, and a Fortegunner with KS and a high-level Crossbow skill will tear up Grove S2 four times faster than a FF with any level of gear, to continue my example.
By the way, I'm already taking the Chikki nerf into account as I write this; Chikki will still be useful for large swarms of Ageetas and the like, but anything larger will probably overwhelm a guy who insists on still using it!
My other guides are:
Fanboy's Guide to Beginners (http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?topic=154629&forum=22&2)
Fanboy's (im)Perfect Guide to Fortetecher (http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?topic=139839&forum=22&6)
Fanboy's Guide to Gunteching (http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?topic=132022&forum=22&3)
Fanboy's Guide to Warteching (http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?topic=171170&forum=22&4)
OVERVIEW
Even though each Type has certain missions they are more proficient in than others, there are general pointers that apply to all soloing.
Bring Scapes
Unless you're really, really poor and/or the mission is one that will kill you over and over (like a Fortefighter in Linear Line), Scape Dolls are a necessity for fast, efficient runs.
Bring NPCs
No matter what, you should always bring NPCs with you; the added damage may not be much most of the time, but enemies can shift their focus onto them, leaving you alone to kill them more easily. Which NPCs you should bring will vary by character Type; I'll describe that later, however.
Decide the Goal
Are you looking for a Hirokteri? Earn the most experience? Trying to earn a Psycho Wand? Leveling an alternate Type? Cutting straight through to the boss for his box drops? Leveling a Photon Art? Knowing what your goal is will help you speed up your runs and, of course, pick the right area to begin with.
Know the Enemies
Of course, this should go without saying, but you should know the enemies before you rush willy-nilly into a soloing area. Know their elements so you can easily prepare your weapons, and know their special attacks so you can bring a proper /Resist unit. It doesn't do much good to have a Stun/Resist in White Beast, but a Sleep/Resist can mean the difference between going through 6 Scapes a run and not using a single one. Later on, I detail the locations of all the /Resist units; since all are available on C-rank they are hardly difficult to obtain - and beginners can make some cash harvesting the harder-to-get ones.
Race
Oddly enough, for Hunter and Ranger Types, it's Newman that is the strongest solo Type. While the damage and HP may be lower than with, say, a Beast or CAST, the superb MST of the Newman really renders a Newman much more survivable. For Forces, the most survivable solo race is probably Human or Beast; but then again, Newman TP is so far above even a Human's that it's worth the extra teching damage against the chance of dying more frequently.
Females are also slightly stronger than males, with a higher STA that can be boosted with a Delette Line and a /Stamina unit, enabling a well-equipped female char to waltz through low-level Megid and other Technics without fear of being affected.
Can anyone else think of more generalities?
THE TYPES
As mentioned before, each Type has certain areas that, for one reason or another, it's especially skilled at soloing. Certain types, however, are very close to each other in style, so I'll look at certain groups of types, how each solos, and what areas it's especially good at soloing.
Oh yeah, one thing: if you're leveling up a PA, feel free to ignore my PA suggestions. *shrug* That applies to any Type; the best place I can think of to level up Virus Shot is in Grove S2 - but leveling up PAs will get its own section, too.
HUNTER TYPES
The Hunter Types are strongest in areas without melee-resistant enemies such as the flying types, and where enemies cluster together in tight groups that can be easily butchered by melee PAs.
Chikki Kyoren-jin should be reserved for small mobs. In the coming update, the damage will be reduced by half, so Chikki'll still be good to use as medium enemies rush you; but once they close in it would be more effective to switch to Dus Majarra.
Dus Majarra, by the way, is the Wonder PA of the soloist Hunter - it's fast, does great damage, dodges attacks, has an amazing area of effect, and comes on the weapon with the third-highest ATP in the game. Also, it only costs 30 PA Frags, making it one of the quickest Frag PAs to obtain.
For spellcasting mobs that stand in the distance such as Ohgohmon, it's vital to close with them quickly and get them off their feet - Rising Strike, Tornado Break, Spiral Dance, and similar PAs that proceed to a knockdown/knockback fast. Earth & Fire Vandas especially are dangerous both close-in and far away, with Diga/Foie to hurt you far away and Damfoie close in. Deljabans are the worst of both worlds; able to kill instantly or knock you down - or both at the same time.
For large mobs, it's a bit tricky; divide them up unto 1, 2, or 3+ hitbox categories. For one hitbox monsters, Dus Majarra is still your friend, but Spinning Strike can give it a run for its money if you have a great Saber. For 2-hitbox, Majarra is the best choice. If they have multiple hit areas Majarra is still one of your best bets, but a HIGH level Anga Jabroga can really put a crimp in multiple-box (3+) big monsters, provided they can't knock you down. A worthy mention is, strangely enough, Hishou Jinren-zan; if the large mob can be knocked down, like Polavohra, every hit of Hishou keeps them pinned and does a fair amount of damage.
