Jovval Mortal-Bane and mini solo bosses - How important is gear and builds?

djfriesenjb16_ESO

Took a break from ESO for ~ 6 months and trying to get back into it. Having problems with getting past Jovval and I wonder if it is a problem with my tactics or a gear/consumable issue? Does he pose a challenge to anyone else? If not, I suspect there is an obvious mechanic that I am missing. I'm playing a level 45 Breton Sorcerer specializing in stormcalling with some points in dark magic. No pet, but now I'm wondering if a pet is mandatory? At level 45, my gear is not terrible - 4-5 pieces are 35ish, the rest is blue gear close to 45, weapon is a purple 42. Any helpful advice is helpful.

FrancisCrawford

I don't know what fight that is in particular, but overland boss fights (and even some trash fights) are MUCH easier if you have something like on-demand self-healing.

The Twilight Matriarch is one of the two best skills in the game for that.

Also good would be a shield skill (the class or the light armor one as the case may be), provided that Critical Surge usually procs each second. Whether that happens, however, does depend a bit on build.

VaranisArano

For what it's worth, a brief Google says you aren't the only one to have issues with this guy

To answer your question, while leveling, it is important to have your gear pretty close to your level. That's because the battleleveling buffs you up to CP 160 based on your equipped gear. As you outlevel your gear, you lose those buffs. So I often feel really squishy whenever I get 7 to 10 levels behind in my gear. I'd try to get your gear up to close to your level and see if that helps.

For tactics on a storm-calling sorc, you might look at what's killing you. Are you running out of resources? Are you not able to avoid the damage? Are you not able to self-heal?

If you find yourself running out of resources to fuel your self-healing or defense (Boundless Storm is great), my advice is to treat it like an endurance fight. Try to keep up a DOT on the boss like Elemental Blockade, then light attack to do free damage while you kite around the boss and concentrate on staying alive. If you are running out of resources, you can heavy attack to get some back. It'll take awhile, but the idea is to keep some constant damage ticking without running yourself out of the resources you need to survive.

Hope that helps!

djfriesenjb16_ESO

Thanks so much for the advice and helpful comments! Can't avoid the fireballs he tosses, resources not running out but Self healing is certainly an issue, as I am only using one crown restoration elixir during the fight. And I will look into that Twilight Matriarch skill

Jovval is one of the mini bosses you fight toward the end of the main Vvardenfell (morrowind) quest chain to restore Vivec energy. Good storyline and quest chain, and I'm glad that these mini bosses are not a cakewalk.

VaranisArano

My main skills for defensive sorc play is Twilight Matriarch for burst heal, hardened ward for a damage shield, Boundless Storm for resists, and Crit Surge for healing whenever you critically strike. It used to be Power Surge on my MagSorc, but then it got changed.

zvavi

I say pre buff with critical surge and lightning storm, then block cast force pulse him to death (hold block+use skill force pulse)

Asardes

I'd say double lightning staff is the best setup for beginners since heavy attacks are easy to channel. Keep up critical surge for heals and buffs. Cast unstable wall and lightning flood then heavy attack and every trash mob melts; when they run out, swap back and recast them. When you're doing the heavy attack animation also cast crushing shock on the bigger mobs, especially if they channel an attack (red sparks) and when they get low on HP use endless fury. If you're getting damage just shield with hardened ward. You can fill your bars with whatever skills you want. I recommend using Matriarch for heals (you have to double bar pets). Some other utility skills would be elemental drain to debuff mobs and get back magicka, and Inner Light for more spell critical and maximum magicka. For ultimates you can use either Thunderous Rage or Greater Storm Atronach. If you are at level 45 you have must likely unlocked those skills already. So the bars should look a bit like this:

Endless Fury | Crushing Shock | Twilight Matriarch | Hardened Ward | Inner Light || Greater Storm Atronach
Unstable Wall of Elements | Lightning Flood | Twilight Matriarch | Elemental Drain | Critical Surge || Thunderous Rage

This is not necessary a "beginner only" setup but can work well in pretty much any content. Has decent damage, infinite sustain - heavy attacks restore a lot of magicka. You can kill trash mobs just as easily as you do quest bosses, world bosses or even dungeons.