Need help with Magic DK

FlamingPug

I’m a reterning player that’s been gone from the game for about a year. Coming back and enjoying the game again and playing for a dark elf magic DK pvp. The game has changed a lot though and sustain is noticilbly more difficult. I’m using sword and shield on the front bar and resto on back. 2piece Valkyn Scoria, 5x Silks of Sun and 5x Innate Axiom. It’s good for damage but I’m having sustain issues. Not a vampire and thinking I might have to become one. Spell damage enchants on all jewlery. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to improve sustain? Thanks =D

Taylor_MB

Shameless plug to my build thread (gameplay and build videos included!).

Specifically regarding your sustain problem, you absolutely need percentage based cost reduction on a MagDK if you plan on solo or small scale PvP. Your options are;
1) Light armour
2) Seducers
3) Alteration Mastery

MagDK's skills are prohibitively expensive and got hit hardest by cost reduction being removed from CP system. If you are wearing heavy armour, Seducers gives you more sustain then even Lich (assuming pretty liberal use of expensive skills like Talons, Coagulating, Inhale, Wings). Personally I would recommend light armour, even in a 5-1-1 setup you are still getting a huge 10% cost reduction, combine that with Atronach mundus and careful usage of pots and ultimates and that is as much sustain as you need.

Alteration Mastery is another good set that pairs well with DK's Battle Roar passive, it reduces all your ability costs and allows for more frequent ultimate usage boosting sustain even more.

Hope that helps!

FlamingPug

Thanks I’ll look into that set. I was thinking of farming for amber plasm. Also have a set of lich that I was considering using in conjunction you would use seducers over lich?? I’ve also looked at possibly using desert rose, withered hand or arch mage and bump up the cp that increase magic return on heavy attacks. just not too sure about those sets yet. I’m currently 5-1-1 5 light for undaunted. I guess I could switch to atronoch as well. Using apprentice atm, usually don’t like changing that if I can help it. I’ll try that set though

Etaniel

There's a couple ways to go about it.
Since launch I've preferred the s&b option and getting my sustain through sets like desert rose, syrabane, blackrose or bloodthorn. They've all had changes and a more or less effective today.

Something like 5 desert rose + 5 impregnable armor + undaunted set (5 light armor) still works well today in outnumbered situations.
You can use bloodspawn to increase your survivability and sustain through faster ultimate gain, or Thurvokun if you want to trap enemy players in small corridors and debuff them using banner/ chocking talons and being a great help to your group that way. Skoria for some burst damage and extra hp.

I also like to play Destro/resto with something similar to your setup, very high damage with relatively low sustain so that fights end very quickly before you run dry. The resto staff gives you access to healing ward which can give you a bit of extra time to heal up with dragon blood, heavy resto attacks to increase sustain and more ulti regen if you consider that range attacks allow you to start regaining ulti faster than if you only have melee weapons.
In this setup you can try the golden food which gives you max health, max magicka as well as health and magicka regen. That will give you something around 1350 magicka regen unbuffed, which will go higher with the continuous attack buff and potion usage.

Enslaved

Seducer is not bad choice, but I like alteration better. It will make your ultimates slightly cheaper (6%), so you would be able to use them slightly more frequent compared to when you don't use alteration. On the other hand, bloodthorn is a set that will give you more spell damage and magicka and also a bit of stamina regen, that is great for breaking free and similar necessities.

josiahva

with a magicka DK, you MUST use a lot of heavy attacks, personally I dont use S&B for this very reason...I am willing to give up the extra defense to be able to restore magicka on either bar(would rather have the extra healing and extra resource return from heavy attacks than the extra defense from S&B). Its true I am less tanky...but very bursty, its a trade off for your play style.

GreenhaloX

Just spam Burning Talons, Fossilize and Lashes; this is practically what all MagDKs do in PvP and laughing away while killing others.

Hamrb

regen on some jewelry will help, as well as some resto heavy attacks. vamp could also be helpful like you said