Giving up on VMA Final Boss - Weapon Can't be Worth THIS!

Jaimeh

bhagwad wrote: »

Edit: Question - How much easier is VMA with a Magsorc as opposed to a Magplar? I've never run a sorcerer, so I don't know...

PPS: I'm also a vampire. Stage 2. I don't want to cure it, because I spent 1500 crowns on getting the infection! Don't want it to go waste...

Magplars are a hard class for vMA in my opinion, but since you got to the final stage, it's a pity to stop now. Get the haste and healing sigils before you go up, throw down your ritual and/or channeled focus, cast purifying light on the crystals, put your aoes, and have health/mag/stam tripots for this stage. Then when you get back down get the defensive and power sigils, and don't try to burn the boss if you don't have enough DPS, but follow mechanics instead: kill the summoner, grab the ghosts, and do the explosion when the crem guard is near the boss - make sure to kill the guard before the stun is over. I know it seems easy when people write suggestions, but everyone struggled with this boss on their first clear to the point they wanted to set their PC on fire, so you're not alone in that respect As for vampirism, if you find the 10% regen is not worth the extra damage, then you don't need to cure it, just top it up to stage 1.

MakeMeUhSamich

Joy_Division wrote: »

bhagwad wrote: »

So after countless soul gems and grand repair kits on my Magplar on PS4, I'm giving up on Voriak Solkyn - the final boss of VMA. I'd love to get a maelstrom lightning staff, but it's not going to happen. I"ve tried everything, but I can't get the three crystals down. I've been following Alcast's guide, and even though I can pull 27k DPS at CP 522, I just don't have enough DPS to down the crystals. And if I jump down, there's a crematorium guard waiting for me.

Enough is enough. I'm accepting that I'm just not up to the task. I've risked the wrath of my wife, neglected my piano, taken time out on Thanksgiving holidays to spend it on VMA. And now I'm just tired. I've spent all my gold on repair kits, and I'm tapped out.

So much for taking advantage of the double weekend Orsinium event.

It's funny because every single gear guide for PvE recommends a Maelstrom staff. Well, screw it. I will live with a subpar build.

Edit: Question - How much easier is VMA with a Magsorc as opposed to a Magplar? I've never run a sorcerer, so I don't know...

PPS: I'm also a vampire. Stage 2. I don't want to cure it, because I spent 1500 crowns on getting the infection! Don't want it to go waste...

My advice:

• You should not use a single soul gem. Rez at wayshrine and ride back. It's about the same time (seriously, put a stopwatch how long that ghost phase and subsequent start lasts).
• You should not use a single repair kit. Because when you rex at wayshrine, the merchant can repair your armor.
• Volak Skoria has made the best players in ESO cry and doubt their confidence. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar too insecure to dare stop looking down their noses at the rest of us.
• Just because Alcast burns down the Crystals in one go doesn't mean you have to. If the Soul Churn damage is too much, simply jump off, grab the defense sigil, drop your destro ult on the dumb Crematorium Guard, and then proceed back up and finish them off at your leisure.
• VMA (or any game for that matter) should never detract from your loved ones or the enjoyment of other leisure pursuits. VMA is not going anywhere and you know you do not play as well when mad, so log off, take your wife to see a nice movie, and try again when you are in a better state of mind.
• VMA is the same difficulty with every class because what kills people is unfamiliarity with the mechanics and lacking a sound strategy. People may say magicka sorcerer is the "easiest", but what they really mean is that they can get like maybe add a few thousand to their score. If you don't like or don't know magicka sorcerer, I can guarantee you it will be a lot harder than your magplar.
• You don't need to cure your vampirism.
• I do like Alcast's advice because he understands the value of having utility skills on his bar rather than pure DPS stuff that don't help you survive like Inner Light. What I'm not so sure about is having 9300 stamina for the final boss and not having a true heal. Alcast and I can do the final boss with 9300 stamina and no heal, but that fight is VERY stamina intensive ... especially after you kill of the Crystals (how often do you get knocked off because you lack the stamina to dodge roll, block, or keep up with the walls).
• I also do not quite understand the fascination people have with double destro staffs. Well actually I do, because they give a higher DPS parse on a target dummy. But is VMA more akin to a DPS parse on a target dummy or, say, PvP where you have to tank, heal, and DPs all by yourself? PvP right? How many good magplars do you know that run around in Cyrodiil with a double destro build? I personally would run either a resto back bar (mutagen is a possibility, healing ward is better than breath of life, Light's Champion ultimate will save you against a Crematorium Guard, empowering Sweep will not) or, if you have access to Lich 1-handed weapon and shield, have that as a 5 piece, which will do wonders for your resource management, and allow you to slot something more useful than elemental drain (such as honor the dead).
• I mean, a magplar can double destro and finish this ... but in my estimation, part of the reason you are risking the wrath of of wife is your running a build that's trying to squeeze out a little more DPS as the expense of survivability.
• Use the 4 Power Sigils when and where you think you need the most help. If you dont have a destro ultimate for first Cremo guard, I would use the Health Sigil. If you have a desto ultimate, then I would use the health sigil before going upstairs to counter the soul Churn damage. I would save the shield sigil in case you get knocked down or miss a gold ghost on the last phase. I would grab the speed and power sigil once the Crystal Phase is done after you interrupt the boss.

