Nightblade skills

Calagari · May 2023

I started my acct in 2016 on a free play. I restarted just this month to play again. I mainly play a lvl 43 redguard stamina nightblade.
The other day I received some respec scrolls as a quest reward. I didn't know about any correct way to designate skills in 2016 so I know I didn't do it right.
Looking at the https://alcasthq.com/eso-stamina-nightblade-beginner-guide/#content12b site I see how different I am.
In the skill rotation the only skill I have that matches is Surprising attack as my first skill. I do ok in fights, just not how I picture how I should be. I have almost all point in stamina with 8 or so divided between health and magic. Now I read that that is wrong.

Getting to my question, should I wait until I hit 50 to use the scroll? Or should I use it now?

Vaqual · May 2023

The fewer skill points you have allocated the cheaper it is to reset at the shrine. If you can afford it, resetting with gold will therefor be cheaper in the beginning. Once you have been playing for a bit and you made some gold the cost for respeccing becomes negligible anyway. Just swapping morphs at the shrine is considerably cheaper. Also, there is no shortage in skill points. You will be able to unlock every ability. I hope this makes your decision easier. If I were in your shoes I would check if I can afford to reset skills at the shrine, but I probably wouldn't use the scroll. You will likely adjust attribute points everytime you change your build, so there isn't really a wrong way to spend them while leveling up.

Calagari · May 2023

It helps point me in the right direction as to how I should reset points.

Vaqual · May 2023

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Shrines

fred4 · May 2023

You could save the scroll as Vaqual is suggesting. On the other hand the 5K to 15K respec cost at a shrine isn't a big deal after you've played the game for a while. You will have hundreds of K to your name, or more. If not, check out Arttea's channel on YouTube.

It all depends on how fast or how slow you want to level. If you enjoy questing there isn't much need for you to improve at the game. Quests may even be more enjoyable when they pose a (small) challenge for you, because you are undergeared with bad skills. Endgame players typically find questing far too easy, which tends to kill the immersion.

On the other hand you may choose to progress to CP160 as quickly as possible. That's the gear cap. Once you're there, you can start investing in gear for long term use. Establishing a proper skill rotation arguably goes hand in hand with that stage of your evolution. In other words, I wouldn't worry too much about combat until you reach CP160.

You might google where to find public dungeon group bosses for some quick and easy skill points (and / or use Map Pins addon on PC). Put some "dead" skills from every skill line you want to level on your bar temporarily. It will level those skills and that skill line, even when you don't have the correct weapon to use the skill. Further down the road, use a respec scroll or shrine to make an actual build.

I know you want to be a stamblade, but playing the character as a magblade may be easier for the time being. Specifically Swallow Soul and Sap Essence heal you while you do damage. In case you have difficulty doing a public dungeon on your own, those two skills would basically carry you.

Also, judging by the volume of his YouTube videos over the past year, I wonder whether Alcast is still in business, e.g. whether his site is up to date. Last autumn saw major changes (U35). Hybridization is really prevalent now. Certainly in PvP magblades are doing well, but traditional stamblade playstyles have been replaced by hybrids that play the same as stamblades always did, but use a greater mixture of magicka and stamina skills.

I don't know what the PvE situation is. Either way, Redguard is not meta. The defining feature of that race is the cost reduction of weapon skills. Since nightblade has a very good class toolkit, that Redguard passive will probaby go to waste, unless maybe you play a healer casting lots of resto staff skills.

Anyhow, Deltia is pretty active and I'd recommend him for PvP ... though nightblades never were his thing. He should be good for everything, including PvE. Nefas and Skinny Cheeks are my YouTube references for PvE endgame. Nefas has ESO University, though I've never checked that out. Hack the Minotaur and some other YouTubers lean more towards the beginner spectrum.