Svaltus pose a special challenge; because they are melee-resistant, can knock you down easily before you finish Majarra, and WILL mess you up if you're foolish enough to try Jabroga, they're one of the enemies most Hunters have a problem with. Still, keep pounding away with Majarra.
As far as NPCs go, either Maya Shidow or a 45x PM should be invited - with the new EX Devices, it's far easier to raise up a Striking or Ranged PM THEN make it a 45x instead of having to feed up a Technic PM. Other than that, make your choice as to which power NPC you want to invite - Tonnio, Leo, or Tyler; or if you invited Maya you can bring along your PM too. I find the 43x and 44x series can really help a Hunter out with SEs.
Now, for a look at specific Types.
Acrofighter/Figunner
Quick weapons with fast PAs, decent gun usage, access to slicers, and able to use DoT traps: these are the characteristics of the AF/FG group. AF/FGs can solo many areas with ease; the only exceptions are missions which are bot-heavy, since neither Type has access to an Incapacitate SE or Technics.
When soloing in areas with large monsters, at least one DoT Trap (Burn, Virus, Poison) should be on the palatte at all times. Figunners can conserve their traps for groups of monsters by using Yak Banga and its SE3 Burn on single monsters, it must be noted.
Bosses are no particular challenge for AT/FG either; because of their twin handguns and decent array of weapon they can keep the damage going.
Fortefighter
On the one hand, Fortefighters can tear through many monsters without breaking a sweat; on the other hand, when they hit something they can't handle, they REALLY can't handle it. Of all the soloing Types, FF has the least flexibility built into it. As one of my friends said a long time ago, "Fortefighters can kill things fast, sure; but the only things they can kill fast are the mobs that NO ONE has trouble killing."
Fortefighters are best solo in missions that have no melee-resistant enemies, or if they are melee-resistant have multiple hitboxes such as Polavohras. It's when they try missions with single hitbox, melee-resistant large enemies such as Jarbas or Tengouhgs or robots of any stripe that Fortefighters start to show the weakness of their Type: nothing but melee weapons. Against the Dragon-type bosses, who spend most of their time on the ground, Fortefighters have little trouble (though the Alterazagoug can give them fits, because it is melee-resistant and switches elements at the worst moments); however, against bosses who spend most of their time in the air, such as the Onma/Dimma or the Magas Maggahna once its bottom breaks off, FFs do have serious problems.
Right now, thanks to the strength of Chikki Kyoren-jin, Fortefighter is the strongest solo Type; even after it gets nerfed they'll still tear through many levels without too many problems. Just avoid the ones that have flying monsters and Jarbas and you should be just fine.
Protranser
Through Protranser could belong in either Hunter or Ranger Types, the fact that melee is predominately powerful and that PT gets some of the strongest melee weapons places it firmly in the Hunter category. Don't neglect your Bullets, though. The only EX Trap I would endorse would be Burn; it's the only one that does a large amount of damage (enough to make up for the time that you don't have a weapon in your fist). Protranser is much the same as Wartecher; you won't have any trouble soloing most missions, but you may do it more slowly than some of the other Types.
The only exception is that Protranser lacks any access to Incapacitate, rendering them.... well, pretty useless against bots aside from whipping out a Virus shotgun and DoTing them to death. It works, but it ain't fast.
RANGER
Soloing as a Ranger is a completely different experience from soloing as a Hunter. While it may be slightly more expensive on the meseta to refill guns versus refilling melee and may take a bit longer, there area lot fewer bullet-resistant enemies, getting top-notch gear isn't as hard as it is for Force or Hunter, and there are certain areas that a Ranger can tear through which gives the other Types fits.
If one is going to solo as a Ranger, then traps are REQUIRED. Dropping a Confuse or Freeze G trap can get you out of a tight spot, and a Burn or Virus G can speed up a fight against a tight cluster of Tengouhgs or Svaltus. Save them for the tight spots, though; that way you won't run out of them too fast.
For soloing, it's best to focus on mobile bullets, such as Twin Handguns, Mechguns, Crossbows, or Cards, rather than immobile bullets such as Rifles or Grenades. While you can get away with using Shotguns or Grenades when there's even one other player for the mobs to focus on, if you use immobile bullets you can take a lot of damage before the animation is over. The main exception is Lasers, for using on small mobs like Sageetas and Polties.
As soon as you can, if you're serious about soloing, grab Killer Shot. There are a half-dozen areas that are turned from nightmares to cakewalks if you have KS, and some of them have excellent Ranger-only drops.... Rikauteri/Hirokteri, Needle Cannon, Cubo Mamba, Muzzlefever, Rattlesnake, the list goes on and on.... The secret to Killer Shot is to have masses of inexpensive rifles with huge PP pools, like Saiyuhohs or at the most Falgohohs. Otherwise you spend WAY more money on refills than is practical.
Yak Zagenga is the ultimate solo bullet for the courageous gunner; if you have the guts to wade into enemy mobs while at 1/4th or less HP, you can tear through them faster than with any elemental bullet.
