Use the same exact build on them and kill them before they can kill you. But if they got the first hit and you're a standard DPS build then you're pretty much screwed, the one counterplay would be a null arca Monomyth burst range build, but those are squishy and will die to the revamped DK or new signet ele sus gank build.

Vasher4 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm fairly new to this game, and this is my first post here. (Only been playing for about a year) I mostly PvP, and I've really been struggling to fight the Pulse Blades players. I'm running 35k health, max resistances, two of the blue defensive CPs, and I'm still being melted. Does anyone know of a viable counterplay to this type of build?

You need to be able to roll. They shouldn't be able to kill you in one hit, you should be prepared to roll at all times. That's the true and only counter.

The other counter, and is the same counter before DK rework, is DK wings . The damage reduction on wings has always been good. It's 50% reduction from ranged damage.

Beyond that if you still prioritize survival then you'll want to be covered by a shield, have reflect/deflection up at all times, and be able to heal up to full in 1-2 heals or have HoT/proc set do it for you.

I also recommend having major and minor evasion up in Cyrodiil when possible . Part of their burst damage is also AoE, but you should have it up anyway because DK whip was so over buffed you'll probably die in 1-3 hits from it anyway, an it also helps with bombing and players that are leaping from stealth for 35-40K.

MincMincMinc wrote: »

Vasher4 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm fairly new to this game, and this is my first post here. (Only been playing for about a year) I mostly PvP, and I've really been struggling to fight the Pulse Blades players. I'm running 35k health, max resistances, two of the blue defensive CPs, and I'm still being melted. Does anyone know of a viable counterplay to this type of build?

What's your crit resists like? Which blue CP? For 1vX I typically run:

1. direct mit
2. Crit resists OR single target mit
3. Single target healing
4. Crit damage and healing

Generally getting ganked like this your first reaction has to be to block and pop immovable pots so you can guarantee you can spam heals incase they have an unblockable stun like fear or streak. After that its up to you to fight or escape.

Right now in particular PvP has a really poor balance on crit damage+critchance VS crit resists. Zos had nerfed impen to mathematically balance out armor traits....however they never added more sources of crit resists to even come close to the original balance. Even worse Zos has continued to add more and more sources of crit damage and buffs, some of which even double in what they give by granting healing done too which zos had not mathematically accounted for.

I'm running 34k resistances, and 4k crit resistance (When Rally is running). For the Blue CP's I slotted the Crit resistance one and the Direct dps mitigation one.

Vasher4 wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback all. I guess I just need to be faster on my roll dodge. Glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with this build.

Yeah, it's sadly how the game has been balanced for years since the introduction of mythics in to the PvP space. Take note of this video that appeared around High Isle "Oakensoul" and you might have seen as part of some montages discussing balance in the game (or for laughs):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llGPpCzYT48

Notice how we are complaining about the same thing: a character you can't even see one shotting unless you roll or run an extreme tank build. The one shotting from stealth has been a problem for a long time, and there's many variations of it but the unifying and core issue is and always be stealth and also that ability to crit no matter what from it

NB is also in a bad spot and not properly balanced. Cloak / Stealth should never have guarantee crit out of stealth because stealth is already a powerful tool that shuts down any real offensive pressure that can be applied by an opponent. It gives more defense and offense than any other mechanic in the game besides the corrosive armor, an ult (and corrosive is still not balanced despite being an ult, so what does that say about cloak?) That's before we get into talking about forced miss mechanics that still exist in the game and aren't documented, functioning like an "i-frame" in a fighting game.

But the problem is, that NB, right now is balanced all around stealth. Without stealth, NBs become mediocre. Yes, NBs have a powerful skill line. But two of their other skill lines are absolutely abysmal for differing reasons.

Shadow -- come on, don't think this one needs an explanation. The only good skill in it is phantasmal escape IMO, and the passives giving more HP. Nearly every other defensive skill line is better EXCEPT necromancer's which also happens to give HP and gets "overshadowed" by Shadow in PvP because of cloak (invis morph). Without that invisibility morph, the entire skill line would be useless and just as bad as Grave Lord . Consuming Darkness and it's other morph are the worst ult in the game IMO, but I like the name so I still have to slot it. Cause it's darkness.

Siphoning skill line: mixed, but yet another skill line that is bad and only surpassed by Necromancer's healing line. Yet again.

It's possible to make siphoning work and it does have siphoning strikes, offering and good passives which are worth mentioning and attention on the right builds. BUT four of the skill in the Siphoning line, including the ult: soul shred, strife, cripple, drain power and thier morphs have little purpose or practical use vs. any other alternative. They literally have no purpose in the context of subclassing

And this problem, and the problem of the gank issue is here because ZOS cannot buff the class without first addressing the power that a single morph of a skill in a single skill line gives in relation to everything else the class offers. Assassination is too overloaded in power, and the entire class has to suffer for it.

