How to Play DK Fire Mage?

Jochamo · May 2015

I am interested in creating a DK Fire Mage. However, I notice that the DK Class skills in the Ardent Flame line are limited in range, especially compared to Destructive Staff Skills.

Searing Strike - 5 meters
Fiery Breath - 10 meters
Lava Whip - 8 meters
Destructive Staff - 28 meters

I am assuming this is played more like a melee character. If that is correct, how is damaged mitigation done? You would want at least 5 light to maximize those passives, leaving physical resistance much lower.

I would appreciate any thoughts or comments on how to best implement this play style and on how to mitigate damage.

Lazyness · May 2015

Tons and tons of videos available about the DK fire mage on youtube.
Not to be a *** who doesn't want to explain, but I think a video is easier to understand.

Daveheart · May 2015

What @Lazyness said about searching for a video is your best bet. I'll give a partial answer though. Yes, it's more or less a melee class. You can come up with a ranged build, but it will be weak in comparison. You will be more susceptible to damage. So, you can:

Mix in 1 or 2 pieces of heavy armor, perhaps even with the nirnhoned trait.
Block or dodge incoming heavy attacks
Don't stand in red
Slot harness magicka for fights heavy in spell damage
Learn the mechanics of the fights through repetition to better anticipate and avoid damage

zachary4828 · May 2015

Definitely check out one of the many videos, I recommend Deltia's Gaming on YouTube. You don't need to find one specifically on fire mages, just one that explains the abilities and their morphs because a few of the spells you listed have morphs which increase range and are designed specifically for the play style you're looking for.

Check this one out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyEchy9up94&index=5&list=PLAyO5Avdftk0f9H2A7raXMK1o94BCUSI9

And this one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9l6TIiT1ww

Cuyler · May 2015

Yes mostly melee range magicka skills. Use undaunted passive so 5 light/1 med helm (valkyn)/1 heavy chest w/nirnhoned (torugs pact). Use Champoin points to get most resistances and with 1 pices nirnhoned your good.

Physical reisistance? that's what a healer is for. or you can sub igneous shield if your healer is crap.

winterbornb14_ESO · May 2015

As much as the You Tube videos and even Deltia's help end game raid or PvP Vr14 etc. players respec, they really don't show much on how to level as that class/spec.

As a new solo player with no twinking or power leveling things are much different.

I have found that you must focus on CC like knockbacks and stuns etc. to mitigate damage when leveling in light armor if that helps.

winterbornb14_ESO · May 2015

Sorry forgot to mention the OP wants to create a new character and not respec his Vr? toon hence my post.

Jochamo · May 2015

Thank you all for the replies.

winterbornb14_ESO is correct in that I will be leveling from scratch, but the end game videos will help to show me a general direction to go in.

Tankqull · May 2015

winterbornb14_ESO wrote: »

As much as the You Tube videos and even Deltia's help end game raid or PvP Vr14 etc. players respec, they really don't show much on how to level as that class/spec.

As a new solo player with no twinking or power leveling things are much different.

I have found that you must focus on CC like knockbacks and stuns etc. to mitigate damage when leveling in light armor if that helps.

because their is no need too.
you can randomly slot any skills and plow through non vet PvE areas.
and actaully thats what i recommend you - lvl every skill that might even be usfull in the slightest way as it is far easier to lvl them below 50 than above thx to the crappy xp system.

Lazyness · May 2015

Leveling 1-50 is so easy, you can slot everything you want.
most important thing is to keep 1 skill from everyone class skill line on your main bar. lvl the skill full and do next skill from that skill line.

Also slot a skill from your weapon skill lines on your main bar. (preferable 2, so you can lvl 2 weapon skill lines)
Take Mages light (inner light) from the mages guild as a magicka based DK. (you might wanna switch that to Sea of Flames once you hit VR14, but thats up to you.)

take 5 light armor pieces, 1 medium and 1 heavy, for levelling them all (preferable training/exploration as traits, definitely training on heavy and medium pieces).
put training traits on your weapons until you hit VR1.

Try to put some skills in your back bar that you wanna lvl as well. Get exp on main bar just by killing mobs and swap to your back bar when you deliver a quest (so you gain exp these skills as well).

Until you hit lvl 50, there's no real need for passives (some are important as a DK DD like cost reduction passives, racial passives and battle roar), but its more important to first lvl as much weapon and class skills / skill lines.

Hopefully this is a clear write up.. GL

Cuyler · May 2015

Jochamo wrote: »

Thank you all for the replies.

winterbornb14_ESO is correct in that I will be leveling from scratch, but the end game videos will help to show me a general direction to go in.

When leveling my DK(s) I use something like this:

5 pc. Magnus' gift - shoes, gloves, sash, shoulders (light w/divines), legs (light w/infused)
3 pc. Torugs Pact - Chest (heavy w/infused), Head (medium w/ infused), two (2) Inferno Staffs (fire enchants w/precise)
3 pc. Warlock's - Neck, rings (w/spell damage enchants)

All body pieces with magicka enchants
Attributes - Put 25 points in HP, then rest in Magicka

remaking at lvl 26, 36, v1, v5 and v9. v12 there are other options.

