Why do I Find Stage 2 of vMA the Most Difficult?

bhagwad

After finishing vMA 3 times, I still think stage 2 is the most difficult of all. What does this say about my playstyle? This is on a magplar.

I think it's about the unpredictability. For the other arenas, I can avoid damage by learning about spawns, or just outright DPS the boss. In stage 2 however, the bosses shut down repeatedly and I have to replace all my DoTs and ground effects over and over. That, and spamming shields to protect from the blades gets very expensive.

So while I can beat it, if I had to pick, I would say stage 2 gives me the most trouble in all of vMA!

Anyone else?

Mureel

bhagwad wrote: »

After finishing vMA 3 times, I still think stage 2 is the most difficult of all. What does this say about my playstyle?

I think it's about the unpredictability. For the other arenas, I can avoid damage by learning about spawns, or just outright DPS the boss. In stage 2 however, the bosses shut down repeatedly and I have to replace all my DoTs and ground effects over and over. That, and spamming shields to protect from the blades gets very expensive.

So while I can beat it, if I had to pick, I would say stage 2 gives me the most trouble in all of vMA!

Anyone else?

For me, I know now when it will happen and I just use the time to regen resources or w/e - I find Ice Shite the worst. IDK why but I mess up on that round a LOT. Like I know what to do, but if I’ve not been in in awhile, I will die there 1-3 times before I get in the swing of it.

Smmokkee

That's crazy bro much harder rounds if you ask me. I can pretty much stay completely stationary on that stage.

GrigorijMalahevich

For melee 2nd stage is annoying, same as 5th stage.

If your magplar find 2nd stage very difficult - you need to work on your sustain. Try to put one cost reduction glyph and see what happens, try to put ele drain in rotation, try to use more heavy attacks in rotation...

kojou

I like a VMA Resto staff + Mutegen for that round.

Also pay attention to whether you are moving the same direction as the blades or the opposite. Generally you want to go the opposite direction so you spend as little time in them as you can.

Don't forget you can shut the blades off temporarily if you need a break.

r3turn2s3nd3r

bhagwad wrote: »

After finishing vMA 3 times, I still think stage 2 is the most difficult of all. What does this say about my playstyle? This is on a magplar.

I think it's about the unpredictability. For the other arenas, I can avoid damage by learning about spawns, or just outright DPS the boss. In stage 2 however, the bosses shut down repeatedly and I have to replace all my DoTs and ground effects over and over. That, and spamming shields to protect from the blades gets very expensive.

So while I can beat it, if I had to pick, I would say stage 2 gives me the most trouble in all of vMA!

Anyone else?

When the first centurion boss is about to spawn stand back from it at first. If you are in melee range it will start attacking in melee range, if you are back a bit it will always do the 'mortar' style ranged attack first which has a pretty long animation / cast. Drop everything you have on it, ulitmate, dots, AoE and then run into melee range and spam jabs.

If you have 20K+ DPS this should take it to around 35% or so health easily. He will not unshield for a while now. Let the other 2 come to you when they do spawn. It's easier to get them all stacked up so that if you are dropping AoE on the ground, when one shields up the other comes out of the shield and takes your AoE damage straight away.

It will seem a little daunting to pile all 3 up at first, but I find it makes sustaining easier as you are not wasting mana dropping AoE all over the stage. As long as you have decent DPS you should never have to deal with more than 1 ever being up at a time.

bhagwad

ztyhurstub17_ESO wrote: »

I like a VMA Resto staff + Mutegen for that round.

Also pay attention to whether you are moving the same direction as the blades or the opposite. Generally you want to go the opposite direction so you spend as little time in them as you can.

Don't forget you can shut the blades off temporarily if you need a break.

I'll try a resto staff next time, thanks!

bhagwad

r3turn2s3nd3r wrote: »

bhagwad wrote: »

After finishing vMA 3 times, I still think stage 2 is the most difficult of all. What does this say about my playstyle? This is on a magplar.

I think it's about the unpredictability. For the other arenas, I can avoid damage by learning about spawns, or just outright DPS the boss. In stage 2 however, the bosses shut down repeatedly and I have to replace all my DoTs and ground effects over and over. That, and spamming shields to protect from the blades gets very expensive.

So while I can beat it, if I had to pick, I would say stage 2 gives me the most trouble in all of vMA!

Anyone else?

When the first centurion boss is about to spawn stand back from it at first. If you are in melee range it will start attacking in melee range, if you are back a bit it will always do the 'mortar' style ranged attack first which has a pretty long animation / cast. Drop everything you have on it, ulitmate, dots, AoE and then run into melee range and spam jabs.

If you have 20K+ DPS this should take it to around 35% or so health easily. He will not unshield for a while now. Let the other 2 come to you when they do spawn. It's easier to get them all stacked up so that if you are dropping AoE on the ground, when one shields up the other comes out of the shield and takes your AoE damage straight away.

It will seem a little daunting to pile all 3 up at first, but I find it makes sustaining easier as you are not wasting mana dropping AoE all over the stage. As long as you have decent DPS you should never have to deal with more than 1 ever being up at a time.

