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DK Tanking guide: An offensive approach
yogarogue
✭✭
Hello all! I spent a good amount of time trying to construct a tanking build I feel is sufficient for both multiple and single target encounters. Since there is yet a real "guide" posted on these forums I thought I would share my ideas and my theory.
This is the build:
teso.mmorpg-life.com/eso-skill-calculator/dragonknight/?calc=1266.1274.1281.1295.1323.:1487-2.1488-2.1489-2.1490-2.1497-2.1498-2.1499-2.1501-2.1502-2.1503-2.1504-2.1505-2.1506-2.1532-2.1534-2.1535-2.1536-2.1537-2.1538-2.1539-2.1541-2.1607-2.1608-2.1609-2.:1263.x1260.1278.1316.1323.1325.::1287.
THE DRAGONKNIGHT:
The dragonknight is not like any other tank you have experienced before. We are used to seeing traditional tanks in other MMOs that wield their 1 hand and shield, wear full plate armor and are masters of melee combat and defense. The dragonknight differs from your typical warrior in that we have the capability of casting a variety of spells making ranged combat our specialty and our class majority magicka driven. ESO has done a good job in offering a very unique class that we can work with. With such a variety of choices and paths to take in our journey through tamriel we must sit down and theorize as to what our role is in a group (Tank for this particular build) and what path is best suited for that role.
WHICH RACE TO CHOOSE:
While there are many suitable races for a tank I have selected the Dark Elf. The Dark Elf is the ONLY race that offers both a Magicka AND Stamina improving racial skill. Unlike other races that will focus mainly on "tanky" skills I.E health regen, max health, stam regen, stam health, etc. Also, many people tend to make their racial choice based on the weapon skill line that race has an experience gain for. This to me is not a valid choice to make for the sole reason that by the time you reach endgame this racial trait loses all significance while the other available racial traits will not lose their value. The Dark Elf skill lines also provide a huge buff to their "fire" power. Which is a wonderful perc to have considering in my build we will be using mainly fire driven skills. Dragonknights can be both Magicka and Stamina driven. So I elected to choose a race with skill lines that were balanced in this regard.
THE BUILD:
The way to be efficient in this game within your designated role is to always be looking for SYNERGY. I cant emphasize how important this is. SYNERGY SYNERGY SYNERGY. The fact is we have many different schools of skills to choose from and the goal is to find how your choices will balance out the different skill lines. When you make a decision to choose one skill, you will be adding a value to your character but losing out on a potential opportunity for another. So find out what your imbalances are in terms of your characters role and adjust accordingly.
There are two parts to this build, one skill set will be focusing on multiple target situations using mainly magicka, the other will be focusing on single target situations using mainly stamina i.e bosses. My educated guess is that you will be using the former set in most situations.
This builds defensive focus lies in it passives in heavy armor, 1 h and shield, and draconic power passive skill lines. This is useful because 1) my defense is not on cool down 2) it opens up my hotbar for more offensive and utility driven skills. Think of this build as a bulldozer with inherent resilience and strong offensive power.
WHICH ATTRIBUTES DO I CHOOSE:
The answer is all three. With a racial skill line that increases stam and magicka one might consider putting more in health however, also remember synergy and balance. When I invest attributes in magicka I am making more spells more efficient, I am able to cast more and more powerfully. For this build when investing points in magicka you are directly influencing your tanking ability. The same could be said for stamina. Our multiple target rotation is strongly influenced by magicka while our single target by stamina. I would suggest balancing out all three attributes. With a stronger focus possibly in stamina because blocking is going to become an integral part of your tanking.
THE BUILD:
ARDENT FLAME:
PASSIVE SKILL LINES:
KINDLING:
A MUST HAVE, increased your burning dmg which works on cross skills in other skill lines as well. MAX THIS OUT
SEARING HEAT:
increases the duration of your burns and fire abilities including your ardent flame ultimate: dragonknight standard. ALSO A MUST HAVE, max it out
WORLD OF FLAME:
increases dmg of AoE fire abilities, need I say more? max it out
ACTIVES:
DRAGONKNIGHT STANDARD: STANDARD OF MIGHT
Hands down the best ultimate for an offensive tank. Not only will it do incredible amounts of dmg with your chosen passives but its morph offers 35 % dmg increase and 35% dmg reduction in enemies.
SEARING STRIKE: BURNING EMBERS
For single target dmg and agro. This must be refreshed on target it is your primary dps for single target and offers a heal at the end of its duration.
FIERY BREATH: ENGULFING FLAME
This coupled with dark talons is your multiple target opener. its a great way to pull agro and will increased the power of your consecutive fire attks (of which there are many) Dark talons can be used first if you would like to set mobs in position for engulfing flames by immobilizing them.
DRACONIC POWER:
PASSIVES:
No need to explain here max them all out. I will also note that BURNING HEART increases the healing received during inhale.
ACTIVES:
DARK TALONS: BURNING TALONS (optional choking talons)
A great way to immobilize a group of mobs. An awesome CC tool when facing multiple enemies burning talons adds burning damage, but you may opt for choking talons if you feel your defense could use the boost. However, its like I stated we are going the offensive route here because damage holds agro and our defense shines through ways of our passives and blocking!
DRAGON BLOOD: GREEN DRAGON OR COAGULATING
Both morphs are useful here this ability is only used in single target situations. This is your saving grace. Single target build runs off of stamina so green dragon blood comes in use when you need a stam boost for blocking or taunting. If using green dragon blood you should take ransack over pierce armor in 1 hand shield skill line.
