Back after 2 years. NB builds?

raasdal · September 2022

Hello Everybody,

So, i have been away for like 2 years or something. I stopped playing about right before Flames of Ambition i think.

Just jumped back in last week. Boy did alot of stuff change. No more HP regen, proc sets scaling and now with crits, and then alot of rebalancing and changes.

Before i stopped, i mainly played my Stam NB in BG’s and No CP Campaign, running Way Of Fire, Red Mountain and Malacath. So the usual proc set scumbag.

What is the current meta sets for BG and No CP campaigns for NB’s? Just looking for some general pointers as to what is considered BiS now, so i can look them over.

Metemsycosis · September 2022

Welcome back

Don't forget skills scaling off your highest damage stat no matter what the skill costs in terms of Magicka or Stamina.

Other than that we are in a Need Highest Burst Possible to Counter Tank Meta Meta.

Our greatest sources of damage - Dark Convergence and Caluurion's - are nerfed and this has allowed everyone to be tanky without much investment.

Meta sets:

Mara's Balm (I'd suggest it would behoove every AvAvA player to run this, sword and board, and like 3 sturdy 🤭)

Order's Wrath
Rallying Cry
Clever Alchemist
Wretched Vitality

Balorgh
Magma Incarnate

Markyn Ring
Oakensoul nerfed but still very good
Sea Serpent

Bloodthirsty is basically a must. Nearing crit damage cap is basically a must.

For procs I'm pretty sure
Flame blossom has become semi-relevant.
Same with Defiler set.
Surprisingly Way of Fire is still decent.

DrSlaughtr · September 2022

Metemsycosis wrote: »

Welcome back

Don't forget skills scaling off your highest damage stat no matter what the skill costs in terms of Magicka or Stamina.

Other than that we are in a Need Highest Burst Possible to Counter Tank Meta Meta.

Our greatest sources of damage - Dark Convergence and Caluurion's - are nerfed and this has allowed everyone to be tanky without much investment.

Meta sets:

Mara's Balm (I'd suggest it would behoove every AvAvA player to run this, sword and board, and like 3 sturdy 🤭)

Order's Wrath
Rallying Cry
Clever Alchemist
Wretched Vitality

Balorgh
Magma Incarnate

Markyn Ring
Oakensoul nerfed but still very good
Sea Serpent

Bloodthirsty is basically a must. Nearing crit damage cap is basically a must.

For procs I'm pretty sure
Flame blossom has become semi-relevant.
Same with Defiler set.
Surprisingly Way of Fire is still decent.

I've seen a few lower tier NBs switching to flame blossom from Caluurions in the last week leading to console drop.

I'll be making a new build video after Tuesday.

Most of what to listed I'll be testing against my current set up (which doesn't use Caluurions). I'm also a little curious about Powerful Assault with the new extended timer.

fred4 · September 2022

So first of all BGs allow proc sets, but Ravenwatch - the no CP campaign - does not.

Nightblades are weak. The top classes appear to be stamden, stam DK and Dizzying Swing playstyles by popular consensus.

If it has to be a stamblade proc build, you might consider Rush of Agony. The timing works out such that Ambush into a stun ultimate (Incap or Tether) will cause the proc to hit when the target is stunned and you hit them with your followup attack. The gap closer has a 400ms delay. Ultis have a 400ms delay. This makes the combo somewhat deceptive from the target's point of view. The bulk of damage arrives 1.6s after the initial strike and during stun, e.g. ultimate + Rush of Agony + followup (Surprise Attack or Whirlwind). I tried this with Vicious Death in CP and wasn't really happy. Not enough damage, but I've never had the patience to play a bomber. Possibly Vicious Death was the problem. You just need more damage on the initial target.

Caluurion may still be relevant in a more attrition-style build as it now procs up to every 5 seconds and guarantees status effects. That may or may not be good until we know what adjustment ZOS are making to Mara's Balm. I play a magblade and have switched to Crushing Shock to proc weapon poisons and Caluurion more reliably. I'll try Moon Hunter, once I've farmed it. 500+ spell / weapon damage bonus from 5-piece for 8 out of 10 seconds, if you can proc poisons reliably, e.g. with Crushing Shock or Flurry.

Healing is at least covered for both class flavors by a combination of Shrewd Offering and Resolving Vigor. Rallying Cry is a strong back bar set in general and procs well enough from a hot, e.g. Vigor, but I don't really like it on cloaking nightblade. I think it suits Brawler or healing classes better. Stygian has to be double barred, preventing mythic or monster set. Zoal is excellent as a defense, if you like diving into the thick of things and want to make it back out. Also quite a good gank defense. Sentry helps in going after other nightblades.

Having used Oakensoul last patch and tried Lefthander's with a Jorvuld's bow back bar (no good), I'm glad to be back to Wild Hunt. Nothing beats it for my playstyle (I'm used to trading damage for versatility). My current back bar set is unexpectedly a very old set. Shadow Walker. As a very fast magblade I can afford to hold still in cloak not too far from the fight. Regaining stamina allows me to rejoin the fight earlier. That helps with keeping the pressure up.