Skills:
At the beginning you have access to unlock the fist skill of each class skill and the destro staff. Do it and get each on your bar. Then as skills begin to open up and your bar fills out, switch focus to Ardent Flame, Mages Guild and Destruction.

Destruction:
Unlock Destructive Touch - use this until destro is lvl 14
then unlock Force Shock - use this until destroy is lvl 38
then unlock impulse

Mages Guild:
Unlock Magelight
Collect as many lorebooks as possible - at mages guild lvl 10 unlock meteor

Ardent flame:
Unlock every skill in this tree as they become available.

Very early on your bar1 would look something like:

Magelight, Stonefist, Spiked armor, Fiery Grip, Destructive touch, and whatever else

When available your ardent flame bar 1would begin with:

Magelight, Fiery Grip, Searing Strike, Fiery Breath, Force Shock, Standard of Might
Switch out force shock for Lava Whip when available and use until Ardent flame bar lvl 42 and you can unlock inferno. Both bars will now include magelight and inferno.

After Ardent Flame is level 42 switch focus to Earthen Heart skill tree:
Unlock Molten Weapons, Obsidian Sheild and Magma Armor.

Bar 2 would be something like:

Inferno, magelight, obsidian shield, molten weapons, force shock, magma armor
use this bar until earthen heart is lvl 42 and unlock ash cloud. By this time your destro line should be lvl 38 and you can get rid of force shock completely.

Switch to leveling dragonic power lastly.

If done correctly by the time your character is lvl 35 you should have all the skills for the endgame Fire mage PvE build, aka

Bar1: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Engulfing Flames, Burning Embers, Molten Whip, Meteor
Bar2: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Eruption, Molten armaments, Elemental Ring, Standard of might
* all morph names
* make sure you have blue food buff to

Lazyness · May 2015

Bar1: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Engulfing Flames, Burning Embers, Molten Whip, Meteor
Bar2: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Eruption, Molten armaments, Elemental Ring, Standard of might
* all morph names
* make sure you have blue food buff to

When you do it like this, please know you will have to lvl alchemy as well for the "medicinal use" passive. Because you'll have to use pots instead of structured entropy.
I would also like to mention that the bar as stated in above quote is purely designed for single target DPS end game PVE.

Cuyler · May 2015

Lazyness wrote: »

Bar1: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Engulfing Flames, Burning Embers, Molten Whip, Meteor
Bar2: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Eruption, Molten armaments, Elemental Ring, Standard of might
* all morph names
* make sure you have blue food buff to

When you do it like this, please know you will have to lvl alchemy as well for the "medicinal use" passive. Because you'll have to use pots instead of structured entropy.
I would also like to mention that the bar as stated in above quote is purely designed for single target DPS end game PVE.

^This is correct for when you're actually at endgame. While leveling it may be more beneficial to switch innerlight with entropy so you don't have to think about potions (not really needed because leveling is easy). But by v14, trials etc., yes, the bar stated will require potions and lvl 50 alchemy for medicinal use.

Stannum · May 2015

Cuyler wrote: »

Bar1: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Engulfing Flames, Burning Embers, Molten Whip, Meteor
Bar2: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Eruption, Molten armaments, Elemental Ring, Standard of might
* all morph names
* make sure you have blue food buff to

What's the point to put on bar Sea of Flames and innerlight both? (it's better to put structured entropy)

DisgracefulMind · May 2015

dancing.in.the.webeb17_ESO wrote: »

Cuyler wrote: »

Bar1: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Engulfing Flames, Burning Embers, Molten Whip, Meteor
Bar2: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Eruption, Molten armaments, Elemental Ring, Standard of might
* all morph names
* make sure you have blue food buff to

What's the point to put on bar Sea of Flames and innerlight both? (it's better to put structured entropy)

In all my testing, DPS is actually increased with the free DoT that Sea of Flames provides. You slot Inner Light for the magicka bonus. I use spell power pots on cooldown for the consistent spell power buff (and that little extra boost of magicka restore when they pop is nice as well).

gezzerb16_ESO · May 2015

OP I'm running a Breton DK with flame staff and resto staff, and I've found solo leveling in this game is dead easy, unless you purposely gimp your character. Even the lowest level bosses aren't that hard to take down. Hell, I missed some quest hubs and was usually 2-3 sometimes 4 levels below the content I was doing and I died more from my own stupidity then not having enough DPS, etc.

About the only spells/abilities that I found I had to have on my DK was the stone fist to knock back and firey grip to CC during early leveling. But eventually even those weren't a must have and I pretty much leveled or are leveling all the DK skills with no problem. You don't actually need every one because some are obviously more for tanking or pure DPS, but it's nice to have more options as well, so level as many as you want to.

