I'm a Stam DK DPS for PvE, should I switch to Magic?

Valykc

Basically I've been trying to gear up a Stam DK since One Tamriel. At best I'm pulling 22k dps on my robust target dummy with subpar gear (all purple, 5NMG, 2Kra'gh, 3agility, 2 Hundings). I'm planning on race changing from an imperial to a Redguard but since Magicka is better this patch should I cut my losses and just go High elf/dunmer instead and respec?

GreenhaloX

Well, as a DK, I prefer stam, because knowing the skillset of a DK, I like the stam skills/armors/weapons over majicka's. However, why not try it out. Do a majicka DK and see the difference for yourself and see if you would like it more. Me, personally, I don't understand why someone would use Kragh for a stam DK. Validreth, Skoria and Selene are better sets for damage proc. I don't care much for NMG. With Spriggan, and having Noxious Breath, I'm just going through adds and bosses like a hot knife on butter. Plus, you're only purple. You have to go all gold. Jewelries too, if you can, but gold jewelries are nice to have, but not need to have. However, all gold armors and weapons are a must. Each gold piece boosts weapon damage and your attributes significantly.

AFrostWolf

I'm a Stamina DK tank in subpart gear. (Purple Armor Master and Grothdarr). I can tank really well but am limited in what abilities I can use. There aren't many stamp morphs for DK class skills and I feel like I would enjoy my DK more if I had more access to the class skills instead of having to fill up with weapon abilities.

RABIDxWOLVERINE

I'm a stam DK DPS who is also an Imperial and it comes down to what you want to do... Do you want to conform to a way of play that could be better or would you rather play how you want. Its easy for me I'm not trying to make a better character than everyone else. I'm making a character that I like and that I want. Id say don't conform play how you want to play and screw everyone else. Sure magicka got a boost but what happens next time they get nerfed are you going to want to change again? If that's the case you should just start making alts that's why you have 8-12 slots to use. Me personally I have one character and I play how I want.

Good luck either way!

Valykc

RABIDxWOLVERINE wrote: »

I'm a stam DK DPS who is also an Imperial and it comes down to what you want to do... Do you want to conform to a way of play that could be better or would you rather play how you want. Its easy for me I'm not trying to make a better character than everyone else. I'm making a character that I like and that I want. Id say don't conform play how you want to play and screw everyone else. Sure magicka got a boost but what happens next time they get nerfed are you going to want to change again? If that's the case you should just start making alts that's why you have 8-12 slots to use. Me personally I have one character and I play how I want.

Good luck either way!

That is exactly my thinking but some of my guild members have been giving me crap about being Stam when Magicka is so much better. I made the same arguement that the meta switches between Stam and magic every patch. I like imperial too (mostly for appearance reasons) but I feel like I'm trading damage and sustain for 4-5k more health maybe. I guess I'll try golding my gear and see if I like that. I keep forgetting I made the DK to play how I wanted, thanks!

Valykc

GreenhaloX wrote: »

Well, as a DK, I prefer stam, because knowing the skillset of a DK, I like the stam skills/armors/weapons over majicka's. However, why not try it out. Do a majicka DK and see the difference for yourself and see if you would like it more. Me, personally, I don't understand why someone would use Kragh for a stam DK. Validreth, Skoria and Selene are better sets for damage proc. I don't care much for NMG. With Spriggan, and having Noxious Breath, I'm just going through adds and bosses like a hot knife on butter. Plus, you're only purple. You have to go all gold. Jewelries too, if you can, but gold jewelries are nice to have, but not need to have. However, all gold armors and weapons are a must. Each gold piece boosts weapon damage and your attributes significantly.

Thank you for the response!
I'm pretty broke currently and was saving my gold tempers for BiS gear if I got it but I guess you are right. I mostly run NMG over Spriggans because it's a group buff, not just one to Myself. I mean with Crusher, Kra'gh 1 piece, major fracture, NMG, sharpened weapons (maybe something else I'm forgetting) I sit at around 17k physical penetration without CP added on. Add more Raid Buffs and I felt Spriggans might be over kill. I use Kra'gh on single target fights because I heard it is the best DPS set for Single target applications, for all others I use Velidreth. I have tried Magicka DK in the past and I like them probably equally but I prefer mag Sorc over mag DK so maybe I'll just make a mag Sorc and keep my DK as Stam.

Enslaved

Why not play both?
Keep your Imperial sDK and roll one Dunmer mDK. Its a win-win situation

cpuScientist

I can tell you this much, on the dummies I am getting just about the same DPS on both my stam and mag DK, around 36k, however where my magDK is fully kitted in gold BIS, minus a VMA Flame staff (hundreds upon hundreds of runs and nothing ofcourse) my stam is not so he has room to get higher (he does have vma weapons double dagger but nirn bow). They are both GREAT, it just depends on a few things.

