Have you finished veteran maelstrom arena?

Valrien · April 2016

Yes

KoshkaMurka wrote: »

Valrien wrote: »

What 1 shot mechanics are in the arena? I don't know of any (except for 2 enrage mechanics that are totally preventable).

Its called "lag spike".

Oh, THAT one-shot mechanic. That one's a ***.

kadar · April 2016

No

Valrien wrote: »

What 1 shot mechanics are in the arena? I don't know of any (except for 2 enrage mechanics that are totally preventable).

There's the arena 5 boss knockup, the Lizard boss scream, and the Final boss slow AOE thing, besides enrage timers that I can think of. But like you said, totally avoidable.

f047ys3v3n · April 2016

Yes

Yes on my magica nb, almost on my templar (crystals phase up top is entirely intolerant of channeled attacks with no major expedition.) I would love a Maelstrom sharpened flame staff but after looking at the numbers decided not to make the effort of farming for it. Like many others I find the arena stressfull, not particularly fun, and antisocial so it wasn't something I would relish farming anyway. Those weapons are OP as hell though. A must have to DPS with the big boys.

dem0n1k · April 2016

No

I tried it with my VR16 Stamina DK & got through to about the 5th stage (I think) on my first attempt. Tried 2 more times & didn't get much further .. then gave up :P It's just not fun for me to learn a bunch of game mechanics through trial & error.. but I can definitely see the appeal & i salute those players who have the perseverance to run it multiple times to get the achievement / rewards.

Contraptions · April 2016

No

Got to stage 9 then gave up. Although stage 7 with the ping and the flowers combined with the boss spamming an enraged stomp was just bloody annoying.

Just reduce the damage done overall. It's really not fun at this point in time.

Baconfat79 · April 2016

No

I'm a casual player. My DK tank was my only V16 character for a long time. I re-spec'ed, re-geared, re-allocated CP, etc. Destroyed what I had built my character to do, and re-built him from scratch, just to complete vMSA. Wasn't able to complete it. I levelled a Sorc alt (pretty much just for this purpose), and am now working my way thtough vMSA. I expect to get my first clear within the next week or two. It just sucks that I had to tear down s good character and level a different one just for a small chance at that shiny loot.

Asmael · April 2016

Yes

Completed on my mag DK yesterday (did it on a mag sorc previously). Mag sorc, in comparison, make it a cakewalk where I didn't really have to worry about what the adds are, where they pop, etc.

You need absolutely to know PERFECTLY who are your priority targets, when you can kill X so that Y doesn't kill you, where to position yourself, what abilities to slot. Make ONE mistake, and you'll die.

Pretty much same noted: there's a lot of mechanics and timers you need to know (unless you're a mag sorc), and vMA being super unforgiving.

Also the *** loot, as always...

TheDarkShadow · April 2016

No

I'm not finished it yet and don't have the patient or the gold to do so. RNG is also another reason discourage me to try to finish it.

f047ys3v3n · April 2016

Yes

Asmael wrote: »

Completed on my mag DK yesterday (did it on a mag sorc previously). Mag sorc, in comparison, make it a cakewalk where I didn't really have to worry about what the adds are, where they pop, etc.

You need absolutely to know PERFECTLY who are your priority targets, when you can kill X so that Y doesn't kill you, where to position yourself, what abilities to slot. Make ONE mistake, and you'll die.

Pretty much same noted: there's a lot of mechanics and timers you need to know (unless you're a mag sorc), and vMA being super unforgiving.

Also the *** loot, as always...

The arena is really designed for mag sorcs and NB's. This comes down to the fact that most of the time enemies are best killed one at a time in a specific order as you mentioned. Sorcs and Nb's do this well as they have high ranged dps that, unlike ranged Templar's, takes less time to ramp up and is not execute dependent. Both sorcs and NB's also heal while doing dps which is important as much of VMA has at least a 2.5k per second unavoidable incoming damage. Lastly, the final fight's crystals stage is entirely intolerant of channeled melee characters without major expedition. It is more than I can do on a channeling Templar to avoid the meteors and get behind the wall.

