Old PVP veteran needs help with Magden

Zardayne

I've been pvping in MMOS since Ultima online and thought I could adapt and make just about any class work but since the Warden's release I've been having hell with the magden. When I'm fighting at range, screaming cliff racer hits like a wet noodle, even with it's ranged damage bonus. I switch over to force pulse or the other and most people easily shake that off too. Generally it's throw the mosquitos and start throwing pebbles. Close range isn't a whole lot better. As I'm waiting 3 seconds for shalks to hit (and I'm lucky to hit when it fires off since a lot changes in 3 seconds) or northern storm to be up, they're eating my lunch. Sure I've got some good heals but people generally burn through them pretty easy too. My issue with the mag version of the class became even more apparent this weekend.

I decided this weekend to make me a new stamden devoted specifically to PVP. At 10 I ran out there in newb gear and grinded to 17. From the time I hit 15 and could weapon swap, the fights became fun. I was noticing even in sub par gear on No CP I was actually hurting people with Cutting Dive and snipe. For the most part people would react when I was hitting them and go defensive. I was actually getting kills. If someone closed into melee, with 2 hander and shalks I was able to hurt and kill people. I still haven't even unlocked reversed slice/executioner or dawnbreaker! All in all it was a totally different experience. I even went back into no cp with my magden and it was painful and even more evident how low my damage was.

So here's where I ask for help from people who are good with magden in pvp. Is there anything I can do to make the mag version fun out there in Cyrodiil. CP or non. I have 825 cp now. As far as stats I hit around 40k in mag and 22-23k in health. I normally run necropotence and the other set I swap around trying to find something that works. I've tried burning spellweave, julianos, pariah (jewelry /weapons just trying to outlast the enemy), bright throat for more sutain mag, mothers sorrow, a few others, along with valkyn Skoria just trying to add more damage and less defense. I run netch and bird of prey for more damage and have added damage on my jewelry. I've even swapped around to different mundus trying to get more. I do run mostly impen on all of my armor since day one. Still I hit like a wet noodle. Help!

I'm at work at the moment so pulling actual numbers can't happen right now.

ItsNotLiving

Zardayne wrote: »

I've been pvping in MMOS since Ultima online and thought I could adapt and make just about any class work but since the Warden's release I've been having hell with the magden. When I'm fighting at range, screaming cliff racer hits like a wet noodle, even with it's ranged damage bonus. I switch over to force pulse or the other and most people easily shake that off too. Generally it's throw the mosquitos and start throwing pebbles. Close range isn't a whole lot better. As I'm waiting 3 seconds for shalks to hit (and I'm lucky to hit when it fires off since a lot changes in 3 seconds) or northern storm to be up, they're eating my lunch. Sure I've got some good heals but people generally burn through them pretty easy too. My issue with the mag version of the class became even more apparent this weekend.

I decided this weekend to make me a new stamden devoted specifically to PVP. At 10 I ran out there in newb gear and grinded to 17. From the time I hit 15 and could weapon swap, the fights became fun. I was noticing even in sub par gear on No CP I was actually hurting people with Cutting Dive and snipe. For the most part people would react when I was hitting them and go defensive. I was actually getting kills. If someone closed into melee, with 2 hander and shalks I was able to hurt and kill people. I still haven't even unlocked reversed slice/executioner or dawnbreaker! All in all it was a totally different experience. I even went back into no cp with my magden and it was painful and even more evident how low my damage was.

So here's where I ask for help from people who are good with magden in pvp. Is there anything I can do to make the mag version fun out there in Cyrodiil. CP or non. I have 825 cp now. As far as stats I hit around 40k in mag and 22-23k in health. I normally run necropotence and the other set I swap around trying to find something that works. I've tried burning spellweave, julianos, pariah (jewelry /weapons just trying to outlast the enemy), bright throat for more sutain mag, mothers sorrow, along with valkyn Skoria just trying to add more damage and less defense. I run netch and burn of prey for more damage and have added damage on my jewelry. I've even swapped around to different mundus trying to get more. I do run mostly impen on all of my armor since day one. Still I hit like a wet noodle. Help!

