Is Infinity Archive gear useless?

AvalonRanger · February 27

Is Infinity Archive gear useless?

I tested Sorc, Arcanist, and Corpseburster (Necro) IA set in the overland or dungeon and trial mission.
But most of it is weaker than any of other set (including craftable).

Simply, 5set function is too much weak effect.

Do you feel same impression like me? Or any idea to use them more effectively?

Delimber · February 27

Corpseburster is the only one I've used so far.
Corpseburster needs several corpse's down and you just spam that corpse tether damage skill in order to get the most out of that set.

It can be pretty good, but takes some practice and may not be ideal for some content.

Soarora · February 27

They’re niche and not all are good unfortunately. I think the only one I see really used is corpsebuster. I’m using soulcleaver on a build and not sure if it’s the best option yet. And that’s about it. One of the DK ones I think was looked at for PvP but is worse than other options?

Lozeenge · February 28

quoting myself from this thread:

Lozeenge wrote: »

class sets are at an impasse on viability because they can't be too strong otherwise it weighs favor towards a specific class which is something they obviously do not want (my condolences dragonknights) but also you're toiling away at RNG in an RNG-based arena for something like friggin' Wrathsun. no thanks. i'll take my Soulcleaver Helmet style page and be on my way.

i opted to use Soulcleaver during PVP whitestrake. it's a fairly fun alternative to using a bowblade, and apparently it's getting another buff in U45. but a lot of class sets lack flexibility. there's very few scenarios where they can outperform the other top-tier sets.

Basalt-Blooded Warrior didn't survive the PTS it was introduced in and then Pyrebrand also got hit with the Nerfendrung. Corpseburster is the only other one most people care about but that's just necro players scratching at the walls for anything viable for their kit. and i knew several sorcs who banged their heads against Monolith of Storms to try and make that work but to no avail.

Hapexamendios · February 28

I only use them for niche builds for overland quests or normal dungeons

Vonnegut2506 · February 28

The way I feel about Infinity Archive is you could leave gear out of your title, and the answer would still be yes.

JaxontheUnfortunate · February 28

I wouldn't say useless but definitely not "meta" and the grind for it likely outweighs it's benefits\use cases.

Though I do love pyre brand and run it in most content I do.

fred4 · February 28

I use Soulcleaver, because it makes for a universal build. In PvP it turns Swallow Soul into a decent spammable and amps up your healing from that skill and Sap Essence. I'm an IC player, e.g. I split my time between Tel Var farming and PvP. You probably wouldn't use Swallow Soul for a pure PvP build, but healing from damage plays nicely. For example it allows you to keep your health topped off, while soloing bosses, so as to better survive ganks.

It's a similar situation in PvE. If you want to solo stuff without being super competitive and all-knowing of mechanics, it's a good choice. You're also set to be a portal DD in trials, where you need self-healing. The setup I run to pug vet trials, as a DD, includes Soulcleaver, Velothi-Ur, Whorl of Depths and the ubiquitous Maelstrom inferno backbar and 1x Slimecraw. It only parses 77.5K in my hands, with a 1 1/2 bar rotation, but it plays well in actual content. My damage in vTrial PUGs is usually a bit below the 12.5% average, but I've done as much as 14.4% in vLC, most likely due to Sap Essence spam in the add phases. It won't match a well-played Arcanist, but it holds it's own for much the same reason, e.g. AOE damage.

Bear in mind I'm talking about DLC vTrial PUGs, not hard modes. Depending on your point of view, that is a high standard of play, or a low one. I wouldn't recommend this build to progress hard modes. It would underperform, at least the way I'm currently playing it. On the other hand, I ran a normal trial (Sanity's Edge) with a social guild and did 20% to 25% of the overall group damage in that one. I'd put that down to rotation and mechanics knowledge, but also the build. Considering where magblade currently sits in the DD meta, e.g. not doing so well and/or difficult to play, Soulcleaver turned her into a lesser Arcanist. Easy to play and doing OK.

WuffyCerulei · February 28

I like both sorcerer class sets tbh. Monolith of Storms does damage comparatively well to sets like Pillar of Nirn, but it does lack on highly mobile bosses. One does also have to make sure at least one Storm Caller damage ability on to proc it as well. Beacon of Oblivion is also great. It’s made it possible to for me to be a non-pet sorc DPS without feeling like I’m majorly lacking. The changes to it only going to the max health and armor proccing by having permanent pets has also made running Maw of Infernal and Storm Atronavh with it possible.

EF321 · February 28

I use: Nobility in Decay, Soulcleaver, Corpseburster, Aerie's Cry

AvalonRanger · March 1

Delimber wrote: »

Corpseburster is the only one I've used so far.
Corpseburster needs several corpse's down and you just spam that corpse tether damage skill in order to get the most out of that set.

It can be pretty good, but takes some practice and may not be ideal for some content.

Yea, I know logic of that set. But, Player can't put the dead body at the proper location manually
like the hand grenade. It's a almost random location.

AngryPenguin · March 1

Vonnegut2506 wrote: »

The way I feel about Infinity Archive is you could leave gear out of your title, and the answer would still be yes.

Agreed. IA is just recycled old content. There's nothing new there and it very quickly becomes a senseless grind for essentially no rewards.

Wolfshade · March 1

fred4 wrote: »

I use Soulcleaver, because it makes for a universal build.

