NB weak? pvp discussion and future thoughts on 1.6

Savos

Hello and good day fellow Nightblades, so i recently looked at the leader board and noticed that NBs didn't make it into the top ten AP earned this campain (thornblade Eu) this saddens and worries me since the last time i saw a nightblade earning mad AP was Quicky Ra in AB2 (long time ago) i just want to know if Nightblades have what it takes to be truly competitive like Sorcs and DKs who are currently dominating the leader board, Note that i dont want this discussion to turn into a rant about how OP dks or sorcs are but a discussion that highlights NBs strength and weakness and if the class has what it takes to be number 1 in LB.

Here are some points that we can base our discussion on:

1. Do NBs aoe damage potential compete with Dks and sorcs? if yes how and if no how can they achieve similar damage.

2. Can skilled NBs solo wipe small groups of enemy players? think of a Dk dropping his banner at the right time and killing a group of enemies trying to turn a flag or a sorc negate and streaking pressuring them to wipe. can nightblades achieve the same thing with some combo of abilities or is our class just not meant to do such things?

3. Are just all the good players in eso playing Dks and sorcs because NBs aren't ever going to see that much power anytime soon?

4. What are your thoughts on 1.6, do you think NBs will have a better chance at LB when 1.6 comes out? any secret builds or new play style you would like to share.

Savos

Personally i think NBs are the most fun class in eso, i am now a colonel NB its my main and i can't stand playing anything else the idea of rerolling makes me sick i picked a NB to make it as strong as any Dk or sorc. first when i started playing eso i wanted to play as a assassin with dual wield daggers but as i join big pvp guilds like Keepers of Cyrodiil and Swat i wanted to be more competitive to pull my own weight so i turned to magicka builds , atm it seems to me that NBs can be really good Sap tanks or good supports for big pvp groups.

Joy_Division

1. Yes. Sap essence + impulse / AoE of choice for magicka builds. Steel tornado for stamina builds.

2. Yes. Drop veil of blades. Do your thing.

3. No. The NB is an excellent and versatile class that does so much more than sneak damage.

4. We will know when 1.6 comes out.

Cody

The only weakness the class has is lack of a good self heal. Yes there is sap essence, but that only gives good heals if it is a large group: try spamming it in a 1v1/small skirmish and you wont get much back.

The class also suffers from a plethora of bugged and/or useless class abilities(looking at you Blur and Agony) only making it more difficult to play the class

1.6 is changing almost everything, so lets wait and see what it does.

Hurry up with the PTS ZOS!!:D

TheBull

The lack of a class based damage mitigator, and the fact that cloak does not function properly are the two biggest factors in making NB a very challenging class to play.

If Blur was useful and cloak worked, NBs would be on par with the other classes.

I've been playing my v3 Sorc for the past month. Hardening ward, Bolt Escape, and to a lesser but still important degree the armor and spell resist from boundless storm and bound armor make it a much easier class to play.

NordJitsu

Savos wrote: »

1. Do NBs aoe damage potential compete with Dks and sorcs? if yes how and if no how can they achieve similar damage.

2. Can skilled NBs solo wipe small groups of enemy players? think of a Dk dropping his banner at the right time and killing a group of enemies trying to turn a flag or a sorc negate and streaking pressuring them to wipe. can nightblades achieve the same thing with some combo of abilities or is our class just not meant to do such things?

3. Are just all the good players in eso playing Dks and sorcs because NBs aren't ever going to see that much power anytime soon?

4. What are your thoughts on 1.6, do you think NBs will have a better chance at LB when 1.6 comes out? any secret builds or new play style you would like to share.

Your premise is wrong. Next to DKs, NBs are the best class in PvP right now. The leaderboards tell you absolutely nothing about that though. Leaderboards in ESO measure time played, whether you play in groups, and whether you know how to AP farm. Nothing to do with skill or balance.

1. NBs are potentially the highest damage dealing class when played right. In PvP, this is most common for Medium Armor stamina builds with a bow. Snipe open, then weave Poison Injection and Light Attacks. Pretty much it.

2. Sword and Board Sap-Tank NBs can 1vX almost as well as DKs. And it's pretty much just holding block and pressing 1 button for Sap.