Fortegunner
The key to Fortegunner fast soloing is simple, yet neglected by so many FGs... Spears. Oh, Sabers too, but Spears make a huge difference, especially on bosses such as Adahna Degahna and Svaltus - drop a Virus trap and Dus Majarra all over the Svaltus and he'll be dead before you can blink. Get behind Adahna Degahna and Dus Daggas while he spins around. Burn crossbow on a Polavohra and Rising Strike til the cows come home.
Fortegunners have level 20 Skills. Use them.
FGs should drag along a healer NPC/PM, and then one of the Beast trio, preferably Tonnio. He won't live long enough to nanoblast most of the time, so you want the one that deals the most damage; that's Tonnio for sure.
Guntecher (this is for the PA Update)
Just as FG has a decent bit of melee skill, so the Guntecher has a decent bit of teching skill. While this is of little use against most enemies (few mobs are bullet-resistant but weak to techs), it comes into its own against some of the largest enemies, such as Bil De Vears and Pols. Also, Mother Brain's arms are ridiculously weak to Diga but sneer at bullets. Also, Gi-technics are FAR Superior for dealing with mobs of small enemies compared to Laser Cannons or any other means at a GT's disposal.
While GTs may deal less damage with Zagenga than a FG, it's arguably safer to use with a GT, because you're just a wand-use away from a quick resta, and using a low-level wand and a /Quick unit means you won't heal enough to reduce your Zagenga damage output.
GTs should bring along two of the Beast trio, or a 4x2 PM - the Sturm Attacker can be handy. However, the beasts are generally more useful, so bring them and keep them healed. Tonnio and Leo are probably better than Tyler, because the power nanoblast deals more damage and GT damage output is never too high.
FORCES
Forces are, generally speaking, the most difficult Type to solo with. On the one hand, there are very few enemies who are resistant to Technics and they have the rapid-fire Gi-technics for dealing with small mobs; on the other hand they have lower HP and deal lower overall DPS than a Hunter without the evasiveness and easy trap usage of the Ranger. Another difficulty is that getting the top-notch equipment for Force is a nightmare compared to Hunter and Ranger; while they can live without fancy gear like Cati/Power or 50% weapons, in order for an FT to be great at soloing you have to have the best stuff.
Dedicated soloers should level up all the Gi-technics, Foie/Diga, and several Ra-spells depending on where you plan to solo. Damfoie is not as fast at applying SE as a high-level Gifoie cast off a Tech-Mag IMHO, especially once you get a /Quick unit.
While it's nice for parties, a /Quick unit is damned near essential for a solo Techer. Faster damage wins every time. I checked against an Orpa/Force, a Har/Quick, and a Me/Quick, and despite the slightly lower damage of the Har/Quick per cast, the sheer number of casts were overwhelming in strength. The first place you should solo should be Dancing Birds C for a Me/Quick, and return there on A or S-rank for a Har/Quick. (I got a Har/Quick in a single evening of soloing there, along with a Halarod!)
Earning Megid and Nosdiga should be top priority for soloing. Incapacitate is your friend against bots, and Nosdiga's Stun SE with its high damage make it a pure winner. While Giresta may be nice for parties, the quicker speed of regular ol'fashioned Resta should be your first choice.
NPCs invited should invariably be Tonnio and Leo, and keep them healed! The more they nanoblast, the faster your runs go! If you're in an area with large, burnable mobs (like Jarbas), it might be better to replace Leo with a 412 or 422 with their Sturm Buster, but are not usually as helpful as the Beastly Beaters.
Fortetecher
I have nothing to offer here, as I have not played Fortetecher in a long time, and I don't personally enjoy playing Fortetecher now that I can support-whore with Acrotecher. If someone else wants to offer more specific advice, it would be welcome.
Acrotecher
Acrotechers should rely on sheer speed of Technic to deal damage, companioned with whips to get enemies off your back. First priority should go to obtaining a Vish Adac, with its incredibly useful Stun SE - of any element, though Ice and Lightning (for Drua Gohras) would probably be the most helpful ones, since Druas resist bullets and Technics, but have so many hit boxes that a whip can tear one apart quickly even in the hands of an AT.
Don't forget that you have access to Cards and Twin Handguns, either; dealing with high-flying enemies or Jarbas can be accelerated fourfold with their help. Another melee Skill you should get is Rising Strike, along with decent % Sabers; knocking a threat-enemy far far away is highly useful and a Saber's high ATP helps make up for the lower AT ATP. Spinning Strike isn't a terrible option, but I prefer the speed of Rising Strike overall. ATs get Twin Daggers just to look cool; they aren't as powerful as your Technics for the most part. Megistar can be nice for speed (and to keep a slot on your palatte open!) but your NPCs will benefit from your high-level buffs so you might as well share the wealth.
Wartecher
Wartecher is an odd-man-out, and rightfully the last entry in this list. You won't have any trouble soloing any mission in the game as a Wartecher; however, each one will take longer than if you picked the optimum Type. With access to Incapacitate through Megid, Cards and Bows for melee-resistant enemies, Dus Majarra for regular melee, high-level DoTs through Foie and the Yamata-Misaki, and Resta/Reverser/Megistar, WT is the most self-sufficient Type in the game.
