Veteran City of Ash

P3ZZL3 · June 2015

Hi Guys,

Sooo, last night, me and 3 Guildies finally completed vCoA for the very first time. I have to say, from a relatively "new" player slowly creeping through the Undaunted Dungeons, Trials and such, I was again very impressed from the work done by ZoS. Great atmosphere, awesome bosses and certainly a challenge. Sure, we had multiple wipe outs and deaths learning the mechanics rather than study the online vids and wash and repeat, but it was a hell of a lot of fun.

My question, however, lies with my play style/capabilities & characters.

Tuesday, we initially went in, and cruised comfortably to the 4th Boss, the Titan. Not to bad so far. We had a healer, a tank, a sorc DPS and I was running my Templar. Now, up to the Titan, I was clearing 11-12k DPS without thinking about it and resource management was fine. The minute I got to the Titan I kept getting wiped out. Now it could have been tactics or not understanding/learning the mechanics but the red dots kept obliterating me.

Forward wind to last night. Running my v14 Sorc this time. So we had 2 sorcs, 1 tanks and a healer. This time, the Titan wasn't so bad, yet my DPS never really went over 8500 - maybe a couple of spikes from Ulti, but that was it. We then moved on to the final boss, and after numerous wipes (3 times at 4%!!!!) we did finally make it.

A GREAT feeling of achievement to say the least and can't wait to get back in there and try again.

Yet I can't help thinking that my Templar would do far better on the final Boss due to the close proximity of the fight over and above my Sorc (again, DPS at around 8500). I also then can't help but think that Hardened Ward saved my ass a fair few times but of course, I don't have that with the Temp.

Any thoughts, inputs, questions from those that have run it as a Templar/Sorc and any advice you could give?

Cheers Ears.
Pez

BuggeX · June 2015

I didnt run as Sorc/Temp. Just runing my dk
Since most boss in coa just deal Magic dmg you could use the shild from light armor.
Or you can overheal youself as Temp.

Both will safe you from dieng on the firerain Phase at the Titan.

Edit: is your temp Vampire?

P3ZZL3 · June 2015

BuggeX wrote: »

Edit: is your temp Vampire?

Thanks god No!

schroed360 · June 2015

Maybe It is stupid but...were you blocking during that period where he spit aoe fire on everybody? If not that is your solution. Otherwise yeah shield and overheal.
Good luck for the achievement in there!! There are pretty cool.

anitajoneb17_ESO · June 2015

It's hard to tell without more details of the stuff and skillbars and rotations you use on each of your chars, but I'd say it's more a playstyle issue than a class issue.

Both Titan and Valkyn are a DPS race, that is, the longer the fight lasts, the less chance you have to overcome it. Thus you have to make a constant balance between protection and DPS potential, both with your playstyle AND your skill choices.

It's quite easy to reach 10/12K DPS instead of 8.5K with a magicka sorc... provided you don't "waste" skill slots and DPS-time with protective skills and too much roll-dodging.

If you put hardened ward in your bar, that's 1 skill slot which will be used for protection instead of DPS. The only protective skill I have in my bar as a DPS sorc is bound aegis (and even that I use more for the extra max magicka bonus than for self protection). You must see for yourself to balance this in a optimized way for each character.

Same applies to playstyle : walking/running out of red zones costs less time thus less DPS than roll dodging, so does blocking in most cases. Depending on your strategy and positioning on each fight, you have to find out for yourself what is best between blocking/roll dodging / walking out of zones, not only in terms of your own survival but mostly in terms of "DPS loss". Depending on your healer, your max health and all other factors, you can also carry on DPS and do nothing to avoid damage and let the healer keep you alive.

Congratulations on your success in VCOA, for your approach on "finding the strategy yourself" - too many people just spoil themselves by learning those in videos instead of ingame) - and for your positive post : yes VCOA is great as are many things in this game !

sebban · June 2015

When the fire rain comes, you will have one red circle following you, and additional red circles will spawn on the ground. Try to avoid standing in any red circles but your own.

Maybe you also stood too far from your healer and was out of range for heals?

You can avoid dying as a templar by either slotting your shield ability or a heal, and help the healer keep you alive.

Valymer · June 2015

Hardened Ward + Overload = success

P3ZZL3 · June 2015

Thanks for the input guys.