Coagulating blood is a great defensive cool down to have in heavy dmg situations.
INHALE: DRAW ESSENCE
Ahhhhhhh.. This Is a great tool. it does three things, AoE dmg, self heal, and magicka restore. This should be the end of your rotation to restore all the magicka u used previously and the health that was chewed away.
EARTHEN HEART:
PASSIVES:
ETERNAL MOUNTAIN:
A great tool for increasing the duration of cinderstorm, a powerful CC skill you will be using. max it out
ACTIVES:
ULTIMATE: MAGMA ARMOR; CORROSIVE ARMOR
use this only in single target encounters. This is here to save your ass or to aid the healer if u are in a heavy dmg situation. I chose corrosive armor because we are using this in single target encounters where dmg to group members is less likely.
ASH CLOUD: CINDER STORM:
This is a wonderful CC ability. It slows down your enemies so they don't get away too easily and it lowers their dmg output with a 30% miss rate applied to to enemies in the area. Use this in your rotation after you have applied engulfing flames.
1HAND AND SHIELD:
BLOCKING:
This is your number 1 tool for mitigation. With the passives in 1 hand and shield skill line and draconic power you will be practically invincible. Remember you can block and cast spells simultaneously. It may prove a bit more difficult in single target encounters when you are using your 1 hander more often. But the general rule of thumb here is to block as many attacks as possible
LIGHT AND HEAVY ATTACKS:
These can be used intermittently in situations where you are low on stamina and magicka and need to hold agro with damage. Remember though that you will be using your clicker mostly for blocking. blocking and rotation has priority over light and heavy attacks. But they can be used in situations as I mentioned before where you don't want to over consume resources. optimally speaking you would want to find windows of opportunity to light and heavy attack in between blocking and bashing when your enemy is not attacking you in that moment. If you can hold agro without it I would not bother. Make use of block and bash (right and left click simultaneously, or hold right and click left).
PASSIVES:
Again, take them all. They are all beneficial to you one way or another. max em all out. Deadly bash make your hold right click + left click interrupt much more powerful which could potentially replace light attacks. Practice using this because it can come in handy. if you can master the technique then you can open up your hotbar to a space you would otherwise use for a spell absorb / reflect / or interrupt ability.
PUNCTURE: RANSACK AND PIERCE ARMOR
A MUST HAVE on both hotbars. This is your taunt! This is what will keep your group happy! when choosing a morph pierce armor should be considered more so for the multiple targets due to its synergy with the idea of an offensive tank. However, if you are taking burning talons in place of choking talons and feel that a little armor boost is necessary, then by preference feel free to choose ransack. For single target if you are opting for green dragon blood: (stamina > armor and spell resist) instead of coagulating then ransack may also be a better choice.
LOW SLASH: DEEP SLASH
Our single target build is built around debuffing the opponent and buffing ourselves. This is just a continuation of that idea.
SHIELD CHARGE: SHIELDED ASSAULT;
This is your single target opener it offers an immediate dmg shield and is a perfect opening tool to any encounter.
NOTE ABOUT SINGLE TARGET ROTATION:
If you feel it necessary to have a spell reflect/ absorb on your hotbar then you can substitute either shield charge or deep slash for Reflective scale in the draconic power tree or Defensive posture in 1 hand shield tree. Reflective scale has a morph that offers spell resistence and increased dmg, I would suggest the spell resistence. Defensive posture has a nice passive ability while its on the hotbar that aids your blocking. It also has a morph with a self heal or a stun. I generally don't recommend going to stun morphs due to the fact that we will mainly be fighting bosses and I am afraid they may have an immunity to stuns.
ARMOR:
I recommend a 5 heavy / 2 light build for Multiple targets. And IF YOU CAN a 5 heavy /2 medium for single target/ if you would like , you may even go 5/1/1 you will need stamina for blocking. However sacrificing 1 piece of armor in light armor loses you a lot more benefit than If you were to sacrifice 1 piece of armor in medium armor.
LIGHT ARMOR:
For multiple targets
All except prodigy I feel should be maxed out. We will be using A LOT of magicka. This will help in keeping our rotation alive.
MEDIUM ARMOR:
For single target
Max out Wind walker, I don't see inherent value in any of the other skills. Stamina is a must have for blocking. However, with our passive skill lines in 1 hand shield and heavy armor blocking will use a fraction of energy of what it would otherwise.
HEAVY ARMOR: Why we are tanks.
All except juggernaut are incredibly useful in our tanking lives. This is why we can afford to have so much utility and offense on our hotbar.
DARK ELF SKILLS:
Dynamic and flame talent should be maxed out firstly. resist flame is secondary in importance.
CONCLUSION:
I attempted to make a very synergistic and flowing build. That was the idea behind it from the beginning and I think the elder scrolls online developers constructed these skill lines to follow that idea of synergy and balance. Its just a matter of figuring out for ourselves. However, it is a work in progress, so I do appreciate any feedback or if I have made any mistakes please let me know.
I hope you all can take some ideas from this. Maybe attempt to incorporate it into your gameplay and let me know the results.
