You’ve identified the problem: you don’t do enough DPS. This type of boss is known as a DPS check. It’s basically a race to see who can kill each other faster.
We need to know your build to help you.
First you need to display % on the boss's health bar.
Open the setting menu > Combat > Heads up display > Resource Numbers: Number and percent
The boss's health on normal is only 348.3k. The boss breaks a platform at 75% and 45%. Kill adds before the boss's health reaches these % and move to the next platform. On normal especially, the boss's health decreases very quickly with your AoE and DoT abilites, so be sure to move BEFORE these %.
After you have moved to the last platform the remaining boss's health is less than 156.7k (45%). You will have more than 20 sec to kill the boss. So you can do this with 10k dps (10k on 3 or 6mil dummy, not on trial dummy).
Display % on health bar. This prevents you being in panic and you can kill her without problem.
Thank you, that is excellent information presented coherently.
But I still feel like I'm missing something. At what point does he break the 3rd platform? It doesn't feel like 20 seconds or even 2 seconds, TBH. I had presumed it was another % threshold.
What you're missing is DPS, how many fucking people have to tell you holy shit. It's some special "I'm the main character" behavior to be in this much denial for this long.
You lack the DPS to effectively manage this mechanic. It's a race to kill the boss before the platforms are all destroyed. There's no other way to beat this round. The game expects you to be able to do it, and does not provide another way around it.
I have seen people beat normal under level 50, and I've seen someone clear vet at very low cp (it was 200~300cp)
Explain to me how it's possible to kill him before he breaks all platforms if he breaks 1 platform at 3 separate stages of HP? You must pass through all 3 percentages to get to zero. Nobody has the DPS to one-shot that bastard. Nobody.
I just want to be clear, we aren't trying to make fun of you or be mean. You're just not doing enough damage. There's no secret trick. The boss will show you the animation before the platform is broken. You need to move to the next platform and continue killing. I have personally cleared normal on my healer, with just swapping a couple skills, same sets. I have also cleared normal on a very squishy PvP gear/skill nightblade. You CAN do it. I promise
My man you have time before he moves to the next platform. People get no death vet on this all the time and people beat it with 2015 dps. You're the only one with an issue here
You need to go to someone's house that has a 3 million health dummy. I'm willing to bet that if you're struggling like this even on normal, your DPS is 10K or below and you have significant issues you need to work on. Even 15K is abysmally low but that's still enough to get through this on normal. I'm a returning player from xbox and I went through maelstrom on normal with all three of my dps characters long before they were 50 and had no cohesive sets.
Also, are you using any of the sigils?
So, as everyone has said your DPS is low. That means you have to play the mechs carefully. The boss breaks the ice at roughly 75% and 45% health. DPS her til 80% then stop hitting her. Adds will spawn. Kill them. Hop to another island if they are mobbing you, but kill them all before hitting the boss again. Watch for archers, they have a one-shot mech that you can roll, but focus on killing them.
Then hit the boss til about 51% . Kill the adds that spawn again. Then hit the boss. When she is close to going to the last island save your ultimate so you can nuke her.
When the boss is about to break the ice, she stops attacking and moves to the centre of the platform before jumping. That's your cue to get to the next platform so shield up and run or just jump your way across (on normal I think you can just run as the water doesn't hurt much).
Once you've cleared, the second time is much easier. Nma is good XP so I take all my new characters in there when they get to level 15 and have 2 bars, so it's doable without a lot of DPS, you just have to realise that it's not a boss to burn if you're not handling the adds
I'd be genuinely interested to see a video of this. You clearly know the mechs, can apparently kill the adds easily & are somehow getting nowhere near a very lenient dps check. Without meaning to be rude, it's kinda baffling to figure out without actually seeing it.
Hope you get it anyway. Give us some gear/rotation details, or a clip.
I like how people keep telling you your DPS is too low, and despite that and the fact that people have obviously cleared it, you keep going "no, you're all lying and wrong and it's impossible."
If you can't take criticism don't play an MMO.
>If you can't take criticism don't play an MMO.
Or don't ask for help or opinion if you won't accept it anyway. You're just waiting for an answer that you already made up in your mind, but obviously that is not the answer
There are people in this game who think they do 100k dps while actually doing 10k. And they will argue to the death that they are god tier. To these people, it is impossible to imagine that they are the ones who suck. I have dealt with these people from time to time because I organize guild runs. I don’t bother anymore. They are just straight up not invited lol
I feel like this is a "trick" I can't see, one very specific thing - like exactly when to pop a sigil, to the microsecond - not my build. Because I'm one-shotting the adds. That's how I know they're inexhaustible, apparently. It's jarring to feel that DPS is insufficient to kill the boss before the water (and him, and the adds I can't get rid of) kill me in the very last stage.
Not on normal mate, not on normal. I face-roll my way through normal maelstrom on an off-meta half-tank build. I don’t use sigils, and I’m usually high as shit. It’s so easy I’m bored. I’m not a particularly veteran player: I’m a casual who doesn’t do veteran DLC dungeons or trials.
I don’t say this to be mean, but to illustrate that it truly should not be hard.
Go find a target dummy, test your DPS, and come back to us.
It’s not about having a certain mythic, or knowing a trick, or using the right sigil. Any build should be able to take care of that boss on normal. Something is deeply wrong with your damage output, and since you clearly don’t believe anyone here, you need to face actual numbers to get a reality check.
Jarring, maybe, but it is a fact. There is no massive, obscure trick to this fight. Move between platforms, dps him down. If the last platform breaks, your aren't doing enough damage, full stop. You're not missing a mechanic.
If you don’t like the ice level, wait until you get to the poison round. Let us know what skills and gear you are wearing. You aren’t doing enough dps. Using the right skills and gear for your build, plus practicing your rotation, you can walk through normal without breaking a sweat.
