The Dragons in the Infinite Archive are too difficult for Arc 2

Jordan_Black · February 19

DenverRalphy wrote: »

[*] Ice - Stand inside the AOE because it's actually a ring and inside the ring is the safe space. Just gotta avoid the random ice shards that pop up.

Wait what? I always have a hard time with this dragon because unlike the lightning one he's hard to track in the sky. Where exactly is this safe space?

tohopka_eso · February 19

haven't had trouble with the Lightning Dragon and I haven't encounter the other two yet.

I am having issues with the Marauder if i pick up the daily quest. first time i encounter it thought it was just going to be one of those just DPS the mob down but keeps killing me. So, haven't bothered grabbing that quest again.

DenverRalphy · February 19

Jordan_Black wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

[*] Ice - Stand inside the AOE because it's actually a ring and inside the ring is the safe space. Just gotta avoid the random ice shards that pop up.

Wait what? I always have a hard time with this dragon because unlike the lightning one he's hard to track in the sky. Where exactly is this safe space?

It's the opposite of the Fire dragon. The AOE covers the edge of the platform like a ring. You just have to be inside the ring. Of course you have to avoid the ice shards that randomly burst up, but they don't do nearly as much damage and are easy to avoid. The farther in you are, the easier he is to track.

allochthons · February 19

tohopka_eso wrote: »

I am having issues with the Marauder if i pick up the daily quest. first time i encounter it thought it was just going to be one of those just DPS the mob down but keeps killing me. So, haven't bothered grabbing that quest again.

If you are able to get a companion, kit it out as a tank. There are lots of good companion builds out there.
Then learn how to control what they attack. Here's a good guide: https://benevolentbowd.ca/games/esotu/eso-guide-pet-commands/.
Then slot TWO taunts. One as their 1st skill, the second as their 4th skill. You may need to level up undaunted to get Savage Instinct.

Once the companion has taunt, take down the maurader. If at all possible, leave the other adds alive, so a second or third wave doesn't spawn. Two exceptions: if there's an Infuser or a Brewmaster up, you must take them down fast. An infused marauder is nasty.

That helps tremendously. It can take a lot of practice to get them to attack what you actually want them to attack, and it's hard when Grothmau is hard on your tail.

Once you survive a maurader or two, it does get easier. Then you can tune back your tank. But they are very tough, and it takes awhile to learn to deal with them.

Definitely ignore people who say "learn mechs, get good." I am good. I know mechs. But I'm doing IA on accounts that don't have high CP, or access to meta sets, monster sets, or mythics, and parts of IA are legit very hard without those things.

There is definitely a bug where companions lose taunt on mauraders, especially Grothmau. That's why I slot two taunts, it decreases the change of losing taunt significantly.

If you plan on doing IA often and don't have ESO+, it might be worth it to spend the crowns to get Zereth-var.

JaxontheUnfortunate · February 19

Also not all marauders are the same level of difficulty.

Jordan_Black · February 19

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Jordan_Black wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

[*] Ice - Stand inside the AOE because it's actually a ring and inside the ring is the safe space. Just gotta avoid the random ice shards that pop up.

Wait what? I always have a hard time with this dragon because unlike the lightning one he's hard to track in the sky. Where exactly is this safe space?

It's the opposite of the Fire dragon. The AOE covers the edge of the platform like a ring. You just have to be inside the ring. Of course you have to avoid the ice shards that randomly burst up, but they don't do nearly as much damage and are easy to avoid. The farther in you are, the easier he is to track.

I feel like I've still gotten hit with ice breath while I'm smack in the middle of the arena tho.

method__01 · February 19

tohopka_eso wrote: »

haven't had trouble with the Lightning Dragon and I haven't encounter the other two yet.

