SUMMON SHADE + MORPHS - Mitigation duration and stacking?

Vorcil · November 2014

This question needs to be answered, and there are no clear answers on forums or internet.

Do any form of the Summon shade, or it's morphs have a mitigation duration of 4 seconds or 20 seconds?

Skill description: "Summons 2 shades to attack target for 20 seconds. The shades' attacks cause the target to deal 15% less damage for 4 seconds. Shades deal 15% less damage."

Does that mean the attacks repeat themselves for 4 seconds?
Or using the skill deals 15% less damage for 4 seconds

It is debatable and unclear what the actual bloody answer is

-

Also various threads on forums cite that shade mitigation stacks and others say it doesn't stack.

ANSWERS?

Gyudan · November 2014

The shades last for 20 seconds.
Every time they attack, the target deals 15% less damage for 4 seconds.
Multiple attacks refresh the 4 second timer.

c.s.hicks_ESO · November 2014

Vorcil, I had the same question about whether or not two shades stacked the mitigation to 30% since I've read claims here that it does. In my experience it does not. And the tool tip doesn't seem to suggest it either. The benefit of having the two melee shades is that they apply a pressured and constant %15, where the archer shade provides a less aggressive ranged 15% and possible escape.

Jacques Berge · December 2014

As a master of shades, I shall chime in... Shades have an attack called corrode, that is a 4 sec debuff to damage. Multiple application of corrode DO NOT stack. That said, I shall go over the advantages of both morphs, in both PVE and pvp.

Mirror image:
The teleport is useful in both PVE and PVP. However, most builds that use this morph keep it on a utility bar so using the escape often requires a weapon swap. The archer is also stationary, meaning experienced enemies will either A. Move away from it B. Know where you went.

Summon Shades:
This is what I use, I love this skill. The shades are my little minions and they make me laugh. Anywho, in PVE there is no benefit to using this morph over the other, as the debuff does not stack. In PVP however, it is incredibly useful. Other than the than the stated tool tip, duel shades has varying affects, dependent on your enemies experience. Also, the shades have vision and can reveal hidden players.

Novice players will likely: lose their minds!!! They'll try to attack frantically at 2 mobs that are hitting them and they wI'll start blocking once they realize they can't hit these guys... Which means you have them.

Experienced players have varying responses: some players will stand and block the shades, knowing there's a NB out there, they want to avoid the opener. This is a fatal error. Some will run around, possible attempt to stealth away (I always piercing Mark if I send in the shades). The most experienced will either run away, sit still, or pop a detect pot or some other counter measure.

Now, blocking shades is the worst thing anyone can do, as you mitigate next to no damage, you still spend the same amount of stamina. Players who block shades can be hit with concealed weapons/surprise attack and, even if they manage to block that attack, they'll be stunned for 4.5 seconds, unable to break free. 4 seconds is more than enough to kill just about anyone.

Here is a video showing off the effectiveness of shades. The first fight is a good representation of shades in a brawl, at minute 9 is where the real fun starts.

http://youtu.be/6j32My3rLF0

Sharee · December 2014

Jacques Berge wrote: »

Now, blocking shades is the worst thing anyone can do, as you mitigate next to no damage, you still spend the same amount of stamina. Players who block shades can be hit with concealed weapons/surprise attack and, even if they manage to block that attack, they'll be stunned for 4.5 seconds, unable to break free. 4 seconds is more than enough to kill just about anyone.

Just to rain on your parade a bit

Whether the shades are effective in the way described or not depends on the target's equipment. I have a dragonknight (just vet3) who is using full heavy armor 1h/s setup and uses block cost reduction jewelry.

I can aggro a wasp nest in craglorn and kill the whole swarm before i run out of stamina for blocking. Needless to say, with mere two shades on me i can keep block up till the cows come home, since my stam regen + the stam i get from the constitution passive makes up for any stam lost from the blocking.

Just sayin'

Jacques Berge · December 2014

Sharee wrote: »

Jacques Berge wrote: »

Now, blocking shades is the worst thing anyone can do, as you mitigate next to no damage, you still spend the same amount of stamina. Players who block shades can be hit with concealed weapons/surprise attack and, even if they manage to block that attack, they'll be stunned for 4.5 seconds, unable to break free. 4 seconds is more than enough to kill just about anyone.

Just to rain on your parade a bit

Whether the shades are effective in the way described or not depends on the target's equipment. I have a dragonknight (just vet3) who is using full heavy armor 1h/s setup and uses block cost reduction jewelry.

I can aggro a wasp nest in craglorn and kill the whole swarm before i run out of stamina for blocking. Needless to say, with mere two shades on me i can keep block up till the cows come home, since my stam regen + the stam i get from the constitution passive makes up for any stam lost from the blocking.

Just sayin'

Right, that's when I come at you with a couple goes of rapid strikes... A wasp nest doesn't hit 10/s... And I've only ever come across one guy in pvp ever who had a PVE build with full block reduction, hist and footmans with 4k hp. It was a hell of fight, but I got him.