-Yogarogue
(edited to add information about light and heavy attacks)
****NOTE****
After a bit more deliberation and trial and error I have found that it may be suitable for you to swap lava whip with burning embers in your single target rotation. Burning embers morph bonus can actually be missed due to the fact that it does not activate till burning embers effect has ended. Now with a skill line passive that increases burning time this may take even longer than expected and you may not even get your heal that you risked a skill point for in the first place. Now in boss fights where the enemy is standing for a much longer period of time, this point is moot. However, lava whip has a morph with a instant life stealing heal from your enemy that adds damage to the attack and heals you respectively. This morph is only activated if the target is stunned or immobilized (lava whip also as a chance to throw your target off balance if he/she is stunned or immobilized as well), so we can work with either shield charge (stun) + lava whip, or low slash with an immobilizing morph followed by lava whip. Just something to consider. Again this can be preference. it all depends on the situations youre getting yourself into.
****NOTE****
Also as far as blocking is concerned, with your passives in heavy armor, draconic power, and 1 h and shield, blocking should be costing you minimal stamina. It should not be too much of an issue. Limit your stamina use by avoiding the telegraphed attacks of enemies by simply getting out of the way, there are no need to block attacks that can be easily avoided by pressing your movement keys.
Edited by yogarogue on April 3, 2014 11:16PM This is the build:
teso.mmorpg-life.com/eso-skill-calculator/dragonknight/?calc=1266.1274.1281.1295.1323.:1487-2.1488-2.1489-2.1490-2.1497-2.1498-2.1499-2.1501-2.1502-2.1503-2.1504-2.1505-2.1506-2.1532-2.1534-2.1535-2.1536-2.1537-2.1538-2.1539-2.1541-2.1607-2.1608-2.1609-2.:1263.x1260.1278.1316.1323.1325.::1287.
THE DRAGONKNIGHT:
The dragonknight is not like any other tank you have experienced before. We are used to seeing traditional tanks in other MMOs that wield their 1 hand and shield, wear full plate armor and are masters of melee combat and defense. The dragonknight differs from your typical warrior in that we have the capability of casting a variety of spells making ranged combat our specialty and our class majority magicka driven. ESO has done a good job in offering a very unique class that we can work with. With such a variety of choices and paths to take in our journey through tamriel we must sit down and theorize as to what our role is in a group (Tank for this particular build) and what path is best suited for that role.
WHICH RACE TO CHOOSE:
While there are many suitable races for a tank I have selected the Dark Elf. The Dark Elf is the ONLY race that offers both a Magicka AND Stamina improving racial skill. Unlike other races that will focus mainly on "tanky" skills I.E health regen, max health, stam regen, stam health, etc. Also, many people tend to make their racial choice based on the weapon skill line that race has an experience gain for. This to me is not a valid choice to make for the sole reason that by the time you reach endgame this racial trait loses all significance while the other available racial traits will not lose their value. The Dark Elf skill lines also provide a huge buff to their "fire" power. Which is a wonderful perc to have considering in my build we will be using mainly fire driven skills. Dragonknights can be both Magicka and Stamina driven. So I elected to choose a race with skill lines that were balanced in this regard.
THE BUILD:
The way to be efficient in this game within your designated role is to always be looking for SYNERGY. I cant emphasize how important this is. SYNERGY SYNERGY SYNERGY. The fact is we have many different schools of skills to choose from and the goal is to find how your choices will balance out the different skill lines. When you make a decision to choose one skill, you will be adding a value to your character but losing out on a potential opportunity for another. So find out what your imbalances are in terms of your characters role and adjust accordingly.
There are two parts to this build, one skill set will be focusing on multiple target situations using mainly magicka, the other will be focusing on single target situations using mainly stamina i.e bosses. My educated guess is that you will be using the former set in most situations.
This builds defensive focus lies in it passives in heavy armor, 1 h and shield, and draconic power passive skill lines. This is useful because 1) my defense is not on cool down 2) it opens up my hotbar for more offensive and utility driven skills. Think of this build as a bulldozer with inherent resilience and strong offensive power.
WHICH ATTRIBUTES DO I CHOOSE:
The answer is all three. With a racial skill line that increases stam and magicka one might consider putting more in health however, also remember synergy and balance. When I invest attributes in magicka I am making more spells more efficient, I am able to cast more and more powerfully. For this build when investing points in magicka you are directly influencing your tanking ability. The same could be said for stamina. Our multiple target rotation is strongly influenced by magicka while our single target by stamina. I would suggest balancing out all three attributes. With a stronger focus possibly in stamina because blocking is going to become an integral part of your tanking.
THE BUILD:
ARDENT FLAME:
PASSIVE SKILL LINES:
KINDLING:
A MUST HAVE, increased your burning dmg which works on cross skills in other skill lines as well. MAX THIS OUT
SEARING HEAT:
increases the duration of your burns and fire abilities including your ardent flame ultimate: dragonknight standard. ALSO A MUST HAVE, max it out
WORLD OF FLAME:
increases dmg of AoE fire abilities, need I say more? max it out
ACTIVES:
DRAGONKNIGHT STANDARD: STANDARD OF MIGHT
Hands down the best ultimate for an offensive tank. Not only will it do incredible amounts of dmg with your chosen passives but its morph offers 35 % dmg increase and 35% dmg reduction in enemies.
SEARING STRIKE: BURNING EMBERS
For single target dmg and agro. This must be refreshed on target it is your primary dps for single target and offers a heal at the end of its duration.