100% /sign. Honestly, the only one from ia i play. Pretty good overall Set even without Trialgear you can combine it with many other Set`s.

- Getting constantly sick from always switching sets.
- it brings in my opinion a lot of class identity to nb
- with the mentioned skills it brings that "niche-oldschool" nb playstile back / makes it a good viable choise again
- super ulti-gen

SeaGtGruff · March 1

I don't think every new feature or content that's added to the game needs to drop META gear or grant META skills. Whenever that does happen, a lot of players get upset about having to change their characters around to stay competitive.

The real "value" of the Infinite Archive seems to be more as a means of earning a type of currency which can be used to buy a variety of things from its merchants.

ZhuJiuyin · March 1

Infinity Archive's sets are terrible, and some of them are buggy and may be causing extra load on the servers.

For example, Monolith of Storms https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/673529/monolith-of-storms-bug-again#latest

Originally, class sets had the opportunity to inject new blood into the game, but poor design made class sets almost become a meme.

necro_the_crafter · March 1

Corpsebooster is insanely good, so good in fact, i think it would be better off as a class skill/passive for necro, this set puts class identity into one of the most messy class kits. Post-hybridization necros are dommed to be carried by specific sets it seems, but CB-cro is way way smoother and feels like an actual class contruary to what catalyst-cro (read buff-bot) was.
Nobility in decay is a best defensive set in the game. So good, i run a vamp necro with titanborn a can survive and balance my health at 50% for massive blood for blood slaps.

Pyrebrand is good, especially with flat modifiers(draugrskin, dragon appetite) on a pressure build in PvP.
Basalt Blooded got two most required buffs from daedric tricery for a dk, it looks its good, have try that one to be sure.

Umbral edge is boosted. multi-purpose defense/offence set with exceptionaly good 1-4 bonuses, and one of 3 sets that can proc major vuln reliably.
Soulcleaver is niche, but I see a lot of people building around that one, so its popular atleast.

Acranists seems like trash, sorcs as well.

Aetheric lancer builds is ones of the most hard hitting ones in PvP. When i look through recaps after dying to templars using this set i see one of the craziest numbers poping.
Wrathsun is meh, niche at best.

I used Gardener of Seasons for my archives warden-tank, to play in warden-dk duo. Its fun but also niche at best. Mainly used it for damage debuff stacking, and a way to get minor heroism for me and my DK buddy, and save money on pots.
Aeire Cry looks fine, I think it might work in PvP builds, but have to try that one as well to be sure.

tmacedo · March 1

I tried Aetheric Lancer for pvp but it felt clunky for me. I am definitely not the best pvp player, but reading some opinions about it someone said that it is sonewhat a worse tarnished noghtmare, which i must agree. The aesthetics of it looks cool, tho. Also had a very niche build using Wrathsun for half-healer half-dd in normal pugs, but the damage was meh. (I hope the third class sets are better)

The only other one I'm using is basalt-blood warrior for pvp and it looks very nice. If you one-bar you can maintain Major Heroism 100% of the time

katanagirl1 · March 1

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

I don't think every new feature or content that's added to the game needs to drop META gear or grant META skills. Whenever that does happen, a lot of players get upset about having to change their characters around to stay competitive.

The real "value" of the Infinite Archive seems to be more as a means of earning a type of currency which can be used to buy a variety of things from its merchants.

I agree, and I’m very thankful for that. I don’t have a single set fully populated in the sticker book yet even though I run it when I can. IA is just an unhealthy grind fest with little rewards.

Estin · March 1

Pyrebrand is pretty much a top tier set for DK in PvP. It was super strong before, but now it's more balanced out after its very quick nerf. I've found that when it's paired with Malacath's, it adds a fair boost to the set. Your crit damage goes down the drain as a trade off for it though.

Umbral Edge is a fun set to use that takes a while to learn. I've used it paired with Left Handers in PvP. I've only tried it on a squishy build, but I can see it having the same use if built tankier. If you like playing as a brawl blade, you can come out of cloak on the offensive and dodge the first hit within 3 seconds to inflict major vulnerability.

I haven't used Corpsebuster, but I have seen it be one of the best performing sets for Necro. I think it makes them have similar damage and cleave to an arcanist if enemies are stacked well.

I haven't tried any of the others, but the majority of them aren't meta anywhere, but the majority of them are still not useless in either area of the game. Off meta isn't the same as a bad/useless set. They just provide a different but still very effective playstyle compared to the meta.

VoidCommander · March 1

WuffyCerulei wrote: »

I like both sorcerer class sets tbh. Monolith of Storms does damage comparatively well to sets like Pillar of Nirn, but it does lack on highly mobile bosses. One does also have to make sure at least one Storm Caller damage ability on to proc it as well. Beacon of Oblivion is also great. It’s made it possible to for me to be a non-pet sorc DPS without feeling like I’m majorly lacking. The changes to it only going to the max health and armor proccing by having permanent pets has also made running Maw of Infernal and Storm Atronavh with it possible.

Make sure you use the scribed Weild Soul ability as your spammable with the class mastery script so you can double dip your non-pets build. It adds an extra 2.5k to your spammable, which is quite good!

spartaxoxo · March 1

I tried Wrathsun because of a build that a streamer recommended, since I was like oh finally something neat for an IA set. It was awful.