Need help soloing Direfrost Keep

antmck2011rwb17_ESO · May 2022

I got an undaunted pledge to do Direfrost Keep. Everything was fine until I got to the 2 pressure plates. Doing this solo I can't stand on both at once. I read that you can use the lever down a side tunnel, but that doesn't work. I can't select it at all. Is there any other way of doing this?

Other group content was changed so it can be soloed - did they forget this one?

bmnoble · May 2022

Think they changed it specifically to stop people soloing it a long time ago.

spartaxoxo · May 2022

You cannot. It sucks.

EvilAutoTech · May 2022

It used to possible to get past the pressure plates by killing the mini boss and then using the portal near the wayshrine. ZOS changed that. So all responses are correct. You can not solo the dungeon anymore.

Snamyap · May 2022

If you're a Nightblade you can attract the troll behind that gate with a bow light attack (staff light attack can work but is harder to get right from my experience) and then use Teleport when he is in range.

antmck2011rwb17_ESO · May 2022

Snamyap wrote: »

If you're a Nightblade you can attract the troll behind that gate with a bow light attack (staff light attack can work but is harder to get right from my experience) and then use Teleport when he is in range.

Unfortunately I'm a Dragonknight.

mocap · May 2022

snipe + charge (bow + 2h) on troll behind gate. Still works. Then kill boss next room, then re enter the dungeon and go to the portal. The rest as usual.

Soloed this dungeon like 3 weeks ago. I don't think ZOS changed anything since then.

Snamyap · May 2022

mocap wrote: »

snipe + charge (bow + 2h) on troll behind gate. Still works. Then kill boss next room, then re enter the dungeon and go to the portal. The rest as usual.

Soloed this dungeon like 3 weeks ago. I don't think ZOS changed anything since then.

Any gap closer works? Was that changed at some point? Makes me wonder why they even "fixed" that lever.

Jaraal · May 2022

Snamyap wrote: »

mocap wrote: »

snipe + charge (bow + 2h) on troll behind gate. Still works. Then kill boss next room, then re enter the dungeon and go to the portal. The rest as usual.

Soloed this dungeon like 3 weeks ago. I don't think ZOS changed anything since then.

Any gap closer works? Was that changed at some point? Makes me wonder why they even "fixed" that lever.

Yeah, all the other base game dungeons are soloable. Makes you wonder why they went out of their way to "fix" this one.

KlauthWarthog · May 2022

It gets sillier when you consider that the quest NPC in there also cheesed his way through the gates with a "Transmute Fog" spell.

AcadianPaladin · May 2022

My magplar solos DFK. Before the pressure plate room there is a gate with a troll on the other side. She tosses Shards to get his attention. This sometimes takes a couple tries. As soon as he gets within range, she gap closes on him with Explosive Charge. If you wait a heartbeat or two too long and he gets too close to the gate, you won't be able to gap close through the gate - this takes pretty good timing. Then she winds her way to the next gate at which she is in gap closing range of the boss. Gap close and kill the boss and the dungeon proceeds normally from there.

It would be a lot easier if Mirri knew how to do the 'Stibbo stay here' trick.

jcasini222ub17_ESO · May 2022

I think the change they made was for the door switch. That first door tat the trolls behind you could open from the outside. I think that was the change.

SeaGtGruff · May 2022

mocap wrote: »

snipe + charge (bow + 2h) on troll behind gate. Still works. Then kill boss next room, then re enter the dungeon and go to the portal. The rest as usual.

Wow, I'm going to have to try this! Thank you very much for the tip.

Jaraal wrote: »

Yeah, all the other base game dungeons are soloable.

Are you sure? I tried to solo Wayrest Sewers II just the other night and got stopped cold by Malubeth the Scourger. I tried to break free using Precognition, but it didn't work-- and even if it had, I'm not sure I'd have been able to regenerate Ultimate fast enough to use it again, as I'm able to do with Wuyuvus. Is there a way to get past Malubeth solo?

freespirit · May 2022

@SeaGtGruff there are a few videos of solo Wayrest 2 out there including a HM one from last year.

Sorry my non tech savvy self cannot work out how to link them on my pad 😁

SeaGtGruff · May 2022

Thank you; I'll check.

Jaraal · May 2022

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

Thank you; I'll check.

Yeah we need @Vaoh in here, he's the solo dungeon master. He is the one who figured most of them out first.

LashanW · May 2022

freespirit wrote: »

there are a few videos of solo Wayrest 2 out there including a HM one from last year.

Sorry my non tech savvy self cannot work out how to link them on my pad 😁

I'm not sure whether the first boss can still be soloed (Malubeth the Scourger).

The grab attack can't be avoided using psijic ultimate, the attack does oblivion damage (can't be shielded) and disables most of your healing except health recovery. Final tick always deal same amount of damage as your max health. So if you get grabbed while solo, you are dead.
Sets like Phoenix could save you from this mechanic but all those sets have been patched now.

I've seen people solo her by bringing her to edge of the boss room and putting DoTs on her while you staying out of boss room. (she can't do the grab attack if player is not in boss room). But this method is no longer possible due to "Joining Encounter in progress" feature.

