Finally completed vMA after 5 years...now to farm?

krachall

I’ve been playing on and off for 5 years but just completed my first vMA yesterday. I was stuck in Ice for 2 years. Granted, I would try for a day or two and then give up for months but I finally got it.

Part of this is self induced as I insisted on doing it on my main — a dunmer stamblade. But I did it.

I immediately started it again for a second time and made it back to Stage 9 fairly easily this time before having to log for the the night. I want the bow so I’ll keep running it.

Question: Now that I’ve completed my goal of finishing it on my stamblade, what other Nightblade builds would speed up the farming? Yes, it has to be a Nightblade as that’s all I play (I have 7 at max level)

Magblade?
Stamblade Werewolf?
Keep using my best character?

DMuehlhausen

Grats, I've still only gone in once I think.

Artemiisia

I love using vicious ophidian set in there for the constant speed buff you get from killing stuff, and extra stamina return, not sure what sets you did use to complete it. This can be a set that helps speed up the progress for farming otherwise.

Artemiisia

oh and forgot, GRATZ !!

that first clear is the hardest

Donny_Vito

Stamblade Werewolf?

Yes, this can be easy mode. So much light attacking and howling....

In my opinion, my MagSorc is probably the easiest to get through vMA without a cheese build (i.e. WW setup). False Gods plus Mother Sorrow (the 2nd set can really be anything....False Gods is the key) is a real easy run. If I wanted to make it even easier I would throw on Icehearts monster set.

Keep using my best character?

This is pretty true. Once you learn the spawns and general flow on combat in vMA, then you can start to deviate away from your favorite character and try new builds.

krachall

Artemiisia wrote: »

I love using vicious ophidian set in there for the constant speed buff you get from killing stuff, and extra stamina return, not sure what sets you did use to complete it. This can be a set that helps speed up the progress for farming otherwise.

I used VO, Briarheart, and Iceheart. With the changes to Iceheart coming I don’t think I’ll have as much success on this guy unless I really learn the spawns. I will say that while my first took 5 years, I got back to 9 on my second time in just a couple hours.

I even had some vitality bonus left when I got to 7 (and lost it all there!)

macsmooth

Congratulations but can’t help with nightblade vma builds never done it on nightblade

Just wanted to say congratulations

krachall

I do run False Gods + Mothers Sorrow on my magblade but I don’t play this character much. My DPS is a full 5-8k lower than my main.

Nord_Raseri

I got mine with a magblade first run, but that was a long wile ago. Standard Julianos/mother's/valkyn. 5L 2H. With some cp into healiing.

OWLTHEMAD

krachall wrote: »

I’ve been playing on and off for 5 years but just completed my first vMA yesterday. I was stuck in Ice for 2 years. Granted, I would try for a day or two and then give up for months but I finally got it.

Part of this is self induced as I insisted on doing it on my main — a dunmer stamblade. But I did it.

I immediately started it again for a second time and made it back to Stage 9 fairly easily this time before having to log for the the night. I want the bow so I’ll keep running it.

Question: Now that I’ve completed my goal of finishing it on my stamblade, what other Nightblade builds would speed up the farming? Yes, it has to be a Nightblade as that’s all I play (I have 7 at max level)

Magblade?
Stamblade Werewolf?
Keep using my best character?

Nightblade exclusivist here as well
Magblade with current iceheart is great for your first few runs but once you get really comfortable with it magblade with your. Basic zaans false gods anc mothers sorrow is killer. Run swallow soul and structured entropy, with soul tether ,incap (soul harvest if your sustain is good)

I dont run a shield personally and will use blur/phantasmal as necessary. Nightblades can be settup to have a lot of self healing without giving up a whole lot of damage.therefore, unless your using the iceheart shield i think they only hurt you at this point.

I use structured entropy, swallow soul, and soul theyher to heal through just about everything. Ill add refreshing path over twisting if i feal like im not surviving well.

Lotus fan and twisting combined are GREAT for pushing damage add wall of elements to round things out. Unstables walls explosion is fun for finishing off enemies.


Get used to this settup and maelstrom gets really fun

Neoealth

Gratz OP. First clear is a satisfy experience.

I've only ever completed it on a 1 bar pet sorc so i cant offer any advice for a nightblade run.

I do plan on trying out my templar in there at some point.

Katahdin

Ive done vMA on my stamblade both first clear and flawless.

Werewolf helps a lot, especially using the skills that provide healing. I think Alcast has a build on his site for WW. Going the all damage build isn't as easy.

Oreyn_Bearclaw

If you really like and are comfortable with your stamblade, then that is what you should farm with. Personally, I think Mageblade is a simpler farm because they are a bit sturdier with all the passive heals, that said, stamblades are the fastest when you get the hang of it.

If you are willing to try a different class, sorc is certainly the easiest farm class. If you want to stick to nightblade, there really isnt a lot of secret to it. Pick either magic or stamina and go all in. Again, I think magic is easier but stamina is faster.

