[Archer Templar DD/support] Is this build any good?

Valyndras · March 2015

Hi there

I recently returned to ESO and I decided to made a DD/Support Archer Templar build.
These are the skills I'm using:

Bar 1: Bow: This bar is my main Stamina DPS bar.

[Focused Aim]: Essential skill for both PvE as PvP, perfect opener from sneak.
[Poison Injection]: Very strong DoT that deals increased damage to low health targets. Lethal when combined with Radiant Oppression (Bar 2).
[Magnum Shot] or [Binding Javelin] (now uses stamina): CC for Solo PvE and PvP / [Blazing Spear] or [Scorched Earth] or [Razor Caltrops]: AoE for group PvE and PvP.
[Acid Spray]: Nice cone attack for Solo and group PvE / [Purifying Ritual]: Cleanse for Solo and group PvP + support for my team.
[Radiant Aura]: For stamina regen, when fighting normal mobs/players / [Evil Hunter]: For stamina regen, when fighting undead/vampires/werewolves.
ULTIMATE: [Flawless Dawnbreaker]: 8% increased weapon damage / [Aggressive Warhorn]: Buff for me and my allies.

Bar 2: 2H: This bar focuses more on utility and support.

[Rally]: This is an amazing Defensive and Offensive buff. (I use this mainly to increase the damage of my bow skills from bar 1.)
[Unstoppable]: Immunity to CC and increased Defenses.
[Power of the Light]: Damage nuke + decreases enemies armor.
[Radiant Oppression]: My new favorite finisher.
[Breath of Life] / [Echoing Vigor]: Emergency heal + support for your team.
ULTIMATE: [Solar Disturbance]: I prefer this over Solar Prison, but that's just a personal preference.

I tried to make a build which involves as less skill switching as possible, when I switch between PvE solo, PvE Group, PvP Solo and PvP Group loadouts.

My idea is to use Rally and Unstoppable while being stealthed, then switch to bar 1 for a powerful Focused Aim, followed by a Poison Injection + light attack. Next, I swap to bar 2 for a Power of the Light and back to bar 1 for Focused Aim, Poison Injection, light attack. Rinse repeat. I also try to keep Rally and Power of the Light up (and Unstoppable in PvP).
Once the enemy has about 30% health left, I'll start using Poison Injection + Radiant Oppression.
For AoE, I can use Scorched Earth + Acid Spray or Blazing Spear + Acid Spray. Or Razor Caltrops in PvP.
When soloing (both PvE and PvP) and an enemy comes too close, I'll use Magnum Shot / Binding Javelin.
As for support, I have both Purifying Ritual and Breath of Life / Echoing Vigor and the Aggressive Warhorn ultimate.

I'm only V8 at the time of writing this, so I'm not really sure what gear/boon I should go for.

I think I'll focus mainly on stamina enchantments on my armor, though. As for weapons, I probably put a damage enchant (Flame, Shock, Frost, Poison, Decrease Health) on my Bow + Precise Trait and a support/buffing one on my 2H (Absorb Magicka/Stamina, Rage) + Infused or Defending trait.

Does this build look any good?

Any advice on gear/boons would be very nice.

Thanks in advance

Kind regards

Val

Apokh · March 2015

I would slot less of the Bow stuff. I think 1 or 2 are by far enough. From Templar the Vamires Bane is a very nice Skill, or the blazing Spears which disorient targets for some seconds - and you´ll need stuns and snares to keep enemies on range- in every case radiiant Oppression should be slottet (as ranged). Ulti should be Meteor (imo) because this nice thingy reloads Ulti for every hit enemy. But as long as you dont have this one perhaps soulstrike ...?

Would also skill the active Medium Armor Skill "Evade".

I would suggest a mix with medium and light armor (5+2 or 3+4) . I always make my weapons infused - so they are very flexible to use with good glyphs. My gear is always divine, except the head, torso and legs...these are infused. Think Nightmothers Gaze or Hundings Rage Set would fit well?! The "Eagle eye" Rings also... Rings and necklace with MAG/ or STA REG cost reduction.

