Nice.
I shouldn't think it's solely gear sets. It's probably most certainly a combination of sets, skills and arena knowledge. But something tells me the right 'set' gear definitely helps a VMA run.
Nah...you don't look like a nutcase, GreenHere, I'm sure others will notice my edit

Good stuff

Swifigames wrote: »

Any tips for getting the hair I pulled out doing VMA, back?
I still haven't completed the experience. I'm still working on stage 4 or 5 at the moment. It's certainly no joke.
I've spent the last two days golding out my Sorc gear and getting the set(s) I need for a better run.
I will look forward to more tips in here. I can't see how people can go through here so quickly and with no sigil's...that is insane to me & I'm convinced it's more of a gear situation than a level skill situation...though I'm certain skill is certainly a must have as well.
It's most positively very tough...very. It's no joke.

As mentioned, the biggest increase in gear comes from gold weapons, after that there is no need to gold out the other stuff and as long as your gear is half decent, is down to learning the mechanics.

I would definitely for the first run and next few runs actually use sigals, picking them up at the right time will certainly help change the tide of battle.

As a sorc, I ran with a pet build with necropotance first few runs, pet really helped and twilight matriarch with instant heals. I would also throw on crushing shock instead of force pulse, real nice way to make sure you can set off balance those enemies targeting you such as archers which wind up deadly shots. A monster set I found which worked well was Infernal Guardian as mostly I was spamming shields often enough that the set porc'd so often.

Stage 5 the frozen ice rink one is pretty harsh step up, joys guide is great and I used that when I was doing my first run way back, but his advice for stage 5 is spot on, in particular around the boss where a DPS burn almost punish's you, so control that battle IMO.

In regards to how people do it without sigal's, I was wondering the same thing, but as weird as it sounds, after your first run, things seem to click into place and subsequent runs will be much smoother.

Stinkyremy wrote: »

I don't understand why people say it is so hard.
I tried it at a stam dk at 300cp with mediocre gear, got to round 3 then gave up. Did it today with a mag dk (orc) 4 hours 15 mins, then just respec my main (nord) dk to get the achievement on my main, did it in 2 hours 10 mins.
I'm sure after perfecting the spawn and refining my build I could get the flawless and get my time down to at least 1 hour 30 mins after only a few more tries.

EDIT: I didn't touch a sigil in any of my runs too

I can say that about what I did for a living before retiring...but trust me...while I found it very easy after 25 years of doing it...you most likely wouldn't find it so easy...

Which brings me to my point...experience is the key to getting comfortable in vMA...

Its just like driving...it seems so easy when I saw others doing it, but first time I got behind the wheel...in NYC no less...it was slightly unnerving...

I got stuck on the last boss although now I find him to be one of the easiest.

When he spawns hit him with whatever you have but don't use your ultimate. If he pulls back and charges an attack you can simply block it otherwise it knocks you over. An add will spawn just about the time he moves to another position, this is the key moment at the beginning as he does a necrotic attack which is an insta kill if you don't interrupt it so stop it then a deadroth will spawn next to him, this is when I drop ulti which kills the deadroth and knocks the boss down to 75% health. He then goes up top, take care of the other add if he is still alive and kite the clanfear that spawns over to the glowing pad, kill it in range of that and you can port up top.

The top is easy, you have to destroy the 3 pillars, he does a charge attack which you block (stand near the middle as if it hits you it won't knock you off) then he does a big aoe which knocks you over the edge if you aren't stood behind the moving rock that spawns, then it's 2 charged attacks then the aoe etc until you have destroyed the pillars.

You get knocked down and then you just have to keep an eye on what is going on, he moves every so often, he does an insta kill necrotic attack every other move so make sure you are aware of that as you have to interrupt it, the other attack he does is the knock down one. Gold ghosts spawn, by now you should know if you grab 3 you can stun all the enemies, you have to grab them as if he gets 3 it's game over. Deadroth spawn as well which if you can kite near the boss use ultimates to kill them at the same time, the only other mechanic is to kill the adds which do the rituals in the middle.
The boss really doesn't have that much health and he doesn't hit that hard so just make sure you are moving about watching what spawns although there isn't much, pick up gold ghosts and interrupt his necrotic attack he does every other move and you will get those weapons in no time. Fyi the charge attack is one black skull, the necrotic attack is a flurry of white skulls.

