Mag NB vs. Sta, NB - Which is better?

humpalicous

So I've basically created almost every possible build with one exception: The Nightblade.

Seriously, I haven't leveled a NIghtblade to endgame yet (I created 1 which was scrapped for the Warden, since I'm too cheap to buy more slots).

So which would you create as a damage dealer?

Stamina NB?

Or Magicka NB?

Turelus

Depends on you play style and enjoyment really.

I mean on paper one might be better numbers but if you suck at the rotation or play style it won't be.

For me personally I love Magicka Nightblade because I like to play a more wizard based character and Stamina is more assassin/rogue like.

humpalicous

Turelus wrote: »

Depends on you play style and enjoyment really.

I mean on paper one might be better numbers but if you suck at the rotation or play style it won't be.

For me personally I love Magicka Nightblade because I like to play a more wizard based character and Stamina is more assassin/rogue like.

Thanks!

I've always enjoyed magicka based characters more, so I'm leaning more towards Mag NB.

Which one is more user friendly? I don't have the time during the day to practice rotations and become and elite player. I mean I consider myself to be good at this game, but not great by any means.

I'm more casual I guess!

Septimus_Magna

StamBlade has a higher dps potential but its also harder to play. For overland content you do want Vigor if you want to solo world bosses for example.

MagBlade is easier to learn and survive with but your dps will be lower. The advantage is that you get a lot of self-heals which is perfect for solo play.

StamBlade go for Redguard or Khajiit.
Magblade go for Altmer or Dunmer.

Publius_Scipio

Stam NB better if you want to hit harder (but I have seen some "meta" mag NB hit hard too). Mag NB much more sustain and survivability.

humpalicous

Thanks for the replies.

It would seem that Mag NB would be better in my case since I really don't have the time available to practice religiously on the rotations.

Approximately how much lower is the Mag NB dps compared to stam?

Seen Alcast publish Mag NB videos in the new DLC dungeons PTS pull around 40-45k dps, so I guess it's viable?

Axoinus

I would at least START as magika. Most NB skills are mag based. Stamina builds typically don`t mature till later in game.

Also, my opinion is that magblade is a more genuine NB experience.

Nothing wrong with trying both.

IcyDeadPeople

They are both fun. Make two characters.

mb10

LOL someone said stamina nb is harder to play??

If you're talking from a pvp standpoint, it's 1000x easier to play with proc sets and burst damage. Infinite dodge rolls and decent heals.

Mag nb is way more difficult and even in pvp you need a rotation for your attacks. No proper heal and light armour makes you super squishy. The recovery is poor unless you use sets for it but then your damage gets worse.
Skills wise, it's a beautiful class and I wish it was a lot better but atm it's in a bad place imo

Having said that though I'd still pick it over stamina as that's just super boring. Your skill choices are so limited and your playstyle is the exact same as pretty much every other stam NB. Mag NBs have way more variety

Bonzodog01

Magicka would be the far more survivable and easier to play one of the two.

It took me a while before I was brave enough to attempt a stamblade, and it really doesn't become completely playable until you unlock vigor and some of the high level dual-wield and bow skills. Until then, through the levelling process, you are amazingly squishy, and every single mob is a protracted fight.

Also, you have to learn to stealth, a LOT. Stamblades do their highest damage from stealth, and you cannot run around just openly killing everything.

Also, a stamblade can get great advantage from the Blade of Woe to one-hit some mobs.

A proper stealthy assassin class is the hardest playstyle to learn in any MMO, but once you do, its really worth it.

I always tell people to learn the game and its mechanics on a faceroll character such as a Magicka Templar (one button push for everything!), do your main alliances quests, the main story quest, so you can learn them and commit them to memory.

Then, roll a stamblade and try it again, knowing what each quest requires, and where it takes you. Its MUCH harder, but to me, more rewarding.

I have had players watch me and been whispered that I fight dis-honourably, and am a cold blooded serial killer who murders everything giving them NO chance to even defend themselves or fight back.

I think mentally, you need to be something of a sociopath/psychopath to truly have it in you to actually murder other NPC's in game and not feel any remorse about doing so.

The only place where stamblades really suffer is boss fights. Minor bosses (150k health) aren't too much of a problem.

Stealth behind them - Sudden attack (with crit stun) for 40K, then just keep up the SA until they die. Every single one of my SA's will hit for 15-18K once I am out of stealth.