I'm at work at the moment so pulling actual numbers can't happen right now.

Roll stam its easier and better than the mag classes.

Lughlongarm

-For CP Necropotence is very good(don't like it as much in NO CP). Use master destro front bar(most will go with shock staff), use Balorgh as monster.

-As a back bar set, try using Clever Alchemist/Armor Master/combination of 2 willpower, 3 Blessing of the Potentates.

-Dampen magic is very good this patch, Warden synergies well with high HP pools(no less than 30k in Cyrodiil).

You can use this as a template and adjust to your liking - https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildData?id=246142

Zardayne

Sad thing is I'm not asking to do uber DPS, but if I build specifically for it, I want to actually see some kind of results.

Living you may be right, especially on the warden. I had that impression since day 1 but it has been awhile since I went back to play as a stamden (as I leveled my main I flip flopped a few times leveling all my skills). I was just amazed at how much better my underskilled, underarmored new stamden felt when compared to my loaded magica version that I have a lot more experience on.

ItsJustHashtag

If you plan to play solo don’t play Magden. Save yourself the frustration.

Wing

do what ahtu does, go full tank healer and spam heals in a 24 man raid that also happens to be in a faction stack.

XD

Kadoin

What can make magden OP is simply making sure you do the following:

A. Use ice wall on breach or on a group or enemy
B. Have the magden skill "artic blast"
C. Slot Sellistrix

If you do those three things, then you will be able to play magden far easier. It was true last patch, but this patch Sellistrix procs with a definite chance and definite cooldown, weaved in with artic blast it is impossible to defend against being stunned for long.

After you do those things, adjust defense and damage based on your preference, or slot more proc sets if that is what you like (Winterborn + Sellistrix will give you the most mileage on magwarden for cheese IMO. Always has and always will...well not if ZOS nerfs it.)...

Zardayne

I've thought about trying the ice furnace set with force pulse/crushing shock as a spammable but I'm unsure if that would increase my damage enough to justify farming for it. Same with Winterborn. As far as Balorgh, I've read it's good but I'd hate to build my whole build around an ultimate that might not be up when I need it. Then I'm back to the wet noodle...I guess it would give me more control of when I wanted to have some burst vs a Skoria proc but I still feel any other time my damage would be sub par.

fred4

Lughlongarm wrote: »

-For CP Necropotence is very good(don't like it as much in NO CP).

Agree.

Use master destro front bar(most will go with shock staff),

Agree, agree, agree! Master destro must be PvP meta now. Master destro + Clever Alchemist back bar seems especially popular. Lightning staff is probably optimal. Fire might be a consideration, if you want the reliable stun / knockback from that.

use Balorgh as monster.

Also agree when you're using the expensive ice ult (which you should).

I don't play my magden much, but I don't feel as bad about her as the OP. She still has the same problem magden has had since it's inception. It's just pressure, not really burst. Finishing people off is hard. There's no execute. The bear is IMO still rubbish in open world.

I try to compensate for the lack of an execute by knocking people back, which probably worked better with previous iterations of the master staff. I only have the fire staff.

Overall damage is not bad. I've seen completely different builds, but I go for a straight up magicka stacking and shielding build. Building for a mixture of magicka and spell damage seems wrong to me. Templar has Minor Sorcery and increased crit damage, so you build for spell damage and crit. Warden works well with a big shield (Dampen) and has Northern Storm for an insane magicka % boost. IMO don't mix your stats, other than using the Master's destro, which is just too good to ignore. Try to take full advantage of what warden offers. For me this has resulted in:

1x Domihaus
1x Swarm Mother (also gives mag and stam now)
5x Necropotence
3x Ancient Grace
Master Staff front bar
Willpower backbar

With Inner Light on the front bar and Willpower on the back bar, magicka roughly evens out between the two bars. This is she, fully buffed with Northern Storm, backbar enchant and Master's staff:

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildData?id=205586

65K magicka. 3K spell damage. 15K Cliff Racer. Almost 22K Fissure. Forget the Dampen tooltip. It's not accurate. Shield size in this state must be around 15K.