For Ravenwatch, maybe Oakensoul and Order's Wrath are a go. What else? I'm not sure.

ToRelax · September 2022

I've been told Order's Wrath doesn't work in no proc.

xxslam48xxb14_ESO · September 2022

Flame blossom is fine, but it gets avoided far more often and its confusing to aim it. Damage is pretty bad because it doesn't benefit from our usual champion point allocations. Makes up for it in rare situations where it hits multiple targets, but if you want to just deal with a single target its not the best. It is actually pretty slow and my targets are usually dead before the flame line even hits them and I only attack in melee range.

Red mountain is also too slow and won't hit someone before they break free from a stun. Only time that set ever hits anyone is if they aren't paying attention. Same thing with selene's monster set.

Single target burst proc sets just kinda suck now. Its a shame, especially since we are in dire need of burst to kill all these giga tanks before they can press their heal button. Your probably better off just using stat sets and getting those 20k assassin's will shots.

gariondavey · September 2022

ToRelax wrote: »

I've been told Order's Wrath doesn't work in no proc.

Correct

For rw heartland conq + new moon or titanborn + heartland conq are solid

Syiccal · September 2022

fred4 wrote: »

So first of all BGs allow proc sets, but Ravenwatch - the no CP campaign - does not.

Nightblades are weak. The top classes appear to be stamden, stam DK and Dizzying Swing playstyles by popular consensus.

If it has to be a stamblade proc build, you might consider Rush of Agony. The timing works out such that Ambush into a stun ultimate (Incap or Tether) will cause the proc to hit when the target is stunned and you hit them with your followup attack. The gap closer has a 400ms delay. Ultis have a 400ms delay. This makes the combo somewhat deceptive from the target's point of view. The bulk of damage arrives 1.6s after the initial strike and during stun, e.g. ultimate + Rush of Agony + followup (Surprise Attack or Whirlwind). I tried this with Vicious Death in CP and wasn't really happy. Not enough damage, but I've never had the patience to play a bomber. Possibly Vicious Death was the problem. You just need more damage on the initial target.

Caluurion may still be relevant in a more attrition-style build as it now procs up to every 5 seconds and guarantees status effects. That may or may not be good until we know what adjustment ZOS are making to Mara's Balm. I play a magblade and have switched to Crushing Shock to proc weapon poisons and Caluurion more reliably. I'll try Moon Hunter, once I've farmed it. 500+ spell / weapon damage bonus from 5-piece for 8 out of 10 seconds, if you can proc poisons reliably, e.g. with Crushing Shock or Flurry.

Healing is at least covered for both class flavors by a combination of Shrewd Offering and Resolving Vigor. Rallying Cry is a strong back bar set in general and procs well enough from a hot, e.g. Vigor, but I don't really like it on cloaking nightblade. I think it suits Brawler or healing classes better. Stygian has to be double barred, preventing mythic or monster set. Zoal is excellent as a defense, if you like diving into the thick of things and want to make it back out. Also quite a good gank defense. Sentry helps in going after other nightblades.

Having used Oakensoul last patch and tried Lefthander's with a Jorvuld's bow back bar (no good), I'm glad to be back to Wild Hunt. Nothing beats it for my playstyle (I'm used to trading damage for versatility). My current back bar set is unexpectedly a very old set. Shadow Walker. As a very fast magblade I can afford to hold still in cloak not too far from the fight. Regaining stamina allows me to rejoin the fight earlier. That helps with keeping the pressure up.

For Ravenwatch, maybe Oakensoul and Order's Wrath are a go. What else? I'm not sure.

I'm pretty sure stygian doesn't require double barring.

fred4 · September 2022

Syiccal wrote: »

I'm pretty sure stygian doesn't require double barring.

By all means retest it, but that was one of the changes down the line. The set is seriously unattractive, because you lose the buff on bar swap without double-barring it. Some people still like it. It's probably the most consistently available weapon / spell damage with Oakensoul for NB.

Theignson · September 2022

A bow build with Oakensoul, swamp raider and scavenging demise hits surprisingly hard. You lead with lethal arrow+LA+ poison injection, then into toxic barrage, then Killer's blade. The scavenger often hits at just the right moment to end it. Oakensoul still gives Major sorcery/brutality /resolve (plus ELEVEN (11) minor buffs) and vigor gives minor resolve so you arent extremely squishy. The long duration of the poison injection dot helps because the player thinks they are in the clear then it re-procs the scavenger. Depths of Malatar is soloable on normal so I got the extra pieces i needed on just one run (lucky).
There is a video of this build somewhere, it isnt my build.

Theignson · September 2022

ReactFaster on twitch also has a brawling NB build, it is rallying cry back bar and Night mother's gaze front, Perched Pelican runs the same thing. React runs it as a no--cloak build. It is not a beginner's build, however, and everything has to be just so. I've gotten to the point where i can survive in the build but with the exact same build my spectral bow hits about half as hard, go figure. Nonetheless you can check out their youtube build videos using this. Pelican uses cloak.

ChunkyCat · September 2022

Welcome back. Everyone is running around wearing Vipers, Tremorscale, and Widowmaler.