Great advice, as always.

Izaki

You're dropping your 27k DPS like its a lot. I'm sorry to break it to you, but even for 522 CP, 27k is low.

czar

Izaki wrote: »

You're dropping your 27k DPS like its a lot. I'm sorry to break it to you, but even for 522 CP, 27k is low.

No it's not. Sure there's plenty of players who have higher DPS, but it's by no means a low number.

Thogard

If it makes you feel better, it took me a looong time to beat the level too.

Here’s a vid of the first time I ever beat it. Had lots of good advice in the comments section. You can see I kept trying a bunch of different ideas.

twitch.tv/videos/202735098

In the end, it was the infernal guardian mortar proc that won it for me and I didn’t even realize it lol.

Edit: whoops that isn’t the first time I beat it. Looks like twitch deleted my first time QQ

Apache_Kid

Izaki wrote: »

You're dropping your 27k DPS like its a lot. I'm sorry to break it to you, but even for 522 CP, 27k is low.

Lmao that's not "low". I'd wager its above average.

code65536

Joy_Division wrote: »

I also do not quite understand the fascination people have with double destro staffs. Well actually I do, because they give a higher DPS parse on a target dummy. But is VMA more akin to a DPS parse on a target dummy or, say, PvP where you have to tank, heal, and DPs all by yourself? PvP right? How many good magplars do you know that run around in Cyrodiil with a double destro build? I personally would run either a resto back bar (mutagen is a possibility, healing ward is better than breath of life, Light's Champion ultimate will save you against a Crematorium Guard, empowering Sweep will not) or, if you have access to Lich 1-handed weapon and shield, have that as a 5 piece, which will do wonders for your resource management, and allow you to slot something more useful than elemental drain (such as honor the dead).

To add to that, destro/resto can get pretty high scores, too (not my video): https://youtu.be/KP86mePueno

Tannus15

Izaki wrote: »

You're dropping your 27k DPS like its a lot. I'm sorry to break it to you, but even for 522 CP, 27k is low.

27k is plenty for vMA.

Personally I AIM for 25k and keep bumping up my health and sustain until I get down to 25k.

Getting 28k? Change 1 item to heavy instead of medium.
27k now? ok, change an enchant from stam to health or maybe a weapon damage to stam regen.
25.5k? Sweet, now we're good.

Izaki

schip wrote: »

Izaki wrote: »

You're dropping your 27k DPS like its a lot. I'm sorry to break it to you, but even for 522 CP, 27k is low.

No it's not. Sure there's plenty of players who have higher DPS, but it's by no means a low number.

30k is pretty much the benchmark that makes you go from "low" to "decent".