The choice of what to run really comes down to whether you want the sorcs ability to save a screw up with that OP sheild and to skip many boss mechanics with properly timed overload or the Nb's higher basic sustained ranged dps and stronger heals. Both complete well and, as you will note, both have very competitive weekly boards whereas the other two classes do not even fill the weekly and last time I checked DK had not quite filled the all time.

The bottom line is that, although exceptional players have completed with all classes and resource profiles, some are far easier than others. This is not surprising as it is solo content and classes are really more balanced for overall usefulness than solo work against pretty deadly opponents. DK's have a hard time bringing their massive like 35k melee dps to bear when they have no one healing them and have bosses that teleport around. DK's tanking prowess is similarly useless as their are hard dps checks that prevent a tanking approach probably because if their weren't it would be fairly easy to do it in this way. You may remember it was tanky, not dps builds that started soloing VDSA a while ago. Templar's have a lot of group support usefulness with +30% heals, repentance, and shards but have to rely on sweeps in VMA because, basically, breath is not a good enough heal to do ranged dps. It is far to costly in terms of heals/magica to be a standby heal and is also completely one dimensional offering only an immediate heal on cast with no HOT, sheild, buff, or DPS. Templar's further lack a major spell/weapon power skill and a major expedition skill. People pressed hard for a tough single player trial and they got it. Not surprisingly, it has problems because classes weren't really crafted with solo play in mind. It is pity that what is by far the most powerful gear the game has ever had comes only from this and many people who do not have a stable full of multiple V16 toons therefore have trouble getting it. Look on the bright side. Farming is not like love. It is far better to have never farmed than to have farmed and never gotten your drop.

Therwind · April 2016

No

Stam NB here, I can't get lucky enough on stage 7 but I just got my sorc to 16 so.. Can't wait to give it a fresh go tonight.

Shadesofkin · April 2016

No

Finished it yet again last night, on leaderboard, will likely remain there because I play DK's exclusively.

Just started work on a new build that gets me through the Arenas a little better, though it's using a Defending Maelstrom Staff because that's the only one I've gotten so far.

Joy_Division · April 2016

Yes

For the "no" players that want to be a "yes," my advice:

Don't waste your soul gems. Rez at wayshrine and take 10 seconds to walk back to the arena (i.e. about the same time it takes for you to pop out of ghost form).
You do not need to go crazy and respec your skills, CPs, make specific gear, or be an elite DPS. Once you are knowledgeable of the mechanic and have a basic strategy, a capable build even making mistakes can finish vMA. Familiarity with your build and the arena's mechanics is much more important than anything else.
Every stage will seem hard in the beginning - even the first boss (actually this guy can be tough for players unfamiliar with the mechanics) - but with familiarity you will soon wonder how you died so much before.
Make intelligent use of the buff sigals and use them at appropriate times. They are not for "noobs" and don't just grab them willy nilly.
Burning down targets with single target abilities is generally better than trying to AoE them down at the same time. Regardless of what you may have read on the PvP forums, skills like Impulse are terribly inefficient compared to say Funnel Health and players do not "1vX" just AoEing down enemies.
You can watch top scoring videos until the cows come home, but that's kind of like attending Calculus class before learning Algebra. These people can execute those strategies not because they have OP builds, but because they know exactly where all the enemies spawn, which should be taken out first, and do not waste their resources making up for their mistakes.
You do not need a min-max DPS build or to be a "hardcore" player to beat this. Just about everyone who has asked me for tips in this arena have superior builds on paper than I do (I am the "wrong" race, with PvP morphs, and non-optimized CPs), yet I can do vMA in about 90 minutes.
There are real "walls" of difficulty that will make you cry and question your ESO competence: the third round of the Ice stage, the spider boss in stage 6, and of course, the final boss. You can beat these even if they seem impossible. Don't bang your head against the wall. Your initial strategy was probably self-defeating (example: the giant boss on the Ice stage is *not* a DPS race! Too much DPS makes that fight more difficult). Adapt. Try something different.
The final boss - the first time you get to him, you will have hundreds and hundreds of lives. You will lose them ALL. Or at least, that's what happened to us at first when there weren't any guides. You'll still probably lose hundreds of lives bc/ every 10 seconds there is a mechanic that can kill you and only with familiarity will you instinctively stop dying to them. Use two sigals at first to defeat the first Crematorium Guard (power and healing) to ensure you get to the top before the next one spawns. If you fail to destroy the 3 crystals up top (likely, doing so almost requires a 6th sense for how fast the walls move), use the defense sigal to defeat the second Crematorium Guard). If you are a NB, DK, or sorcerer, simply agony/fossilize/rune prison the Bone colossus summoner. That way only bad luck should prevent you from getting the gold ghosts and stunning any remaining Crematorium guards that spawn.
Don't quit or be discouraged by bad tales of RNG when it comes to loot. People hardly ever come onto the forum thanking ZoS for getting the loot they want. But it does happen. And even if you get a stupid hat on the final chest, you are guaranteed a gold weapon in the mail.