The tradeoff, however, is power. As a newman AT it takes me 22 minutes to solo Sleeping Warriors S2; as a human WT it's 30. As a beast FF it takes me 20 minutes to blaze through White Beast; as a WT it takes 31. As a Fortegunner it's between 14-16 minutes for Grove S2; as WT it's between 20-24 minutes. This is all with pretty-near optimal equipment, too (that WB time with FF will take longer once Chikki stops being broken) but as you can see, the WT is competent in many different areas without being uber.
SOLOING TO RAISE PHOTON ARTS
Soloing to raise your Photon Arts is a time-honored tradition that will (thank the Maker) not be nearly as lengthy when the rebalance occurs. However, it'll still be necessary, so I'll cover basic pointers here. Use the cheapest, lowest Attack Power weapons possible - usually, this will be Yohmei brand stuff, but some Kubara gear is useful only for PA leveling.
SKILLS
Melee skills are usually the easiest to level through regular play. However, they also gain the most from higher levels - usually additional combos, which include knockbacks and higher damage and nifty looking stuff. The easiest way to do it is find an area with lots of small size enemies and/or enemies with many hit areas; I personally like Lightning Beasts but it might not be for everyone. Use a Solid/Hit S (not a Cati/hit!) because it lowers your ATP and the more hits you have to deal, the more your Skill levels up! The fact that most Skills have low ATA modifiers is also a bonus to using a Solid/Hit S, and SHS's are dirt cheap in most player shops.
When you're serious about leveling a Skill, especially one that doesn't level up fast, the thing I have found most useful is simple: use weapons that are the same element as the mobs you're leveling the PA on. I leveled Anga Dugrega from 16 to 21 in an afternoon's work, thanks to a light Aksuc and the helpful Kog Nadds in Valley of Carnage. Just bring the Photon Charges or maybe multiple copies of the weapon. I've got a fire Aksuc now for leveling Jabroga on De Ragan... Heh, heh, heh....
BULLETS
Provided you have an autofire controller (or the coordination to tap the Fire button with one hand while you read a book/watch a movie/do whatever else with your other hand), Bullets are the EASIEST to level. Just go to Plains Overlord, find a King Vahra and his buddies in B3, hide in the safe area near the B3 entrance, and just rubber band a lego over the fire button and walk away.
You want to lower your ATP as much as possible still, so the Solid/Hit S is still your buddy. Find the lowest-level weapons (probably Yohmei, with the exception of a Cubo Upindec for Crossbows). If the weapon is powerful enough to kill a Vahra before the King has a chance to heal, then you may want to empty out the weapon beforehand and let it fire only when it's refilled enough PP. If you don't want to go AFK, pack six copies of the weapon, empty them all, then walk to the PP Cube, fill up, and rinse repeat!
TECHNICS
Technics are trickier in that they level up the fastest through just hitting a lot of enemies. Where each levels fastest is purely situational. Megid/Barta/Zonde works best in Linear Line thanks to easy corners that you can channel enemies into; Ra-technics work best where Vanda Merhas are always backing away from you, Gi-technics are best leveled in areas with swarms of small enemies that surround you but can't kill you like Sageetas, and Diga/Foie... just need effort. Buy a ton of Pits; Tech-Mags are ideal for leveling Technics thanks to low power and high PP, and try to get a Har/Quick too. Switching your Type to Guntecher or Wartecher (provided those are open to you) is perfect to get the attack Technics to 30, especially if your WT/GT Type levels are low.
If you're REALLY obsessed about getting the attack Technics up as fast as possible, then switch your Technics to a CAST alt, switch him/her to Acrotecher, and THEN buy Pits and use a Har/Quick. You won't deal much damage, but man, those Technic levels will FLY....
For leveling buffs, try starting a buff party. Generally, you want to create one in a mission that has a PP Cube and lots of people are nearby. Invite 2 NPCs (doesn't matter which) and just... keep... casting... the... Technics... For Resta/Reverser, it's a bit trickier. Get two buddies to help you open the first gate in Crimson Beast, kill the enemies in there without touching the poison pots, and keep casting - your buddies don't have to stick around, as long as you've got NPCs. Or, if you don't have any friends, there are poison pots in Lightning Beasts, but they don't fire as fast as the room in Crimson Beast. Giresta, however, levels the same as buffs - you just recast it and it gains more and more exp...
Any other thoughts on anything?
INTRODUCTION
"Sometimes, you just gotta fly solo, you know?"
-Vibrator saleswoman
Ah, soloing. The great thing about PSU is that missions CAN be handled by yourself, if you have no friends online or don't trust a random group to give the rare you have claimed dibs on.
But it's a pain in the ASS, especially if you want a rare where your main Type just... isn't suited. Fortefighter in Grove S2? Uh, no.
Fortunately, Uncle Fanboy is here to give you a good guide on how to solo effectively.