That's an interesting strategy. I'll try it, thanks!

akredon_ESO

TBH stage 2 is super easy. all you gotta do is run around the middle ish plat form and just take the hit from that 1 blade or just dodge roll it every now and then. heal when needed DPS and burn accordingly

rhapsodious

bhagwad wrote: »

I think it's about the unpredictability. For the other arenas, I can avoid damage by learning about spawns, or just outright DPS the boss. In stage 2 however, the bosses shut down repeatedly and I have to replace all my DoTs and ground effects over and over. That, and spamming shields to protect from the blades gets very expensive.

It's not unpredictable, each one will shut down every 25%. So it'll go:

First one spawns
First one hits 75% -> Second one spawns, first one goes inactive when done with animation
Second one hits 75% -> Third one spawns, second one goes inactive when done with animation
Third one hits 75% -> First one comes back up, third one goes inactive
First one hits 50% -> rinse and repeat

If you push one for two or even three thresholds, when it gets to its spot in the loop, it'll pop up for a quick second and then go back. So if you burned that first one to 48%, it'd go inactive, but when the third one went inactive the first would pop up and immediately go back inactive and loop to the second.

Like others have said you want to wait until they start an animation and then go ham.

For the blades I zoom my camera out as far as I can and try to weave between the blades, but if I get hit by one it's nbd. Just have to avoid running with one or getting hit by more than one.

This was an arena I struggled with for a while, so I hope any of that helps!

Insandros

On my side it was the most boring and most issues on sustain so last fight was a bit longer than i would had expected, but wasn't the hardest for sure.

bhagwad

rhapsodious wrote: »

bhagwad wrote: »

I think it's about the unpredictability. For the other arenas, I can avoid damage by learning about spawns, or just outright DPS the boss. In stage 2 however, the bosses shut down repeatedly and I have to replace all my DoTs and ground effects over and over. That, and spamming shields to protect from the blades gets very expensive.

It's not unpredictable, each one will shut down every 25%. So it'll go:

First one spawns
First one hits 75% -> Second one spawns, first one goes inactive when done with animation
Second one hits 75% -> Third one spawns, second one goes inactive when done with animation
Third one hits 75% -> First one comes back up, third one goes inactive
First one hits 50% -> rinse and repeat

If you push one for two or even three thresholds, when it gets to its spot in the loop, it'll pop up for a quick second and then go back. So if you burned that first one to 48%, it'd go inactive, but when the third one went inactive the first would pop up and immediately go back inactive and loop to the second.

Like others have said you want to wait until they start an animation and then go ham.

For the blades I zoom my camera out as far as I can and try to weave between the blades, but if I get hit by one it's nbd. Just have to avoid running with one or getting hit by more than one.

This was an arena I struggled with for a while, so I hope any of that helps!

That's great advice, thanks!

Asardes

It's easy if you avoid the spinning blades. As magicka you can simply heal/shield trough them and they won't bother you much. Try stacking the Dwarven Centurion bosses at the end so when two get shielded the 3rd still eats the DoT damage.

itsfatbass

I usually just go to the one side they don't spawn on and just stay there shielding until all 3 are stacked neatly then aoe away. Of course damage them as much as you can at initial spawn points though.

Dapper Dinosaur

Why are people recommending going the opposite direction of the blades? If you go around the outer track and move in the same direction as the blade, that makes it takes roughly four times as long to reach you again because you're making more ground against it constantly until it comes time to roll-dodge through it or lane-change it.

The stage that is hardwalling me in VMA is the ice stage. I have never made it past. That stupid ice platform spawning a neiried (I know I must have butchered that spelling) is just too much to handle when I'm already dealing with the giant and the swarm of adds.

supaskrub

Dapper Dinosaur wrote: »

Why are people recommending going the opposite direction of the blades? If you go around the outer track and move in the same direction as the blade, that makes it takes roughly four times as long to reach you again because you're making more ground against it constantly until it comes time to roll-dodge through it or lane-change it.

The stage that is hardwalling me in VMA is the ice stage. I have never made it past. That stupid ice platform spawning a neiried (I know I must have butchered that spelling) is just too much to handle when I'm already dealing with the giant and the swarm of adds.

theres your problem you don't need to deal with the boss, @ 90% and 60% of the bosses health she spawns adds and they will wreck you with ice arrows and slow you down, as soon as she hits 90% ignore her and just kite her around and focus on the Archers.. they need to die quickly which they will do cos they are ultra squishy. its the same at 60% of the bosses health... Obviously you need to keep an eye out for the troll as he is ALWAYS priority number 1, Archers priority number 2.. At 75% she smashes up an island (make sure you are not on it or even too close to it)... I think the next island gets wrecked at 45% (or there abouts) same again don't be on it.. Try to save the island with 2 sigils until last, use them both, ignore the adds and just throw everything at the boss, this is the only time in the whole of the Ice stage final round that it becomes a dps race against the boss, the rest of the time its about you controlling dps to slow down the spawn rates of the archers and other annoying things..