Spoiler-free screenshots from the Guild Wars: Eye of the North Sneak Peek Weekend. (Click on each for larger versions.)

I’ve managed to earn the Guardian of Cantha title after earning Master’s rewards for all 13 Factions missions in Hard Mode.

With the exception of Arborstone, which I duo’d with a very accomplished player and his equally impressive Heroes, and The Eternal Grove, which I fortuitously hooked up with an accomplished team, I completed the rest with my Heroes and henchmen. I’m genuinely surprised about this since I could’ve sworn that some of the missions could not be completed in Hard Mode with a Hero/henchman team.

I find the outcome invariably hinges on party composition. Putting together a party of Heroes and henchmen for a Hard Mode mission is akin to trying to solve a riddle by putting together a jigsaw puzzle. That sounds odd and yet I find it a perfect description. Some missions required multiple tries over several sessions as I experimented with different approaches.

I beat Boreas Seabed after packing Margrid the Sly with Broad Head Arrow, I beat Vizunah Square after changing Olias to a minion bomber and spamming spirits with Razah and I beat Gyala Hatchery after packing Razah with Wanderlust and Earthbind.

Another thing I’ve noticed about Hard Mode Factions missions is you will either fail abjectly or earn Master’s. I’ve only managed to beat one Hard Mode mission without earning Master’s and even then I narrowly missed out on it.

I’m a little out of practice with my Mesmer so I’ve been reacquainting myself with his skillbar by replaying Guild Wars Factions missions over the past few days.

I’ve completed the Factions PvE campaign multiple times with multiple characters so I know it like the back of my hand by now but this time around I’ve been playing the missions in Hard Mode.

Hard Mode missions are pretty much like normal mode except they’re, and I hope I’m not being too technical here, hard. To be a little more verbose, they’re really damn hard.

The reason for this is every enemy found in each mission has been given a boost in abilities. They’re at a higher level, attack and cast faster, and are smarter to boot. As a result, they’re much tougher to take down.

And the bosses are absolute murder. To give just one example, Afflicted Yijo, the Ritualist boss in the Zen Daijun mission, hits for 500-plus damage in Hard Mode. That’s more than my poor Mesmer’s maximum health.

Like I said, really damn hard.

The missions are especially challenging if you’re going for Master’s. I’m keen on obtaining the Guardian of Cantha title for my Mesmer so I’m going to have to earn Master’s for all 13 Factions missions.

I’m finding the going hard with Heroes and henchmen but having tried the same missions with PUGs, I think I’ll stick with NPCs. Koss and company might have their quirks but their behaviour is at least predictable.

Thus far, I’ve managed to earn six Master’s: Minister Cho’s Estate, Zen Daijun, Nahpui Quarter, Sunjiang District, Imperial Sanctum and Raisu Palace.

I’m currently stuck on Tahnnakai Temple. I narrowly missed out on Master’s the last time around and I think I might be able to get it in my next session. I expect to take a few tries, though.

Hard Mode is really damn hard.

But when you get to this screen:

It’s all worth it.