This is my main and first character and I made some (many) mistakes, but the game was very forgiving, just needed the 1.6 free respec and one purchased to get myself back on track. I first ran heavy chest and shoulders, med boots and waist, and light hat, hands, and legs. Since the Bretons have a lot of bonuses to light armor after my last respec I've gone all light except my chest and shoulders which are now medium.

I didn't level everything well I was leveling to 50 (V3 at the moment) and while it does take a bit more to level some spells/abilities when you hit veteran, it's not that bad. My biggest problem has been leveling my resto spells because I don't use them as much (solo a lot). And that's the secret, when you take a spell/ability use it more then anything else you have. That's the only way to improve them. For example I didn't level the DPS tree too much, and just acquired the lash spell at V2, but I've morphed it and are half way to topping it out because I constantly use it. Just don't try leveling all new ones at the same time. I'd rotate with a couple morphed and close to maxing out, one or two just morphed or close to it, and one or two new ones. That way you're not trying to survive with painfully inadequate spells/abilities.

As for weapons I started using the bow, one hand and shield, assorted DPS staffs, and eventually when I could get one a resto staff. After my last respect I dropped all but the staffs and now use a flame and resto staff, so I can self heal when/if needed. If you don't go Breton and/or don't want to heal you could go 5 light and two heavy with a shield 1 hand if you prefer. Or even skip light all together if you don't mind losing the light passives which are better for magic users. Again the game is really forgiving and will let you have some pretty whacked out builds that still work.Kind of.

My advice, experiment till you find what's fun for you. You might find that being a DK fire mage isn't as much fun as you first thought and decide to move towards a tank, or CC build. ESO doesn't force you to min-max, which is the thing I love most about the game. Your options are open, so just go for it and have FUN.

tino.antoninieb17_ESO · June 2015

Cuyler wrote: »

Jochamo wrote: »

Thank you all for the replies.

winterbornb14_ESO is correct in that I will be leveling from scratch, but the end game videos will help to show me a general direction to go in.

When leveling my DK(s) I use something like this:

5 pc. Magnus' gift - shoes, gloves, sash, shoulders (light w/divines), legs (light w/infused)
3 pc. Torugs Pact - Chest (heavy w/infused), Head (medium w/ infused), two (2) Inferno Staffs (fire enchants w/precise)
3 pc. Warlock's - Neck, rings (w/spell damage enchants)

All body pieces with magicka enchants
Attributes - Put 25 points in HP, then rest in Magicka

remaking at lvl 26, 36, v1, v5 and v9. v12 there are other options.

Skills:
At the beginning you have access to unlock the fist skill of each class skill and the destro staff. Do it and get each on your bar. Then as skills begin to open up and your bar fills out, switch focus to Ardent Flame, Mages Guild and Destruction.

Destruction:
Unlock Destructive Touch - use this until destro is lvl 14
then unlock Force Shock - use this until destroy is lvl 38
then unlock impulse

Mages Guild:
Unlock Magelight
Collect as many lorebooks as possible - at mages guild lvl 10 unlock meteor

Ardent flame:
Unlock every skill in this tree as they become available.

Very early on your bar1 would look something like:

Magelight, Stonefist, Spiked armor, Fiery Grip, Destructive touch, and whatever else

When available your ardent flame bar 1would begin with:

Magelight, Fiery Grip, Searing Strike, Fiery Breath, Force Shock, Standard of Might
Switch out force shock for Lava Whip when available and use until Ardent flame bar lvl 42 and you can unlock inferno. Both bars will now include magelight and inferno.

After Ardent Flame is level 42 switch focus to Earthen Heart skill tree:
Unlock Molten Weapons, Obsidian Sheild and Magma Armor.

Bar 2 would be something like:

Inferno, magelight, obsidian shield, molten weapons, force shock, magma armor
use this bar until earthen heart is lvl 42 and unlock ash cloud. By this time your destro line should be lvl 38 and you can get rid of force shock completely.

Switch to leveling dragonic power lastly.

If done correctly by the time your character is lvl 35 you should have all the skills for the endgame Fire mage PvE build, aka

Bar1: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Engulfing Flames, Burning Embers, Molten Whip, Meteor
Bar2: Sea of Flames, Innerlight, Eruption, Molten armaments, Elemental Ring, Standard of might
* all morph names
* make sure you have blue food buff to

This is correct. When u level it up go for crushing shock instead of force shock . Gear should be 5 sun set , 2 torug . 2 x valkyn , 2 x cyro light rings for mostl fights. U go with 5 light , 1 medium , 1 heavy. On jewlery u go cost reduction unless u have healer with drain and/or siphon spirit and than u can go instead with 2 spell damage or maybe 1 cost reduction and 1 spell damage. For staffs u go crit or nirn depending on spell resistance of the boss and weather support usses agressive horn ( if agressive horn than u go with crit staff).
For hard modes u need 18 k + health ,everyhting else in magic, 25 k + spell resist ( 2 or 3 nirn pieces and if needed spell ress on jewlery.
Use panacea of detection ( spell damage , magic return and detection - this pot is not bugged ).