Best class set up for VMA?

unlord116 · June 2016

Hi guys,

I recently started playing again, few weeks ago. Just finished TG story and quests, getting into orsinium and the new DB now.

With the recent change to CP and VR, i now have 4 maxed out characters. I want to assign one of them to be my VMA toon, and was wondering which set up would be the easiest to complete it. I'm not an expert player, and I mostly play as an off time hobby, so I dont need leaderboards or what not, I just want a char that can complete it with some practice.

I have 4 chars below:

Imperial Sorc (this is locked for Stamina, i know stamsorc is the weakest class, but its been my main since I started and I want to stick with it)
Woodelf NB
Darkelf DK
Breton Templar

The NB, DK and Templar I have just respeced and can go stam or mag. I have access to quite a bit of gold, and can craft anything in game, but I dont run trials so my set up can't really include those BoP pieces. Some advice would be great!

Thanks!

SahrotRein · June 2016

Sorry I don't do stambuilds but AFAIK, stamina sorc is definitely stronger now than before coming with DB, or at least it is not the weakest class, no.

Btw, I wholeheartedly thank you for spelling it "VMA" and not "VSMA" as many other players do.

DannyLV702 · June 2016

If you want to be a beast and do it with your stamsorc, fengrush has a great guide in his YouTube channel

willymchilybily · June 2016

magicka templar only because nightblade is stamina based race, and all those resistances on the Light armor/breton/templar give good spell resist.

on a magicka templar the hardest level is round 5, you will mostly use close range damage, and you will get CC'd regularly. stamina becomes an issue, repentance is useful here. You will (probably) struggle with the first few round on your first attempt at vet, and the first time you do the final round, when you reach it. If you are not experienced with round 9 it takes a lot of getting use to.

i have completed using easy build to recreate if its of use:

5 piece julianos, 4 piece magnus (DW), will power jewlery (spell damage), recovery mundus
BoL, toppling, sweeps, magelight, radiant op. (DW)
BoL, channeled focus, repentance, ritual, entropy (resto - not essential)
one thing to bare in mind, the light armor shield skill (annulment) is a lot more powerful in DB, and probably should be used. I would likely take BoL of the front bar and use the shield. Either morph is good. harness magicka may allow you better resource management to the point of dropping recovery mundus for crit mundus. but for first timers i suggest keep the recovery, set up (around 1,500 with CP, iirc)

magicka Dk is a little harder but plays similar (close range DPs is my build), the difference between burning embers and puncturing sweeps is you dont do your main dps with embers but you do with sweeps. And you need to use embers twice to get your first heal from it. oh and its range is a lot less. but similar in effect, you can put it on mobs and use it to stay healed whilst doing dps.

Personally I would not suggest going as a stamina build on your first play through vMA

xblackroxe · June 2016

Magicka NB is best for you but mag dk is not that bad either. Templar is very hard to sustain unfortunately (a vma resto with rapid regen really helps though)

But from all you options go with your NB and spec it magicka.
If you've never done vma either watch videos of other people or do normal mode 1-2 times to get a feeling for mechanics. Play your first runs safe though still try to do as much damage as possible as it makes it much easier.

willymchilybily · June 2016

xblackroxe wrote: »

Magicka NB is best for you but mag dk is not that bad either. Templar is very hard to sustain unfortunately (a vma resto with rapid regen really helps though)

But from all you options go with your NB and spec it magicka.
If you've never done vma either watch videos of other people or do normal mode 1-2 times to get a feeling for mechanics. Play your first runs safe though still try to do as much damage as possible as it makes it much easier.

have no sustain issue on magicka templar myself. DK may have better sustain with elemental drain, but templar if built right is actually quite easy, i find it far easier than my main DKs. sweeps sweeps, sweeps, win

Riggsy · June 2016

So much has changed with this new DLC you might have to wait a bit to find out which class is now "the best."

Or try it out with all your characters and see which one works the best for you.

xblackroxe · June 2016

Oh as for sets go with either julianos or twice born star and try to get kena shoulder/ helm if possible. If you dont have any monster sets go 5x Julianos/TBS 3x Torugs pact (helm and shoulder so you don't have to recraft the other pieces) and most importantly get willpower jewelery.
Destro/resto for the start (don't try to play without healing ward till you know exactly what happens when else RIP

)

Skills:
Funnel/swallow - cripple - elemental blockade - merciless resolve - IL soulharvest
Resto:
Healing ward - siphoning attacks - refreshing path - sap essence - proxy/ dont know if its worth now in DB - shooting star/ veil of blades (veil better for starters bc damage reduction)

xblackroxe · June 2016

willymchilybily wrote: »

xblackroxe wrote: »

Magicka NB is best for you but mag dk is not that bad either. Templar is very hard to sustain unfortunately (a vma resto with rapid regen really helps though)

But from all you options go with your NB and spec it magicka.
If you've never done vma either watch videos of other people or do normal mode 1-2 times to get a feeling for mechanics. Play your first runs safe though still try to do as much damage as possible as it makes it much easier.