3. DKs are probably the most played class. That's true because they've been the strongest class since before the game launched and are the easiest to play. Sorcs are probably the least played in PvP right now because they are the weakest. Again, NBs are probably #2 in popularity just like in power. ZOS has done nothing except buff NBs since launch (while Sorcs have seen nothing but nerfs). Funny thing is, NBs weren't weak at launch because of the class mechanics. It was because of bugged skills (like passives not working.) ZOS fixed the bugs AND buffed the class, which is why NBs are so powerful now.

4. NBs will be getting a new damage buff skill that could add even more to their DPS. Hopefully though their overall pecking order will DECREASE as Templars and Sorcerers should be getting the majority of the buffs to bring them in line with DKs and NBs. As for the LBs, again, that has nothing to do with the conversation. If you play 24/7, defend a lot of keeps, play in groups, and farm resource towers for AP, you'll be top 10 regardless of class.

Jahosefat

My gf plays a NB with me in pvp and has since beta, so I've seen/helped her through a progression of builds. She can tank a lot more focused damage with her current build than I think I ever could with my sorc. Together we can wipe much larger groups on resources if they don't do the right things.

Her build mostly centers around spamming sap essence with siphoning attacks up (keeps mag and stam high) while standing in veil of blades. She prefers to do this in her resto staff bar where she can also spam healing ward (which benefits from weapon damage buff of sap essence). It is not a ton of damage but you can be very difficult to kill if a few people are standing in your sap essence.

There are other ways to do this (other builds) but this is an example.

TheBull

NordJitsu wrote: »

Savos wrote: »

1. Do NBs aoe damage potential compete with Dks and sorcs? if yes how and if no how can they achieve similar damage.

2. Can skilled NBs solo wipe small groups of enemy players? think of a Dk dropping his banner at the right time and killing a group of enemies trying to turn a flag or a sorc negate and streaking pressuring them to wipe. can nightblades achieve the same thing with some combo of abilities or is our class just not meant to do such things?

3. Are just all the good players in eso playing Dks and sorcs because NBs aren't ever going to see that much power anytime soon?

4. What are your thoughts on 1.6, do you think NBs will have a better chance at LB when 1.6 comes out? any secret builds or new play style you would like to share.

2. Sword and Board Sap-Tank NBs can 1vX almost as well as DKs. And it's pretty much just holding block and pressing 1 button for Sap.

Except S&B Sap NBs don't kill anything. They don't die, but nothng else does either. When's the last time you've seen Sap on a kill report? When's the last time you've seen talons or banner?

bbqwolf13b14_ESO1

Seriously, You have to 1h+shield to survive or go bow(which I do play) to do damage? NB is not working as intended. Too many bugs in its class abilities. In pvp, bow is almost worthless due to shields and reflect. Everyone is turning 1h+shield which to me is lame and boring. Why must NB be support? Its an assassin class but gimped unless you only pick two viable specs. Hopefully this 1.6 fixes all stamina builds and this classes broken abilities to become a powerhouse like it should be.

Jahosefat

TheBull wrote: »

NordJitsu wrote: »

Savos wrote: »

1. Do NBs aoe damage potential compete with Dks and sorcs? if yes how and if no how can they achieve similar damage.

2. Can skilled NBs solo wipe small groups of enemy players? think of a Dk dropping his banner at the right time and killing a group of enemies trying to turn a flag or a sorc negate and streaking pressuring them to wipe. can nightblades achieve the same thing with some combo of abilities or is our class just not meant to do such things?

3. Are just all the good players in eso playing Dks and sorcs because NBs aren't ever going to see that much power anytime soon?

4. What are your thoughts on 1.6, do you think NBs will have a better chance at LB when 1.6 comes out? any secret builds or new play style you would like to share.

2. Sword and Board Sap-Tank NBs can 1vX almost as well as DKs. And it's pretty much just holding block and pressing 1 button for Sap.

Except S&B Sap NBs don't kill anything. They don't die, but nothng else does either. When's the last time you've seen Sap on a kill report? When's the last time you've seen talons or banner?

I agree that the damage potential of the NB tanks is lower than with other classes. Veil of blades is great mitigation but the damage ticks seem low.

