need help with magblade build (no invis, swallow soul)

emilyhyoyeon · July 2023

* found something good in the video posted below thank you all

I need help with my magblade's build because I have what are basically RP limitations. I'm not expecting META results because of this. I want to get as efficient/optimized as possible with my limitations. Right now what I've got doesn't feel that great.

argonian, stage 1 vamp (won't go above stage 1 for RP reasons). My build needs:
1: no invisibility
2: Summon Shade, either morph
3: Swallow soul or sap essence as spammable
4: any combo of destro staff/resto staff

current skills and gear:

2 piece Balorgh light (divines because I used this for pve lol)
5 piece Gloom Graced (all well fitted except for reinforced chest, all max mag enchant)
5 piece Clever Alchemist back (defending berserker enchant resto, 2 spell dmg 1 mag regen jewelry)
Vateshran fire staff front (sharpened shock enchant)

any gear sets are OK, just have to use staves as weapons

I've been trying to figure stuff out myself for awhile. I've swapped out flare for things like psijic acceleration skill, phantasmal; tried running vigor and then lose a damage skill like extract, etc etc.

Right now, what happens is:
80% of the time, after setting up and proccing clever alchemist vateshran etc, I stun with either 500ult incap or soul tether, and the enemy breaks free and dodges my spectral arrow, and heals while rolling again. If I wait to fire the arrow after their first roll, they dodge it with another roll after I fire the arrow.
19% of the time, they don't dodge, but I don't kill by several thousands of HP.
1% of the time, it's enough to kill.

If I can't kill anywhere near consistently with a 500ult incap balorgh proc, what else can I do? That's not a rhetorical question. People are also dodging my swallow souls probably over half the time, so I usually can't get that healing.

Every magblade build I see online either uses stealth or doesn't run swallow or use 2 staves.

Should I go lightning staff, drop swallow for sap essence, slot lotus fan, and go all AOE in melee range? Idk.

IncultaWolf · July 2023

Sorry to say, but you're better off not playing pvp on that argonian unless you want to get farmed over and over

Izanagi.Xiiib16_ESO · July 2023

emilyhyoyeon wrote: »

I need help with my magblade's build because I have what are basically RP limitations. I'm not expecting META results because of this. I want to get as efficient/optimized as possible with my limitations. Right now what I've got doesn't feel that great.

argonian, stage 1 vamp (won't go above stage 1 for RP reasons). My build needs:
1: no invisibility
2: Summon Shade, either morph
3: Swallow soul or sap essence as spammable
4: any combo of destro staff/resto staff

current skills and gear:

2 piece Balorgh light (divines because I used this for pve lol)
5 piece Gloom Graced (all well fitted except for reinforced chest, all max mag enchant)
5 piece Clever Alchemist back (defending berserker enchant resto, 2 spell dmg 1 mag regen jewelry)
Vateshran fire staff front (sharpened shock enchant)

any gear sets are OK, just have to use staves as weapons

I've been trying to figure stuff out myself for awhile. I've swapped out flare for things like psijic acceleration skill, phantasmal; tried running vigor and then lose a damage skill like extract, etc etc.

Right now, what happens is:
80% of the time, after setting up and proccing clever alchemist vateshran etc, I stun with either 500ult incap or soul tether, and the enemy breaks free and dodges my spectral arrow, and heals while rolling again. If I wait to fire the arrow after their first roll, they dodge it with another roll after I fire the arrow.
19% of the time, they don't dodge, but I don't kill by several thousands of HP.
1% of the time, it's enough to kill.

If I can't kill anywhere near consistently with a 500ult incap balorgh proc, what else can I do? That's not a rhetorical question. People are also dodging my swallow souls probably over half the time, so I usually can't get that healing.

Every magblade build I see online either uses stealth or doesn't run swallow or use 2 staves.

Should I go lightning staff, drop swallow for sap essence, slot lotus fan, and go all AOE in melee range? Idk.

Can run stuff similar to this (there's multiple options, you can scroll through the video to see the gameplay, build are at the end). ofc you'd have worse results without vamp stage 3 and argonian but it will still do decently i'm sure.

https://youtu.be/66ylzBMR8_w?t=1516

tsaescishoeshiner · July 2023

As far as the damage problem, would you be able to switch out Grace of Gloom for a more damage-oriented set? Like Rallying Cry, Gourmand, or a proc set?

I think your build limitations are actually pretty minor, so good luck!

DrNukenstein · July 2023

Ignoring subjective build preferences and just trying to give some solid advice:

-With your light armor bias, siphoning strikes, two staves, and %sustain bonuses from path and flare; you do not need a mag regen glyph. You should be fine on Witchmothers potent brew or Jewels of misrule alone.

-There are no decisions for improving stam sustain, where you don't need a lot but you need some. The decision that can give you more stam sustain without killing your damage is putting on some pieces of medium armor

-With such a light armor bias you will be taking tons more damage from physical damage dealers. Consider 3 light, 1 medium, 3 heavy. Or just more medium armor

-Soul tether is going to do more for you than incap with your 66%+ranged skill choice. consider using soulharvest to build ult for soul tether, or moving soul tether to your front bar and putting psijic ult on the back bar for mProt

-Consider finding space for resolving vigor. With as much mag sustain as you have, I would drop the flare for it.