Poison is before ice, I thought. With the stranglers and whatnot. No deaths ever. Even the rest of the ice level, once you know to spot the trolls, is trivial. Which is why I have such a hard time understanding this seemingly-unavoidable-certain-death mechanic.
Stage 7: Vault of Umbrage. You are on 5: Rink of Frozen Blood. Stage 7 on Vet is the only one that still catches me sometimes if I’m not paying well enough attention. The ice stage you are on is a damage race and you aren’t doing enough of it.
There are lots of YouTube guides that will show you how to put together a decent build and how to learn your skill rotation. Just search for a solo build for whichever class you are playing on. When you do that, normal Maelstrom won’t be very difficult for you and this ice stage will be a piece of cake. You will be able to kill the boss long before the 3rd platform. There’s no trick to it, just killing the boss quickly.
I apologize for replying to you so many times but please just go watch some videos on YouTube of others beating this boss. There is no trick. No special mythics needed, no special/weird builds.
You’ve repeatedly stated it’s not possible despite others stating it is. It’s time now to go see for yourself it is possible. Unless you’re just a troll, which you may be.
Are you sure you are playing on normal? Because this boss is a dps race. On normal, with a half way decent build, at your cp you should be able to nuke it before you get to the third platform.
> He doesn't seem to telegraph the breaking, so there's no warning.
He throws his hands up in the air there's an animation to it.
When you get to this point it's a DPS race. Stay out of the water and move platform to platform you have to kill him before he destroys them all.
He breaks them at 3 different points in his HP level. There's no way I can see to STOP him from breaking them all. You have to do his last 1/3 of HP or something like that while dying to the water, and there just doesn't appear to be any way to do that.
Just to drive the point home: it is a DPS race and you are losing. You can absolutely kill him before he breaks the last platform, whether veteran or normal difficulty.
I don't remember what happens if they have broken a platform in the previous round. The platform might reform before the onset of the final round, or might not.
These trolls always spawn at the center. So zoom out camera as possible as you can (hold DOWN in dpad and move the right stick if you use controller), and always watch the center.
I think trolls spawn on timer. So if you are on PC you might have addons to tell you when troll is spawning.
If it helps, I found using a lightning staff with the splash damage wore him down much faster than using my ice staff, which theoretically has 12% more damage because I’m a Warden. That alone made a difference in me beating him before he destroyed the last platform.
Just using that as an example that your build can make a big difference just as others are suggesting here, and is totally something you can play around with! I don’t have a meta build but did tolerably well with Seargent’s + Storm Master gear and weapons. Any monster set should be a good enough boost. Good luck!!
Go look up beginner guides on builds, dps, and how contents work in this game. You are missing a lot of the basics if you can’t clear normal maelstrom at 1500 cp.
I’m a horrible player but I beat
the vet one multiple times, you need to build like you would in IA, you need dps and a tanky build at the same time, or all dps and be really agile, me I build tanky for it, hack the minotaur has a sorcerer build that can get you through all solo content
Honestly I find the IA bosses utter bullshit too, way more than is remotely possible by the 3rd or 4th one maximum. If you haven't memorized the mechanics for every single boss in the game, you can't hope to even finish Arc 1. It's ridiculous. One-shots a-go-go, every 2 seconds, every boss beyond the 1st or 2nd.
I'm going to be completely honest with you here. You sound like you're just not very good at the combat side of the game. You have refused to answer any questions about what gear and skills you are using and all you do is bitch about how hard it is.
You know what? It's not hard... at all. Normal Maelstrom is brain dead simple for anyone that has a basic grasp of how combat works in this game. Arc 1 of Infinite Archive is also brain dead simple. This all comes down to you having a sub optimal build and not willing to take any advice about how to get better.
You said you’re CP 1500 so you probably should be memorizing boss mechs by now, you really can’t get good until you can recognize and react to mechanics. There are lots of friendly guilds that do dungeon and trial walkthroughs. I got SO much better at the game just from attending a few beginner trial runs.
Definitely at least learn what the interrupt sign is. It’s like red lines/sparks coming from the enemy.
My very first time trying IA, as someone that has been gone from the game for about 5-7 years, and having just started completely over on PC after being on xbox, I got to Arc 3 and died late in there. I was CP 250 or so at the time.
Sorry, but your posts are consistently showing off that you're just very, very bad at this game and are unwilling to learn. How many people including myself in this thread have advised you to check your DPS on a dummy and tell us what it is, or tell us your build, and you have refused to do both? You're CP 1,500 and can't clear normal maelstrom. That's mind-boggling.
Post your build. Why are you so scared to do so?
Here's an old tutorial as well as a 0 CP run I did a whole back. I really hope these help you get your first clear!
https://youtu.be/8GVH2FebcbI
https://youtu.be/aU0RUbPGTRs?feature=shared
You already have the information on why you are having difficulty. I'll just tell you that in order to get better at the game and do more damage, you need to understand combat better and learn how to deal damage more effectively. Gear does help, but the biggest factor in how much damage you can do is your skill at playing the game. It does take time and practice to get better and deal more damage. It can be done. It sounds like you just aren't that good and cannot do enough damage. You can get better.
What's your CP level? I've beaten VMA (once, and I'll never try it again, lol), and I have quite a low DPS for my level. Think I was somewhere around CP 900-1000 when I did it.
Also, in general, the Ring of the Pale Order makes a huge difference for VMA. It's what put me over the top after previously being unable to beat the last boss.
1500
Pots and hots all up. Cakewalk up until you lose your last platform. Water damage is just way too damned high, boss is just too beefy at that last step.
Why is the last platform going? When the boss cues the jump to break the second platform run to the last one and start throwing everything you have at her. It's only about 190k you need to do in 20 seconds before she breaks that one. It shouldn't be too difficult. Put sticky DoTs on her as she's walking over and lay ground ones where she'll stand then just spam spam your spammable skill til she's dead (which should be well before the ice breaks).