Joy_Division

bbqwolf13b14_ESO1 wrote: »

Seriously, You have to 1h+shield to survive or go bow(which I do play) to do damage? NB is not working as intended. Too many bugs in its class abilities. In pvp, bow is almost worthless due to shields and reflect. Everyone is turning 1h+shield which to me is lame and boring. Why must NB be support? Its an assassin class but gimped unless you only pick two viable specs. Hopefully this 1.6 fixes all stamina builds and this classes broken abilities to become a powerhouse like it should be.

Welcome back! You'll notice a lot has changed since you left ESO back in May...

NordJitsu

bbqwolf13b14_ESO1 wrote: »

Seriously, You have to 1h+shield to survive or go bow(which I do play) to do damage? NB is not working as intended. Too many bugs in its class abilities. In pvp, bow is almost worthless due to shields and reflect. Everyone is turning 1h+shield which to me is lame and boring. Why must NB be support? Its an assassin class but gimped unless you only pick two viable specs. Hopefully this 1.6 fixes all stamina builds and this classes broken abilities to become a powerhouse like it should be.

I definitely wouldn't go that far. I see a lot of Night Blades wreck people with Ambush/Dual-Wield and 2-Handers are amazing for every class right now.

Also not really sure what bugs remain with NBs? The only one I know of is that Crippling Grasp will pull you out of stealth if you apply it to an enemy and then Cloak.

ZOS has fixed 99% of launch bugs the NB had.

LegacyDM

NB gets no instant heal
NB gets no damage mitigation or shield spell (blur sucks)
NB gets a cloak that's broke
NB gets no stamina debuff to force shield drops (shades doesn't due enough)
NB is forced to play sword/board (sap) (stealth assassins are gimp)
NB are plagued with useless skills (blur, agony, path, and etc)
NB doesn't get good cc. (Fear works less than half the time, costs too much, and players can block through it. Cripple is not instant cast considering it takes time to travel to target and immobilize is negligible (1.5 sec) if spell isn't blocked or dodged.

No this class sucks unless played as a tank. Playing as a stealth assassin archetype is a joke.

Lynx7386

NB gets no instant heal
This is a problem, yes, but hopefully one that will be fixed via spellcrafting.

NB gets no damage mitigation or shield spell (blur sucks)
Another problem hopefully spellcrafting (and updates to things like blur) will resolve.

NB gets a cloak that's broke
I've given up on even having cloak on my skill bar, it's clear the devs are unable to fix it. However, it isnt critical to playing a nightblade.

NB gets no stamina debuff to force shield drops (shades doesn't due enough)
No other class has a stamina debuff either, and nightblades with dual shades are better at burning through a blocker's stamina than any other class. I wish shades did more damage or could hold aggro in pve, but this isnt really a problem for us.

NB is forced to play sword/board (sap) (stealth assassins are gimp)
Those are not the only two roles in the game, and adding "issues" like this to your list pretty much discredits everything you're saying. Dont go to false extremes when trying to prove a point.
My nightblade does great with a 2hander setup. Archer nightblades do great as well. Nightblade healers are even pretty damn effective. Just because we've got an issue with our one invisibility spell doesnt mean the entire class is broken.

NB are plagued with useless skills (blur, agony, path, and etc)
Blur and agony I'll agree with. Shades can be considered fairly useless in pve, as well. Path isnt useless, especially with the healing morph, so dont clump it into the mix. Can it be improved? Definitely, but it's far from useless. Same goes for fear, cripple, mark target, and haste. Hopefully these abilities are all looked at with the 1.6 changes.

NB doesn't get good cc. (Fear works less than half the time, costs too much, and players can block through it. Cripple is not instant cast considering it takes time to travel to target and immobilize is negligible (1.5 sec) if spell isn't blocked or dodged.
Not every class has the same tools, nor should they. Crowd control isnt realy our forte.

MrGhosty

I would personally take umbrage at the statement that the assassin role isn't possible on Nightblades. I am a dw/bow hybrid with a mix of mag/stam and while I am not the god of the battlefield I am no slouch either and I'm only at v5.

We do seem to have a lot of broken/badly balanced/incongruous abilities when compared to other classes and that can be frustrating, but even with the current issues I wouldn't claim that Nightblades are weak.

