Magic Nightblade Megathread

bubbygink

NightbladeMechanics wrote: »

Cloak still needs some fixes, but I've found it much more reliable this patch than in previous patches. I use it and mist form together sometimes, and that works well.

The thing to remember is not to expect cloak to work without setting it up some first. Don't spam it in enemies' faces. Use shade to gain distance, mist to line of sight, a cc to push people back, or some other method to gain some space before you cloak. Considering how strong complete invisibility is, I think this is fair.

TLDR cloak feels really good to me right now. A few more fixes for specific things that break it, and it'll be good to go.

I agree that cloak can be used very effectively when combined with mist form and shade but the issue is I don't think it is feasible to fit all 3 on your bars. Because of the snares in cyro I really feel married to mist form and just cannot take it off my bars. Because I'm running necro, shade is must. So I really just can't find room for cloak. I suppose if I switched out nerco for either than new +400 magic spell damage set in Morrowind or finally got a BSW sharpened flame staff I would drop necro/shade and possibly make room for cloak. I guess the point that I'm trying to make is that, to me, cloak is still currently a niche skill that I can never really fit on my bars - that is why I suggested a possible snare purge for it so it could replace mist form on my bars. I hope cloak feels more useful in Morrowind. I do have a feeling it will be very useful in Battlegrounds.

ArgoCye

Another issue with the Templar's ability Eclipse being reworked to really only affect range mNBs - and affect them badly. Having a class ability with purge will be more important than ever lest this class become more handicapped.

Merciless Resolve is clunky if you are playing with a high ping and firing off Assasins Will is unreliable. It would be nice to play with a latency under 100ms, but you dont get that playing outside the US. So ZoS needs to fix it for all players.

NightbladeMechanics

You can dismount from your horse while cced by agony, and then break free. Dk's fossilize cc works the same way. I don't think it would be too much to ask for break free to work while mounted.

But that's a minor qualm with the skill. More than anything, the cc shouldn't be broken by the next incoming instance of damage.

I also believe both morphs need additional features in addition to not breaking instantly before I anticipate anyone using them in PvP. My suggestions:

Agony:
This morph is now a stamina ability.
Cost: stamina
Range: 28 meters
Reach through an enemy's shadow and slice his hamstrings (imagine that animation ) to cut them to the ground, stunning them for 20 seconds, dealing XXXX disease damage per second for 4 seconds, and healing you for the damage dealt. The stun breaks after the enemy takes 6k damage. If the enemy breaks the stun themselves, you gain Major Berserk for 1.5 seconds.

The dot and heal last only 2/3 as long as cc immunity, incentivizing ccing on cooldown and chaining the effect on multiple enemies if they are present for a maximum uptime and stacking heals. Major Berserk is a strong buff, so the enemy has a serious decision to make about cc breaking. It's a short duration, though. If the stamblade wants to take advantage of the buff, he must stop fighting for a moment to avoid breaking the cc himself -- a good time to cloak and either buff up or start charging that heavy attack -- and then pounce right when the enemy breaks free.

Malefic Wreath:
Cost: magicka
Range: 28 meters
Shackle an enemy in torment, fearing them in place for 20 seconds. The fear ends after the enemy takes 6k damage. If the stun breaks to incoming damage, the enemy takes an additional XXXX burst magicka damage, and you heal for the damage dealt.

This is the opposite. Mageblade suffers in open world from lack of burst damage which layers into the same global cooldown as other attacks, and from lack of a burst heal. Now I'm not about to give the class either without abundant counterplay and some cool mechanics and decision making. This ability incentivizes the mageblade to go all out aggressive. You had better pop that assassin's will immediately if you want your extra burst because he's waiting with his finger over the break free button. But if you pull off a quick combo when the enemy isn't expecting a cc, this ability would enable the mageblade to turn fights against overaggressive enemies with a quick nuke and heal, and potentially chain bursts across multiple opponents for successive nukes to put them on the defensive and heals to keep alive.

Thoughts?

MisterBigglesworth

For mobility, I would suggest a change to Summon Shade: allow teleporting for the base skill and both morphs.

• One morph deals extra damage.
• The other morph deals no damage but it's invisible.

As others have said, it also needs some sort of range indicator.