Sharee · December 2014

Jacques Berge wrote: »

Sharee wrote: »

Jacques Berge wrote: »

Now, blocking shades is the worst thing anyone can do, as you mitigate next to no damage, you still spend the same amount of stamina. Players who block shades can be hit with concealed weapons/surprise attack and, even if they manage to block that attack, they'll be stunned for 4.5 seconds, unable to break free. 4 seconds is more than enough to kill just about anyone.

Just to rain on your parade a bit

Whether the shades are effective in the way described or not depends on the target's equipment. I have a dragonknight (just vet3) who is using full heavy armor 1h/s setup and uses block cost reduction jewelry.

I can aggro a wasp nest in craglorn and kill the whole swarm before i run out of stamina for blocking. Needless to say, with mere two shades on me i can keep block up till the cows come home, since my stam regen + the stam i get from the constitution passive makes up for any stam lost from the blocking.

Just sayin'

Right, that's when I come at you with a couple goes of rapid strikes... A wasp nest doesn't hit 10/s... And I've only ever come across one guy in pvp ever who had a PVE build with full block reduction, hist and footmans with 4k hp. It was a hell of fight, but I got him.

Wouldn't work. You would kill yourself on my razor armor (i hate when i run into that on my NB, rapid strikes does 40 dmg per hit on a blocking DK and i take 60 dmg back every tick)

(just to make it clear, this is not a bragfest about how you wouldn't kill my DK, he dies all the time in pvp at vet3. Just saying that relying on shades to drain his stamina does not work)

timidobserver · December 2014

Sharee wrote: »

Jacques Berge wrote: »

Sharee wrote: »

Jacques Berge wrote: »

Now, blocking shades is the worst thing anyone can do, as you mitigate next to no damage, you still spend the same amount of stamina. Players who block shades can be hit with concealed weapons/surprise attack and, even if they manage to block that attack, they'll be stunned for 4.5 seconds, unable to break free. 4 seconds is more than enough to kill just about anyone.

Just to rain on your parade a bit

Whether the shades are effective in the way described or not depends on the target's equipment. I have a dragonknight (just vet3) who is using full heavy armor 1h/s setup and uses block cost reduction jewelry.

I can aggro a wasp nest in craglorn and kill the whole swarm before i run out of stamina for blocking. Needless to say, with mere two shades on me i can keep block up till the cows come home, since my stam regen + the stam i get from the constitution passive makes up for any stam lost from the blocking.

Just sayin'

Right, that's when I come at you with a couple goes of rapid strikes... A wasp nest doesn't hit 10/s... And I've only ever come across one guy in pvp ever who had a PVE build with full block reduction, hist and footmans with 4k hp. It was a hell of fight, but I got him.

Wouldn't work. You would kill yourself on my razor armor (i hate when i run into that on my NB, rapid strikes does 40 dmg per hit on a blocking DK and i take 60 dmg back every tick)

(just to make it clear, this is not a bragfest about how you wouldn't kill my DK, he dies all the time in pvp at vet3. Just saying that relying on shades to drain his stamina does not work)

If you were just going to sit there and block, I would just use a combination of mass hysteria, shades, crippling grasp, dark cloak+ vamp feed, while staying back from you forcing you to use gap closers to get close to me. Either you would die or neither of us would die. At least that would be the plan lol.

Jacques Berge · December 2014

Sharee wrote: »

Jacques Berge wrote: »

Sharee wrote: »

Jacques Berge wrote: »

Now, blocking shades is the worst thing anyone can do, as you mitigate next to no damage, you still spend the same amount of stamina. Players who block shades can be hit with concealed weapons/surprise attack and, even if they manage to block that attack, they'll be stunned for 4.5 seconds, unable to break free. 4 seconds is more than enough to kill just about anyone.

Just to rain on your parade a bit

Whether the shades are effective in the way described or not depends on the target's equipment. I have a dragonknight (just vet3) who is using full heavy armor 1h/s setup and uses block cost reduction jewelry.

I can aggro a wasp nest in craglorn and kill the whole swarm before i run out of stamina for blocking. Needless to say, with mere two shades on me i can keep block up till the cows come home, since my stam regen + the stam i get from the constitution passive makes up for any stam lost from the blocking.

Just sayin'

Right, that's when I come at you with a couple goes of rapid strikes... A wasp nest doesn't hit 10/s... And I've only ever come across one guy in pvp ever who had a PVE build with full block reduction, hist and footmans with 4k hp. It was a hell of fight, but I got him.

Wouldn't work. You would kill yourself on my razor armor (i hate when i run into that on my NB, rapid strikes does 40 dmg per hit on a blocking DK and i take 60 dmg back every tick)

(just to make it clear, this is not a bragfest about how you wouldn't kill my DK, he dies all the time in pvp at vet3. Just saying that relying on shades to drain his stamina does not work)

Hahaha I feel ya... Yeah... I'm not saying it's a one size fits all beats all. I hold to the method of thought that it's better to be adaptive than super ganky. Knowing what skills and when to use them agaisnt each individual opponent. That is also the benefit of being a stealth player, I get to scope you out, and decide when we fight.