Even cloak, while a bit buggy and inconsistent, has its uses. For me personally I use it less as an escape and more as a forced line of sight break to make me harder to pinpoint in the chaos of battle or in desperate times of escape to try and keep myself hidden long enough via spamming it that I can duck down and hide until I can stealth fully.

I get wrecked as often as I do the wrecking, but of all the classes when things go right I have never felt more like a whirlwind of death than on my Nightblade. I look forward to the potential changes in update 6 and I hope they accomplish the aim of bringing all of the classes more in line with each other but I don't want every class to essentially be the same.

eliisra

TheBull wrote: »

Except S&B Sap NBs don't kill anything. They don't die, but nothng else does either. When's the last time you've seen Sap on a kill report? When's the last time you've seen talons or banner?

Very true, if you're comparing the build to DK's.

But how many players do you think a tanky S&B Templar or sorc can kill when diving into a group by themselves? Between 0-1 scrub or 1 afk'er usually.

Templar: Low dps, no roots, no protection against stamina ranged, no recourse management.
NB: Low dps, no roots, no protection against stamina ranged.
Sorcerer: Cant really do the group tanky thing to begin with, only move around and avoid with Streak and Negate. Also horrible stamina management for much needed blocking.

I actually think it's pretty balanced looking at 3 classes above. Tanks arent suppose to be frickin' killing machines. Their job is to keep the enemy distracted, while dps does the killing. The issue is the master class aka DK's being some sort of multi tool in 1vX scenarios. You can make a build that has survivability, sustained, CC spam and great dps. Every other class has to make sacrifices. I hope 1.6 will change that a bit.

LegacyDM

Lynx7386 wrote: »

NB gets no instant heal
This is a problem, yes, but hopefully one that will be fixed via spellcrafting.

NB gets no damage mitigation or shield spell (blur sucks)
Another problem hopefully spellcrafting (and updates to things like blur) will resolve.

NB gets a cloak that's broke
I've given up on even having cloak on my skill bar, it's clear the devs are unable to fix it. However, it isnt critical to playing a nightblade.

NB gets no stamina debuff to force shield drops (shades doesn't due enough)
No other class has a stamina debuff either, and nightblades with dual shades are better at burning through a blocker's stamina than any other class. I wish shades did more damage or could hold aggro in pve, but this isnt really a problem for us.

NB is forced to play sword/board (sap) (stealth assassins are gimp)
Those are not the only two roles in the game, and adding "issues" like this to your list pretty much discredits everything you're saying. Dont go to false extremes when trying to prove a point.
My nightblade does great with a 2hander setup. Archer nightblades do great as well. Nightblade healers are even pretty damn effective. Just because we've got an issue with our one invisibility spell doesnt mean the entire class is broken.

NB are plagued with useless skills (blur, agony, path, and etc)
Blur and agony I'll agree with. Shades can be considered fairly useless in pve, as well. Path isnt useless, especially with the healing morph, so dont clump it into the mix. Can it be improved? Definitely, but it's far from useless. Same goes for fear, cripple, mark target, and haste. Hopefully these abilities are all looked at with the 1.6 changes.

NB doesn't get good cc. (Fear works less than half the time, costs too much, and players can block through it. Cripple is not instant cast considering it takes time to travel to target and immobilize is negligible (1.5 sec) if spell isn't blocked or dodged.
Not every class has the same tools, nor should they. Crowd control isnt realy our forte.

I appreciate the feedback but respectfully disagree with a few points.

Nightblade with shades doesn't do jack. I wish I recorded the pvp fight against a DK last night. I popped shades on him while 3 other people were banging on him. I stood there and watched him perma block + cast against 3 people and dual shades for over a minute. His shield never dropped for me to burst in. It took a Zerg of people to come in and finally burn him down. assassin archetypes need a stamina debuff spell that gives us a fighting chance against perma 360 casting blockers. I was just shaking my head the whole fight, saying wow.

I'm sorry, but why would I be playing a healer or tank as a NB. If I wanted to play those roles I would have rolled a DK or Templar. Now If other people want to play those roles as a NB I support them, but I stand by statement that the pure assassin archtypes are broken. Not to say other roles are broken. But don't you see the irony? NB by trade is suppose to be a stealth assassin type and yet I'm forced to play a different role to be most effective in pvp.

