Hello! I’m Araxleon.
I have theorycrafted everything that is nightblade within the use of magicka and here I will be sharing tips/builds/strategies to help you become a better nightblade. This isn't just a guide to a single "build" this is everything that is nightblade involving magicka. I will be working on a stamina version in the future, but for this I ask that you trust me, I know what im talking about since I have tested MANY things. Enjoy!
ASSASSINATION
Impale: This skill is a long range execute which is extremely useful. It has good range so you can usually catch people even when they attempt to run. Look at this skill not as a execute but 24% HP Debuff on your enemy. Because you are a magicka NB your impale will do insane damage unlike stamina NB you can also use this to weaken shields.
Deals physical damage
Scales off physical crit
Scales off spell power
300% bonus damage when your enemy is at 24% HP
Ambush: Deals good damage and is a amazing gap closer. Ambush immobilizes and be be used while you are immobilized which makes it best gap closer in game and also makes your next attack deal 36% more damage which makes a great skill for comboing.
Deals physical damage
Scales off physical crit
Scales off spell power
Double take: This skill in my opinion is only useful when stacked with evasion.
Piercing Mark: Very useful to find people that are stealthy or love to run away, Great for catching your NB stamina brothers and also if you correctly you can use it in 1vX to heal yourself a ton.
Can be Purged/reduced time.
Incapacitating Strike: (ULTIMATE) This skill is great the damage mixed with the amount it costs but in my opinion its useless since everyone blocks, its great for ganking but other then that its not that great.
Deals Physical Damage
Scales off physical crit
Scales off spell power
SHADOW
Dark Cloak: It helps you get away/removes dots. The other morph makes every crit including heals while invis so both morphs are amazing but from what devs have said many things will be changing with dark cloak so I’d rather not discuss it much now. Personally I don’t use the skill at all.
Surprise Attack: This skill deals amazing damage and reduces your enemies armor since the damage is physical it makes itself do even more damage and its hard to counter do to the fact that even if your enemy raises their armor it will still hurt them due to it being a %.
Deals Physical Damage
Scales off physical crit
Scales off spell power
Path of Darkness: This skill doesn't have much going for it you the damage is not much and the speed boost doesn't matter since its such a small area but this ablility has the potential to be amazing you can cast this spell and circle your enemy quickly and they will not be able to target you once they add some way to be immune to snares and being able to deal damage behind blocking enemies I see this being amazing until then its used for build ult in large groups or scroll runs.
Deals magical damage
Scales off spell crit
Scales off spell power
Mass Hysteria: 4.5 sec fear that goes through block, this skill allows you to bypass blocking enemies with ease and apply many debuffs that you normally wouldn’t be able to apply. in the right hands it is a deadly and amazing skill.
This skill is a CC so things like immovable or sets/skills that reduce CC time will work on it.
Shadow Image: The shade lasts for quite awhile and can be a livesaver with the teleport, the damage is physical so it will waste their stam if they block and the debuff of 15% less damage is applied every hit your shade does. it doesn’t stack.
Deals physical damage
No way for your enemy to remove it.
Veil of Blades: (ULTIMATE) This skill is a must on one of your bars it will make you just as tanky as anyone and will deal crazy DPS to anyone close to you I use this skill when facing multiple people or as a second chance since the tankiness it provides gives you time to heavy resto and heal.
Deals magical damage
Scales off spell crit
Scales off spell power
SIPHONING
Funnel Health: Deals great damage and provides a heal over time, as a magicka NB the heal is pretty good this version provides more ult gain for AvA but also deals more damage about 20 more then swallow soul both are amazing but I prefer funnel.
Deals magical damage
Scales off spell crit
Scales off spell power
Prolonged Suffering: This skill is just... bad, If you think this skill is worth having on your bar, you’re wrong no matter what situation ANY OTHER SKILL is better.
Deals magical damage
Scales off spell crit
Scales off spell power
Cast time
Crippling Grasp: This ability is a damage over time that deals great damage and immobilizes your enemy can be used to counter many people who rely on gap closing or close range.
Deals magical damage
Scales off spell crit
Scales off spell power
Siphoning Attacks: How I love and hate this skill. The only time I use it is for PVE other than that I don’t see a purpose for it. If you run a magicka-oriented build, this makes you weaker. The skill also has a internal cooldown so you don't get as much as you want to get it reduces your spell power and weapon power which means you heal less aswell.
Toggle Ability
Sap Essence: Great AOE that provides amazing heals also builds ult insanely fast.
Deals magical damage
Scales off spell crit
Scales off spell power
Soul Tether: (ULTIMATE) My favorite ultimate the damage may be less then Incapacitating Strike but this ultimate is unblockable and heals you it requires more ultimate but once you have it you can tear through anyone.
Deals magical damage
Scales off spell crit
Scales off spell power
Nightblade Combo/Tips & Tricks
I suggest building a lot of spell penetration and have divines/impen trait pieces as it helps
Ambush + Funnel Health will provide a amazing heal you wanna start many fights like this.
