What can or can't be chained?

Troll breakers?
Hoarvers?
Webspinners?

John_Falstaff wrote: »

@FrancisCrawford , hoarvors can be chained, I tried and it's actually a valid way to get a hoarvor to a webbed pillar in a blink. The only issue is, the initial damage from the chain sometimes kills the hoarvor. Also, I think (I don't really bother myself doing that) that on argonian round the shield-carrying minders can be pulled around with chain, but only before they began channeling their shield, so it might be useful to yank one to a flower-free spot before killing the other minder and hide under the shield without worrying that a flower will pop under your feet.

On the other hand, my tests of chaining troll breakers didn't go well at all.

Haha, I lied. I went back in there for my first ever magplar attempt tonight and cleared it again. Used trash pots and didn't even remember the mechanics on the first six stages since I hadn't played them in months. Didn't matter - magplar is serious easy mode compared to stamblade. You can make so many more mistakes - you just heal thru everything.

Just want to chime in with my appreciation for the great advice provided here. I started my first attempt over two and a half years ago and ended up taking a break from the game for over a year. I started playing again recently and before long couldn't resist the urge to complete this challenge. I read the original guide way back when, still have it bookmarked! So I started here and it was a great read to get me prepared.

I picked up where I left off: the dreaded Vault of Umbrage. This freakin stage, I tell ya! Easily the hardest one for me personally. Once I cleared it stage eight was a cake walk, and I was on to the final boss.

It took me three or four nights of attempts and a couple hundred potions, but I finally broke through the mechanics and it felt great knowing I had the boss in the bag on those last few executes. It really seems to be about getting into the flow of the fight and using the sigils wisely more than anything. The tip about taking breaks helped a lot here, playing on tilt is just a disaster!

This first complete was with my magblade (cp ~450), and I had to modify a few of the tips for the final boss to make things click. Here's where I deviated, hope it helps:
- tri-stat food was a huge help on stage nine but I found tri-stat pots were hindering my DPS too much, making the phases drag out too long. Using spell power pots most of the fight made things go a lot smoother for me, but I was pretty good at avoiding the stuns which was key to not needing so much stamina. I used a tri-pot during the crystal phase for health right before dropping down to fight the guard, but switched back to spell power immediately.
- dropping down before clearing all three crystals was a great tip, but using the defensive sigil to fend off the guard meant I didnt have enough survivability for the final boss burn. I got really good at killing the guard without the sigil so I could stack both the attack and defense buffs for the final phase and it made all the difference for me. Without the defense on phase three I found I had no chance to burn the boss and who wants to deal with all those mechanics right?

Again, thank you for such a great guide. I'm looking forward to clearing it on my stamblade now with my shiny new bow!

Thank you for the write up. As others have said, it's very helpful. One thing in particular that made a big difference to my (Breton) melee magplar on the Final Boss was where you said, "I recommend tri-stat food because this stage requires a lot of stamina." You aren't kidding! Stamina turned out to be the deciding factor for me.

In stage 9 rounds 4 and 5, I used bloody mara and spell power pots to burn enemies down before the ritual completed or an archer one-shotted me, but then on the final boss it changes. It was hard for me to believe I should take the reduction in damage of the tri-stat food, but once I did, things got easier, and I've used it to beat him twice now. Thanks for that advice!

After beating the vMA once, I returned during the Orsinium event with my magsorc, to give it an other try.
It is really easier after you have completed the arena once.

My vet run for yesterday was:

Arena 1 - 3 flawless
Arena 4 - Seht’s Flywheel, 1 silly death at the boss
Arena 5 - Rink of Frozen Blood, 3 deaths due to late interrupts
Arena 6 - Spiral Shadows, flawless (yay, when I think that I spent hours with that spider)
Arena 7 - Vault of Umbrage, 3 deaths because my Skoria killed the bubble mage, so I had to change the monster set to be safe
Arena 8 - Igneous Cistern, about 6 deaths because of late interrupts on the fire mages..

Arena 9 - Theater of Despair /facepalm

Like most people who get stuck here, my issues right now are with the end boss of the vMA

My strategy is to burn the boss as much as possible, then when he does his 1st teleport, I interrupt him, cast wall of elements on him and then I start the thunder storm (ulti) on him, because then he summons his Crem Guard and healing dremora. With this strategy, his adds die pretty quick and he is almost burned to the point when he teleports up. I manage this 4 of 5 times...

