Magicka Nighblade or Sorcerer?

Mat7itan

I haven't played ESO in a while, and I never really got into it before, but now that I have a new PC built for gaming I figured I'd come back and really give the game a shot. That being said I can't decide if I want to play as a Magicka Nightblade or a Sorcerer. So what do you prefer? Which does more damage, which is more fun, which is better for PvE and PvP, which is better for solo play, which is better for group play, and which do you think works best as a vampire (I plan on becoming a vampire). If you have any other class recommendations I am open to those too. Unfotunately Magic and Dual Swords really doesn't work together or I would do that. (I know about Stam sorcs, but they just don't seem to do a ton of damage unless I just haven't found a good build for them).

dpencil1

Stam sorcs are strong in PvP, a little less so in PvE, but still a good choice. Nightblades are made for stealth. Lots of cloaking and sneaking to get the jump on enemies. Magicka Sorc was king of all content in Homestead and, while not quite so far ahead of the pack now, is still probably the most well rounded damage dealing class to play. You can solo a large amount of group content on a mSorc. Some people do successfully run dual weild swords in PvP, so that's a possibility (not to actually use the swords or their skills, but for the extra stat and set bonuses).

So yeah, do yourself a favor and roll a mSorc. You won't be sorry.

P.S. And yes, you can be a vampire.

Morgul667

Sorcerer is getting a lot of attention since homestead, it is strong so everybody either loves it or hates it.

Sorcerers use pet, shields, lightings
Nightblades, are more shadow and assassination styles

Char balance is changing every other patch so I would play what style I like most.

davey1107

They play very differently. I recommend rolling one of each, then playing them to level 10ish. Both come intomtheormbread and butter skills early, so you can get a good idea of how they play pretty quickly.

Sorcs are considered "stronger" all around right now, and magblades are considered one of the weaker classes in both pve and pvp. However, I've played long enough to know that ZOS is always nerfing the OP class and buffing ones that underperform, so I always recommend just playing the one that seems more fun.

For me, I flipping hate playing magsorc. I just do. It's a boring, monotonous poncy grind to me, lol. But I recognize they're powerful, and that a lot of people looooooove playing magsorc. I love my Nightblades, which some people dislike. It's great that the game can create enough uniqueness to make the classes distinct.

Because you mention it, you might also try stam sorc up to level 10ish too. They play utterly different from magsorc, and I love my stam sorc. One reason they're way different is that magsorcs draw from their class skills heavily for their damage abilities. Stam sorcs won't use those abilities, as they're all magic. Instead, they draw from mostly weapon abilities for dps, with a lot of buffs coming from class skills. And no, they are NOT low damage. Set up correctly, they pump out the Dps.

You might also check out the Morrowind pve builds for those classes at alcasthq.com. You don't have to use a cookie cutter build, but his builds give insight into what skills a vet player of any class will be looking at for their setup. If if those abilities seem fun, there's a better chance you'll like that class. If they seem boring, maybe it's not the class for you.

drakhan2002_ESO

If I were choosing between the two, given the current state of the game as it is right now, I'd go with the magicka sorcerer. Super powerful class - both AoE and single target. However, you are a bit of glass cannon - if you don't have a good rotation or make a mistake you're probably going to be taking a dirt nap. But...once you get your rotation down and figure out how to really play the class you will feel like you're melting through mobs...fast.

Gorilla

If you are looking to do vet trials on a competitive basis, MSorc is likely the better choice. Otherwise, I recommend Magblade because it is so much fun. I find it has more utility and build choices. It's not as powerful, but that only comes into play with vet trials, VMSA, and soloing vet dungeons. And some would say not even the latter, since you can sneak through and open chests in many, lol.

I play both extensively and I like both so its down to how you play. If you are going to level quickly and don't want to feel underpowered in those situations I mention, then go with the Sorc. If not, go with NB,.