Public dungeon bosses are a dodge roll fest as they have 250K health, and you will run out of stamina before you kill them with SA, so you need to vigor/LA/HA inbetween SA's.

Brutusmax1mus

Lol the guy above me.... infinite dodge rolls and decent heals... how about actually infinite cloak and unbreakable shields?

Op, they are both a ton of fun. Survivability is loads higher on a magicka character in pve. I general there is blow build diversity in magicka for this game too so you can switch up your play style easier.

Malic

Ive had a mageblade since beta, its a blast to play. I play it only in PVP though. Ive tested and screwed around with stam NB I found it to be simple. *shrug* some people like that.

Lord_Eomer

Brutusmax1mus wrote: »

Lol the guy above me.... infinite dodge rolls and decent heals... how about actually infinite cloak and unbreakable shields?

Op, they are both a ton of fun. Survivability is loads higher on a magicka character in pve. I general there is blow build diversity in magicka for this game too so you can switch up your play style easier.

Shields for mag nb are not very strong,

Stam nb are really good in pvp and they still pull higher dps on single target!

Brutusmax1mus

Lord_Dexter wrote: »

Brutusmax1mus wrote: »

Lol the guy above me.... infinite dodge rolls and decent heals... how about actually infinite cloak and unbreakable shields?

Op, they are both a ton of fun. Survivability is loads higher on a magicka character in pve. I general there is blow build diversity in magicka for this game too so you can switch up your play style easier.

Shields for mag nb are not very strong,

Stam nb are really good in pvp and they still pull higher dps on single target!

There are gank builds for every class and spec. my mag nightblade Gank build uses 0 procs and 2 attacks, maybe 3 if i don't 1 shot. Shields are strong If you spec for it, plus you're best defense is a shield followed by a cloak or shade.

I agree with you, both are strong and tons of fun with great options for dps in pvp. I'm not sure of pve mag blade.

Tonnopesce

I have both and honestly the learning curve for pvp is madness on a mag nightblade, litterally every single error can lead into a death. 1v1 is awesome but in open world the invisibility skill is not reliable and that skill is basically the most important one on a nb

Strider_Roshin

Stamblade: better for aggressive players, less forgiving.

Magblade: better for defensive/conservative players, more forgiving.

CavalryPK

Ugh. Stamblade is better for pvp. If you are not marked you literally have full control of your fights. You can burst ppl down super fast, you are super sneaky and can dodge way more then magblades and its difficult to pin you down since you jave shuffle. You one weakness is the piercing mark. Once you are marked you need to runaway and wait for the debuff to go away. A stamblade in the right hands is probably the scariest thing in pvp. And if you have 2 of em its game over.

Magblade is way harder to play. Your bursts come from procing MR. Which in best case scenario is every 5 seconds.... it is easy to pin down magblades alto they have shields and better heals. It does not matter if you are rooted in open world you are dead. In 1vx scenario you for that particular reason you are at a disadvantage.

Once you understand each clases weakness you will be able to use it to your advantage.

To this day stamblades are the harders class for me to fight against. I mean good stamblades not average ones.

max_only

Turelus wrote: »

Depends on you play style and enjoyment really.

I mean on paper one might be better numbers but if you suck at the rotation or play style it won't be.

For me personally I love Magicka Nightblade because I like to play a more wizard based character and Stamina is more assassin/rogue like.

I play my MagNB like an assassin when I solo. If I wanted to be a cloth robed mage I'd roll a sorc.

Strider_Roshin wrote: »

Stamblade: better for aggressive players, less forgiving.

Magblade: better for defensive/conservative players, more forgiving.

This is the only truth so far in this thread.

Mazbt

Try them both out and see for yourself. You don't even need to level a second toon just respec. Different play styles and depending on what you prefer will determine which is actually better.

humpalicous

I should have specified that I don't give two sh*ts about PvP, was mainly asking for tips on the PvE side of things.

But I rolled an Altmer Mag NB to begin with, level 8 now and will soon ask in Craglorn if anyone wants to be my Skyreach Daddy for an hour or two lol.

(can't stand leveling through quests, not again)

Thanks for the help everyone though!

Balsagna

mb10 wrote: »

LOL someone said stamina nb is harder to play??

If you're talking from a pvp standpoint, it's 1000x easier to play with proc sets and burst damage. Infinite dodge rolls and decent heals.