Lendill

Lol i just created a magblade few weeks ago, enjoyed siphoning attacks and now it also gets nerfed. Let´s see what will happen in the next month otherwise maybe better uninstall.

NightbladeMechanics

MisterBigglesworth wrote: »

For mobility, I would suggest a change to Summon Shade: allow teleporting for the base skill and both morphs.

• One morph deals extra damage.
• The other morph deals no damage but it's invisible.

As others have said, it also needs some sort of range indicator.

Range indicator would be nice, but there's an element of skill to not having one. Adding one would lower the nightblade skill cap in yet another way... Do you want to teleport to the enemy when melee shades are on him? I'd be down for that.

I also want the double shades morph to get buffed. I've recommended having the second shade apply a second debuff before in order to really add some utility to that skill. The shade could be colored differently. Minor vulnerability or both minor penetration debuffs would be awesome, and the aggressiveness would work well if we're enabling a port-to-melee feature. It would need to be both minor penetration debuffs in order to be useable by both stamina and magicka nightblades. This is a utility spell. Both morphs should be useful to both magicka and stamina players.

PS4_ZeColmeia

I like your analysis but disagree with your conclusions.

With the new +Magic damage set, NB should be the masters of magic damage since that's all we do (we need a just magic damage staff and wardens need a earth (which is what resto should become), with magic staff assisting dots/hots and nature being the current resto staff).

My general thought, after adjusting staves to line up to class/guild/world damage types and then making them and 2h count for 2 item slots, is that NB need a couple of things.

1) with the changes in cost to Strife, I want the 2 group HOTs back for funnel health, swallow soul should have a 20 second duration to ease rotation when focused on yourself.

2) Grim focus needs to auto recast with the spectral bow firing, again to ease rotation

3) Path of Darkness needs a 20s duration, for rotation. I also think radius should be 10% bigger but this is not critical.

4)Allow shades to proc leeching strikes to replenish for .33 the value (this inheriently makes dark shades a better morph for tanks and makes up for the healing strength drop with certain set/healing combos, while DPS builds will only get marinally as much benefit by going the other morph. I realize numbers might need slight adjustment with this in mind. This would really give our "pet" some actual value in groups.

5) In lieu of (4), update refreshing shadows to bonus to give a +10% bonus while in stealth, or allow NBs to regain 10% stamina while in stealth and moving

6) Dark Veil should be 10% and 20%

7) Hemmorage should affect magic as well

8) Pressure points 438 and 657

9) agree with your master assassin comment

Vampire

1) All vampire skills currently do not remove you from crouch when cast. Allow 50% of stealth bonuses to be applied to these skills. I think ultimates would be the only thing that would need some adjustment to damage levels.

2) make savage feeding a single rank and change name to lich. Make all magicka and stamina skills scale off of max health as a resource and cost health. Health recovery is increased by 50% and also functions like a additional rank of unnatural resistance and undeath (60% health trigger). Healing recieved is reduced by 75% except from drain essence.

3) Make Unnatural Resistance 2 ranks. Rank 1 is the same as now, Rank 2 is only active in stage 4 vampirism and makes it function in rank 2 (whereas currently it makes it function in rank 3)

This effectively makes vampires function in 2 gameplay styles: you risk health which makes you more vunerable to damage but become harder to kill and drain essence and HPrecovery are the only effective ways to heal or you just augment your current build.

This would offer playstyle options like the WW morphs but be focused around sustain and types of resources instead of increasing damage.

Khajiit

Carnage needs to also include magic

Staff
1) Count as 2 item set slots, also 2h
2) Resto should be nature magic, same bonuses and passives
3) Destro should have a new staff for magic damage, applies blind as status effect (5%), Tri focus fully charged heavy attacks grants minor evasion for 6s, ancient knowledge +12% dam/heal dots/hots
___

Although the vampire, Khajiit and Staff changes would affect everyone, there are some changes that augment the NB playstyle and skills very well. The changes to the NB skills would be minor, but make a huge difference our effectiveness to DPS. I think this would balance us as the pure DPS/Magic class while Sorc (lightning/Magic), DK(fire/magic), Templar (Nature/Lightning/Magic), Warden (Nature/Cold/Magic) and bring us more in line with Sorc damage but with a much different playstyle.