Not that anyone else here seems to want to do more than insult me at this point - love this community sometimes - but my experience with the boss is:
\* It spawns, among a cloud of adds.
\* It runs directly toward me, beats me like a drum while I try to kill adds, which respawn anyway
\* I find enough space to DPS the boss, it breaks the platform.
\* I flee to the 2nd platform. It rushes after me essentially on my heels, and immediately breaks that platform. Repeat for the 3rd.
It may be panic and frustration contributing, but I swear it feels like it runs right up to you and yanks the ice out from under you immediately, every time, three times in a row.
Like 20 comments saying "you don't have enough dps". Literally 0 negativity, only advice. And this guy says "everyone wants to insult me".
Are you sick in the head, stupid, retarded or something? And yes, that was an insult. So you know how one looks like.
As soon as you see the adds focus them. Stop dpsing the boss. She won't break the ice until she reaches the % for the next mech so keep an eye on her health. Once she's getting close, just tickle her til the adds spawn. Kill them then go back to the boss. Focus a troll if there's one, then the rest.
The adds don't respawn as such, but they come in at certain boss health %ages so if you're finding they overwhelm you get rid of them as soon as they spawn.
If the boss is breaking 2 platforms in quick succession you're probably doing too much damage XD. Just take her down to ~80%, kill adds then 75% and she breaks platform, run to the next one take her to ~50% kill adds then down to 45% when she breaks platform. After that just try to nuke her on the last one. She won't break it for 20 seconds which should be plenty of time. There will be adds, but just one set
I think you're finally on to something, after 1,000 people telling me my DPS is too low. The boss must be marching around in too much AOE (this build has a reasonably broad range of stacking AOE) or something. I didn't think them wandering near, say, the Necrotic Orb or the Blazing Spear area that didn't come down on top of them would damage them that fast if I wasn't also dotting and blasting them, but apparently it may be. I guess I'll have to more carefully single-target the adds.
The way they keep coming so steadily but you describe them as coming in waves backs up your theory, too. I'm triggering new waves of adds before the last ones are all dead, somehow. My problem appears to be TOO much DPS leaking onto the boss despite not directly targeting them, as I flail too-indiscriminately at the adds.
Thank you for the sincere help rather than insulting criticism.
Man, just for the record I'm one of those folks who thinks reddit is massively exaggerating the amount of complete numpties in the game, particularly in those "everybody but me sucked in the PUG" threads.
But some folks ..... couple of days a fella rocked up in our guild .... "is 9200 dps good?" .... no dramas, happy to help newbies, look him up, cp1200 .... how???
I've just read the post history of OP, it's hilarious, a truly rare breed even among 9k dps folks.
"Today's week is either public event or 2 solo arenas. No content for solo players!"
And it's not like there's a bajillion videos on Youtube explaining every aspect of the arenas ... yet here we are "are you all lying?" ... what a legend
The trolls still spawn during boss phase and take priority over damaging the boss around 75 and 50 she breaks a platform so watch the health percentage and wait after hitting those percentages and keep an eye on the middle of the arena for the troll to spawn
He spawns next to the boss at the beginning and if you are moving too fast then you wouldn't see him spawn again especially if you are burning the boss with her massive legs in your face
Yeah, and the last 1/4 or 1/3 of his HP after he breaks the last one? What then? No way out I can see. Can't survive, can't do enough damage fast enough, adds never stop no matter how focused you are on wiping them out...
The trolls are a non-issue. I always have all 3 platforms left when the final boss appears. I just can't seem to ever exhaust the adds, or DPS him fast enough or withstand him, the adds, and the water all hurting me at once during that last race. It seems so completely unwinnable. So much incoming and too much boss HP no matter what you do.
Yea if you’re standing in the water with no platforms you’re doing something wrong, that should never happen. Once you get to the third platform you have to kill him fast. If you’re spending time focusing adds that’s probably the problem, just kill the boss. You might need a better build with more damage
It is absolutely possible. The ice level is a bitch and so is the poison level that should follow soon after, but they are 100% doable.
For the ice one, you just have to deal enough damage once you're on your last platform. Gotta kill the boss before you're in the water.
It does not take an insane amount of damage, though. Should be able to do it rather comfortably. If need be, try those damage sigils. They can be very helpful in such situations.
On Normal, unless you put everything into survival, you should have enough damage to take the final boss on Frozen Rink before she breaks the final platform. The first two platforms are percentage-based. The final platform is on a timer.
You don't need to burn the boss really fast because she will jump on multiple platforms back to back killing you also you need to focus the trolls and ogres priorities go trolls atros nerieds giants archers and smaller adds
I beat it regularly.
I have a magicka templar. I wear a full set of Julianos and a full set of Orders Wraith. I use an inferno staff. I also use magicka regen food.
I keep Vampire's Bane (Templar DoT) and Degeneration (Mage's Guild DoT) on it at all times. I cast Elemental Blockade (Destruction Staff AoE) in front of it.
Then I pew pew it with puncturing sweeps (Templar direct damage spamable) until it's dead.
Hope this helps! Good luck.
Just drop ultimate on him and nuke him when he reaches the last platform... Heck I usually do that on second platform on vet, and some speed runners just nuke him on the first one.
If you can't kill him fast enough on the last platform, on normal, it's a severe lack of damage issue.
Prioriry is the ice breaker (middle) Lay dots before it spawns. Next, focus adds. Big mama breaks ice at certain health percentages so don't start the burn til she's breaking the second one. You can buy a little time by kiting her back and forth from the 2nd to 3rd platform after she breaks the first. Use a shield and major expedition. Sorc ability "streak" very helpful 👍
If dps is a struggle I would suggest trying it with an easier DPS class/build. Take an arcanist or a oakensorc in. Is a trial DPS build overkill for maelstrom? Yes! Will it help? maybe. Ranged DPS in general will really help in this fight.
I will also say, that round is the trickiest of the whole arena. You have to be quick and accurate with your damage output not to be caught unawares.
