The Moon Monster fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Nov 14, 2016

• Positioning is important. The fastest way to improve is to learn where each spawn point is, reducing the amount of time it takes to zero in on a mob and kill it. Once you memorize the locations, it becomes a matter of laying down some AoEs on one of the spawn points while focusing on another.
  
• USE THE SIGILS. UNLESS you are attempting to place on the leaderboard (and if you're reading this, you are definitely not placing), or attempting a Flawless Conqueror run (which again, probably isn't happening if you're reading this), you should be using the sigils as you need them. As you continually beat the arena over and over again, your reliance on them will decrease. But when starting out, USE THEM.
  
• Veteran Maelstrom Arena is a test, of both your patience and your knowledge of the class/race combo you are running. Which is why quite a few progression guilds in the game use the Stormproof (cheevo for completing vMA) as a measuring stick for how well you might do in a group setting. If you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your class/race combo, you are more prepared to do endgame content than Joe Superstar DPS, and vMA proves that.
  
• To add to the above, each class combo is different when running the arena. I can have Flawless runs on my stamsorc all day, but if I even try to use the same tactics on a magblade, I am not going to get very far.
  
• vMA is a money sink. You will need potions, and if you're dying a lot, gold to repair your armors. Do not attempt Veteran Maelstrom Arena if you're not prepared to lose a lot of money.
  

• This is the easiest of the stages, no real mechanics to adhere to. If you're having trouble here, you need to step back and re-evaluate your setup.
  
• Champion: Maxus the Many - Again, a pretty simple boss. Burn him down as quickly as you can. If you can't burn him down quickly, make sure to eliminate his add spawns ASAP. When he recalls them, any health they have will transfer over to him.
  

• Here is where the Arena begins weeding out the dumbasses from the non-idiots. This stage is a constant barrage of damage from the spinning blades circling the arena constantly. You can stop them by pulling the levers on the outer edges.
  
• The blades on the outermost and innermost tracks deal straight damage, while the blades that travel on the two inner tracks not only deal direct damage, but apply a damage over time effect on your character. Self-heals and self-sustain are key here.
  
• Champion: Centurion Trio - These 3 bosses work on a rotation. As you get one down to a threshold of health, they pop an invulnerable damage shield while another one begins its assault. Move between them as quickly as you can.
  

• WATCH THE WATER HERE. The water surrounding the 3 mini-islands will occasionally electrify, and will kill you very quickly if you're dumb enough to stay in it.
  
• Avoid the AoEs that randomly spawn.
  
• The stranglers that spawn on the outer edges of the arena hit you with a projectile that applies a heavy snare. Prioritize these adds to avoid it.
  
• When possible, fight in the green circle that spawns occasionally. It heals you.
  
• Champion: Lamia Queen - No real strategy here other than burning down quickly and avoiding her frontal cone AoE, which stuns you if you're caught in it. Rotate between adds/strangler and boss as appropriate.
  

• The Clockwork Sentries here will make a dash for the center. Kill them before they get there, otherwise they erect a tough damage shield that will make taking them out difficult. While they're in the center, they occasionally shoot out high damage lightning bolts.
  
• The humanoid enemies in this stage always spawn with CC immunity, so be wary of them.
  
• Prioritize the named adds in each round. They have a ton of CC and they're not afraid to use it.
  
• Champion: The Control Guardian - This fight is almost identical to the Engine Guardian encounter from Darkshade Caverns II. It's rotation is very easy to learn (lightning/fire/lightning/fire). During lightning phase, stay directly under the Guardian and deal out as much damage as possible. When the green circle disappears, immediately distance yourself from the Guardian and begin attacking it from range while avoiding the fireball AoEs (which I might add, are not as forgiving as the ones from DC II). If you have no ranged attacks, focus on killing the adds that spawn in. Repeat rotation as necessary.
  

