vMA Build Advice for Magicka Templar

WuffyCerulei

I've gotten past the first two stages on my magicka templar in vMA, but I'm having some issues with getting through the third stage.
My current build is: Argonian, cap cp, all attributes in magicka. Gear: 3 arcane Willpower jewelry, 5 julianos, 2 Grothdare, random powered purple resto staff, 2 sharp Torug's swords. Mundus: Thief. DW bar: Puncturing sweeps, Toppling Charge, Reflective light, Radiant Oppression, Inner Light. Resto bar: Rapid Regen, Healing Ward, Blazing Spears, Ritual of Retribution, Inner Light. Currently experimenting with ultimates.

scratch45

I have almost the same setup except Grothdar, I run with Valkyn skoria instead.

And on main bar I use destro staff for magicka return when waving.

And try to slot honor the dead for the magicka return instead of healing ward. Poncturing sweeps are enough for the health sustain. Honor the dead as emergency button.

If you want to use shield you can try Harnes magicka (light armor skill) for magicka return.

Extended ritual and chaneled focus (magicka return) 100% up.

And for ultimates I use Ice comet on main bar to increase my max magicka.

Beruge

5 infalliable aether - 3 jewelry 2 body pieces
5/4 julianos - 3 body pieces, 2 axes and 1 resto
2 grothdarr untill rink of blood
2 valkyn from rink of frozen blood to the end.

2x Axe bar:
- Radiant glory(in the 9th arena change too Radiant aura)
- Inner light
- puncturing sweep
- Blazing spear
- Toppling Charge
- Shooting star

1x Resto bar:
- Channelled focus
- Dampen magick(In the 9th arena change to rapid regen)
- Honor the dead
- vampires bane
- ritual og retribution
- Shooting star

Reorx_Holybeard

You should be fine with that setup assuming you have 300 or more CPs (you can do it with less but obviously harder). What exactly in round 3 are you having problems with? I can offer you a few general tips for that round:

• I prefer Harness Magicka (Light Armor skill) to Ward in vMA. Ward is more useful at low health but Harness gives you a larger shield at full health which I find more useful (preventive vs reactive healing).
• Keep moving and avoid the AoEs, especially the lightning ones.
• Avoid the electrified water as much as possible. You can sort of jump over most of it, roll-dodge, or run through it if you have to but shield up with Harness Magicka first.
• Keep an eye out for Stranglers and deal with them. The portal takes a few seconds for them to spawn so you should be able to spot them and kill them before they snare you.
• You can take a lot of ranged damage. Shield up with Harness just before things spawn to soften the blow or use the Defense sigil.
• You are using as many sigils as you can, right? A great way to learn the arena and survive a bit longer. Once you've learned the mechanics you can start cutting back on the sigils to get better scores.