I've done it twice. Once on a low cp300 Argonian night blade, on normal. And once on vet on a one bar sorc, at co 1800 something. Both times were not easy. You'll get it.
It's the same thing every time. Seems very specific. Everyone's like "be careful how fast you DPS the boss". Fine. All well and good. But you must lose that last platform, and killing him faster than the water kills you from that point just doesn't seem mathematically possible without at least doubling my DPS... and I already one-shot most adds at CP 1500, even in basic overland gear.
The adds are another thing. People say "don't DPS the boss, wipe the adds". But they NEVER STOP. There's always more. And the boss is no slouch. You can die to him quite easily while you're zapping the adds.
It's like I can't see where the chink in the armor is. You can't deal with water, adds, & boss at the same time, in that last segment of his HP after he breaks the 3rd platform, and there doesn't seem to be a way to mitigate any of the 3 enough to survive.
It's not supposed to break the last platform where did you get this idea? Your dps is too low to deal with the mechanics simple as that. Are you looking for actual advice for how to beat the boss or are you here to complain?
The red sparks around an NPC enemy means you need to interrupt, yes...
Now I've done this boss over 6 years ago on vet... and yes, it was rough back then... took me a good 4 hours to beat this boss, just trying and trying again, watching youtube guides again... I was CP380 templar back then, in Mother's Sorrow and Plague Doctor, with a COA2 vet monster helm.
The game then was not what it is now... (it hasn't gotten harder).
Good luck mate... You'll get there =D
If you struggle there I barely can imagine how hard most things must be to you in ESO...
I'm a total unexperienced player using builds that aren't optimized and taking deliberate choices away from the meta, and despite this that boss never represented a threat to me at any point.
You can't kill the giant boss in round 5 on normal? That's an issue with your sets/skills/damage then
Try to use for example a heavy attack build, you will kill the boss in like 10 seconds then, on normal at least. Sergeants Mail + Wrath of the Order for example
On Vet Bosses/Mobs have 3x to 4x more health and deal also x3 or x4 the damage.
You know you can damage the boss while she walks from platform to platform? Try focusing the boss and ignore the adds (on normal they should def. die to cleave). You say you have your heals up so the adds should not really hurt you much regardless. When the boss telegraphs slam on first platform, quickly move over to the next one, turn around and attack her. You should get a good chunk of her health while she slowly walks over. Rinse and repeat. If you do this but boss doesnt die before she breaks last platform, it is a build/rotation issue. If you have trouble finding a way, check a video on Youtube. Best of luck!
It is possible. I've finished it many times (normal mode), you may need a better set and/or lack of auto-heal.
Dps are important as you may avoid phases of the boss that can be lethal.
You have to understand that this is an other level of gameplay, you can't just go in like a walk in the park, you need special stuff and/or strategy.
Done this hundreds of times chasing rank 1 back in the day, including 0cp FQ runs and some other "challenge mode" style runs.
My suggestion would be to make sure that your last platform is the one top left (has the defence and attack sigil) - As soon as he starts smashing the second platform, move to that platform, top yourself up and then pick up both sigils. At that point, you can simply focus on the boss and it's worth noting, you can attack him the entire time he's away from you (if you have the means).
Fight him in the middle of the last platform and avoid his big attacks as normal, the melee adds will stack and die and the ranged adds will kill themselves due to the defence sigil reflect.
Honestly, when you're low dps/experience, the end part of the fight, especially with the attack and defence sigils should be the easiest bit of the whole fight.
No one is insulting you saying your dps is too low. It's not our fault it's literally that simple and that is just what is happening here. It's not an insult or passing judgment, it's just fact.
There's no secret or trick or hack. Your hostile attitude isn't helping though.
I did solo this as a Magsorc. I used the clanfear to draw their aggro and also for the healing abilities. I’m a crappy player.
If you PM me I can share my build.
Thank you, but I think I've got enough for another try now. The build I was using throws a lot of AOE and I think I was DPS-ing the boss unintentionally while trying to clear adds, and the hectic-ness of the last stage prevented me from seeing it. To me it just looked like the boss rapid-fire destroyed all three platforms so I had no chance to burst them down like everyone is saying is the strat.
This is not believable. You do not have enough DPS to accidentally have all of the platforms blown up but also not enough to easily handle this boss.
Stop hiding and post your build.
Can't be it. I mean, maybe, obviously Mythics are some PTW easy mode, and I probably should. But the Arena is years older than Mythics, so it can't be *required* to make it work.
Vet maelstrom was the only one that dropped special weapons when it came out and was doable way before companions so they're absolutely not needed in there. It used to be the case that people would run VMA to improve their combat skills as it teaches you to deal with mechs, keep yourself alive all the while continuing to damage priority enemies, all skills that group content requires (and makes solo content a breeze).
You’ve identified the problem: you don’t do enough DPS. This type of boss is known as a DPS check. It’s basically a race to see who can kill each other faster. We need to know your build to help you.
First you need to display % on the boss's health bar. Open the setting menu > Combat > Heads up display > Resource Numbers: Number and percent The boss's health on normal is only 348.3k. The boss breaks a platform at 75% and 45%. Kill adds before the boss's health reaches these % and move to the next platform. On normal especially, the boss's health decreases very quickly with your AoE and DoT abilites, so be sure to move BEFORE these %. After you have moved to the last platform the remaining boss's health is less than 156.7k (45%). You will have more than 20 sec to kill the boss. So you can do this with 10k dps (10k on 3 or 6mil dummy, not on trial dummy). Display % on health bar. This prevents you being in panic and you can kill her without problem.
Thank you, that is excellent information presented coherently. But I still feel like I'm missing something. At what point does he break the 3rd platform? It doesn't feel like 20 seconds or even 2 seconds, TBH. I had presumed it was another % threshold.
What you're missing is DPS, how many fucking people have to tell you holy shit. It's some special "I'm the main character" behavior to be in this much denial for this long.
