New player - mag DK - level 30 and dying

mashugana

What is a good skill/armor set up to get from level 30 to 50? I seem to be dying a lot more once I hit level 30 - i think i need to actually learn how to play now. I've tried going to all out dps, a more balanced mix of self heals and dps to survive, heavy armor, light armor - but if I face 2 or 3 things I really struggle in just a normal fight. I think I do not understand how to balance my buffs, passives, and morphs properly.

Can anyone give me advice on a build or rotation? I just want to do normal PvE content without constantly being on the edge of death all the time so i can learn to play this game

thank you

Narvuntien

Typically the best way to stay alive as a magdk is you use Burning embers to heal, you can recast it for a heal if you are in trouble.

You can use the light armour shield, harness magicka for magic damage defence and Volatile Amor (spiked armor) for physical damage defence.

A trick I used back when I was soloing world bosses was to put a Health Enchantment on my chest piece.

Do you have a food buff it took me until cp 130 before I realised they were a thing you get 5-3K extra health and Magicka.

mashugana

Thank you - this helps a lot

alexj4596b14_ESO

mashugana wrote: »

Thank you - this helps a lot

If you run cauterize and Obsidian Shield together with a descent magkica pool this can heal quite well.

GrumpyDuckling

You can also look into a set like Bahraha's Curse, which will damage enemies and heal you at the same time. Here is the 5th piece bonus:

(5 Items) When you deal damage, you have a 25% chance to create desecrated ground for 5 seconds, which reduces the Movment Speed of enemies within by 70%, damages
them for 860 Magic Damage every 1 second and heals you for 100% of the damage done.
https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Bahraha's+Curse+Set

FrancisCrawford

I always level magicka characters with one destruction and one restoration staff.

A big part of the reason is so that the resto staff skill line is already leveled(ing) when I get started in dungeons via healing. But Mutagen and Healing Ward (the better solo morph but no longer the one I'd prefer for actual dungeon healing) are also nice aids to survival.

JumpmanLane

This ^. We were trained up in MagDk by one of the best on PcNA (won’t name drop). We ran Destro Resto Seducer Desert Rose until around level 30 then SnB SnB until 160cp and we started experimenting with builds.

Embers and Powerlash are incredible heals so run embers, whip, Talons, fossilize Leap, cauterize, coagulating Blood. At any rate.

Embers is a great heal applying it back is a mini instant heal. Fossilize will proc powerlash. (You know fossilize, flame lash, then the next whip will be a powerlash that heals).

Keep cauterize up (along with volatile armor). Use coagulating in a pinch. At level 30 I’d run SnB SnB. Front shield infused maybe. Back shield sturdy for sure. I unno, that’s how we leveled up.

disintegr8

When I started playing I chose stamina class because that is what I used in Skyrim. I had no idea of skills, sets, food or potions, so to stay alive I basically had to run as a hybrid tank - about 70-80% tank and 20-30% DPS just to stay alive.

The trick is to stay alive long enough to kill the enemy. My inexperienced magplar healer used to solo world bosses simply because she stayed alive long enough to whittle away the bosses health - effectively outlasting the boss.

Give yourself a bit more health and make sure you have decent physical and spell resistance - this is often overlooked but helps when running solo.

mashugana

Thank you all! A few questions:

JumpmanLane: Do you mean Sword and Board? I thought a Mag DK was supposed to be in light armor for the passives and use a destro staff. I also thought I put 100% of my points into Magika. Is that my error? When you did SnB from 30-50 what was your basic rotation? Did you put all points in Magika?

Thanks!

Disintegr8: What does 70-80% tank and 20-30% DPS mean? How you split your skills? Armor? What was a typical rotation?

I think I am an idiot. I am running around in light armor, all points in magika, destro staff. It seems like survival is hard from 30-50 so a pure caster set up might now work in those levels. I'm happy to grab an SnB and some more defensive stuff to outlast bad guys. I just do not understand ESO enough to know which abilities and morphs are critical 30-50.

Thanks all. I wonder if a dual wield stamina nightblade might be easier for me to learn. I've read that you just spam steel tornado - maybe that will not be ideal but a good, safe way for me to get to 50 and learn some stuff. Maybe a Mag DK is not a great first toon to get to 50 due to the way you have to balance the abilities.

I wish I was smarter...

Thanks again.

kathandira

mashugana wrote: »

What is a good skill/armor set up to get from level 30 to 50? I seem to be dying a lot more once I hit level 30 - i think i need to actually learn how to play now. I've tried going to all out dps, a more balanced mix of self heals and dps to survive, heavy armor, light armor - but if I face 2 or 3 things I really struggle in just a normal fight. I think I do not understand how to balance my buffs, passives, and morphs properly.

Can anyone give me advice on a build or rotation? I just want to do normal PvE content without constantly being on the edge of death all the time so i can learn to play this game

thank you

Burning Embers Spam!!!

When you cast Burning Embers, it will heal you for a % of the damage dealt upon completion of the timer of the DoT.

You can force the heal to come earlier by re-applying the attack.

