Returning Player: Like a babe in the woods

Haxer · December 2016

Played from head start, did it all, left, and just this week decided to poke my head in and see what's up. And I'm so glad I did! Really enjoying the Dark Brotherhood and having so many new quests to do. Costume system is awesome. The dye system is fantastic. CP levels are cool. Player housing announced! So many great new things.

But what the crap did they do to my class?! When I left my NB was phenomenal cosmic powers, and now I repeatedly die just doing solo quests or aggroing too many crabs. Looked up some updated builds but geez. It's really frustrating. I do no damage and I set new records on deaths just doing basic stuff. Am I missing something? Do people still DW NB? Do all the classes feel like this now, or do I really have to reroll a different class? I don't know if I could stomache that.

knavery · December 2016

Haxer wrote: »

Played from head start, did it all, left, and just this week decided to poke my head in and see what's up. And I'm so glad I did! Really enjoying the Dark Brotherhood and having so many new quests to do. Costume system is awesome. The dye system is fantastic. CP levels are cool. Player housing announced! So many great new things.

But what the crap did they do to my class?! When I left my NB was phenomenal cosmic powers, and now I repeatedly die just doing solo quests or aggroing too many crabs. Looked up some updated builds but geez. It's really frustrating. I do no damage and I set new records on deaths just doing basic stuff. Am I missing something? Do people still DW NB? Do all the classes feel like this now, or do I really have to reroll a different class? I don't know if I could stomache that.

I had this problem when they rolled out One Tamriel. The main reason is that everything scales to your level now. I had only been playing for a couple months when they updated the game. I still can't face roll more than 3-4 mobs with my NB. However, with my templar I can.

Iselin · December 2016

Most of the skills changed and then changed again. DW+Bow is the new PVE meta from stamina classes and 2HD+ Bow for PVP (generalizing of course... you can make just about anything work with enough knowledge and imagination.)

One of the biggest differences from the early days is that every stamina weapon line has some healing abilities now. DW has 3 including the Ultimate.

It wouldn't do you any harm to take a look at Deltia's for some up-to-date builds.

This is his Stamina NB build: http://deltiasgaming.com/eso-stamina-nightblade-dps-build/#Melee

And if you want to go Magicka NB look at this one: http://deltiasgaming.com/eso-magic-nightblade-dps-build/#Group

lockator · December 2016

Are you a Stamblade or a magblade? Magblade have so many self heals its odd that you are dying so much. You using gear etc?

Haxer · December 2016

lockator wrote: »

Are you a Stamblade or a magblade? Magblade have so many self heals its odd that you are dying so much. You using gear etc?

Stamina DW / medium armor.

LMar · December 2016

When did you leave? Hybrid classes don't really work these days due to the removal of soft caps. So if you are dual wielding you have to go all stamina. Try to have around 18K health and also have gear close to your level otherwise you suffer statwise

Daemons_Bane · December 2016

DW/Bow Stamina Nightblade here

the class still lives and does real fine

but if you left that long ago, your character may need to be updated a little hehe

ArchMikem · December 2016

Haxer wrote: »

lockator wrote: »

Are you a Stamblade or a magblade? Magblade have so many self heals its odd that you are dying so much. You using gear etc?

Stamina DW / medium armor.

DW StamBlades are still pretty much the popular tyrant class, Update 12 just made PvE mobs more difficult to handle.

My StamBlade is a DW Daggers and Bow and it's just great for one on one fights, fighting groups is more difficult cause of the lack of effective AoE abilities besides Whirling/Steel Tornado. You'll need the Alliance War healing skill Vigor to keep yourself alive.

drakhan2002_ESO · December 2016

DW NBs are still pretty powerful and just fine. One of the higher DPS classes going. In fact, I am currently leveling my second stamNB just because I like the class so much.

Go out and find an updated build - make sure your CP is spent wisely. Do PvE before PvP.

Haxer · December 2016

Iselin wrote: »

It wouldn't do you any harm to take a look at Deltia's for some up-to-date builds.

This is his Stamina NB build: http://deltiasgaming.com/eso-stamina-nightblade-dps-build/#Melee

I have been doing a Deltias build since returning, but looking at this one -it's different so maybe it's more up to date. I'll try this out and see if it helps.

gbaker42 · December 2016

Updating your build should help alot. I think NBs are the hardest class to play and this game is always changing.

Iselin · December 2016

Haxer wrote: »

Iselin wrote: »

It wouldn't do you any harm to take a look at Deltia's for some up-to-date builds.

This is his Stamina NB build: http://deltiasgaming.com/eso-stamina-nightblade-dps-build/#Melee

I have been doing a Deltias build since returning, but looking at this one -it's different so maybe it's more up to date. I'll try this out and see if it helps.

Well like someone said above, the biggest class weakness for a stamblade is lack of healing that pretty well makes Vigor from PVP required. It's the opposite of the magicka NB that is a self-healing machine.

But you CAN heal enough to solo effectively by using the healing morphs of both twin slashes and flurry and the DW ultimate. But even then, my stamblade chugs more potions than any of my other stamina builds before they unlock Vigor.

You CAN also get good AOE by using Endless Hail from your BOW on the spot where you want to fight the pack of enemies and then using Steel Tornado there. You could even add to that (and mitigate some red circle damage) by slotting deadly cloak so you're hitting them with 3 AOEs at the same time.