I considered Balorgh, but in my build 1x Domi + 1x Swarm Mother gives me almost 4K more magicka in CP. That's more damage than unprocced Balorgh and about the same as procced Balorgh at 200. Yes, I am missing the pen, but I wanted the bigger shield. Magicka is 53K without Northern Storm. You could get more, but I like sustain. Incidentally, I use the Bull Netch for stamina sustain. I prefer to have regen over a big pool, at least in CP, and the netch continues to yield stam while blocking or sprinting.

Incidentally, there is no reason to use a resto on the backbar anymore. I use it, because I used a vMA resto historically and I still like it for the heavy attacks to restore magicka. An ice staff, however, would enhance blocking and you might, for example, swap out the Fetcher Infection for Ice Blockade, if only in an attempt to keep the backbar enchant procced.

And finally: Do I consider this a good PvP character / build? Nope. It's the build that I run, but for a predominantly solo player sorc is miles ahead. My warden is slow. She has no root / snare removal. She needs a group. I don't play vampire for RP reasons. What I'm saying is, you might take this as a basis for a build and I can certainly attest that building for a big shield works well in CP. I'd recommend exploring vamp, though.

Algorax

Zardayne wrote: »

I've been pvping in MMOS since Ultima online and thought I could adapt and make just about any class work but since the Warden's release I've been having hell with the magden. When I'm fighting at range, screaming cliff racer hits like a wet noodle, even with it's ranged damage bonus. I switch over to force pulse or the other and most people easily shake that off too. Generally it's throw the mosquitos and start throwing pebbles. Close range isn't a whole lot better. As I'm waiting 3 seconds for shalks to hit (and I'm lucky to hit when it fires off since a lot changes in 3 seconds) or northern storm to be up, they're eating my lunch. Sure I've got some good heals but people generally burn through them pretty easy too. My issue with the mag version of the class became even more apparent this weekend.

I decided this weekend to make me a new stamden devoted specifically to PVP. At 10 I ran out there in newb gear and grinded to 17. From the time I hit 15 and could weapon swap, the fights became fun. I was noticing even in sub par gear on No CP I was actually hurting people with Cutting Dive and snipe. For the most part people would react when I was hitting them and go defensive. I was actually getting kills. If someone closed into melee, with 2 hander and shalks I was able to hurt and kill people. I still haven't even unlocked reversed slice/executioner or dawnbreaker! All in all it was a totally different experience. I even went back into no cp with my magden and it was painful and even more evident how low my damage was.

So here's where I ask for help from people who are good with magden in pvp. Is there anything I can do to make the mag version fun out there in Cyrodiil. CP or non. I have 825 cp now. As far as stats I hit around 40k in mag and 22-23k in health. I normally run necropotence and the other set I swap around trying to find something that works. I've tried burning spellweave, julianos, pariah (jewelry /weapons just trying to outlast the enemy), bright throat for more sutain mag, mothers sorrow, a few others, along with valkyn Skoria just trying to add more damage and less defense. I run netch and bird of prey for more damage and have added damage on my jewelry. I've even swapped around to different mundus trying to get more. I do run mostly impen on all of my armor since day one. Still I hit like a wet noodle. Help!

I'm at work at the moment so pulling actual numbers can't happen right now.

Forget what you heard so far: to suceed with a magden in PvP you need a different approach.
Roll a pure frostcaster with:

