Nightblade Archer?

Yasha

Grue wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I know that NB Bow is playable, but it just feels like when I play other classes, I'm usually picking between many skills that seem to be potentially useful in combat. With NB Bow, it seems like it's picking between a bunch of marginally useful spells.

I do get the feeling that the utility spells that seem not so useful at lower levels may become critical later on. I'm still wondering if NB Dual or Sorc or Temp Bow wouldn't be more fun.

They can all be fun, but try a temp archer and you can contrast the playstyles.

Also, it should be easy to pick up dual wielding if you already have a NB and melee is really fun.

Yasha

tintin_milou wrote: »

OK thanks to you all for such useful suggestions! For those who favor taking a full bow shot from stealth, do you also position yourself to the side or back to get the crit-damage bonus? I often find in tunnels (wow, lots of tunnels in Tamriel), monsters sort of block you from stealthing to their sides or back. Do you still use stealth for the full bow shot? Still use the same rotation?

I usually could handle 1 monster, but when there are two or more I wound up dead... So investing in the Agony skill from Siphon is useful there right?

Last question... I hope this does not side-track this thread I got the Assassination ultimate - but it looks underwhelming. Probably not understanding how to use it correctly. So how are Ultimates charged up? And particularly for Assassination - how to I know when it will deliver 275% more than base damage?

Thanks for all you NB experts!

I'm not an expert but to answer your questions- (1) as far as I know you don't get a special crit bonus from stealth unless you shoot from behind/side, so in places where it is not possible to position correctly just start with a regular heavy bow attack.

(2) Yes that is the weakness of the NB until you get the aoe bow snare, and yes agony is good- stun the mage or ranged and kite the melee to death.

(3) On my hotbar I can see a percentage charge for the ultimate- it goes over 100%. The other ultimates are also good for "oh crap" buttons.

Yankee

I would get to at least level 15 before deciding if you like the NB, then you can have a bow and dual wield (or other melee weapon).

Having a blast at level 23 on my bow/dual wield Wood Elf Nightblade while questing. I took a Templar and a DK to high levels in beta, but I really like the NB better.

Just so much DPS compared to my sword and board tanks. As long as I do not screw up 3 mob pulls are over fast. I usually kill one with the bow (the caster/healer/archer first), then the other two when they get to me.

It is fun to stealth up behind single same level mobs and 2 shot them. they never even get to turn around. And I am only wearing green quest gear and weapons.

It will be even more fun when I can get the rest of the medium armor/racial stealth passives.

Liking this class.

prodius67_ESO

If you think a Bow Wielding NB in PvP sucks just wait till you have an encounter with one.

Poison arrow spec'd will stop any cast that isn't instant, you can snare stun at will and tanks will hate you. Just don't expect to be a damage soaking super DPS tank.

Poison arrow essential for stopping casters, scatter shot to stop meele and tanks, siphon abilities to damage and regen yourself.

DO NOT disregard any of the passives especially stamina and magicka use reductions.

If you run out of either in a fight you are pretty much dead unless you have enough for a cloak.

Once you reach level 15 and can quick slot a second skill line the game opens up.

I got to level 25 before the shutdown for main launch and I actually killed a level 42 saber screwing around in the Rift by snaring and kiting.

Kyubi_3002b16_ESO

nightblade healer will make your life a nightmare Instant cast self healing, dots, shield, and Ranged damage that can be spammed

Fools underestimate siphons, good player abuse of it. But yea bows do work somewhat fine too.

Chomag

I don't think a bow is a good weapon for nightblade. NB just doesn't have a lot of synergy with bow attacks, especially not at the beginning of the game and things may look quite boring.

For a true archer experience, I suggest going Templar. Aedric Spear and Dawn's Wrath skill trees complement the bow really.

What I do is open with a heavy attack from stealth - sun fire (vampire's bane morph) - piercing javeling (binding javeling morph) to knock back the target and root it and then finish it off in melee with puncturing strikes (biting jabs morph) if it reaches me.

This is the build http://skills.tesotools.com/#m6gmk586xg0izc7

Ofcourse if you guys are hellbent on playing nightblade...

asdf0716

my NB archer's skills mostly come from the bow skill line and stack stamina.

