Terrible at Docks. Why?

So I made it to docks in the last signature with about 10 min left, and my xp/min was terrible. I was level 24.7 or so when I got there and 25.92 when the race ended. Do I just need to practice grinding docks, or was it so terrible because I got there a bit underleveled and took an XP penalty? Sarn would have been way faster for me.

Also, what are the desired times for splits? I've seen ~57min-1hour mentioned for vaal kill, what about hitting docks? Ledge? Brutus? Merv? Answers greatly appreciated.

Optimal Brutus Time: 10 min level 8,5 (I had 11 once)
Regular Top Brutus time 13-15min


Optimal Merv Time: 20 min level 12
Regular Top Merv Time: 23-25min


Optimal Vaaltime: 50min
Regular Top Vaal Time: 55-57min



Sarn and Docks in this sig are totally luck based.

But in your case you were heavily underleveled.

You will Vaal at end of 20 or 21 if you got lucky higher.

Then you do Sarn runs till 25,x best would be 25,6 but early 25 works too if you got luck.

Skip everything in Slums.

Level up to 26,x in Warehouses. Note that you should always keep LR rings.
Warehouses is the only area offering a good density. The others are Sewers but you don't kill piety.

Skip everything in Marketplace.


Kill mobs on the path in Battlefront.

Get WP. Go docks.

If you got 2 QS flasks restart from Battlefront.

There are 2 fixed champspots at Docks.

Docks is a level 32 zone so lvl 24 is way too soon. You need lvl 28 to level there without a penalty.. the level 27 penalty though is hardly noticeable. I think level 26 most skills level + the place is wide open + since the exp is so high it is not so bad to be -2 from non penalty range. -3 levels /-4 levels though is way too much.

27:00 forest
29:45 old fields
30:45 crossroads (then to waypoint)
31:30 river crossing
33:15 dark forest (then to waypoint) / blackwood / whatever name it is
(from dark forest waypoint to crossroads waypoint heading to sins 1)
34:45 sins 1
35:45 sins 2
37:15 sins 3
38:30 dark forest (heading to western forest)
39:45 western forest
40:15 weaver
43:45 vaal ruins 1
45:15 vaal ruins 2
47:30 wetlands (then to waypoint then I tp to western waypoint for alira kill)
50:00 broken bridge
52:30 caverns 1
54:15 caverns 2
56:15 vaal
58:30 vaal kill

Those are the average times I aim for as witch to do decently.

Thanks guys. I lose way,way too much time to the inventory. Things like forgetting to pick up (or not getting a drop) of helmet or gloves with correct sockets, and only my weapon or chest has them meaning taking off chest to run or doing weapon recipe ends up taking way too much time. I'll practice more. Appreciate the answers.

Definitely want to be 26+ going into docks. I leave Sarn after 1 run from hitting 25 and hit 26 before Marketplace, can finish off the level 26 in docks with good dps but to play it safe do Sarn til 26 then head to docks clearing along the way. If cannot clear docks safe and efficiently though Sarn will be faster.

Docks should be excellent experience at 27- with good dps you should be able to gain around 3 levels in 10 minutes, far more than youd gain by remaining in sarn in any case.

"

Hilbert wrote:

Sarn and Docks in this sig are totally luck based.

Sarns a straight line as always and docks in this sig is a race-perfect layout- small, linear and next to no backtracking needed to clear the blue packs. Sarns high density and the fact that everyone runs it multiple times mostly averages out its blue:white ratio, and you even mention docks fixed champion packs later on in your post, so wheres the luck coming from?

The main luck in this sig is from a1/a2 blue density and gear rng. And server stability / sync issues, as always.

For those who havent made it to docks this season, the layout is as follows:

C C W
| | |
-----

With C being fixed champion packs and W being the waypoint.

"

Hilbert wrote:

If you got 2 QS flasks restart from Battlefront.

Why would you do this?

"

Hilbert wrote:

Optimal Brutus Time: 10 min level 8,5 (I had 11 once)
Regular Top Brutus time 13-15min


Optimal Merv Time: 20 min level 12
Regular Top Merv Time: 23-25min


Optimal Vaaltime: 50min
Regular Top Vaal Time: 55-57min



Sarn and Docks in this sig are totally luck based.

But in your case you were heavily underleveled.

You will Vaal at end of 20 or 21 if you got lucky higher.

Then you do Sarn runs till 25,x best would be 25,6 but early 25 works too if you got luck.

Skip everything in Slums.

Level up to 26,x in Warehouses. Note that you should always keep LR rings.
Warehouses is the only area offering a good density. The others are Sewers but you don't kill piety.

Skip everything in Marketplace.


Kill mobs on the path in Battlefront.

Get WP. Go docks.

If you got 2 QS flasks restart from Battlefront.

There are 2 fixed champspots at Docks.

This post just has so much wrong in it.

"

Rithz wrote:

This post just has so much wrong in it.

^

Should mention that skipping everything in marketplace (as mentioned in hilberts ealier post) can be questionable. While its preferable not to have to do any killing there as the monster types are annoying and the density is terrible, trying to just quicksilver through everything like you might in other areas is likely to lead to taking a passing/desynced puncture, at which point youre forced to either facetank the huge train of whirlers youve built up or bail and rerun from town.

Warehouses and battlefront generally provide decent density and should be able to get you all or most of the way from 26 to 27 during the run from sarn to docks.

So what's wrong with what hilbert posted?