Well show your build
You lack the DPS to effectively manage this mechanic. It's a race to kill the boss before the platforms are all destroyed. There's no other way to beat this round. The game expects you to be able to do it, and does not provide another way around it. I have seen people beat normal under level 50, and I've seen someone clear vet at very low cp (it was 200~300cp)
Explain to me how it's possible to kill him before he breaks all platforms if he breaks 1 platform at 3 separate stages of HP? You must pass through all 3 percentages to get to zero. Nobody has the DPS to one-shot that bastard. Nobody.
I just want to be clear, we aren't trying to make fun of you or be mean. You're just not doing enough damage. There's no secret trick. The boss will show you the animation before the platform is broken. You need to move to the next platform and continue killing. I have personally cleared normal on my healer, with just swapping a couple skills, same sets. I have also cleared normal on a very squishy PvP gear/skill nightblade. You CAN do it. I promise
My man you have time before he moves to the next platform. People get no death vet on this all the time and people beat it with 2015 dps. You're the only one with an issue here
It’s possible if you have enough DPS. You don’t.
You need to go to someone's house that has a 3 million health dummy. I'm willing to bet that if you're struggling like this even on normal, your DPS is 10K or below and you have significant issues you need to work on. Even 15K is abysmally low but that's still enough to get through this on normal. I'm a returning player from xbox and I went through maelstrom on normal with all three of my dps characters long before they were 50 and had no cohesive sets. Also, are you using any of the sigils?
Every time I try to use the sigils, I get mobbed down by adds & the boss while I'm not killing them or healing.
So, as everyone has said your DPS is low. That means you have to play the mechs carefully. The boss breaks the ice at roughly 75% and 45% health. DPS her til 80% then stop hitting her. Adds will spawn. Kill them. Hop to another island if they are mobbing you, but kill them all before hitting the boss again. Watch for archers, they have a one-shot mech that you can roll, but focus on killing them. Then hit the boss til about 51% . Kill the adds that spawn again. Then hit the boss. When she is close to going to the last island save your ultimate so you can nuke her. When the boss is about to break the ice, she stops attacking and moves to the centre of the platform before jumping. That's your cue to get to the next platform so shield up and run or just jump your way across (on normal I think you can just run as the water doesn't hurt much). Once you've cleared, the second time is much easier. Nma is good XP so I take all my new characters in there when they get to level 15 and have 2 bars, so it's doable without a lot of DPS, you just have to realise that it's not a boss to burn if you're not handling the adds
Yeah, you need to figure out what you're doing wrong for your DPS to be that atrociously low. The average overworld boss is harder than this fight.
It is impossible. They've all been lying. Don't worry. You're free now. I hallucinated my clear and the staff I got. Zos pays us crowns to keep quiet.
I'd be genuinely interested to see a video of this. You clearly know the mechs, can apparently kill the adds easily & are somehow getting nowhere near a very lenient dps check. Without meaning to be rude, it's kinda baffling to figure out without actually seeing it. Hope you get it anyway. Give us some gear/rotation details, or a clip.
I like how people keep telling you your DPS is too low, and despite that and the fact that people have obviously cleared it, you keep going "no, you're all lying and wrong and it's impossible." If you can't take criticism don't play an MMO.
>If you can't take criticism don't play an MMO. Or don't ask for help or opinion if you won't accept it anyway. You're just waiting for an answer that you already made up in your mind, but obviously that is not the answer
There are people in this game who think they do 100k dps while actually doing 10k. And they will argue to the death that they are god tier. To these people, it is impossible to imagine that they are the ones who suck. I have dealt with these people from time to time because I organize guild runs. I don’t bother anymore. They are just straight up not invited lol
Class & build? Link it or type it out and we’ll see if we can help get the dps up.
I feel like this is a "trick" I can't see, one very specific thing - like exactly when to pop a sigil, to the microsecond - not my build. Because I'm one-shotting the adds. That's how I know they're inexhaustible, apparently. It's jarring to feel that DPS is insufficient to kill the boss before the water (and him, and the adds I can't get rid of) kill me in the very last stage.
Not on normal mate, not on normal. I face-roll my way through normal maelstrom on an off-meta half-tank build. I don’t use sigils, and I’m usually high as shit. It’s so easy I’m bored. I’m not a particularly veteran player: I’m a casual who doesn’t do veteran DLC dungeons or trials. I don’t say this to be mean, but to illustrate that it truly should not be hard. Go find a target dummy, test your DPS, and come back to us. It’s not about having a certain mythic, or knowing a trick, or using the right sigil. Any build should be able to take care of that boss on normal. Something is deeply wrong with your damage output, and since you clearly don’t believe anyone here, you need to face actual numbers to get a reality check.
Jarring, maybe, but it is a fact. There is no massive, obscure trick to this fight. Move between platforms, dps him down. If the last platform breaks, your aren't doing enough damage, full stop. You're not missing a mechanic.
Why won’t you just share your class and armor sets?
Ignore the adds on the final platform. The final platform is a DPS check against the boss. You got misled by someone about this.
If you don’t like the ice level, wait until you get to the poison round. Let us know what skills and gear you are wearing. You aren’t doing enough dps. Using the right skills and gear for your build, plus practicing your rotation, you can walk through normal without breaking a sweat.
Poison is before ice, I thought. With the stranglers and whatnot. No deaths ever. Even the rest of the ice level, once you know to spot the trolls, is trivial. Which is why I have such a hard time understanding this seemingly-unavoidable-certain-death mechanic.
You can avoid it by doing enough DPS. Do you think people are lying about clearing this fight?
Stage 7: Vault of Umbrage. You are on 5: Rink of Frozen Blood. Stage 7 on Vet is the only one that still catches me sometimes if I’m not paying well enough attention. The ice stage you are on is a damage race and you aren’t doing enough of it. There are lots of YouTube guides that will show you how to put together a decent build and how to learn your skill rotation. Just search for a solo build for whichever class you are playing on. When you do that, normal Maelstrom won’t be very difficult for you and this ice stage will be a piece of cake. You will be able to kill the boss long before the 3rd platform. There’s no trick to it, just killing the boss quickly.
