Share your first experience in veteran Maelstrom Arena

Mrsinister2 · August 2019

I been playing just under 3 year so about 2 years a go I couldn't even beat normal mode couldn't even come close. Just gave up for 2 years because i mostly pvp anyways.

Few months a go I tried the easy sorc build witch seemed to turn vma into a basic delve. I learned all the mechanics and can now clear it on my main magplar and other ults.

So overall not a great story of an epic grind or anything but it's all I got.

SidraWillowsky · August 2019

So my FIRST time in there was on a magblade, maybe two months ago. It was hell- the class lacks burst heals, and I just had a really hard time. Stage 6 was the absolute worst; there's SO MUCH going on. I was in there for hour and hours. When I got to stage 7 I died within 15 seconds, so at that point I decided to try making a magden to run it. I'd randomly watched someone parse on it and it looked fun and fairly strong, so I went with it. Obtained Iceheart for her and in I went.

I count the first time I went in there on my magden as my true "first time". I don't remember how long it took to beat it, but I think it was about three days of playing a few hours a night.

Stage 1: ezpz.

Stage 2: Died a few times to the blades. I ended up staying near the middle most of the time and relied more on my bear than I want to admit. It sucked, and I struggled and worried that if I struggled with that I didn't stand a chance. Alas, not all hope was lost!

Stage 3: I don't actually remember much of this round. I'm sure I died a lot but it's not overly awful. However, now that I'm shooting for higher scores and perhaps a flawless run, I get pretty nervous with this one. This is one of the two stages where I don't go into it thinking "yeah, I've got this!". The other one is stage 7.

Stage 4: Also not bad. It's a nice respite between stages 3 and 5.

Stage 5: I actually breezed through this through round 4. After dying to the boss a few times, I called it a night here. When I came back the next day I had a much more difficult time. However, this is one that I expected to be difficult. i was under no illusion that it wouldn't suck spectacularly. I think that helped me be patient.

Stage 6: very nervous with that one due to my magblade experience. I beat it with almost no trouble though.

Stage 7: Aughhhhh... again, I expect this to suck and it did not "disappoint" in that sense. Took a few hours and a LOT of dying and pounding my desk and bemoaning the world. This one felt like I got lucky in beating it.

Stage 8: Also not bad. Aside from the fire spinner things, I'd say it's a pretty significant drop in difficulty from stage 7.

Stage 9: Another one that I breezed through the first time for the first few rounds. I ended up going to bed at that point. It was late and I knew that if I started the final boss, I wouldn't stop til he was dead. The next day I again had a lot more trouble with the earlier stages. I immensely with those Crematorial Guardians, dying again and again and again to them. When I made it to the final boss, this frustration increased at what seemed to be an exponential rate. In all honesty, the boss himself isn't all that difficult- it's one of the most predictable fights in the arena. But those guardians... shudder. Like everyone else, I made it almost to the end a few times only to die.

My first clear was actually not THAT bad... yeah, it's difficult, but not insurmountably so. My second run was actually the worst- those guardians, man... I took HOURS on the boss because I was dying to them dozens of times. This was 100x more frustrating than the first time, mostly because I cleared it without dying that much the first time.

General tips that I learned along the way in case they help anyone

ICEHEART monster set. Even if you're stam. It has saved me SO many times. I'd consider it a requirement for a first clear, it's THAT good. Easy to get too, which is nice. I still use it after 15ish runs.
Don't try to maximize damage with your gear setup. I tried using Mother's Sorrow and False God's at first and even with the FG cost decrease I was having issues with resources. I switched to the Necropotence set and it was life-changing. If you don't have a pet available, get Crafty Alfiq. I personally would NOT use Bright Throat's; it relies on a drink buff and unless you're a Breton who can use Double Bloody Mara, there are no drinks that'll outstrip food. I play on a Breton and even with her I use Clockwork Citrus instead of DBM
Hell, don't even try to run a SETUP that maximizes damage, ESPECIALLY single-target damage, at least not at first. Load up on the AoEs/DoTs, heals, and shields
The guides say to use trash potions, but I used tri pots (Bugloss/Columbine/Mountain Flower) with great success. As a mag player, the extra stamina helps immensely
People say sorc is good for a first clear but I really can't recommend magden highly enough. You have easy access to Major Sorcery (netch) and Major Prophecy (Lotus, which also heals you when you use light/heavy attacks), which are two of the three effects that spell power potions add and is why I was even more easily able to use tr pots. You can "activate" the Necropotence set with the bear ulti, which adds a lot of magicka. Bird of Prey + FG = high mobility. They have access to some great AoEs/DoTs (Winter's Revenge, Fetcher Infection, Scorch, and like all mag DDs, ele blockade), heals (Enchanted Growth, Leeching Vines) and shields so strong that it's silly- Crystallized Slab is basically the same as the Defense sigil, though it only lasts through a certain amount of damage/number of projectiles. Still, it helps a LOT with ranged attacks, which seem to be some of the hardest-hitting things in the arena. DO NOT USE THIS FOR THE FINAL BOSS IN STAGE 7 though, at least for the phase where the argonian lightning things pop up and shield you during the scream phase. You'll reflect their attack back to them and will likely kill them before they can shield you. You're also pretty much guaranteed to make leaderboards since no one seems to run vMA on Wardens. Literally the only way that I think you CAN'T make the leaderboards is if you leave the arena and forfeit your score.
Just remember that nearly everyone who's cleared vMA was frustrated too. You're not incompetent, just inexperienced. Keep pushing and you can do it.