Lexxypwns

Right now as a DVA main I feel reduced to a DM bot. All I'm good for is standing in the back of a group using DM and that's not what a dive tank is supposed to be about. The Mech is squishy and once out of the mech you die immediately if focused.

NightbladeMechanics

PS4_ZeColmeia wrote: »

I like your analysis but disagree with your conclusions.

With the new +Magic damage set, NB should be the masters of magic damage since that's all we do (we need a just magic damage staff and wardens need a earth (which is what resto should become), with magic staff assisting dots/hots and nature being the current resto staff).

My general thought, after adjusting staves to line up to class/guild/world damage types and then making them and 2h count for 2 item slots, is that NB need a couple of things.

1) with the changes in cost to Strife, I want the 2 group HOTs back for funnel health, swallow soul should have a 20 second duration to ease rotation when focused on yourself.

2) Grim focus needs to auto recast with the spectral bow firing, again to ease rotation

3) Path of Darkness needs a 20s duration, for rotation. I also think radius should be 10% bigger but this is not critical.

4)Allow shades to proc leeching strikes to replenish for .33 the value (this inheriently makes dark shades a better morph for tanks and makes up for the healing strength drop with certain set/healing combos, while DPS builds will only get marinally as much benefit by going the other morph. I realize numbers might need slight adjustment with this in mind. This would really give our "pet" some actual value in groups.

5) In lieu of (4), update refreshing shadows to bonus to give a +10% bonus while in stealth, or allow NBs to regain 10% stamina while in stealth and moving

6) Dark Veil should be 10% and 20%

7) Hemmorage should affect magic as well

8) Pressure points 438 and 657

9) agree with your master assassin comment

Vampire

1) All vampire skills currently do not remove you from crouch when cast. Allow 50% of stealth bonuses to be applied to these skills. I think ultimates would be the only thing that would need some adjustment to damage levels.

2) make savage feeding a single rank and change name to lich. Make all magicka and stamina skills scale off of max health as a resource and cost health. Health recovery is increased by 50% and also functions like a additional rank of unnatural resistance and undeath (60% health trigger). Healing recieved is reduced by 75% except from drain essence.

3) Make Unnatural Resistance 2 ranks. Rank 1 is the same as now, Rank 2 is only active in stage 4 vampirism and makes it function in rank 2 (whereas currently it makes it function in rank 3)

This effectively makes vampires function in 2 gameplay styles: you risk health which makes you more vunerable to damage but become harder to kill and drain essence and HPrecovery are the only effective ways to heal or you just augment your current build.

This would offer playstyle options like the WW morphs but be focused around sustain and types of resources instead of increasing damage.

Khajiit

Carnage needs to also include magic

Staff
1) Count as 2 item set slots, also 2h
2) Resto should be nature magic, same bonuses and passives
3) Destro should have a new staff for magic damage, applies blind as status effect (5%), Tri focus fully charged heavy attacks grants minor evasion for 6s, ancient knowledge +12% dam/heal dots/hots
___

Although the vampire, Khajiit and Staff changes would affect everyone, there are some changes that augment the NB playstyle and skills very well. The changes to the NB skills would be minor, but make a huge difference our effectiveness to DPS. I think this would balance us as the pure DPS/Magic class while Sorc (lightning/Magic), DK(fire/magic), Templar (Nature/Lightning/Magic), Warden (Nature/Cold/Magic) and bring us more in line with Sorc damage but with a much different playstyle.

Pretty much everything you said except the minor passive changes would be ridiculously op in PvP.

NightbladeMechanics

ArgoCye wrote: »

Another issue with the Templar's ability Eclipse being reworked to really only affect range mNBs - and affect them badly. Having a class ability with purge will be more important than ever lest this class become more handicapped.

Merciless Resolve is clunky if you are playing with a high ping and firing off Assasins Will is unreliable. It would be nice to play with a latency under 100ms, but you dont get that playing outside the US. So ZoS needs to fix it for all players.

ZOS should not balance around ping, as ping is not a game feature.

Everything is clunky in lag. If ZOS were to alter one skill because of lag, they'd have to alter all of them, and eventually we'd just end up lightning staff heavy attacking each other from the tops of keep walls.

