Maelstrom Arena

Bicarrat

Frustration, humiliation, hatred, self-loathing.
Recognize these feelings? Then you’ve probably slammed your head against the wall that is VMA.
Now, as I dearly need to make excuses for my personal failure as a player I decided to channel my anger into a rant:

I’m utterly fed up with beginner’s guides for VMA where guys are running a full set of MA weapons and cream every boss in a world record time.
*** on that. I need hints as to how I could obtain one in the first place!
Show me the ropes with on par gear, please.

A scenario:
You need to travel from A to B as fast as you possibly can. A guy shows you how it’s done by driving a tuned up Ferrari.
Now it’s your turn, only you get to drag your ass over the finish line on public transportation.

I’m well aware the example above is heavily exaggerated and the very topic edging on naïve, but I really tire of people telling me how easy
the whole thing is once you get hold of those daggers, hatchets and whatnots.

I rant, therefore I am.
Please forgive me.

[Edit of title for profanity]

Tempah

Most stam classes don't run vma daggers in vma?
And the arena is just a learning matter.
First time it was hard now VMA is a joke, I can try and help you if you tell me your class etc.

Voxicity

As far as I know, vma weapons (particularly daggers) kinda suck for vma because you barely have enough time to hit rapid strikes and then put dots on an enemy. Much better off running VO + NMG or something. One of which is a crafted set so you dont have to farm for weapon, and the other drops from 12 man trials which you can easily get carried through on normal.

Feanor

Just look up @Joy_Division excellent guides. Gear is not the problem if you can't beat vMA.

DocFrost72

Purple armor, gold weapons is affordable. For stam I ran it in 3 agility, 5 hunding's rage, 1 kena shoulder and 2 leki's (greatsword/bow) on my stamplar. For my stamblade, I ran it with 5 hundings (dual daggers), 5 marksman, 2 kra'gh.

Magic was 5 Julianos, 4 martial knowledge, two valkyn skoria. That was a heavy attack build, though.

Demycilian

You are meant to fail a lot in vmsa. Purge yourself of emotion when entering that cursed hellhole. Fortify yourself against frustration.

lauykanson

Purple crafted gear is enough to beat vma, like hundings or julianos

stuff like agility / willpower set can be bought from guild traders easily

get some decent monster sets from group dungeons / pledge boxes as well they are not that hard to get

For 1st time VMA run i would say maybe 300CP or higher, tho it can be done with 0 but much harder

Rest is just knowing spawn patterns and mechanics, I would highly recommend to look at guides unless you want to figure out all of them urself

Bicarrat

I know there's a learning curve and I appreciate it.
It's just that my frustration gets the better of me and I can't seem to push through, no matter what.

I'm a DW stam DK, carrying 5 NMG, 5 VO and 2 Velidreth, all medium, all golden.

Bar 1: Blood Craze, Bloodthirst, Razor Caltrops, Evil Hunter, Noxious Breath, Flawless Dawnbreaker as ulti.

Bar 2: Igneous Weapons, Igneous Shield, Vigor, Endless Hail, Poison Injection, Corrosive Armor as ulti.

My damage is heavy but it's to no avail, as I can't mitigate the incoming blows.
Currently stuck with the boss at stage 5.

Feanor

With stage 5 DPS is not necessary. Boss will break platforms at 75% and 45%. Just focus adds and throw down DoTs on the boss. Get to the other platform when the boss reaches the percentage as the smashing of the platform is a one shot. The pull on round 3 is the hardest. Focus the ranged adds first because those 8k ice arrows are unpleasant.

Really, read @Joy_Division guides. Doesn't get any better for beating it first time.

DocFrost72

Your setup looks more than sufficient to do it. What round did you get stuck on? Maybe there's something I can help with there?

Voxicity

Bicarrat wrote: »

I know there's a learning curve and I appreciate it.
It's just that my frustration gets the better of me and I can't seem to push through, no matter what.

I'm a DW stam DK, carrying 5 NMG, 5 VO and 2 Velidreth, all medium, all golden.

Bar 1: Blood Craze, Bloodthirst, Razor Caltrops, Evil Hunter, Noxious Breath, Flawless Dawnbreaker as ulti.