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Iceheart+Set

and

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Shalk+Exoskeleton+Set

sets both as heavy body armor and then

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Ysgramor's+Birthright+Set

as jewels and frost staves.
You would rely on a buffed frost damage as your only damage source and paired with major survivability and self sustain will grant you to be the MVP in almost every situation. Here's the build

http://www.eso-skillfactory.com/en/share/41220/


The heavy armor focus is great on PvP and your major buffs compansate for all the damage flaws the lack of light armor may cause.
Your kit would be extremely debilitating for ranged classes and melees alike. Ranged classes are simply useless against you, thanks to the spammable, low-cost Shimmering shield (never use the other morph, you just lose so much with it) while melees are in a greater danger since they are in range of both your stun and all your aoe abilities.
Your gameplay revolves around setting the terrain with your 2nd bar aoes and raise the chance to proc your monster set and apply the chilled status effect.
Your northern storm ultimate is active very often thanks to its cheap cost and the shalk's passive, allowing you to burst the damage on all the slowed/rooted enemies (even stunned ones thanks to your artic blast ability). Once procced the enemy will suffer from multiple damage sources and you will complete the rotation by spamming crushing shock: a deadly burst damage.
Being a purely frost themed build, you will benefit form the ysgramor's set greatly, and i strongly advice you to use a frist staff since it will be affected by your perks and parrying in pvp makes the difference (a think that a frost staff does greatly).
This is not a simple, braindead build like some templar cheap setting, it requires practice for the rotation, but succeding with it isa good indicator that you reached an higher than average talent on a pvp scenario.

fred4

Algorax wrote: »

Zardayne wrote: »

I've been pvping in MMOS since Ultima online and thought I could adapt and make just about any class work but since the Warden's release I've been having hell with the magden. When I'm fighting at range, screaming cliff racer hits like a wet noodle, even with it's ranged damage bonus. I switch over to force pulse or the other and most people easily shake that off too. Generally it's throw the mosquitos and start throwing pebbles. Close range isn't a whole lot better. As I'm waiting 3 seconds for shalks to hit (and I'm lucky to hit when it fires off since a lot changes in 3 seconds) or northern storm to be up, they're eating my lunch. Sure I've got some good heals but people generally burn through them pretty easy too. My issue with the mag version of the class became even more apparent this weekend.

I decided this weekend to make me a new stamden devoted specifically to PVP. At 10 I ran out there in newb gear and grinded to 17. From the time I hit 15 and could weapon swap, the fights became fun. I was noticing even in sub par gear on No CP I was actually hurting people with Cutting Dive and snipe. For the most part people would react when I was hitting them and go defensive. I was actually getting kills. If someone closed into melee, with 2 hander and shalks I was able to hurt and kill people. I still haven't even unlocked reversed slice/executioner or dawnbreaker! All in all it was a totally different experience. I even went back into no cp with my magden and it was painful and even more evident how low my damage was.

So here's where I ask for help from people who are good with magden in pvp. Is there anything I can do to make the mag version fun out there in Cyrodiil. CP or non. I have 825 cp now. As far as stats I hit around 40k in mag and 22-23k in health. I normally run necropotence and the other set I swap around trying to find something that works. I've tried burning spellweave, julianos, pariah (jewelry /weapons just trying to outlast the enemy), bright throat for more sutain mag, mothers sorrow, a few others, along with valkyn Skoria just trying to add more damage and less defense. I run netch and bird of prey for more damage and have added damage on my jewelry. I've even swapped around to different mundus trying to get more. I do run mostly impen on all of my armor since day one. Still I hit like a wet noodle. Help!

I'm at work at the moment so pulling actual numbers can't happen right now.

Forget what you heard so far: to suceed with a magden in PvP you need a different approach.
Roll a pure frostcaster with:

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Iceheart+Set

and

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Shalk+Exoskeleton+Set

sets both as heavy body armor and then

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Ysgramor's+Birthright+Set

as jewels and frost staves.
You would rely on a buffed frost damage as your only damage source and paired with major survivability and self sustain will grant you to be the MVP in almost every situation. Here's the build