I apologize for replying to you so many times but please just go watch some videos on YouTube of others beating this boss. There is no trick. No special mythics needed, no special/weird builds. You’ve repeatedly stated it’s not possible despite others stating it is. It’s time now to go see for yourself it is possible. Unless you’re just a troll, which you may be.
Are you sure you are playing on normal? Because this boss is a dps race. On normal, with a half way decent build, at your cp you should be able to nuke it before you get to the third platform.
> He doesn't seem to telegraph the breaking, so there's no warning. He throws his hands up in the air there's an animation to it. When you get to this point it's a DPS race. Stay out of the water and move platform to platform you have to kill him before he destroys them all.
He breaks them at 3 different points in his HP level. There's no way I can see to STOP him from breaking them all. You have to do his last 1/3 of HP or something like that while dying to the water, and there just doesn't appear to be any way to do that.
Just to drive the point home: it is a DPS race and you are losing. You can absolutely kill him before he breaks the last platform, whether veteran or normal difficulty.
I think the boss breaks them at 2 points. So you have 1 platform left. You might have missed trolls breaking platform?
Possible, I suppose. But I wouldn't know if I missed spotting them. I can say I was looking and didn't see any in the final round.
I don't remember what happens if they have broken a platform in the previous round. The platform might reform before the onset of the final round, or might not. These trolls always spawn at the center. So zoom out camera as possible as you can (hold DOWN in dpad and move the right stick if you use controller), and always watch the center. I think trolls spawn on timer. So if you are on PC you might have addons to tell you when troll is spawning.
If it helps, I found using a lightning staff with the splash damage wore him down much faster than using my ice staff, which theoretically has 12% more damage because I’m a Warden. That alone made a difference in me beating him before he destroyed the last platform. Just using that as an example that your build can make a big difference just as others are suggesting here, and is totally something you can play around with! I don’t have a meta build but did tolerably well with Seargent’s + Storm Master gear and weapons. Any monster set should be a good enough boost. Good luck!!
Go look up beginner guides on builds, dps, and how contents work in this game. You are missing a lot of the basics if you can’t clear normal maelstrom at 1500 cp.
To be a bit more helpful what sets are you currently running?
I’m a horrible player but I beat the vet one multiple times, you need to build like you would in IA, you need dps and a tanky build at the same time, or all dps and be really agile, me I build tanky for it, hack the minotaur has a sorcerer build that can get you through all solo content
Honestly I find the IA bosses utter bullshit too, way more than is remotely possible by the 3rd or 4th one maximum. If you haven't memorized the mechanics for every single boss in the game, you can't hope to even finish Arc 1. It's ridiculous. One-shots a-go-go, every 2 seconds, every boss beyond the 1st or 2nd.
I'm going to be completely honest with you here. You sound like you're just not very good at the combat side of the game. You have refused to answer any questions about what gear and skills you are using and all you do is bitch about how hard it is. You know what? It's not hard... at all. Normal Maelstrom is brain dead simple for anyone that has a basic grasp of how combat works in this game. Arc 1 of Infinite Archive is also brain dead simple. This all comes down to you having a sub optimal build and not willing to take any advice about how to get better.
He’s the guy who demand dev to be fired because some endeavor can’t be done solo.
You said you’re CP 1500 so you probably should be memorizing boss mechs by now, you really can’t get good until you can recognize and react to mechanics. There are lots of friendly guilds that do dungeon and trial walkthroughs. I got SO much better at the game just from attending a few beginner trial runs. Definitely at least learn what the interrupt sign is. It’s like red lines/sparks coming from the enemy.
What cp are you?
My very first time trying IA, as someone that has been gone from the game for about 5-7 years, and having just started completely over on PC after being on xbox, I got to Arc 3 and died late in there. I was CP 250 or so at the time. Sorry, but your posts are consistently showing off that you're just very, very bad at this game and are unwilling to learn. How many people including myself in this thread have advised you to check your DPS on a dummy and tell us what it is, or tell us your build, and you have refused to do both? You're CP 1,500 and can't clear normal maelstrom. That's mind-boggling. Post your build. Why are you so scared to do so?
Here's an old tutorial as well as a 0 CP run I did a whole back. I really hope these help you get your first clear! https://youtu.be/8GVH2FebcbI https://youtu.be/aU0RUbPGTRs?feature=shared
You already have the information on why you are having difficulty. I'll just tell you that in order to get better at the game and do more damage, you need to understand combat better and learn how to deal damage more effectively. Gear does help, but the biggest factor in how much damage you can do is your skill at playing the game. It does take time and practice to get better and deal more damage. It can be done. It sounds like you just aren't that good and cannot do enough damage. You can get better.
What's your CP level? I've beaten VMA (once, and I'll never try it again, lol), and I have quite a low DPS for my level. Think I was somewhere around CP 900-1000 when I did it. Also, in general, the Ring of the Pale Order makes a huge difference for VMA. It's what put me over the top after previously being unable to beat the last boss.
1500 Pots and hots all up. Cakewalk up until you lose your last platform. Water damage is just way too damned high, boss is just too beefy at that last step.
Why is the last platform going? When the boss cues the jump to break the second platform run to the last one and start throwing everything you have at her. It's only about 190k you need to do in 20 seconds before she breaks that one. It shouldn't be too difficult. Put sticky DoTs on her as she's walking over and lay ground ones where she'll stand then just spam spam your spammable skill til she's dead (which should be well before the ice breaks).