Which do you find funner? Honestly I switch around alot it's why I have a mag and stam of each class.

Are you willing to put up with the weakness of the kits? MagDK is hard to sustain on for new players and no execute makes it get boring for some as the rotation never changes. StamDK is a touch more squishy (use bloodthirst though it's a very small insignificant DPS loss for major survivability boost) and doesn't have quite the AOE potential (breath standard and deadly cloak help this)

I would suggest first staying imperial if the sustain is not too hard for you. DPS on both races is the same if you can sustain. And second leveling up a magDK to try out. You can do so during the jester event or just slowly or get a pal to grind you up in Skyreach, or do what I do for mag and that's just go get skyshards and more books by the time you're done you are close or already 50...

Next patch or the patch after that stam might be boosted and then you're on a slippery silly slope, of dang should I race change again.

Remember it takes time to get good with a class and just because this time around something else gets a little more shiny doesn't mean you should cancel your progress with your current setup.

Valykc

cpuScientist wrote: »

I can tell you this much, on the dummies I am getting just about the same DPS on both my stam and mag DK, around 36k, however where my magDK is fully kitted in gold BIS, minus a VMA Flame staff (hundreds upon hundreds of runs and nothing ofcourse) my stam is not so he has room to get higher (he does have vma weapons double dagger but nirn bow). They are both GREAT, it just depends on a few things.

Which do you find funner? Honestly I switch around alot it's why I have a mag and stam of each class.

Are you willing to put up with the weakness of the kits? MagDK is hard to sustain on for new players and no execute makes it get boring for some as the rotation never changes. StamDK is a touch more squishy (use bloodthirst though it's a very small insignificant DPS loss for major survivability boost) and doesn't have quite the AOE potential (breath standard and deadly cloak help this)

I would suggest first staying imperial if the sustain is not too hard for you. DPS on both races is the same if you can sustain. And second leveling up a magDK to try out. You can do so during the jester event or just slowly or get a pal to grind you up in Skyreach, or do what I do for mag and that's just go get skyshards and more books by the time you're done you are close or already 50...

Next patch or the patch after that stam might be boosted and then you're on a slippery silly slope, of dang should I race change again.

Remember it takes time to get good with a class and just because this time around something else gets a little more shiny doesn't mean you should cancel your progress with your current setup.

Awesome post and yeah I've played every class in magic and Stam past the level 50 mark. I've had issues on the Magicka DK class, usually sustain, I even farmed the lich set cuz of it. I do prefer Stam DK for PvE so I'll just keep practicing. Thank you!

Saint_Bud

Valykc wrote: »

Basically I've been trying to gear up a Stam DK since One Tamriel. At best I'm pulling 22k dps on my robust target dummy with subpar gear (all purple, 5NMG, 2Kra'gh, 3agility, 2 Hundings). I'm planning on race changing from an imperial to a Redguard but since Magicka is better this patch should I cut my losses and just go High elf/dunmer instead and respec?

Stam dk dps is fine, but vma bow and 2 daggers helps a lot. For better gear you can try 5 spriggian 5 hundings/nmg and velidret/selene monstet set sharpend weapons of corse. Also search for alcasts youtube chanel or website, he has nice builds with rota explain for stambuilds.

Valykc

Enslaved wrote: »

Why not play both?
Keep your Imperial sDK and roll one Dunmer mDK. Its a win-win situation

Haha I've played both before ( used to have 5 toons) but deleted all but my DK to keep me from boarding the meta train from week to week, swapping my gear, wasting my money. Really wanted to focus on one toon but I've had the urge to recreate a mag Sorc because that was my favorite class.

Valykc

Saint_Bud wrote: »

Valykc wrote: »

Basically I've been trying to gear up a Stam DK since One Tamriel. At best I'm pulling 22k dps on my robust target dummy with subpar gear (all purple, 5NMG, 2Kra'gh, 3agility, 2 Hundings). I'm planning on race changing from an imperial to a Redguard but since Magicka is better this patch should I cut my losses and just go High elf/dunmer instead and respec?

Stam dk dps is fine, but vma bow and 2 daggers helps a lot. For better gear you can try 5 spriggian 5 hundings/nmg and velidret/selene monstet set sharpend weapons of corse. Also search for alcasts youtube chanel or website, he has nice builds with rota explain for stambuilds.