http://www.eso-skillfactory.com/en/share/41220/


The heavy armor focus is great on PvP and your major buffs compansate for all the damage flaws the lack of light armor may cause.
Your kit would be extremely debilitating for ranged classes and melees alike. Ranged classes are simply useless against you, thanks to the spammable, low-cost Shimmering shield (never use the other morph, you just lose so much with it) while melees are in a greater danger since they are in range of both your stun and all your aoe abilities.
Your gameplay revolves around setting the terrain with your 2nd bar aoes and raise the chance to proc your monster set and apply the chilled status effect.
Your northern storm ultimate is active very often thanks to its cheap cost and the shalk's passive, allowing you to burst the damage on all the slowed/rooted enemies (even stunned ones thanks to your artic blast ability). Once procced the enemy will suffer from multiple damage sources and you will complete the rotation by spamming crushing shock: a deadly burst damage.
Being a purely frost themed build, you will benefit form the ysgramor's set greatly, and i strongly advice you to use a frist staff since it will be affected by your perks and parrying in pvp makes the difference (a think that a frost staff does greatly).
This is not a simple, braindead build like some templar cheap setting, it requires practice for the rotation, but succeding with it isa good indicator that you reached an higher than average talent on a pvp scenario.

I don't know, man. Skill factory looks completely unfamiliar or my browser addons are suppressing stuff. I can't even make out how much health you have.

I'd be lying if I said I haven't been caught out occasionally by builds like this. Perhaps it's just the thing for BGs? I ran into a weird warden ice build in IC recently. My magblade main wears Snow Treaders, though. My DK has 6 seconds of Shuffle. I might not be able to kill you on my own, but neither will you do anything to me.

It comes down to whether you want to play a trappy control build or a faster moving, aggressive build. Totally different playstyles. I'm in the latter camp. Build diversity is a good thing, I suppose, but what I'd be afraid of, in open world, is that slow, overly tanky or snaring / trap builds get ignored until they can be zerged down. I prefer speed above all. Perhaps I'm underestimating the group utility of your build and how well it plays in choke points. Hasn't been my cup of tea, but maybe a good alternative for the OP.

Aeternum113

Algorax wrote: »

Zardayne wrote: »

I've been pvping in MMOS since Ultima online and thought I could adapt and make just about any class work but since the Warden's release I've been having hell with the magden. When I'm fighting at range, screaming cliff racer hits like a wet noodle, even with it's ranged damage bonus. I switch over to force pulse or the other and most people easily shake that off too. Generally it's throw the mosquitos and start throwing pebbles. Close range isn't a whole lot better. As I'm waiting 3 seconds for shalks to hit (and I'm lucky to hit when it fires off since a lot changes in 3 seconds) or northern storm to be up, they're eating my lunch. Sure I've got some good heals but people generally burn through them pretty easy too. My issue with the mag version of the class became even more apparent this weekend.

I decided this weekend to make me a new stamden devoted specifically to PVP. At 10 I ran out there in newb gear and grinded to 17. From the time I hit 15 and could weapon swap, the fights became fun. I was noticing even in sub par gear on No CP I was actually hurting people with Cutting Dive and snipe. For the most part people would react when I was hitting them and go defensive. I was actually getting kills. If someone closed into melee, with 2 hander and shalks I was able to hurt and kill people. I still haven't even unlocked reversed slice/executioner or dawnbreaker! All in all it was a totally different experience. I even went back into no cp with my magden and it was painful and even more evident how low my damage was.

So here's where I ask for help from people who are good with magden in pvp. Is there anything I can do to make the mag version fun out there in Cyrodiil. CP or non. I have 825 cp now. As far as stats I hit around 40k in mag and 22-23k in health. I normally run necropotence and the other set I swap around trying to find something that works. I've tried burning spellweave, julianos, pariah (jewelry /weapons just trying to outlast the enemy), bright throat for more sutain mag, mothers sorrow, a few others, along with valkyn Skoria just trying to add more damage and less defense. I run netch and bird of prey for more damage and have added damage on my jewelry. I've even swapped around to different mundus trying to get more. I do run mostly impen on all of my armor since day one. Still I hit like a wet noodle. Help!

I'm at work at the moment so pulling actual numbers can't happen right now.

