What armour sets are stamina builds using? (PvP)

Nihili · December 2014

I'm making a stamina build Nightblade - surprisingly, no, this isn't a Dual Wield/Bow Crit build, but a stamina build aimed at sustaining through longer fights while dealing decent damage. So with the aim of "sustainable stamina build" I encountered two problems:

1) 'sustaining' yourself through a fight (being tanky/sturdy) in PvP usually comes down to how many damage shields you can throw up while keeping your resources in check - and why this is a problem is because neither the Nightblade skill-lines or the weapon-skill lines offer damage shields. This means you would have to depend on: a. Harness Magicka, b. Healing Ward (restoration skill), c. An armour set with a damage shield bonus
--- a) I don't want to use harness magicka because the damage shield off it is terrible and it is meant to be used for magicka regen - something useless for the purposes of this build.
--- b) I don't want to use Healing ward, because that would mean I would be forced to use a resto staff, when I would much rather use a more stamina based weapon.
--- c) I am considering this (something like whitestrake's retribution set)

2) Because of the dismal options when it comes to stamina based damage shields (other than an armour set bonus), I turned my attention to trying to circumvent the problem entirely: by being sustainable without a damage shield. This means, I believe, that I should be focusing on maxing my Health regen and Stamina regen, and simultaneously maxing my max health and max stamina. This leads to one problem: drink buffs (which focus on regen) are incredibly ineffective because it would mean giving up food buffs, which is so much more useful. Because Nightblades don't have an easy self-heal you can't risk running with low health (in my personal experience).

So the question is, what armour sets can I depend on to save me? They would have to have 2pc/3pc/4pc bonuses that focus on stamina or health regen/weapon damage/max stamina or health/weapon critical and a 5pc bonus focusing on maybe a damage shield or an alternative bonus that you can argue will be advantageous. I feel the role of your armour set is far more crucial in a Nightblade than in any other class when focusing on sustainability because of our lack of damage shields/self-heals.

I am considering the following:
Hundings Rage
Whitestrake's Retribution
Shadow Dancer's Raiments
Ashen grip
Twilight's embrace or willow's path (I can't remember which one it is that has a regen bonus with a 5pc, but it's one of these two and I am considering that one.

That's all the sets I can think of.

Stannum · December 2014

Stamina NB. Look, really there is no need for stamina regen sets as NB has good class bonuses and skills for stamina regen (refreshing shadow, focused attacks) and if you will use at least 5 medium and stmina regen enchantmets on 1-2 bijouterie items you will have stamina regen caps, and if you are redguard werewolf and use 2H it will be hard for you to run out of stamina ). So it's better to focus on weapon dmg to put it to overcap.
So universal good set combination is
Ashen grip set 3 (or 4 for DW),
Hundings Rage 5 (or even better version Vicious Serpent set if you'll farm it)
and Shadow walker set 3 bijouterie reenchanted as you like.

You can also combine with some weapon oriented sets like Hawk eye set or Ravager set

Sharee · December 2014

I am using full arena set and 4 part ashen grip (and whatever extra set bonus i can get from jewelry). DW/resto staff combo.

No shields - i sustain myself by dodging (both manual and Elude), and hitting the enemy after placing a quick siphon on them.

No stamina regen jewelry, i instead opted for stamina reduction enchants(lowers cost of dodging as well). With natural NB+redguard+werewolf regen i am just slightly below soft cap for stam regen. Adrenaline rush helps as well, of course.

Stannum · December 2014

Sharee wrote: »

(and whatever extra set bonus i can get from jewelry).

Shadow walker 3 set (pendant + 2 rings) gives you weapon dmg and max stamina buff

Sharee · December 2014

dancing.in.the.webeb17_ESO wrote: »

Sharee wrote: »

(and whatever extra set bonus i can get from jewelry).

Shadow walker 3 set (pendant + 2 rings) gives you weapon dmg and max stamina buff

Yeah that's ideal, i just don't have spare 75000 gold for each ring

Right now im using werewolf as a placeholder (+170-ish armor) or the pair that gives 4% crit, forgot the name.

Chesimac · December 2014

Tanky pvp stam nb- good choice is 1hand&shield with twin sisters
I used to run a tanky pvp stam nb of sorts and I geared
3 shadow walker (jewelry, pvp a good amount and eventually you'll find in the vendor accessory blue bags)
5 twin sisters (5 medium armor pieces, all come in impenetrable)
4 hist bark (sword, shield, 2 pieces with impenetrable)
I used 2 light armor pieces with hist bark, but 2 medium or heavy could be utilized if you want. I used hist bark but definitely the easiest set to change on the list

I used consummate sweetroll, and 1 block reduction enchant and 2 potion cooldown reduction jewelry while chugging tri-pots
Good luck

dermottib14_ESO · December 2014

5 piece willows path (15% regen on everything), 4 piece shadow walker, 2 piece twin sister.

Kraven · December 2014

Dreugh slayer pendant and 2 pc armor gives you 2 pieces of heavy for a little survive AND gives more weapon damage than a full set of hundings. 2 shadow walker rings enchanted with weapon damage, actually switch these out for poisonous serpent rings in pve for added crit but with prevalent impen in pvp...
Still using medium Hunding's 5 piece but haven't gotten the new viper stuff or ophidian set from SO yet. Strongly considered Archer's mind for a bow build but haven't tested numbers yet.

