Finally comes the Magblade. I've done quite a bit of reading into this class. Everyone says it is the hardest to get value out of, will take a lot more practice to do well with, etc, etc. In addition to that... I find their skills to be aesthetically boring, they all look very similar, and don't have the same sort of feel that Sorcs or Templars have. For these reasons and more I didn't want to like Magblade… but alas... I do. The tools they have are fun and allow for some tricky plays (shade, cloak, etc), they have mobility even apart from shade/cloak on skills like lotus fan which teleport you to your target, and all-in-all, they just seem to have a lot of potential. That being said, what worries me is the number of people who tell me they are currently weak, they can't do a lot of dmg anymore, their bow ability is hard to generate and easy to avoid, they 'rely' on cloak to stay alive and are very squishy/easy to kill, they can't do much for their group in Cyrodiil/group pvp other than pick off stragglers or people in the backline, etc, etc.. I've only been playing this game for a couple of months now so idk how much of this is true.
Finally comes the Magblade. I've done quite a bit of reading into this class. Everyone says it is the hardest to get value out of, will take a lot more practice to do well with, etc, etc. In addition to that... I find their skills to be aesthetically boring, they all look very similar, and don't have the same sort of feel that Sorcs or Templars have. For these reasons and more I didn't want to like Magblade… but alas... I do. The tools they have are fun and allow for some tricky plays (shade, cloak, etc), they have mobility even apart from shade/cloak on skills like lotus fan which teleport you to your target, and all-in-all, they just seem to have a lot of potential. That being said, what worries me is the number of people who tell me they are currently weak, they can't do a lot of dmg anymore, their bow ability is hard to generate and easy to avoid, they 'rely' on cloak to stay alive and are very squishy/easy to kill, they can't do much for their group in Cyrodiil/group pvp other than pick off stragglers or people in the backline, etc, etc.. I've only been playing this game for a couple of months now so idk how much of this is true.
I can only comment on this part. Sadly its mostly true. If you go full glass canon the damage a magblade can do is quite excellent but also very predictable. You are forced to use a flame staff to get the most out of this playstyle. However anyone with a character build well enough to survive your main burst rotation (heavy attack into flame reach into light attack into swallow soul into killer's blade) you are mostly powerless against.
Magblades have excellent 'evasive' survivability thanks too pretty much limitless use of cloak and very nice mobility while you are cloaked. However when cloak is hard-countered you die in 2 seconds.Also while you are cloaked you don't actually do any damage, so in for example specific battlegrounds where you are forced to play very defensively you end up with a very low team contribution due to being cloaked so much.
Weakness of the spec is terrible survivability without cloak. No self-heals other than some weak hots tied to your damage (and a cloak morph that takes away the most advantageous skill of the class), no damage shields. So you are forced to either use the fairly crappy light armor damageshield, or a restoration staff. Shade teleport seems nice on paper but due to its short duration is often not available when you need it. The reworked 'bow ability' Merciless Resolve, well some people like it. I have always hated the skill and don't use it myself. You have to keep track of the duation, hit with enough light attacks (quite hard in pvp), and the bow finale is easily avoided.
Melee magblade is pretty much dead unfortunately. Damage is too low, melee weapons don't scale with magicka/spellpower and survivability is too bad to stick around in melee. Apparently some people are making a magblade brawler build without cloak work, but I have no idea how.
Overall when you compare traditional flame staff with light armor magblade to typical melee/bow medium armor stamblade, you get a tiny bit more ranged burst as a magblade, more use of cloak, but far less overall survivability and staying power.
I was hoping this community could weigh in and perhaps provide some insight that might help me finally make a decision!
There's a few things that I value. The first is how 'fun' the playstyle of the most viable builds are. Obviously this is subjective but I'd still like hearing opinions from those of you who have played each of these classes in pvp substantially as to why you find a particular build/class to be more fun than others... your reasoning may or may not resonate with me.
Magblade.
People will complain about how hard the class is to manage at first... but it’s the funnest spec I’ve played and I have one of every class mag and Stam. (Not yet necro).
You have to be preemptive, quick and dedicate to kills. Your survivability has different options... invis cloak or a hot cloak with added mitigation. You will need to tinker a bit to find your sweet spot.
