Magic or Stam Nightblade for trials, which would you prefer in your group?

Valykc

I want to level a Nightblade but I’m torn between magic and stam. Correct me if I’m wrong but from what I’ve seen it looks like stam has higher dps but magic has better sustain and survivability (shields), is that correct? Obviously one is range and another is melee. I’m just curious as to what hidden variables I may be missing such as group support, utility, etc.

As always, thanks for the advice!

Strider__Roshin

If you consider yourself to be a top tier player then go stam. If you think you're "good or above average" then go magicka. Stamblades are very powerful, but they require perfection.

Valykc

Daus wrote: »

If you consider yourself to be a top tier player then go stam. If you think you're "good or above average" then go magicka. Stamblades are very powerful, but they require perfection.

I would not say I am am top tier, i’ve had some moments where I was able to shine and prevent wipes, or times when dps in the group is so low that it simply hurts my dps to keep reviving others. I am certainly a competent player and I am always striving to improve and provide the group with more utility and damage output. That was the reason I am switching to a Nightblade, they seem more to have better actives and passives for being a DD. I played a StamDK DD for months and they have strong DoTs but the lack of an execute could really be felt in the ends of fights when it could speed things up, and some execute phases deal loads of damage. Nightblades also have the passive for major resolve and major wars which I did not run on my do because it would take up a bar spot. I also had a MagSorc DD using pets and necro but I don’t get as high dps numbers on the Sorc. I was just curious as to what the community thought about this after I saw how powerful a stamblade was with War Machine but due to some mechanics that Magicka is usually more survivable. Thanks for the advice.

LiquidPony

Magicka Nightblade

I've mained a stamblade since forever, so I'm partial to that spec, but if I'm assembling a raid group I'd rather have a magblade.

Stamblade is hard to play well. Group should have a stamplar for PotL and then as many stamDKs as possible since stamDKs do better DPS with no sustain issues and the easiest rotation in the game.

Now, if I know someone who I know is a very skilled stamblade (60k+ raid parses) and they're running War Machine, they're more than welcome to join. But there aren't many players in that boat.

SoLooney

Magicka Nightblade

magblades for sure, ranged and provide good group buffs. stamblade just takes a stam dk or a stamplar spot

rossk25

Magicka Nightblade

Magblades are much more survivable and provide buffs to group.

Go stamblade if you want higher DPS.

Morgul667

Stamina Nightblade

Id stay stamblade if you know your stuff

KingYogi415

It depends if you are willing to spend 10 hours finding mages guild books or not...

Jonno

Magicka Nightblade

Stambblade is higher DPS Magblade More Survivable both are the hardest classes to play well and take a lot of dedication to get good at.

I voted magblade due to your comment about surviving and ressing people

Valykc

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone!

Jonno

Magicka Nightblade

Valykc wrote: »

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone!

did you make a decision?

Valykc

Jonno wrote: »

Valykc wrote: »

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone!

did you make a decision?

Not really yet, I talked to one of the leads in my raid guild and he said that they are the hardest rotations to do (like you said). He said that StamBlade is higher DPS but doesn’t provide anything for the group. I mainly liked StamBlade for the War Machine set but he said I could go StamPlar and do the same thing and also bring power of the light. But like I mentioned, I liked StamBlade for the execute and passives. I do consider my self better with Stam classes but I’m probably going to think about it some more. I think the Nightblade class is neat, especially the Magicka Verison, so maybe I’ll just level one and worse case scenario is I can use it for PvP.

Oreyn_Bearclaw

Magicka Nightblade

Nightblade is the hardest class to play for either magic or stam, and I would say that second place isnt even that close from a difficultly standpoint. People will make the distinction between magic and stam in a group, but the reality is the distinction is Ranged vs. Melee. It just so happens that most groups fill their range spots with magic NBs and Sorcs, and their melee spots with stamnina toons, with DKs being the most popular.

