Class Skills Vs. Weapon Skills

CodyFurlong

So I've been struggling with creating character builds for awhile now. It seems that everyone says that you're not supposed to do builds that use both stamina, and magicka at the same time. But the game seems to say other wise, since the class skills all use magicka, and the weapon skills all use stamina. So what people tell me is essentially that if I want to use any of my three classes, then I can.t use any weapons, or, if I want to use a weapon, then I might not as well be any class at all? It's very confusing to me when people say one thing, but then the game seems to be set up for something else.

Zanen

The important thing to understand is that damage scales with stats, so you're way better off stacking everything into one stat or the other and using abilities that scale with that stat to do all your damage.

Some class abilities have stamina morphs.

You'll use the other stat for utility, maybe magicka buffs and heals on a stamina build, or blocking, breaking free and dodge rolling on a magicka build.

It's OK if you invest a little in regen for your off stat sometimes, depending on class and build, because regen doesn't compete with stats usually, but if you try to do damage with both pools you'll gimp yourself, it's just the way the game is.

pizzaow

This took me a little while to get as well... the reason it's not great to mix-n-match is that skills that cost magic do more damage if you have higher spell damage and max magic; similarly stamina based skills scale off weapon damage and max stamina. Most people like to sink a lot of points into either magic or stamina to get the most damage out their attacks.

The key is *damage* if you use to skill to inflict damage then it's good to stick with what your character is strongest in.

However, a lot of skills are used for buffs, crowd control or other utilities. For example, volatile armor (a stam dk favoite) is used for the major and minor ward; you won't get a better ward if you are magic based vs stamina based. Similar things like chains and talons are used more for crowd control, and are both nice to have regardless of your attributes... sure, the little bit of damage it does would be stronger for magic, but you're not using it for damage. Igneous weapons/shields are other skills that would fit nicely on a stam-based character.

It is a common complaint that most class skills are magic based, but almost all skill lines have at least one stamina morph. So, if you're setting up a stamina character look at those first.. odds are if they have a stamina morph its pretty powerful. I agree, that it is a little frustrating that only ~20% of "attack" class skills are options for stam characters. However, stam does have more weapon options; magic only has destro/resto staffs.

On most bars at least 2 slots are used for buffs/passives/CC anyway, so you should have plenty of options to fill the other 3 spots.

hmsdragonfly

CodyFurlong wrote: »

So I've been struggling with creating character builds for awhile now. It seems that everyone says that you're not supposed to do builds that use both stamina, and magicka at the same time. But the game seems to say other wise, since the class skills all use magicka, and the weapon skills all use stamina. So what people tell me is essentially that if I want to use any of my three classes, then I can.t use any weapons, or, if I want to use a weapon, then I might not as well be any class at all? It's very confusing to me when people say one thing, but then the game seems to be set up for something else.

You should use both mag and stam abilites, but, for example, if you are a stam character, use stam abilities to deal dmg, and a few mag abilities to buff or CC. Some class skills have stam morphs, so you can use them as your offensive abilities.

Of example, most stamsorcs use Streak, which is a mag abilities.
Most stamDKs use Talons, or Fossilize for CC, and Spiked Armour as a Buff, they are mag abilities.
Most stamplars use Ritual, or Restoring Focus, they are mag abilities.
Most stamblades use Relentless Focus, Siphoning Attacks, Shadow Cloaks, which are mag abilites.
But most of them are utilities, as you can see.

mashugana

pizzaow wrote: »

For example, volatile armor (a stam dk favoite) is used for the major and minor ward; you won't get a better ward if you are magic based vs stamina based.

I did not know this. I assume the ward scaled off Magicka and so it would be useless on a Stam build. So only damage and heal abilities scale.

Thank you

Question: Most stamblades use Siphoning Attacks? I would think the attack (and heal) scale with Magicka thus making Siphon useless for a Stam character.

JinMori

hmsdragonfly wrote: »

CodyFurlong wrote: »

So I've been struggling with creating character builds for awhile now. It seems that everyone says that you're not supposed to do builds that use both stamina, and magicka at the same time. But the game seems to say other wise, since the class skills all use magicka, and the weapon skills all use stamina. So what people tell me is essentially that if I want to use any of my three classes, then I can.t use any weapons, or, if I want to use a weapon, then I might not as well be any class at all? It's very confusing to me when people say one thing, but then the game seems to be set up for something else.

You should use both mag and stam abilites, but, for example, if you are a stam character, use stam abilities to deal dmg, and a few mag abilities to buff or CC. Some class skills have stam morphs, so you can use them as your offensive abilities.

Of example, most stamsorcs use Streak, which is a mag abilities.
Most stamDKs use Talons, or Fossilize for CC, and Spiked Armour as a Buff, they are mag abilities.
Most stamplars use Ritual, or Restoring Focus, they are mag abilities.
Most stamblades use Relentless Focus, Siphoning Attacks, Shadow Cloaks, which are mag abilites.
But most of them are utilities, as you can see.

Here you are talking about pvp though, or if you're a tank. Aside from nb

STEVIL

CodyFurlong wrote: »

So I've been struggling with creating character builds for awhile now. It seems that everyone says that you're not supposed to do builds that use both stamina, and magicka at the same time. But the game seems to say other wise, since the class skills all use magicka, and the weapon skills all use stamina. So what people tell me is essentially that if I want to use any of my three classes, then I can.t use any weapons, or, if I want to use a weapon, then I might not as well be any class at all? It's very confusing to me when people say one thing, but then the game seems to be set up for something else.

staves use magica
others use stamina

some class skills have stamina morphs for stamina based characters to unlock and use.

RavenSworn

Things to take note off:

You have two resources you can use. think of it this way; you have two empty bottles, one red, one blue. you have only 1 litre of water. if you want to drink from the red bottle, you put it in the red bottle. this means however, you will have less in the blue bottle and vice versa. The problem is, you want to drink more on the red bottle, so you have less on the blue. vice versa. you can always balance it out equally, but the amount of water in this red bottle will definitely not be the same as the first one.

So (after that wall of text), you choose your primary damage resource. if it's stamina, then have damage dealing abilities to be in stamina. you secondary resource (which is magicka) will then be a utility resource. use utility abilities like those that gives expedition or evasion or even a buff to complement your build.

There are a few exceptions to this rule. there are abilities that are better off in magicka even if you are a stamina character because it gives far better returns for build you are using. or vice versa for example using trap beast on a magicka character for the minor force buff.

hope this helps!

-RavenSworn