Not saying every class should have the same tools. But we should have tools that are on par with other classes. Currently, my point was, our cc tools are a disappointment, and who are you to decide crowd controls aren't our forte? why shouldnt we be given that option?

patrykplawskib16_ESO

nb are strong especially with all these mages running around nb are a threat me who runs light, i get dominated from them if ganged right 988dmg using that one tele ability

Cody

NordJitsu wrote: »

Savos wrote: »

1. Do NBs aoe damage potential compete with Dks and sorcs? if yes how and if no how can they achieve similar damage.

2. Can skilled NBs solo wipe small groups of enemy players? think of a Dk dropping his banner at the right time and killing a group of enemies trying to turn a flag or a sorc negate and streaking pressuring them to wipe. can nightblades achieve the same thing with some combo of abilities or is our class just not meant to do such things?

3. Are just all the good players in eso playing Dks and sorcs because NBs aren't ever going to see that much power anytime soon?

4. What are your thoughts on 1.6, do you think NBs will have a better chance at LB when 1.6 comes out? any secret builds or new play style you would like to share.

Your premise is wrong. Next to DKs, NBs are the best class in PvP right now. The leaderboards tell you absolutely nothing about that though. Leaderboards in ESO measure time played, whether you play in groups, and whether you know how to AP farm. Nothing to do with skill or balance.

1. NBs are potentially the highest damage dealing class when played right. In PvP, this is most common for Medium Armor stamina builds with a bow. Snipe open, then weave Poison Injection and Light Attacks. Pretty much it.

2. Sword and Board Sap-Tank NBs can 1vX almost as well as DKs. And it's pretty much just holding block and pressing 1 button for Sap.

3. DKs are probably the most played class. That's true because they've been the strongest class since before the game launched and are the easiest to play. Sorcs are probably the least played in PvP right now because they are the weakest. Again, NBs are probably #2 in popularity just like in power. ZOS has done nothing except buff NBs since launch (while Sorcs have seen nothing but nerfs). Funny thing is, NBs weren't weak at launch because of the class mechanics. It was because of bugged skills (like passives not working.) ZOS fixed the bugs AND buffed the class, which is why NBs are so powerful now.

4. NBs will be getting a new damage buff skill that could add even more to their DPS. Hopefully though their overall pecking order will DECREASE as Templars and Sorcerers should be getting the majority of the buffs to bring them in line with DKs and NBs. As for the LBs, again, that has nothing to do with the conversation. If you play 24/7, defend a lot of keeps, play in groups, and farm resource towers for AP, you'll be top 10 regardless of class.

Idk about second most powerful, nor have I heard of any of these buffs that you claim happened.

What buffs have NBs had? I am not trying to be a jerk, I actually do want to know.

Fatalyis

I've switched back and forth between magicka and stamina builds on my NB, and to be honest, I'm loving my 2H stam build right now. I spend most of my time exclusively in PVP and there have only been a handful of times where I felt completely overwhelmed by another player....and it just so happens that most of the times it's a 1h-s DK.

I just look forward to the day that block casting is a distant memory.

Cody

Fatalyis wrote: »

I've switched back and forth between magicka and stamina builds on my NB, and to be honest, I'm loving my 2H stam build right now. I spend most of my time exclusively in PVP and there have only been a handful of times where I felt completely overwhelmed by another player....and it just so happens that most of the times it's a 1h-s DK.

I just look forward to the day that block casting is a distant memory.

im sure it will be dealt with. ZOS would be fools to leave it as it is.

LegacyDM

Cody wrote: »

Fatalyis wrote: »

I've switched back and forth between magicka and stamina builds on my NB, and to be honest, I'm loving my 2H stam build right now. I spend most of my time exclusively in PVP and there have only been a handful of times where I felt completely overwhelmed by another player....and it just so happens that most of the times it's a 1h-s DK.

I just look forward to the day that block casting is a distant memory.

im sure it will be dealt with. ZOS would be fools to leave it as it is.