-Drain power is the same move as sap essence, but it gives you minor courage and will take some some pressure off your mag pool.

Tonturri · July 2023

Maybe look into an oblivion weapon enchant? If the kills you're missing out on are high health targets, it might help.Also, I don't know what a berserker weapon enchant is, but I'm assuming that's the weapon damage buff? If you're willing to change it, you could change from defending on the backbar to infused to get a little more weapon damage out of it. Making sure it procs before you do your burst can be very helpful. Sometimes missing out on a kill by a couple k HP just means you should've put a bit more pressure on before going for your burst.

Dropping Flare for the NB class DoT might also help with pressure and killing - any morph of Cripple. One is better for sustain if you need it, the other for damage and an immobilize. The immob is a good way to force people to dodge as well.

I would keep the fire destro staff and not switch to lightning - the boost to single target (which is basically all of your dmg skills except Sap Essence) is good.

You can also try charging medium attacks (not full heavies) to weave in between Swallow Soul casts to mix up the timing, might result in a few more hits.

Personally I wouldn't run Sap Essence/Power Extraction, but I can see where it'd be nice to have, and Power Extract's debuff looks nice. If you're running clever alch, you could use a spell damage potion that gives major sorcery instead, which would fill that gap, albeit at the cost of a burst health and stam sustain if you're using tri-pots. Replacing Sap/Power Exttract with Lotus Fan would be another DoT, and minor vuln so you could swap out your lightning damage weapon enchant on the frontbar for something.

Entropy from mages' guild is another good DoT to slot, and can heal or give major sorcery if needed. Depending on your health pool, you could replace Flare with the heal morph of Cloak, and try to land your burst not during a CC sometimes, but when your opponent tries to go on the offensive afterward. Not sure how strong this heal turns out to be though, I haven't played with it much.

JerBearESO · July 2023

Pairing the non invis morph of cloak with meditate is pretty nice. Amazing survivability out of stun and let's you take more damage less regen

emilyhyoyeon · July 2023

thanks for all the suggestions

I took a look at that video and saw the setup using night mother's gaze is nearly identical to my skill setup already since I'd be dropping ele drain and putting vigor back on, except for shade, which I can just put in place of camo. And then do psijic ult backbar.

I'll do a complete redo of my gear and probably go with that setup as well. It looks consistent with the suggestions everyone else here is bringing up, especially swapping to a mix of weights instead of 5 heavy.
I'm guessing if I go with a more offensive setup it'll pay back in defenses with bigger crit heals and damage pressure and stuff.

also @Tonturri the medium attack idea is actually super helpful. I never thought of that

emilyhyoyeon · July 2023

just wanted to update that changing stuff around and doing NMG/rallying like in the video has already felt like a massive improvement. I figured I had to go heavy armor+lots of regen to be survivable (which may be true in some cases idk) and shouldn't invest into crit. My old mundus even was atronach. Anyway doing much more damage to other players and don't feel less survivable so yay I'll take it.

geonsocal · July 2023

my favorite magblade build was when infused traits buffed oblivion damage...

I can't remember the name if the set - like sloth or something (

) - but, I had a heavy armor magblade build that was focused on oblivion damage...

it felt so good to not have to hide all the time...

my current magblades are set up as bubble (psijic time stop skill) spammers wearing mara's balm and dark convergence...

Tonturri · July 2023

geonsocal wrote: »

my favorite magblade build was when infused traits buffed oblivion damage...

I can't remember the name if the set - like sloth or something ( ) - but, I had a heavy armor magblade build that was focused on oblivion damage...

it felt so good to not have to hide all the time...

my current magblades are set up as bubble (psijic time stop skill) spammers wearing mara's balm and dark convergence...

https://eso-sets.com/set/sloads-semblance

NyassaV · July 2023

Magblade is my Jam. Here is what I'm currently running for a ranged build.

Screenshot_20230709_163521.png?width=1191&height=670

It uses shade, swallow, double staves, and you can use vampire if you want. Swap out invis for dark cloak or maybe Cripple? (The morph that gives magicka steal)

Overall I wouldn't suggest using Vampire and/or Argonian for this build but whatever floats your boat.

emilyhyoyeon · July 2023

NyassaV wrote: »

Magblade is my Jam. Here is what I'm currently running for a ranged build.

It uses shade, swallow, double staves, and you can use vampire if you want. Swap out invis for dark cloak or maybe Cripple? (The morph that gives magicka steal)

Overall I wouldn't suggest using Vampire and/or Argonian for this build but whatever floats your boat.

I don't think I was super clear in the OP because I was trying to avoid giving unnecessary cringe explanations about my character's backstory LOL but argonian+vamp stage 1 are both rp. Originally wanted to mention since I don't know how relevant race and stuff can be. Like maybe a khajiit can go set X because of Y racial that lets them hit the Z cap to make skill A worth, but argonians can't, or something.

I was actually using war maiden a long time ago before I switched to clever alchemist. I'm really liking night mother's gaze though, not needing ele drain to apply breach.

Markyn, frost back bar, investing into crit with the shadow etc have helped so much. Swapping from sugar skulls to fools jewels like you're using as well.