Destro Staff NB

Xvorg

I'm having fun with a destro staff NB in PVE (magicka build). I call him "The Stickman". It was a long lost char I had sometime ago who misserably failed as Bloodmage(an Argonian Vamp). Currently is VR3. I need some help to finish the build, although till now, to my surprise he's doing it OK

He goes this way

bar 1: Leeching strikes/Concealed weapon/Lotus Fan/Destructive Clench/Reaping mark/ U Clouding swarm
bar2: Inner Light/Concelaed weapon/Volcanic Rune/Pulsar/Sap essence/ U Soul Tether

5 Heavy (lamae) + 2 light (Sun silks) All with magicka glyph)+ sun destro staff + Sun amulet for flame attacks. (I need rings).

50 points magicka and 1 Health (for now, I'm planning to go for health points from now). For passives I have all the racial, vamp, soul and ledgermain ones, the syphoning and shadow, the destro staff passives and the mages guild (at leats until level 6) Fighters guild till level 9. Only Master assasin and Executioner for assasination.

Champ skills, for the moment Thaumaturgue (to increase magic damage, then I'll go for the apprentice stars), Heavy armor (lord) and the lady (health recovery). Mundus the Apprentice (I was planning to change to the snake, but health recovery drinks help a lot at Vamp IV).

The thing is that Bar 1 is the funny one since it is focused on 1 enemy. I mostly move sneaking (Dark Stalker and CW are wonderful. I sneak faster than I run), so when I found a target, I use RM, then I charge a Full heavy attack and once I release it, Lotus Fan + concealed weapon (for DMG and armor/SR) and finish with clench and some light attacks (to build Ulti and recover some magicka). Depending on the enemy, I walk to him launching the light attacks and once I'm close to him (most of the time he's still down), I use CW again. If he dies, I recover a lot of health, and I go against the second one. I use the Ulti with grups or bosses + CW (to set balance the harder one and gain some armor and SR).

But I have Bar 2 which is a real problem. I'm trying to use it with groups (VR on my feet + SE + Pulsar) but I run out of magicka very soon (then I have to change the health potion to a magicka potion). Sometimes I end up using only pulsar (and that's not the idea). Sometimes I have to run back to bar 1, and cast LS to recover magicka and health (since sap essence cannot go anywhere without magica, and without sap essence, I cannot last).

So, any idea on what I can do in Bar 2 or do I give up and use only bar 1? (I was planning even to use almost the same bar but changing RM for pulsar or sap essence to deal with groups).

Thanks

RavenSworn

Change your ultimate to veil of blades for the second bar, it helps with damage mitigation and sustained damage. Nb have limited ways to regain magicka but the surest way is via using impale/killers blade. Killing an enemy with an assasination ability regains magicka.

This is important as the combo from lotus fan - sap essence - Mirage - pulsar - impale spam will regain better magicka returns than spamming pulsar alone. Weave in light attack and you're golden.

Nestor

uniq_faznrb18_ESO wrote: »

Weave in light attack and you're golden.

This is probably the best way to keep Magic up is to weave in Light or Heavy (animation canceled) attacks. Also, do you have any Regen Jewelry? Syrbane is good as you just need two Bands to get another 200 regen, more if you change out the Glpyhs for better ones.

Also, Light Armor is better for Casters, especially with the Passives that help with magic resource management. Even if you stay in Heavy, use Seducer instead. That is what I use on my Imperial DK, he is Heavy Armor and uses Seducer and his magic pool stays viable.

Not sure how many CPs you have, but put points into Regen, Cost Reduction and Penetration constellations. Also, if you have the PTS, then that is a great place to try new builds out. They did a recent character copy so you can experiment with your current character. Nice thing, you can spend all that characters gold on respecs on the PTS and not use up your gold on the Live character.

In other words, you want to think burn down your opponent rather than trying to outlast them. Note, I am talking PvE here. PvP is a little different. So, add in something like Sneak Attack (IIRC) as that gives you a 20% boost to your next attack. I always Sneak Attacked, then dropped Veil of Blades to get the 20% on top of that and just watched the Bosses or Mobs melt away.

Xvorg

I think I'll give up with bar 2 and I'm gonna focus on strengthen the playing style with bar 1

bar 1: Leeching strikes/Concealed weapon/Lotus Fan/Destructive Clench/Merciless Resolve /U Clouding swarm
Bar 2: Leeching strikes/Impale/Dark Cloak (Mirage)/Destructive clench/Reaping mark/ U Bolstering Darkness (Veil of Blades)

(bar 2) Reaping Mark (bar 1), Merciless resolve, Full heavy + Lotus + Clench + light attacks (while walking to the target) + CW + (hunter's Will) (bar 2) + Impale + (clench to open space if enemy's close) + DC (to run away)

Against groups, Clouding swarm. BD to deal with boses that cannot be knocked back.

Now some questions:

1- Dark Cloak or Mirage (the bonus given by shadow barrier to SR and armor looks interesting, although Mirage has major Evasion + Minor resolve) Or Elusive mist?

2- Do Mark Target and Weakness to Elements stack (Major Breach over Major Breach)?

3- Is it so hard to use hunter's will? 8 light attacks seem a lot, but I think Clench can help me a lot

4- How's Veil of Blades damage? Is it worth comparede to ie. Bat Swarm?

tinythinker

Xvorg wrote: »

Now some questions:

1- Dark Cloak or Mirage (the bonus given by shadow barrier to SR and armor looks interesting, although Mirage has major Evasion + Minor resolve) Or Elusive mist?

2- Do Mark Target and Weakness to Elements stack (Major Breach over Major Breach)?

3- Is it so hard to use hunter's will? 8 light attacks seem a lot, but I think Clench can help me a lot

4- How's Veil of Blades damage? Is it worth comparede to ie. Bat Swarm?

I don't run a vamp so I can't address a couple of the questions (I'm sure others will), but for the remaining two:

2- No. Two of the same major or minor buff will not stack. Two majors of different buffs, two minors of different buffs, or a major and minor of the same buff do stack. So having two abilities with the same buff can be a waste unless there is something else about them that you want.

3- Hard? No. Many people use Hunter's Will on bosses because they are constantly weaving light or heavy attacks in with other abilities so every so often you just fire that spectral bow when it procs. But for regular mobs they will often die before you get a chance to use it.

Xvorg

Great