• Ok, THIS is the stage that truly separates the poopsockers from the pubbies. I'm pretty sure Rich Lambert could whip up one of his fancy little idiot-charts detailing how many pubbies and casuals have ragequit vMA during this stage and it would outshine every other stage. If you can survive this stage without punching your monitor/throwing your keyboard/eating your controller, you can pretty much make it the rest of the way. It's probably also the stage with the most deaths.
  
• Again, WATCH THE WATER. It doesn't electrify, it deals direct damage and snares you. Once again, DO NOT FIGHT IN THE WATER. You are an idiot if you do.
  
• Kill the Troll Breakers that spawn IMMEDIATELY. If they manage to make it to an ice platform and break it, that platform is gone for the rest of the round or until you die. Bash them and kill them asap.
  
• The Haste, Defense, and Healing sigils are your friends here. Each round is guaranteed to have some ranged enemies, which are quickly countered with the Defense sigil, leaving you the close ranged enemies to worry about.
  
• Champion: Matriarch Runa - This boss is particularly tricky as she has a ton of CC (a knockback and an area-wide fear). Burn her as fast as possible. She has 3 phases where whenever each one ends, she enrages and breaks one of the platforms, which is an instant kill if you're caught in it. Her enrage is marked by her glowing red and taking zero damage, so as soon as you see it, immediately move to the next platform. Whenever a platform breaks, it spawns a Nereid that can kill you if you're not paying attention. Oh and don't forget the Troll Breakers either.
  

• Notice the 5 totems around the arena? Yeah you're gonna need them. Whenever you see a swarm of spiders, head for the totem that's glowing to ward them off.
  
• Occasionally a Spider will spawn in whose only objective is to web up the totems. Do not let it do so.
  
• Occasionally a Hoarvor will spawn that when killed, it'll either explode if near a totem that's webbed, removing the webbing from it; or it will drop a venom grenade that can be used to apply a debuff to enemies in it's AoE or can also be thrown at webbed totem, immediately unwebbing it.
  
• If you manage to unweb all 5 totems, there will be an area-wide stun applied to all monsters (bosses included) for 10 seconds. This is especially important in the final round.
  
• Mobility is key here. The arena occasionally erupts into a lightning storm that drops AoEs everywhere randomly, which can kill you if you're not careful.
  
• Champion: Champion of Atrocity - Basically an over-glorified Spider Daedra, its power increases based on the number of totems that are webbed. Occasionally she will enrage, causing all of your attacks to deal very little damage. Speed is key here, unweb the totems as quickly as possible and burn her down as much as you can during the stun phase. Avoid the very obviously telegraphed AoE from here and you're golden.
  

• The epitome of RNG, this stage is probably #2 in the ragequit list. However, get past the RNG and it's actually a pretty easy stage!
  
• Avoid the venom plants, obviously. They can and will kill you in short order. If you're not so lucky, run to the pools at the edges of the stage to cleanse. Note that in Veteran Maelstrom that the pools disappear when you use them and will not reset until the next round begins, so watch your step.
  
• Prioritize the Argonian Venomcallers, they're the Argonians that spawn at one of the four corners of the stage and begin a channeling ability to summon and detonate multiple venom plants repeatedly. The tell for this is when the stage turns green. Stamina setups have it easy because they can launch a Volley at their location with a Poison Arrow and make quick work of them.
  
• The Argonian Venomshots here have a skill called Taking Aim which will one-shot you if you let them complete it. Magicka setups can interrupt this easily with Crushing Shock, Stamina setups can use Venom Arrow (though I advise against using that morph), and Stamina Nightblades can simply Ambush them and stun them out of it. The tell is when you start glowing orange; when that happens, find the Venomshot using the skill and prioritize them.
  
• The trolls in this stage will enrage after receiving enough damage, and can one-shot you afterwards.
  
