What to do if caught in Velkhana icy breath/ice crystals?

[Guizin]

Whenever my character gets hit, he gets all stiff and moves very slowly. What should I do? I can't roll, can't use items, I just have to sit there, wait, and pray velk won't hit me again because the next hit will certainly kill me. Is there any skills that lets me do something about this?

[Popcorn]

Originally posted by JebKerman:

Originally posted by Guizin:

No, I'm using SnS. But I don't think I made myself clear. Velkhana has several attacks that severely limits your mobility. You can't run, roll or consume items. It takes too long to get free. I want to know if there is a skill that would prevent this from happening, or at least let me get free faster.

Only 2 attacks, as far as I'm aware.
1. When it makes a frosty patch in front of it. If someone gets caught in it it slowly follows up with a special tail stab.
2. The initial 360(?) beam sweep that leads into the 5(?) ice pillar rings.

I don't believe there is an armour skill or mantle that can help with the sticky ice. You've just got to learn the telegraph and react accordingly.

For 1: Get away from Velkhana's head, I suspect for a short weapon like SnS evading towards it's tail would be the shortest path out of the area of effect, but 1 evade in pretty much any direction should be enough to at least stumble out of it if not avoid it entirely. Potentially clutching to it might also work.

For 2: Just sheathe and dive if at medium-to-long range, you can also hug (or clutch to) Velkhana's body if you're close.

...bruh, although no one seems to remember, the ice mantle works

[Emerald Lance]

The move you're refering to is designed to catch hunters who stick too close too often. Sucks if you're melee, but what can you do. AFAIK there is no skill to be resistant or proofed against it (try mirewalker jewels just to be sure but I doubt it). The only way to avoid it is, well, to avoid it; try to learn the tells, and try to figure out when not to be in that AOE. Velk is using that attack because you're too close for too long. When fighting AT Velk, I usually adopt hit and run tactics. Gonna be tough for SnS (I switched to GS for the fight because LS wasn't working for me).

EDIT: I got ninja'd, but apparently the ice mantle works. Never tried it myself, but give that a go.

[JebKerman]

Originally posted by Popcorn:

Originally posted by JebKerman:

...bruh, although no one seems to remember, the ice mantle works

I swear I remember trying that on recommendation and still getting ensnared by the ice.

[Popcorn]

Originally posted by JebKerman:

Originally posted by Popcorn:

...bruh, although no one seems to remember, the ice mantle works

I swear I remember trying that on recommendation and still getting ensnared by the ice.

Hmm, I remember walking through it...
Well, time to retest it then

[JebKerman]

Originally posted by Popcorn:

Originally posted by JebKerman:

I swear I remember trying that on recommendation and still getting ensnared by the ice.

Hmm, I remember walking through it...
Well, time to retest it then

Beat you to it (assuming we're talking about the same attack/effect):
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2304151344
Doesn't seem to work.

[Emerald Lance]

Originally posted by JebKerman:

Originally posted by Popcorn:

Hmm, I remember walking through it...
Well, time to retest it then

Beat you to it (assuming we're talking about the same attack/effect):
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2304151344
Doesn't seem to work.

Pretty sure the attack is designed to be a hard punish for greedy melee players, so I'm not surprised to see the only way to avoid it is to do so outright. Hit and run tactics are extra difficult too because AT Velk just auras off any clutch claw attempts. It's a tough fight for non-ranged.

[Popcorn]

Originally posted by JebKerman:

Originally posted by Popcorn:

Hmm, I remember walking through it...
Well, time to retest it then

Beat you to it (assuming we're talking about the same attack/effect):
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2304151344
Doesn't seem to work.

Huh, mustve just walked amongst the edge then. My initial mistake then, ty

[lexilogo]

Actually, my personal technique to avoid it is to move towards Velkhana's right side.

This is dependent on how close you were to Velkhana when you got hit by it, but if you can get to the right position, Velkhana's tail should pass over you and you'll be safe from the attack. The tail has pretty good tracking but Velkhana's own body won't move to track you.

[Guizin]

It was the rocksteady mantle i think. never using it against her

[Inanegrain62]

Originally posted by Guizin:

It was the rocksteady mantle i think. never using it against her

that's a pin from grappling at velk's walking attack.

[Zelph]

Originally posted by kampfer91:

That move is a bane for lance / gunlance though .

That move is why I quit using gunlance on velk. I don't like being punished for being close.

[RopeDrink]

She has various nuisances, all telegraphed and all avoidable in some way.

*Spews a cone of growing icebergs that eventually detonate (move out of the way).

*A circle of growing icebergs. If you're too close when this goes off, you can stand between the icy circles - there's safe-spots to avoid damage if you position right.

Some fancy version where she does this in ranged circles, then the inside.

The only move I find annoying is when she cakes the ground in ice that can trap your character (even with mantle [and even if guarding]). Your character will act like they're stuck in sticky goop and need to leave that area to free themselves. Can't dodge or sprint or do anything until you get out, and no, Iceproof Mantle does not prevent it, so you have to avoid the telegraph.

I can't remember the telegraph specifically because pretty much all of her moves involve breathing all over the place, and I'm usually too busy hitting that sweet tenderized weak-spot and dodging on reaction, so when the "Haha, you're too close - have some sticky ice" move arrives, well... Better hope you got caught while healthy and/or she doesn't target you with the next move.

[Smaugi]

Originally posted by Zelph:

Originally posted by kampfer91:

That move is a bane for lance / gunlance though .

That move is why I quit using gunlance on velk. I don't like being punished for being close.

For me gunlance is an easy mode on her.
I had a 12 min run with IT and it was a mostly quality of life build (gobbler / free meal etc)