Fungal Grotto Sets - How Do They Rank?

LootAllTheStuff

I just finished FG1 & 2 for the first time, came away with a bunch of gear, and am now trying to decide what to do with it.

Generally, how do the sets (Spider Cultist, Viper's Sting, Dreugh King) hold up against equivalent craftable and trial sets for PvE content given the current state of the game? What about the monster sets (Spawn of Mephala and Kra'gh)?

(For context: I've got a stam-NB, mag-Warden, and stam-Templar to max level so far. Warden is kitted out for tank, NB is general purpose, and Templar likely to focus on DPS)

Soarora

The only one I've seen used in PvE builds is Kra'gh.

SwimsWithMemes

LootAllTheStuff wrote: »

I just finished FG1 & 2 for the first time, came away with a bunch of gear, and am now trying to decide what to do with it.

Generally, how do the sets (Spider Cultist, Viper's Sting, Dreugh King) hold up against equivalent craftable and trial sets for PvE content given the current state of the game? What about the monster sets (Spawn of Mephala and Kra'gh)?

(For context: I've got a stam-NB, mag-Warden, and stam-Templar to max level so far. Warden is kitted out for tank, NB is general purpose, and Templar likely to focus on DPS)

The difference between a top tier set and the next best tier is not that much, but it's important when it's multiplied by 8 players in a trial.


For everything except vet trials you could probably make any set you like work, if you have an understanding of what stat thresholds you should meet but not exceed and have the mechanical skill to play the class. So consider if you have the right amount of sustain, penetration, weapon/spell DMG, cirt chance, crit DMG, and then if a 5pc bonus assists in what you are trying to do.

NoSoup

Apart from Kra'gh they're all worthless and best to just decon for the mats.

fred4

SwimsWithMemes wrote: »

The difference between a top tier set and the next best tier is not that much ... for everything except vet trials you could probably make any set you like work.

Soarora wrote: »

The only one I've seen used in PvE builds is Kra'gh.

NoSoup wrote: »

Apart from Kra'gh they're all worthless and best to just decon for the mats.

Basically all of this, contradictory though it may seem. I'll talk more about buildcrafting, just for fun.

First thing is that the game is more balanced than it's often given credit for. This basically means everything matters equally. Your 5-piece sets, your monster set, your armor weights, your mythic, your weapon enchants, your jewelry enchants, your gear traits, your mundus stone, your food, your potions, your skill rotation, your ability to weave light attacks (unless with Velothi-Ur). Note how the armor sets are just one part drowning in a sea of other requirements for endgame success. The most important things are, honestly, your skill selection, your rotation, and arguably the difference between CP160 and, say, CP1200.

So, in that sense, SwimsWithMemes is right. It hardly matters what sets you wear. For example the difference that your predominant armor weight makes to your sustain, penetration, weapon damage, crit % and crit damage, this is honestly as important as the precise armor set. As a rule of thumb, light armor is better for magicka characters and solo play, while medium armor is better for stamina characters, group play and PvP. But that's only a very rough rule.

On the other hand, the other two comments are also right. There is no reason to wear even a slightly inferior set, when better alternatives are readily available, e.g. crafted sets and tradeable sets from overland content and PvP. If you happen to have a full set of the right pieces in the right traits from Fungal Grotto, I'd wear those cause, sure, why not. But I wouldn't farm the place to fill in the gaps nor would I gold out the body gear and jewelry. In fact I hardly ever do the latter. It's the one thing you do NOT need to do, except weapons should generally be golded out.

Where using your Fungal Grotto stuff likely falls down is in the traits. I wouldn't waste transmute crystals on that gear. Since you likely got it in a mixture of crap traits, that's most likely where the idea of wearing it falls down, at least from a min-maxing perspective. Thus, for reference:

As a PvE DD, or for solo play, you generally want Divines body gear alongside the Thief mundus stone. Your jewelry should most likely be Bloodthirsty, which you can only achieve via transmutation or reconstruction. Your front bar weapon should be Sharpened for solo play or PvP, Precise for group play, Nirnhoned plus Sharpened, Precise, or Charged in case of dual-wield, and you want daggers for PvE, Maces for PvP. Your back bar weapon should be Infused with a +weapon/spell damage enchant and you should use the ground AOE skill from the weapon skill line as one of your back bar skills, such as Unstable Wall of Elements or Endless Hail. That combinbination will essentially raise your weapon and spell damage by 452 at all times, in combat.