1. Poison Arrow (morphed to interrupt)
2. Assassin's Blade (morphed for range)
3. Arrow Spray (morphed to root)
4. Scatter Shot (morphed to also push you back 6m)
5. Snipe (morphed for range and damage)

Sneak, move around to teh flank or behind the mob, snipe, poison arrow, Assassin's Blade.

If that doesn't kill them, you Magnum Shot them back and repeat the rotation.

Jeddahwe

Yasha wrote: »

orablast wrote: »

I consider NB archers very potent. You should really start to feel powerful by level 10. I normally use a rotation for long fights on pre lvl 10 quest bosses

1. Start from stealth using full power shot by holding the left mouse button.
2. Immediately release Poison Arrow, there are no cooldowns, so spam away.
3. Shadow Cloak to go stealth 2.5 seconds. This will make the boss stop in their tracks and will give you enough time for another power shot, followed by poison arrow.
4. Use scatter shot to knock back, or continue to use Shadow clock if you have not picked up scatter shot, yet.
5. Rinse and repeat until close to death.
6. Assassins Blade to finish them off.

I find with this method I will use Stamina and Magic evenly, so I do not feel like I am running out of either too soon. In most fights I am never touched, but if you do take damage, then using Strife and Heal potions will help greatly.

Also, don't forgot that you can still block attacks with your bow using the right mouse button and interrupt the power attacks with both mouse buttons. This will often stun the boss long enough for another power attack.

This is definitely a good way to do NB archer, but the other classes can do it so much better, especially against more than one mobs.

Can some on explain how others can do archer better against 2-3 targets?

LunaRae

tintin_milou wrote: »

OK thanks to you all for such useful suggestions! For those who favor taking a full bow shot from stealth, do you also position yourself to the side or back to get the crit-damage bonus? I often find in tunnels (wow, lots of tunnels in Tamriel), monsters sort of block you from stealthing to their sides or back. Do you still use stealth for the full bow shot? Still use the same rotation?

I usually could handle 1 monster, but when there are two or more I wound up dead... So investing in the Agony skill from Siphon is useful there right?

Last question... I hope this does not side-track this thread I got the Assassination ultimate - but it looks underwhelming. Probably not understanding how to use it correctly. So how are Ultimates charged up? And particularly for Assassination - how to I know when it will deliver 275% more than base damage?

Thanks for all you NB experts!

To get bonus crit damage it must be from behind. you get no bonus' (even if you're not detected) attacking from the front. As long as you remain undetected you can sneak up in front of someone and JUST before you get close enough for them to detect you turn on stealth and walk behind them and score a sneak attack before your invis fades out. If you're ranged this is less desirable as you are at melee range at this point, but its what I do for dual wield NB

I have assassins blade (morphed to provide healing on kills) / shadow cloak (morphed for additional dmg) / the first two dual wield abilities / blur (dodge) & assassins ultimate (morphed to get more ult. points when killing an enemy). Killing targets with my assassins blade sustains me with enough hp to handle 3 mobs (same level) at the same time without needing any points in syphoning. The ultimate is big damage and also lowers healing received, so it's great on targets that like to heal themselves.

I honestly haven't tried the other two NB abilities, so I can't provide a comparison. All I know is so far when my ultimate is 100% ready it does big damage and helps me handle 3 mobs easily since I can insta-kill one without taking dmg (with successful sneak).

Just so you know you can respec your points at any time down the road. Don't be shy or afraid to play around. Even if you know you don't like something put a point in it and see if it's better than you thought.

fieldmarshall3neb18_ESO

madhatternynja wrote: »

Posion arrow is blah, but volley is awesome especially at second rank because you can basically make it rain firey death. That is just a starting point.

I have been playing exclusively with Poison Arrow and Veiled Cloak (lol) and im at lvl10 atm.
I tried Volley in the beta but found that the range restriction on Volley meant i could only use it as an opener pretty much, and waste most of its duration because they just start running towards me (and out of the Volley).
Is there some trick to using it?

Tenesmus

I am playing a kajhiit nightbalde archer that has dumped a lot of SPs into woodworking. I open with a long shot, hit em with an Agony, go invisible get close and come out of it with a Veiled Strike and quick Scattershot then finish with Strife. Fun times

GlassHalfFull

This is what I have gleaned from forum posts and youtube videos.