SickleCider · August 2019

I main a non-pet magsorc. I started vMA last year, and got stuck on stage 5. I got frustrated at that point and swore it off for a while. I started it again yesterday, cleared stages 5 and 6. I'm stuck on stage 7 now, but I'm not as discouraged as I was the first time I hit a wall, because I know with a little distance I can come back and do it.

That being said, that argonian behemoth boss is frustrating me. His telegraphs can be really unclear, and the waves from his stomps really hard to see. On this toon, all of his attacks are a one-shot, so I'm thinking I need to build a little tankier and not try to DPS my way through him. He was also teleporting around last night, which didn't help.

wishlist14 · August 2019

My first attempt on vet yesterday.
I beat first fight 3rd attempt by concentrating on the adds especially the casters seemed to do more damage. I aoe portals with my caltrops. I used poison arrow and when it was time to kill boss I got close and personal and killed him with my duel weild abilities. Im on my nightblade.

Im still stuck on 2nd fight on the centurion dudes. Im on the 3 centurion dudes. I can only survive this if I follow one of the swirly things around the outside edge of the room and that keeps me away from the middle shock damage. So i run around like im in a greyhound dog race(I detest greyhound racing btw) and whenever I saw a portal come up id drop my caltrops and poison arow then keep running lol and as then after i damage first dude then another centurion shows up so i focus my attention on him all while i keep running around behind swirly red thing and i only stop to fight where i can but it's freaking difficult when i get 3 or even 4 red circles of aoe damage and not much time to react and move. I lose my momentum sometimes.I never touch them if they are sitting on the ground but i sure envy them, they get a rest 😆. What kills me towards the end is usually i accidently take too much damage from one of their conals or i get caught up in red ground aoe due to tiredness of non stop running haha. I thought it best to take a break.
I must have died like 30 times maybe. Im using vigour now and next try ill use my rapid manouvres for speed buff that might help.

Im 810 cp plus and ive been playing eso for 5 yrs plus and ive only just been getting into end game content and that's just normal trials to get geared lol and im not geared yet . Im in hundings still lol and spriggans gear .

I left my character in vma cause I got very tired and i thought id try again today earlier when i have more energy.
I have to beat this thing or ill never feel like a real player.

Every trial guild ive joined, most players have their vma weapons, maybe not exactly the weapon they wanted but they are working on it or have at least one of the vma weapons. It's embarrassing that im stuck on 2nd round but hey it's my first vet try.

My aussie latency is high but ill keep trying.

Androconium · August 2019

(insert experience story here).

coletas · August 2019

I did It all until the last Boss with a templar, fortified brass+cyrodill light+bloodspawn, all full impen. So yes, I was ***-ized until I crafted juliannos and had war maiden XD like 400 pots and 200 gems lol

Bobby_V_Rockit · August 2019

Level 1: Hmmm... thats a little tricky, I better pay attention
Level 2: hmmmm... this isnt so bad...
Level 3: Hmmm... might need a guide for this one
Level 4: wait, its over? But I didnt even die?
Level 5: trolls go down easy, no problems there, *gets pwned by archers 400 times and quits arena forever* never made it to the boss

zvavi · August 2019

After 300 soul gems i realized that i should res at Wayshrine for the time being.
Here have a souvenir

On two legs he roams,
Fire jaws and fiery claws,
Be cautious of his fire breath,
Because it is the bringer of death,
As long as he is alive the fire DoT,
No matter what stop it will not,
So you have to kill it fast,
Dancing around him is best.

geonsocal · August 2019

red_bird · August 2019

Joy's guide helped me a lot on my first run. (Although I didn't run a resto staff on back bar, there were many other things that did work for me, especially re the final boss.)

I've run it on a melee range magplar and later tried it on a petsorc; I found the magplar easier, though I know others don't. Maybe it's just that I enjoy the magplar more.