FIERY BREATH: ENGULFING FLAME
This coupled with dark talons is your multiple target opener. its a great way to pull agro and will increased the power of your consecutive fire attks (of which there are many) Dark talons can be used first if you would like to set mobs in position for engulfing flames by immobilizing them.
DRACONIC POWER:
PASSIVES:
No need to explain here max them all out. I will also note that BURNING HEART increases the healing received during inhale.
ACTIVES:
DARK TALONS: BURNING TALONS (optional choking talons)
A great way to immobilize a group of mobs. An awesome CC tool when facing multiple enemies burning talons adds burning damage, but you may opt for choking talons if you feel your defense could use the boost. However, its like I stated we are going the offensive route here because damage holds agro and our defense shines through ways of our passives and blocking!
DRAGON BLOOD: GREEN DRAGON OR COAGULATING
Both morphs are useful here this ability is only used in single target situations. This is your saving grace. Single target build runs off of stamina so green dragon blood comes in use when you need a stam boost for blocking or taunting. If using green dragon blood you should take ransack over pierce armor in 1 hand shield skill line.
Coagulating blood is a great defensive cool down to have in heavy dmg situations.
INHALE: DRAW ESSENCE
Ahhhhhhh.. This Is a great tool. it does three things, AoE dmg, self heal, and magicka restore. This should be the end of your rotation to restore all the magicka u used previously and the health that was chewed away.
EARTHEN HEART:
PASSIVES:
ETERNAL MOUNTAIN:
A great tool for increasing the duration of cinderstorm, a powerful CC skill you will be using. max it out
ACTIVES:
ULTIMATE: MAGMA ARMOR; CORROSIVE ARMOR
use this only in single target encounters. This is here to save your ass or to aid the healer if u are in a heavy dmg situation. I chose corrosive armor because we are using this in single target encounters where dmg to group members is less likely.
ASH CLOUD: CINDER STORM:
This is a wonderful CC ability. It slows down your enemies so they don't get away too easily and it lowers their dmg output with a 30% miss rate applied to to enemies in the area. Use this in your rotation after you have applied engulfing flames.
1HAND AND SHIELD:
BLOCKING:
This is your number 1 tool for mitigation. With the passives in 1 hand and shield skill line and draconic power you will be practically invincible. Remember you can block and cast spells simultaneously. It may prove a bit more difficult in single target encounters when you are using your 1 hander more often. But the general rule of thumb here is to block as many attacks as possible
LIGHT AND HEAVY ATTACKS:
These can be used intermittently in situations where you are low on stamina and magicka and need to hold agro with damage. Remember though that you will be using your clicker mostly for blocking. blocking and rotation has priority over light and heavy attacks. But they can be used in situations as I mentioned before where you don't want to over consume resources. optimally speaking you would want to find windows of opportunity to light and heavy attack in between blocking and bashing when your enemy is not attacking you in that moment. If you can hold agro without it I would not bother. Make use of block and bash (right and left click simultaneously, or hold right and click left).
PASSIVES:
Again, take them all. They are all beneficial to you one way or another. max em all out. Deadly bash make your hold right click + left click interrupt much more powerful which could potentially replace light attacks. Practice using this because it can come in handy. if you can master the technique then you can open up your hotbar to a space you would otherwise use for a spell absorb / reflect / or interrupt ability.
PUNCTURE: RANSACK AND PIERCE ARMOR
A MUST HAVE on both hotbars. This is your taunt! This is what will keep your group happy! when choosing a morph pierce armor should be considered more so for the multiple targets due to its synergy with the idea of an offensive tank. However, if you are taking burning talons in place of choking talons and feel that a little armor boost is necessary, then by preference feel free to choose ransack. For single target if you are opting for green dragon blood: (stamina > armor and spell resist) instead of coagulating then ransack may also be a better choice.
LOW SLASH: DEEP SLASH
Our single target build is built around debuffing the opponent and buffing ourselves. This is just a continuation of that idea.
SHIELD CHARGE: SHIELDED ASSAULT;
This is your single target opener it offers an immediate dmg shield and is a perfect opening tool to any encounter.
NOTE ABOUT SINGLE TARGET ROTATION:
If you feel it necessary to have a spell reflect/ absorb on your hotbar then you can substitute either shield charge or deep slash for Reflective scale in the draconic power tree or Defensive posture in 1 hand shield tree. Reflective scale has a morph that offers spell resistence and increased dmg, I would suggest the spell resistence. Defensive posture has a nice passive ability while its on the hotbar that aids your blocking. It also has a morph with a self heal or a stun. I generally don't recommend going to stun morphs due to the fact that we will mainly be fighting bosses and I am afraid they may have an immunity to stuns.
ARMOR:
I recommend a 5 heavy / 2 light build for Multiple targets. And IF YOU CAN a 5 heavy /2 medium for single target/ if you would like , you may even go 5/1/1 you will need stamina for blocking. However sacrificing 1 piece of armor in light armor loses you a lot more benefit than If you were to sacrifice 1 piece of armor in medium armor.
LIGHT ARMOR:
For multiple targets
All except prodigy I feel should be maxed out. We will be using A LOT of magicka. This will help in keeping our rotation alive.
MEDIUM ARMOR:
For single target
Max out Wind walker, I don't see inherent value in any of the other skills. Stamina is a must have for blocking. However, with our passive skill lines in 1 hand shield and heavy armor blocking will use a fraction of energy of what it would otherwise.