At this point I should note that, as soon as you have farmed enough pieces (in bad traits) for the reconstruction cost to be 50 or lower, you should deconstruct all bad trait items. It's cheaper to reconstruct them from the stickerbook in the optimal trait, rather than transmute them.

As a PvE healer you want Divines body gear alongside the Thief or Ritual mundus stone. Your jewelry should most likely be Infused, though Arcane can be OK, or you may choose Swift. Back bar weapon is the same story as a DD. You want to lay down a ground AOE skill with an Infused weapon, even as a healer, to raise your weapon and spell damage using the same enchant. You'll typically use a lightning or ice staff for indirect group buffs that arise via their use. The front bar weapon should generally be a Powered resto staff.

As a tank, the body gear trait choices may be more varied. Sturdy is an option to lower block cost, otherwise Reinforced or Nirnhoned to raise your resistances, whatever yields more resistances for the specific armor piece. Your mundus stone should be the Atronach (magicka regen). Your jewelry traits should be Infused or Swift, possibly Harmony, or possibly Protective, if you need the latter to reach the resistance cap of 33K armor. Back bar weapon it's the same old Infused, most likely with an ice staff and a Crusher enchant. Front bar weapon should most likely be Decisive for the ultigen, but assuming 1-hand + shield, basically anything will do.

In PvP the traits will vary widely, depending on your build. Sturdy, Reinforced and Nirnhoned are possible body traits. Impenetrable and Well-Fitted are probably the most common ones. Divines, though, for a ganker, but also for a very high speed build using the Steed mundus. Jewelry traits include Swift, Infused, Bloodthirsty, Protective, but possibly Arcane for a magsorc. Front bar weapon traits include Sharpened, more Sharpened, Nirnhoned + Sharpened for dual wield, but may also be Charged, depending on the build. Back bar weapon trait is usually Infused, Defending, or Powered.

The above may seem crazy to a new player, I know, but this is what I pay attention to as an endgame player. Yes, the actual sets also matter, but if I don't have something available in the right traits, that may be enough to sway me towards other options. With that said:

Viper's Sting: This was a meta PvP set a very long time ago, then it got changed and relegated to "useless" for anything. The best thing that can be said about it is that it being poison damage may synergise with some builds, e.g. possibly to proc the resource return passive on a (stam) DK.

Spider Cultist: Sets that only buff particular skill lines generally don't work out, even when it's as high as 600 weapon and spell damage. It only applies to destro staff skills. Only a very niche build would have a use for this, if at all.

Dreugh King Slayer: The speed will be nice, but doesn't really make the set. The Major Brutality / Sorcery is easily had already, in most builds. Look at your (class) skills. That makes this fairly niche. It's also a heavy armor damage set. Generally you don't want to wear much heavy armor as a DD, if at all, not even solo. This means you will need predominantly weapons and jewelry, if you want to wear this.

Kragh: As I remember from it's release, the proc from this set is decent, but quite short range and finnicky. It also has a percentage-based proc condition, which means you'll want to run Flurry or Jabs to proc it reliably. Basically there are better monster sets. Selene is the obvious competition. As a 1-piece, though, Kragh offers penetration, which can be useful for solo play, small groups (dungeons) and PvP.

LootAllTheStuff

@fred4 - thanks for the awesome detailed response. That clears up both the FG armour question I had and a whole bunch of other related ones I've been pondering.

BXR_Lonestar

Viper's sting used to be incredible for dot PVP builds for a time and then it got nerfed.

Spider Cultist is solid, but not great. You could probably make a solid build with it, but you would struggle through vet DLC dungeons with that same build due to its limitations.

Kraugh's is only okay. The extra pen is helpful, it has a high proc chance and uptime, but the damage is a little underwhelming and becomes even worse if you cannot stay in melee range of the target throughout the encounter. As soon as you're forced to fight at range your DPS drops.

fred4

By the way, I made a series of posts on what sets might be worth farming, a while ago. This excludes craftable and buyable sets, which can also be very good. Notably Deadly Strike is a buyable set (sourced from PvP) that is a meta option for templars and arcanists.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/669706/what-dungeons-to-farm-and-for-what
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/669712/what-trials-to-farm-and-for-what
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/669714/what-mythics-to-farm-and-for-what-purpose
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/669772/what-arena-gear-to-farm-and-for-what-purpose
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/669776/what-to-farm-in-infinite-archive-and-for-what-purpose

fred4

Also created notes for craftable sets:

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/675850/what-armor-sets-to-craft-for-what-purpose