But my problem is when I get up... Most of the times I get to tense to this point and lose focus, doing all sorts of mistakes. I learned to dodge his skulls pretty well, also I move constantly so I don't get hit by meteors, but I haven't found a good strategy to destroy the crystals and catch the floating wall in time.

So here is my question: what order works best? I start with the 1st crystal, but due to so many things going on, I haven't found a clear strategy on how to proceed up there. Do you go counter clockwise? How do you catch the last floating wall which moves fast?

After I destroy the crystals, I pick up the sigils and try to burn the boss, but sometimes he summons the Crem Guard when there are to many things going on, and it kills me. I got him yesterday to 4 and 3% but had to give up because I was to tired to focus properly.

kind_hero wrote: »

Thanks @red_bird ! That is a good strategy.

I always keep my big ultimate for the beginning of phase 3, when I pick up the shield and the axe, then I put the ultimate on the boss, to melt him down as quickly as possible.

Since I asked the question, I have beaten him, I think I got knocked down once, which helped a bit with the soul churn damage, and gave me more breathing space to destroy the last crystal. Next I proceeded like I said, the shield reflected a lot of damage back to him, and was lucky enough to catch 3 ghosts right before he summoned a Crem guard.
In the 3rd phase I ignore the summoners and adds, except for the crem guard... By the time I got 3 ghosts, the summoners finished their ritual and a crem guard poped, so I used the soul explosion, and nuked the boss. When he was dead, everything despawned It is a bit risky, but it works

Nice! Nuking works. I'm slower downstairs at the end than you with no ult until CG appears, but I also beat him again last night. Good weapons drop for me. Hope you did well as well.

kind_hero wrote: »

Regarding the sorc one bar build which I used for the last boss, I noticed that you can use Crafty Alfiq which is way more cheaper than Necropotence.

Alfiq (divines)
42586 (pet / no pet)

Thanks for this hint. Wish I had been saving my Alfiq stuff but it really was pretty cheap and prevalent in the stores. Ended up getting two staves easily to get a few more skills.

I just couldn't grind any more for the Plague Doctor pieces so I crafted Twice-Born Star. With The Mage/Lord I get 43435 magicka on my Breton, with blue food 48371 and health almost 30k. Tested it out leveling some skills on dragons/WBs today and it feels pretty solid.

Never thought i would ever manage this,but after many many runs and endless frustration it has somehow been achieved.

This was on a stamina DK (wood-elf) 2H/Bow build using 5 piece Vicious Ophidian.Mighty Chudan,Agility jewelery,Maelstrom Bow and Masters maul.

Just like to say thanks again for all the advice and information in this thread.

Hi. I am working my way thru VMA. I am running a two-pet magsorceror.
I am geared, per Alcast in Necropotence armor, with a Plaque Cuirass, plague lightning staff, two plague jewelry, and one necropotence jewelry, giving me the 5-5 bonuses.
I was wondering what everyone's thoughts were on traiting Bloodthirsty on the jewelry?
I would lose 1700 health and 900 magic, but gain 27% damage.
Thanks!
(BTW: i just finished Round 8 and I'm about to start grinding --meaning learning the mechanics--of the final round).

I just want to thank you for all of your advice. This was the most helpful guide I used.

Yes, I finally cleared VMA, and got a nifty Lightning Staff, which my magnightblade has fallen in love with.
TBH, I think I surprised even myself finally getting the clear, it just happened so fast. (I let out a whoop---good thing no one was home).

I am running it again, and for what it's worth, I cranked thru stages 1-4 last night, and 5-6 this morning. Quite the improvement over the m-o-n-t-h-s it took me to get this far.
I am swapping back and forth between Grothgarr and the newly nerfed Iceheart, which still serves me fine. Grothgarr when I need that extra dps, iceheart when I need the protection and have to be careful with my dps (e.g. Ice Flow stage 5 final boss and Vault stage 7 final boss). I figure to clear 7 & 8 tomorrow, then back to the final boss again, and hoping for a Bow or second staff. Prbly' end up with a shield. lmao.