Like all my guides, this isn't necessarily meant to be the DEFINITIVE guide to begin with; it's meant to spark discussion and evolve. After all, I am but one player; I can hardly spend the time to play EVERY SINGLE level and master every Type! I'll need input from everyone to turn this into a truly ultimate guide.
Also, there's one more thing: Any Type can solo any level. The game is easy enough that you could take a Fortefighter into Grove S2 or whatever. This is about soloing effectively, and a Fortegunner with KS and a high-level Crossbow skill will tear up Grove S2 four times faster than a FF with any level of gear, to continue my example.
By the way, I'm already taking the Chikki nerf into account as I write this; Chikki will still be useful for large swarms of Ageetas and the like, but anything larger will probably overwhelm a guy who insists on still using it!
My other guides are:
Fanboy's Guide to Beginners (http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?topic=154629&forum=22&2)
Fanboy's (im)Perfect Guide to Fortetecher (http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?topic=139839&forum=22&6)
Fanboy's Guide to Gunteching (http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?topic=132022&forum=22&3)
Fanboy's Guide to Warteching (http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?topic=171170&forum=22&4)
OVERVIEW
Even though each Type has certain missions they are more proficient in than others, there are general pointers that apply to all soloing.
Bring Scapes
Unless you're really, really poor and/or the mission is one that will kill you over and over (like a Fortefighter in Linear Line), Scape Dolls are a necessity for fast, efficient runs.
Bring NPCs
No matter what, you should always bring NPCs with you; the added damage may not be much most of the time, but enemies can shift their focus onto them, leaving you alone to kill them more easily. Which NPCs you should bring will vary by character Type; I'll describe that later, however.
Decide the Goal
Are you looking for a Hirokteri? Earn the most experience? Trying to earn a Psycho Wand? Leveling an alternate Type? Cutting straight through to the boss for his box drops? Leveling a Photon Art? Knowing what your goal is will help you speed up your runs and, of course, pick the right area to begin with.
Know the Enemies
Of course, this should go without saying, but you should know the enemies before you rush willy-nilly into a soloing area. Know their elements so you can easily prepare your weapons, and know their special attacks so you can bring a proper /Resist unit. It doesn't do much good to have a Stun/Resist in White Beast, but a Sleep/Resist can mean the difference between going through 6 Scapes a run and not using a single one. Later on, I detail the locations of all the /Resist units; since all are available on C-rank they are hardly difficult to obtain - and beginners can make some cash harvesting the harder-to-get ones.
Race
Oddly enough, for Hunter and Ranger Types, it's Newman that is the strongest solo Type. While the damage and HP may be lower than with, say, a Beast or CAST, the superb MST of the Newman really renders a Newman much more survivable. For Forces, the most survivable solo race is probably Human or Beast; but then again, Newman TP is so far above even a Human's that it's worth the extra teching damage against the chance of dying more frequently.
Females are also slightly stronger than males, with a higher STA that can be boosted with a Delette Line and a /Stamina unit, enabling a well-equipped female char to waltz through low-level Megid and other Technics without fear of being affected.
Can anyone else think of more generalities?
THE TYPES
As mentioned before, each Type has certain areas that, for one reason or another, it's especially skilled at soloing. Certain types, however, are very close to each other in style, so I'll look at certain groups of types, how each solos, and what areas it's especially good at soloing.
Oh yeah, one thing: if you're leveling up a PA, feel free to ignore my PA suggestions. *shrug* That applies to any Type; the best place I can think of to level up Virus Shot is in Grove S2 - but leveling up PAs will get its own section, too.
HUNTER TYPES
The Hunter Types are strongest in areas without melee-resistant enemies such as the flying types, and where enemies cluster together in tight groups that can be easily butchered by melee PAs.
Chikki Kyoren-jin should be reserved for small mobs. In the coming update, the damage will be reduced by half, so Chikki'll still be good to use as medium enemies rush you; but once they close in it would be more effective to switch to Dus Majarra.
Dus Majarra, by the way, is the Wonder PA of the soloist Hunter - it's fast, does great damage, dodges attacks, has an amazing area of effect, and comes on the weapon with the third-highest ATP in the game. Also, it only costs 30 PA Frags, making it one of the quickest Frag PAs to obtain.
For spellcasting mobs that stand in the distance such as Ohgohmon, it's vital to close with them quickly and get them off their feet - Rising Strike, Tornado Break, Spiral Dance, and similar PAs that proceed to a knockdown/knockback fast. Earth & Fire Vandas especially are dangerous both close-in and far away, with Diga/Foie to hurt you far away and Damfoie close in. Deljabans are the worst of both worlds; able to kill instantly or knock you down - or both at the same time.