MisterBigglesworth wrote: »

For mobility, I would suggest a change to Summon Shade: allow teleporting for the base skill and both morphs.

• One morph deals extra damage.
• The other morph deals no damage but it's invisible.

As others have said, it also needs some sort of range indicator.

Just practice with it and get a feel for its range... Why should the game hold your hand?

NightbladeMechanics

bubbygink wrote: »

NightbladeMechanics wrote: »

Cloak still needs some fixes, but I've found it much more reliable this patch than in previous patches. I use it and mist form together sometimes, and that works well.

The thing to remember is not to expect cloak to work without setting it up some first. Don't spam it in enemies' faces. Use shade to gain distance, mist to line of sight, a cc to push people back, or some other method to gain some space before you cloak. Considering how strong complete invisibility is, I think this is fair.

TLDR cloak feels really good to me right now. A few more fixes for specific things that break it, and it'll be good to go.

I agree that cloak can be used very effectively when combined with mist form and shade but the issue is I don't think it is feasible to fit all 3 on your bars. Because of the snares in cyro I really feel married to mist form and just cannot take it off my bars. Because I'm running necro, shade is must. So I really just can't find room for cloak. I suppose if I switched out nerco for either than new +400 magic spell damage set in Morrowind or finally got a BSW sharpened flame staff I would drop necro/shade and possibly make room for cloak. I guess the point that I'm trying to make is that, to me, cloak is still currently a niche skill that I can never really fit on my bars - that is why I suggested a possible snare purge for it so it could replace mist form on my bars. I hope cloak feels more useful in Morrowind. I do have a feeling it will be very useful in Battlegrounds.

So then don't use all three. I surely don't. You're right, our bars are too competitive for that.

Make a build which doesn't crutch on cloak or use Necropotence. I agree that we're married to mist form, but we are very much not married to cloak or shade. I only slot cloak if I'm carrying tel var in IC, I never slot shade, and I'm still absolutely crushing it on mageblade.

Mush55

We need alot of love for pve. There's lots that has been posted about the current state of mnb's and some real good ways to improve them.

With the current bottom of the pile dps they put out apart from 4 man vets there is no reason to choose my mnb over my sorc. even the once great sustain has been taken away meaning even lower dps now as resources will be as much as an issue as for everyone else.

A once unique and versatile class has been left behind due to class homogenisation and to be honest my mage blade is in as poor state as templars are.

Ive recently returned to the game but can't see any reason to continue to play or even buy the exp as slowly Zos continue to go on there merry way destroying anything that is different fun and has a niche in game......................

Brrrofski

NightbladeMechanics wrote: »

Regarding merciless:

I am relieved to see no suggestion to remove the need to recast the ability between procs. That recast is core to PvP combat patterns. I've beaten that horse enough on these forums, but I can elaborate if needed.

The .1 second channel time is not a core mechanic, though. I understand the original devs' purpose in forcing mageblades to drop block when firing this ability, but the channel time's only practical implication today, other than confusing new mageblade players, is preventing you from firing the proc at people line of sighting you. There isn't even a significant animation tied to the channel. The big red bow animation comes after the channel and can be animation cancelled consistently once you've mastered the timing.

Merciless is not buggy or clunky once you've practiced with it. It actually works smoothly and consistently. But its intricate mechanics require more learning than most abilities.

Weaving strife...now THAT is clunky and can make merciless and other mageblade abilities feel clunky. This has been has been an issue for a long time, and I'd rather see it addressed than merciless directly.

Making merciless count general direct damage toward proccing would require a nerf to remain balanced, and it would be a bandaid fix to the core issue in the first place. The light attack animations just need to be repaired.

Honestly, on Xbox it flat out doesn't proc sometimes. Pretty often in fact. I know how to use the skill and know when it should be procced. It even makes the noise but casting it simply refreshes it. It's definitely bugged for us.

If that gets sorted, the skill is absolutely fine. I have zero issue with how it functions when it does work.

thankyourat

Lexxypwns wrote: »

Right now as a DVA main I feel reduced to a DM bot. All I'm good for is standing in the back of a group using DM and that's not what a dive tank is supposed to be about. The Mech is squishy and once out of the mech you die immediately if focused.

