In-depth Guide on how to survive in MXM Natium Defense Line

Sep 20, 2017

Natium Defense Line is a new PvE mode in MXM that was added with the update on September 13th. It is a Horde Mode type of defense game in which 5 players will be put in a team to defend their Natium from swarming enemies.

Natium Defense Line is a PvE ranked mode in MXM, through which players can receive rewards and rankings based on the scores they earn every season. You need to own more than 10 Masters and your level needs to be over 35 in order to play Natium Defense Line.

This gamemode can only be played in Nightmare difficulty, which may be a strenuous mode for some players. Players will receive rankings based on the number of waves they’ve cleared out of 30 in total. In order to succeed, players need to use the right combination of Masters, strategies, skills, and resource management.

▲ The game ends once either the Natium is destroyed or the players survive the 30 waves.

▲ It may be difficult to survive even 10 waves when teamed up with random strangers.

▣ Picking Masters: Consider AoE & CC skills

Since the goal of Natium Defense Line is to defend the Natium from swarming enemies, Masters with AoE skills are preferred in this mode. Having CC skills to root enemies and mini-bosses would be even better.

For example, Kromede, a Marksman, can root enemies with her ‘Aetherpike Shards’ and use ‘Blot Out the Sun’ in that area to clear one wave with ease. Poharan is also effective in this mode since she has ‘Suppressing Fire’, which will slow targets in a cone shape, and ‘Blitz Grenade’ which has high DPS, a short cooldown, and inflicts continuous AoE damage.

▶ List of Recommended Masters for Natium Defense

Juggernaut : Ignuma (AoE), Nedien (AoE / Slow / Reduce defense), Koom (Creates barricades)

Skirmisher : Rytlock (CC / Ult AoE)

Assassin : Dr. Raoul (Ripper Beam AoE / Slow from Tesla Mine)

Assault : Lua (AoE), Vonak (Good for killing bosses)

Marksman : Kromede, Poharan, V-Merang (AoE)

Support : Lorraine (AoE / CC)

Summoner : Arami(AoE with CC), Moro (AoE with CC / Turrets )

Natium Defense Line is a ranked PvE mode, so you need a minimum of 10 Masters to be able to play this mode. Since duplicate Masters cannot be picked in Natium Defense mode, you will also need to consider that your Masters may be picked by other players.

In fact, there is often high competition between players during the pick phase when it comes to popular Natium Defense Masters. Thus players should either communicate with their teammates or have backup picks.

▲ Kromede’s Aetherpike Shards-Blot Out the Sun skill combo is very effective.

▲ Poharan’s Suppressing Fire is also a great CC skill.

▣ Choosing Auxiliary Skills: Which skills are efficient?

Just like the Auxiliary Skills in Titan Ruins, Natium Defense has its own special Auxiliary Skills that can only be used in this mode. They are skills helpful in defense or eliminating enemy waves, which will allow you to score higher points if used efficiently.

Here is the list of Auxiliary Skills that can be chosen in Natium Defense.

▶ Auxiliary Skills for Natium Defense Line

Summon: Crystal Turret : Summons a small turret that fires at enemies and draws threat. (55Sec Cooldown, 12m Cast Distance)

Force Aura : Creates an aura that knocks back enemies frequently. This aura disappears after 10 seconds. (45Sec CD)

Vacuum Aura : Causes a vortex vacuum, dragging in enemies within a 15m radius for 5 seconds.

Attack Damage Aura : Increases weapon damage of all allies within 5m by 50% and reduces overheating. Lasts 10 seconds. (45Sec CD)

Skill Power Aura : Resets cooldowns, increases skill power by 50%, and reduces cooldowns by 50% for nearby allies for 10 seconds. (45Sec CD)

Resource Generation Aura : Restores resources of all within 5m at a faster rate. (45Sec CD)

Auxiliary Skills are extremely helpful when used at the right moment. Thus, taking copies of same skills will be inefficient; instead, take various skills to use in different situations. It is best to discuss with your teammates about what kinds of skills and how many should be chosen before the game starts.

When choosing Attack Damage, Skill Power Aura, and Resource Generation Aura, always consider if your team damage is mostly based on Weapon Attack or Skill Power. With Resource Generation, it is not a skill that is picked often unless your team consists of Masters which tend to lack resources.

▲ Buffs are extremely helpful when killing the Titan-like bosses.

▣ Clearing the waves: Diving sections and good use of Auxiliary Skills

In Natium Defense Line, various types of enemies appear in waves, and as the Nightmare difficulty implies, it becomes harder to survive as the waves continue. It is important to reduce the damage inflicted on ally structures in order to survive as long as possible.

Fortunately, the direction and the types of enemies that appear in Natium Defense Line are always the same, which will allow you to predict where they will be coming. Even if you are not used to playing Natium Defense Line yet, the names of enemies that will soon appear in the waves will come up on the bottom-right of the screen during the defense, so preparing beforehand by looking at the list will be most effective.

Also, the mini map will show which section of the map will the next wave start from. Several waves may begin sequentially, so be sure to distribute your forces accordingly; if your team is spread out evenly, some may not face any enemies while others are overwhelmed. It is important to divide sections between team members and tackle the waves in a flexible manner rather than having everyone move in a flock.

▲ There is an indicator on the bottom-right that shows what the next wave is.

▲ Tell your allies which section of the map you’ll be defending by using pings.

There are certain moments where you will need to use your Auxiliary Skills, and how well you used them will greatly influence the result for that round. For example, if there is a mini boss that can be pushed away with Force Aura, you can use it to push it to its death after destroying the walls located around the map.

It is important to kill the large bosses quickly; they have a lot of HP, are immune to CC, and inflict massive damage to structures. Use Weapon Attack Aura or Skill Power Aura to boost your team and inflict greater damage. Likewise, using Auxiliary Skills at the right time will help you survive the game.

▣ Protecting the base with crystals: When to use them

There are enemies that drop crystals, which can be used during defense, in the monster waves. Crystals can use consumed to rebuild a structure, or summon a Guardian that will fight alongside your team. Thus it is important to kill monsters that drop crystals first and collect crystals.

Using crystals wisely is essential as well; you can eliminate all enemies on the map by consuming 3 crystals, but only use it as a last resort since it consumes a lot of crystals.

Also, you should discuss how to use the crystals with your allies since everyone on the team gets to use them. Careless use of crystals may lead to situations where you really need them but cannot use, as well as salty teammates.