For large mobs, it's a bit tricky; divide them up unto 1, 2, or 3+ hitbox categories. For one hitbox monsters, Dus Majarra is still your friend, but Spinning Strike can give it a run for its money if you have a great Saber. For 2-hitbox, Majarra is the best choice. If they have multiple hit areas Majarra is still one of your best bets, but a HIGH level Anga Jabroga can really put a crimp in multiple-box (3+) big monsters, provided they can't knock you down. A worthy mention is, strangely enough, Hishou Jinren-zan; if the large mob can be knocked down, like Polavohra, every hit of Hishou keeps them pinned and does a fair amount of damage.
Svaltus pose a special challenge; because they are melee-resistant, can knock you down easily before you finish Majarra, and WILL mess you up if you're foolish enough to try Jabroga, they're one of the enemies most Hunters have a problem with. Still, keep pounding away with Majarra.
As far as NPCs go, either Maya Shidow or a 45x PM should be invited - with the new EX Devices, it's far easier to raise up a Striking or Ranged PM THEN make it a 45x instead of having to feed up a Technic PM. Other than that, make your choice as to which power NPC you want to invite - Tonnio, Leo, or Tyler; or if you invited Maya you can bring along your PM too. I find the 43x and 44x series can really help a Hunter out with SEs.
Now, for a look at specific Types.
Acrofighter/Figunner
Quick weapons with fast PAs, decent gun usage, access to slicers, and able to use DoT traps: these are the characteristics of the AF/FG group. AF/FGs can solo many areas with ease; the only exceptions are missions which are bot-heavy, since neither Type has access to an Incapacitate SE or Technics.
When soloing in areas with large monsters, at least one DoT Trap (Burn, Virus, Poison) should be on the palatte at all times. Figunners can conserve their traps for groups of monsters by using Yak Banga and its SE3 Burn on single monsters, it must be noted.
Bosses are no particular challenge for AT/FG either; because of their twin handguns and decent array of weapon they can keep the damage going.
Fortefighter
On the one hand, Fortefighters can tear through many monsters without breaking a sweat; on the other hand, when they hit something they can't handle, they REALLY can't handle it. Of all the soloing Types, FF has the least flexibility built into it. As one of my friends said a long time ago, "Fortefighters can kill things fast, sure; but the only things they can kill fast are the mobs that NO ONE has trouble killing."
Fortefighters are best solo in missions that have no melee-resistant enemies, or if they are melee-resistant have multiple hitboxes such as Polavohras. It's when they try missions with single hitbox, melee-resistant large enemies such as Jarbas or Tengouhgs or robots of any stripe that Fortefighters start to show the weakness of their Type: nothing but melee weapons. Against the Dragon-type bosses, who spend most of their time on the ground, Fortefighters have little trouble (though the Alterazagoug can give them fits, because it is melee-resistant and switches elements at the worst moments); however, against bosses who spend most of their time in the air, such as the Onma/Dimma or the Magas Maggahna once its bottom breaks off, FFs do have serious problems.
Right now, thanks to the strength of Chikki Kyoren-jin, Fortefighter is the strongest solo Type; even after it gets nerfed they'll still tear through many levels without too many problems. Just avoid the ones that have flying monsters and Jarbas and you should be just fine.
Protranser
Through Protranser could belong in either Hunter or Ranger Types, the fact that melee is predominately powerful and that PT gets some of the strongest melee weapons places it firmly in the Hunter category. Don't neglect your Bullets, though. The only EX Trap I would endorse would be Burn; it's the only one that does a large amount of damage (enough to make up for the time that you don't have a weapon in your fist). Protranser is much the same as Wartecher; you won't have any trouble soloing most missions, but you may do it more slowly than some of the other Types.
The only exception is that Protranser lacks any access to Incapacitate, rendering them.... well, pretty useless against bots aside from whipping out a Virus shotgun and DoTing them to death. It works, but it ain't fast.
RANGER
Soloing as a Ranger is a completely different experience from soloing as a Hunter. While it may be slightly more expensive on the meseta to refill guns versus refilling melee and may take a bit longer, there area lot fewer bullet-resistant enemies, getting top-notch gear isn't as hard as it is for Force or Hunter, and there are certain areas that a Ranger can tear through which gives the other Types fits.
If one is going to solo as a Ranger, then traps are REQUIRED. Dropping a Confuse or Freeze G trap can get you out of a tight spot, and a Burn or Virus G can speed up a fight against a tight cluster of Tengouhgs or Svaltus. Save them for the tight spots, though; that way you won't run out of them too fast.
For soloing, it's best to focus on mobile bullets, such as Twin Handguns, Mechguns, Crossbows, or Cards, rather than immobile bullets such as Rifles or Grenades. While you can get away with using Shotguns or Grenades when there's even one other player for the mobs to focus on, if you use immobile bullets you can take a lot of damage before the animation is over. The main exception is Lasers, for using on small mobs like Sageetas and Polties.
As soon as you can, if you're serious about soloing, grab Killer Shot. There are a half-dozen areas that are turned from nightmares to cakewalks if you have KS, and some of them have excellent Ranger-only drops.... Rikauteri/Hirokteri, Needle Cannon, Cubo Mamba, Muzzlefever, Rattlesnake, the list goes on and on.... The secret to Killer Shot is to have masses of inexpensive rifles with huge PP pools, like Saiyuhohs or at the most Falgohohs. Otherwise you spend WAY more money on refills than is practical.