have no sustain issue on magicka templar myself. DK may have better sustain with elemental drain, but templar if built right is actually quite easy, i find it far easier than my main DKs. sweeps sweeps, sweeps, win

How do you sustain (i mean like no problems not hoping for lucky cp passive procs(don't know the name) and rapid proc?

willymchilybily · June 2016

xblackroxe wrote: »

willymchilybily wrote: »

xblackroxe wrote: »

Magicka NB is best for you but mag dk is not that bad either. Templar is very hard to sustain unfortunately (a vma resto with rapid regen really helps though)

But from all you options go with your NB and spec it magicka.
If you've never done vma either watch videos of other people or do normal mode 1-2 times to get a feeling for mechanics. Play your first runs safe though still try to do as much damage as possible as it makes it much easier.

have no sustain issue on magicka templar myself. DK may have better sustain with elemental drain, but templar if built right is actually quite easy, i find it far easier than my main DKs. sweeps sweeps, sweeps, win

How do you sustain (i mean like no problems not hoping for lucky cp passive procs(don't know the name) and rapid proc?

~1,500 recovery (iirc might be less), + channelled focus + occasional tri-pot (mostly used for the stamina tbh). sweeps on DW bar, save the radiant oppression for bosses/sub bosses, not trash. i don't know what else to tell you. To be clear I'm not getting over 500k scores or anything its >1h run time. But resources aren't an issue.

Edit: Oh, and high elf

xblackroxe · June 2016

willymchilybily wrote: »

xblackroxe wrote: »

willymchilybily wrote: »

xblackroxe wrote: »

Magicka NB is best for you but mag dk is not that bad either. Templar is very hard to sustain unfortunately (a vma resto with rapid regen really helps though)

But from all you options go with your NB and spec it magicka.
If you've never done vma either watch videos of other people or do normal mode 1-2 times to get a feeling for mechanics. Play your first runs safe though still try to do as much damage as possible as it makes it much easier.

have no sustain issue on magicka templar myself. DK may have better sustain with elemental drain, but templar if built right is actually quite easy, i find it far easier than my main DKs. sweeps sweeps, sweeps, win

How do you sustain (i mean like no problems not hoping for lucky cp passive procs(don't know the name) and rapid proc?

~1,500 recovery (iirc might be less), + channelled focus + occasional tri-pot (mostly used for the stamina tbh). sweeps on DW bar, save the radiant oppression for bosses/sub bosses. i don't know what else to tell you. To be clear im not getting over 500k scores or anything its >1h run time. But resources aren't an issue.

Edit: Oh, and high elf

Oh okay you run attro. Well I was talking more about 500k+ scores with thief stone and full SD glyphs^^ though tbh my templar is only imperial atm im lvling an altmer now.

code65536 · June 2016

With the nerf to sorcs this patch, magblades and magplars are probably the two easiest for first-time vMA clears (not talking about 500K+ scores).

Didaco · June 2016

I'm not an expert by any mean, but for your first try might be useful slotting your 20+ sec stun class skill to put annoying mobs to rest.

Rainteal · June 2016

I have cleared it on three characters, and I find the easiest FOR ME is Mag Templar. Now, that is very subjective. It was my first one and the class for which I have the most experience.

vMA is all about mechanics. I have spent tons of time talking to loads of folks who clear it. We swap stories, builds, and advice. The one thing that stands out is NOBODY does it the same way lol. All of my buddies have small variations in how they deal with different situations. Now this isn't to say that we don't find new and improved ways to keep getting better, but It does highlight how important it is to not be too focused on guides and builds. Get in there, and figure out what works for you. Listen to everybody and take all advice you can from guides, but do not be afraid to experiment with options. It just takes practice.

Build for me:

High elf Magplar

All Magicka points and enchants

Max health, Magicka regen food for the entire arena

5 piece light Julianos divines

heavy divines Kena shoulder

medium divines Nerineth (sp?) head

3 willpower with spell damage (2 healthy, 1 Arcane)

DW Torugs swords nirn

Maelstrom Resto precise

DW Bar:

toppling charge, BoL, jabs, structured entropy, inner light, meteor

Resto:

harness magicka, BoL, channeling focus, mutagen, purifying ritual, nova

I swap purifying ritual to total dark on arena 5 to help with ranged adds in the water

I swap mutagen to dark flare on arena 7 to help kill the brute when I am stuck in a shield at range

I swap purifying ritual to the repentance morph that gives the 20% regen buff. I cant remember its name lol!)

With this setup, and LOTS of practice, I can now do the whole arena with no sigals in just less than 1.5 hours. Obviously not a super score, but enough for weekly leaderboards.

Please feel free to ask any questions you have. I'm happy to help.

Rain

Haquor · June 2016

Breton magicka templar 100%

xblackroxe · June 2016

Haquor wrote: »

Breton magicka templar 100%

You have obviously never tried magBlade. No class not even templar with sweeps can even come close to the heals NB have.
Know what you're doing and refreshing path + swallow soul + sap is enough to overheal you easily.

mr_wazzabi · June 2016

xblackroxe wrote: »

Haquor wrote: »

Breton magicka templar 100%

You have obviously never tried magBlade. No class not even templar with sweeps can even come close to the heals NB have.
Know what you're doing and refreshing path + swallow soul + sap is enough to overheal you easily.

