Theory Crafted a Hybrid DK

psychotic13

So I’ve been theorycrafting a hybrid DK build, I’ve seen a few other threads about people doing the same kind of thing with DK’s so I thought I’d share my build and gather some opinions on what could be improved or even If you think it could work.

This is a PvP based build and primarily focused on damage using magicka, but still being able to last in a fight. I guess you could use it for other things if you didn’t use impenetrable.

So why am I making this build? I guess I wanted to try something different and see if I could make the pelinals aptitude set work at all, and have a fun build to play.

So lets just get into it and see what you think:

Race – Dark Elf

Personally I think this is the most optimal race for what I’m trying to do here, it grants +9% Max Magicka & +6% Max Stamina which is great as I’m a hybrid, but it also grants +7% Flame damage which helps as I’m a DK, but it also grants a small bonus to fire resistance which will be of help as I’ve chosen to be a vampire in this build.

Mundus Stone – The Atronach

Here you can choose the warrior for more weapon damage if you wanted to, but I like to have a decent regen so I’ve gone with the atronach. (why the warrior? I’ll explain that a bit further down)



Gear – 5MA/2LA

Head – Seducer (Medium / Divines)
Shoulder – Molag Kena (Medium / Divines)
Chest – Pelinals Aptitude (Medium / Impen)
Belt - Pelinals Aptitude (Light / Impen)
Gloves - Pelinals Aptitude (Light / Impen)
Legs - Pelinals Aptitude (Medium / Impen)
Boots - Pelinals Aptitude (Medium / Impen)

Ring1 – Agility (Arcane / WD Enchant)
Ring2 – Agility (Arcane / WD Enchant)
Amulet – Agility (Arcane / WD Enchant)

DW
Sword 1 – Seducer (Nirnhoned)
Sword 2 – Seducer (Sharpened)

S&B
Sword – Seducer (Defending)
Shield - Seducer (Nirnhoned for a bit more resistance)

As for enchants, I’d be using:
x4 Prismatic on all small pieces
x1 Prismatic on 1 large piece
x2 Magicka on 2 large pieces
x1 Prismatic on the shield

Everything would be gold

So how this build works is we’re trying to stack one damage type, and then the 5pc effect of Pelinals Aptitude will match our other damage type to the equal amount. The best way I found to do this was to stack weapon damage, this is because you can take advantage by using 5 medium and getting the 12% increase to weapon damage, and also slotting flawless dawnbreaker which grants us another 8%, so now we can buff our damage by 20% before even using our brutality buff.

We’re using 5 impen for crit resist, and 2 divines for a little bonus to more regen,

Would 5 light be better because I want to use primarily magicka? I’ll be losing out on the penetration, spell crit and regen/reduce cost passives, but I think 5 medium offers several benefits. Firstly is the 12% buff to weapon damage, I also get a lot of help with mobility from the passives and being a DK there not the quickest of the classes plus because I’m in medium I get a lot more resistance than in light. I will be using 2 light so I still get some regen/cost reduction from the passives. This is also why I like to have a decent regen amount. I’m not too worried about stamina regeneration, I get 1 bonus from the pelinals set and again being a DK I resotre 5% stamina when using an earthen heart ability.

So from using all of this I have calculated my stats to see how I would stand, and personally I don’t think they’re too bad, but what do you guys think? (This is calculated at 501CP with undaunted ect. but I get a +4% increase as im not using heavy)

Max Magicka – 30188 (+9% Racial, +4% Undaunted)
Max Health – 18000 (23000 in cyrodil) (+4% Undaunted)
Max Stamina – 21008 (+6% Racial, +4% Undaunted)

Stamina Regen – 964 (+10% Vampirism, +20% Armor Passives, +20% GDB)
Magicka Regen – 1494 (+8% Armor Passives, +10% Vampirism)

WD/SD – 3532 (using DW, +12% Armor Passives, +8% Dawnbreaker, +25% Minor/Major brutality) (This was also calculated without taking into account the increased damage from the Nirnhoned trait on my primary sword)

So that’s what I calculated, and this is how I would have my bars set up.

Bar 1

Flame Lash
We want to be up close when in combat, and this will be our main source of damage and be sure to take advantage of the heal this ability can produce.