Yak Zagenga is the ultimate solo bullet for the courageous gunner; if you have the guts to wade into enemy mobs while at 1/4th or less HP, you can tear through them faster than with any elemental bullet.
Fortegunner
The key to Fortegunner fast soloing is simple, yet neglected by so many FGs... Spears. Oh, Sabers too, but Spears make a huge difference, especially on bosses such as Adahna Degahna and Svaltus - drop a Virus trap and Dus Majarra all over the Svaltus and he'll be dead before you can blink. Get behind Adahna Degahna and Dus Daggas while he spins around. Burn crossbow on a Polavohra and Rising Strike til the cows come home.
Fortegunners have level 20 Skills. Use them.
FGs should drag along a healer NPC/PM, and then one of the Beast trio, preferably Tonnio. He won't live long enough to nanoblast most of the time, so you want the one that deals the most damage; that's Tonnio for sure.
Guntecher (this is for the PA Update)
Just as FG has a decent bit of melee skill, so the Guntecher has a decent bit of teching skill. While this is of little use against most enemies (few mobs are bullet-resistant but weak to techs), it comes into its own against some of the largest enemies, such as Bil De Vears and Pols. Also, Mother Brain's arms are ridiculously weak to Diga but sneer at bullets. Also, Gi-technics are FAR Superior for dealing with mobs of small enemies compared to Laser Cannons or any other means at a GT's disposal.
While GTs may deal less damage with Zagenga than a FG, it's arguably safer to use with a GT, because you're just a wand-use away from a quick resta, and using a low-level wand and a /Quick unit means you won't heal enough to reduce your Zagenga damage output.
GTs should bring along two of the Beast trio, or a 4x2 PM - the Sturm Attacker can be handy. However, the beasts are generally more useful, so bring them and keep them healed. Tonnio and Leo are probably better than Tyler, because the power nanoblast deals more damage and GT damage output is never too high.
FORCES
Forces are, generally speaking, the most difficult Type to solo with. On the one hand, there are very few enemies who are resistant to Technics and they have the rapid-fire Gi-technics for dealing with small mobs; on the other hand they have lower HP and deal lower overall DPS than a Hunter without the evasiveness and easy trap usage of the Ranger. Another difficulty is that getting the top-notch equipment for Force is a nightmare compared to Hunter and Ranger; while they can live without fancy gear like Cati/Power or 50% weapons, in order for an FT to be great at soloing you have to have the best stuff.
Dedicated soloers should level up all the Gi-technics, Foie/Diga, and several Ra-spells depending on where you plan to solo. Damfoie is not as fast at applying SE as a high-level Gifoie cast off a Tech-Mag IMHO, especially once you get a /Quick unit.
While it's nice for parties, a /Quick unit is damned near essential for a solo Techer. Faster damage wins every time. I checked against an Orpa/Force, a Har/Quick, and a Me/Quick, and despite the slightly lower damage of the Har/Quick per cast, the sheer number of casts were overwhelming in strength. The first place you should solo should be Dancing Birds C for a Me/Quick, and return there on A or S-rank for a Har/Quick. (I got a Har/Quick in a single evening of soloing there, along with a Halarod!)
Earning Megid and Nosdiga should be top priority for soloing. Incapacitate is your friend against bots, and Nosdiga's Stun SE with its high damage make it a pure winner. While Giresta may be nice for parties, the quicker speed of regular ol'fashioned Resta should be your first choice.
NPCs invited should invariably be Tonnio and Leo, and keep them healed! The more they nanoblast, the faster your runs go! If you're in an area with large, burnable mobs (like Jarbas), it might be better to replace Leo with a 412 or 422 with their Sturm Buster, but are not usually as helpful as the Beastly Beaters.
Fortetecher
I have nothing to offer here, as I have not played Fortetecher in a long time, and I don't personally enjoy playing Fortetecher now that I can support-whore with Acrotecher. If someone else wants to offer more specific advice, it would be welcome.
Acrotecher
Acrotechers should rely on sheer speed of Technic to deal damage, companioned with whips to get enemies off your back. First priority should go to obtaining a Vish Adac, with its incredibly useful Stun SE - of any element, though Ice and Lightning (for Drua Gohras) would probably be the most helpful ones, since Druas resist bullets and Technics, but have so many hit boxes that a whip can tear one apart quickly even in the hands of an AT.
Don't forget that you have access to Cards and Twin Handguns, either; dealing with high-flying enemies or Jarbas can be accelerated fourfold with their help. Another melee Skill you should get is Rising Strike, along with decent % Sabers; knocking a threat-enemy far far away is highly useful and a Saber's high ATP helps make up for the lower AT ATP. Spinning Strike isn't a terrible option, but I prefer the speed of Rising Strike overall. ATs get Twin Daggers just to look cool; they aren't as powerful as your Technics for the most part. Megistar can be nice for speed (and to keep a slot on your palatte open!) but your NPCs will benefit from your high-level buffs so you might as well share the wealth.