Procing the bow and lining up combos will keep you interested and the huge numbers when you do will keep you happy.
You can play stand up, invis, gank, Bomber.
This patch you have the option of going full dot build with dumb pressure or traditional burst setup. You can also throw on an array of proc sets that synergies well with the spec.
You get to kite and juke people with shade... “cool plays”
Yup.
Magblade.
People will complain about how hard the class is to manage at first... but it’s the funnest spec I’ve played and I have one of every class mag and Stam. (Not yet necro).
You have to be preemptive, quick and dedicate to kills. Your survivability has different options... invis cloak or a hot cloak with added mitigation. You will need to tinker a bit to find your sweet spot.
Procing the bow and lining up combos will keep you interested and the huge numbers when you do will keep you happy.
You can play stand up, invis, gank, Bomber.
This patch you have the option of going full dot build with dumb pressure or traditional burst setup. You can also throw on an array of proc sets that synergies well with the spec.
You get to kite and juke people with shade... “cool plays”
Yup.
Wow thank you (and everyone else) for your response! Magblade is definitely looking like the premier option now! I guess my question is... how 'tanky' can you be on one? Someone else responded saying that they are quite a bit more tanky in Elsweyr than in previous patches, but why? What makes them more tanky now than before? Can they survive 2 or 3 people on them at once and still land a kill... and how would they go about doing so? What abilities would you use for this type of play? Also any tips on a suggested build/playstyle would be greatly appreciated Also, are there multiple options in terms of usable Ults for a 1vX magblade? I see most builds use two Nightblade ults, do any builds incorporate maybe the Psijic ult or Meteor or Dawnbreaker or are you more or less better off always just using the two nightblade ults?
Interestingly enough, Sorc became more intriguing and Magplar became less intriguing from this thread. Magplars not being able to escape (though I feel like their mobility isn't too bad with explosive/toppling charge and slotting RAT), not being as bursty, and not being as flashy in the way they go about their kills, along with being harder to 1vX on... makes them lose ground to Sorc in my eyes but I must say, Magblade is currently ahead of Sorc. Hoping to finalize a decision by the time I get home to play tonight.
Magblade.
People will complain about how hard the class is to manage at first... but it’s the funnest spec I’ve played and I have one of every class mag and Stam. (Not yet necro).
You have to be preemptive, quick and dedicate to kills. Your survivability has different options... invis cloak or a hot cloak with added mitigation. You will need to tinker a bit to find your sweet spot.
Procing the bow and lining up combos will keep you interested and the huge numbers when you do will keep you happy.
You can play stand up, invis, gank, Bomber.
This patch you have the option of going full dot build with dumb pressure or traditional burst setup. You can also throw on an array of proc sets that synergies well with the spec.
You get to kite and juke people with shade... “cool plays”
Yup.
Wow thank you (and everyone else) for your response! Magblade is definitely looking like the premier option now! I guess my question is... how 'tanky' can you be on one? Someone else responded saying that they are quite a bit more tanky in Elsweyr than in previous patches, but why? What makes them more tanky now than before? Can they survive 2 or 3 people on them at once and still land a kill... and how would they go about doing so? What abilities would you use for this type of play? Also any tips on a suggested build/playstyle would be greatly appreciated Also, are there multiple options in terms of usable Ults for a 1vX magblade? I see most builds use two Nightblade ults, do any builds incorporate maybe the Psijic ult or Meteor or Dawnbreaker or are you more or less better off always just using the two nightblade ults?
Interestingly enough, Sorc became more intriguing and Magplar became less intriguing from this thread. Magplars not being able to escape (though I feel like their mobility isn't too bad with explosive/toppling charge and slotting RAT), not being as bursty, and not being as flashy in the way they go about their kills, along with being harder to 1vX on... makes them lose ground to Sorc in my eyes but I must say, Magblade is currently ahead of Sorc. Hoping to finalize a decision by the time I get home to play tonight.
UppGRAYxDD wrote: »As a magplar main since console launch, Ide have to agree that magblade is the best for your situation. Cloak is the best ability in the game for 1vX and with the changes to lotus fan, I feel melee magblade might be alot better this patch. If you are wanting the most versatile class thou, Magplar hands down. You can tank, heal, or dps in PvP simply with changing gear/CP/mundus stone/etc. The problem with magplar in PvP is the time to kill is miles lower then Sorc or Blade...