Rex-Umbra · April 2016

No

Nb sap tank stuck on arena 4

FENGRUSH · April 2016

Yes

I think this thread can be closed now that everyone has completed vMA

Pallio · April 2016

No

Going to try again with 501 CP and better gear.. need everything possible for this, purple v15 with 390 CP was rough...

Hortator Indoril Nerevar · April 2016

No

FENGRUSH wrote: »

I think this thread can be closed now that everyone has completed vMA

lol

RinaldoGandolphi · April 2016

I just started working on VMA about a week ago.,

Im on the final round now, and i never looked at a single Youtube video or read a single guide on the internet, I figured out every single round on my own. It may take me a few days or so depending on time, but i'll figure out the last round too and complete it as well.

Outside of being stuck in Overload animation twice, every death i have had in there has been my fault and i recognize what i done wrong, round 9 isn't really hard, its just the margin for error is smaller then the other rounds, I simply need to practice it like anything else

Apherius · April 2016

Yes

a message just for guys who say than sorcs and Nb's did easily the VMA .

- it's wrong . it's not because we have heal and shield and overload or skill at low cost . than we did this VMA without difficulty ... we try hard also ... i know than templar and Dk and same try hard much but stop say than the sorcerer and Nb finish him without difficulty , please . ( i try hard 1 month for learnt strat ect ... and i finish my first arena with 8 hours )

llllADBllll · April 2016

No

Darlon wrote: »

Moonshadow66 wrote: »

I tried it once when the Arena was fairly new, made it to stage 6, these obelisks weren't up, tried to do it again several times right after resurrecting, still bugged, then I left. I've never returned, maybe someday I will when I'm in the mood.

You sure you know how the obelisks work ?

If you die while in the arena and wayshrine sometimes the Obelisks Dont light up so it's a lottery as to which ones are free. I've experienced this too.

I have also finished this 10-15 times now so ignore the failure of the NO

llllADBllll · April 2016

No

Dromede wrote: »

Magicka sorc failing at the first arena's 5th round. Shameful, i know.
I guess i'll have to brush up on mechanics. But i'll be honest, it's a little boring to do these things by myself. I have no problem spending 3-4 hours in a learning run for SO hard mode, vyt it seems lonely to do it alone for Vma

There is no 5th round in the first Arena....

Apherius · April 2016

Yes

CraftMaster wrote: »

Dromede wrote: »

Magicka sorc failing at the first arena's 5th round. Shameful, i know.
I guess i'll have to brush up on mechanics. But i'll be honest, it's a little boring to do these things by myself. I have no problem spending 3-4 hours in a learning run for SO hard mode, vyt it seems lonely to do it alone for Vma

There is no 5th round in the first Arena....

i think it speak about the Portal who spawn ... it's THE difficulty of the first arena

Valrien · April 2016

Yes

CraftMaster wrote: »

Dromede wrote: »

Magicka sorc failing at the first arena's 5th round. Shameful, i know.
I guess i'll have to brush up on mechanics. But i'll be honest, it's a little boring to do these things by myself. I have no problem spending 3-4 hours in a learning run for SO hard mode, vyt it seems lonely to do it alone for Vma

There is no 5th round in the first Arena....

I think he means the final boss of round 1.

Apherius · April 2016

Yes

Valrien wrote: »

CraftMaster wrote: »

Dromede wrote: »

Magicka sorc failing at the first arena's 5th round. Shameful, i know.
I guess i'll have to brush up on mechanics. But i'll be honest, it's a little boring to do these things by myself. I have no problem spending 3-4 hours in a learning run for SO hard mode, vyt it seems lonely to do it alone for Vma

There is no 5th round in the first Arena....