I've watched and NBs on the forum refused to agree with those that said cloak should be nerfed to strengthen the rest of the class. But now, in the context of subclassing where anyone can use cloak, the NBs are starting to see the light. No longer are they the only ones that can one shot from stealth.

Guaranteed crit? I'm leaping out of stealth on my DC PvP DK for over 36K-40K burst before you even see me. Except, I won't be one shot by a ganker either and can't be killed easily. The gankers that you are complaining about have sent many messages complaining. I laugh. and I do so because the same exact account names defended cloak and it's current state viciouslyon these same exact forums.

Now they aren't and are seeing the light thanks to subclassing.

I have no clue when ZOS will rework it, but know that cloak and the one shot builds will probably get adjusted soon. "If not, then builds will just be posted that force it soon enough.

Luneca wrote: »

Vasher4 wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback all. I guess I just need to be faster on my roll dodge. Glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with this build.

Yeah, it's sadly how the game has been balanced for years since the introduction of mythics in to the PvP space. Take note of this video that appeared around High Isle "Oakensoul" and you might have seen as part of some montages discussing balance in the game (or for laughs):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llGPpCzYT48

Notice how we are complaining about the same thing: a character you can't even see one shotting unless you roll or run an extreme tank build. The one shotting from stealth has been a problem for a long time, and there's many variations of it but the unifying and core issue is and always be stealth and also that ability to crit no matter what from it

NB is also in a bad spot and not properly balanced. Cloak / Stealth should never have guarantee crit out of stealth because stealth is already a powerful tool that shuts down any real offensive pressure that can be applied by an opponent. It gives more defense and offense than any other mechanic in the game besides the corrosive armor, an ult (and corrosive is still not balanced despite being an ult, so what does that say about cloak?) That's before we get into talking about forced miss mechanics that still exist in the game and aren't documented, functioning like an "i-frame" in a fighting game.

But the problem is, that NB, right now is balanced all around stealth. Without stealth, NBs become mediocre. Yes, NBs have a powerful skill line. But two of their other skill lines are absolutely abysmal for differing reasons.

Shadow -- come on, don't think this one needs an explanation. The only good skill in it is phantasmal escape IMO, and the passives giving more HP. Nearly every other defensive skill line is better EXCEPT necromancer's which also happens to give HP and gets "overshadowed" by Shadow in PvP because of cloak (invis morph). Without that invisibility morph, the entire skill line would be useless and just as bad as Grave Lord . Consuming Darkness and it's other morph are the worst ult in the game IMO, but I like the name so I still have to slot it. Cause it's darkness.

Siphoning skill line: mixed, but yet another skill line that is bad and only surpassed by Necromancer's healing line. Yet again.

It's possible to make siphoning work and it does have siphoning strikes, offering and good passives which are worth mentioning and attention on the right builds. BUT four of the skill in the Siphoning line, including the ult: soul shred, strife, cripple, drain power and thier morphs have little purpose or practical use vs. any other alternative. They literally have no purpose in the context of subclassing

And this problem, and the problem of the gank issue is here because ZOS cannot buff the class without first addressing the power that a single morph of a skill in a single skill line gives in relation to everything else the class offers. Assassination is too overloaded in power, and the entire class has to suffer for it.

I've watched and NBs on the forum refused to agree with those that said cloak should be nerfed to strengthen the rest of the class. But now, in the context of subclassing where anyone can use cloak, the NBs are starting to see the light. No longer are they the only ones that can one shot from stealth.

Guaranteed crit? I'm leaping out of stealth on my DC PvP DK for over 36K-40K burst before you even see me. Except, I won't be one shot by a ganker either and can't be killed easily. The gankers that you are complaining about have sent many messages complaining. I laugh. and I do so because the same exact account names defended cloak and it's current state viciouslyon these same exact forums.

Now they aren't and are seeing the light thanks to subclassing.

I have no clue when ZOS will rework it, but know that cloak and the one shot builds will probably get adjusted soon. "If not, then builds will just be posted that force it soon enough.

Yeah none of the good pulse builds use the shadow skill line lol

katorga wrote: »

Doesn't matter. Look at how dead PVP is these days, only GH seems to have anyone in it, and its only pop-locked for an hour or two. Seriously why would ZOS spend any cycles on PVP issues?

Cause its the only available endgame for people that are not entertained by killing the same npcs with the same mechs for years.