It might be possible to avoid the grab by using a tank companion and staying far away from her (or if the boss can target companions for the grab attack), but I don't have companions so can't test.

If someone can show a recent guide/video of soloing this boss I'd be grateful.

Vaoh · May 2022

@Jaraal @LashanW I got you both.

Direfrost Keep and Wayrest Sewers II are both still soloable.

Direfrost Keep aka Drodda’s Dreadlord

Leading up to the double pad door is a separate side door. Normally you’d exit from here once you killed Drodda’s Dreadlord.
All you have to do is lure the Frost Troll closer by using Snipe/ground dots/any long range ability buffed with Propelling Shield, then gapclose onto it and ofc then gaplclose onto the actual boss.

Wayrest Sewers 2 aka Malubeth

This is trickier but I figured it out pretty quick. Malubeth’s grab ability is impossible to avoid, last for 10 seconds, and is an Oblivion Damage DoT dealing 10-11% of your Health per tick with a final tick for 100% of your Health. Oh also Malubeth’s grab ability has a cooldown of 40 seconds. Sounds impossible to survive right?

Well that 100% Health tick is dealt 0.5 seconds after you are let go..... meaning you have one global cooldown to survive. Here’s how you beat it:
• Have minimal Health in order to reduce the Oblivion Damage dealt to you. You must use a food without a Health buff before being grabbed. I used Ghastly Eyeball food but I could’ve been more extreme by removing certain passives etc.
• For your one global cooldown you must instantly use a food with a Health buff. I used Solitude Salmon Millet.
• The 100% Health Oblivion Damage tick will not account for the additional health you just gained in that small amount of time. You need to heal up immediately .
• To heal the damage immediately, you will need as many HoTs as possible and they need to still be active when you’ve swapped to higher Health food (HoTs longer than 10 seconds). Stuff like Health Recovery, Restoring Focus, Extended Ritual, Illustrous Healing, Enduring Ritual. Also having Anti-Cavalry Caltrops with Blood Ritual or Surge active. Strategic Reserveor Healing over time CPs. Possibly Green Lotus with a Resto light attack.... lots of options here to survive but it is still tricky.
• A Companion puts HoTs on you makes this MUCH MUCH MUCH EASIER

Then just kill the boss as usual. Remember the grab will happen every 40 seconds.

My gear was Bahsei+Deadly Strike+2 monster pieces with %healing done. I beat this faster than I thought but made sure to survive three grabs in the same fight for the sake of the video. Could easily do this fight with only two grabs.

I made a short video to show these both off. Malubeth is way easier with a Companion applying HoTs but I wanted to show off what to do without a Companion and without an optimal setup.

Anyway hope this helps!

https://youtu.be/iWXdaroKnr0

LashanW · May 2022

Vaoh wrote: »

Wayrest Sewers 2 aka Malubeth
Well that 100% Health tick is dealt 0.5 seconds after you are let go..... meaning you have one global cooldown to survive. Here’s how you beat it:
• Have minimal Health in order to reduce the Oblivion Damage dealt to you. You must use a food without a Health buff before being grabbed. I used Ghastly Eyeball food but I could’ve been more extreme by removing certain passives etc.
• For your one global cooldown you must instantly use a food with a Health buff. I used Solitude Salmon Millet.
• The 100% Health Oblivion Damage tick will not account for the additional health you just gained in that small amount of time. You need to heal up immediately .

Oh my lord that is genius!
I guess the game take note of your max health when the grab attack begins. So that 500ms window after you are let go, is the key.
Wow thanks man, really appreciate you taking the time to make a video

ZOS_Hadeostry · May 2022

Greetings,

This thread has been moved to the Players Helping Players section, as it is better suited there.

Thanks

WordsOfPower · May 2022

I wonder why Precog doesn't work on this mechanic when it does for so many others...?

mtbikernate · April 26

LashanW wrote: »

Vaoh wrote: »

Wayrest Sewers 2 aka Malubeth
Well that 100% Health tick is dealt 0.5 seconds after you are let go..... meaning you have one global cooldown to survive. Here’s how you beat it:
• Have minimal Health in order to reduce the Oblivion Damage dealt to you. You must use a food without a Health buff before being grabbed. I used Ghastly Eyeball food but I could’ve been more extreme by removing certain passives etc.
• For your one global cooldown you must instantly use a food with a Health buff. I used Solitude Salmon Millet.
• The 100% Health Oblivion Damage tick will not account for the additional health you just gained in that small amount of time. You need to heal up immediately .

Oh my lord that is genius!
I guess the game take note of your max health when the grab attack begins. So that 500ms window after you are let go, is the key.
Wow thanks man, really appreciate you taking the time to make a video

Can confirm that this no longer works. Was trying it out today and it appears that the 100% health hit considers your health exactly at the time of the hit, not the beginning of the fight. Tried this buff food trick and it was clear that I was consuming the food (the sound would play when I consumed it) and I would still insta-die.

WordsOfPower wrote: »

I wonder why Precog doesn't work on this mechanic when it does for so many others...?

Pretty sure the reason why precog doesn't work here is because it hits for 100% of your health, whatever it is exactly at the moment of the hit. So even if you hit precog, the hit still takes 100% of your health.