HEAVY ARMOR: Why we are tanks.
All except juggernaut are incredibly useful in our tanking lives. This is why we can afford to have so much utility and offense on our hotbar.
DARK ELF SKILLS:
Dynamic and flame talent should be maxed out firstly. resist flame is secondary in importance.
CONCLUSION:
I attempted to make a very synergistic and flowing build. That was the idea behind it from the beginning and I think the elder scrolls online developers constructed these skill lines to follow that idea of synergy and balance. Its just a matter of figuring out for ourselves. However, it is a work in progress, so I do appreciate any feedback or if I have made any mistakes please let me know.
I hope you all can take some ideas from this. Maybe attempt to incorporate it into your gameplay and let me know the results.
-Yogarogue
(edited to add information about light and heavy attacks)
****NOTE****
After a bit more deliberation and trial and error I have found that it may be suitable for you to swap lava whip with burning embers in your single target rotation. Burning embers morph bonus can actually be missed due to the fact that it does not activate till burning embers effect has ended. Now with a skill line passive that increases burning time this may take even longer than expected and you may not even get your heal that you risked a skill point for in the first place. Now in boss fights where the enemy is standing for a much longer period of time, this point is moot. However, lava whip has a morph with a instant life stealing heal from your enemy that adds damage to the attack and heals you respectively. This morph is only activated if the target is stunned or immobilized (lava whip also as a chance to throw your target off balance if he/she is stunned or immobilized as well), so we can work with either shield charge (stun) + lava whip, or low slash with an immobilizing morph followed by lava whip. Just something to consider. Again this can be preference. it all depends on the situations youre getting yourself into.
****NOTE****
Also as far as blocking is concerned, with your passives in heavy armor, draconic power, and 1 h and shield, blocking should be costing you minimal stamina. It should not be too much of an issue. Limit your stamina use by avoiding the telegraphed attacks of enemies by simply getting out of the way, there are no need to block attacks that can be easily avoided by pressing your movement keys.
5
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Bayezid✭✭For someone going to level 50, where should i spend most of my attribute points?
What should the ratio be in?Edited by Bayezid on April 3, 2014 6:45PM0 -
yogarogue✭✭With attributes its hard to say. As a DK tank we are using all three attributes respectively. Magicka for our spell casts. stamina for our blocks/dodges/melee taunts and attks, and health for our general "tankyness". Theoretically this build is balanced so we will also be looking for a balance in attribute points. But it also depends on the situations you will be in. Im guessing (this is just a guess) that toward end game our focus will be geared moretoward single target bosses. within which stamina will be much more required of you than magicka. So with that being said I would say invest in both stamina and health equally. Lets also not forget DE has some strong magicka racials as well if that's the route youre going. If you were to pick something like a Breton tank then hands down invest a bit more in stam and health due to their racials.2
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Sabbatus✭✭✭Well done. However, you've convinced me to re-roll for the racial
And then there's the Altmer Sorc tank build.... this is going to be time consuming. Thankfully
2 -
Still trying to get tanking figured out for my DK so this is helping, is dealing damage the only way to hold aggro? Did i miss a skill that works like a taunt?0
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yogarogue✭✭There are two taunts available to us. One is through our 1 hand and shield skill line, the other thru the undaunted skill line. They are both single target.2
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SaracynSoul ShrivenPretty in-depth, I'm going to give it a shot. I'll let you know how it works.1 -
Kingspian✭✭I'm gonna work it out. I'll look into those builds. I got some pretty good builds for lvl 13. I'll start putting into passive skills i need first for my heavy armor, and passive abilities. I need to put those first. Its a learning experience for me and i'm getting great help for you guys that experience tanking in wow and other mmo's.1 -
Looks almost exactly like what i am going for. The skills have for the build at lvl 20 seems very viable as a Tank build!0
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yogarogue✭✭I'm gonna work it out. I'll look into those builds. I got some pretty good builds for lvl 13. I'll start putting into passive skills i need first for my heavy armor, and passive abilities. I need to put those first. Its a learning experience for me and i'm getting great help for you guys that experience tanking in wow and other mmo's.
Ya the thing that's fascinating about tanking in this game is to truly tank means to take your awareness of the dynamics in game to a whole new level.. its not something you can find in world of warcraft, or even in recently developed games like FFXIV where a role is CLEARLY defined. To really find definition in this game you have to dig deep.