Mag nb is way more difficult and even in pvp you need a rotation for your attacks. No proper heal and light armour makes you super squishy. The recovery is poor unless you use sets for it but then your damage gets worse.
Skills wise, it's a beautiful class and I wish it was a lot better but atm it's in a bad place imo

Having said that though I'd still pick it over stamina as that's just super boring. Your skill choices are so limited and your playstyle is the exact same as pretty much every other stam NB. Mag NBs have way more variety

I'm glad someone said it.

Krayzie

The misinformation in this thread is idiotic, buncha scrubs getting ganked and bombed willing to steer others wrong because of such.

I'll see my way out

Brrrofski

For Pve, magica all the way. Way more fun and easier to do stuff solo.

Balsagna

I'll say, in my opinion, it's harder to be good with a magblade than it is with a stamblade. But, it's easier to play a magblade.

PS4_ZeColmeia

Hybrid

Anysra

It really depends on how you want things to work. I have 2x NB characters. 1x Stam 1x Mag. The Stam one is a Rogue Ninja and the Magblade is a Red Mage. ^^ I play only on the Magblade because I like it more.

ccfeeling

Pve : magblade
Pvp : magblade / stamblade

Stamblade die easily especially in vtrial

Vercingetorix

Stamblade or Magblade?
The correct answer is magSorc.
/thread

agingerinohio

I've been leveling both and by far prefer magblade. The survivability is much better and damage is better. I'm not a fan of stacking proc sets for free damage...just not my play style. The magblade is definitely fun but does require more of a rotation to get optimal damage. Keep that in mind.

Nutshotz

I'd say for pve magblade for pvp it's a toss up.

Pvp magblade I'd say is the hardest to play, you don't have the burst stamblade has.

I love playing magblade so much diversity in pve and pvp and my stamblade is like oh I can either be a proc blade or try and build without the proc blade meta.

Only thing I can say is play how you want and make both and see which one you like best. I have 2 of every class and I enjoy magicka over stam

PlagueSD

Post from another thread. I never played a MagBlade, but my StamBlade has no issue with survivability.

PlagueSD wrote: »

Gromgok wrote: »

OK, thanks for the help! I'm on PC.

Is a dual-dagger thief type pretty challenging to play in solo PvE? I can go tank if need be.

If specced right, it's not. You just need to take the healing morphs. Killer's blade (assasin), Blood Craze, and Bloodthirst (dual Wield), and Funnel Health(siphon). Deadly cloak will reduce AoE damage by 20%. Try to get a 5pc Bahahra's Curse set. You'll be damn near indestructible.

Dual Wield
Ultimate:
Rend: (Morph of Lacerate)

• Slash all enemies in front of you, dealing [x] Physical Damage over [16] seconds and healing you for [50]% of the damage done.
• Increases the duration.

Blood Thirst: (Morph of Flurry) - Spammable

• Flood an enemy with steel, battering them with five consecutive attacks that each deal [x] Physical Damage.
• The final hit deals 300% more damage and heals you for 60% of the damage caused.
• The final hit heals you for a percentage of the damage caused.

Blood Craze: (Morph of Twin Slashes)

• Slice enemy with both weapons to cause deep lacerations, dealing [x] Physical Damage and causing them to bleed for an additional [y] Physical Damage over 9 seconds.
• You also heal for [z] Health every 2 seconds for the duration.
• Also heals you while active.

Deadly Cloak: (Morph of Blade Cloak)

• Create a ring of floating razors around you, dealing [x] Physical Damage to all nearby enemies every 3 seconds for 15 seconds.
• The razors also shield you from shrapnel, reducing the damage you take from area of effect attacks by 20%.
• Increases the damage.

Assassination
Killer's Blade: (Morph of Assassin's Blade) - Finisher

• Thrust a caustic blade with a lethal precision to stab an enemy, dealing [x] Disease Damage. Deals 300% more damage to targets at or below 25% Heath.
• Heals you for 17% Max Heath if the target dies within 2 seconds.
• Converts to a Stamina ability and deals Disease Damage. Also heals you if the target dies within 2 seconds.

Siphoning
Funnel Health - (morph of Strife)

• Steal an enemy’s life force, dealing [x] Magic Damage and healing you and 1 other nearby ally for 25% of the damage inflicted every 2 seconds for 10 seconds.
• Heals yourself and 1 other nearby ally.