From a magic standpoint. They are comparable to a magic Pet sorc, perhaps a bit ahead in single target and a bit behind in AOE, but Pets arent always viable. They are ahead of a non-pet sorc and any other ranged magic option. Their surviability and mobility are excellent, but as stated it is far and away the most difficult magic rotation. A good magic NB will always have a raid spot. Perhaps the thing I love most about magic Nighblade is that you dont have to heavy attack. The potential downside is that the rotation is very fast paced (some people love that part).

From a stamina standpoint. On paper, NBs might actually be in first place, but in real life, DKs are the obvious choice. You could train a gibbon to do the stam DK rotation, where as maybe 1 player out of a 100 can make a pass at the stamblade rotation. Stamblade is really the only non circular stamina rotation, which makes it much more difficult. If you are going stamblade, you had better be in the top 1% of competitive players from skill standpoint, because you are going to be competing with 50K+ DPS stam DKs for the job. If we take wardens out of the equation, stamblade is probably the stamina class you see least at endgame.

You are correct as stated that magic has more survivability and stam has more DPS, but that is basically true of any class. My advice would be start with magic. NBs (both magic and stam) live and die by their weaves because of Relentless/Merciless. Magic is going to be easier to learn, but the skills are largely transferable if you want to make the jump to stam at some point.

Also, for what its worth, a lot of players, myself included, are working on their mageblades right now. I have been at if for about 2 days now and am hitting around 38k self buffed on a dummy. That is definitley ahead (at least for me) of any other magic class that isnt a super cheesy double pet sorc HA build. I have been playing sorcs for a long time, since way before it was popular. I have never been a huge fan of pets, but the damage was too good to pass up. I finally feel like I have a viable ranged DPS option that doesnt involve herding cats.

Valykc

Oreyn_Bearclaw wrote: »

Nightblade is the hardest class to play for either magic or stam, and I would say that second place isnt even that close from a difficultly standpoint. People will make the distinction between magic and stam in a group, but the reality is the distinction is Ranged vs. Melee. It just so happens that most groups fill their range spots with magic NBs and Sorcs, and their melee spots with stamnina toons, with DKs being the most popular.

From a magic standpoint. They are comparable to a magic Pet sorc, perhaps a bit ahead in single target and a bit behind in AOE, but Pets arent always viable. They are ahead of a non-pet sorc and any other ranged magic option. Their surviability and mobility are excellent, but as stated it is far and away the most difficult magic rotation. A good magic NB will always have a raid spot. Perhaps the thing I love most about magic Nighblade is that you dont have to heavy attack. The potential downside is that the rotation is very fast paced (some people love that part).

From a stamina standpoint. On paper, NBs might actually be in first place, but in real life, DKs are the obvious choice. You could train a gibbon to do the stam DK rotation, where as maybe 1 player out of a 100 can make a pass at the stamblade rotation. Stamblade is really the only non circular stamina rotation, which makes it much more difficult. If you are going stamblade, you had better be in the top 1% of competitive players from skill standpoint, because you are going to be competing with 50K+ DPS stam DKs for the job. If we take wardens out of the equation, stamblade is probably the stamina class you see least at endgame.

You are correct as stated that magic has more survivability and stam has more DPS, but that is basically true of any class. My advice would be start with magic. NBs (both magic and stam) live and die by their weaves because of Relentless/Merciless. Magic is going to be easier to learn, but the skills are largely transferable if you want to make the jump to stam at some point.

Also, for what its worth, a lot of players, myself included, are working on their mageblades right now. I have been at if for about 2 days now and am hitting around 38k self buffed on a dummy. That is definitley ahead (at least for me) of any other magic class that isnt a super cheesy double pet sorc HA build. I have been playing sorcs for a long time, since way before it was popular. I have never been a huge fan of pets, but the damage was too good to pass up. I finally feel like I have a viable ranged DPS option that doesnt involve herding cats.