Bar 2: Igneous Weapons, Igneous Shield, Vigor, Endless Hail, Poison Injection, Corrosive Armor as ulti.

My damage is heavy but it's to no avail, as I can't mitigate the incoming blows.
Currently stuck with the boss at stage 5.

Well stam DK is one of the harder classes to get a clear with. You do seem to be missing venemous claw. I'd take off the igneous weapons for it and just use weapon pots. But if you can't afford them then I'd take off evil hunter and put claw there.

BohnT

The boss at stage 5 is one of the hardest in the first runs.
Start at the platform with the speed sigil. Burst the boss to 85% and kill both adds. Then continue to burst the boss to 75%.
Change to the platform with the healing sigil. Continue to dps the boss and kill the adds once they spawn. At 50% the boss will enrage again. So place all your dots+ endless hail on her at ~53% and change to the last platform.
Use both sigils and only focus the boss the archers will die due to defensive sigil and the troll dies in endless hail.
Make sure to kill any spawning troll.

The main point of this fight is to burst to a certain health cap, clear the adds and continue to burst

DocFrost72

Just reread- sorry, still waking up here. You may consider running wings for this round inoted of shield. Igneous weapons procs helping hands and the major mending might last one vigor tick in vMA.

If the range adds are a nuisance, try this strategy. Start on the island with the haste totem, grab it when she enrages and go to the platform with the healing totem. As soon as the need spawns, grab healing totem and burn any adds. Once you get the boss to enrage again, run straght for the last platform DO NOT STOP. Dodge roll at the lip of it to avoid ice mage and archer BS, especially if you're in the water for a few seconds.

Once on that platform, grab D-rune and power stone together, burn the crap out of the boss and let range kill themselves.

Bicarrat

Just swapped the claw for noxious to give that a go for a change.
I use immovibility pots for burst heal and stam regen.
CP600, distribution of which is copied from viable guides.

BohnT

Bicarrat wrote: »

Just swapped the claw for noxious to give that a go for a change.
I use immovibility pots for burst heal and stam regen.
CP600, distribution of which is copied from viable guides.

Do you use the new cp contribution or the old one without preloaded cp?

Bicarrat

Erm, the new one I guess, as I started playing after it was introduced.

Berenhir

First time vMA I died about 50 times. My score was abysmal, like 23 or 28 or sth.

It is just about delivering enough damage to not be overwhelmed by ads but kill them the instant they spawn while playing the mechanics of the specific arena.

No BiS gear will make you complete it easier. It is all about mechanics and burst damage.

BohnT

Bicarrat wrote: »

Erm, the new one I guess, as I started playing after it was introduced.

The cp changed a lot since Morrowind and the old setup from Homestead wastes too much potential

Bicarrat

Oh yeah, that. I'm on console, so no MW for me yet.

Bicarrat

Anyway, a million thanks for all the friendly comments and helpful advice. I thought I was sure to invite buckets of excrement over my head for whining.
Momentarily approaching the very site of dread. See you in five (hours).

Robo_Hobo

Since you're a Dragonknight, use Wings for stage 5. Every other class wishes they had that ability for that round, it makes dealing with the rangers/mages during the round and during the boss fight a whole lot easier. From what I hear anyway, I'm not a Dragonknight.

Also make good use of that shield sigil for that round as well.

boldscot

Bicarrat wrote: »

I know there's a learning curve and I appreciate it.
It's just that my frustration gets the better of me and I can't seem to push through, no matter what.

I'm a DW stam DK, carrying 5 NMG, 5 VO and 2 Velidreth, all medium, all golden.

Bar 1: Blood Craze, Bloodthirst, Razor Caltrops, Evil Hunter, Noxious Breath, Flawless Dawnbreaker as ulti.

Bar 2: Igneous Weapons, Igneous Shield, Vigor, Endless Hail, Poison Injection, Corrosive Armor as ulti.

My damage is heavy but it's to no avail, as I can't mitigate the incoming blows.
Currently stuck with the boss at stage 5.

Hey man, I run VMA on a stam DK all the time.

