Best back/front bar sets

Rhaegar75

Hey there, I think it would be helpful to go through and discuss your favourite back/front barrable sets:

I like Deadly on my stamplar just to boost jabs.

7th legion is a another classic and I like it offers the option of going heavy if you fancy

Clever Alchemist: I can’t use it effectively enough so it’s probably my playstyle

I don’t mind NMA front to boost damage but healing in the back bar may suffer

Id like to hear what combinations you are using.

I haven’t gone in the dark side of proc sets.....yet 😬

fred4

I play open world stam DK.

Front bar: Titanborn. Honestly a good set to double-bar, since it also affects healing when you most need it, but can be front-barred and still help with Rally.

Back bar: Coward's Gear. Fixes "slow" builds that have no other source of Major Expedition. I like mobility and also use Wild Hunt. The two together are possibly overkill, but I still can't think of anything I'd rather wear.

In regard to the sets you mention: I believe the math on Deadly, Shield Breaker and other percent-based sets is such that you need to have a good bit of weapon damage before they become worth it. However I couldn't tell you exactly where the break even point is, compared to other sets.

I'm with you on Clever. Never liked the set. Don't like the 45% uptime. Don't like bar-swapping for potion. Don't like the activation in combat only.

Trappings of Invigoration should make a good back bar set.

Rhaegar75

Briarheart: I like it on my stamplar front bar but I trying a high crit build at the moment

Xiomaro

Rhaegar75 wrote: »

Briarheart: I like it on my stamplar front bar but I trying a high crit build at the moment

Briarheart is a set that has flown under the radar for a lot of people. The damage proc changes have grabbed most of the attention but Briarheart has been affected in a similar way. After all, it's also a proc set, just not the kind that people have a problem with.

I've been running this as a backbar set on my StamSorc so I can run Master's DW frontbar plus Balorgh and Eternal Vigor. I've looked at a few different sets and this just feels like the best option for a backbar damage boost. It procs so easily now that I can quite reliably Light Attack and Bombard before a streak and most of the time Briarheart and my weapon damage enchant procs, giving me a solid 900+ weapon damage before any modifiers.

Rhaegar75

If we think toxic stuff I'd say Unleashed Terror front-bar and Crimson backbar...but yes...toxic stuff

JinxxND

Powerful assault is really consistent, 7th legion is good, briar if you are going for a crit build is good, essence thief requires a lot more movement but it's good, clever alch if you like burning potions offensively, juggernaut for tankiness, imperium for a damage shield on your group, eternal vigor is great as a backbar set when kiting, there really is a ton of backbar sets depending what you want todo if you go offensive/defensive/utility

Recapitated

Stuhn's frontbar, works even if you set them off-balance on backbar.

Atherakhia

This is much easier to pull off for Stam than Mag I've found. I too am not a fan of clever alchemist which is really the only straight forward back bar option for Mag really. I was using Ironblood, which is quite powerful but could sometimes be inconsistent because it's proc driven. I've started toying with Crimson and much prefer it. I've been forcing myself to play Mag Necro because I'm determined to make the class work. But it's really a garbage class imo. Crimson on my MagDK was a lot of fun.

Recapitated

Atherakhia wrote: »

This is much easier to pull off for Stam than Mag I've found. I too am not a fan of clever alchemist which is really the only straight forward back bar option for Mag really. I was using Ironblood, which is quite powerful but could sometimes be inconsistent because it's proc driven. I've started toying with Crimson and much prefer it. I've been forcing myself to play Mag Necro because I'm determined to make the class work. But it's really a garbage class imo. Crimson on my MagDK was a lot of fun.

You could maaaaaaybe try Scathing. Whatever happened to Spell Strategist? If you're quick you should have enough time after proccing it on backbar to nail a Haunting Curse combo.

Dorkener

For mag, I feel the (charged) Blackrose ICE staff is underrated as a backbar option. Minor mangle, maim, reliable poison/enchant procc, destealth tool AND a nasty DoT that you can block-cast on the defensive is very worth 1 bar slot imo. Downside being you obviously have to rely on class heals and reduce your effectiveness to melee range.

fred4

Atherakhia wrote: »

This is much easier to pull off for Stam than Mag I've found. I too am not a fan of clever alchemist which is really the only straight forward back bar option for Mag really. I was using Ironblood, which is quite powerful but could sometimes be inconsistent because it's proc driven. I've started toying with Crimson and much prefer it. I've been forcing myself to play Mag Necro because I'm determined to make the class work. But it's really a garbage class imo. Crimson on my MagDK was a lot of fun.