Vet 8 you should look, that your Life is around 15-18k (unbuffed) if you want to do pledges. STA bigger pool as MAG but more MAG Reg- remember you can use radiant aura to push STA Reg.

eol · March 2015

My concern would be that, in order for your bow abilities to hit hard, you will need a lot of stamina, but your spells need high magicka (except the stamina-based spells). If you try to have medium amounts of each, you wont be particularly good at anything, and you will run out of magicka FAST.

I agree you don't need so many bow abilities. Evil Hunter might be nice for the +20% crit anytime, and especially when fighting undead/werewolves/daedra, along with radiant aura.

Not sure unstoppable will pay off.

Actually your build is similar in approach to one I devised for my son who plays a DK, with bow abilities, evil hunter, dawnbreaker, and the 2H sword buff plus various shields for before the battle. he likes it and is almost finished leveling up bow and medium armor so we will try it in pvp soon...

Valyndras · March 2015

@Apokh

I'm thinking about removing Magnum Shot, replacing it with Binding Javelin (which now scales off and costs stamina), and Scorched Earth by Blazing Spear (PvE) or Razor Caltrops (PvP). I can't live without Focuses Aim, Poison Injection and Acid Spray, they're just too awesome.

I'm currently using 1 Light (head), 1 Heavy (chest) and 5 Medium (rest). I'm planning in investing in the Undaunted passive which grants bonuses from different armor pieces.

Currently, I have indeed about ~18k Health, ~18k Stam and ~10k Magicka. I only do normal pledges at the moment. Veteran pledges scare me a bit, tbh. :-/

@eol

I'm using BoL (temporarily until I get Echoing Vigor), Purifying Ritual (morphed for PvP: less cost and more cleanses), Blazing Spear (which I replace with Razor Caltrops for PvP) and Radiant Oppression (seems to hit hard, even in my stamina build, 4K-5K crit ticks) as Magicka skills. I don't really tend to run out of Magicka that fast, the damage from Radiant Oppression is quite amazing as is the healing. (for the moment, though) However, sometimes I do run out of Stamina.

I'm using Unstoppable for more survivability in PvP. Otherwise I die pretty fast. But I agree that for PvE grouping something else may be better. Maybe I'll swap Unstoppable for Vampire's Bane?

eol · March 2015

FWIW I switched from 5LA/2HA to 5HA/2LA and the increase in survivability in PvP was very significant. I have to manage my magicka better, but the trade-off seems well worth it (having a fuller magicka bar doesn't help when I am dead, haha). I am going to switch one bar having 1H/S for even more survivability, but I will need one bar with resto staff for the magicka regen.

I am almost done leveling up bow and medium armor on my Templar alongside my son's DK, so maybe I will give your build or something like it a try, and give feedback.

BTW, if you are worried about stuns, I use Purifying Light a lot in PvP. Mainly to get rid of CC but the area heal and bonus on other heals is nice. So many good abilities, so few spaces on the bar...

Valyndras · March 2015

I redid my skill bars a little.

Now I got:

Bar 1: Bow:

Focused Aim
Poison Injection
Acid Spray (Solo PvE, Group PvE, Group PvP) / Magnum Shot (Solo PvP)
Evil Hunter (PvE) / Unstoppable (PvP)
Radiant Aura
ULTIMATE: Flawless Dawnbreaker (Solo) / Aggressive Warhorn (Group)

Bar 2: 2H

Rally
Power of the Light (PvE) / Purifying Ritual (PvP)
Binding Javelin (Solo PvE/Solo PvP) / Blazing Spear (Group PvE) / Razor Caltrops (Group PvP)
Radiant Oppression
Breath of Life (until I get Echoing Vigor)
ULTIMATE: Solar Disturbance

I agree, so many good abilities, so few spaces on the bars...