Forget what you heard so far: to suceed with a magden in PvP you need a different approach.
Roll a pure frostcaster with:

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Iceheart+Set

and

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Shalk+Exoskeleton+Set

sets both as heavy body armor and then

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Ysgramor's+Birthright+Set

as jewels and frost staves.
You would rely on a buffed frost damage as your only damage source and paired with major survivability and self sustain will grant you to be the MVP in almost every situation. Here's the build

http://www.eso-skillfactory.com/en/share/41220/


The heavy armor focus is great on PvP and your major buffs compansate for all the damage flaws the lack of light armor may cause.
Your kit would be extremely debilitating for ranged classes and melees alike. Ranged classes are simply useless against you, thanks to the spammable, low-cost Shimmering shield (never use the other morph, you just lose so much with it) while melees are in a greater danger since they are in range of both your stun and all your aoe abilities.
Your gameplay revolves around setting the terrain with your 2nd bar aoes and raise the chance to proc your monster set and apply the chilled status effect.
Your northern storm ultimate is active very often thanks to its cheap cost and the shalk's passive, allowing you to burst the damage on all the slowed/rooted enemies (even stunned ones thanks to your artic blast ability). Once procced the enemy will suffer from multiple damage sources and you will complete the rotation by spamming crushing shock: a deadly burst damage.
Being a purely frost themed build, you will benefit form the ysgramor's set greatly, and i strongly advice you to use a frist staff since it will be affected by your perks and parrying in pvp makes the difference (a think that a frost staff does greatly).
This is not a simple, braindead build like some templar cheap setting, it requires practice for the rotation, but succeding with it isa good indicator that you reached an higher than average talent on a pvp scenario.

I run a similar build, different sets and a couple different skills on bars but I'm sure it performs similarly and I can assure you it's blast fun to play on BG's, that said I have to say it just doesn't have enough killing power. It has decent survival if that's even possible currently in NOCP as 2 or 3 decent melee players will have enough damage to delete you anyway when 4x 5k hits land on you in 1 or 2 seconds, but I don't see the killing power there, just tons of fluff damage and assists but not actual burst or killing power and in 1v1 will only potentially kill players that are fool enough to stick around, any player that wishes to disengage will most likely be successful in doing so once he gets bored of hitting the wall. I haven't tried it in CP but I suspect it will perform similarly in terms of the lack of killing power though the survivability will probably go higher.

starlizard70ub17_ESO

ItsJustHashtag wrote: »

If you plan to play solo don’t play Magden. Save yourself the frustration.

He's Right ^. Magden is great for group PvP. Raid groups usually try and run 3 - 5 healer types and a Magden is the best class for it. But to run solo in Cryodiil, it takes way too much effort setting up armor sets and skills for a magden to be even moderately successful from a survival point of view.
Note: a magden is perfectly fine to run and complete all other content in the game.

Algorax

fred4 wrote: »

Algorax wrote: »

Zardayne wrote: »

I've been pvping in MMOS since Ultima online and thought I could adapt and make just about any class work but since the Warden's release I've been having hell with the magden. When I'm fighting at range, screaming cliff racer hits like a wet noodle, even with it's ranged damage bonus. I switch over to force pulse or the other and most people easily shake that off too. Generally it's throw the mosquitos and start throwing pebbles. Close range isn't a whole lot better. As I'm waiting 3 seconds for shalks to hit (and I'm lucky to hit when it fires off since a lot changes in 3 seconds) or northern storm to be up, they're eating my lunch. Sure I've got some good heals but people generally burn through them pretty easy too. My issue with the mag version of the class became even more apparent this weekend.

I decided this weekend to make me a new stamden devoted specifically to PVP. At 10 I ran out there in newb gear and grinded to 17. From the time I hit 15 and could weapon swap, the fights became fun. I was noticing even in sub par gear on No CP I was actually hurting people with Cutting Dive and snipe. For the most part people would react when I was hitting them and go defensive. I was actually getting kills. If someone closed into melee, with 2 hander and shalks I was able to hurt and kill people. I still haven't even unlocked reversed slice/executioner or dawnbreaker! All in all it was a totally different experience. I even went back into no cp with my magden and it was painful and even more evident how low my damage was.

