What weapon combo do you use in pvp and why?

Syiccal · June 2023

This might help show that some weapon choices are over performing compared to others and maybe just maybe the other weapons and thier passivs might get a balance buff.

xylena_lazarow · June 2023

DW is by far the most common front bar I see, Ice the most common back bar. It's a strong combo, but I really would not want those things nerfed, much rather see buffs to the other offensive weps, especially 2H.

xDeusEJRx · June 2023

I use all weapon combinations, the more builds I have the better. I don't like sticking to one playstyle.
I've done 2h/bow, DW/2h, DW/destro, Destro/restro, 2h/dw, 2h/SnB. 2h restro, DW/restro

But my usual setups are Dual wield front/Restro back I think. Dual wield damage is just really good for damage and restro because cross healing regens is op.

gariondavey · June 2023

Dw + ice back bar on many characters
Sometimes dw + 2h (for stampede with rush of agony) back bar
Fire + resto back bar
Dw + resto back bar
2h + bow back bar

You pretty much always want 1 weapon to be a 2 slot weapon so you get 350 wd/sd enchant up as much as possible
Dw is the best offensive weapon for the most part and access to major evasion regardless of armor weights
Destro is great for ele sus, ice gives you a strong block + chilled (10 percent crit damage) on top of that
Resto is great for offheals, resto ult, group play sorta stuff
Bow is nice back bar for a 350 enchant + major expedition off a dodge roll

El_Borracho · June 2023

Perfected Stinging Slashes or Perfected Titanic Cleave with a Ice Staff back bar. Actually prefer the 2H to the DW

Soarora · June 2023

Ice/ice because I am a magden. My stamsorc is bow/bow but she’s not as good.

React · June 2023

Ice/DW on almost every build, because Hybridization killed diversity and the viability of other weapons.

taugrim · June 2023

Stamden: 2H (Titanic Cleave) / DW Daggers (Wretched Vitality)
Arcanist: Bow (Agility) / Bow (Wretched Vitality)

I imagine that Master DW will be even more popular front-barred now, due to the increase in range for non-DKs from 5-7m. Makes melee skills much more usable.

OBJnoob · June 2023

I think the weapon lines are reasonably balanced. Where it gets less balanced is with some of the arena weapons that are currently over performing.

I use an ice staff for my magden front bar. 2H for my DK, a Bow for my stamsorc, and dual wield for my NBs. I'm sure I'd have a character using an Inferno Staff if I didn't kinda have a preference for stam toons.

For back bar I overwhelmingly prefer sword and shield these days. Most classes seem to have enough healing options where I haven't really used a resto staff in a long time.

I will say I used to enjoy using a lightning staff on my pvp magden but now I can't really see the use. So that's kinda sad. But I guess there are enough sorcs heavy attacking where you can't really say lightning staves are gone.

HidesInPlainSight · June 2023

OBJnoob wrote: »

I think the weapon lines are reasonably balanced. Where it gets less balanced is with some of the arena weapons that are currently over performing.

I use an ice staff for my magden front bar. 2H for my DK, a Bow for my stamsorc, and dual wield for my NBs. I'm sure I'd have a character using an Inferno Staff if I didn't kinda have a preference for stam toons.

For back bar I overwhelmingly prefer sword and shield these days. Most classes seem to have enough healing options where I haven't really used a resto staff in a long time.

I will say I used to enjoy using a lightning staff on my pvp magden but now I can't really see the use. So that's kinda sad. But I guess there are enough sorcs heavy attacking where you can't really say lightning staves are gone.

Nah, not a single Arena weapon is overperforming. They are Arena weapons, they take considerable time to farm, and should be build defining / powerful. They are something that all should be as strong as the current metas best Arena weapons. They nerfed so many of them and you will hardly ever see them any more.

Take a look at Maelstrom Bow, its was nerfed hard, and then they updated the dots, an it is still on a shorter timer, doing the same lower damage. It was such a nerf that, it no longer outperforms non-vMA Bow setups with No CP or low CP, and just slightly out performs with higher CP.