1 -
yogarogue✭✭I would also like to add a side note about enchantments: In this build we seek to find a balance between all 3 major attributes and subattributes, i.e Stam recovery, magicka recovery, health recovery. Know which attributes you are deficient in and find the appropriate glyph to balance out..1
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This is indeed a great build, just checking it out. Being able to balance 2 hotbars geared towards single bosses/many adds brings the game to a whole new level. Just a quick question - what would you recommend in terms of attributes for an Argonian DK? Given the strong bonuses to health and healing I guess I should aim towards stam and magicka? What about skills - any changes that you would suggest?0
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drgneb✭I have to ask...why no Spiked Armor? Most or all the "other"guides claim its a must have, yet you don't have it. Just curious as to your reasoning behind this. I love your guild and have used it to respect for the 4th time! man it gets costly!!! lol. But yea, awesome job and I like your direction of not being a complete meat shield, but instead doing some damage. Currently on WOW with my DK Blood tank I have focused more on dps as well, so am used to the concept and love it. Look forward to you posted more as the game goes along! Again, great job mate, well appreciated!!2
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Mick2018Soul ShrivenHmmm...looks very interesting...I have an Imp DK atm which is a DD but thinking of trying tanking...The Imps have some nice racial traits but you don't get the Magicka bonus, fire resist or increased fire damage either! Oh well, they gave us 8 character slots for a reason
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Saltypretzels✭✭✭✭Spiked armor is not necessary when you wear heavy armor. The heavy armor by itself is going to be enough to keep you at or very near the soft cap.1 -
Kingspian✭✭I was thinking of using obsedian shield instead of spike armor against the boss. That should be a pretty decent protection than spike armor. Correct me if i'm wrong.1
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Im wearing 5 heavy / 2 light and still get hit quite hard especially in boss encounters (and given that it's a balanced build where points are invested equally). This build is great but very heal-dependant and also leaves a very slim margin of error in terms of avoiding aoes and whatnot. So far I kept spiked armor in the rotation, we'll see how it fares on higher lvs (30 so far).1
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s0kr4t3s✭does low slash/ deep slash debuff the boss with the reduction of dmg? because every time i use ist against a boss it pops a immunity warning up. Maybe because of the 15% slow debuff...0
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Kingspian✭✭Deep slash is good againts the mob but not really to get aggro. I use ransack, that i take aggro from the boss. It helps alot.0
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Grogin✭Hello all! I spent a good amount of time trying to construct a tanking build I feel is sufficient for both multiple and single target encounters. Since there is yet a real "guide" posted on these forums I thought I would share my ideas and my theory.
This is the build:
teso.mmorpg-life.com/eso-skill-calculator/dragonknight/?calc=1266.1274.1281.1295.1323.:1487-2.1488-2.1489-2.1490-2.1497-2.1498-2.1499-2.1501-2.1502-2.1503-2.1504-2.1505-2.1506-2.1532-2.1534-2.1535-2.1536-2.1537-2.1538-2.1539-2.1541-2.1607-2.1608-2.1609-2.:1263.x1260.1278.1316.1323.1325.::1287.
THE DRAGONKNIGHT:
The dragonknight is not like any other tank you have experienced before. We are used to seeing traditional tanks in other MMOs that wield their 1 hand and shield, wear full plate armor and are masters of melee combat and defense. The dragonknight differs from your typical warrior in that we have the capability of casting a variety of spells making ranged combat our specialty and our class majority magicka driven. ESO has done a good job in offering a very unique class that we can work with. With such a variety of choices and paths to take in our journey through tamriel we must sit down and theorize as to what our role is in a group (Tank for this particular build) and what path is best suited for that role.
WHICH RACE TO CHOOSE:
While there are many suitable races for a tank I have selected the Dark Elf. The Dark Elf is the ONLY race that offers both a Magicka AND Stamina improving racial skill. Unlike other races that will focus mainly on "tanky" skills I.E health regen, max health, stam regen, stam health, etc. Also, many people tend to make their racial choice based on the weapon skill line that race has an experience gain for. This to me is not a valid choice to make for the sole reason that by the time you reach endgame this racial trait loses all significance while the other available racial traits will not lose their value. The Dark Elf skill lines also provide a huge buff to their "fire" power. Which is a wonderful perc to have considering in my build we will be using mainly fire driven skills. Dragonknights can be both Magicka and Stamina driven. So I elected to choose a race with skill lines that were balanced in this regard.
THE BUILD:
The way to be efficient in this game within your designated role is to always be looking for SYNERGY. I cant emphasize how important this is. SYNERGY SYNERGY SYNERGY. The fact is we have many different schools of skills to choose from and the goal is to find how your choices will balance out the different skill lines. When you make a decision to choose one skill, you will be adding a value to your character but losing out on a potential opportunity for another. So find out what your imbalances are in terms of your characters role and adjust accordingly.
There are two parts to this build, one skill set will be focusing on multiple target situations using mainly magicka, the other will be focusing on single target situations using mainly stamina i.e bosses. My educated guess is that you will be using the former set in most situations.
This builds defensive focus lies in it passives in heavy armor, 1 h and shield, and draconic power passive skill lines. This is useful because 1) my defense is not on cool down 2) it opens up my hotbar for more offensive and utility driven skills. Think of this build as a bulldozer with inherent resilience and strong offensive power.
WHICH ATTRIBUTES DO I CHOOSE:
The answer is all three. With a racial skill line that increases stam and magicka one might consider putting more in health however, also remember synergy and balance. When I invest attributes in magicka I am making more spells more efficient, I am able to cast more and more powerfully. For this build when investing points in magicka you are directly influencing your tanking ability. The same could be said for stamina. Our multiple target rotation is strongly influenced by magicka while our single target by stamina. I would suggest balancing out all three attributes. With a stronger focus possibly in stamina because blocking is going to become an integral part of your tanking.
THE BUILD:
ARDENT FLAME:
PASSIVE SKILL LINES:
KINDLING:
A MUST HAVE, increased your burning dmg which works on cross skills in other skill lines as well. MAX THIS OUT
SEARING HEAT:
increases the duration of your burns and fire abilities including your ardent flame ultimate: dragonknight standard. ALSO A MUST HAVE, max it out
WORLD OF FLAME:
increases dmg of AoE fire abilities, need I say more? max it out
ACTIVES:
DRAGONKNIGHT STANDARD: STANDARD OF MIGHT
Hands down the best ultimate for an offensive tank. Not only will it do incredible amounts of dmg with your chosen passives but its morph offers 35 % dmg increase and 35% dmg reduction in enemies.