Bar 1 - Bow ranged single target (use sneak attack from behind, not front)
1 - Bow Poison Arrow morph to Venom Arrow:
12 Poison, Interrupts, 3 sec Stun, Poison DoT.
2 - Bow Arrow Spray morph to Bombard 3 frontal cone attack, roots in place
3 - Bow Scatter Shot morph to Magnum Shot 3 knocks them back, pushes me back
4 - NB Assassination Assassin's Blade morph to Killer Blades II (low health dam/heal)
5 - NB Siphoning Strife morph Swallow Soul II (heals me)
U - NB Assassination
Death Stroke morph to Incapacitating Strike
4 stuns, increase damage when low
Death Stroke morph to Soul Harvest
(builds quick, cost less, kills best)

F7sus4

Grue wrote: »

I'm still wondering if NB Dual or Sorc or Temp Bow wouldn't be more fun.

And yes, they surely are - except for NB Bow, unfortunately. I speak in terms of long-time play. If you're OK with being two steps behind the rest of your team, go with it.

westpoint94

I play a bow Sorc in medium armor and I love it. I played bow NB, bow Temp, and bow Sorc in beta. I only play bow Sorc now. Straight Sorc is totally magicka dependent, but a bow focused Sorc has great utility and huge sustained damage. I use a tank pet, which ups survivability immensely. Also, the pet travels about 10 feet behind you, so it doesn't mess up ranged stealth. The crits and bow damage are awesome, and really compliment the ranged Sorc skills beautifully.

McClane

i play NB bow/2 hander pure stamina build heres how i roll

single target

1) power shot
2) cripple for dot dmg
2) poison arrow
3) strafe shot
4) assasins blade to finish of or magnum shot

3+ mobs

1) Teleport Strike morphed for AOE
2) cleave x2 morphed to give shield and bleed dot
3)uppercut if a mob is stunned hits like a truck
3)heavy or light attacks followed by reverse slash to finish them of

Roboboy2710

This one must recommend assassins blade, it's a close ranged attack that let's you deal 300% damage to an enemy on low health. Although it can only be used on close range targets, it can be morphed into "impale" that let's you deal 300% extra damage to low health targets from a distance. Dar'sah uses this one a lot. Also, veiled strike is a good skill to have when using a bow, since it's essentially a melee attack.

Nugeneration

I personally run double now setup.

Snipe/venom/barrage/Magnum/silverbolt
strife/cripple(or agony)/path/mark/haste

Fighters guild ult on both bars.

Works wonders for me in PvE and Solo. I don't PvP so I'm not sure it's effectiveness there.

Basically open with snipe. Venom is just there for stunning casters. Barrage for rooting adds combined with the damage morph of path it gives you great aoe clear and control. Magnum for guarding healers and other players. Silverbolt is spammed for damage no other skill is used for "pure damage" but this one.

Strife for the healing and self sustain. Cripple/agony for the dot on boss fights and depending if I need to cc or kite on the fight I pick accordingly. Path with damage morph for aoe clearing with roots of barrage. Mark for the damage I keep up 100% on boss fights. Haste I also keep up 100% on boss fights. I sub it out for cloak on some fights if I need to avoid spells etc. You can cloak with a boss fireball currently traveling at you and avoid taking the damage. So those are just situational for me.

I have no complaints so far.

Roboboy2710

This one has always had trouble using siphon, it doesn't seem to heal very much, and the health this one gets from it is usually chopped away after about two swings.

Beeftips

I'm a 49 Bosmer nightblade bow user. Stealth bow attacks with mark target are my opener, followed by swallow soul and then poison arrow. If my target isn't dead after that rotation, I scatter shot, repeat.
My bar is as follows - Swallow soul, poison arrow, scatter shot, mark target, snipe. I have all the assassinate passives, bow passives except the final one, and all the medium armor passives. My crit is 35% and I have sneak attack damage multipliers out the nose. I've been using a bow since day one. In the beginning I used assassinate to finish the target off after my initial bow rotation on a target.

twistedmonk

Nightblade is pretty bad class design overall. In a game where you have to fight multiple mobs, all their class skills are single target.

Woolenthreads

I opened up a Sorcery Archer, where I intend to Medium Armour, Daedric Summoning and Bow. If you're in to the traditional Roleplay Games then I was trying to create a Ranger but I'm insane I keep swapping between 7 characters, primarily using a straight Sorcerer Mage build and haven't advanced the Ranger off the first island

Azzuria

Not sure how people are bad-mouthing Nightblades v. multiple mobs. Between stuns, knock-backs, interrupts and AoE, there needs to be at least 5 mobs to even make me think about possibly, maybe, start being concerned... a bit.