Flames of Oblivion
This gives us our Major Prophecy and Major Savagery buffs, also shoots a fireball at enemies once every 5 seconds doing decent damage

Draw Essence
Decent AoE ability, more heals are always a good thing and the more people it hits the cheaper it is to cast. (I may also use shrouded daggers here, having something to use when there is a bit of range will be a help, and it can bounce and hit another target. Also it reduces their movement speed for 50% for 6 seconds allowing to close the gap quickly)

Dampen Magic/Harness Magicka
My main is a sorc and im used to using shields, but as this is getting changed to absorb physical damage too I think its an essential skill to use

Empowering Chains
This is too help close the distance between us and the enemy and also briefly grants major expedition (you could use quick cloak here also for the major expedition, or even the vampire move baleful mist which grants you major expedition and reduces damage taken by 75%)

Ultimate
Flawless Dawnbreaker
This is here purely to increase our weapon and spell damage, but overall it’s a decent ultimate anyway

Bar 2

Igneous Weapons
This needs to be up 100% of the time, firstly it grants us major brutality, but as its an earthen heart ability it also activates the passive which gives us minor brutality too equalling a +25% damage bonus. It also activates the other earthen heart passive which restores 5% of our stamina.

Dragon Fire Scale
We like to be up close, but if we’re getting attacked from distance we need some sort of defence and this one great skill.

Resolving Vigor
Yes, we’re a hybrid so we’re using a stamina heal, and it won’t be that bad of a heal either because of that. With our 21000 stamina and 3500 weapon damage the heal is ok, and also we have 5% into blessed, 8% into quick recovery and we’ll be using draconic power abilities to activate the passive ‘burning heart’ giving us another 12% healing received.

2 Flex Spots
Theres a few different skills you can use here, Green Dragon Blood is good because it keeps the draconic power passive active as it has a long duration, also granting stamina recovery bonus, but you could use coagulating blood for another 8% healing received but losing the stamina recovery.

you could also use igneous shield for the major mending buff but with the nerf to 6 seconds it may need to be cast more than its worth, hardened armor or fossilize can also be useful

either one of the defensive posture morphs could also work to help bolster your defence, even shuffle will be good as were wearing 5 medium.

Ultimate
Take Flight
Generally just like this ultimate so that’s what I chose, I’d think about using clouding swarm but I think its broken?

Champion Points
The Mage
30 Mighty (get the 12% crit chance bonus)
10 Blessed
20 Spell Erosion
27 Elfborn
80 Elemental Expert

The Thief
67 Magician
100 Arcanist [i/]

The Warrior
50 Hardy
50 Elemental Defender
32 Quick Recovery
27 Block Expertise
6 Resistant


so yeah this is my build, its not the strongest but I’m not trying to kill absolutely everyone in cyrodil, I want it to be fun to play while still being able to have a fight. Thanks for reading if you made it to the end, I wrote a lot more than I first thought I would. Several things could be done to this build but it depends on how you want to use it, you could drop 1pc seducer for the molag kena helm, with that and weapon damage enchants and then getting another buff from capturing a post in cyrodil your damage could get very high.

Thanks for reading let me know what you think! I'm open to constructive criticism.

Lokey0024

Cant knock you for thinking of cool stuff. Im not sure you can kill anyone with this build. No execute, no cc, might be a real good tank. Might redesign as a contro set up. Ash cloud fossilize volitile armor etc.

Acsvf

1. You're using, like, one stamina ability, one that could easily be replaced with say healing ward. The theoretical use of a hybrid is essentially to be able to have a better access to a wider range of abilities. If you're not even going to bother making stamina useful then you might as well be magicka.
2. Your maximum stamina is very low. You don't have to have 40k+, especially as a hybrid but 21k is pretty low. You could make up for it with a high weapon damage, but while 3.5k is usually sufficient it doesn't make up for the loss.

psychotic13

Lokey0024 wrote: »

Cant knock you for thinking of cool stuff. Im not sure you can kill anyone with this build. No execute, no cc, might be a real good tank. Might redesign as a contro set up. Ash cloud fossilize volitile armor etc.

In the 2 flex spots fossilise is mentioned, as for execute DKs don't have a class specific execute so if you really wanted to use one you'd have to switch up DW for 2h which I guess would still work you'd just be losing 1pc of seducer.

Amdar_Godkiller

Use Inner Light for the 7% magic increase +empower. Use Silver Leash as your gap closer for 3% increase to weapon damage. 

Amdar_Godkiller

I'd try going 

5 Pelinal
1 Nerieneth
1 Kena 

Agility Jewelry

2 Willpower DW

2 Endurance DW


Should be much more resources

Asmael

I have trouble seeing this being competitive. You don't have much more SP/WD than the "average" DW magicka build, but you have 10k less magicka, altho you didn't mention anything about using drink or food, so these stats might actually be without those buffs, in which case this might be good enough.

Few comments:

2 Flex Spots
Theres a few different skills you can use here, Green Dragon Blood is good because it keeps the draconic power passive active as it has a long duration, also granting stamina recovery bonus, but you could use coagulating blood for another 8% healing received but losing the stamina recovery.

you could also use igneous shield for the major mending buff but with the nerf to 6 seconds it may need to be cast more than its worth, hardened armor or fossilize can also be useful

either one of the defensive posture morphs could also work to help bolster your defence, even shuffle will be good as were wearing 5 medium.

