Using shield bash as a primary attack?

Lynx7386

I've been having a hell of a time deciding on a weapon set to go with for my nightblade. I've been alternating between dual wield and 2hander, but one of the problems i'm having is that I need (or want, rather) so many different class abilities on my skill bar that I dont have any room for stamina-using weapon abilities. This leaves me relying almost entirely on magicka for damage output, with no way to convert my stamina into damage.

I've been seeing comments lately about how good deadly bash / shield bash is, so I'm curious about using it as a stamina-dumping attack for offensive purposes. This would give me a way to convert my stamina into more damage without sacraficing any abilities from my skill bar.

Anyone with experience using that setup?

Nugeneration

You can use silver bolts for a better and more common stam dump imo

disexistencenub19_ESO

Nugeneration wrote: »

You can use silver bolts for a better and more common stam dump imo

Except that takes up a skill bar slot that he wants to use for a magicka based one, like he said. That is the advantage of shield bash over something like silver bolts. I saw a video of someone using it and it seemed to be viable enough. In fact, I'm likely gravitating towards the same thing on my tank character, as I need the other skill slots for defensive abilities, taunts, and whatnot. It's also quite satisfying bashing your opponent in the face if you got the stamina to expend.

SexyVette07

Shield bash can do a lot of damage with the right jewelry. Probably much more than it should. But im by far no authority on it, ive only seen people doing comparable damage to my crystal shards....

Rach71

I love shield bash. Not only is it an un-slotted attack, it works as an interrupt as well.

Erock25

Shield bash dmg will be nerfed as soon as ZOS gets around to it. Guaranteed.

Rach71

I have not noticed that it needs to be Nerfed (albeit I have not fully upgraded it), it is useful and a perk of that weapon skill line.

masterlouppub18_ESO

Shield bash is the only 1h/shield attack worth using for damage purpose. everything else does terrible damage for the stamina cost.

ZoM_Head

masterlouppub18_ESO wrote: »

Shield bash is the only 1h/shield attack worth using for damage purpose. everything else does terrible damage for the stamina cost.

Are you putting attributes into stamina? Weapons and stamina based skills scale to your stamina and their level (just like spells and magick based skills scale and get better with more magicka and level), are you improving the gear you have with honing stones and dwarvin oils? are you actually investing skill points into crafting? (not just keep eye) for extraction and imrovement?

My mage got lots of hemmings and embroiderys when extracting green and blue clothing stuff (incluing flax and cotton). But he has heavily invested into clothing.

masterlouppub18_ESO

Elmojito1000eb17_ESO wrote: »

masterlouppub18_ESO wrote: »

Shield bash is the only 1h/shield attack worth using for damage purpose. everything else does terrible damage for the stamina cost.

Are you putting attributes into stamina? Weapons and stamina based skills scale to your stamina and their level (just like spells and magick based skills scale and get better with more magicka and level), are you improving the gear you have with honing stones and dwarvin oils? are you actually investing skill points into crafting? (not just keep eye) for extraction and imrovement?

My mage got lots of hemmings and embroiderys when extracting green and blue clothing stuff (incluing flax and cotton). But he has heavily invested into clothing.

2581 health, 1.8k stamina
Weapon is doing 119 damage
sheet weapon damage is 161

the people trying to get shield bash nerfed are basing their opinion on that video of some lvl 30 dude killing weak lvl 28 quests mobs. They completely ignore 1h+ shield's skill damage is terrible, has no aoe and bashing drain your stamina REALLY fast because not only are you using stamina for bashing, you're also losing stamina for blocking

lennartwb16_ESO

They probably based it on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jzKJi_aCBg
As far as I know shield bash (base) uses 216 stamina at that level. So 113 after that passive.
He has very fast attack speed, interrupt with every hit, block up 100% of the time and can use all his mana purely for healing.

He can easily kill 2 people without using a stamina potion.

Godwin

Thank you for posting that video, now I know to stay away from all sword and board users during pvp! That needs to get nerfed asap!

masterlouppub18_ESO

So basically nerfing pve because of pvp.

hey its wow, swtor, rift, every mmo in history except Gw1-2 all over again.

GreasedLizard

I use it a lot as Resto staff user (NB)

Great to feather in between Swallow Soul, Crippling Grasp, Degeneration etc

As no Stam dumps really with casting loadout. Completely badass for keeping interrupts up on everything and decent dmg-wise!

Xsorus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_BaTpZNpLY&list=UUXpX7JMwRXtczc5GTrIYRIw

Heres a much longer video of me playing with that spec

If the guy playing with the spec (Me) tells you its overpowered, you should listen.