SEARING STRIKE: BURNING EMBERS
For single target dmg and agro. This must be refreshed on target it is your primary dps for single target and offers a heal at the end of its duration.
FIERY BREATH: ENGULFING FLAME
This coupled with dark talons is your multiple target opener. its a great way to pull agro and will increased the power of your consecutive fire attks (of which there are many) Dark talons can be used first if you would like to set mobs in position for engulfing flames by immobilizing them.
DRACONIC POWER:
PASSIVES:
No need to explain here max them all out. I will also note that BURNING HEART increases the healing received during inhale.
ACTIVES:
DARK TALONS: BURNING TALONS (optional choking talons)
A great way to immobilize a group of mobs. An awesome CC tool when facing multiple enemies burning talons adds burning damage, but you may opt for choking talons if you feel your defense could use the boost. However, its like I stated we are going the offensive route here because damage holds agro and our defense shines through ways of our passives and blocking!
DRAGON BLOOD: GREEN DRAGON OR COAGULATING
Both morphs are useful here this ability is only used in single target situations. This is your saving grace. Single target build runs off of stamina so green dragon blood comes in use when you need a stam boost for blocking or taunting. If using green dragon blood you should take ransack over pierce armor in 1 hand shield skill line.
Coagulating blood is a great defensive cool down to have in heavy dmg situations.
INHALE: DRAW ESSENCE
Ahhhhhhh.. This Is a great tool. it does three things, AoE dmg, self heal, and magicka restore. This should be the end of your rotation to restore all the magicka u used previously and the health that was chewed away.
EARTHEN HEART:
PASSIVES:
ETERNAL MOUNTAIN:
A great tool for increasing the duration of cinderstorm, a powerful CC skill you will be using. max it out
ACTIVES:
ULTIMATE: MAGMA ARMOR; CORROSIVE ARMOR
use this only in single target encounters. This is here to save your ass or to aid the healer if u are in a heavy dmg situation. I chose corrosive armor because we are using this in single target encounters where dmg to group members is less likely.
ASH CLOUD: CINDER STORM:
This is a wonderful CC ability. It slows down your enemies so they don't get away too easily and it lowers their dmg output with a 30% miss rate applied to to enemies in the area. Use this in your rotation after you have applied engulfing flames.
1HAND AND SHIELD:
BLOCKING:
This is your number 1 tool for mitigation. With the passives in 1 hand and shield skill line and draconic power you will be practically invincible. Remember you can block and cast spells simultaneously. It may prove a bit more difficult in single target encounters when you are using your 1 hander more often. But the general rule of thumb here is to block as many attacks as possible
LIGHT AND HEAVY ATTACKS:
These can be used intermittently in situations where you are low on stamina and magicka and need to hold agro with damage. Remember though that you will be using your clicker mostly for blocking. blocking and rotation has priority over light and heavy attacks. But they can be used in situations as I mentioned before where you don't want to over consume resources. optimally speaking you would want to find windows of opportunity to light and heavy attack in between blocking and bashing when your enemy is not attacking you in that moment. If you can hold agro without it I would not bother. Make use of block and bash (right and left click simultaneously, or hold right and click left).
PASSIVES:
Again, take them all. They are all beneficial to you one way or another. max em all out. Deadly bash make your hold right click + left click interrupt much more powerful which could potentially replace light attacks. Practice using this because it can come in handy. if you can master the technique then you can open up your hotbar to a space you would otherwise use for a spell absorb / reflect / or interrupt ability.
PUNCTURE: RANSACK AND PIERCE ARMOR
A MUST HAVE on both hotbars. This is your taunt! This is what will keep your group happy! when choosing a morph pierce armor should be considered more so for the multiple targets due to its synergy with the idea of an offensive tank. However, if you are taking burning talons in place of choking talons and feel that a little armor boost is necessary, then by preference feel free to choose ransack. For single target if you are opting for green dragon blood: (stamina > armor and spell resist) instead of coagulating then ransack may also be a better choice.
LOW SLASH: DEEP SLASH
Our single target build is built around debuffing the opponent and buffing ourselves. This is just a continuation of that idea.
SHIELD CHARGE: SHIELDED ASSAULT;
This is your single target opener it offers an immediate dmg shield and is a perfect opening tool to any encounter.
NOTE ABOUT SINGLE TARGET ROTATION:
If you feel it necessary to have a spell reflect/ absorb on your hotbar then you can substitute either shield charge or deep slash for Reflective scale in the draconic power tree or Defensive posture in 1 hand shield tree. Reflective scale has a morph that offers spell resistence and increased dmg, I would suggest the spell resistence. Defensive posture has a nice passive ability while its on the hotbar that aids your blocking. It also has a morph with a self heal or a stun. I generally don't recommend going to stun morphs due to the fact that we will mainly be fighting bosses and I am afraid they may have an immunity to stuns.
ARMOR:
I recommend a 5 heavy / 2 light build for Multiple targets. And IF YOU CAN a 5 heavy /2 medium for single target/ if you would like , you may even go 5/1/1 you will need stamina for blocking. However sacrificing 1 piece of armor in light armor loses you a lot more benefit than If you were to sacrifice 1 piece of armor in medium armor.
