Challenge for the expert theorycrafters/build tinkerers and highly skilled PvPers

tinythinker · April 2015

I always enjoy seeing interesting new ways to play PvP. I try some myself but I am kind of mediocre in terms of actual skill, so it's hard for me to know if my idea was bad or I just wasn't able to pull it off. Anyway, while I appreciate some builds make more sense given whatever the current meta is for the game, I find the unexpected combinations that work to be the most entertaining. For example, a Redguard Sorc with amazing resource management who destroys opponents or the tank DKs who are still highly effective in 1v1/1vXand resist the lure of going for high burst DPS instead.

So, I started this thread to provide a space where people can request, try out, or show off builds with certain features, both for a challenge, for fun, and to inspire more players to move outside of the comfort zone of cookie-cutter setups. If you think that you are great at theory-crafting and/or that your skill is more important than your build, or if you just think "What the heck?", here are some starter requests. Others are encouraged to add their own.

-Non-vamp magicka Templar that can hold her own in a 1v1 with an opponent like a magicka Sorc or stamina NB or who can make a good showing for 1vX.
-Sorc with a pet build that works well for either 1v1 or 1vX.
-NB using (not just slotting and working around/ignoring) Agony effectively as part of a solid rotation/attack combo.

I think I saw a heavy armor build that *may* be able to fit the bill for the Templar post-1.6 (if this is you, congrats, show it off please), and I've heard of the PvP Pet Sorc pre-1.6. No idea about the NB, though. Can't wait to see who can show these off!

Cody · April 2015

hmm...

I COULD maybe work in agony if it was a 2v1 or even a 3v1.

if it truly only breaks when damage is inflicted, and i make a magicka NB or switch my current NB around to have some more magicka... i could MAYBE work in agony.

Ill have to try it in Blackwater blade when I make my magicka NB.

iseko · April 2015

The first one already exists.

technohic · April 2015

I don't think Blab uses vamp.

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/161580/1-6-pvp-blabafat-2

Snit · April 2015

The magicka templar build already exists. There are some beastly Templars out there already doing 1vX's.

Laerwen · April 2015

No such thing as a sorc with a pet build that works.

Derra · April 2015

Laerwen wrote: »

No such thing as a sorc with a pet build that works.

I wish i knew CPT-CAPSLOCKs forum alias. He has a fun to watch dueling build with pets. Norrix has a build with 1 pet he´s using in open pvp last time i´ve seen him.

themdogesbite · April 2015

Derra wrote: »

Laerwen wrote: »

No such thing as a sorc with a pet build that works.

I wish i knew CPT-CAPSLOCKs forum alias. He has a fun to watch dueling build with pets. Norrix has a build with 1 pet he´s using in open pvp last time i´ve seen him.

I believe its @CPT_CAPSLOCK

kaithuzar · May 2015

I can agree with Cody on the potential possibilities of agony, however I think it's more of a gankers build. Any situation where there are pugs around or even more than just you fighting, someone's going to break agony -_____- but i could see it worked into a cloak concealed strike build as freezing them with agony would allow you to easily get behind them for the strike.

On the other hand, because nb's don't have particular skills like sorcs (awesome shield stacking) which scales off max magic, nor do we have really heavy magic cost abilites, all you really need for a magic nb is high spell dmg.
So here's what I do:
4 storm knight - (2 piece bonus - sp resist, 3 sp dmg, 4 sp dmg) 3 armor + neck (v12 pieces)
2 torugs - 1 medium & 1 heavy (v14)
2 adroitness (light v12)
2x band's of cyrodiil's light

Rings are enchanted with inc physical resistance aka inc armor
neck enchanted with reduce magic cost

I also use a masters staff, but if you dont have that you can always use another torug's for inc health

realistically you can use funnel + cripple with cp in thaumaturge or you can use flame reach crushing shock with points in the frost/fire/shock dmg.
if you use thaumaturge with funnel you should definitely put points into "inc amount of health gained from abilities you cast"...or whatever it's called

There a few different combo's you can use with armor et all for instance the v10 "Lord's" armor is nice as it comes with magic recovery & sp dmg; but the stuff i listed above is what I personally prefer.
I love inevitable detonation
I hate that I have to use fear sometimes & if it weren't for tank classes such as dk's & templars that sit & hold block 24/7 I would never need to. Shades can sometimes help out with dropping their resources if I dont want to use fear.

tinythinker · May 2015

kaithuzar wrote: »

I can agree with Cody on the potential possibilities of agony, however I think it's more of a gankers build. Any situation where there are pugs around or even more than just you fighting, someone's going to break agony -_____- but i could see it worked into a cloak concealed strike build as freezing them with agony would allow you to easily get behind them for the strike.

