u/OldWolf3

For the blue quest "Relentless Strikes" 0/2 Temple Strikes completed, I clicked on the eyeball to join a 40man raid. However nobody in the group can work out what we are supposed to do.

On the zone map is an icon "Temple Strike" Cursed Depths. Gather allies to brave the Cursed Depths and eliminate the threats within".

But, what is the Cursed Depths and how do we get there? At the map location where the icon is, it's just a lake of poison with nothing particular there. The group is running around the zone killing trash which grants no progress to anything except for Purging the Vaults very slowly.

At the top of the screen it says "Complete the current strike to begin an incursion".

This is also required for "Vaults of Atal'Utek: A Toxic Tour" , the campaign quest.

Here's a guide for making a level 8 portal by yourself. This is written from Enlightened perspective; if you're Resistance please don't use this intelligence :>

You will need:

• 3 Very Rare Battle Beacons
• 3 ADA Refactors
• 8 and a bit hours of real time
• A portal
• (Optional) 1 more virus of either colour.

This is during Level 8 Week when you can place 2 level 8 resonators and 4 mods on a portal. For anyone reading this after Level 8 Week the procedure is similar but you will need 7 VRBB, 7 viruses, and 24+ hours.

Here are the steps, assuming the portal is either uncaptured or already green (explanation follows afterwards):

1. Deploy the portal (resonators and all mods)
2. Use a VRBB.
3. Use an ADA immediately, while the portal is still green.
4. Wait 3 minutes for the portal to turn back to green.
5. Add 2 more L8 resonators.
6. Wait 4 hours. During this time the portal will be blue.
7. Use a VRBB.
8. Wait 3 minutes for the portal to turn green.
9. Use an ADA while it is green.
10. Wait 3 minutes for the portal to turn back to green.
11. Add 2 more L8 resonators.
12. Wait 4 hours. During this time the portal will be green.
13. Repeat steps 2-5.

Congratulations, you now have a level 8 portal. It will be blue at the end; if you want it back to green (increased hack output) then wait 1 hour and use the Jarvis.

Alternatively, you could use the extra virus during the 4-hour wait (but remember the 1 hour virus inoculation timer).

Extra: the portal will drop all links when it flips, so you could also double dip on the process and farm some microfields while the beacon is active.

Explanation:

The VR Battle Beacon will flip the colour of the portal at the end of a 3-minute interval, and will do this 5 times; except after the 5th one (15 minutes total), the final colour will be the "winner" of the battle.

Now here is the important part. When the beacon flips to blue all resonators are owned by __ADA__, but if it flips back to green then it "remembers" the previous owners -- the resonators will come back to where they were before you applied the beacon, so you can't build a P8 just using the beacon.

Also, if the portal was blue before the battle, then the first battle flip will make all resonators owned by you. So, don't use the ADA before (or after) a battle.

However, using an ADA during a battle makes it "forget" all previous ownership, and the next battle flip will produce a green portal with all resonators and mods owned by __JARVIS__ which is why you can now add more resonators.

The way the beacon scoring works: if you are virusing during a battle, then the "winner" of the battle is always the opposite colour than the portal started. No matter which of the 5 chapters of the battle you use the ADA on , the math always works out that way. So starting with a green portal ends up in a blue P8 and vice versa.

So, in theory you can avoid the extra virus if you have access to a portal that's already blue -- if by some chance the Resistance were in the area to build you a portal but you also don't fear them coming back through and smashing your P8.

The 4 hour wait is because of the cooldown on VR Battle Beacon deployment.

We're down 3-5 . My partner is rated over 2800. They turned down the ace of spades. S1 passes round 2. My hand is Kc Tc 9c Kd 9s . What do?

I rarely pass with 3 of one suit, but according to Next theory I'm likely to be calling into S3's strength and not partner's strength. So it makes some sense to pass and either S3 calls clubs anyway, or partner gets a make.

In this hand I passed because a few hands earlier I'd had one that was nearly identical, I called and we only took 1 trick as partner had none.

I had a run just now where the tank started the boss by the yellow barrier and moved left, so there was a continuous line of puddle from the barrier to the boss. Then the orbs spawned by the barrier and nobody could get them because of the puddle.

What's the better place to put the boss for this one, and where exactly do the orbs spawn? One guide said they spawn from the yellow barrier but I watched some videos and that doesn't seem to always be the case.

If your team is on 9, say "Good Game" after the pickup or the first trick. This often prompts opponents to leave . Then if things go badly and you lose the game, you only lose half as many rating points.

Works better the further behind they are

It's the world boss zone quest but:

• They have a buff saying "Nexus-Captain Leth'ir and Adjutant Mertei share health" but they don't, they have separate health pools and the captain dies first
• I've killed them both twice now (in raid groups) and get credit for Mertei but no credit for Leth'ir and no loot

How is this supposed to work and what's going on?

Dealer turned down the queen of clubs or something like that; I have Jc Qs 9s Ac 9c in first seat.

It's a spades call but would you go alone here?

In the actual hand I decided to not go alone and lead the 9s; and it turned out partner was void, the right was buried and I was very lucky to escape with a point. Whereas -- in this case that the right was buried -- going alone and leading the left would have worked.

At 8-7 ahead , partner order me up the jack of diamonds . They won the first trick in offsuit and then... led the 9 of clubs

We went on to lose the hand and the game. Partner was holding A-x trump and K-9 club .

Bowers like to eat lesser trumps!

I recently travelled internationally , flights cost about $5k but this has put me less than halfway even to AirNZ Koru Silver. (S213/225 earned from qualifying flights; S213/450 earned total).

I have seen there are other ways to earn Status Points besides flying , e.g. perhaps if I had taken out a Amex Airpoints card and bought the flights on that, then I might have made it to silver already.

I might be travelling more as time goes by, so what tips do you have for trying hit those upgrade levels? Are these other credit cards worth it? (I currently have a BNZ Classic card).

Many years ago I had an Amex which had good rewards but I found that few places accepted it, probably since Amex charged the merchants hefty fees to provide those rewards.

8-8 . I deal myself Th 9s Ad Kd Ac. Upcard is Kh . Partner rated in the 2200s, opponents high rated. I assume everyone picks this up even though opponents have 8?

Then it got to 9-9 and I'm second seat with Jh Ks Ts Kc 9c, the upcard is Qc . Have to order this as it's not as bad as letting opponents call ? Is that an order at all scores?