How Do People Melee DPS Valkyn Skoria?

Dagoth_Rac · April 2015

Hello,
My DPS is melee-based. This obviously causes problems in some fights, like Vila Theran and Engine Guardian and Ra-Kotu. But those are not DPS races so even with mediocre ranged attacks, you can kill the boss, it will just a little longer. With Valkyn Skoria, you need to have really good DPS going the whole time or you will run out of platforms. This is causing problems for me because in melee range, I tend to get wrecked by the fire that expands from where boss is standing. I have tried dancing around to avoid the fire, but that is a DPS loss and I seem to take lots of damage, anyway. I am not a vampire, so it just seems like the fire damage he emits is simply really, really nasty.
But I am sure people do melee him because I have seen screencaps after his death with lots of Biting Jabs and Rapid Strikes and Executioner and stuff like that listed. So does anyone have tips for how to melee Valkyn Skoria? Is there some trick to it or mechanic that I am missing so that I can stay near him and not take crazy fire damage?

Thanks!

mrvbalc · April 2015

same here, need some tips to melee down him, (DW and 2h, atm), 2 times killed him but only using bow and in normal mode. couldnt done in hard mode since i couldnt do much dps with bow

Shunravi · April 2015

It's all about how you position those flames.

Your tank will want to position the geysers at points A and B, with the Valkin at point C. You can then stand at point O and maintain dps with only minor movement. It's not easy, but it's doable.

Shunravi · April 2015

Also, if the healer is on the platform with you, have them behind you so they are safer, and have them use some mitigation abilities like circle of protection and combat prayer. Bone shield is nice too if you can use the synergy while doing your rotation, or if the tank can....

I personally like the healer on the platform spamming healing springs (especially with a master's staff.)

Merlin13KAGL · April 2015

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

I am not a vampire, so it just seems like the fire damage he emits is simply really, really nasty.

Why you gotta make it about vampire, eh?

Does seem like they could add a mechanic to help offset this somehow. Shada's Tear end boss same deal. You don't always have the option to stand at ground zero.

Shunravi · April 2015

Merlin13KAGL wrote: »

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

I am not a vampire, so it just seems like the fire damage he emits is simply really, really nasty.

Why you gotta make it about vampire, eh?

Does seem like they could add a mechanic to help offset this somehow. Shada's Tear end boss same deal. You don't always have the option to stand at ground zero.

I know some melee vamps who do it...

But, yea, something to offset it... Kinda like killing the sparks on the forge boss in Shada's

Dagoth_Rac · April 2015

Shunravi wrote: »

Also, if the healer is on the platform with you, have them behind you so they are safer, and have them use some mitigation abilities like circle of protection and combat prayer. Bone shield is nice too if you can use the synergy while doing your rotation, or if the tank can....

Wait, the healer can be on the platform with us?! We have always had the healer (and any ranged DPS) on the center platform and the tank (and my melee DPS) on the platform with Valkyn. I don't heal, but I get the impression it is harder when the group is spread out like that. So if I could talk the healer into getting closer to me, that would be nice. :-)

Shunravi · April 2015

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

Shunravi wrote: »

Also, if the healer is on the platform with you, have them behind you so they are safer, and have them use some mitigation abilities like circle of protection and combat prayer. Bone shield is nice too if you can use the synergy while doing your rotation, or if the tank can....

Wait, the healer can be on the platform with us?! We have always had the healer (and any ranged DPS) on the center platform and the tank (and my melee DPS) on the platform with Valkyn. I don't heal, but I get the impression it is harder when the group is spread out like that. So if I could talk the healer into getting closer to me, that would be nice. :-)

Yup. Heck, if the healer can avoid stuff, it's easier. The percs are; not having to juggle ranged heals, can place support abilities for mitigation and boosted damage and other percs, and can use healing springs as everyone should be in range. I only ever do ranged mid during normal mode to be safe and because of where he could move.

In hardmode you can essentially control where he goes.

Nestor · April 2015

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

Hello,
Is there some trick to it or mechanic that I am missing so that I can stay near him and not take crazy fire damage?

Thanks!

Got any Kuta's or Rekuta's? Make a Fire Resist Glyph, or three, and put them on some jewelery for this fight. I have a couple of rings like this for these nasty fire spitters. Reduces my normal stats (I use Warlock or Syrbane Jewelry), but keeps me alive.

Do you have any kind of Shield that you can put up?

Merlin13KAGL · April 2015

Nestor wrote: »

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

Hello,
Is there some trick to it or mechanic that I am missing so that I can stay near him and not take crazy fire damage?

Thanks!

Got any Kuta's or Rekuta's? Make a Fire Resist Glyph, or three, and put them on some jewelery for this fight. I have a couple of rings like this for these nasty fire spitters. Reduces my normal stats (I use Warlock or Syrbane Jewelry), but keeps me alive.

Do you have any kind of Shield that you can put up?

@Nestor, he does not...but he knows someone that does

Shunravi wrote: »

It's all about how you position those flames.
Your tank will want to position the geysers at points A and B, with the Valkin at point C. You can then stand at point O and maintain dps with only minor movement. It's not easy, but it's doable.