Lol wrong forums, but DVA is great at flushing out soldier and other DPS from the high ground.

thankyourat

Brrrofski wrote: »

NightbladeMechanics wrote: »

Regarding merciless:

I am relieved to see no suggestion to remove the need to recast the ability between procs. That recast is core to PvP combat patterns. I've beaten that horse enough on these forums, but I can elaborate if needed.

The .1 second channel time is not a core mechanic, though. I understand the original devs' purpose in forcing mageblades to drop block when firing this ability, but the channel time's only practical implication today, other than confusing new mageblade players, is preventing you from firing the proc at people line of sighting you. There isn't even a significant animation tied to the channel. The big red bow animation comes after the channel and can be animation cancelled consistently once you've mastered the timing.

Merciless is not buggy or clunky once you've practiced with it. It actually works smoothly and consistently. But its intricate mechanics require more learning than most abilities.

Weaving strife...now THAT is clunky and can make merciless and other mageblade abilities feel clunky. This has been has been an issue for a long time, and I'd rather see it addressed than merciless directly.

Making merciless count general direct damage toward proccing would require a nerf to remain balanced, and it would be a bandaid fix to the core issue in the first place. The light attack animations just need to be repaired.

Honestly, on Xbox it flat out doesn't proc sometimes. Pretty often in fact. I know how to use the skill and know when it should be procced. It even makes the noise but casting it simply refreshes it. It's definitely bugged for us.

If that gets sorted, the skill is absolutely fine. I have zero issue with how it functions when it does work.

I hate that. sometimes it also changes on your ability bar but when you cast it it just refreshes. The sound also is bugged like you said. Shadow image also has the same problem

thankyourat

Does anyone know if shadow image has a cast time to teleport? I find that if I get hit after I press the teleport button sometimes it cancels my teleport

technohic

Was running around on my magblade yesterday and my problem is ; it has lotus fan, and melee damage abilities but as far as spammable; strife is cheaper, does just a couple hundred less damage, cost less, and is range. Seems like if I were to do something other than gank; there should be a stronger melee range attack if I'm going to gap close an enemy.

Or am I suppose to ignore that and just stay at range spam strife and wait for the spectral bow? Just seems like a waste of having lotus fan and shade which would make for a great hit and run combo.

Having a Templar also; this also makes me think about a lack of magicka melee weapons to support the play style. Ranged weapons have longer heavy attack charges yet this new patch makes heavy attacks more necessary for resources. Particularly for mNB with the gutting of siphoning

Xvorg

technohic wrote: »

Was running around on my magblade yesterday and my problem is ; it has lotus fan, and melee damage abilities but as far as spammable; strife is cheaper, does just a couple hundred less damage, cost less, and is range. Seems like if I were to do something other than gank; there should be a stronger melee range attack if I'm going to gap close an enemy.

Or am I suppose to ignore that and just stay at range spam strife and wait for the spectral bow? Just seems like a waste of having lotus fan and shade which would make for a great hit and run combo.

Having a Templar also; this also makes me think about a lack of magicka melee weapons to support the play style. Ranged weapons have longer heavy attack charges yet this new patch makes heavy attacks more necessary for resources. Particularly for mNB with the gutting of siphoning

Melee mageblade has remained dead the last 4 or 5 patches... no set is gonna change that status.

NightbladeMechanics

Brrrofski wrote: »

NightbladeMechanics wrote: »

Regarding merciless:

I am relieved to see no suggestion to remove the need to recast the ability between procs. That recast is core to PvP combat patterns. I've beaten that horse enough on these forums, but I can elaborate if needed.

The .1 second channel time is not a core mechanic, though. I understand the original devs' purpose in forcing mageblades to drop block when firing this ability, but the channel time's only practical implication today, other than confusing new mageblade players, is preventing you from firing the proc at people line of sighting you. There isn't even a significant animation tied to the channel. The big red bow animation comes after the channel and can be animation cancelled consistently once you've mastered the timing.

Merciless is not buggy or clunky once you've practiced with it. It actually works smoothly and consistently. But its intricate mechanics require more learning than most abilities.

Weaving strife...now THAT is clunky and can make merciless and other mageblade abilities feel clunky. This has been has been an issue for a long time, and I'd rather see it addressed than merciless directly.