Setup
The same sets as you.

DW: Noxious breath, Resolving vigor, Steel Tornado, Venomous claw and Bloodthirst.

BOW: Dragon fire scale, Rearming trap, Razor caltrops, Endless hail and poison injection.

I use the same ultimate as you do but sometimes I use standard of might for the first 3 rounds.

I have a feeling not using the Dragon fire scales is the reason your struggling.

DarkAedin

Bicarrat wrote: »

Frustration, humiliation, hatred, self-loathing.
Recognize these feelings? Then you’ve probably slammed your head against the wall that is VMA.
Now, as I dearly need to make excuses for my personal failure as a player I decided to channel my anger into a rant:

I’m utterly fed up with beginner’s guides for VMA where guys are running a full set of MA weapons and cream every boss in a world record time.
*** on that. I need hints as to how I could obtain one in the first place!
Show me the ropes with on par gear, please.

A scenario:
You need to travel from A to B as fast as you possibly can. A guy shows you how it’s done by driving a tuned up Ferrari.
Now it’s your turn, only you get to drag your ass over the finish line on public transportation.

I’m well aware the example above is heavily exaggerated and the very topic edging on naïve, but I really tire of people telling me how easy
the whole thing is once you get hold of those daggers, hatchets and whatnots.

I rant, therefore I am.
Please forgive me.

[Edit of title for profanity]

Starting dps setup for stam builds is hundings + either nmg or spriggans.
I did spriggans for jewels and 2 armor slots. Hunding weps. It let me run a monster set.

U graduate from this into:
Hundings -> viscious ophidian
Nmg/spriggans -> twice fanged serpent

Both of these sets drop in sanctum ophidia, farm it.
After this: watch videoa and writeups on vma. Knowing spawns and mechanics is 95% of doing that place, once ur setting up ur ground aoe on top of spawns and things like this, u will find vma much easier.

I strongly recommend getting viscious ophidian asap it will help ur sustain a ton

Gl

Feanor

Read this:

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/233356/joys-guide-to-beating-maelstrom-arena?new=1

sickboy2808

Im a Stam DD and cant even get past round 2 haha. Those blades seem to just rip me apart and all i do is spam Vigour them BOOM no stam and die. Anyways im happy your doing alot better than me

Bicarrat

DarkAedin, as stated earlier in the thread I do have VO on me.

H3rBie

First time, uncountable hours, more than 1000 death... Now 1h30 min, and it isnot the end

Beardimus

Honestly @Bicarrat if you look around there are guides not just with BIS gear, Joys guide and any help from @Lukums1 on here.

Gear etc helps you power thru and push for time sure. But for the complete you just need to learn the mechanics and timings. Sure setup will help but you'll get more from the Mechs.

Rd 5 boss you are probably rushing it. The bosses health controls the add waves, and the island break ups. Take it slow. DPS boss till adds apear then handle them and onLy go back to boss when ready. Use the sigils (defence sigil for last island, adds management and boss burn.

Once you suss timing it gets easier, but Rd5 is the first 'hard' one so don't stress

Lord_Eomer

Bicarrat wrote: »

DarkAedin, as stated earlier in the thread I do have VO on me.

Easy solution for stage 5,

1. Boss spaen, put dot and aoe
2. Archer and Dual wield add will spawned, troll is on way to break ice, try if u can hit archer. Run and interuot troll. Throw aoe and apply dot to boss and run for shield sijil
3. Lot of adds will spawn and will give u hard time but shield will protect u a lot. Throw ultimate, execute boss..

In this round use dual wield ultimate much better!

VMA is easiest with Stam and Mag sorcerer!

You should not try with DK!

Bicarrat

'Twas indeed the Reflective Scale skill or lack thereof prevented me from defeating the boss in stage 5. After a few disrupted attempts I finally managed to wring her knickers and went frolicking further. Thank you Boldscot!

Bobby_V_Rockit

Same thing, stuck on stage 5. Max CP, have tried various combinations of NMG/Spriggan + VO, sharpened, precise, even nirnhoned dw daggers to no avail. Cant beat round 1, guides don't help. Think it's just not meant to beee