NB Magicka ST damage power question

GreyRanger · June 2015

I have been using the following rotation for my single target damage on my NB with the Inner Light toggle (I have Impale on my off bar for the execute phase):

Piercing mark (Major Breach debuff) -> Structured Entropy (+Major Sorc) -> Crippling grasp (DOT) -> Funnel heal (Spam damage)

I saw a recommendation online recommending a Grim Focus morph in lieu of Piercing Mark saying the 8% damage buff will be larger than the damage gain from Major Breach (reduce spell resistance).

Does anyone have any idea which would lead to better DPS on average in boss fights or PVP: Grim Focus or Piercing Mark.

FYI: Since I am attacking from range with dual weapons I will never do enough light attacks to trigger the Grim Focus proc.

Thanks for the help.

Kerioko · June 2015

Use fire staff with entropy, cripple, funnel, merciless resolve, inner light and meteor for bar 1. Rotation is trigger inner light (for might of the guild passive) and drop meteor then hit merciless resolve -> entropy -> cripple and a funnel health + light attack rotation x8....when merciless resolve is ready to trigger, recast entropy (for might of the guild passive) then double hit merciless resolve. This thing will crit for 20K+. contrinue the rotation with cripple and funnel + LA.

Execute bar should be duel wield as you do more damage with impale with duel wield than with a staff and light attack weaves. This is also your AOE bar with sap essence and twisting path and inner light with soul harvest as your ultimate to help boost ultimate regen. The final slot is a flex slot. I tend to a run blade cloak, blur, reapers mark or siphoning strikes based on group need. In group content, you shouldn't need reapers mark if the tank is applying debuffs or if another caster is running elemental drain.

My gear set-up is 4 healer's (jewelry and boots) 4 martial Knowledge, 2 torug pact with master fire staff and master daggers. If you don't have the masters weapons, a torug staff and Stygian daggers will suit your needs. You can also replace the healer set with 2 adroitness, 2 cyrodiil light for extra spell damage.

While my AOE dps isn't as high as a DK, stuff dies plenty fast and my single target damage usually ranges 12-15K. I have hit as high as 19K on some pledge bosses (with evil hunter proc).

As far as PVP, that is a whole different animal...I recommend using sypher's build or something like it. NB magicka lacks the burst dps, so the name of the game is survivability and attrition. I tend to run SnB/resto and function as a light armored sap tank (as I can push my incoming heals bonus to 60%), but to each there own!

GreyRanger · June 2015

Hm, interesting plan, I will have to make up a staff and test it out on some landscape bosses. It is surprising since I don't really see many recommendations to use merciless resolve.

It would be sad not to need those gold nirnhoned swords on my ST bar any more, but things evolve.

PBpsy · June 2015

Use Merciless resolve and a destro staff on your single target bar..The DW spell damage bonus will not even come close in making up for lost dps caused by not light or medium weaving and any weapon dot proc you might have. Assassin's Will will be hit and miss since the activation can be clunky but the 8% is enough.