What is a good general purpose Dragon Knight weapon configuration?

RSram · November 2014

I never played DK yet, so I want to roll a Dark Elf Dragon Knight. I did some research, but most of the information is several months old and doesn't pertain to update 1.5.

I like the build lean towards group tanking, but also have the option to play PVE, and PVP. There are so many ways to do this, but I don't want to get stuck with a bad build, and I don't have time to play three specific DK builds either. I do realize that I can reconfigure the skills on the hot bar to switch between tank, PVP, and PVE play modes and well as changing out the armor sets. I can craft any 5 trait weapon or armor sets that I need.

I was thinking of an IH and shield defense, and 2H weapon for offense, with 5 pieces of heavy armor, and the rest light armor for magical. Not sure how I want to enchant the heavy armor. I was going to use the “Precise” trait for the weapons.

As for the skills I have the following questions:

1) What is the most powerful attack sequence that this class has for one on one?

2) What skills allow a DK to do AOE against mobs?

3) How does a DK regenerate health while in battle? Restoration staff builds and Templars can use self-seal.

4) From want I seen in the DK skills, the only way to avoid being hit is to either to block or dodge.

5) What would be a good armor configuration for a DK?

6) Should all the attribute points be spent on health and use armor buffs for the magic and stamina?

7) What is the preferred armor for this class?

AlexDougherty · November 2014

1. Not usre, I have a few rotations I use, but not sure what is the best.
2. Well DK has Burning Breath, which is a coned area attack.
3. Dragon Blood and it's morphs are seld heals.
4. There are a few shield abilities too, Obsidion Shield springs to mind, as does spiked armour.
5. Any armour configuration can work, same as for all the classes.
6. Personal choice, I spread across health and magicka myself.
7. I use heavy armour myself, but plenty use light armour.

Stannum · November 2014

Look, Dunmers has fire dmg racial buff, DK has lots of fire based attacks

and also fire synergy abilities (like engulfing flames). So, if you choose destro inferno staff as weapon you can be a real pyromaniac )).
So to maximize effectivnes of staff and class skills you need at least 5 light armour pieces (you can you all light or combine with heavy torso or torso+legs that gives you good armor bonus).
1. look towards Molten whip (may be after engulfing flames for synergy and talons for CC)
2. one of the pervect AoE combinations is engulfing flames then fire pulsar spam (of cause if you choose destro) and inhale morph for heal (if you'll add burning talons that will really hurt)
3. dragon blood is DK's bread one of the best self-healing skills (and you will need always some magika reserv)
4. DK has lots of defensive skills: reflactive scales morphs are good against all projectiles, spiked armor morphs gives armor bonus, there are good defensive skills in earthen heart line and magma shell ulti is great for protection.
5. depends on role and build
6. also depends on role and build if you'll do tanky build you'll need all in health if you'll choose destro dps build then may be health/magika as 2/3 will do. Anyways you can modify it with armor enchantment.

RSram · November 2014

So you don't need any extra points in stamina because none of you are using 1H or 2H weapons, Just the DK skills and Destro staff?

Stannum · November 2014

Look, I have 2 DK alts. One is DD destro another is 1h tank. They are very different in gameplay. And yes tank build uses stamina too and has different stats then dunmer DD. In that build I use magika mostly for protection and heal, I also use 5 heavy armor piesces, and have pretty low DPS but can easily tank any bosses in PvE.
As you said that you are to make dunmer DK it will be a good idea to combine dunmer bonuses with DK class skill. So dunmer DK is may be the best firemage in the game.

Stannum · November 2014

Btw you can also use 1h or 2h as your secondary skill with magika build.
1h grants good protection and damage mitigation. You can use invasion to charge and stun and then spam molten whip (as it has good spell dmg) while blocking. And you will not need lots of stamina as your spam skill uses magika. And as i said you can modify your stas with armor enchantments.

Look class & staff skills damage scales with magika, weapon (not staffs) skills damage scales with stamina, class skills aslo scales with spell dmg and all weapons (staffs too) scales with weapon dmg.
So when you think of build you should decide which skills will be used for DPS spam (and maximize spell or weapon dmg and magika or stamina pool), and skills that will be used for assistance and synergy.

AlexDougherty · November 2014

RSram wrote: »

So you don't need any extra points in stamina because none of you are using 1H or 2H weapons, Just the DK skills and Destro staff?

I used one hand and shield, but only for shields armour value, I had some points in Stamina but didn't use any weapons skills. I just hacked when my magicka ran out.

Admittedly this is probably on of the worst ways to do it, but it felt right. Now for vet levels I am looking at weapon skills, My Templar need a couple before level 40, but my DK managed without.

The thing I find, is to do what feels right, not what others say is the optimum build, that way if it all goes pear shaped, at least I had fun getting there.

Stannum · November 2014

dancing.in.the.webeb17_ESO wrote: »

Btw you can also use 1h or 2h as your secondary skill with magika build.
1h grants good protection and damage mitigation. You can use invasion to charge and stun and then spam molten whip (as it has good spell dmg) while blocking. And you will not need lots of stamina as your spam skill uses magika. And as i said you can modify your stas with armor enchantments.

meanwhile in another topic http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/139335/dk-1-5-meta-build

RSram · November 2014

Looks to me like there are only a few skills are are used commonly by all DKs and the rest are depended upon the player's preferences.

Thanks for the information.