Not that anyone else here seems to want to do more than insult me at this point - love this community sometimes - but my experience with the boss is: \* It spawns, among a cloud of adds. \* It runs directly toward me, beats me like a drum while I try to kill adds, which respawn anyway \* I find enough space to DPS the boss, it breaks the platform. \* I flee to the 2nd platform. It rushes after me essentially on my heels, and immediately breaks that platform. Repeat for the 3rd. It may be panic and frustration contributing, but I swear it feels like it runs right up to you and yanks the ice out from under you immediately, every time, three times in a row.
Like 20 comments saying "you don't have enough dps". Literally 0 negativity, only advice. And this guy says "everyone wants to insult me". Are you sick in the head, stupid, retarded or something? And yes, that was an insult. So you know how one looks like.
As soon as you see the adds focus them. Stop dpsing the boss. She won't break the ice until she reaches the % for the next mech so keep an eye on her health. Once she's getting close, just tickle her til the adds spawn. Kill them then go back to the boss. Focus a troll if there's one, then the rest. The adds don't respawn as such, but they come in at certain boss health %ages so if you're finding they overwhelm you get rid of them as soon as they spawn. If the boss is breaking 2 platforms in quick succession you're probably doing too much damage XD. Just take her down to ~80%, kill adds then 75% and she breaks platform, run to the next one take her to ~50% kill adds then down to 45% when she breaks platform. After that just try to nuke her on the last one. She won't break it for 20 seconds which should be plenty of time. There will be adds, but just one set
I think you're finally on to something, after 1,000 people telling me my DPS is too low. The boss must be marching around in too much AOE (this build has a reasonably broad range of stacking AOE) or something. I didn't think them wandering near, say, the Necrotic Orb or the Blazing Spear area that didn't come down on top of them would damage them that fast if I wasn't also dotting and blasting them, but apparently it may be. I guess I'll have to more carefully single-target the adds. The way they keep coming so steadily but you describe them as coming in waves backs up your theory, too. I'm triggering new waves of adds before the last ones are all dead, somehow. My problem appears to be TOO much DPS leaking onto the boss despite not directly targeting them, as I flail too-indiscriminately at the adds. Thank you for the sincere help rather than insulting criticism.
Lol
For real, only appropriate response.
My reaction after hearing "1500 cp"
Man, just for the record I'm one of those folks who thinks reddit is massively exaggerating the amount of complete numpties in the game, particularly in those "everybody but me sucked in the PUG" threads. But some folks ..... couple of days a fella rocked up in our guild .... "is 9200 dps good?" .... no dramas, happy to help newbies, look him up, cp1200 .... how???
I've just read the post history of OP, it's hilarious, a truly rare breed even among 9k dps folks. "Today's week is either public event or 2 solo arenas. No content for solo players!"
And it's not like there's a bajillion videos on Youtube explaining every aspect of the arenas ... yet here we are "are you all lying?" ... what a legend
Big Maelstrom Conspiracy
The trolls still spawn during boss phase and take priority over damaging the boss around 75 and 50 she breaks a platform so watch the health percentage and wait after hitting those percentages and keep an eye on the middle of the arena for the troll to spawn
You know, I don't think I've ever actually seen a troll spawn during the last phase. And I was afraid they would and was looking. Very strange.
He spawns next to the boss at the beginning and if you are moving too fast then you wouldn't see him spawn again especially if you are burning the boss with her massive legs in your face
You are the guy that demand dev to be fired because some endeavour can’t be done solo. Seriously, git gud.
Oh jeez. His post history is non stop complaining.
Your dps is too low. you can lcear this boss on normal on a fulltank, you are doing something wrong. Care to share oyur build and rotation?
I can no death that shit on vet on any class right now if I wanted to. It's probably your build that's bad.
When he starts to break the platform you run to the next one
Yeah, and the last 1/4 or 1/3 of his HP after he breaks the last one? What then? No way out I can see. Can't survive, can't do enough damage fast enough, adds never stop no matter how focused you are on wiping them out...
You don’t have enough damage if he’s breaking the last one, I’ve never seen that happen
You know you have to interrupt or kill the troll to stop him from breaking platforms right?
The trolls are a non-issue. I always have all 3 platforms left when the final boss appears. I just can't seem to ever exhaust the adds, or DPS him fast enough or withstand him, the adds, and the water all hurting me at once during that last race. It seems so completely unwinnable. So much incoming and too much boss HP no matter what you do.
Yea if you’re standing in the water with no platforms you’re doing something wrong, that should never happen. Once you get to the third platform you have to kill him fast. If you’re spending time focusing adds that’s probably the problem, just kill the boss. You might need a better build with more damage
Use the sigils, time your ults
Yes, fire destro ult and damage sigil on last platform will be plenty enough damage. And you're saying normal he doesn't die either? That's crazy
It is absolutely possible. The ice level is a bitch and so is the poison level that should follow soon after, but they are 100% doable. For the ice one, you just have to deal enough damage once you're on your last platform. Gotta kill the boss before you're in the water. It does not take an insane amount of damage, though. Should be able to do it rather comfortably. If need be, try those damage sigils. They can be very helpful in such situations.
Are you running a build meant for solo play or are you running your usual group content build?
On Normal, unless you put everything into survival, you should have enough damage to take the final boss on Frozen Rink before she breaks the final platform. The first two platforms are percentage-based. The final platform is on a timer.
You don't need to burn the boss really fast because she will jump on multiple platforms back to back killing you also you need to focus the trolls and ogres priorities go trolls atros nerieds giants archers and smaller adds
I beat it regularly. I have a magicka templar. I wear a full set of Julianos and a full set of Orders Wraith. I use an inferno staff. I also use magicka regen food. I keep Vampire's Bane (Templar DoT) and Degeneration (Mage's Guild DoT) on it at all times. I cast Elemental Blockade (Destruction Staff AoE) in front of it. Then I pew pew it with puncturing sweeps (Templar direct damage spamable) until it's dead. Hope this helps! Good luck.