I am having issues with the Marauder if i pick up the daily quest. first time i encounter it thought it was just going to be one of those just DPS the mob down but keeps killing me. So, haven't bothered grabbing that quest again.

you can use a scroll for the first encounters, after some time, you learn their mechs and they become easier

tohopka_eso · February 19

allochthons wrote: »

tohopka_eso wrote: »

I am having issues with the Marauder if i pick up the daily quest. first time i encounter it thought it was just going to be one of those just DPS the mob down but keeps killing me. So, haven't bothered grabbing that quest again.

If you are able to get a companion, kit it out as a tank. There are lots of good companion builds out there.
Then learn how to control what they attack. Here's a good guide: https://benevolentbowd.ca/games/esotu/eso-guide-pet-commands/.
Then slot TWO taunts. One as their 1st skill, the second as their 4th skill. You may need to level up undaunted to get Savage Instinct.

Once the companion has taunt, take down the maurader. If at all possible, leave the other adds alive, so a second or third wave doesn't spawn. Two exceptions: if there's an Infuser or a Brewmaster up, you must take them down fast. An infused marauder is nasty.

That helps tremendously. It can take a lot of practice to get them to attack what you actually want them to attack, and it's hard when Grothmau is hard on your tail.

Once you survive a maurader or two, it does get easier. Then you can tune back your tank. But they are very tough, and it takes awhile to learn to deal with them.

Definitely ignore people who say "learn mechs, get good." I am good. I know mechs. But I'm doing IA on accounts that don't have high CP, or access to meta sets, monster sets, or mythics, and parts of IA are legit very hard without those things.

There is definitely a bug where companions lose taunt on mauraders, especially Grothmau. That's why I slot two taunts, it decreases the change of losing taunt significantly.

If you plan on doing IA often and don't have ESO+, it might be worth it to spend the crowns to get Zereth-var.

thanks for the info on that. I'll have to see if Isobel was maxed on undaunted since i use her for tanking mostly.

BXR_Lonestar · February 19

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

BXR_Lonestar wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

There are 3 dragons that can appear and they are way more difficult than the other Arc 2 cycle bosses. I don't remember all their names, but one damages with Lightning, one with Fire and one with Frost. The only one I can beat solo or with a Companion is the Lightning one.

These dragons are huge and there is little room to avoid getting knocked off the platform. And when they are in the air they almost completely cover the platform with their AOE.

Please tweak these at lower Arcs or not have them appear until later.

I don't think they're too difficult combat wise, but I think it is absolute BS that the arena feels like it is way too small for these opponents to make for a fair fight. You can have good DPS, good burn, and do everything right, and you can still lose a thread because he decides to whack you with his wing and knock you off.

He will never whack you with his wing if you are face-to-face. The whack is a mechanic that kicks in if you get too far to the side of dragon's head. I actually dismiss my tank companion and bring in a non-tank companion for dragon fights. It is much easier if I face-tank the dragon. The tank companion can sometimes back up too close to edge, and the taunted dragon follows, bringing his permanent ground AoE to the edge of platform and it is really hard to be in their face without being in AoE. The tank companion will sometimes move sideways, and taunted dragon will follow, which means you are now too far from dragon's head and will get wing slapped.

I actually didn't know this, so thanks for the information. I often just try to play the encounter like you would a dragon in Sunspire, and just try to burn him down before he has the chance to wing-whack you. So I'll have to try this next time I play. Seems a little difficult though if you are running duo with neither of you necessarily being a "tank" build.

DenverRalphy · February 19

Jordan_Black wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Jordan_Black wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

[*] Ice - Stand inside the AOE because it's actually a ring and inside the ring is the safe space. Just gotta avoid the random ice shards that pop up.

Wait what? I always have a hard time with this dragon because unlike the lightning one he's hard to track in the sky. Where exactly is this safe space?

It's the opposite of the Fire dragon. The AOE covers the edge of the platform like a ring. You just have to be inside the ring. Of course you have to avoid the ice shards that randomly burst up, but they don't do nearly as much damage and are easy to avoid. The farther in you are, the easier he is to track.