Love my Bosmer Nightblade Archer. It was the one Race / Class / Weapon combo that I most looked forward to playing. In ever MMO / RPG I always default to the sneaky sniper type and NB Archer fits my play style to a 'T'.

Mostly in the Syphon and Bow skills but am slowly opening up the Assassination and Shadow trees, primarily for synergy with dual-weilding daggers but am finding some fun Bow-related abilities as well.

This is a fun class. Very survivable if you think about each fight and don't just go running into the thick of things like a Heavy Armor wearing Nord ***-drunk on mead, screaming to the Eight about divine retribution and swinging a 2-handed axe bigger than a healthy Bosmer.

khele23eb17_ESO

Azzuria wrote: »

Not sure how people are bad-mouthing Nightblades v. multiple mobs.

Because other classes kill twice the mobs in half the time... and then you get into VR content...

Woolenthreads

khele23eb17_ESO wrote: »

Azzuria wrote: »

Not sure how people are bad-mouthing Nightblades v. multiple mobs.

Because other classes kill twice the mobs in half the time... and then you get into VR content...

Um.... no? My main character, the Sorcerer has serious issues with the mobs at the same level, it's quite frustrating but I suspect it's because I tend to ignore the ultimate slot because it has a startup time rather than a cooldown time.

shadowz081

Well now im back and as a VR1...I can honestly say that most of the skill sets for any weapons tends to be bit situational.

Such as poison arrow, I initially said it sucked, but I find myself using it against bosses in dungeons as it is quite stamina efficient for it is damage(190), unlike arrow spray, where it uses a lot of stamina and is AoE with only slightly higher damage output(360-ish), and against bosses where CC don't work, it is just a waste of stamina, unlike where you are facing large group of mobs, than it is usually the reverse, where arrow spray can hit multiple mobs at once and snare.

Same with scatter shot and it is morphs, a very good skill to have for any bow users as it knock back enemies, but against enemies immune to it, the damage is only medicore at best...and at 300+stamina...well you are better off with just about any skill.

So pick the skills that will get you through your current predicament most efficiently and with the least deaths as there is really no 'perfect' build as each one has it is advantages and drawbacks and if you play like me, you may find yourself constantly switching between skills half way through dungeons or quests.

Azzuria

khele23eb17_ESO wrote: »

Azzuria wrote: »

Not sure how people are bad-mouthing Nightblades v. multiple mobs.

Because other classes kill twice the mobs in half the time... and then you get into VR content...

Granted, I'm not into VR content yet, as Laehl is only 29. But I've been overrun by 5+ mobs of same or slightly higher level and managed to survive.

I'm sure a Templar would hardly break a sweat in such a situation but I didn't play a Nightbow for 'easy mode'. I want to be challenged.

I've also seen Trolls in Greenshade eat Templars and Sorcerers for lunch and then walked up and ripped the hair beats a brand new poop-shoot in half the time it took the others to die painfully, so I guess it's really dependent upon the player.

Woolenthreads

Azzuria wrote: »

I've also seen Trolls in Greenshade eat Templars and Sorcerers for lunch and then walked up and ripped the hair beats a brand new poop-shoot in half the time it took the others to die painfully, so I guess it's really dependent upon the player.

Yeah, that's what shadowz081 was talking about. Trolls are an immunity issue you have to be prepared for. Weapons with Fire is the easiest way to kill them otherwise they and the critters on the same model (I think the Gargoyles have the same behaviour patterns?) just regenerate and it's much harder to win.

Obscure

Bows are for DK's and Templars to be honest. Both have a level of ranged superiority that cannot be matched by a Nightblade with a bow. Sure it might be your "style" to be a stealthy archer, but Nightblade is not the place to look for that play style support. Enjoy it all you like and play how you like, but the support simply isn't there to optimize. PvE it'll get you by, but toe to toe with a Dragonknight archer in PvP you're eating your own damage as well as his, and against a Templar archer he's out healing you and pumping damage into you until his backlash explodes.