If magic, your want False Gods paired with another damage set. Dont over think it. Play to a NBs self healing (funnel health, Sap essence, refreshing path, etc). That said, if you arent comfortable with mageblade, swapping might not make a lot of sense.

MartiniDaniels

Magblade with swallow soul, false god+mother sorrow+iceheart is awesome for farming imo. You are literally swimming in healing from swallow+siphoning strikes+grim focus procs, no shield needed (other then IH). I just run with basic 16k HP and die only on damned mushrooms
People tell magplar and magsorc are great too, but I didn't played those much so can't say.

MEBengalsFan2001

krachall wrote: »

I’ve been playing on and off for 5 years but just completed my first vMA yesterday. I was stuck in Ice for 2 years. Granted, I would try for a day or two and then give up for months but I finally got it.

Part of this is self induced as I insisted on doing it on my main — a dunmer stamblade. But I did it.

I immediately started it again for a second time and made it back to Stage 9 fairly easily this time before having to log for the the night. I want the bow so I’ll keep running it.

Question: Now that I’ve completed my goal of finishing it on my stamblade, what other Nightblade builds would speed up the farming? Yes, it has to be a Nightblade as that’s all I play (I have 7 at max level)

Magblade?
Stamblade Werewolf?
Keep using my best character?

My friend tried this last night. No food buffs, didn't update attribute points, etc... he died once Than used food. Than beat 3 bosses than went to bed. His exact words before logging off; nMA easy, this a nice challenge. He said he would try again next week after a few tweaks but he loved it. He is only around 300 CP. He stopped early as he knew he would be able to beat the next round.

I have no desire or care to beat vMA. That may change after I complete Caldwell gold.

MjolnirVilkas

I dont know for others but for me werewolf build with plague doctor, VO and Troll King is pretty much easy mode. Got my flawless runs in such setup. Even score runs. Race and class dont matter much as long as you're stamina dd.

AndyMac

The best class and build to do vMA on is the one you know best imo.

If you're clearing on your stamblade - you say you got to 9 again pretty easily - why go to the trouble of using another class?

Best just to get some ideas around possible improvements to gear, skills etc for your current toon - if there even are improvements - and focus on mastering mechanics.

That will get you farming it soon enough, imo.

Nord_Raseri

MjolnirVilkas wrote: »

I dont know for others but for me werewolf build with plague doctor, VO and Troll King is pretty much easy mode. Got my flawless runs in such setup. Even score runs. Race and class dont matter much as long as you're stamina dd.

Was this before or after WW was gutted to RP status?

MaddPowered

farm on a magblade

RusevCrush

I would look at using other skills outside of the parsing builds you see on youtube. Silver leash or shrouded daggers. Things that provide utility rather than just pure dps.
I also like VO Briarheart Iceheart. Maybe drop Iceheart and run 2H. Brawler FTW

Oreyn_Bearclaw

RusevCrush wrote: »

I would look at using other skills outside of the parsing builds you see on youtube. Silver leash or shrouded daggers. Things that provide utility rather than just pure dps.
I also like VO Briarheart Iceheart. Maybe drop Iceheart and run 2H. Brawler FTW

Yeah, definitely not a bad idea to think outside the box. A straight DPS build with a few simple modifications will usually get the job done, but there are some really handy things you can do in the arena with skills that are easy to over look.

To the OP, if you really want to learn to farm, watch some stamblade runs of people that are pushing scores. You wont be able to imitate everything you do, but it will give you some ideas and might go a long way to smooth over some of your rough spots.

What you see the really good stamblades do is basically camp a portal with ground DOTS like Trap, Caltrops, and Hail, then they basically use leash to chain everything to them, some even use AOE spam skills like Power Extraction to help melt everything. I think the last record score I saw, they dropped surprise attack for power extraction. Single target is already so high in this game, that the arena really comes down to crowd control (stacking adds in your ground dots), AOE damage, and ST burst for bosses.

ShawnLaRock

My main after 2 years is still a messy Bosmer Stamblade, and I am scared.

S.

ArchMikem

I tormented myself and eventually got my first Stormproof on a StamSorc. I've never attempted vMA since. Only went back in once on norm to farm some Winterborn gear. The weapons are not worth it no matter what anyone says.

pod88kk

I recently got Flawless on 3 magnb within 2 weeks of each other using Mother's Sorrow, false gods and iceheart.

krachall

Thanks for all your insight and recommendations.

I geared up my magblade for VMA with False Gods, Mother's Sorrow, and Iceheart and it was a disaster. I definitely don't have the skill for that as it took me forever just to get through the first few stages. I went back to my stamblade and was able to get two more clears in he last couple days.

But on all three clears, I've gotten the same end rewards: DW weapons. With 6 sets available, the odds of pulling the same set 3x in a row are only 0.4% so I'm worried that rewards are pinned to a class/build? Meaning is the only reward a stamblade can get the DW set? I'm obviously only interested in the bow.

stevenyaub16_ESO

It just get easier with knowledge of mechanics more than class, so i think its a waste of time just to level up another char to do it.

BUT if you had to farm it mindlessly I would suggest magplar with iceheart, just jab away without worrying about survival skills.