I feel like I've still gotten hit with ice breath while I'm smack in the middle of the arena tho.

Well you do still have to not stand in his path when he breathes. It's easy to see him when you're near the middle if you lost track of him.

coop500 · February 19

For what it's worth to the OP, I agree that the dragons just kinda suck in general due to the small arena. They themselves aren't even the full threat as much as the tiny platform is. Give us a bigger fighting area for dragons and similar bosses.

BXR_Lonestar · February 19

SilverBride wrote: »

These flights may be simple for some but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that has a problem with them. The platform is way too small for fighting such a large opponent and the AOEs almost completely fill it.

The lightning dragon is the only one that doesn't completely fill the platform with its AOE and doesn't one hit if accidentally stepping in it. But the fire and frost are way overpowered.

Your not the only one who hates this encounter. It seems there are boss encounters in IA that are thrown in specifically to be scheduled losses for you. Like getting Maurader Bittog past Arc 3 in a room the size of a sardine can where there is no room to maneuver, or the pillar boss from Mol in any high-Arc runs. That boss always seems to glitch out for me on high-Arc runs (the boss from the trial is glitchy, so you know its going to be an issue in IA too). When it happens, you just take the L and move on.

Most times, I'm not in IA to try to go as far as I can. I take my 2 pet sorc and I burn down everything as fast as I can. If I can make it to Arc 6-7 that is actually a fantastic run for a character that isn't even anywhere close to being built for deep IA runs.

SilverBride · February 19

Wuduwasa13 wrote: »

They’re perfectly fine. Never had any issues with them or died to them. Learn mechs better.

This thread is to discuss the dragons and if they are too strong to be showing up in the early Arcs. They are not perfectly fine for everyone and it doesn't mean the player doesn't know mechanics.

I do very well in the Infinite Archive and am one of the very few players that enjoys when I run into Marauder Gothmau. Two of the three dragons are the only bosses I have trouble with.

Elvenheart · February 19

BXR_Lonestar wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

These flights may be simple for some but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that has a problem with them. The platform is way too small for fighting such a large opponent and the AOEs almost completely fill it.

The lightning dragon is the only one that doesn't completely fill the platform with its AOE and doesn't one hit if accidentally stepping in it. But the fire and frost are way overpowered.

Most times, I'm not in IA to try to go as far as I can. I take my 2 pet sorc and I burn down everything as fast as I can. If I can make it to Arc 6-7 that is actually a fantastic run for a character that isn't even anywhere close to being built for deep IA runs.

Every now and then I’ll go to Tho’at 4 for fun, but I usually either end there usually without losing any lives just because I’m too tired to go on, or I just stop after I get my two dailies done, again without losing any lives. If only there was some sort of save or resume feature, I would really like to see how far I could go if I had the energy. It might not be much further, but I guess I’ll never know!

SilverBride · February 19

I love the Tho'at Arc 4 fight but may never get there again for the same reason. Non-stop fast paced combat is very tiring and I can't keep it up for hours at a time.

spartaxoxo · February 19

Jordan_Black wrote: »

I feel like I've still gotten hit with ice breath while I'm smack in the middle of the arena tho.

It's because you're in the center.

Here's a crude drawing of how these two work.

The star is where you first enter the stage.

Fire Dragon:
The red blob is dangerous zone. Just stay out of the center. Very shortly after he lands he'll do a huge semi circle, that you have to move out of, so be prepared to move past it. Save stamina to ensure you can get out it.

Ice Dragon:

The light blue ring is the circular cage he will trap you inside of. Move up slightly to avoid it. Stay near the star the first time as he will blow two ice trails in a line, perpendicular to you. Next move 90 degrees near spot two as he'll do a second dotted line of ice. The dead center is the spot he hits twice as that area over laps, so it's best not to be in the middle.