Experience and don't give up. Try builds but also be flexible to slot a different one. Gear helps but learning the mechanics is the key, what to kill fast and how to kill them. Survivability is as important as DPS. Only use expensive potions when you really need them. Use Sigils whenever they are necessary unless you are going for a Leaderboard. If you are only going for a weapon just try to make your life easier.

Start each round standing where the haste sigil is, pick it up before the first mob spawns. Take note of where the sigil of power is, be there when the end boss of each round spawns to pick it up as well.

IF you're dying to mobs a lot, take note of where the defensive sigil is and pick it up right before the worst mobs spawn. The 3 archers on round 3 of stage 7, the frost atronach round on stage 5 and the double sphere round on stage 2 are the 3 hardest mob spawns.

Use your ultimate! It's better to clear a round having used your ultimate then dying with it ready to go.

Other than that git gud with 40k+ dps and the whole thing is easy ^^

firedrgn wrote: »

Stinkyremy wrote: »

I don't understand why people say it is so hard.
I tried it at a stam dk at 300cp with mediocre gear, got to round 3 then gave up. Did it today with a mag dk (orc) 4 hours 15 mins, then just respec my main (nord) dk to get the achievement on my main, did it in 2 hours 10 mins.
I'm sure after perfecting the spawn and refining my build I could get the flawless and get my time down to at least 1 hour 30 mins after only a few more tries.

EDIT: I didn't touch a sigil in any of my runs too

Cause im old and slow?

So am I... I struggled with it mightily but got there a few months back. (I'm sure people heard my triumphant shouting about 20km away...)
Yesterday, for the first time ever, I finished with Vitality Bonus left - 5. And I have managed to complete it a few times without sigils. Still not quite ready to try it on my non-pet magSorc though, or my magBlade... but I'll get there eventually I hope.
Keep at it

As for tips... I find switching to Witchmother's useful, for stage 2.
And I always keep a supply of Immovable pots - health, mag, unstoppable and I think one recovery? = especially useful for the final boss, Voriak Solkyn. And I switch to purple tri-stat food for the final round as well for the extra stam.

Mag sorc + infernal guardian will carry you through the whole thing.

IG is so clutch.

Make sure you have the morph of crushing shock that interupts. And don’t hit the argonian boss with it on his first howl. (I always interrupt his second howl, and third, and usually he’s dead before he enrages on the fourth.)

I agree about Infernal Guardian, though I've been meaning to try out Skoria instead.
I use 5pc Necro, 5pc Torug's and IG. Have two lightning staves, one Infused with shock glyph, and one Nirn with Prismatic glyph just for stages 1, 6, 8 and 9. I back bar a Resto, but don't really use it all that much... could probably swap it out for another lightning staff at this point... possibly the Maelstrom one.
I also use the Twilight Matriarch instead of the Familiar, mainly for the "oh sh*t!" heal (and yes yes yes I know the Familiar is a "better choice"... but you have to use those skills you're comfortable with. I find that the lag I have makes the Twilight necessary, in addition to Power Surge). I also prefer Harness Magicka over Ward, because of the Mag return.

Assuming magicka toons...

My easy-flawless build is a guild secret, but I'll tell you this much: wear one damage set, one defensive set, and one recovery set. For example: Julianos, Lich, and Infernal Guardian is a very viable beginner setup.

Seriously consider Resto back bar for Healing Ward.

Finally, focus on instant burst for most weaker mobs, and save your full DOT rotation for the bigger stuff. This will help conserve resources and also limit incoming damage by dropping bodies faster.

GreenHere wrote: »

What's with all these "secret builds" that people are always keeping so close to their chests, though? I don't understand the motivation...

I just don't want it to be nerfed. The sets I suggested are almost as good.