I think he means the final boss of round 1.

No . the round of the final boss is the 4th .

Valrien · April 2016

Yes

Apherius wrote: »

Valrien wrote: »

CraftMaster wrote: »

Dromede wrote: »

Magicka sorc failing at the first arena's 5th round. Shameful, i know.
I guess i'll have to brush up on mechanics. But i'll be honest, it's a little boring to do these things by myself. I have no problem spending 3-4 hours in a learning run for SO hard mode, vyt it seems lonely to do it alone for Vma

There is no 5th round in the first Arena....

I think he means the final boss of round 1.

No . the round of the final boss is the 4th .

Typo then? I usually don't start paying attention in vMA til to understand 2 or 3 so I can't tell :P

newtinmpls · April 2016

No

The_Outsider wrote: »

Don't people get tired of face rolling all the PVE content in this game?.

No since I can't do that yet.

I'm barely to the point where my lvl 16 DK can handle a single scamp by herself in IC.

I'm barely to the point where I can .... competently (I won't say easily) do normal Fungal Grotto and Spindleclutch as a duo with my spouse on higher level characters.

Haven't even tried non-vet Maelstrom.

Yet.

lonewolf26 · April 2016

No

Got to the final boss again last night, but was plagued by bugs and desync issues. Abilities would become unresponsive , charge would stutter stop me in place. On five occasions adds would despawn around me and seconds later I would inexplicably die. If not for the bugs I'd have cleared it.

dotlife · April 2016

Yes

Yes last sunday was my first run trough. I spent in the area of 20-25 hours, granted on a magicka sorcerer. Since then my 2nd run took probably 3 hours. Now after 7 runs i can do it around half this time using buffs (boons). I also did my first run yesterday not using any buffs, did'nt time it but probably took around 2 hours - maybe a bit more.

I started playing eso in november. Play a few hours each Day and have experience from other MMO's to put things into perspective. I can see a flawless run comming within, lets say 2 months maybe ofcause

Kind Regards

Pepper8Jack · April 2016

Yes

Reevster wrote: »

Nope, VR16 mag NB all gold gear and cant even get past the first stage....its too hard for sure.

.... I can't say what, but you're definitely not doing something right if you can't get past round 1 with gold gear.

I made it to round 5 with a half nonsense combo of VR 14 and 15 hundings and briarheart. As an altmer stam sorc.

Switched back to magicka, threw on harness magicka and slapped on some V15 julianos/seducer and used that through my first clear.

It's not that hard, its just unforgiving. You need to be able to react quickly (or memorize rounds and spawns). Even then, if you can do enough damage you can pretty much negate whatever the arena throws at you by killing everything so quickly.

code65536 · April 2016

Yes

Pepper8Jack wrote: »

Reevster wrote: »

Nope, VR16 mag NB all gold gear and cant even get past the first stage....its too hard for sure.

.... I can't say what, but you're definitely not doing something right if you can't get past round 1 with gold gear.

It's because he was in heavy Armor Master.

Pepper8Jack · April 2016

Yes

N0TPLAYER2 wrote: »

I have 465 champ points. Just hit vet 16 on my sorc.

I have all gold gear and gold enchants. 3 piece arch Mage, 5 piece julianos, 3 piece willpower. Destro/resto.

I have 3400-3600 spell damage. 34k magic, 23k health.

How do you guys think I'll fare? About to begin tackling it myself. Can beat the normal version no death at vet 8.

Any champion point advice or hints I should know before I begin? I think I have everything in the right place now but I am concerned about the difficulty. Any advice would be appreciated!

Considering that you've got better gear and more CPs than I do now, let alone when I first cleared it... you should do fine lol

It'll still take a ton of practice to finish, but it won't be nearly as rough on you as it was with me. DPS is king in the arena, so you may want to consider giving up some of your health for magicka.

Best I can give:

Try it.

You won't clear it without spending at least a few hours learning it. When/if you get stuck, read over Joy's Guide to MSA here on the forums and give it another go. And another go. and another go. Eventually you'll get past it and wonder what you used to think was so hard.