Question on Crit-focused build

lukoi

Gang, as always, I come here for the more experienced and nuanced understanding of the game that many here bring to the table.

My next char will be a crit-focused build, and debating between DW (which I believe given the off-hand will give more likelihood of landing crits) or 2H (which I believe would give bigger damage burst when the crit lands).

Can anyone shed some light, or some metrics over time that might help me make the decision here? Thanks.

AcadianPaladin

Can't help too much on weaponry. All my builds use either dual staves or dual bows. Lol.

Regarding crit though, I like the extra bonus to healing that crit provides to sorcs who use Surge. Basically, you heal on every crit. My sorcs always makes sure to have a high crit % and if I was looking for a crit-focused build, I'd look hard at a sorc.

Insco851

Pve or pvp

lukoi

Insco851 wrote: »

Pve or pvp

Well I would like it to be capable of both relatively well (and will ultimately have a PvE set for it and PvP set for it), but more min-maxed for PvP than PvE.

Nestor

It is easier, given the passives to have high critical chance with DW. So, that would be the way I would go. Plus you can, well, have to, have two different enchant effects.

Now, there is no reason to not go DW on one bar, and 2H on the other. So you can have it both ways. Also, DW does have some nice ranged attacks, so you dont have to use a Bow for that.

In summation, run both of your choices.

lukoi

Ah yea, that's obvious....duh on my part. I should have clarified I intend to run Bow on the back bar, but I do see your point :P

Naftal

You don't want to run a crit build in pvp. Everyone are running Impenetrable armors.

lukoi

Naftal wrote: »

You don't want to run a crit build in pvp. Everyone are running Impenetrable armors.

Yea, I'm aware. Humor me :P

susmitds

Naftal wrote: »

You don't want to run a crit build in pvp. Everyone are running Impenetrable armors.

Wrong Info, you can run high crit build in pvp as well. You just need to have high enough weapon damage and penetration to go with it. However, usually this means going full glass cannon.

susmitds

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/477361/stamina-nightblade-critical-beast-build-for-pvp-elsweyr#latest

This is crit focused PvP build for Elsweyr. Needs updating to this patch due to the various skill and gear changes, which I will do soon. But the concept remains the same.

lukoi

@susmitds thanks for thr build suggestion. Like the granular info and I see you lean DW in regards to my OP.

tsaescishoeshiner

For PvP, what you want is Critical Damage, not Critical Chance. 3300 Critical Resistance reduces incoming critical modifiers by 50% - so a 150% critical damage strike deals only 100% damage. Adding 20% Critical Damage increases your critical damage against high-impen targets by 20% (170% - 50% = 120%).

Weapon damage and penetration are less useful than critical damage in THIS case, since the bonuses they give you will be mitigated by crit resistance. But u still want them anyway, I just wudn't choose them over critical damage

Minor Force and Shadow Mundus are both used in PvE, but are imho necessary to for good PvP crit builds. Being Khajiit and NB/Templar also help hugely. I got up to 197% critical damage on a build like this in no-CP PvP, and 40% crit chance was about enough.

A precise 2H Sword will make for some disgusting Dizzying Swings on a build like this : p If you can land them

Iskiab

For a crit focused build you can be either DW or 2 hander, it’s to you. With DW you’ll be be using hidden blade and the aoe execute. 2h dizzy swing, crit surge and executioner.

As someone else said go with shadow mundus and minor force for crit modifier, but where I disagree is race.

Stick with maxing weapon damage, go orc, and instead of focusing on crit chance go with automatic crits instead (automation). The trick is to tank crit in a sense and focus on weapon damage and crit modifier, that way when you do crit it’ll be deadly.

lukoi

Iskiab wrote: »

For a crit focused build you can be either DW or 2 hander, it’s to you. With DW you’ll be be using hidden blade and the aoe execute. 2h dizzy swing, crit surge and executioner.

As someone else said go with shadow mundus and minor force for crit modifier, but where I disagree is race.

Stick with maxing weapon damage, go orc, and instead of focusing on crit chance go with automatic crits instead (automation). The trick is to tank crit in a sense and focus on weapon damage and crit modifier, that way when you do crit it’ll be deadly.

Did you mean Automaton? That adds 400 wpn damage. What you are describing sounds more like Mechanical Acuity (15% chance for 5s of pure crits each time you deal direct damage), which indeed seems pretty potent.

Thanks.

WeylandLabs

Ummm ?

You know there are deminishing returns on critical damage. 👌

tsaescishoeshiner

Shokasegambit1 wrote: »

Ummm ?

You know there are deminishing returns on critical damage. 👌

There are diminishing returns on everything. Thread is about a crit build, not an overall best build

jaws343

You could always try out the build I am going to attempt on my kajhit. Gryphon's ferocity and senche's bite. Minor force on direct damage and 12% increase to crit damage after a dodge roll.

lukoi

I appreciate set advice but my question was about DW vs 2H (with Bow as the likely back bar).