Izaki

Tannus15 wrote: »

Izaki wrote: »

You're dropping your 27k DPS like its a lot. I'm sorry to break it to you, but even for 522 CP, 27k is low.

27k is plenty for vMA.

Personally I AIM for 25k and keep bumping up my health and sustain until I get down to 25k.

Getting 28k? Change 1 item to heavy instead of medium.
27k now? ok, change an enchant from stam to health or maybe a weapon damage to stam regen.
25.5k? Sweet, now we're good.

Yeh vMA is all about burst. Still, with 27k DPS no wonder the arena is a pain in the ***.

Tannus15

Izaki wrote: »

Tannus15 wrote: »

Izaki wrote: »

You're dropping your 27k DPS like its a lot. I'm sorry to break it to you, but even for 522 CP, 27k is low.

27k is plenty for vMA.

Personally I AIM for 25k and keep bumping up my health and sustain until I get down to 25k.

Getting 28k? Change 1 item to heavy instead of medium.
27k now? ok, change an enchant from stam to health or maybe a weapon damage to stam regen.
25.5k? Sweet, now we're good.

Yeh vMA is all about burst. Still, with 27k DPS no wonder the arena is a pain in the ***.

Picking when to use the damage sigil and your ultimate more than makes up for it imho.

That's also probably my biggest tip for first completes. Use the damn sigils. They are super strong and can be used every round.

Izaki

Tannus15 wrote: »

Izaki wrote: »

Tannus15 wrote: »

Izaki wrote: »

You're dropping your 27k DPS like its a lot. I'm sorry to break it to you, but even for 522 CP, 27k is low.

27k is plenty for vMA.

Personally I AIM for 25k and keep bumping up my health and sustain until I get down to 25k.

Getting 28k? Change 1 item to heavy instead of medium.
27k now? ok, change an enchant from stam to health or maybe a weapon damage to stam regen.
25.5k? Sweet, now we're good.

Yeh vMA is all about burst. Still, with 27k DPS no wonder the arena is a pain in the ***.

Picking when to use the damage sigil and your ultimate more than makes up for it imho.

That's also probably my biggest tip for first completes. Use the damn sigils. They are super strong and can be used every round.

Why would you waste the Damage sigil on the Crystal Phase? Chances are, you've already used it to burn the Daedroth on your first clear. And you'll need the rest for the final phase because chances are, you're gonna panic and do stupid things, so the sigils would save your butt during that time. The Crystal Phase is just something you need good DPS and awareness for

Hempyre

It's not a dps check, it's timing.

Stay moving so you don't get hit by the molten slag.

Don't attempt to drop so much damage between mechanics that you don't have time to deal with them

Drop a couple aoe's/dots on a crystal, I don't DD the crystals, just aoe/dots. You must be mobile, you must be healing and or shielding.

You have time.

he'll starts to cast the skull, dodge roll or down an immov pot. You don't have to wait till it's in transit, just give it a moment when you see him start the cast then roll. This is not blockable.

There's only one skull on the first crystal. After the skull, refresh your aoe's. He'll rise up.

Run counter to the wall rotation, sprint if you have to but make sure you keep some stam. He takes a bit of time to drop the boom, remember how long so you know how much time youbhave for refreshing your aoe/dots.

A trick I use to avoid the slag is to move in a zig zag fashion from the inner side of the ring to the outer while staying behind the leading edge of the wall until he drops and blows the wall.

If you get knocked down, roll and heal until you're in a position to deal with the crem. Again, aoe's and dots. Mobility is key, Major Expedition helps here. Pots, skills, whatever gets you there...

Get back up top.

If you don't get knocked down, he will start the next skull cast very quickly after blowing the wall. Repeat previous dodge roll steps before refreshing aoe/dots. Refresh after the skull cast.

You have time.

He will cast a second skull after the first but not as quickly as he does after blowing the wall. Refresh aoe/dots.

After the second skull he'll rise up again, refresh aoe/dots. Repeat wall steps.