Lol don't give them to much credit. ZOS has demonstrated extremely poor decisions and has yet to fix or even acknowledge the problems plaguing NB class.

timidobserver

Savos wrote: »

Hello and good day fellow Nightblades, so i recently looked at the leader board and noticed that NBs didn't make it into the top ten AP earned this campain (thornblade Eu) this saddens and worries me since the last time i saw a nightblade earning mad AP was Quicky Ra in AB2 (long time ago) i just want to know if Nightblades have what it takes to be truly competitive like Sorcs and DKs who are currently dominating the leader board, Note that i dont want this discussion to turn into a rant about how OP dks or sorcs are but a discussion that highlights NBs strength and weakness and if the class has what it takes to be number 1 in LB.

Here are some points that we can base our discussion on:

1. Do NBs aoe damage potential compete with Dks and sorcs? if yes how and if no how can they achieve similar damage.

2. Can skilled NBs solo wipe small groups of enemy players? think of a Dk dropping his banner at the right time and killing a group of enemies trying to turn a flag or a sorc negate and streaking pressuring them to wipe. can nightblades achieve the same thing with some combo of abilities or is our class just not meant to do such things?

3. Are just all the good players in eso playing Dks and sorcs because NBs aren't ever going to see that much power anytime soon?

4. What are your thoughts on 1.6, do you think NBs will have a better chance at LB when 1.6 comes out? any secret builds or new play style you would like to share.

DKs are better than everything else ATM not just NBs. No other class can effectively tank and deal high damage other than DKs. However, after the reflective scales change and ultimate change, Sap Tanks will probably be ahead of DKs.

Spangla

NordJitsu wrote: »

Savos wrote: »

1. Do NBs aoe damage potential compete with Dks and sorcs? if yes how and if no how can they achieve similar damage.

2. Can skilled NBs solo wipe small groups of enemy players? think of a Dk dropping his banner at the right time and killing a group of enemies trying to turn a flag or a sorc negate and streaking pressuring them to wipe. can nightblades achieve the same thing with some combo of abilities or is our class just not meant to do such things?

3. Are just all the good players in eso playing Dks and sorcs because NBs aren't ever going to see that much power anytime soon?

4. What are your thoughts on 1.6, do you think NBs will have a better chance at LB when 1.6 comes out? any secret builds or new play style you would like to share.

Your premise is wrong. Next to DKs, NBs are the best class in PvP right now. The leaderboards tell you absolutely nothing about that though. Leaderboards in ESO measure time played, whether you play in groups, and whether you know how to AP farm. Nothing to do with skill or balance.

1. NBs are potentially the highest damage dealing class when played right. In PvP, this is most common for Medium Armor stamina builds with a bow. Snipe open, then weave Poison Injection and Light Attacks. Pretty much it.

2. Sword and Board Sap-Tank NBs can 1vX almost as well as DKs. And it's pretty much just holding block and pressing 1 button for Sap.

3. DKs are probably the most played class. That's true because they've been the strongest class since before the game launched and are the easiest to play. Sorcs are probably the least played in PvP right now because they are the weakest. Again, NBs are probably #2 in popularity just like in power. ZOS has done nothing except buff NBs since launch (while Sorcs have seen nothing but nerfs). Funny thing is, NBs weren't weak at launch because of the class mechanics. It was because of bugged skills (like passives not working.) ZOS fixed the bugs AND buffed the class, which is why NBs are so powerful now.

4. NBs will be getting a new damage buff skill that could add even more to their DPS. Hopefully though their overall pecking order will DECREASE as Templars and Sorcerers should be getting the majority of the buffs to bring them in line with DKs and NBs. As for the LBs, again, that has nothing to do with the conversation. If you play 24/7, defend a lot of keeps, play in groups, and farm resource towers for AP, you'll be top 10 regardless of class.

Actually I'd say my nb has been nerfed last 2 patches.

Resto staff nerf and sneak nerf. Huge nerfs.

You are trolling - bring sorc in line with nbs! HA

They are far superior already.

Mojomonkeyman

Leaderbords consist mainly of successful groups, with the odd hardcore player here and there. Good group play in ESO means banners & negates.

That doesnt say much about the classes` strengths itself. NB is extremely powerful in PvP, certainly more powerful than it ever was compared to Quicky Ra`s times. To be fair, some general nerfs hit NBs almost as hard as sorcs (Resto, Harness, Sharpened, lalala).