EDIT: And BTW, if you're just returning you probably need to gear up so spend your time running Fungal Grotto and questing/grinding in Bangkorai until you have enough pieces to slot 5/5 Spriggan and 5/5 Viper. Those two sets will make a huge difference on your TTK. And you want Sharpened weapons whenever possible. It's all about penetration these days. Later on you can start to upgrade all your gear but Spriggan + Viper will get you started with easy to get gear.

Takes-No-Prisoner · December 2016

Haxer wrote: »

When I left my NB was phenomenal cosmic powers,

Haxer · December 2016

Takes-No-Prisoner wrote: »

Haxer wrote: »

When I left my NB was phenomenal cosmic powers,

I'm glad someone got that reference. You just made my day.

Takes-No-Prisoner · December 2016

Genie was is the best

And yea, like other posters said, it's probably your CP that is low. Adjusting gear, leveling CP and you'll be fine for PvE land.

Pvp would take longer to get back into due to proc sets. Getting some of those sets can take some time.

However, you could probably maybe solo some of the dungeons. I can solo Fungal Grotto 1 with a Stamina Sorc DW/Bow and have done so to get my Viper Sting sets all in divines/1h weap. I haven't tried it for Stamina Nightblade, but making a Stam Sorc for late game grinding is probably a good idea in this meta.

So to explain how that works, is similar to some of the information Iselin already provided. But in context, Steel Tornado, Re-Arming Trap[Fighters Guild Skill], Endless Hail, Hurricane, Critical Surge[heals on crits], and Flurry you can basically DPS and the Hurricane ticks heal your guy while you're fighting. So keep up Critical Surge, Dark Deal your Magic into Health/Stamina and you can solo most Dungeons that are set to NORMAL and version I.

The gear you could use with that set up can be like, Hundings or Twice Born. would probably be a good idea to think about rolling a Stamina Sorc just so you can have access to good sets only found in dungeons, plus you could solo the Undaunted Pledge for chances at shoulder monster set drops.

smacx250 · December 2016

This is a good site to put your character build in and see how changing things impacts your stats, without dumping a bunch of gold into re-specs and different equipment combos:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildEditor

BlackSparrow · December 2016

I've played the same DW NB myself since launch, and I'll agree that it's been a bit like being the proverbial frog in the boiling pot.

A couple tips:

If you left before they removed attribute soft caps, restat to either full Magicka or full Stamina, depending on what your primary skills are. My girl was a hybrid before that happened, but her effectiveness dropped a lot as the game rebalanced around the removal of soft caps
Food, food, food. I am constantly stealing bread off tables so that I have something to boost my health, even just against regular PvE mobs. Assuming you're a medium armor build, you're going to feel pretty squishy otherwise.
Get your DW up enough to get the Ultimate. You can pop your ultimate every two to three fights, and it does massive DOT damage AND heals you over time, so make use of that for extra survivability.
Pure DW is still viable (that's what mine is), but you really are at a disadvantage without a long-range weapon. My girl gets her butt kicked by Harvesters and Watchers because she has to get in close to do anything tot hem. Like I said, I still manage it, but it takes some extra strategy and hair-pulling to pull off.

Good luck!

runagate · December 2016

It's worrisome that no one's mentioned armor level and quality.

The penalty for having gear that's not around your level is now much more severe than it was. Before level-scaling one could get away with running around with mismatched, non-Set green gear at low levels.

Also, not knowing your level, it's very hard to guess what you have available for defensive or healing skills.

Haxer · December 2016

I left before CP was a thing. I think it was VR back then. So anyway I came back and it translated to CP40, so now I am like CP57. I started off with CP40 Night Mother Gaze armor (purple), but now I am using CP 50 Sithis dropped from Dark Brotherhood.

Anyways I'm not expecting to PvP or run l33t PvE stuff yet. But even just doing "normal stuff" I do so little damage and die like it's my job. I had a DB quest where you have to fight the target and his minions at the end and I ended up dying like 5 times WHILE using a "Crown HP pot" or whatever. It's just BS. That's what caused me to come here asking wtf.

Lord_Eomer · December 2016

What??? W$$ds in the Babe?

Iselin · December 2016

Haxer wrote: »

I left before CP was a thing. I think it was VR back then. So anyway I came back and it translated to CP40, so now I am like CP57. I started off with CP40 Night Mother Gaze armor (purple), but now I am using CP 50 Sithis dropped from Dark Brotherhood.

Anyways I'm not expecting to PvP or run l33t PvE stuff yet. But even just doing "normal stuff" I do so little damage and die like it's my job. I had a DB quest where you have to fight the target and his minions at the end and I ended up dying like 5 times WHILE using a "Crown HP pot" or whatever. It's just BS. That's what caused me to come here asking wtf.

Play with your stats and enchants until you get your health ~ 17-18K after using blue stam + health food.

Most people recommend putting all your points in stamina but I don't like leveling that way. Through trial and error I came up with a 4:1 (4 stamina for every 1 health) ratio that worked for me while leveling and constantly replacing gear with drops.

When you're at CP cap, settled on your chosen gear and upgraded it, sure go for it at that point, but before that keeping the health up in the 17-18K range will serve you well.

You also won't get the +12% crit chance bonus from CP until you have 90CP - that will be a game changer once you do. Your target right now is getting there by putting 30CP into mighty in the Ritual constellation.