Nightblade gear progression advice?

ImmortalCX · December 2020

1) Farm VO so that you can get the maelstrom bow?

2) Farm the Maelstrom bow so that you can get a raid slot as a stamblade (then farm VO)?

3a) Roll a magsorc, farm the Maelstrom bow, then see #2 above.

3b) Roll a ________, so you can get a raid slot without the bow.

4) It doesn't matter, with the Pale Order Ring its trivial.

5) It doesn't matter, NB dps is in a great place atm, you can get a raid slot np.

This is actually a serious question. In the past (a year ago), pre Pale Order, I wasnt able to complete VMA with my stamblade main. All the builds for VMA include VO set (at least they used to). Yes, I know its about mechanics, but if you build for enough sustain, your life is a whole lot more painful because you have to deal with MORE mechanics. I've watched all the videos and the easiest way to VMA with a Stamblade is have enough dps to burn everything down fast.

Seriously, I'd like a push in the right direction.

ImmortalCX · December 2020

Edit to above: I am dw/bow, I know there are 2H builds built around rally/brawler that make it easier, but the pro builds are dw because higher dps potential.

ThePedge · December 2020

Don't bother with vMA, just farm normal for your first bow. It is effectively no DPS loss and much, much easier to obtain.

ImmortalCX · December 2020

ThePedge wrote: »

Don't bother with vMA, just farm normal for your first bow. It is effectively no DPS loss and much, much easier to obtain.

Did they change it?

redspecter23 · December 2020

You seem to be putting a lot of emphasis on gear. Gear is great, but you need a solid skill set if you want to progress harder trials. I'd recommend vMA, not for the weapons (but that is a nice bonus), but in order to refine your skills to be a better asset to the team later. Find out what the raid leads you run with are looking for. Join their normal and progression runs to show you're a valuable asset to the team. Find peers in that group and ask advice from them. The gear will help, but you need a group to run with if you want to excel at end game.

Rukia541 · December 2020

ImmortalCX wrote: »

ThePedge wrote: »

Don't bother with vMA, just farm normal for your first bow. It is effectively no DPS loss and much, much easier to obtain.

Did they change it?

Normal ma now has the old vma version of the bow, vma now rewards a perfect version of maelstrom weapons, which are just slightly stronger versions. If you have issue with vma then normal is by far the best option.

ImmortalCX · December 2020

redspecter23 wrote: »

You seem to be putting a lot of emphasis on gear. Gear is great, but you need a solid skill set if you want to progress harder trials. I'd recommend vMA, not for the weapons (but that is a nice bonus), but in order to refine your skills to be a better asset to the team later. Find out what the raid leads you run with are looking for. Join their normal and progression runs to show you're a valuable asset to the team. Find peers in that group and ask advice from them. The gear will help, but you need a group to run with if you want to excel at end game.

Ive done VMA on normal, its easy. I didn't know you could get the old bow from it now.

LashanW · December 2020

Stamblades shouldn't have sustain problems now and therefore VO isn't needed.

Just go with leviathan on body and briarheart front barred. Both easy to get sets and should be more than enough for vMA. Also use the dual wield spammable (the morph that heals you, called bloodthirst or something)

ImmortalCX · December 2020

LashanW wrote: »

Stamblades shouldn't have sustain problems now and therefore VO isn't needed.

What did they change? Keeping up vigor is pretty expensive.

Tremuto · December 2020

ImmortalCX wrote: »

LashanW wrote: »

Stamblades shouldn't have sustain problems now and therefore VO isn't needed.

What did they change? Keeping up vigor is pretty expensive.

You don't need to keep up Vigor in vMA. A lot of attacks that hit hard are projectiles that can be roll-dodged easily, such as the archers and leimenids in the Frozen Rink arena.

The biggest challenge in vMA imo is knowing the spawns for each wave, and then knowing the boss fight and how to flow with each mechanic that occurs at certain health thresholds. Once you learn each arena and know what's going to come, keeping your stamina up with Leeching Strikes and potions is much easier.

For what it's worth, I got my Flawless/Perfect run in vMA with my main DPS, a Stamblade, and I sure as hell didn't have VO equipped for it. At the time I think I had Selene, Tzogvin, and Briarheart Front bar at the time. It was very challenging but it's possible. VO does make it significantly easier in terms of sustain, but having all of the Stamina in the world isn't gonna save you if you're ignoring mechanics and getting 1-shot.

If you're farming for the bow, I would recommend just farming it in Normal like the rest has suggested earlier in the thread. It'll save you a headache in the future.

LashanW · December 2020

ImmortalCX wrote: »

What did they change? Keeping up vigor is pretty expensive.

They buffed both major and minor endurance buffs (increase stam recovery). Major buff you get from potions and minor one from fighter's guild 2nd skill.

Like the person above said, vigor is just an emergency heal, no need to keep it up always. Leeching strikes, nightblade bow proc and dual wield bloodthirst and the heals from briarheart set is enough most of the time.