• Champion: Argonian Behemoth - Immovability pots are fantastic against this boss, they can save you from the Staggering Stomp, and his knockback punch which can lead into a Monstrous Crunch that will bleed you out if you're not careful. The Monstrous Crunch ONLY applies if you are stunned by his knockback punch; however, you can avoid it you can Break-Free + Roll Dodge fast enough. After a certain amount of time, two Minders will spawn. Immediately kill the one furthest from the Behemoth and reposition yourself to the other Minder and stay near it. After one of the minders dies, the Behemoth immediately begins channeling an instant-kill scream that is only avoided by being in the remaining Minder's safe area. The scream also kills Venomcallers so don't worry if the screen goes green. DO NOT INTERRUPT THE ENRAGED SCREAM, EVER. IT WILL ENRAGE THE BEHEMOTH WHO WILL THEN ONE-SHOT YOU.
  

• Made it this far? Don't give up! You're almost at the end!
  
• Only enemies to worry about here are the Caitliffs and Kyngalds. The Caitliffs will use gap-closers on you (which surprisingly enough, DON'T BUG OUT like our very own gap closers. gently caress you Wrobel), and the Kyngalds will channel a high-damage AoE that must be interrupted before it kills you.
  
• Each round has a boss that is initially immune to all damage until you break the Warding Stone that protects it. So prioritize that stone before engaging the boss.
  
• Champion: Valkyn Tephra - Basically a Dragonknight from the Patch 1.5 days, you need to destroy all three warding stones to even be able to deal damage to this boss. If you are at range, it will launch a snaring fireball at you, or it will simply chain you back to it, usually into a Standard of Might. Ouch.
  

• Last stage, homestretch, and if you're a loving dumbass, probably the stage that causes you to ragequit because certain game designers are utterly incompetent at fixing gapclosers (lol)
  
• The main hazards here are the ghosts. Pale ghosts damage you and apply a snare, avoid them.
  
• The Golden Ghosts empower you, and if you absorb 3 of them, allow you to use the Spectral Explosion Synergy which clears all the pale ghosts in the stage and stuns all enemies (bosses included) for 10 seconds. You only have a certain amount of time to use the synergy though so don't waste it!
  
• Oh right did I mention that this stage has CREMATORIAL GUARDS? No? Well it does. KILL THE CREMATORIAL GUARDS THE MOMENT THEY SPAWN. It is the only way to remove their Wildfire DoT.
  
• Second to last stage has an Ash Titan, a la City of Ash II. Same strategy applies here, minus the air atronach spawns.
  
• Champion: Voriak Solkyn - Possibly the most frustrating boss I had to deal with (Runa is a very close second). Which is funny because this boss is no more than a glorified Nerien'eth from Crypt of Hearts II. This fight has three phases. Phase 1 is simple, burn down the boss, avoid the big fuckoff skull he launches at you, and interrupt his Necrotic Swarm channel. Once you get him down to 70% he moves to the center of the arena and flies up, beginning Phase 2. Look for the glowing sigil in the outer edge of the arena, and pull the Clannfear add that spawns to that sigil and kill it there, opening a portal to the upper arena. Once your at the upper arena, you will be hit with a constant Damage Over Time component, so self-heals are a priority here. Solkyn is protected by 3 Animus Crystals that must be destroyed immediately, all while avoiding meteor AoEs which stun and Solkyn's own fuckoff skull attack. Immovables are a godsend here. Occasionally Solkyn will begin channeling a giant explosion that can be avoided by hiding behind the moving wall that that appears when he begins chaneling it. Speed is critical here, you need to burn down those crystals ASAP. Once all 3 crystals are gone, he will fall down again and knock you back while doing it, beginning Phase 3. At this point, the golden ghosts spawn again. DO NOT LET HIM ABSORB 3 GHOSTS, IF HE DOES IT'S A WIPE. Instead, grab the ghosts yourself and use the Spectral Explosion to stun him and the adds so you can burn him down quickly. The Shield Sigil is a godsend here, allowing you to facetank his Necrotic Swarm while slapping him around.
  

Synthwave Crusader fucked around with this message at 15:10 on Nov 15, 2016