This combo is an absolute insane amount of weapon damage, Soul tether builds quickly and is a nice heal, bone shield is decent but I depend on killing faster than the other person in this set up. When with a group Power Extraction can put me over 350 weapon damage, I don't know if there is a hard cap but I tell you so many people build for surviving in Cyrodiil that they hit like a wet noodle. When with a group I prefer to hit like a damn truck and let my healer keep me up, ignore me and go for the healer and you're dead before you can catch the license plate.

Chesimac · December 2014

Kraven wrote: »

Dreugh slayer pendant and 2 pc armor gives you 2 pieces of heavy for a little survive AND gives more weapon damage than a full set of hundings. 2 shadow walker rings enchanted with weapon damage, actually switch these out for poisonous serpent rings in pve for added crit but with prevalent impen in pvp...
Still using medium Hunding's 5 piece but haven't gotten the new viper stuff or ophidian set from SO yet. Strongly considered Archer's mind for a bow build but haven't tested numbers yet.

This combo is an absolute insane amount of weapon damage, Soul tether builds quickly and is a nice heal, bone shield is decent but I depend on killing faster than the other person in this set up. When with a group Power Extraction can put me over 350 weapon damage, I don't know if there is a hard cap but I tell you so many people build for surviving in Cyrodiil that they hit like a wet noodle. When with a group I prefer to hit like a damn truck and let my healer keep me up, ignore me and go for the healer and you're dead before you can catch the license plate.

If I'm not mistaken the OP said he was more interested in being tanky and sturdy than dealing damage, although he wants to do decent damage as well While those are nice for weapon damage/hard hitting (and I understand the heavy armor helps a little) but what he is going for, a "sustaining" type of build, he likely requires sets that assist with good resource management and damage mitigation rather than weapon damage.

Kraven · December 2014

Fair enough lol

TheBull · December 2014

Dodge/roll and cloak are what's used for a Stan nb in the place of shields. Momentum for 2h and pots are your sustain.

Pengeszikra · December 2014

As templar my current favorite stamina set use 5xHud.rage ( 2hSword +armor pieces) 2xWay of Air ( helm, pants ), chest: 1xStygian.
Second weapon is shield + sword ( pvp set )

At first time i make this set for some fashion reason ( dwemer 2h sword ), but this setup is work fine against solo Lion's Den bosses ( meanwhile don't use templar heal or beating jabs - which animation is so boring ).
Set power is fast ultimate regeneration and nice s

Lynx7386 · December 2014

not to v14 yet (only v2) but at the moment my 2hander nightblade is using 7/7 medium armor, with 4 piece hunding's rage and 4 piece nightmother's for the sets (chest/shoulders/legs/weapons are hunding's rage, and helm/belt/gloves/boots are night mother's). 4 piece for those two sets gives a total of +16% weapon critical chance, stacked with 21% critical chance from 7 medium armor, 6% critical chance from racials as a khajiit, and 5% from precise on weapons (48% crit chance before skill modifiers). I end up being at around 60% critical chance with weapon attacks due to assassination passives and the thief stone.

morvegil · December 2014

I tried a set of vr13 Arhcers mind, it didnt seem to be any better then running Hundings...

Cody · December 2014

use sparks in the DW line when facing melee opponents, be sure to dodge roll powerful ranged attacks like shards and snipe, run a set like hundings rage that increases weapon damage, and learn how to manage your stamina effectively.

There is no need to equip an armor set that increases stamina regan, because your stamina NB will have good regan from passives.

also, try to learn how to use siphoning strikes, it restores magicka and stamina(health with the leeching strikes morph) and is an effective way to manage your stamina/magicka

tino.antoninieb17_ESO · December 2014

Redguard NB, dw or 2h/ bow , Werewolf . Bow is for range, wanishing , aoe and dw for finishing them off, putting spammers and blockers off balance. I never ever run out of stamina . Stamina regen is not an issue at all . I use 5 hunding and 4 ashen grip , 3 shadow walker set with 2x -5 seconds pot sets, I have setup for group play and basicaly cant ask for better combo of gear performances i have.
Stats with all buffs : Weap damage dw - 248 , weap damage bow 230 , Stamina 2550 ( 122 regen ) , Health 3,2k , Magic 1560 , weapon crit dw 65% and weap crit bow 58 %. As u can see i play with pve gear setup without impenetrable but still i am not easy to kill due to cloak , caltrops , fear, bow roll passive and ofc pots considerig that i am just 7 out of 30 secs without pot effect on me. All is up to my skill.

Chrlynsch · December 2014

I recommend 5 twin sisters, sword and board, and 5 piece footman armor. defensive stance and 5 set from footman will give you a extra 20% damage mitigation when blocking. Footman also gives you health spell resistance and armor. Run blur and evasion. Use stam cost reduction enchants on jewelry and maybe one weapon power. Twin sisters can give you that extra dps to help you team. Or if you want swap it out for hist bark for one of the most evasive characters in the game. Off bar is your choice though I recommend bow (you still can be pretty deadly) or restore staff. Happy hunting!