Theory craft some builds for No Proc. You basically end up having to go for a combination of pen set, dmg, set, and recovery set. There is no real diversity. Certain classes have an base advantage over others, because of class imbalance, that can't be overcome by the limited number of sets. Then there are sets that work periodically every patch. This current patch, there are sets that should not work but do, and similar sets that don't. At this point, I don't think ZoS even knows.

OBJnoob · June 2023

I agree that arena weapons should be strong but they should be more or less balanced among themselves, monster sets, and mythics.

SimonThesis · June 2023

DW FB, ICE destro BB for dps, double restos for healers. They really need to buff other weapons tho instead of nerfing the highest performing ones rn.

WaywardArgonian · June 2023

Dual Wield + Resto Staff on healer.

Resto Staff + Ice Staff on support.

Dual Wield + S&B on DD, unless I don't have a good class execute, in that case frontbar might also be 2H with Executioner.

I sometimes use ice staves on backbar on DD as well, but I just like running Spell Wall on most classes.

DrNukenstein · June 2023

DW front bar/2h back bar: 2h makes a great buff and healing bar. The extra weapon damage pushes your self heals at least as hard as resto staff passives. One of my favorite loadouts on nightblade since it gives access to pre buffed brutality as a skill. Big tristat chug, and no ranged heavies are the drawbacks.

DW front bar/Ice back bar: It's extremely good. DW offensive stats, ice staff block bonuses, heavies to sustain both pools. The only argument against this load-out is some classes will need potions to prebuff brutality. Truly a meta load out and it's strange that it took so long to become this popular.

Experimental:

DW front bar/Fire staff back bar: Primarily melee and self healing, but use one or two skill slots for some ranged damage on your back bar. Squishy but fun. I recommend Stuhn's as a back bar for this one. This loadout can give multi stage steroids for huge damage with the right choice of damage set for your back bar

Vevvev · June 2023

Fire Staff and Restoration Staff

Fire Staff helps a lot of my DKs single target DoTs (Engulfing Flames counts as a single target DoT funnily enough) and single target spammable. Also the increased chance for status effects from the fire and magic damage I put out, and because having a ranged light attack is nice.

Restoration Staff mostly for the extra magicka returned on heavy attacks and block casting Coagulating Blood. Back in the day I used to use Rapid Regeneration, but now I have Radiating Regeneration instead. I have since replaced the need for it with Burning Embers, but in group play I'll reslot it in place of Exhilarating Drain on my back bar in order to support my allies.

Urzigurumash · June 2023

2h/SnB - true Orc til I cease to be

Optimization is for eggheads

JK I'm a dorky Bosmer too, on Bow frontbar I like a Flame staff backbar for Ele Sus, the small boost to PI's DoT, and heavies to help sustain Degen

SkaraMinoc · June 2023

Frontbar Vate 2h with backbar BRP dw hits really strong with Markyn, Dizzy, Dawnbreaker, and Executioner / Whirling Blades.

3 * (2 * 129) + 300 = 1074 damage and 3471 armor w/ 10 pieces of gear

This is the equivalent of two 5pc sets with 537 damage and 1735 armor but with 100% uptime. This is really good.

Now add the 300 wd/sd from Vate 2H and you're at 1374 damage and 3471 armor on both bars with 100% uptime.

Executioner frontbar, Whirling Blades backbar

SandandStars · June 2023

It’s clearly a DW/Stinging Slashes+Vatesh bbar meta, to the extent that I see every class running it.

I can’t enjoy DW because Spin yo Ass is mindless, requiring the least skill. Just not fun to set up your little rending/blood craze then mash that S2Win. Rinse, repeat.

Find some poor Necro or MagSorc with a staff, and keep taking them out with your MetaGear. Meh. Un-fun.

WoppaBoem · June 2023

Sword and board back it remains great too play with. Most characters dw frontbar but doing 2h again currently and it is a great weapon with strong passives and good skills