However if you pick up a Restoration Staff you will become a life draining single target death machine that the Dragonknight cannot reflect, and the Templar cannot outlast in sustain. Just browse the restore staff skills and passives (Force Siphon in specific) and then browse your Nightblade skills and passives. If ever you wanted optimize for ranged combat, that's where you should go. Unreflectible life leaching goodness with the fastest firing speed weapon in the game (try it with Haste...go on give it a shot). Your DPS will improve, your survivability will improve, and your group support ability will improve...and hint hint heals can crit.

Nightblade archer? Sure there's a couple ways to make one though they aren't all that spectacular. Nightblade r-staff? Thing of beauty.

Tamanous

Obscure wrote: »

Bows are for DK's and Templars to be honest. Both have a level of ranged superiority that cannot be matched by a Nightblade with a bow. Sure it might be your "style" to be a stealthy archer, but Nightblade is not the place to look for that play style support. Enjoy it all you like and play how you like, but the support simply isn't there to optimize. PvE it'll get you by, but toe to toe with a Dragonknight archer in PvP you're eating your own damage as well as his, and against a Templar archer he's out healing you and pumping damage into you until his backlash explodes.

However if you pick up a Restoration Staff you will become a life draining single target death machine that the Dragonknight cannot reflect, and the Templar cannot outlast in sustain. Just browse the restore staff skills and passives (Force Siphon in specific) and then browse your Nightblade skills and passives. If ever you wanted optimize for ranged combat, that's where you should go. Unreflectible life leaching goodness with the fastest firing speed weapon in the game (try it with Haste...go on give it a shot). Your DPS will improve, your survivability will improve, and your group support ability will improve...and hint hint heals can crit.

Nightblade archer? Sure there's a couple ways to make one though they aren't all that spectacular. Nightblade r-staff? Thing of beauty.

Answer:

Nightblade Bow+Restoration Staff. Best of both worlds.

And if you think the fotm destro+Resto is the answer you will be in for some harsh, harsh times when that uber-combo for every class is nerfed hard. Do you think ZOS is afraid to nerf things? The nerf train has already started.

For all those players taking their sweet time leveling and will likely not hit high Vet levels for months please simply enjoy your time as the game will be entirely different by the time "we" hit those ranks. Get used to nothing. Keep an open mind to what is effective and what is over powered. Realize adapting to changes (often dramatic) is a requirement.

It is very easy to get burned out due to frustration. We as players are the victim when this occurs. If the game isn't for you then rationalize the reason why you are leaving separate from negative emotions. Choosing to stay or leave are viable options but empower your own choice.

CapuchinSeven

Obscure wrote: »

Bows are for DK's and Templars to be honest. Both have a level of ranged superiority that cannot be matched by a Nightblade with a bow. Sure it might be your "style" to be a stealthy archer, but Nightblade is not the place to look for that play style support. Enjoy it all you like and play how you like, but the support simply isn't there to optimize. PvE it'll get you by, but toe to toe with a Dragonknight archer in PvP you're eating your own damage as well as his, and against a Templar archer he's out healing you and pumping damage into you until his backlash explodes.

However if you pick up a Restoration Staff you will become a life draining single target death machine that the Dragonknight cannot reflect, and the Templar cannot outlast in sustain. Just browse the restore staff skills and passives (Force Siphon in specific) and then browse your Nightblade skills and passives. If ever you wanted optimize for ranged combat, that's where you should go. Unreflectible life leaching goodness with the fastest firing speed weapon in the game (try it with Haste...go on give it a shot). Your DPS will improve, your survivability will improve, and your group support ability will improve...and hint hint heals can crit.

Nightblade archer? Sure there's a couple ways to make one though they aren't all that spectacular. Nightblade r-staff? Thing of beauty.

I destroy all other bow users in PVP with my Nightblade, I have so much magicka and magicka regen coupled with Shiponing Stikes/Dawnbeaker to take edge of damage reduction, I can spend half the fight invisible with a never ending supply of stamina regen and huge magic/armour resists buffing me.

I never run out of magic or stamina and just don't let them see me enough for them to lock me down.

Oh I'm sure this will get a splurge of replies like every response about someone doing okay with Nightblades, but while it's clear Nightblades need some fixes, I've not yet been beaten 1 on 1 by another class bow user, including other Nightblades (happy to share my full build and play style), across most of the active EU servers.