On the third crystal, I think it's still just two skulls. (correct me if I'm wrong) but it doesn't matter. It's the same routine, same timing.

He'll knock you off and cast his mini skull barrage, you MUST interrupt this, but you should know that from the first part of the fight.

Now it's a dps check.

I usually drop an aoe ulti here, destro or whatever you use.

Grab the gold ghosts, sprint if you have to, but get them. If you can get a spectral explosion off then you're golden, but it's not manditory, just guarantees the win.

Side note. I personally disagree with using basic pots. Use Immov pots. It's pricier, but it makes it a lot easier to complete.

Hope this helps.

Vapirko

Take a break for a while, I mean a week or more. If you’re frustrated you make mistakes and if you make mistakes you lose generating more frustration. I got to last round my first time and let it sit for two months. Then went back and beat it in about 5 tries.

Avnr

i was there just like you OP

if takings down the 2nd or 3rd crystal take to long i just jump down kill the mini boss and up again
the boss dots and that block stone circle faster and faster , just jump down and up again

i am slow , no skills animation cancel , so pet heavy attack sorc worked well for me

Shawn_PT

You don't need a whole lot of DPS. The first few times I did it, I ran with a character that can only do about 16K DPS (which is pretty much why I'm giving up on my magSorc, can't magSorc to save my life).

As it's been said, it's all about awareness, not panicking, and knowing what comes next so you can plan ahead.

Also the single skull attacks that push you off the top ledge (which is also the very first special attack he'll do when the fight starts, just before he teleports away) CAN be blocked. I always block them. Never dodge. Dodging would most likely land my backside on the lava.

Also, tripots. They are really good for that stage. For all stages even, if one is struggling.

Joy_Division

code65536 wrote: »

Joy_Division wrote: »

I also do not quite understand the fascination people have with double destro staffs. Well actually I do, because they give a higher DPS parse on a target dummy. But is VMA more akin to a DPS parse on a target dummy or, say, PvP where you have to tank, heal, and DPs all by yourself? PvP right? How many good magplars do you know that run around in Cyrodiil with a double destro build? I personally would run either a resto back bar (mutagen is a possibility, healing ward is better than breath of life, Light's Champion ultimate will save you against a Crematorium Guard, empowering Sweep will not) or, if you have access to Lich 1-handed weapon and shield, have that as a 5 piece, which will do wonders for your resource management, and allow you to slot something more useful than elemental drain (such as honor the dead).

To add to that, destro/resto can get pretty high scores, too (not my video): https://youtu.be/KP86mePueno

Did you read the part where the OP keeps dying?

Beardimus

@bhagwad in case you misses others replies rezzinf at wayshrine does not mean you start at Round 1, you are still inside Maelstrom and can run back, and will be on Voriak.

27k DPS is more than enough. I cleared with 15k first time and was regularly running 17/18k as I didn't know my DPS till dummy came out.
Read Joys guide but also anything on here from @Lukums1 he has run the place 1500+ times and has great advice.

Personally burning all 3 Cyrstals is alot easier for me than dropping down, but if you need to do it calmly and grab and health / defence (if you haven't used it to get past part 1), even speed sigil is good to run away from CG.

Up top have you isolated the things that kill you?
1. Random meterors (dont back track)
2. Skull throw (he makes a sound and a shot put pose just before)
3. Wall - need to be behind it)
4. DOT, hence self heals and burn rate key

If you fight against the mechanics its impossible. If you go with them its doable.

Gd luck

Trashs1

roffl i needed 220 soulstones for the last boss

its dooable and dps doesent really matter, it makes it just easier

i dmg all the crystals until like the first gets destroyed and the other two are on 60-70% jump down, kill the crematorium guard with my destro ult and go back up

my pet sorc is super tanky and im only doing 17k dps on a dummy and its enough for vma

Feanor

DPS is close to irrelevant in vMA unless you aim for leaderboard scores. What matters if you just want to clear is surviving damage. That’s why playing PvP is great training for vMA and vice versa - both rely on being able to survive damage spikes. You can go Flawless with 10k DPS if you know how to survive.