Sordidfairytale · February 19

I think it's criminal that Extravagant Elixirs does not work on dragons. Would make that whole fight a lot more fun.

Also to help you out with the fight, consider popping a mystery verse if you are facing a dragon. I put them on my quick slot, so they are easier to bring up. Remember you can only use one mystery verse per Cycle, so if you already used one earlier in the cycle (like say for a marauder) you can't use another for the current Cycle Boss. I wouldn't use a transformation verse though, I'd save those for the marauders.

SilverBride · February 19

I never thought about using a transformation on the dragons, but I will now.

I find the dragons much more difficult than the Marauders. Plus, losing to a Marauder doesn't stop my progress through the Arc like losing to a cycle boss does, so it would be worth it to me.

SpiritofESO · February 19

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Oh! And one QOL pointer... Keep an assistant (ragpicker/merchant/banker) on your quickwheel. If your companion dies, all you need to do is summon the assistant then immediately dismiss them. Your companion will reappear almost instantly at full health and ready to fight. I do that when I forget to recall Azandar during the Fire dragon and his ensuing death, and he's back before the dragon even lands back on the platform.

I have Banker and Merchant on the quickwheel. Never thought of that! Thank you!

LootAllTheStuff · February 19

Just wanted to thank everyone for the tips and insights here. I've hit the dragons multiple times early on in IA now, and I've only gotten past once (and still don't know how I did that). This has all been very helpful.

Vulsahdaal · February 19

I had Yolnahkriin (fire dragon) in the 4th arc today. I remembered this thread so I recorded it so you can see where to stand and where not to (unless you want to be bar-b-qued).

I use pink so I can see the bad spots easier. Also I have a transformation that was actually a vision before I went in (I normally dont use the mystery transformation until the 4th Tho'at just for fun).

The only thing I would point out in the Yoln vid is that I was a bit over confident and I normally move to the wing during the Fus Ro Dah, then come back to my normal spot before he can wing slap me. This is shown in second vid of the lightning dragon fight (I know you said you dont have a problem with that one, but the move to wing and back is the same on all dragons for me).

And lastly, please ignore my forever list of leads that need to be dug up that Ill get to one day lol. I hit the wrong button when stopping the video. I hope these help.

https://youtu.be/mU4T7thk27U

https://youtu.be/8oQkL_hc1Bs

VindictiveRidge · February 20

The dragons are horrible, but the true villain is that stupid platform itself. Winding up with a boss that has a lot of AOEs or area-based mechanics is a freaking nightmare. Dodge? How can I dodge when I'll roll right off this STUPID PLATFORM and fail the encounter anyway? I wish they'd have either placed the boss fights in a ground arena, or at least PUT A RAILING on the platform. Since you only have three "threads" to begin with, losing them by being knocked off or rolling off of a completely unnecessary platform-suspended-in-the-void is the kind of thing that makes me rage-exit the Archive and refuse to go back for as long as I can possibly avoid it.

Vulsahdaal · February 20

VindictiveRidge wrote: »

The dragons are horrible, but the true villain is that stupid platform itself. Winding up with a boss that has a lot of AOEs or area-based mechanics is a freaking nightmare. Dodge? How can I dodge when I'll roll right off this STUPID PLATFORM and fail the encounter anyway? I wish they'd have either placed the boss fights in a ground arena, or at least PUT A RAILING on the platform. Since you only have three "threads" to begin with, losing them by being knocked off or rolling off of a completely unnecessary platform-suspended-in-the-void is the kind of thing that makes me rage-exit the Archive and refuse to go back for as long as I can possibly avoid it.

The platform is a problem with certain bosses, though tbh I never had much problems with dragons. But 2 bosses I have issues with are Baron Zaudrus whos AOEs and whatnots not only take over the whole platform but block much of it as well, and the other that Im surprised no one mentions is Varzunon.