Krayl

Yep - spam burning embers. very hard to die if you can repeatedly hit enemies with it. Get harness magicka (light armor skill) ASAP. When soloing you can run the armor skill for your major resistances.

My mag DK is one of my more survivable dps chars just because embers spam can be part of your rotation if you need constant healing. Combined with a shield you'll be good. You could also run cauterize instead of flames of oblivion (if you even have that unlocked yet - its the last skill in the line) that will tick and heal you, but that is the wrong morph for DPS roles...however it's a nice steady heal for soloing.

mashugana

Thanks! I do not understand the shield comment. Are you saying get rid of Destro staff?

Druid40

Are you steadily upgrading your sets every 5-10 levels? Which mundus stone are you using? Are you using food/drinks? This may also be a no/low CP issue because you are new.

mashugana

I keep my gear within 5 levels but I do not really check or understand item sets and such. I have no idea what Mundus stone I use - i did not think that small buff would matter. And I use food and drink when I have it but it is just want i find. I do not know what foods are good for leveling or where to even buy food. I'm level 31 so I have no CP.

I also run out of Magicka quickly at level 31 so I rely a lot on heavy attacks. I'm noticing they do not hit has hard as they used to though.

Basically everything I did to survive from 1-30 is just not killing things quickly or keeping me alive 30+.

I love this game due to its complexity - but it can have a learning curve

JadonSky

mashugana wrote: »

I keep my gear within 5 levels but I do not really check or understand item sets and such. I have no idea what Mundus stone I use - i did not think that small buff would matter. And I use food and drink when I have it but it is just want i find. I do not know what foods are good for leveling or where to even buy food. I'm level 31 so I have no CP.

I also run out of Magicka quickly at level 31 so I rely a lot on heavy attacks. I'm noticing they do not hit has hard as they used to though.

Basically everything I did to survive from 1-30 is just not killing things quickly or keeping me alive 30+.

I love this game due to its complexity - but it can have a learning curve

For magclasses I usually run 5 Seducer and 4 kagrenac's since its easy to craft with all training traits.. Gives really good sustain plus some extra health. Then whatever random jewelry I can find that helps with mag regen/spell damage/ or incease max magika. Then I usually recraft this set every 15 levels. I'm CP 1000 so once I hit 50 I jump to that CP level and just build my class accordingly after that. I can usually grind a new toon in about 3 days (2-3 hours grinding each of those days with xp boost scrolls).

But also like everyone suggested making sure you using the healing version of embers and whip. Also note that embers can be applied to multiple NPCs so you can heal for each NPC you put the DOT on. Then usually any AOE skills to help burn down all the MOBs.

Mudguard

Buy mag-health food at the battleground vendor which is near the way-shrine in your starter city.

Krayl

mashugana wrote: »

Thanks! I do not understand the shield comment. Are you saying get rid of Destro staff?

The light armor skill line has a skill called "annulment" . This will give you a shield that will absorb damage.

Running the draconic armor skill "Spiked Armor" will give you major resistance buffs - 5280 spell and physical resistance. every 660 points of resistance up to 33k reduces damage from physical or magick attacks by 1%, so keeping yourself buffed with this skill will reduce your incoming damage by ~8%

As of a recent update resistances are factored into the damage your shield takes, so running spiked armor with a damage shield will make it stronger. The damage shield strength is also based on your max health so adding some HP will help that out also. Make sure you're using a food buff.

Krayl

Also, if you're somewhat new but have MMO experience it may be taking you some time to get used to this game being more active.

if an enemy is attacking you with the yellow lines coming out from them:

http://forum.guildlaunch.net/6/5/4/2/462456/forums/Gat/Misc/PoweredCUE.jpg

This means they are about to drop a heavy attack on you. You MUST block this, if not roll dodge to avoid it completely. Blocking even without a shield will mitigate the damage substantially.

If an enemy is charging up and has red lines instead of yellow, that means they are executing an attack that you can bash or interrupt. You shoud do this. Archers like to do this a lot and use a 'snipe' skill on you that can easily one shot you if you don't interrupt, block or dodge it.

And then of course obviously avoid the aoes on the ground and other things that telegraph enemy attacks.

Joxer61

This: https://www.xynodegaming.com/burn-dk

While not a levelling build watch the WHOLE vid and gleam from it what you can around why you use each skill and what they give you. Lots of info on how to stay alive and this applies to low levels or max!

keevil111

Don't give up!

My advice to add is make sure you are putting skill points in the passive abilities for each DK line, and also at least the first 3 passives for each armor weight, light, medium, and heavy. There is good damage mitigation in the armor skills.

Sometimes early on it feels like there are not enough skill points to go around so a good way to get a bunch right a way is doing the main quest ( Harborage), Fighter's Guild questline, and Mage's guild. Also finding the skyshards.

The Earthen Heart skill line has a passive skill called Battle Roar. It replenishes health, magicka, and stamina every time you use an ultimate. Use your ultimate more often when facing 3 or more enemies and you will see it working. Dragon Leap is a nice cheap ultimate.

Dragon Blood in the Draconic Power skill line is a nice "oh crap" button, also.



Good luck.