Mojomonkeyman

Spangla wrote: »

NordJitsu wrote: »

Savos wrote: »

1. Do NBs aoe damage potential compete with Dks and sorcs? if yes how and if no how can they achieve similar damage.

2. Can skilled NBs solo wipe small groups of enemy players? think of a Dk dropping his banner at the right time and killing a group of enemies trying to turn a flag or a sorc negate and streaking pressuring them to wipe. can nightblades achieve the same thing with some combo of abilities or is our class just not meant to do such things?

3. Are just all the good players in eso playing Dks and sorcs because NBs aren't ever going to see that much power anytime soon?

4. What are your thoughts on 1.6, do you think NBs will have a better chance at LB when 1.6 comes out? any secret builds or new play style you would like to share.

Your premise is wrong. Next to DKs, NBs are the best class in PvP right now. The leaderboards tell you absolutely nothing about that though. Leaderboards in ESO measure time played, whether you play in groups, and whether you know how to AP farm. Nothing to do with skill or balance.

1. NBs are potentially the highest damage dealing class when played right. In PvP, this is most common for Medium Armor stamina builds with a bow. Snipe open, then weave Poison Injection and Light Attacks. Pretty much it.

2. Sword and Board Sap-Tank NBs can 1vX almost as well as DKs. And it's pretty much just holding block and pressing 1 button for Sap.

3. DKs are probably the most played class. That's true because they've been the strongest class since before the game launched and are the easiest to play. Sorcs are probably the least played in PvP right now because they are the weakest. Again, NBs are probably #2 in popularity just like in power. ZOS has done nothing except buff NBs since launch (while Sorcs have seen nothing but nerfs). Funny thing is, NBs weren't weak at launch because of the class mechanics. It was because of bugged skills (like passives not working.) ZOS fixed the bugs AND buffed the class, which is why NBs are so powerful now.

4. NBs will be getting a new damage buff skill that could add even more to their DPS. Hopefully though their overall pecking order will DECREASE as Templars and Sorcerers should be getting the majority of the buffs to bring them in line with DKs and NBs. As for the LBs, again, that has nothing to do with the conversation. If you play 24/7, defend a lot of keeps, play in groups, and farm resource towers for AP, you'll be top 10 regardless of class.

Actually I'd say my nb has been nerfed last 2 patches.

Resto staff nerf and sneak nerf. Huge nerfs.

You are trolling - bring sorc in line with nbs! HA

They are far superior already.

Well, you told me via private msg 2-3 moths ago how grateful you are that I told you about the strengths of magicka NB.

Trust me this time, too. Sorcs are struggling, there`s a reason they have to switch to destro and wpn damage, because our class skills suck so hard. NB ressource management and damage output (class actives & passives) is just out of the world good, not even comparable to sorc. There is no comparable build with sorc available (!) to max magicka glas cannon ambush/sh builds or to sap spam builds, which can rely on class skills.

NordJitsu

Cody wrote: »

NordJitsu wrote: »

Savos wrote: »

1. Do NBs aoe damage potential compete with Dks and sorcs? if yes how and if no how can they achieve similar damage.

2. Can skilled NBs solo wipe small groups of enemy players? think of a Dk dropping his banner at the right time and killing a group of enemies trying to turn a flag or a sorc negate and streaking pressuring them to wipe. can nightblades achieve the same thing with some combo of abilities or is our class just not meant to do such things?

3. Are just all the good players in eso playing Dks and sorcs because NBs aren't ever going to see that much power anytime soon?

4. What are your thoughts on 1.6, do you think NBs will have a better chance at LB when 1.6 comes out? any secret builds or new play style you would like to share.

Your premise is wrong. Next to DKs, NBs are the best class in PvP right now. The leaderboards tell you absolutely nothing about that though. Leaderboards in ESO measure time played, whether you play in groups, and whether you know how to AP farm. Nothing to do with skill or balance.

1. NBs are potentially the highest damage dealing class when played right. In PvP, this is most common for Medium Armor stamina builds with a bow. Snipe open, then weave Poison Injection and Light Attacks. Pretty much it.