Awesome, I'll test that out, got some Spriggans pieces in my bank haha.

cpuScientist

Valykc wrote: »

Enslaved wrote: »

Why not play both?
Keep your Imperial sDK and roll one Dunmer mDK. Its a win-win situation

Haha I've played both before ( used to have 5 toons) but deleted all but my DK to keep me from boarding the meta train from week to week, swapping my gear, wasting my money. Really wanted to focus on one toon but I've had the urge to recreate a mag Sorc because that was my favorite class.

Yeah if you don't have VMA gear, get some spriggans and mix it with hundings or vicious if you got the weapons of either set in SHARPENED with kraghs if you have if not veli if not Selene. That works fine until.you get sharpened VMA dual wield.

Cheers man have fun with it. And good on you for not barding the meta trains lol. Also if you like magsorc why not go magSorc stamDK. Switch between em when you get bored lol.

DRXHarbinger

Stamdk is still king in pvp. Absolute turds to try and kill. Oh look major mending and vigor. Plus onslaught gank. Much fun to be had still. My stam dk is enjoying non vet pvp at his lowly level 39 atm.

But make another magdk. You'll have to remorph and level up all the skills etc again anyway. It'll take the same amount of time almost.

OrphanHelgen

You wont get any better dps on magicka setups if your gear combination are just as bad.

Valykc

cpuScientist wrote: »

Valykc wrote: »

Enslaved wrote: »

Why not play both?
Keep your Imperial sDK and roll one Dunmer mDK. Its a win-win situation

Haha I've played both before ( used to have 5 toons) but deleted all but my DK to keep me from boarding the meta train from week to week, swapping my gear, wasting my money. Really wanted to focus on one toon but I've had the urge to recreate a mag Sorc because that was my favorite class.

Yeah if you don't have VMA gear, get some spriggans and mix it with hundings or vicious if you got the weapons of either set in SHARPENED with kraghs if you have if not veli if not Selene. That works fine until.you get sharpened VMA dual wield.

Cheers man have fun with it. And good on you for not barding the meta trains lol. Also if you like magsorc why not go magSorc stamDK. Switch between em when you get bored lol.

Thanks! I think I will haha!

jakeedmundson

my main was an orc dk since eso was released on console...
I got tired of the stam build (plus i'm leveling a stam sorc anyway so my gear will just transfer straight over)
So i race changed to magicka...and its great.
You can tank, heal AND dps most dungeons if you just swap gear and skills. (healing obviously is the weakest of those three but i still heal dailies just fine)

bottom line... for me it was worth the switch. but dps will probably not change much between the two. They both have their merits.

Valykc

DRXHarbinger wrote: »

Stamdk is still king in pvp. Absolute turds to try and kill. Oh look major mending and vigor. Plus onslaught gank. Much fun to be had still. My stam dk is enjoying non vet pvp at his lowly level 39 atm.

But make another magdk. You'll have to remorph and level up all the skills etc again anyway. It'll take the same amount of time almost.

Yeah onslaught is awesome for Stam DK PVP
But if I did switch to magic it wouldn't be too bad, I had this toon magic for awhile as well. Just got get Destro from 47 to 50 for cheese Ult haha.

I think I'll stay Stam though, sustain is better in my opinion.

HatchetHaro

Stam DKs are actually best at tanking as well, and if you need to ever switch things up and try tanking, all you have to do is swap out some gear.

It's how I run my stam DK; I can tank or dps any dungeon, depending on what is needed.

I suggest you try out loadouts and test your potential before committing to a racechange. You can still do pretty well without the optimal race for your role.

Vapirko

Well golding out weapons at least can help a decent amount. If youre weapons are NMG then you can go ahead and gold those out because theyll work with TFS. I think that Velidreth monster set is better than Kra'ghs, so that might help. 22k dps on a target dummy with no buffs is pretty good.

I_killed_Vivec

Enslaved wrote: »

Why not play both?
Keep your Imperial sDK and roll one Dunmer mDK. Its a win-win situation

This is exactly what I did a while ago.

My main since beta was an Imperial DK - back then there were caps so you didn't have to choose but when they started meddling I chose a Stam build (I'm a dual-wielder), and struggled for a while until I went big on crit. Even more fun when Wrothgar came out and I could go Hundings/Briarheart ...

Then I started a dunmer mag DK - all fire, tons of dots... mobs melt away

Going back to my stam DK these days it is true that mobs take longer to kill but it's just a different style of play, she still gets the job done.

The difficulty is in remembering that one character plunges right in and starts swinging, the other lays down a wall of fire before closing at a more leisurely pace

ZOS_JohanaB

A few comments have been removed for bait and rude comments. In the future please remember to be civil, and constructive while following the Community Rules.