Ambush + Surprise Attack is MASSIVE damage when put together, it destroys shields quickly.
Applying Crippling Grasp and then Ambush + Surprise Attack should be your “ganking” opener. (Cripple travels so you can move with it.)
Shadowy Disguise will make all abilities crit these include healing and dots so you can do some interesting things with this skill.
Impale/Ambush + Impale will defeat almost anyone below 24%
Ambush + Soul Tether can kill most people that are low. Kill range varies 50% and below is average kill range for most magicka NB.
Ambush + Fear + Funnel Health is a combo I use to open up an enemy mid fight so I can give myself a heal, it deals amazing damage and gives me a heal normally the enemy can block funnel and it wouldn't heal much but since fear will open them up you can get a heal from Funnel Health
Knowing when to use Mass Hysteria can be amazing, if you are aware your opponent is blocking all your attacks keep hitting them that mixed with a shade (if you dropped one) will make them run out of stamina quickly follow that up with a fear and they are open for 4.5 secs with no stam to break it.
Evasion + Mirage will provide you will a good amount of miss chance I never liked it but if it suits you use it.
Restoration Staff is recommended since NB lack self heals.
Know when to be aggressive and defensive learn this and you can win many fights you the DPS is amazing and the amount of damage you can take it great just learn not to lean too much on one side or you will be killing yourself.
Armor sets are recommended are Seducer + Warlock or Arena + Warlock
As for a mundus stone I use the apprentice.
Nightblade vs Dragonknight
First off you need you completely remove the mindset of Dragonknights being “overpowered” and when you see them think of their weakness mobility and lack of a execute, you of which have both Dragonknights tend to block 24/7 in openworld due to stamina recovery passives/abilities luckily you can drain stamina faster than any other class in the game, Drop your shade and proceed to hit the DK with all your attacks lowering their stamina then follow up with a fear most likely the DK will have to take the full 4.5 secs which give you time to burst using cunning and skill you can do this until the DK is outta resources and kill him if he is a skilled DK you most likely will be to repeat this process wait for a soul tether then fear + ambush + Soul Tether to burst him down also using Shadow Image is helpful remember you have long range damage but Dragon knights have reflect because you have a shade that allows you to teleport you can go in fight the DK and teleport out they can't really do anything at a distance. Now if the DK is not a standard Dragonknight then look at your opponent closely if you see a 2H medium armor user you you can take that and abuse the weakness like he won't be able to heal as much etc etc.
Nightblade vs Sorcerer
Sorcerers deal massive damage and shield stack, When fighting MANAGE your stamina in general managing your stamina is important but sorcs will kill you easily if you mess up, Impale/Surprise Attack/Ambush will be needed to kill any sorc the point will be to constantly keep the pressure using impales when from afar to weaken shields and Ambush + Surprise attacks, Mastering surprise attack animation cancels will destroy sorcs. Sorcs have one weakness which is they stay in the "shield stacking phase" waaaay to long, and that is your chance to strike. Surprise attack canceling on them will usually be enough damage to take out shields and hit some HP Your goal is to use your damage as a shield they won't hit you if you are hitting them very hard Healing Ward + Harness Magicka is your friend in these fights. Storm Atronach is a ult many sorcs use to counter it get out of range or if you can handle this you can fear it every 4.5 secs which will make it useless. Sorcs don't have a lot of skills to make you run out of stamina so you wanna use that against them, what you wanna do is LET THEM knock you down you will be using that against them CC break and you have 4 secs of immunity now you can DPS without worry of getting knocked down mid combo, If the sorc is a stamina style sorc like I have said analyze the situation and counter it.
Nightblade ve Templar
I will be treating this one as if I am fighting the best of templars. This fight will mainly work the same as sorcerer you will be using that CC break immunity A LOT against them, you will be trying to destroy their shields and healing at the sametime same way you kill sorcs will work with templars just more timing and healing than the sorc fight due to blazing shield, be wary if the templar is trying to delay you it might be smart to run away since they may be delaying for backup.
Nightblade vs Nightblade
You both have the DPS to kill each other easily this will be the ONLY FIGHT you should be rolling in avoid damage and get your damage in its basically a race do not go defensive for too long or your dead, I also recommend using your ult on them asap as both of you will prob have a ultimate that can one shot the other even though you want to use your ult quickly use it correctly you need to time it right or its a waste.
MY SETUP
DPS
Funnel Health, Ambush, Impale, Mass Hysteria, Surprise Attack.
Support/Defense
Harness Magicka, Rapid Regen, Crippling Grasp, Healing Ward, Shadow Image.
This is what I like to use though you can change around ANYTHING since I change skills daily depending on different situations but I use this setup almost 100% of the time.
This build can also be used in a crit version building crit instead of spell penetration I do not currently do that due to impen stopping almost of crits. If you would like to use it replace Shadow Image & Funnel/Impale for inner light.
Edited by Araxleon on September 8, 2015 5:18AM