Sure, well, basically, Agony is similar to Petrify for DKs and Rune Prison for Sorcs. Some DKs have of course been using Petrify to set people up for Uppercut, and some Sorcs use the Rune Cage morph of Rune Prison since it still allows DoTs to be applied.

But yes, if you are 1v1 Agony can be used: 1) to escape/flee; 2) to recoup resources while your enemy takes damage, especially effective if you get a bonus to your Dots; 3) set your enemy up for a burst attack. Or all three at once (pause the fight, move away and stealth, regen sources, then move in for a strike). For 1v2/3, Agony can take one opponent out of the fight while you focus on/take down the other target(s). I'm not suggesting it is superior to other skill bar set ups, or that no one has ever thought of these things before, just tossing out the challenge for fun. Maybe there is some other combo or way to use those advantages as part of a particular playstyle that many players don't know/haven't though of yet. Maybe not.

Zargorius · May 2015

So you are saying that Agony cannot be broken by a CC break? You have to wait 30 seconds?

tinythinker · May 2015

iseko wrote: »

The first one already exists.

Snit wrote: »

The magicka templar build already exists. There are some beastly Templars out there already doing 1vX's.

I've seen a few videos of magicka Templars doing really well as part of a 2-4 person team, occasionally breaking off solo for a few seconds to do some 1v2 or 1v3 or to troll on treacherous terrain, but not a non-vamp magicka Templar on her own soloing 1v2/3/4 for two or three minutes. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen/isn't happening, I just haven't run across it since 1.6 hit.

If anyone wants to post some vids here that would be really interesting since so many people on the forums have been saying that magicka Templars are super-weak in solo PvP. I don't mean it would prove those people wrong, rather, it would show some strengths but also some of the weaknesses and limitations, which could help the debate over class balance and what reasonable changes to Templars might look like.

tinythinker · May 2015

Zargorius wrote: »

So you are saying that Agony cannot be broken by a CC break? You have to wait 30 seconds?

I have no idea. I didn't see anyone in the thread suggest this, but I may have missed it. I personally assumed it would be best applied to an opponent who was low on stamina, like all hard CC, but, if it didn't allow a CC break that would make it much more interesting, even with the "breaks on damage" restriction. I do know that last summer I saw plenty of people hanging helplessly in the air for at least 6-10 seconds, but I don't know if it is because they didn't know (how) to CC break, if they were out of stamina, or if it isn't something you cannot immediately break out of. I would test it but I am *still* waiting to get my computer back (only been a month...).

Cody · May 2015

Zargorius wrote: »

So you are saying that Agony cannot be broken by a CC break? You have to wait 30 seconds?

i think that is the case, which is why I think it COULD work well in 2v1s or even 3v1s if used right

Pixysticks · May 2015

You can make a pet build work pretty easily, volatile is like what, 24% of max magicka, and can crit now?

5 Necropotence, 3 Cyrodiil's Light, 2 Adroitness, 2 Torug's Pact (1h Shield). Use Bound Armaments, Inner Light, Structured Entropy, Volatile Familar, Prox Det.

If I wore that gear and used blue food I would be pushing 44k magicka, so the base explosion before calculating in Empower or CP passives is 10.5k. If you entropy'd and crit the explosion it would be a little over 20k aoe + a stun, plus spammable (for as long as you can live I guess).

You could swap out prox det for something else if you weren't trying to AoE. I guess another perc of this build is that your Hardened Ward would shield you for like 17k in Cyrodiil, heh. You would really have to line up your burst though because Sorc pets are pretty much useless other than the Volatile Explosion.

ToRelax · May 2015

Pixysticks wrote: »

You can make a pet build work pretty easily, volatile is like what, 24% of max magicka, and can crit now?

5 Necropotence, 3 Cyrodiil's Light, 2 Adroitness, 2 Torug's Pact (1h Shield). Use Bound Armaments, Inner Light, Structured Entropy, Volatile Familar, Prox Det.

If I wore that gear and used blue food I would be pushing 44k magicka, so the base explosion before calculating in Empower or CP passives is 10.5k. If you entropy'd and crit the explosion it would be a little over 20k aoe + a stun, plus spammable (for as long as you can live I guess).

You could swap out prox det for something else if you weren't trying to AoE. I guess another perc of this build is that your Hardened Ward would shield you for like 17k in Cyrodiil, heh. You would really have to line up your burst though because Sorc pets are pretty much useless other than the Volatile Explosion.

If it wasn't changed, Volatile Familiar Explosion ignores spell penetration.