So here's where I ask for help from people who are good with magden in pvp. Is there anything I can do to make the mag version fun out there in Cyrodiil. CP or non. I have 825 cp now. As far as stats I hit around 40k in mag and 22-23k in health. I normally run necropotence and the other set I swap around trying to find something that works. I've tried burning spellweave, julianos, pariah (jewelry /weapons just trying to outlast the enemy), bright throat for more sutain mag, mothers sorrow, a few others, along with valkyn Skoria just trying to add more damage and less defense. I run netch and bird of prey for more damage and have added damage on my jewelry. I've even swapped around to different mundus trying to get more. I do run mostly impen on all of my armor since day one. Still I hit like a wet noodle. Help!

I'm at work at the moment so pulling actual numbers can't happen right now.

Forget what you heard so far: to suceed with a magden in PvP you need a different approach.
Roll a pure frostcaster with:

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Iceheart+Set

and

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Shalk+Exoskeleton+Set

sets both as heavy body armor and then

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Ysgramor's+Birthright+Set

as jewels and frost staves.
You would rely on a buffed frost damage as your only damage source and paired with major survivability and self sustain will grant you to be the MVP in almost every situation. Here's the build

http://www.eso-skillfactory.com/en/share/41220/


The heavy armor focus is great on PvP and your major buffs compansate for all the damage flaws the lack of light armor may cause.
Your kit would be extremely debilitating for ranged classes and melees alike. Ranged classes are simply useless against you, thanks to the spammable, low-cost Shimmering shield (never use the other morph, you just lose so much with it) while melees are in a greater danger since they are in range of both your stun and all your aoe abilities.
Your gameplay revolves around setting the terrain with your 2nd bar aoes and raise the chance to proc your monster set and apply the chilled status effect.
Your northern storm ultimate is active very often thanks to its cheap cost and the shalk's passive, allowing you to burst the damage on all the slowed/rooted enemies (even stunned ones thanks to your artic blast ability). Once procced the enemy will suffer from multiple damage sources and you will complete the rotation by spamming crushing shock: a deadly burst damage.
Being a purely frost themed build, you will benefit form the ysgramor's set greatly, and i strongly advice you to use a frist staff since it will be affected by your perks and parrying in pvp makes the difference (a think that a frost staff does greatly).
This is not a simple, braindead build like some templar cheap setting, it requires practice for the rotation, but succeding with it isa good indicator that you reached an higher than average talent on a pvp scenario.

I don't know, man. Skill factory looks completely unfamiliar or my browser addons are suppressing stuff. I can't even make out how much health you have.

I'd be lying if I said I haven't been caught out occasionally by builds like this. Perhaps it's just the thing for BGs? I ran into a weird warden ice build in IC recently. My magblade main wears Snow Treaders, though. My DK has 6 seconds of Shuffle. I might not be able to kill you on my own, but neither will you do anything to me.

It comes down to whether you want to play a trappy control build or a faster moving, aggressive build. Totally different playstyles. I'm in the latter camp. Build diversity is a good thing, I suppose, but what I'd be afraid of, in open world, is that slow, overly tanky or snaring / trap builds get ignored until they can be zerged down. I prefer speed above all. Perhaps I'm underestimating the group utility of your build and how well it plays in choke points. Hasn't been my cup of tea, but maybe a good alternative for the OP.

Well, snow treaders are highly situational because roots are numerically inferior to hard ccs you will encounter in pvp and shuffle is equally rare for several reasons and 6 seconds of shuffle are just 6 seconds: they may save you on the occasional aoe but not where you are constantly inside one.
Although the damage output in the "pre burst" moment is average, this build is planned to use the aoes as a base and then exploit the frequent ult procs in conjunction with crushing shock,.
In the rare possibility that you actually encountered another pvper with a similar build, the fact that he didn't take you down either by sheer impact or eventually by exhaustion is because he didn't perform the "Pre burst" rotation correctly.
The roots are not the core of this build, they certainly helps but the fulcrum is a surprise burst along with debuffs and superior self heal.

Zardayne

I want to say thank you for all of the information thus far. I've been reading through some and will finish it up today when I have a bit more time. Some really good ideas!