Making merciless count general direct damage toward proccing would require a nerf to remain balanced, and it would be a bandaid fix to the core issue in the first place. The light attack animations just need to be repaired.

Honestly, on Xbox it flat out doesn't proc sometimes. Pretty often in fact. I know how to use the skill and know when it should be procced. It even makes the noise but casting it simply refreshes it. It's definitely bugged for us.

If that gets sorted, the skill is absolutely fine. I have zero issue with how it functions when it does work.

I've heard of console bugs with the ability, but I don't play console and had forgotten about them. Sorry. Naturally, any bugs should be fixed.

Brrrofski

NightbladeMechanics wrote: »

Brrrofski wrote: »

NightbladeMechanics wrote: »

Regarding merciless:

I am relieved to see no suggestion to remove the need to recast the ability between procs. That recast is core to PvP combat patterns. I've beaten that horse enough on these forums, but I can elaborate if needed.

The .1 second channel time is not a core mechanic, though. I understand the original devs' purpose in forcing mageblades to drop block when firing this ability, but the channel time's only practical implication today, other than confusing new mageblade players, is preventing you from firing the proc at people line of sighting you. There isn't even a significant animation tied to the channel. The big red bow animation comes after the channel and can be animation cancelled consistently once you've mastered the timing.

Merciless is not buggy or clunky once you've practiced with it. It actually works smoothly and consistently. But its intricate mechanics require more learning than most abilities.

Weaving strife...now THAT is clunky and can make merciless and other mageblade abilities feel clunky. This has been has been an issue for a long time, and I'd rather see it addressed than merciless directly.

Making merciless count general direct damage toward proccing would require a nerf to remain balanced, and it would be a bandaid fix to the core issue in the first place. The light attack animations just need to be repaired.

Honestly, on Xbox it flat out doesn't proc sometimes. Pretty often in fact. I know how to use the skill and know when it should be procced. It even makes the noise but casting it simply refreshes it. It's definitely bugged for us.

If that gets sorted, the skill is absolutely fine. I have zero issue with how it functions when it does work.

I've heard of console bugs with the ability, but I don't play console and had forgotten about them. Sorry. Naturally, any bugs should be fixed.

If it was fixed, it would be fine. I want it to need though to pull off as it does hit hard. Just want it to be but free though

PS4_ZeColmeia

NightbladeMechanics wrote: »

PS4_ZeColmeia wrote: »

I like your analysis but disagree with your conclusions.

With the new +Magic damage set, NB should be the masters of magic damage since that's all we do (we need a just magic damage staff and wardens need a earth (which is what resto should become), with magic staff assisting dots/hots and nature being the current resto staff).

My general thought, after adjusting staves to line up to class/guild/world damage types and then making them and 2h count for 2 item slots, is that NB need a couple of things.

1) with the changes in cost to Strife, I want the 2 group HOTs back for funnel health, swallow soul should have a 20 second duration to ease rotation when focused on yourself.

2) Grim focus needs to auto recast with the spectral bow firing, again to ease rotation

3) Path of Darkness needs a 20s duration, for rotation. I also think radius should be 10% bigger but this is not critical.

4)Allow shades to proc leeching strikes to replenish for .33 the value (this inheriently makes dark shades a better morph for tanks and makes up for the healing strength drop with certain set/healing combos, while DPS builds will only get marinally as much benefit by going the other morph. I realize numbers might need slight adjustment with this in mind. This would really give our "pet" some actual value in groups.

5) In lieu of (4), update refreshing shadows to bonus to give a +10% bonus while in stealth, or allow NBs to regain 10% stamina while in stealth and moving

6) Dark Veil should be 10% and 20%

7) Hemmorage should affect magic as well

8) Pressure points 438 and 657

9) agree with your master assassin comment

Vampire

1) All vampire skills currently do not remove you from crouch when cast. Allow 50% of stealth bonuses to be applied to these skills. I think ultimates would be the only thing that would need some adjustment to damage levels.

2) make savage feeding a single rank and change name to lich. Make all magicka and stamina skills scale off of max health as a resource and cost health. Health recovery is increased by 50% and also functions like a additional rank of unnatural resistance and undeath (60% health trigger). Healing recieved is reduced by 75% except from drain essence.