When first learning a round, I did things to stay alive longer -- defensive sets, using the best sigils early, etc. -- so I could become familiar with the mechanics first hand. Once I knew which enemies to prioritise and stopped getting one shotted, I switched back to my regular gear.

In round 5 a ranged interrupt was my friend. And not hurrying the final boss to 75% and 50% health island destruction.

In round 7 Elusive Mist helped me make it to pools alive when I had the poison status.

In the Final Boss stage of round 9, Joy's advice re tri-stat food was helpful. Unlike earlier stages of 9, I needed more stam to survive the occasional slip up and need to break free both downstairs and up.

Kalik_Gold · August 2019

First time, was last Orsinium Event got thru it with a one bar pet Sorc. This current event I am trying on my Stamplar (main) as I want him to have the title not an alt. Stuck on stage 5 atm.

Hardest part isn't even the Arena. It's getting wife and kids to leave me alone while in the Arena. No it's not the same as when you see me doing writs and questing.

.

ArchMikem · August 2019

Mrsinister2 wrote: »

I been playing just under 3 year so about 2 years a go I couldn't even beat normal mode couldn't even come close. Just gave up for 2 years because i mostly pvp anyways.

Few months a go I tried the easy sorc build witch seemed to turn vma into a basic delve. I learned all the mechanics and can now clear it on my main magplar and other ults.

You went from "Couldn't even beat Normal" to "vMA is a basic Delve".

I got overconfident when Normal as more or less a push over. Tried Veteran and I kept wiping on the Toxic Drome and Frozen Rink. My frustration quickly turned to rage and I knew this was going to be content I would just ignore and never go back to. Years later on a StamSorc I actually managed to get Stormproof and nearly cried.

Just recently because of the Event I tried vMA on my StamBlade PvE Main. Got to the Frozen Rink and kept wiping. Gave up, oh well, Stormproof may be character bound but I don't care. I cleared vMA once. Never again.

worrallj · August 2019

Like two days of dying repeatedly for 10 hours a day. Beat last boss almost on a fluke. Wasn't until my second run many moons later I realized the mechanic where there's a wall to hide behind when the final boss does that big explosion while your upstairs killing the crystals. Must have gone through 200 soul gems before figuring that out. Felt dumb.

Other bosses were mostly not so bad, but a few were rough. None compared to the last boss for me though.

Lord_Eomer · August 2019

I tried first time back in 2017 as MNB and failed to complete stage 4 boss.

I admit my failure and later tried MagSorc heavy attack build, it worked but lost like 200 sould gems!

1. Stage 5 Final boss was hell tough
2. Stage 7 Final boss was a mess and one shot poison kill (still hurt me sometime by knocking off my flawless run)
3. Last boss almost made me mad

Wheresthetea11 · August 2019

My very first experience in vma would be dying in the first 10 seconds.

In all seriousness, my first clear was a journey not gonna lie lol.

Took me roughly 4 months, 1000 deaths (kept track with soul gems), complete anger and frustration at zos and partially myself for doing a first clear with a Stamblade, video guides, and a serious rework of my build/ understanding of my class and the damage potential of it.

Every stage kicked my ass (specifically 5,7, & 9) and there were moments I seriously thought I wouldn’t finish it. Even the easiest stages like stage 1 and 8 were an absolute nightmare.

However, once I beat the damn place at like 4am, I threw my controller and let out a cry of victory.

Then of course, like any sane human being, I decided the best way to celebrate was to wait 15 minutes and run then entire thing again. At least it was 20 deaths instead of 1000 and I ended up getting the bow I was looking for.

oddbasket · August 2019

Never played MA either normal or veteran, tried it yesterday on veteran straightaway after watching alcast's vma guide and completed it on my virgin run. Got 2 ice staffs btw... so thanks alcast.

Haquor · August 2019

I was playing my main magedk and didnt put much thought into my build or gear.

Walked into stage 1, hit some stuff and got hit HARD and was like... 'Nup!'

Didnt go back for like a month.

First dedicated clear took around 9 hours of dedicated play. A lot of frustration. Next was 3 hours, then 1.5 hours.

Now i get annoyed when i die once or twice and can ne distracted at home and still get it done in 45 min.

I agree for those who are nervous about it, turn notifications off, close your guild chats and just focus on it one stage at a time and you WILL conqour it.

Petsorc, stamsorc (even after skillbreaker) mageblade, mageplar i feel are the easiest if they are available to you.

Or back yourself and go stamblade/stamdk like a boss.

Haquor · August 2019

Xillean wrote: »

Got to stage 5 on my stamplar, would not recommend >.>

I actually used to reroll all my stam characters to magicka for leaderboards. Dk, templar especially. You cleared it you got weekly rewards. I remember stage 4 for some reason was initially my gate on the stamplar lol.

mairwen85 · August 2019

How can I best describe it... Like wiping my arse with sandpaper. That's close enough.

