How do you progress from Insane levels to the Nightmare difficulty level?

My friends and I have been playing Dungeon Defenders on PC for a few weeks now. We have a variety of characters of at least level 70, usually focused on either towers or DPS (few hybrid builds in our group). We've cleared the campaign on Insane difficulty (with a fair bit of trial and error, but we did it), but we can't even beat the first wave of the first map on Nightmare.

Any tips? Are there stats we should be focusing on, such as resistances? Items we should look out for?

Solution 1:

Nightmare is hard to do without 70+ upgrade armor/weapons.

I would also suggest making sure your characters run with guardian pets instead of any other types as they will buff towers significantly (unless you're a DPS character, then a different one can work), use a mix to do what is best, but an Apprentice guardian is key (it increases damage done by towers/traps).

I would suggest trying to do Uber Monster Fest. That or trying to run a few Mixed Mode Survival maps on insane (Alchemy lab is the easiest to do this on). Both these will start dropping 50+ upgrade items that you can use.

I would strong suggest Uber monster fest though, even if you fail the map as a whole, as long as you can make it past the first wave you will get upgrades, you don't even have to make it past the first wave, just the drops that the monsters give you will probably be upgrades at this point.

Solution 2:

Easy answer: Towers. DPS will not do, unless you are all in level 74 with high DPS and there are only 4 entrances. One that you don't cover, and you're toast.

So, towers towers towers...

Only way to do this, get to level 74. there is no other way. Play on insane in Glitterhelm Caverns (the bonus map). It will give you more xp. Or better in Mystifire.

Once you're at 74 you can start using mythical armors and pets.

There you look for items with 150+ points for towers.

Easiest way: Buy them. There are guys that sells a set of armor, a weapon and a pet at high levels for $10.

Hard (and a little more satisfying) use the help of a 74 high character to build your defenses in Mystimire forest in Nightmare Hardcore. At wave 20-25 the monsters start dropping such items.

That's all the mystery

;)