PVP DK DPS toon. Should I go with Vampire or not?

Veinblood1965

I just converted my DK PVE toon over to a PVP with Orders Wrath and Daedric Trickery Dual Wield daggers yesterday. My first Cyrodill run was actually not bad with him but wondering if I need to run him as a stage three vampire or not. Suggestions? I've only used Vampire on my NB with stage four.

While you have Vampirism stage 1:

-10% Health Recovery
+5% Extra Fire Damage
+3% Regular Ability Cost
-6% Vampire Ability Cost
Feed & Dark Stalker are active on all Vampire Stages

While you have Vampirsim stage 2:

-30% Health Recovery
+8% Extra Fire Damage
+5% Regular Ability Cost
-10% Vampire Ability Cost
Strike from the Shadows is active

While you have Vampirism stage 3:

-60% Health Recovery
+13% Extra Fire Damage
+8% Regular Ability Cost
-16% Vampire Ability Cost
Strike from the Shadows & Undeath are active

While you have Vampirism stage 4:

-100% Health Recovery
+20% Extra Fire Damage
+12% Regular Ability Cost
-24% Vampire Ability Cost
Strike from the Shadows & Undeath & Unnatural Movement are active
As of Update 26, stage 4 vampires will be refused by some vendors, with the notification saying, "This citizen refuses to interact with monstrous vampires." The Mesmerize skill can be used on these NPCs in order to talk to them.

Udrath

All you need is stage 3 for undeath block healing as a brawler. I don’t like the cost increase but it’s not a problem for DK. Either way you should be fine.

You’ll get more damage with nirnhoned/precise axes as long you have 36% crit chance or higher. Assuming you’re using corrosive. Shadow or warrior Mundas

El_Borracho

Yes. I resisted going vampire for a while on a DK as it has a ton of built in resistances with the skills and race (Nord). But then went vampire and realized its easy mode. Seriously. I can see why people get so frustrated as they think they got you when you're at 30%, then the resistances kick in, if you are running Mara's Balm, it heals you, then you hit them with Empowering Chains and Take Flight, as the damage charged your ultimate, and you kill them instead.

Brakkish

Given the number of DKs in general that you are likely to encounter - not the best option. Burning/flame damage. Zaans alone would be enough to melt your face.

sbam66

Shattered fate/ rallying cry & bloodspawn with markyn ring for cyrodiil. 4 heavy 2 medium 1 light, awesome build with high damage that will hit very hard & be tanky. Can run it as dark elf/khajit for best damage. Stage 3 not needed, i run without it bc to much flame dmg in game

Veinblood1965

I'm using Corrosive along with warrior mundus. I am using charged on the two daggers. (Got the build off of Deltia's). sbam66 what are you using for your weapons? Axes?

El_Borracho

Brakkish wrote: »

Given the number of DKs in general that you are likely to encounter - not the best option. Burning/flame damage. Zaans alone would be enough to melt your face.

This was what held me back from going vampire at first, too. But I have yet to notice a marked difference between flame damage before and after. When I get killed on my DK, its normally massive burst damage from a NB or ganker. Even then, with vampirism, a lot of times they only succeed in burning me down to 20%, then they are out of luck and out of resources.

sbam66

Veinblood1965 wrote: »

I'm using Corrosive along with warrior mundus. I am using charged on the two daggers. (Got the build off of Deltia's). sbam66 what are you using for your weapons? Axes?

Personally I will use 1 sword nirn & 1 mace sharpened. You should be around 16k pen & then with major breach, over 21k pen, which is enough to even hit tanky players with 8-10k whips regularly

SandandStars

dk
undeath
masters dw/vatesh
engine guardian

now u can beat everyone but nbs

ceruulean

For Cyrodiil is optional. Yeah you are more tanky but a single coldfire siege wrecks your vampire group

For BG probably better to be a vampire since it mitigates most dmg. Not everyone plays DK or uses dawnbreaker ult.

El_Borracho

ceruulean wrote: »

For BG probably better to be a vampire since it mitigates most dmg. Not everyone plays DK or uses dawnbreaker ult.

100%. I rarely see Dawnbreaker anymore. Used to be good for the snare with something like Hrothgar's but now its mostly Corrosive/Leap with DKs and Incap/Soul Tether with NBs.

Vevvev

I personally run stage 4 vampire on my DK because of the stamina efficiency of sprinting and the sustained invisibility. Burning Embers is my health recovery anyways so don't need that anymore, and I use quite a few vampire abilities so having them cost less is definitely my cup of tea. (Mistform, Swarming Scion, Blood for Blood, and Exhilarating Drain in rare moments I need ultimate fast.)

Is it meta? Absolutely not, but I PvP to have fun, and my old reliable build of Clever Alchemist, Balorgh, and Burning Spellweave still works. Also am a Breton so the flame damage isn't that big of a concern. Still hurts like all get out, especially at stage 4, but I can survive if I have the magicka to burn on Coagulating Blood.

CameraBeardThePirate

Vampire is all but required. Will you take more flame damage? Yes, but only above 50% health; at low health Undeath will offset the flame damage taken.

Undeath in its current form is too strong of a passive to not run vampire. You will have to tweak your build's sustain (or learn to play with less sustain in general), but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

Veinblood1965

CameraBeardThePirate wrote: »

Vampire is all but required. Will you take more flame damage? Yes, but only above 50% health; at low health Undeath will offset the flame damage taken.

Undeath in its current form is too strong of a passive to not run vampire. You will have to tweak your build's sustain (or learn to play with less sustain in general), but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

Thanks, I've implemented several suggestions from this post. Running into sustain issues right now, but that's the case on all new builds for me anyway until I learn to tweak and play it better.

Thank you everyone!

edward_frigidhands

Stage 3. Consider adding Pariah.