Newbie question regarding build types

tophatsaur

Hello. Eventually I'll be able to play this game, and the one thing that excited me was how customisable the builds are, your class skills only being one part of your character.

However, I am confused by a few aspects. If you are playing a magicka build, does that mean your main weapon MUST be destruction staff? I understand you could use any other weapon, but because their skills cost stamina, would there be any reason to? It strikes me as odd that therefore Bretons, altmer, dunmer and argonians would all be restricted to one weapon type. And how do magicka tank builds work, since shields are stamina?
Thank you for any help.

jlboozer

You can frost staff tank now, so that's a thing I guess. It is better (imo) to go with your weapon type, but not mandatory. A lot of magsorc builds run duel wield on overload bar for 2 pc set bonus. Its up to you...

BlackSparrow

Heh, yeah. Some good Magicka-based melee weapons have been on the community wish-list since launch.

You can equip stamina weapons on a magicka build--I have two Magicka builds back-bar Sword-and-Shield for tanking--but the biggest issue is not the skills, but rather the sustain. See, heavy weapon attacks restore either stamina (for melee weapons and bows) or magicka (for staves). If most of your skills are magicka-based, having no way to restore magicka in a fight can be deadly... which is why at least one of your two weapon bars should be staves, for sustain.

(A note, since you're new: "back-bar" refers to a second weapon slot that opens at level 15. At that point, you can have up to two weapon specs equipped, and swap between them and their skill bars as needed).

The other issue is that your stamina weapons will do awful damage, since melee/bow weapon damage is based on your max stamina pool, so don't expect to be a magicka DPS build with a melee weapon. Like I said, I have two magicka builds who back-bar Sword-and-Shield, mostly for the higher defense and the melee taunt on the Sword-and-Shield skill line. It's actually pretty handy to be a magicka build in tanking, because it means you can use the stamina bar for tanky things (blocking, interrupting, and taunting) and pull freely from your magicka for heals and DPS, all simultaneously.

Generally, though, at least one of your two weapons should be a staff, so you can regenerate magicka in a fight and do some magicka-based damage if you need to.

Also... don't focus so much on races unless you're super into high efficiency builds. Yeah, those races are going to be better at magicka, but races are just four passives, so it doesn't make that much of a difference what race you pick for stamina vs magicka builds.

GeorgeBlack

Even though it seems like there is a variety of builds, the truth is that in PvP and group PvE you have about 4 options if u want to be competative.

Magika users Use staffs and Dualswords for more agro stats.
Tanky magika users use shield and staffs and heavy armor.
All the builds use Shuffle (medium armor active skill which gives 15-20% Evasion of any damage/effect for 20-30s)

Stamina users go 2handed in PvP and dualwield mostly in PvE

All builds in pvp are 95% the same mechanic.

tophatsaur

Thanks for the responses. It's a shame that being a spell sword would never be viable like it is in Skyrim, Oblivion or Morrowind. I suppose complete freedom of choice just doesn't work as well in an MMO like it does in a single player game, so there must be some limitations.

I guess I will just stick to stamina builds for now since they seem to have more choice!

moonio

I'm not new but was wondering about a redguard magsorc is it worth a try?

tophatsaur

Oh, that reminds me of another question. How do stamina sorcerers work? I can only find a single ability that can be morphed into costing stamina, unlike dragonknight which gets two.

jlboozer

moonio wrote: »

I'm not new but was wondering about a redguard magsorc is it worth a try?

Go High Elf...unless you don't care about being the best magsorc.

Khenarthi

tophatsaur wrote: »

Hello. It strikes me as odd that therefore Bretons, altmer, dunmer and argonians would all be restricted to one weapon type.

This only applies if you want to be on the top of leaderboards for PVP or PVE, or make it through to very selective elite groups. Most content in the game won't require that level of min-maxing... I have several mage Khajiit (at least one of each class) and they do just fine for most content up to normal trials and veteran dungeons. My one hard limit is my own clumsyness.

Hallothiel

I too wish you can be a proper spellsword.

Have a dw mage that I love playing. But then again I am never going to do endgame stuff with her so don't care.....

Khenarthi

tophatsaur wrote: »

Oh, that reminds me of another question. How do stamina sorcerers work? I can only find a single ability that can be morphed into costing stamina, unlike dragonknight which gets two.

My stamsorc uses mostly weapon skills for damage, and class skills for self buffs and utility. That one stamina morph is priceless.

I think only nightblades and wardens get 3 stamina morphs, but I may be wrong.

IronCrystal

tophatsaur wrote: »

Oh, that reminds me of another question. How do stamina sorcerers work? I can only find a single ability that can be morphed into costing stamina, unlike dragonknight which gets two.

Most stamina versions of classes depend mostly on Weapon abilities as the majority of class abilities are magicka based. You will tend to notice most stamina builds are mostly the same except for 2-3 abilities that differ between classes.

Also, just because a spell costs magicka doesn't mean you can't use it on a stamina toon. You have magicka as well, just not a lot of it and it won't regen as fast.