Wartecher
Wartecher is an odd-man-out, and rightfully the last entry in this list. You won't have any trouble soloing any mission in the game as a Wartecher; however, each one will take longer than if you picked the optimum Type. With access to Incapacitate through Megid, Cards and Bows for melee-resistant enemies, Dus Majarra for regular melee, high-level DoTs through Foie and the Yamata-Misaki, and Resta/Reverser/Megistar, WT is the most self-sufficient Type in the game.
The tradeoff, however, is power. As a newman AT it takes me 22 minutes to solo Sleeping Warriors S2; as a human WT it's 30. As a beast FF it takes me 20 minutes to blaze through White Beast; as a WT it takes 31. As a Fortegunner it's between 14-16 minutes for Grove S2; as WT it's between 20-24 minutes. This is all with pretty-near optimal equipment, too (that WB time with FF will take longer once Chikki stops being broken) but as you can see, the WT is competent in many different areas without being uber.
SOLOING TO RAISE PHOTON ARTS
Soloing to raise your Photon Arts is a time-honored tradition that will (thank the Maker) not be nearly as lengthy when the rebalance occurs. However, it'll still be necessary, so I'll cover basic pointers here. Use the cheapest, lowest Attack Power weapons possible - usually, this will be Yohmei brand stuff, but some Kubara gear is useful only for PA leveling.
SKILLS
Melee skills are usually the easiest to level through regular play. However, they also gain the most from higher levels - usually additional combos, which include knockbacks and higher damage and nifty looking stuff. The easiest way to do it is find an area with lots of small size enemies and/or enemies with many hit areas; I personally like Lightning Beasts but it might not be for everyone. Use a Solid/Hit S (not a Cati/hit!) because it lowers your ATP and the more hits you have to deal, the more your Skill levels up! The fact that most Skills have low ATA modifiers is also a bonus to using a Solid/Hit S, and SHS's are dirt cheap in most player shops.
When you're serious about leveling a Skill, especially one that doesn't level up fast, the thing I have found most useful is simple: use weapons that are the same element as the mobs you're leveling the PA on. I leveled Anga Dugrega from 16 to 21 in an afternoon's work, thanks to a light Aksuc and the helpful Kog Nadds in Valley of Carnage. Just bring the Photon Charges or maybe multiple copies of the weapon. I've got a fire Aksuc now for leveling Jabroga on De Ragan... Heh, heh, heh....
BULLETS
Provided you have an autofire controller (or the coordination to tap the Fire button with one hand while you read a book/watch a movie/do whatever else with your other hand), Bullets are the EASIEST to level. Just go to Plains Overlord, find a King Vahra and his buddies in B3, hide in the safe area near the B3 entrance, and just rubber band a lego over the fire button and walk away.
You want to lower your ATP as much as possible still, so the Solid/Hit S is still your buddy. Find the lowest-level weapons (probably Yohmei, with the exception of a Cubo Upindec for Crossbows). If the weapon is powerful enough to kill a Vahra before the King has a chance to heal, then you may want to empty out the weapon beforehand and let it fire only when it's refilled enough PP. If you don't want to go AFK, pack six copies of the weapon, empty them all, then walk to the PP Cube, fill up, and rinse repeat!
TECHNICS
Technics are trickier in that they level up the fastest through just hitting a lot of enemies. Where each levels fastest is purely situational. Megid/Barta/Zonde works best in Linear Line thanks to easy corners that you can channel enemies into; Ra-technics work best where Vanda Merhas are always backing away from you, Gi-technics are best leveled in areas with swarms of small enemies that surround you but can't kill you like Sageetas, and Diga/Foie... just need effort. Buy a ton of Pits; Tech-Mags are ideal for leveling Technics thanks to low power and high PP, and try to get a Har/Quick too. Switching your Type to Guntecher or Wartecher (provided those are open to you) is perfect to get the attack Technics to 30, especially if your WT/GT Type levels are low.
If you're REALLY obsessed about getting the attack Technics up as fast as possible, then switch your Technics to a CAST alt, switch him/her to Acrotecher, and THEN buy Pits and use a Har/Quick. You won't deal much damage, but man, those Technic levels will FLY....
For leveling buffs, try starting a buff party. Generally, you want to create one in a mission that has a PP Cube and lots of people are nearby. Invite 2 NPCs (doesn't matter which) and just... keep... casting... the... Technics... For Resta/Reverser, it's a bit trickier. Get two buddies to help you open the first gate in Crimson Beast, kill the enemies in there without touching the poison pots, and keep casting - your buddies don't have to stick around, as long as you've got NPCs. Or, if you don't have any friends, there are poison pots in Lightning Beasts, but they don't fire as fast as the room in Crimson Beast. Giresta, however, levels the same as buffs - you just recast it and it gains more and more exp...
Any other thoughts on anything?