GDB (Green Dragon Blood) is not in use since the arrival of tristat potions. However, not only you'd need Coagulating Blood to make it at best "ok", but it's still unlikely to be good enough.

As someone who got no less than 70k+ hp on a tank DK, stacking everything into healing received/done (even tho I don't have all passives unlocked), I'm looking at 20k healing in the absolute best case scenario (which is having 5% hp left) in a CP campaign, with 100 points in healing done. In non-CP, I'm looking at 12k healing. On your side, you'd get, in the best case, 3-4k HP. You might as well just pop Burning Embers or proc Power Lash if fighting even numbers, or Inhale if outnumbered.

Igneous shield has (ironically) never been used for the shield alone, but the Major mending, in your case Minor brutality as well, and the fact that it restores stamina, so this can be an option.

You can definitely use Shuffle, even on a pure magicka build.

Take Flight is kinda redundant with Dawnbreaker in my opinion, and you might want to consider slotting Meteor, or a more defensive option, such as Ferocious leap.

There is a big flaw right now: you can't reliably proc Power lash, so you're missing on extra damage, easier magicka sustain (since the proc is free), and extra healing. Either Fossilize or Talons would do the trick.

Dampen Magic/Harness Magicka
My main is a sorc and im used to using shields, but as this is getting changed to absorb physical damage too I think its an essential skill to use

Unless you're planning to use 5L, don't even consider it. It's nowhere as good as Hardened ward, and costs a LOT more. Your main defense comes from pretty significant healing from Power lash / Burning embers, which allow you to both apply pressure and heal yourself.

psychotic13

Acsvf wrote: »

1. You're using, like, one stamina ability, one that could easily be replaced with say healing ward. The theoretical use of a hybrid is essentially to be able to have a better access to a wider range of abilities. If you're not even going to bother making stamina useful then you might as well be magicka.
2. Your maximum stamina is very low. You don't have to have 40k+, especially as a hybrid but 21k is pretty low. You could make up for it with a high weapon damage, but while 3.5k is usually sufficient it doesn't make up for the loss.

1. Well not really 1 stamina ability, Several were mentioned, maybe you didn't read it all? Vigor, shrouded daggers, quick cloak, shuffle and defensive posture were all mentioned, while using 'physical damage' ultis too.

Yes I'm aware what hybrid means thanks, and if you didn't realise I'm also wielding a shield, and with the Passives from that and defensive posture, and also the DKs class Passives I'll be able to block a lot with it, so that's the use of the stamina pool.

2. And please elaborate on why 21k is so below par, Vigor isn't bad with all the healing bonuses, and stamina isn't just for attacking as I'm using primarily Magicka for that.

psychotic13

Amdar_Godkiller wrote: »

Use Inner Light for the 7% magic increase +empower. Use Silver Leash as your gap closer for 3% increase to weapon damage. 

I'm not sure I'd have room for inner light on my bar, but I guess it would be worth trying It for the magic increase, also I forgot about silver leash that could actually work here, thanks for the idea!

Amdar_Godkiller wrote: »

I'd try going 

5 Pelinal
1 Nerieneth
1 Kena 

Agility Jewelry

2 Willpower DW

2 Endurance DW


Should be much more resources

I did think of using 2pc willpower, but I wasn't a fan of switching from a Magicka bonus to a health bonus everytime I bare swapped, I liked to try and include as much regen as possible as I'm only wearing 2 light.

Ashen grip is also a set I tried because the 3pc gives health and weapon damage (which will boost both our damages)

Asmael wrote: »

I have trouble seeing this being competitive. You don't have much more SP/WD than the "average" DW magicka build,but you have 10k less magicka, altho you didn't mention anything about using drink or food, so these stats might actually be without those buffs, in which case this might be good enough.

Few comments:

2 Flex Spots
Theres a few different skills you can use here, Green Dragon Blood is good because it keeps the draconic power passive active as it has a long duration, also granting stamina recovery bonus, but you could use coagulating blood for another 8% healing received but losing the stamina recovery.

you could also use igneous shield for the major mending buff but with the nerf to 6 seconds it may need to be cast more than its worth, hardened armor or fossilize can also be useful

either one of the defensive posture morphs could also work to help bolster your defence, even shuffle will be good as were wearing 5 medium.

GDB (Green Dragon Blood) is not in use since the arrival of tristat potions. However, not only you'd need Coagulating Blood to make it at best "ok", but it's still unlikely to be good enough.

As someone who got no less than 70k+ hp on a tank DK, stacking everything into healing received/done (even tho I don't have all passives unlocked), I'm looking at 20k healing in the absolute best case scenario (which is having 5% hp left) in a CP campaign, with 100 points in healing done. In non-CP, I'm looking at 12k healing. On your side, you'd get, in the best case, 3-4k HP. You might as well just pop Burning Embers or proc Power Lash if fighting even numbers, or Inhale if outnumbered.