3) Make Unnatural Resistance 2 ranks. Rank 1 is the same as now, Rank 2 is only active in stage 4 vampirism and makes it function in rank 2 (whereas currently it makes it function in rank 3)

This effectively makes vampires function in 2 gameplay styles: you risk health which makes you more vunerable to damage but become harder to kill and drain essence and HPrecovery are the only effective ways to heal or you just augment your current build.

This would offer playstyle options like the WW morphs but be focused around sustain and types of resources instead of increasing damage.

Khajiit

Carnage needs to also include magic

Staff
1) Count as 2 item set slots, also 2h
2) Resto should be nature magic, same bonuses and passives
3) Destro should have a new staff for magic damage, applies blind as status effect (5%), Tri focus fully charged heavy attacks grants minor evasion for 6s, ancient knowledge +12% dam/heal dots/hots
___

Although the vampire, Khajiit and Staff changes would affect everyone, there are some changes that augment the NB playstyle and skills very well. The changes to the NB skills would be minor, but make a huge difference our effectiveness to DPS. I think this would balance us as the pure DPS/Magic class while Sorc (lightning/Magic), DK(fire/magic), Templar (Nature/Lightning/Magic), Warden (Nature/Cold/Magic) and bring us more in line with Sorc damage but with a much different playstyle.

Pretty much everything you said except the minor passive changes would be ridiculously op in PvP.

Like I said I like the idea for play style, if damage needs tweaking

NightbladeMechanics wrote: »

PS4_ZeColmeia wrote: »

I like your analysis but disagree with your conclusions.

With the new +Magic damage set, NB should be the masters of magic damage since that's all we do (we need a just magic damage staff and wardens need a earth (which is what resto should become), with magic staff assisting dots/hots and nature being the current resto staff).

My general thought, after adjusting staves to line up to class/guild/world damage types and then making them and 2h count for 2 item slots, is that NB need a couple of things.

1) with the changes in cost to Strife, I want the 2 group HOTs back for funnel health, swallow soul should have a 20 second duration to ease rotation when focused on yourself.

2) Grim focus needs to auto recast with the spectral bow firing, again to ease rotation

3) Path of Darkness needs a 20s duration, for rotation. I also think radius should be 10% bigger but this is not critical.

4)Allow shades to proc leeching strikes to replenish for .33 the value (this inheriently makes dark shades a better morph for tanks and makes up for the healing strength drop with certain set/healing combos, while DPS builds will only get marinally as much benefit by going the other morph. I realize numbers might need slight adjustment with this in mind. This would really give our "pet" some actual value in groups.

5) In lieu of (4), update refreshing shadows to bonus to give a +10% bonus while in stealth, or allow NBs to regain 10% stamina while in stealth and moving

6) Dark Veil should be 10% and 20%

7) Hemmorage should affect magic as well

8) Pressure points 438 and 657

9) agree with your master assassin comment

Vampire

1) All vampire skills currently do not remove you from crouch when cast. Allow 50% of stealth bonuses to be applied to these skills. I think ultimates would be the only thing that would need some adjustment to damage levels.

2) make savage feeding a single rank and change name to lich. Make all magicka and stamina skills scale off of max health as a resource and cost health. Health recovery is increased by 50% and also functions like a additional rank of unnatural resistance and undeath (60% health trigger). Healing recieved is reduced by 75% except from drain essence.

3) Make Unnatural Resistance 2 ranks. Rank 1 is the same as now, Rank 2 is only active in stage 4 vampirism and makes it function in rank 2 (whereas currently it makes it function in rank 3)

This effectively makes vampires function in 2 gameplay styles: you risk health which makes you more vunerable to damage but become harder to kill and drain essence and HPrecovery are the only effective ways to heal or you just augment your current build.

This would offer playstyle options like the WW morphs but be focused around sustain and types of resources instead of increasing damage.