@Shunravi, DPS here. How does the tank position the geysers? By controlling the direction the boss is facing?

This is also something I'm not sure we're doing, so much as just keeping the boss taunted. But again, I'm not the tank.

Shunravi · April 2015

Nestor wrote: »

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

Hello,
Is there some trick to it or mechanic that I am missing so that I can stay near him and not take crazy fire damage?

Thanks!

Got any Kuta's or Rekuta's? Make a Fire Resist Glyph, or three, and put them on some jewelery for this fight. I have a couple of rings like this for these nasty fire spitters. Reduces my normal stats (I use Warlock or Syrbane Jewelry), but keeps me alive.

Do you have any kind of Shield that you can put up?

^ as is the theme of the thread, you can't dps while dead.

Merlin13KAGL wrote: »

Nestor wrote: »

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

Hello,
Is there some trick to it or mechanic that I am missing so that I can stay near him and not take crazy fire damage?

Thanks!

Got any Kuta's or Rekuta's? Make a Fire Resist Glyph, or three, and put them on some jewelery for this fight. I have a couple of rings like this for these nasty fire spitters. Reduces my normal stats (I use Warlock or Syrbane Jewelry), but keeps me alive.

Do you have any kind of Shield that you can put up?

@Nestor, he does not...but he knows someone that does

Shunravi wrote: »

It's all about how you position those flames.
Your tank will want to position the geysers at points A and B, with the Valkin at point C. You can then stand at point O and maintain dps with only minor movement. It's not easy, but it's doable.

@Shunravi, DPS here. How does the tank position the geysers? By controlling the direction the boss is facing?

This is also something I'm not sure we're doing, so much as just keeping the boss taunted. But again, I'm not the tank.

Everything going well, taunts and (threat?) handled, the valkin should be putting the flames on the guy with agro. The tank needs to stand in that position and then alternate when he throws the font down. The only mechanic I have noticed that is not influenced by agro is his fireball knockdown, (from a tanks perspective.) And, yes, he will throw the font down in front of him, so where he is facing. Heck, you could put the font in the lava if the tank has timing down, then you could stand in a line through the center.

the font could go anywhere on that side, but it's safer for everybody at those two points.

Dagoth_Rac · April 2015

I am not clear where the tank is in this. Is he moving back and forth between points A & B? Or does he just stand in place below point C?

Shunravi · April 2015

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

I am not clear where the tank is in this. Is he moving back and forth between points A & B? Or does he just stand in place below point C?

sorry, I'm making myself hard to understand again....

Yes, the tank moves to point A and B.

The purpose of this being to create space between the team and the flame font. The valkin will place the font where the tank was standing. Using this method, there should be fair distance between the font and the dps. And the tank will have moved away from the danger zone.

Islyn · April 2015

YOLO. That is how

Shunravi · April 2015

Also, point O is very lenient. Move according to how comfortable you feel. If the tank is keeping to the points, at the very least you have a pattern of where the danger comes from and where the boss will be.

Dagoth_Rac · April 2015

Shunravi wrote: »

Also, point O is very lenient. Move according to how comfortable you feel. If the tank is keeping to the points, at the very least you have a pattern of where the danger comes from and where the boss will be.

This has been really helpful. Thank you so much! I have watched videos of the fight, but it is often hard to understand why people are doing certain things or how they know exactly when to do them, just from a video.

He also has an attack where he seems to pull his arm back and shoot fire at a random player. Is that what sometimes CC's me? How do you avoid the CC? Block? Dodge roll? I never seem to see people getting CC'ed in the videos on YouTube so I must be doing something wrong that is getting me CC'ed.

Shunravi · April 2015

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

Shunravi wrote: »

Also, point O is very lenient. Move according to how comfortable you feel. If the tank is keeping to the points, at the very least you have a pattern of where the danger comes from and where the boss will be.

This has been really helpful. Thank you so much! I have watched videos of the fight, but it is often hard to understand why people are doing certain things or how they know exactly when to do them, just from a video.

He also has an attack where he seems to pull his arm back and shoot fire at a random player. Is that what sometimes CC's me? How do you avoid the CC? Block? Dodge roll? I never seem to see people getting CC'ed in the videos on YouTube so I must be doing something wrong that is getting me CC'ed.

Annytime

Yea, that's his annoying firebolt thingy... As a general rule, get ready to rolldodge (or block) when he lifts his arm. He's about to cast, and if you get hit it's never pleasant. Also, watch for visual effects. When he casts his petrify, for instance, you will see rocks gather at his feet. Petrify and the firebolt can be rolldodged.

And the firebolt does target randomly.

Islyn · April 2015

And y we all just block those too. I personally cannot roll dodge too much.

Shunravi · April 2015

Islyn wrote: »

And y we all just block those too. I personally cannot roll dodge too much.

True. Though in thinking stamina melee build in this thread... More rolldodge ability. (And I sometimes rolldodge cancel.)

Yea, block or dodge. Whichever one.

Alcast · April 2015

All on the same platform, healer spamming Healing Springs, Tank tanks the boss on edge and if the boss drops the fire AOE the tank has to move to another corner.
Before he destroys the platform move to the next one.

https://youtu.be/hqvaIGwhPdU