Oreyn_Bearclaw · August 2019

Haquor wrote: »

I was playing my main magedk and didnt put much thought into my build or gear.

Walked into stage 1, hit some stuff and got hit HARD and was like... 'Nup!'

Didnt go back for like a month.

First dedicated clear took around 9 hours of dedicated play. A lot of frustration. Next was 3 hours, then 1.5 hours.

Now i get annoyed when i die once or twice and can ne distracted at home and still get it done in 45 min.

I agree for those who are nervous about it, turn notifications off, close your guild chats and just focus on it one stage at a time and you WILL conqour it.

Petsorc, stamsorc (even after skillbreaker) mageblade, mageplar i feel are the easiest if they are available to you.

Or back yourself and go stamblade/stamdk like a boss.

It's funny because technically, that was my first run as well. I had actually forgot about it. Also a magDK because that was what I was doing trial DPS with at the time if I remember correctly. I went in with a total glass cannon build on day 2 or 3 of launch, got two shot by the first wave of adds and left chuckling immediately after. About two weeks later, I marched through it on my mageblade in 4 moderately rage-filled sessions.

ccfeeling · August 2019

I crushed 2 controllers at stage 5

Muzzick · August 2019

The first time I ever did vma I remember using 300 soul gems just on stage 5 and still not beating it. My fifth run the other day did it in an hour and a half

evoniee · August 2019

this is my first time experience vma, never play any hard tier pve before.
with all purple set except 1 gold jewelry, all impen, no nirnhoned weapon.
i can say pve can be easily done with repetition and memorize mechanics, the same as pvp but less complex.

Isteris · August 2019

I gave up a year ago but left the quest on my magsorc at the rink of frozen blood (who needs vma weapons anyway I told myself) because it frustrated the s... out of me, dying all time sucked the fun out of it. 2 days ago I went back, same result f.. that for a game of soldiers but decided to take my templar dressed in light IA with rattlecage weapons and jewellery. after 2 hours I was at the final boss. to be fair the next 4 or so hours was fine tuning how to manage resources because I would end up at phase 3 with no magika or stamina so couldn't do damage or collect the yellow ghosts. The next two clears took around an hour each and although nowhere near flawless I can see flawless as a possibility with practice. What people say about after the first clear its pretty much plain sailing from then on is absolutely true.

Unfadingsilence · August 2019

My very first time beating in on vet was extremely difficult and so disappointing when I opened the chest and did not receive any VMA weapons since there was only a chance of getting a weapon back in the day and not a 100% chance like there is now GG ZOS

mocap · August 2019

first run was 3 hours, about 25 deaths. Did it with healer, most of stages was brutforced. Got lightning staff.

r34lian · August 2019

1st run was blind one without any knowledge of mechanics took around 2 hr+ and got decisive great axe
4th run got inferno staff
13th run got flawless
18th run got bow
Haven't gone back neither plan to unless they completely remove the gear rng there.

ArcaneBlue · August 2019

all I can say about my 1st clear (magplar) is "eff you see kay crem guards I hate you and love you iceheart"

rei91 · August 2019

Not finished yet. First went there two weeks ago, despite having less cp and dps than I would like (yeah after seeing patch notes and thinking "oh sh*t").
Stages 5 and 7 were frustrating, stage 6 strangely not (but still took me around 100 tries lol).
Stuck at final Voriak boss. I wanted to clear it before stupid patch drops and nerf me like 50%, but after 200 attempts and getting past crystals only once I became too much frustrated, didn't want to go into game anymore. Decided to take a break, seems like I need to rework my build anyway, even without nerfbreaker coming.

I'll complete it someday... maybe...
And actually I like the stuff. I think it's interesting, maybe even fun))

Taloros · August 2019

First attempt:
annoying, quit.

Second attempt:
annoying, but was during last Orsinium event. Forced myself to complete one stage per day. Last day of the event, last stage, making good progress, still had some hours to complete it - game crashes, all progress lost. Didn't set foot in MA for a year.

Third attempt:
Finally completed that vMA run some weeks ago. Still annoying. No sense of accomplishment - at all. Seriously, I had a larger endorphin rush from cleaning up my closet last week. Got sh... loot on top of that.

Fourth run:
Did two runs during this event. First was okayish - annoying, but hung through to the end, at least got a bow this time. Second was a laggish, bugged hell.

My opinion, before as well after clearing it: It's bad content. Some may like it - everything finds its crowd. But it has no appeal to me, and when you look at what's popular, I think vMA isn't popular.

P. S.: Forgot I have something potentially useful to share: Cut the sound in vMA. At least for me, that reduced the annoiance factor. It's still not what I'd call fun, but you lose about 13.2% less brain cells while doing it.