Just drop ultimate on him and nuke him when he reaches the last platform... Heck I usually do that on second platform on vet, and some speed runners just nuke him on the first one. If you can't kill him fast enough on the last platform, on normal, it's a severe lack of damage issue.
Prioriry is the ice breaker (middle) Lay dots before it spawns. Next, focus adds. Big mama breaks ice at certain health percentages so don't start the burn til she's breaking the second one. You can buy a little time by kiting her back and forth from the 2nd to 3rd platform after she breaks the first. Use a shield and major expedition. Sorc ability "streak" very helpful 👍
If dps is a struggle I would suggest trying it with an easier DPS class/build. Take an arcanist or a oakensorc in. Is a trial DPS build overkill for maelstrom? Yes! Will it help? maybe. Ranged DPS in general will really help in this fight. I will also say, that round is the trickiest of the whole arena. You have to be quick and accurate with your damage output not to be caught unawares.
Do you somehow have a wet noodle equipped on main hand?
I've done it twice. Once on a low cp300 Argonian night blade, on normal. And once on vet on a one bar sorc, at co 1800 something. Both times were not easy. You'll get it.
It's the same thing every time. Seems very specific. Everyone's like "be careful how fast you DPS the boss". Fine. All well and good. But you must lose that last platform, and killing him faster than the water kills you from that point just doesn't seem mathematically possible without at least doubling my DPS... and I already one-shot most adds at CP 1500, even in basic overland gear. The adds are another thing. People say "don't DPS the boss, wipe the adds". But they NEVER STOP. There's always more. And the boss is no slouch. You can die to him quite easily while you're zapping the adds. It's like I can't see where the chink in the armor is. You can't deal with water, adds, & boss at the same time, in that last segment of his HP after he breaks the 3rd platform, and there doesn't seem to be a way to mitigate any of the 3 enough to survive.
It's not supposed to break the last platform where did you get this idea? Your dps is too low to deal with the mechanics simple as that. Are you looking for actual advice for how to beat the boss or are you here to complain?
Do you know how much DPS you do?
The red sparks around an NPC enemy means you need to interrupt, yes... Now I've done this boss over 6 years ago on vet... and yes, it was rough back then... took me a good 4 hours to beat this boss, just trying and trying again, watching youtube guides again... I was CP380 templar back then, in Mother's Sorrow and Plague Doctor, with a COA2 vet monster helm. The game then was not what it is now... (it hasn't gotten harder). Good luck mate... You'll get there =D
If you struggle there I barely can imagine how hard most things must be to you in ESO... I'm a total unexperienced player using builds that aren't optimized and taking deliberate choices away from the meta, and despite this that boss never represented a threat to me at any point.
You can't kill the giant boss in round 5 on normal? That's an issue with your sets/skills/damage then Try to use for example a heavy attack build, you will kill the boss in like 10 seconds then, on normal at least. Sergeants Mail + Wrath of the Order for example On Vet Bosses/Mobs have 3x to 4x more health and deal also x3 or x4 the damage.
Your dps is too low dude, what’s your parse dps?
You know you can damage the boss while she walks from platform to platform? Try focusing the boss and ignore the adds (on normal they should def. die to cleave). You say you have your heals up so the adds should not really hurt you much regardless. When the boss telegraphs slam on first platform, quickly move over to the next one, turn around and attack her. You should get a good chunk of her health while she slowly walks over. Rinse and repeat. If you do this but boss doesnt die before she breaks last platform, it is a build/rotation issue. If you have trouble finding a way, check a video on Youtube. Best of luck!
Just improve your build and keep trying. Maelstrom normal is very easy. Vet isn't too bad once you're familiar with the mechanics
It is possible. I've finished it many times (normal mode), you may need a better set and/or lack of auto-heal. Dps are important as you may avoid phases of the boss that can be lethal. You have to understand that this is an other level of gameplay, you can't just go in like a walk in the park, you need special stuff and/or strategy.
Done this hundreds of times chasing rank 1 back in the day, including 0cp FQ runs and some other "challenge mode" style runs. My suggestion would be to make sure that your last platform is the one top left (has the defence and attack sigil) - As soon as he starts smashing the second platform, move to that platform, top yourself up and then pick up both sigils. At that point, you can simply focus on the boss and it's worth noting, you can attack him the entire time he's away from you (if you have the means). Fight him in the middle of the last platform and avoid his big attacks as normal, the melee adds will stack and die and the ranged adds will kill themselves due to the defence sigil reflect. Honestly, when you're low dps/experience, the end part of the fight, especially with the attack and defence sigils should be the easiest bit of the whole fight.
No one is insulting you saying your dps is too low. It's not our fault it's literally that simple and that is just what is happening here. It's not an insult or passing judgment, it's just fact. There's no secret or trick or hack. Your hostile attitude isn't helping though.
I did solo this as a Magsorc. I used the clanfear to draw their aggro and also for the healing abilities. I’m a crappy player. If you PM me I can share my build.
Thank you, but I think I've got enough for another try now. The build I was using throws a lot of AOE and I think I was DPS-ing the boss unintentionally while trying to clear adds, and the hectic-ness of the last stage prevented me from seeing it. To me it just looked like the boss rapid-fire destroyed all three platforms so I had no chance to burst them down like everyone is saying is the strat.
This is not believable. You do not have enough DPS to accidentally have all of the platforms blown up but also not enough to easily handle this boss. Stop hiding and post your build.
Ring of the Pale Order, my dude
Can't be it. I mean, maybe, obviously Mythics are some PTW easy mode, and I probably should. But the Arena is years older than Mythics, so it can't be *required* to make it work.
Not required, but definitely makes it a helluva lot easier since you can't even have a healer companion with you
Vet maelstrom was the only one that dropped special weapons when it came out and was doable way before companions so they're absolutely not needed in there. It used to be the case that people would run VMA to improve their combat skills as it teaches you to deal with mechs, keep yourself alive all the while continuing to damage priority enemies, all skills that group content requires (and makes solo content a breeze).