Well, there is Armor Master, Lich, Warlock. None of them I actually run, though. The revised Meridia's Blessed Armor is good on magblade. Probably not necessary, if you run Shadow Image, but as a magblade who has always liked stam regen - by using double-regen drinks and even Eternal Hunt at one point - Blessed is a substitute for that. The cooldown is not an issue on that class. The set is for getting you out from within (not AOE spamming) zergs and into cloak in emergency. It allows you to take risks you wouldn't otherwise take. For an offensive back bar option, on the other hand, there now is Stygian.

I think Spell Strategist on the back bar, as well as Master's destro, is a bit short. You'll activate the backbar enchant and set for 4 to 5 seconds. Mjeh.

Has anyone run Pariah on back bar only? Might be an option.

Just looking over fextralife, Arch-Mage, Burning Spellweave (from templar DOT or mag DK skill) and Meritorious Service would seem to be viable back bar sets. At least they would seem to activate reliably. I also wonder whether Undaunted Unweaver is any good now. Could be activated by Leeching Strikes or Restoring Focus.

Front bar includes the usual suspects. War Maiden, Spinner, New Moon (still, I guess) and so on.

Cyrodiil's Light is a back bar or front bar (or both) option, depending on your build. Front bar for templars and/or Soul Assault builds - I'm checking out Oblivion's Foe + Cyrodiil's Light right now (although not convinced). Back bar for combination with Meditate and Mist Form - not sure whether the latter still applies. This has been a good magplar option in the past.

Recapitated

@fred4 I was thinking of backbarring BSW for a bit but it's tough to proc on some classes, assuming you're not going double-destro. I think the only non-destro, non-class flame ability is the Mage's guild rune

Rhaegar75

Pariah on back bar only? I love Pariah as a regular set but I've struggled to get it to work on a backbar...by the time I switch and harvest the benefits I tend to be dead

I really like Burning Spellweave on my MagDk

I'd love to use essence of thief but in a heated battle I tend to miss the bonus too often

Waffennacht

Thoughts about Daedric Trickery?

Especially @fred4

Rhaegar75

Waffennacht wrote: »

Thoughts about Daedric Trickery?

Especially @fred4

No idea but it interests me quite a bit: I’d like to hear some comments

out51d3r

fred4 wrote: »

I'm with you on Clever. Never liked the set. Don't like the 45% uptime. Don't like bar-swapping for potion. Don't like the activation in combat only.

Though the "combat only" nerf hurt it quite a bit, this is still my favorite set. PVP is primarily an exercise burst damage- both dealing it and surviving it. Clever alchemist provides benefits on both fronts. Because it's crafted, you can put it in any slot, weight, and trait you feel like. I don't use it on my NBs anymore, but I still build around it on my Stamsorc.

fred4

Waffennacht wrote: »

Thoughts about Daedric Trickery?

Especially @fred4

I hate unreliable random effects, so I've never worn it. They're buffing it even more next patch. Looking at the totality of it's buffs, it might suit a stam DK who is running Shuffle instead of Fragmented Shield. Might also be worth combining with Jorvuld's, though I'm not sure on what class and you'd probably end up too defensive and not enough damage.

If it can be back-barred, it may be worth considering. That thought had never occurred to me. Unfortunately sets like these compete with sets that buff your weapon damage or magicka, giving you both better damage and better heals or shields.

I've never been one to run around those gaps between the wall and a staircase in IC until recently. To my surprise I can survive being zerged on my medium armor DK just fine. The key to survival is IMO LoS, speed and 1 Hand and Shield. You want to be a little bit tanky, the latter is most important. Armor sets don't matter that much or at least I feel movement outperforms tankiness these days, hence my preference for Coward's and Wild Hunt with no other source of Major Expedition in the build.

Wearing Blessed on the magblade is something else entirely. You are very squishy on that class. I know there are some tanky nightblades around, but I have no experience with those. Mine have always been squishy and my half-hearted attempts at damage mitigation, such as wearing Buffer of the Swift, have paled in comparison to sets that enhance movement, shields (stacking magicka) or stamina sustain. Blessed is a complete hard counter to single target damage, which subsequently gets you back into cloak. It saves on stamina for dodge rolls. That fits with my playstyle. Daedric Trickery would not.

Sorry to be so specific. Magblade and stam DK are the two classes I'm most comfortable with, so that's really all I feel qualified to comment on.

EtTuBrutus

Trickery is dope right now. It'll suck next patch in comparison. Probably a bad investment