2. Sword and Board Sap-Tank NBs can 1vX almost as well as DKs. And it's pretty much just holding block and pressing 1 button for Sap.

3. DKs are probably the most played class. That's true because they've been the strongest class since before the game launched and are the easiest to play. Sorcs are probably the least played in PvP right now because they are the weakest. Again, NBs are probably #2 in popularity just like in power. ZOS has done nothing except buff NBs since launch (while Sorcs have seen nothing but nerfs). Funny thing is, NBs weren't weak at launch because of the class mechanics. It was because of bugged skills (like passives not working.) ZOS fixed the bugs AND buffed the class, which is why NBs are so powerful now.

4. NBs will be getting a new damage buff skill that could add even more to their DPS. Hopefully though their overall pecking order will DECREASE as Templars and Sorcerers should be getting the majority of the buffs to bring them in line with DKs and NBs. As for the LBs, again, that has nothing to do with the conversation. If you play 24/7, defend a lot of keeps, play in groups, and farm resource towers for AP, you'll be top 10 regardless of class.

Idk about second most powerful, nor have I heard of any of these buffs that you claim happened.

What buffs have NBs had? I am not trying to be a jerk, I actually do want to know.

On my phone at work so I can't easily look them up and repost now but just use the search bar. ZOS made an entire thread about improvements to nbs.

And the buffs in that thread aren't even all they did. If you really want to know spend some time looking over past patch notes. I shouldn't have to do the work for you!

Sav72

Leaders boards means, you have a lot of time to play. ( nodisrespect)
It does not mean much about being good.

I have been a NB from beta, and I can say we have been improved, as a class. Yes...We could use some love...but its not as bad as when game was launched. I still enjoy playing my NB and cant see myself playing any other class in PvP.

Bouvin

Savos wrote: »

Hello and good day fellow Nightblades, so i recently looked at the leader board and noticed that NBs didn't make it into the top ten AP earned this campain (thornblade Eu) this saddens and worries me since the last time i saw a nightblade earning mad AP was Quicky Ra in AB2 (long time ago) i just want to know if Nightblades have what it takes to be truly competitive like Sorcs and DKs who are currently dominating the leader board, Note that i dont want this discussion to turn into a rant about how OP dks or sorcs are but a discussion that highlights NBs strength and weakness and if the class has what it takes to be number 1 in LB.

Here are some points that we can base our discussion on:

1. Do NBs aoe damage potential compete with Dks and sorcs? if yes how and if no how can they achieve similar damage.

2. Can skilled NBs solo wipe small groups of enemy players? think of a Dk dropping his banner at the right time and killing a group of enemies trying to turn a flag or a sorc negate and streaking pressuring them to wipe. can nightblades achieve the same thing with some combo of abilities or is our class just not meant to do such things?

3. Are just all the good players in eso playing Dks and sorcs because NBs aren't ever going to see that much power anytime soon?

4. What are your thoughts on 1.6, do you think NBs will have a better chance at LB when 1.6 comes out? any secret builds or new play style you would like to share.

1. Healing is some of the fastest AP. So Templars get a little advantage there, but I think MOST NB focus on DPS and don't heal.

2. Survivability is huge for AP as well. This is why DKs Templars and Sorc excel. With tanking, healing, and bolt escape. IMO NB survivability leaves a lot to be desired, especially when you can use Cloak and people will continue chasing you and hitting you. Even when you cloak over and over and over and get hit with NON AOE over and over and over. FIXING CLOAK WOULD HELP A LOT.

Bouvin

NordJitsu wrote: »

On my phone at work so I can't easily look them up and repost now but just use the search bar. ZOS made an entire thread about improvements to nbs.

And the buffs in that thread aren't even all they did. If you really want to know spend some time looking over past patch notes. I shouldn't have to do the work for you!

That thread was from like last August.

And they did a chunk of it, but glaring issues like Cloak STILL being broken and almost useless persist.

NB also got a lot of nerfs. Like stealth damage reduction.

Not to mention other useless skills like Agony and Blur. They made Haste decent with the stamina buff, but now they are removing that. So we are probably taking a hit in 1.6 not getting buffed. But we'll see....

Lynx7386

They're not really removing the stamina regeneration from haste, one morph of the new skill will still have it.