@anitajoneb17_ESO Good read and advice. I'll play around with it possibly tonight if we go in again. I've actually been considering 1hand sword and Shield as a potential 2nd bar defensive switch *shrugs*

As for the sorc, I'm running force shock, crystal, entropy, bound aegis & inner light. Second bar is Hardened, impulse, wrath, bound & inner light.

typical rotation: hw/entropy/crystal/force/force/crystal etc.... throwing in a couple of wards and entropys to keep protected and increase damage. Then wrath at the end @ 20% - ulti's are Dawns and MEtorite.

@Valymer Not tried with OL - although might give that a crack as well

Flaminir · June 2015

P3ZZL3 wrote: »

Thanks for the input guys.

@anitajoneb17_ESO Good read and advice. I'll play around with it possibly tonight if we go in again. I've actually been considering 1hand sword and Shield as a potential 2nd bar defensive switch *shrugs*

As for the sorc, I'm running force shock, crystal, entropy, bound aegis & inner light. Second bar is Hardened, impulse, wrath, bound & inner light.

typical rotation: hw/entropy/crystal/force/force/crystal etc.... throwing in a couple of wards and entropys to keep protected and increase damage. Then wrath at the end @ 20% - ulti's are Dawns and MEtorite.

@Valymer Not tried with OL - although might give that a crack as well

Two suggestions....

1. Liquid lightning, Liquid Lightning, Liquid lightning!!!! This makes a massive difference to your Sorc DPS as its basically the strongest dot in the game right now.

2. As somebody above suggested... Overload is the way to super high Sorc ranged magicka DPS on bosses. You can let it keep charging up through most of the dungeon until you need it as it can be charged waaaaaay over the usual 100% ulti, and then make sure your overload bar is set up with your bound aegis & inner light... as well as entropy, liquid lightning... and the last spot is flexible... ward maybe). Engage overload.... entropy..... liquid lightning... and just spam overload light attacks, reapplying LL & entropy when they run out. Depending on your gear this will get you to between 15-20k dps for quite a sustained period of time, usually close to a minute with a full charge which is plenty for most bosses.

Keep Meteor on your main dps bar as this will increase your magicka & regen, and can be used in longer boss fights once your overload has run out.

Bfish22090 · June 2015

I run a dark elf dk. Coa is very simple with a good group.

anitajoneb17_ESO · June 2015

Bfish22090 wrote: »

I run a dark elf dk. Coa is very simple with a good group.

Which is really a good answer / help for the OP who was asking about tips and tricks for sorc and templar. Congratulations.

To stay on topic : I can only agree with @Flaminir regarding liquid lightning. As to overload, I'll really need to give a try one of these days :-)

AlnilamE · June 2015

Do you have the Templar skill that shields you and then deals damage when it ends? Sun Shield, I think? I use that on my tank a lot.

Cuyler · June 2015

Flaminir wrote: »

P3ZZL3 wrote: »

Thanks for the input guys.

@anitajoneb17_ESO Good read and advice. I'll play around with it possibly tonight if we go in again. I've actually been considering 1hand sword and Shield as a potential 2nd bar defensive switch *shrugs*

As for the sorc, I'm running force shock, crystal, entropy, bound aegis & inner light. Second bar is Hardened, impulse, wrath, bound & inner light.

typical rotation: hw/entropy/crystal/force/force/crystal etc.... throwing in a couple of wards and entropys to keep protected and increase damage. Then wrath at the end @ 20% - ulti's are Dawns and MEtorite.

@Valymer Not tried with OL - although might give that a crack as well

Two suggestions....

1. Liquid lightning, Liquid Lightning, Liquid lightning!!!! This makes a massive difference to your Sorc DPS as its basically the strongest dot in the game right now.

2. As somebody above suggested... Overload is the way to super high Sorc ranged magicka DPS on bosses. You can let it keep charging up through most of the dungeon until you need it as it can be charged waaaaaay over the usual 100% ulti, and then make sure your overload bar is set up with your bound aegis & inner light... as well as entropy, liquid lightning... and the last spot is flexible... ward maybe). Engage overload.... entropy..... liquid lightning... and just spam overload light attacks, reapplying LL & entropy when they run out. Depending on your gear this will get you to between 15-20k dps for quite a sustained period of time, usually close to a minute with a full charge which is plenty for most bosses.