Anastasia

Wow. Not sure whether to rub my hands together with glee or ... pfft!! Thanks much xsorusb14 for the longer video. Tells all.

masterlouppub18_ESO

just change deadly bash to increase damage by 100% against npc so pvper can stop crying.

deadly bash is fine in pve

Novokaine

That's a nice way to spam stamina. Thanks all for this thread! as a DK tank I had the same issue, not really sure what to use aside from the taunt skill for PVE. so this helps a lot.

Cant wait for servers to be up to try it

Dekkameron

Blimey that shield bashing looks fun! I had never really thought about it..
Medium armour too eh? I would've thought heavy armour would be better as it has shield bash passives, but you clearly like stealthing about and you get more crit.

ThatHappyCat

Do keep in mind that in the video the vast majority of opponents are pre-Vets. It isn't at all uncommon for Vets to slaughter pre-Vets in 1vX scenarios.

Not saying it isn't powerful: I haven't used it nor seen it used so I couldn't say: just saying that the video doesn't really prove much.

davidetombab16_ESO

thx for post , i have a new spec now on my nightblade

Lynx7386

I see where the hype is coming from.

In my opinion, the only problem with deadly bash and the spec that bash spams is that blocking has no counter. The counter system for this game isnt complete: when someone is casting, you bash. When someone is charging up a power attack, you block. When someone is blocking? What do you do - there's no counter that stuns/dazes the opponent like there is for the other attack types.

If there were a counter that you could use against blocking opponents that would stun them, this wouldnt be an issue in pvp, and you could keep the skills as-is in pve. Personally I see a lot of npcs that block as well, and it'd be great to have something to stun them when that happens.

steinernein

The counter is not to use long cast times and create distance.

chaosgyro

I'm not saying the detractors don't have a little bit of a point, but the videos aren't that point. As soon as he fought a couple of other veteran rank players he died.

stylernaku

I have seen three videos now of Nightblade assassin builds using shield bash profusely to down & swiftly kill people quickly in pvp before they can blink. I think it does need adjusting.

chrisub17_ESO104

I use shield bash on my DK as a primary attack. It's extremely stamina efficient. I'm V2 now and it's still very viable. I got lucky and ended up with two rings that decrease blocking and bash cost, which helps a lot.

And I have almost all my points in magicka, only 6 in stamina and one in health.

Currently I'm heavy armor, which gives some boost to blocking mitigation, but most of the passives that make shield bash work well are in sword/shield.

One thing that is kind of funny, is that with the combined boosts to block from heavy armor and sword/shield, you can survive a lot of boss attacks that will one shot anyone else. I've actually done a few of those fights that had a specific mechanic to avoid their big attack, but I just blocked it. I later found out about the mechanic.

Would I use this build on a sorc or nightlblade? Probably not.

elxdark

Don't rely too much in bash attack, it's gonna be 100% nerfed.

will it be still useful? yes, but it won't be your "spam" attack.

Evergreen

elxdark wrote: »

Don't rely too much in bash attack, it's gonna be 100% nerfed.

will it be still useful? yes, but it won't be your "spam" attack.

Is that before or after they nerf GreenDragonBlood and Sorc's Blink? It is way too early to start calling for nerfs especially when you have a class like the NightBlade with so many broken/bugged skills. List of Broken Nightblade skills

Broken skills should have the highest priority for fixing over skills people believe should be nerfed, especially this early in the game.

beravinprb19_ESO

The problem with shield bash is that, not only does it rival a heavy attack without the wind up, you also block while doing it. This means you can pump a lot of damage into another player, while anything they throw at you gets blocked in return. You block their stuns, for example, while munching down on their health. Who cares if it costs a lot? If you kill them before they kill you, then it makes no difference if your stamina bar is empty.

Xsorus

ThatHappyCat wrote: »

Do keep in mind that in the video the vast majority of opponents are pre-Vets. It isn't at all uncommon for Vets to slaughter pre-Vets in 1vX scenarios.

Not saying it isn't powerful: I haven't used it nor seen it used so I couldn't say: just saying that the video doesn't really prove much.

I've killed a VR10 and a VR8 together, 5 VR1-2's together... trust me...Its overpowered..The only thing that keeps me from murdering people is if they get heals, No heals...I'm going to kill multiple people even if I die to a group afterwards

If I have the DK ultimate up (Corrosive Armor), there is a good chance i'll win the fight flat out.

Now maybe its possible at Vr10 the ability isn't overpowered, but from what i've seen so far its silly

Lenthas

That video doesn't do much justice at all tbh, I have tried to 1v1 or even 2v1 a vet on my 18'ish templar, cc'ing, staying at range, it didn't matter, the sheer amount of passives they have + natural armor etc means you stand no chance and ur just a duck waiting to be shut down.

I'm actually going to try this see how it goes since I do love shields, but I suspect it won't be that OP as the video portraits it...