Im not sure if the platform is too small, or if the blue skelly is broken because it only takes 3 or 4 steps before leaping across the entire platform. After many frustrating fights beating on Varzunon's knees, I finally found the pin point sweet spot I have to hold him on in order to control and win the fight.

So yeah, even though most bosses are fine, there are some that really shouldnt be on a platform like that.

Rishikesa108 · February 20

Just have a heavy gear on and put a shield in your skills. These dragons are not so bad.

SilverBride · February 20

Rishikesa108 wrote: »

Just have a heavy gear on and put a shield in your skills. These dragons are not so bad.

Yes, they are, especially for Arc 2. And I'm already in heavy armor and use a shield skill, and block when needed.

BXR_Lonestar · February 20

Elvenheart wrote: »

BXR_Lonestar wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

These flights may be simple for some but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that has a problem with them. The platform is way too small for fighting such a large opponent and the AOEs almost completely fill it.

The lightning dragon is the only one that doesn't completely fill the platform with its AOE and doesn't one hit if accidentally stepping in it. But the fire and frost are way overpowered.

Most times, I'm not in IA to try to go as far as I can. I take my 2 pet sorc and I burn down everything as fast as I can. If I can make it to Arc 6-7 that is actually a fantastic run for a character that isn't even anywhere close to being built for deep IA runs.

Every now and then I’ll go to Tho’at 4 for fun, but I usually either end there usually without losing any lives just because I’m too tired to go on, or I just stop after I get my two dailies done, again without losing any lives. If only there was some sort of save or resume feature, I would really like to see how far I could go if I had the energy. It might not be much further, but I guess I’ll never know!

Yeah I would actually do more endurance runs if there was a save feature, but since there is not, I'm just looking to go as far as I can as fast as I can on a mostly pure DPS build with good survivability. I can actually get through Arc 3 in probably about an hour to 90 mins, maybe less depending on what perks I get, how many interruptions I have, etc., which I think is a pretty reasonable pace, and when things start to get harder, I have to start doing more of the maelstrom shuffle to get through.

I also legitimately enjoy the archive because of all the unique buffs so I don't mind spending some time in there. I just don't want to make it a career. I know I could go farther with a specialized build, but the beginning arcs will be slower until I build up good visions/verses to help a tankier character get through. I'd rather just burn it quick and end earlier.

BXR_Lonestar · February 20

SilverBride wrote: »

I never thought about using a transformation on the dragons, but I will now.

I find the dragons much more difficult than the Marauders. Plus, losing to a Marauder doesn't stop my progress through the Arc like losing to a cycle boss does, so it would be worth it to me.

I think marauder difficulty depends on 1) what marauder you get and 2) what arena you get them in. If you get Bittog in a tiny map, you are most likely going to die. If you get him in an area that is large enough that you can kite him and whittle him down, he's not so bad. This same logic really applies to most of the other marauders too.

The dragon is what it is. If it is in an early Arc, I just try to burn him down as fast as I can.

Vulture051 · September 10

DenverRalphy wrote: »

[*] Fire - Stand at the edge of the platform, as there is enough room to stand outside the fire AOE. Usually a good idea to recall your companion as well, otherwise they'll go after the flame atros and walk right into the fire.

and then they're gone for the rest of the fight. Can't summon him/her in combat.

fizl101 · September 10

Vulture051 wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

[*] Fire - Stand at the edge of the platform, as there is enough room to stand outside the fire AOE. Usually a good idea to recall your companion as well, otherwise they'll go after the flame atros and walk right into the fire.

and then they're gone for the rest of the fight. Can't summon him/her in combat.

Not unsummon, you can effectively make them passive/stop them fighting. I dont know the buttons on pc for that. Turn it on again whwn the dragon lands

DenverRalphy · September 10

Forgot I'd saved this clip until this thread reawakened..

Arc 2 dragons are just too easy. Even when you run into the dragon's AoE to bash the pilferer.

[edit] This was pre-subclassing

https://youtu.be/y8ckQlW2eaY