Keep Meteor on your main dps bar as this will increase your magicka & regen, and can be used in longer boss fights once your overload has run out.

THIS^. Start out with overload on until it runs out. then liquid lighting>entropy>velocious curse>CF>force pulse>LA weave. rinse repeat.

sebban wrote: »

When the fire rain comes, you will have one red circle following you, and additional red circles will spawn on the ground. Try to avoid standing in any red circles but your own.

Maybe you also stood too far from your healer and was out of range for heals?

And THIS^. or it's possible your healer simply needs to get better heals. The titan is the first fight in vcoa that requires a competent healer.

P3ZZL3 · June 2015

@Flaminir @Cuyler Thanks Folks. I'll definitely look into this tonight. I was seriously debating whether to run OL but thought I'd play it safe.

@AlnilamE yeah, I was considering that as well. But compared to Ward it kinda sucks

Where should I be dumping by CP's ? I know there's 2 camps on Magica REgen over Decrease Cost of MAgica.....thoughts?
Also, I have a fair amount dumped in BAstian helping HW - thoughts on this would also be appreciated.

AlnilamE · June 2015

Not knowing off the top of my head what constellations they are in and what the passives are, I would say split them 50/50.

Because the first points put into a star are the ones that give you the most return, putting some in regen and some in reduction would probably give you the most return at this point.

Also don't forget the one that increases the return on heavy attacks.

P3ZZL3 · June 2015

AlnilamE wrote: »

Also don't forget the one that increases the return on heavy attacks.

Why's that. would 4-5% actually make a real difference to a heavy attack?

Flaminir · June 2015

P3ZZL3 wrote: »

@Flaminir @Cuyler Thanks Folks. I'll definitely look into this tonight. I was seriously debating whether to run OL but thought I'd play it safe.

@AlnilamE yeah, I was considering that as well. But compared to Ward it kinda sucks

Where should I be dumping by CP's ? I know there's 2 camps on Magica REgen over Decrease Cost of MAgica.....thoughts?
Also, I have a fair amount dumped in BAstian helping HW - thoughts on this would also be appreciated.

No probs.

Cost reduction! The mathematicians out there showed its quite a bit more effective than regen, though there must be a point with the diminishing returns where its more effective to then add points into regen.... I don't know where that point is though I'm afraid.

I use bastion as well.... whilst Hardened ward has a mixed reaction in PvE circles (Personally I think its a life saver to have in an emergency or when you are rezzing & has saved me group wipes more times than I can remember!) in PvP its essential... bastion makes your ward even bigger!

Bastion isn't the number 1 priority by any stretch, but they aren't wasted points for a Sorc if that's any help.

P3ZZL3 · June 2015

@Flaminir So, that brings us back to the Temp then.

As LL isn't there, nor Mages wrath (which can be easily countered with JB) what to do there? In essence I just really need solid range DPS, or solid shield to get in and do DPS with Aedric. I was wondering whether to go Nirn Shield and Sword. The shield defence is a nice 10k spell mitigation.

Cuyler · June 2015

Flaminir wrote: »

P3ZZL3 wrote: »

@Flaminir @Cuyler Thanks Folks. I'll definitely look into this tonight. I was seriously debating whether to run OL but thought I'd play it safe.

@AlnilamE yeah, I was considering that as well. But compared to Ward it kinda sucks

Where should I be dumping by CP's ? I know there's 2 camps on Magica REgen over Decrease Cost of MAgica.....thoughts?
Also, I have a fair amount dumped in BAstian helping HW - thoughts on this would also be appreciated.

No probs.

Cost reduction! The mathematicians out there showed its quite a bit more effective than regen, though there must be a point with the diminishing returns where its more effective to then add points into regen.... I don't know where that point is though I'm afraid.

THIS^. The turning point is 32 CPs into magician. After you reach 32 each additional point only increases reduction by .1%. Sooo fill up magician to 32 CPs then put all the rest into Recovery. Also spending 1 point into several stars can be beneficial as well (each gives a 1% bonus). Some to consider: block cost reduction, dodge roll cost reduction, sprint cost reduction etc., this goes to help with stam management in the mechanic laden fights.

For the Warrior points:
Elemental defender: 30 points
Hardy: 10+ points
Thick Skinned: 10+ Points
Spell Sheild: 1 point if using a piece of nirnhoned, otherwise this needs more points.