Great information. I played a MagSorc pre-Morrowind but hated the pet playstyle but did it because, like you said, the damage was to good to pass up. When Morrowind dropped I took a break because I was unhappy with the massive sustain changes (I was fine with some but not all).

I came back and felt like my Sorc build did low damage and had low sustain (even in full divines necro) so I made my MagDk dps into a Stam Dk dps. I found the Stam playstyle pretty fun, I enjoyed having to dodge attacks instead of playing at range and spamming Force pulse. However, I got very bored with the DK rotation, I also disliked its lack of an execute. So that’s why I was looking into StamBlade. However I am thinking about leveling a StamPlar instead but they seem to be in the same spot as StamDK, with no execute and possibly boring rotation but maybe more fun because of keeping up Power of the Light. However that gives me a few questions? Can you run multiple StamPlars in a group or will Power of the Light not stack thus being pointless to have more than one?

I kind of gave up on MagBlade after watching the rotation, I figured I could do the same with my Sorc but also provide Off Balance when needed.

Mainly I liked the War Machine set and was looking for a Stam Class to synergize it with.

Jonno

Magicka Nightblade

PotL doesnt stack so only 1 stamplar needed

you can use magblade with master architect providing the same buff as stamblade

Valykc

Jonno wrote: »

PotL doesnt stack so only 1 stamplar needed

you can use magblade with master architect providing the same buff as stamblade

Dang, then StamPlar is out. And yeah I thought about running architect on a MagBlade earlier but a guildie said it is wonky on ranged builds? I’ll just level a Nightblade and decide at some point what to do haha. Thanks!

redspecter23

Magicka Nightblade

Mag NB provides a higher margin for error. You can more easily deal damage at range which is important for some vet trials. Shield access can help with survivability especially if you're still learning any given trial. Access to destro ultimate can be a huge boon if the group is on the lower end for dps. Stack a few of those up and trash melts away.

If you're extremely experienced and/or the rest of the trial group is, then you can do as well or better with a stam NB. Your defenses won't be as solid so your playskill will have to compensate.

waitwhat

Spend time on a PvE stamblade though. It makes you better at all the other classes in a unique way, being so unforgiving that your positioning and situational awareness become perfect. It's one of those classes that "builds character" in the way my dad used to mean.

SirAndy

Valykc wrote: »

I want to level a Nightblade

By the time you are done leveling you should have all skills and morphs unlocked for both. It's easy enough to respec.

That way, you can figure out which one you like better and fill either role ...

rossk25

Magicka Nightblade

You can always switch between Mag and Stam.


Play one class, see how you like it and then switch to other.

With my nightblade, I kind of started off as stamina but ultimately decided on magicka as i had more fun and was more survivable (On one bar i have many skills from the Shadow skill line).

Valykc

rossk25 wrote: »

You can always switch between Mag and Stam.


Play one class, see how you like it and then switch to other.

With my nightblade, I kind of started off as stamina but ultimately decided on magicka as i had more fun and was more survivable (On one bar i have many skills from the Shadow skill line).

Yeah, I’m the same way. I played both before, had multiples of every class at level cap but I was wasting money rehearing them all so I deleted everything but my main DK but quickly regretted that decision and now I’m releveling classes again. Out of all the classes I’ve played, I had the most fun with MagBlade. That was more for PvP then PvE though.

Valykc

SirAndy wrote: »

Valykc wrote: »

I want to level a Nightblade

By the time you are done leveling you should have all skills and morphs unlocked for both. It's easy enough to respec.

That way, you can figure out which one you like better and fill either role ...

Yep that’s what I’ll do!

Izaki

Magblade is more wanted in raids for sure.

Stamblade is on the lower spectrum of DPS among stamina classes in raids (don't let 3mil dummy parses fool you). The survivability is fine however. Most stamina classes are actually more tanky than magicka classes nowadays, due to Deadly Cloak.