True, but templars still have more burst healing.

When I get hit by a hard hit by the boss as magicka nb, i need to cast healing ward and hope the boss doesn't break it. Templar can breath of life and be back at full health.

But by a player that knows how to avoid all boss hard hits, magicka nb is smoother overall.

nordsavage · June 2016

Go in with a self healing on attack build like a magicka Nightblade or Templar until you learn the mechanics and spawns.

Kas · June 2016

msa used to be the easiest (especially for those trying their first proper completions) on magicka sorcs. witht he changes to shields, i expect that magicka nbs should have the easiest time now.

that said, msa is more about knowing the stages and enemies (and your cp + the quality for your build because higher damage makes it MUCH easier, the biggest problem is getting overwhelmed by several mobs, often boss + adds and clearing adds slightly faster helps A LOT) than about your build / archtype.

expect many hours to learn each stage (maybe expect the easy ones in the beginning). once you have that down, the whole arena becomes fairly easy and you'll find it much easiert to transition from a well-suited build to a less-well-suited one than to learn it initially on "the best build for msa"

GreatWhite000 · June 2016

Magicka nightblade is definitely the easiest class to do it on, it has insane damage and plenty of self healing. Nightblade has a passive (under siphoning I believe) that gives you 8% more magicka which would let you run a magicka build on your wood elf without any problems, as the passive makes up for some of the magic you would normally miss out on as a stamina race. I know plenty of people who respeced their imperials, khajiits, etc for magicka just to run vet maelstrom and have higher DPS in dungeons/trials.

Archmage1 · June 2016

Would it be safe to say Sorcs have dropped considerably and Magplars would be the best for a first timer?

Oreyn_Bearclaw · June 2016

Of the choices you gave, I would limit your choices to Templar or DK. Your NB is a stam race, and stam is much tougher in there. NB is also by far the hardest class to get on the boards, but also perhaps the easiest class to clear if you go magic. Certainly not the worst idea to spec your NB magic just to learn. I did the same thing on an Imperial.

I recommended learning on Magic and seeing how it goes. I actually have similar races as you. I have done it on both a Breton Templar and a Dunmer DK. Other than the last boss, I found Templar considerably easier than DK, and I have far more hours on my DK than any other toon. You have a cone AoE that heals, plus an Oh Crap button, and a nice execute (take the healing morph of radiant). DK is a lot more button pressing, you need to keep up HoTs and wings, etc. The only trick for me on a Templar was that I essentially had to relearn the last boss from a melee perspective. It took me a few hours the first time, but that boss takes most people a few hours the first time.

Archmage1 wrote: »

Would it be safe to say Sorcs have dropped considerably and Magplars would be the best for a first timer?

Sorcs have dropped considerably. I haven't run it since the changes, but Sorcs took two big hits. Their shield is only 6 seconds now. That means more shield casting and lest DPS. Also surge got reworked. I cant tell yet if this is better or not. They make it out to be a 30% buff, but I cant tell you how many times having a frag or overload crit to heal me to full has turned a fight around. That cant happen anymore because the heal is a flat value. Not totally sure how this is going to play out.

People say sorc is easiest. For boss fights, that is unquestionably true. You can pretty much overload all bosses once you figure out the basics. Thing is, bosses arent necessarily what make this place hard. They all have mechanics that arent bad once you learn them. I think sorcs are in third place behind Magic NB and Magic Templar for the non-boss rounds, and that was before the patch. Also keep in mind that every magic class other than sorc got a buff, because harness magic is now a pretty nice shield for everyone.

Resipsa131 · June 2016

xblackroxe wrote: »

Oh as for sets go with either julianos or twice born star and try to get kena shoulder/ helm if possible. If you dont have any monster sets go 5x Julianos/TBS 3x Torugs pact (helm and shoulder so you don't have to recraft the other pieces) and most importantly get willpower jewelery.
Destro/resto for the start (don't try to play without healing ward till you know exactly what happens when else RIP )

Skills:
Funnel/swallow - cripple - elemental blockade - merciless resolve - IL soulharvest
Resto:
Healing ward - siphoning attacks - refreshing path - sap essence - proxy/ dont know if its worth now in DB - shooting star/ veil of blades (veil better for starters bc damage reduction)

I'm an average player that has finished VMA on a magicka Sorc and Magblade I had many more problems with the Magblade

My set up for VMA was crippling grasp, Mercless Resolve or Crushing Shock for last boss, funnel health, Dampen magicka, inner light, Shooting Star on my DW bar I run Reapers mark, Sap Essence, impale, prolonged suffering inner light, Dawnbreaker of Smiting

unlord116 · June 2016

Wow, thanks everyone for the reply. it does look like Mag build would be easier for a beginner like me. I'm still debating with NB or Templar, but i'm leaning towards Templar since I might wanna keep my NB as stam base medium armor so I can use him to farm the TG heist daily easier.

Might take you guys up on your offer for more info for my breton templar later. Thanks all!