UppGRAYxDD wrote: »As a magplar main since console launch, Ide have to agree that magblade is the best for your situation. Cloak is the best ability in the game for 1vX and with the changes to lotus fan, I feel melee magblade might be alot better this patch. If you are wanting the most versatile class thou, Magplar hands down. You can tank, heal, or dps in PvP simply with changing gear/CP/mundus stone/etc. The problem with magplar in PvP is the time to kill is miles lower then Sorc or Blade...
brandonv516 wrote: »I spend months away from my Magsorc - I come back and pick it back up for easy kills and great survivability. It gets boring fast.
brandonv516 wrote: »I spend months away from my Magsorc - I come back and pick it back up for easy kills and great survivability. It gets boring fast.
That's what I'm afraid of. I can see it getting very repetitive very fast and thus become very stale.
brandonv516 wrote: »I spend months away from my Magsorc - I come back and pick it back up for easy kills and great survivability. It gets boring fast.
That's what I'm afraid of. I can see it getting very repetitive very fast and thus become very stale.
Probably, but it is stronger. I’d say between 1/4 to half of battlegrounds are sorcs and that’s the reason. Easily the strongest pvp class.
brandonv516 wrote: »I spend months away from my Magsorc - I come back and pick it back up for easy kills and great survivability. It gets boring fast.
That's what I'm afraid of. I can see it getting very repetitive very fast and thus become very stale.
Probably, but it is stronger. I’d say between 1/4 to half of battlegrounds are sorcs and that’s the reason. Easily the strongest pvp class.
brandonv516 wrote: »I spend months away from my Magsorc - I come back and pick it back up for easy kills and great survivability. It gets boring fast.
That's what I'm afraid of. I can see it getting very repetitive very fast and thus become very stale.
Probably, but it is stronger. I’d say between 1/4 to half of battlegrounds are sorcs and that’s the reason. Easily the strongest pvp class.
I don't doubt that but I have never based my decision to play a particular class solely on how strong it is (hence the criteria I mentioned in my initial post). Its an extreme example but would you play a class that had one ability, but that ability immediately one-shot anyone regardless of their gear, class, skill, etc as soon as you pressed it? Probably not... at least not after you had your 'fun' for 10 minutes and started getting bored to death. Again... a bit extreme, but it helps show how a classe's strength is far from being the sole determiner of someone's decision to play it.
I just need a class to be viable, have 1vX capability, be able to survive 1v3 if played well and with an ideal gear/skill setup, be capable of 'outplaying' opponents, have some variety in terms of the builds/setups it can realistically run so it doesn't get stale... and if 2-3 classes can do all of these things then I pick the one that is the most fun.
I was hoping this community could weigh in and perhaps provide some insight that might help me finally make a decision!
There's a few things that I value. The first is how 'fun' the playstyle of the most viable builds are. Obviously this is subjective but I'd still like hearing opinions from those of you who have played each of these classes in pvp substantially as to why you find a particular build/class to be more fun than others... your reasoning may or may not resonate with me.
go sorc. Lord Tareq allready gave u a pretty accurate description of the situation. magblade and magtemplar are both viable choices as healers at high mmr bg but if it comes to group utility templar beats ur both other choices while if it comes to 1 vs x sorc beats the other two. sorcs are currently at the top of the foodchain(as they were allmost forever in eso).
strong burst, good escape, good for 1 vs x, its strong in bg becouse of its usefullness in group situation. u can also type in forums weakest classes 2019 or strongest classes 2019 to furthermore gain opinions about this matter.
u can watch alcast videos to decide about ur class if u still cant decide. hes very good in bg. he also have magplar and magblade videos. in the following video hes not even using the meta which is petsorc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wd_PnShGcg&t=38s
Waffennacht wrote: »brandonv516 wrote: »I spend months away from my Magsorc - I come back and pick it back up for easy kills and great survivability. It gets boring fast.
That's what I'm afraid of. I can see it getting very repetitive very fast and thus become very stale.
