Better to skip higher-level incursions?

I was't around for Incursion when it first appeared, and so it's still relatively new to me. Anyway, the more I play, the more it seems pointless to do these when I encounter them while trying to push higher-tier maps. There just doesn't seem to be any chance to accomplish anything in them. I guess the same could be said for betrayal encounters, but at least there's no investment in those, like there is with incursions.
On the other hand, I guess failed incursions just lead to getting new temple maps that much sooner.
So my question is: is it better just to skip incursions if they seem too tough? If so, that seems like kind of developmental oversight. I mean, the other masters sort of give you a bit of an incentive for tackling challenging content, but it doesn't seem the case with incursions (or betrayal, for that matter.)

It's the only place to try a double corruption, so pretty much the most valuable part of the game.
It's full of XP and pretty ok loot.
Bring your chaos resistance and it gets easier.
Yes they are worth doing, I never miss a chance to run with Alva.
Even if the temple is crap, the XP alone is worth it.
Don't worry about "blowing" an incursion, just work hard on the explosives room.
And yes, if both bosses suck, I just hits mobs and try to get the door I want.

I can relate, as I had trouble clearing high level Incursions for a long time, before I upgraded my weapon.

You can run the first 9 out of 11 Incursions in a tier that you can clear comfortably, then do the last 2 Incursions in a higher tier map.

The level of the Temple is the average of all Incursions +10, capped at the highest level of Incursion you did.
E.g. You did 9 Incursions at Map level 70 (T3)

a. You do the last 2 Incursions at Map level 75 (T8)
Average level is 70.1 +10 = 80, but capped at the highest level Incursion you did, so Temple will be level 75.

b. You do the last 2 Incursions at Map level 80 (T13)
Average level is 71.8 +10 = 81.8
The Temple will be level 80.

You should have done most of the important room connections in the first 9 Incursions, so in the harder last 2, all you need to do is make sure you kill the relevant Architects.

You can somewhat control the tier that Alva spawns in for the daily quests. The last tier of map you did before the daily reset +1/-1.
E.g. do a T14 map before you stop playing. The next day, Alva (and the other masters) will appear on the Atlas in T13~15.

I find that planning the route for Incursions beforehand helps a lot. Run towards the opposite of the side you want to open doors first and start clearing. Higher chance of having a Stone of Passge when you get near the door you want to open. If you run towards the door you want opened first and the mobs don't drop a key, you have to backtrack and waste time.

Sometimes you have no choice but to skip the Incursions if the map mods slow you down too much i.e. more Monster Life+increased Monster resists, and would almost certainly fail in killing an Architect/opening any doors.

Alva's Temple is an amazing source of high level maps. I wouldn't skip it if possible.
If your build isn't strong enough, then try to prioritize either clearing trash and connecting paths (ignore boss) or if you have already connected rooms, then use the time limit to kill boss and don't try to connect more rooms.

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s4ndwitch wrote:

Alva's Temple is an amazing source of high level maps. I wouldn't skip it if possible.
If your build isn't strong enough, then try to prioritize either clearing trash and connecting paths (ignore boss) or if you have already connected rooms, then use the time limit to kill boss and don't try to connect more rooms.

I would take a Temple run over a Mastermind any day. Basically, do your incursions--it's definitely worth it, and they don't take long at all. Even Temple itself is pretty easy outside of a few specific things.

Thanks a lot folks, all of that information helps a lot.
On a slightly different note:

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JHWSX wrote:

You can somewhat control the tier that Alva spawns in for the daily quests. The last tier of map you did before the daily reset +1/-1.
E.g. do a T14 map before you stop playing. The next day, Alva (and the other masters) will appear on the Atlas in T13~15.

Does that apply for Zana's daily quests, as well?

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Allerdyne wrote:

Thanks a lot folks, all of that information helps a lot.
On a slightly different note:

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JHWSX wrote:

You can somewhat control the tier that Alva spawns in for the daily quests. The last tier of map you did before the daily reset +1/-1.
E.g. do a T14 map before you stop playing. The next day, Alva (and the other masters) will appear on the Atlas in T13~15.

Does that apply for Zana's daily quests, as well?

Yes, what he described applies for all masters. They'll all be in T13-15 if the last map you ran the previous day was T14.

As a still fairly new player, this is good info. I have come to dislike Incursion and figured I was doing it wrong. Of course I was so I appreciate the information.

I mean, while I agree with what everyone has said, it's also true that if you *can't* complete incursions in high tier maps, you shouldn't try, because trying and failing is how you prevent yourself from getting any of the good t3 rooms (storage, vault, carto) or a valid pathway to the omnitect (for chances at one of the two really valuable vials).

For most of us that have been playing for a while and don't shy away from meta builds, completing incursions in t16 maps is about as easy as breathing. So some people's answers are colored by that without really considering that you're having genuine trouble.

JHWSX's answer in particular was good, but for the actual question you asked: if you're pushing maps and just happen to encounter Alva, don't bother talking to her unless you're confident you can clear her incursions.

No harm at all in doing them though. They're fast to finish, and even if you can't fully complete them you can still get some extra drops. And then if you end up with a junk Temple layout, you can just open it, skip it, and start hitting incursions again as they come up.

So long as you don't have a situation where you're dying in them, get what you can out of them and move on.