If you got through stage 7 there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to finish vMA. Stage 9 is actually one of the easiest stages once you know what you’re supposed to do. Listen to @Joy_Division. Really sound advice.

Taleof2Cities

If either @Joy_Division or @Alcast are posting vMA tips in your thread, consider yourself lucky.

Nuntjako

If you've come that far on a magplar, there's no reason why you cant complete it.

You said that the crem guards are a pain for you. On my magplar I put down wall of elements, vampires bane on it and just sweeps while I hug it and circle (beware of ghosts). They go down in no time like that.

LukosCreyden

Ahh, vMA....

[snip] this place.

[snip] this [snipping] [snip]hole.

I really ought to get back in there at some point.

It is like an abusive relationship for me. It hurts and it never goes well, but I keep going back for more, hoping that this time things will be different.

Wreuntzylla

Oye. This looks like a year ago thread. You think it's hard now...

Low CP is someting I don't contend with, though.

Bigevilpeter

Well I beat it many times before the sustain nerf with my stam DK and stam sorc. was still very hard then it got easier as i got used to it. After the nerf to sustain it became so much harder so I didnt even bother again. Still need a malestrom bow but f*** it

pdebie64b16_ESO

Dont destroy each crystal at once, just bring down each crystal to just above 30% so the speed of the floating rock isnt increased, then start destroying each crystal, you can still follow the rock after destroying two crystals, for the third you dont have to worry about the floating rock because you can destroy the last one before the boss destroys the rock and knock you down.

Beardimus

pdebie64b16_ESO wrote: »

Dont destroy each crystal at once, just bring down each crystal to just above 30% so the speed of the floating rock isnt increased, then start destroying each crystal, you can still follow the rock after destroying two crystals, for the third you dont have to worry about the floating rock because you can destroy the last one before the boss destroys the rock and knock you down.

We'll damn @pdebie64b16_ESO I didn't know crystal smashes sped up the walls!! TIL cool

Fodore

brandonv516 wrote: »

The weapons aren't worth it anymore. I still use the restoration staff on my magicka DK for sustain but the destruction staff doesn't help any of my characters in PvP.

That's because wall of elements isn't used in PvP. My good god this is the most ignorant thing I've seen in a while. Maybe try one of the 2h in PvP which are actually very good, or use a staff in PvE which is what it was designed for. You know there is a reason why almost every PvE build uses maelstrom weapons.

Qbiken

code65536 wrote: »

Joy_Division wrote: »

I also do not quite understand the fascination people have with double destro staffs. Well actually I do, because they give a higher DPS parse on a target dummy. But is VMA more akin to a DPS parse on a target dummy or, say, PvP where you have to tank, heal, and DPs all by yourself? PvP right? How many good magplars do you know that run around in Cyrodiil with a double destro build? I personally would run either a resto back bar (mutagen is a possibility, healing ward is better than breath of life, Light's Champion ultimate will save you against a Crematorium Guard, empowering Sweep will not) or, if you have access to Lich 1-handed weapon and shield, have that as a 5 piece, which will do wonders for your resource management, and allow you to slot something more useful than elemental drain (such as honor the dead).

To add to that, destro/resto can get pretty high scores, too (not my video): https://youtu.be/KP86mePueno

DeHei OP

Meld777

You'll get it eventually. Remember, 2 years ago, 27k dps was impossible. In the arena, very good players usually had around 12k dps. CP was still pretty new, so most people didn't have max CP of 501. And people were still doing flawless. I got mine around 300 CP. And the mobs still had the same health and hit as hard. Some arenas, like arena 2, were even ninja-nerfed later.

Keep practicing, you have many more tools, much more dps, resistance and regen than needed to run no deaths without sigils. More than twice as much. In case you're wondering what I mean by tools, for example, Harness Magicka used to only absorb magic damage, it wouldn't protect you against any physical damage.