Probably, but it is stronger. I’d say between 1/4 to half of battlegrounds are sorcs and that’s the reason. Easily the strongest pvp class.
I don't doubt that but I have never based my decision to play a particular class solely on how strong it is (hence the criteria I mentioned in my initial post). Its an extreme example but would you play a class that had one ability, but that ability immediately one-shot anyone regardless of their gear, class, skill, etc as soon as you pressed it? Probably not... at least not after you had your 'fun' for 10 minutes and started getting bored to death. Again... a bit extreme, but it helps show how a classe's strength is far from being the sole determiner of someone's decision to play it.
I just need a class to be viable, have 1vX capability, be able to survive 1v3 if played well and with an ideal gear/skill setup, be capable of 'outplaying' opponents, have some variety in terms of the builds/setups it can realistically run so it doesn't get stale... and if 2-3 classes can do all of these things then I pick the one that is the most fun.
That's why NB. Sorc has a few different build options, but practically all DDs boil down to pet vs non pet build. Even then the difference really is just the pets.
NB has way more variety in terms of bar differences and why it is probably the most suggested class for you
Waffennacht wrote: »brandonv516 wrote: »I spend months away from my Magsorc - I come back and pick it back up for easy kills and great survivability. It gets boring fast.
That's what I'm afraid of. I can see it getting very repetitive very fast and thus become very stale.
Probably, but it is stronger. I’d say between 1/4 to half of battlegrounds are sorcs and that’s the reason. Easily the strongest pvp class.
I don't doubt that but I have never based my decision to play a particular class solely on how strong it is (hence the criteria I mentioned in my initial post). Its an extreme example but would you play a class that had one ability, but that ability immediately one-shot anyone regardless of their gear, class, skill, etc as soon as you pressed it? Probably not... at least not after you had your 'fun' for 10 minutes and started getting bored to death. Again... a bit extreme, but it helps show how a classe's strength is far from being the sole determiner of someone's decision to play it.
I just need a class to be viable, have 1vX capability, be able to survive 1v3 if played well and with an ideal gear/skill setup, be capable of 'outplaying' opponents, have some variety in terms of the builds/setups it can realistically run so it doesn't get stale... and if 2-3 classes can do all of these things then I pick the one that is the most fun.
That's why NB. Sorc has a few different build options, but practically all DDs boil down to pet vs non pet build. Even then the difference really is just the pets.
NB has way more variety in terms of bar differences and why it is probably the most suggested class for you
Are there any solid builds that utilize perhaps a SnB backbar instead of the resto backbar, or non-class ultimates? Is there any reason to go Vampire or just stay normal? I believe I will be committing on the NB tonight.
Waffennacht wrote: »brandonv516 wrote: »I spend months away from my Magsorc - I come back and pick it back up for easy kills and great survivability. It gets boring fast.
That's what I'm afraid of. I can see it getting very repetitive very fast and thus become very stale.
Probably, but it is stronger. I’d say between 1/4 to half of battlegrounds are sorcs and that’s the reason. Easily the strongest pvp class.
I don't doubt that but I have never based my decision to play a particular class solely on how strong it is (hence the criteria I mentioned in my initial post). Its an extreme example but would you play a class that had one ability, but that ability immediately one-shot anyone regardless of their gear, class, skill, etc as soon as you pressed it? Probably not... at least not after you had your 'fun' for 10 minutes and started getting bored to death. Again... a bit extreme, but it helps show how a classe's strength is far from being the sole determiner of someone's decision to play it.
I just need a class to be viable, have 1vX capability, be able to survive 1v3 if played well and with an ideal gear/skill setup, be capable of 'outplaying' opponents, have some variety in terms of the builds/setups it can realistically run so it doesn't get stale... and if 2-3 classes can do all of these things then I pick the one that is the most fun.
That's why NB. Sorc has a few different build options, but practically all DDs boil down to pet vs non pet build. Even then the difference really is just the pets.
NB has way more variety in terms of bar differences and why it is probably the most suggested class for you
Are there any solid builds that utilize perhaps a SnB backbar instead of the resto backbar, or non-class ultimates? Is there any reason to go Vampire or just stay normal? I believe I will be committing on the NB tonight.