Would be nice if you could direct a companion to interact with something on your behalf. But that would be too easy, eh?

Necrotech_Master · April 26

mtbikernate wrote: »

LashanW wrote: »

Vaoh wrote: »

Wayrest Sewers 2 aka Malubeth
Well that 100% Health tick is dealt 0.5 seconds after you are let go..... meaning you have one global cooldown to survive. Here’s how you beat it:
• Have minimal Health in order to reduce the Oblivion Damage dealt to you. You must use a food without a Health buff before being grabbed. I used Ghastly Eyeball food but I could’ve been more extreme by removing certain passives etc.
• For your one global cooldown you must instantly use a food with a Health buff. I used Solitude Salmon Millet.
• The 100% Health Oblivion Damage tick will not account for the additional health you just gained in that small amount of time. You need to heal up immediately .

Oh my lord that is genius!
I guess the game take note of your max health when the grab attack begins. So that 500ms window after you are let go, is the key.
Wow thanks man, really appreciate you taking the time to make a video

Can confirm that this no longer works. Was trying it out today and it appears that the 100% health hit considers your health exactly at the time of the hit, not the beginning of the fight. Tried this buff food trick and it was clear that I was consuming the food (the sound would play when I consumed it) and I would still insta-die.

WordsOfPower wrote: »

I wonder why Precog doesn't work on this mechanic when it does for so many others...?

Pretty sure the reason why precog doesn't work here is because it hits for 100% of your health, whatever it is exactly at the moment of the hit. So even if you hit precog, the hit still takes 100% of your health.

Would be nice if you could direct a companion to interact with something on your behalf. But that would be too easy, eh?

the malubeth one seemed too gimmicky, because there was an extremely small window of opportunity to hit it

what they were talking about was you started the fight with no food, then when her channel ends you have slightly under 1 GCD (1 second) to hit your food which raises your max hp before the final tick (based on my understanding of what was wrote, the 100% hit is based on when the channel starts which is why there was the 1 second of time you could use a food buff to increase your health just a tad, thereby changing your max hp)

but honestly with such narrow timing, its not really worth trying to do

my understanding why the precog does not break you out is because this is a special mechanic due to needing to interact with the 2 altars

Zama666 · November 10

Vaoh wrote: »

@Jaraal @LashanW I got you both.

Direfrost Keep and Wayrest Sewers II are both still soloable.

Direfrost Keep aka Drodda’s Dreadlord
Leading up to the double pad door is a separate side door. Normally you’d exit from here once you killed Drodda’s Dreadlord.
All you have to do is lure the Frost Troll closer by using Snipe/ground dots/any long range ability buffed with Propelling Shield, then gapclose onto it and ofc then gaplclose onto the actual boss.

Wayrest Sewers 2 aka Malubeth
This is trickier but I figured it out pretty quick. Malubeth’s grab ability is impossible to avoid, last for 10 seconds, and is an Oblivion Damage DoT dealing 10-11% of your Health per tick with a final tick for 100% of your Health. Oh also Malubeth’s grab ability has a cooldown of 40 seconds. Sounds impossible to survive right?

Well that 100% Health tick is dealt 0.5 seconds after you are let go..... meaning you have one global cooldown to survive. Here’s how you beat it:
• Have minimal Health in order to reduce the Oblivion Damage dealt to you. You must use a food without a Health buff before being grabbed. I used Ghastly Eyeball food but I could’ve been more extreme by removing certain passives etc.
• For your one global cooldown you must instantly use a food with a Health buff. I used Solitude Salmon Millet.
• The 100% Health Oblivion Damage tick will not account for the additional health you just gained in that small amount of time. You need to heal up immediately .
• To heal the damage immediately, you will need as many HoTs as possible and they need to still be active when you’ve swapped to higher Health food (HoTs longer than 10 seconds). Stuff like Health Recovery, Restoring Focus, Extended Ritual, Illustrous Healing, Enduring Ritual. Also having Anti-Cavalry Caltrops with Blood Ritual or Surge active. Strategic Reserveor Healing over time CPs. Possibly Green Lotus with a Resto light attack.... lots of options here to survive but it is still tricky.
• A Companion puts HoTs on you makes this MUCH MUCH MUCH EASIER

Then just kill the boss as usual. Remember the grab will happen every 40 seconds.

My gear was Bahsei+Deadly Strike+2 monster pieces with %healing done. I beat this faster than I thought but made sure to survive three grabs in the same fight for the sake of the video. Could easily do this fight with only two grabs.

I made a short video to show these both off. Malubeth is way easier with a Companion applying HoTs but I wanted to show off what to do without a Companion and without an optimal setup.

Anyway hope this helps!

https://youtu.be/iWXdaroKnr0

Awesome Vid! I did it!

Recent · November 10

This is why I posted a thread about this. It would be good to have solo option to Al dungeons

ZOS_Icy · November 10

Greetings,

We have closed this topic as it was originally created in May 2022. In many cases, it's better to create a new thread on a topic that you want to discuss as opposed to bumping one that is rather old.

Thank you for your understanding.