Igneous shield has (ironically) never been used for the shield alone, but the Major mending, in your case Minor brutality as well, and the fact that it restores stamina, so this can be an option.

You can definitely use Shuffle, even on a pure magicka build.

Take Flight is kinda redundant with Dawnbreaker in my opinion, and you might want to consider slotting Meteor, or a more defensive option, such as Ferocious leap.

There is a big flaw right now: you can't reliably proc Power lash, so you're missing on extra damage, easier magicka sustain (since the proc is free), and extra healing. Either Fossilize or Talons would do the trick.

Dampen Magic/Harness Magicka
My main is a sorc and im used to using shields, but as this is getting changed to absorb physical damage too I think its an essential skill to use

Unless you're planning to use 5L, don't even consider it. It's nowhere as good as Hardened ward, and costs a LOT more. Your main defense comes from pretty significant healing from Power lash / Burning embers, which allow you to both apply pressure and heal yourself.

you said I don't have much more spell damage than a Magicka build, but as a hybrid isn't that a good thing that I have more? (And like I said this isn't calculated taking the 10%? Damage increase to my weapon from nirnhoned, I'll also be proc'ing my weapon damage glyphs on my swords)

And this was with purple food, I must've forgot to include that.

Can you elaborate on how you've got the figures 3-4K and which skill you are even referring to? Meteor is obviously an option, but needing Dawnbreaker on the front bar for increased damage, and I'm too lazy to go lorebook hunting again for this character.

I did mention fossilise, and as most other people have too I guess it would be an essential skill to the build.

I'm on Xbox one so we haven't had the DB update yet, I was just guessing dampen magic would be strong, I guess I'll just have to see if I like, otherwise like you said burning embers can be a good alternative.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Runkorko

Hibrid builds can work only in non CP campaign and/or/ if you go tank or support. Sadly.

Acsvf

psychotic13 wrote: »

Several were mentioned, maybe you didn't read it all? Vigor, shrouded daggers, quick cloak, shuffle and defensive posture were all mentioned, while using 'physical damage' ultis too.

That is true. However, defensive posture and shuffle don't scale. Quick Cloak's scaling portion is near nonexistent. I didn't notice shrouded daggers, so that is a fault on my part.
Given your stats, all ultimates scale with magicka and spell damage.

psychotic13 wrote: »

and if you didn't realise I'm also wielding a shield, and with the Passives from that and defensive posture, and also the DKs class Passives I'll be able to block a lot with it, so that's the use of the stamina pool.

I would suggest you go for a high value for maximum stamina rather than weapon power if that's what it's used for.

psychotic13 wrote: »

2. And please elaborate on why 21k is so below par, Vigor isn't bad with all the healing bonuses, and stamina isn't just for attacking as I'm using primarily Magicka for that.

Well, true, if you're only going to be using Vigor then it shouldn't be an issue. It would be quite a difference if you used stamina for damage, however.

psychotic13

runkorkoeb17_ESO wrote: »

Hibrid builds can work only in non CP campaign and/or/ if you go tank or support. Sadly.

If you don't have anything constructive to say why even post?

Acsvf wrote: »

psychotic13 wrote: »

Several were mentioned, maybe you didn't read it all? Vigor, shrouded daggers, quick cloak, shuffle and defensive posture were all mentioned, while using 'physical damage' ultis too.

That is true. However, defensive posture and shuffle don't scale. Quick Cloak's scaling portion is near nonexistent. I didn't notice shrouded daggers, so that is a fault on my part.
Given your stats, all ultimates scale with magicka and spell damage.

psychotic13 wrote: »

and if you didn't realise I'm also wielding a shield, and with the Passives from that and defensive posture, and also the DKs class Passives I'll be able to block a lot with it, so that's the use of the stamina pool.

I would suggest you go for a high value for maximum stamina rather than weapon power if that's what it's used for.

psychotic13 wrote: »

2. And please elaborate on why 21k is so below par, Vigor isn't bad with all the healing bonuses, and stamina isn't just for attacking as I'm using primarily Magicka for that.

Well, true, if you're only going to be using Vigor then it shouldn't be an issue. It would be quite a difference if you used stamina for damage, however.

Yeah I know shuffle and defensive posture don't scale, but they do cost stamina, so again I don't need a huge stamina pool for these to be effective? And I understand the ultis will scale from Magicka and SD as they're my highest stats, I have put 30 points into mighty though for the 12% crit passive and 10% extra damage.

It isn't used to primarily block and be a tank as such, but I am a Hyrbid, I want diversity if I'm in a situation where I need to block, then I can do so with good results.

Yeah my stamina pool isn't really where my damage is coming from, that's why I chose to get my Magicka higher if I was doing it the other way round and attacking mainly with stamina based Abilitys then I would make it higher.