Khajiit

Carnage needs to also include magic

Staff
1) Count as 2 item set slots, also 2h
2) Resto should be nature magic, same bonuses and passives
3) Destro should have a new staff for magic damage, applies blind as status effect (5%), Tri focus fully charged heavy attacks grants minor evasion for 6s, ancient knowledge +12% dam/heal dots/hots
___

Although the vampire, Khajiit and Staff changes would affect everyone, there are some changes that augment the NB playstyle and skills very well. The changes to the NB skills would be minor, but make a huge difference our effectiveness to DPS. I think this would balance us as the pure DPS/Magic class while Sorc (lightning/Magic), DK(fire/magic), Templar (Nature/Lightning/Magic), Warden (Nature/Cold/Magic) and bring us more in line with Sorc damage but with a much different playstyle.

Pretty much everything you said except the minor passive changes would be ridiculously op in PvP.

Care to elaborate?

technohic

Merciless resolve seems to not register when you light attack weave. Has anyone noticed that? I've pretty much given up on it.

bubbygink

technohic wrote: »

Merciless resolve seems to not register when you light attack weave. Has anyone noticed that? I've pretty much given up on it.

Are you on console? I'm on Xbox and it works for me the vast majority of the time but, as myself and others have said in this thread, it does glitch out fair frequently on console. Apparently works fine on PC though so not sure what it causing it on console.

CavalryPK

technohic wrote: »

Merciless resolve seems to not register when you light attack weave. Has anyone noticed that? I've pretty much given up on it.

all the time. I think it has something to do with how swallow soul and LA weaving works.

CavalryPK

Rejoice! Siphoning Strikes... have been changed again!

bubbygink

CavalryPK wrote: »

Rejoice! Siphoning Strikes... have been changed again!

@CavalryPK Did they say this on PTS? Did they change it back to duel magicka and stam sustain? If so, that has made my day!

technohic

bubbygink wrote: »

technohic wrote: »

Merciless resolve seems to not register when you light attack weave. Has anyone noticed that? I've pretty much given up on it.

Are you on console? I'm on Xbox and it works for me the vast majority of the time but, as myself and others have said in this thread, it does glitch out fair frequently on console. Apparently works fine on PC though so not sure what it causing it on console.

PC

CavalryPK wrote: »

technohic wrote: »

Merciless resolve seems to not register when you light attack weave. Has anyone noticed that? I've pretty much given up on it.

all the time. I think it has something to do with how swallow soul and LA weaving works.

Yes. Actually noticed it cutting out concealed weapon and just weaving swallow soul. The animation cancel is really fast but the hits are registering and I am chewing through enchants in testing. (will freaking destroy poisons in seconds.)

CavalryPK

bubbygink wrote: »

CavalryPK wrote: »

Rejoice! Siphoning Strikes... have been changed again!

@CavalryPK Did they say this on PTS? Did they change it back to duel magicka and stam sustain? If so, that has made my day!

Said it on ESO live. Its should have a lower cost and give burst resource when it expires . Don't know if it is dual or magicka only.

bubbygink

CavalryPK wrote: »

bubbygink wrote: »

CavalryPK wrote: »

Rejoice! Siphoning Strikes... have been changed again!

@CavalryPK Did they say this on PTS? Did they change it back to duel magicka and stam sustain? If so, that has made my day!

Said it on ESO live. Its should have a lower cost and give burst resource when it expires . Don't know if it is dual or magicka only.

If by expire they mean all 20 seconds have to go by then what a terrible change. As many have said throughout forums, siphoning attacks is too important to ever let it expire. It is often recast every time you LoS and have a free second to spare. I basically never let it expire. I hope it works like rally and gives a burst restore when re-used. That would actually be really interesting. But IMO the duel restore is critical.

technohic

bubbygink wrote: »

CavalryPK wrote: »

bubbygink wrote: »

CavalryPK wrote: »

Rejoice! Siphoning Strikes... have been changed again!

@CavalryPK Did they say this on PTS? Did they change it back to duel magicka and stam sustain? If so, that has made my day!

Said it on ESO live. Its should have a lower cost and give burst resource when it expires . Don't know if it is dual or magicka only.

If by expire they mean all 20 seconds have to go by then what a terrible change. As many have said throughout forums, siphoning attacks is too important to ever let it expire. It is often recast every time you LoS and have a free second to spare. I basically never let it expire. I hope it works like rally and gives a burst restore when re-used. That would actually be really interesting. But IMO the duel restore is critical.

A resource restore similar to Rally would be awesome.