LIGHT ARMOR:
For multiple targets
All except prodigy I feel should be maxed out. We will be using A LOT of magicka. This will help in keeping our rotation alive.
MEDIUM ARMOR:
For single target
Max out Wind walker, I don't see inherent value in any of the other skills. Stamina is a must have for blocking. However, with our passive skill lines in 1 hand shield and heavy armor blocking will use a fraction of energy of what it would otherwise.
HEAVY ARMOR: Why we are tanks.
All except juggernaut are incredibly useful in our tanking lives. This is why we can afford to have so much utility and offense on our hotbar.
DARK ELF SKILLS:
Dynamic and flame talent should be maxed out firstly. resist flame is secondary in importance.
CONCLUSION:
I attempted to make a very synergistic and flowing build. That was the idea behind it from the beginning and I think the elder scrolls online developers constructed these skill lines to follow that idea of synergy and balance. Its just a matter of figuring out for ourselves. However, it is a work in progress, so I do appreciate any feedback or if I have made any mistakes please let me know.
I hope you all can take some ideas from this. Maybe attempt to incorporate it into your gameplay and let me know the results.
-Yogarogue
(edited to add information about light and heavy attacks)
****NOTE****
After a bit more deliberation and trial and error I have found that it may be suitable for you to swap lava whip with burning embers in your single target rotation. Burning embers morph bonus can actually be missed due to the fact that it does not activate till burning embers effect has ended. Now with a skill line passive that increases burning time this may take even longer than expected and you may not even get your heal that you risked a skill point for in the first place. Now in boss fights where the enemy is standing for a much longer period of time, this point is moot. However, lava whip has a morph with a instant life stealing heal from your enemy that adds damage to the attack and heals you respectively. This morph is only activated if the target is stunned or immobilized (lava whip also as a chance to throw your target off balance if he/she is stunned or immobilized as well), so we can work with either shield charge (stun) + lava whip, or low slash with an immobilizing morph followed by lava whip. Just something to consider. Again this can be preference. it all depends on the situations youre getting yourself into.
****NOTE****
Also as far as blocking is concerned, with your passives in heavy armor, draconic power, and 1 h and shield, blocking should be costing you minimal stamina. It should not be too much of an issue. Limit your stamina use by avoiding the telegraphed attacks of enemies by simply getting out of the way, there are no need to block attacks that can be easily avoided by pressing your movement keys.
Since this is an offensive build, what is the damage like on mobs? Does it take forever to kill things?0 -
Stautmeister✭✭✭Not the best build, would not advise the entire build:
Agree with a few things
Ransack. Its a must and if you toggle magicka/stam you should always have the extra armor
Green Dragonblood: Must. Selfheal + boosting healthregen and stam regen. You need it.
Take magma shell over corrosive armor. In general your the one being hit. The only pyshical dmg your teammates take is if your not taking. They will take magic dmg, the 85% max health shield helps out more than the other one.
Needed.
You also want to take inner beast. Having a taunt on magicka and stam is very usefull + its 28m range, which means you can taunt mobs of healers (you wont have a charge)
Burning talons: Must. the dmg and control this offers is insane. With enough magicka youl be able to cast this 3 times every pull, if you do it correctly (cornerpull) youl control everything and noone will take dmg.
Now that these 5 skills are core in your bar 1.
you got 1 spare skill.
Personally i like the fighters guild preservation, its a health regenboost/defensive stat boost on stam that benefits your entire party. But untill you get it volatile armor fufills the same role.
I found spellreflect in dungeons to be lacking.
Other good options are extended chains or stonefist or shieldcharge.
Another option is unstoppable in the heavy armor tree.
About blocking.
Dont block light attacks.
Between your armor/selfheals/healthregen you can take a few hits. Blocking every hit takes a major toll on your stamina consumption.
However dont be afraid to slam block when they cast spells. In melee range a lot of things are pretty darn hard to avoid.
Fighting ranged bosses.
Use Inner beast and stay at max range. This allows you to dodge casts and not take any dmg.
statwise i went 10/29/10
gearwise i personally favor getting health and stamina regen to overcharge level with green dragon blood. When that is obtained go for whatever stat you feel you need more. Personally i like a mix of health/stam and magicka.
However health is your most important stat, seeing as green dragonblood regens of your % missing health, the more you got, the more effective it becomes.
Potions: Magicka, magicka =health and stamina regen providing you with all the stats you need.
Ive read about some people dps tanking, but personally that doesnt seem to work for me, control and survive works a lot better. and ive succesfully tanked all instances without a lot of problems.
Inhale, while looking cool, is worse than a darktalon/green blood combo and thus not worth it for dungeons (amazing when aoefarming though)
This is my build for dungeons (bar 2 for packs, bar 1 for bosses) While absorb magic is often pretty weark 8% reduced cost and 100 extra absorb make it worth.
http://esohead.com/calculator/skills#czmzyyfXu38y1au8fXhm8ugIo8uEIU8Gsb18fXuY8fXGB8LxkS8umHl8uvZT8GsbX8T7JIRMA6MrqAi6MrqAI6MrqAD6MrqAZ6crqLw8y7xAR3a6dR3r6dR3f6MfQE16MfQE36MfQlr6MfQlu8E7Grzm16dzVW8l7DAzoC6rzkA6dzky6MuvVB6MuvVD6MuvVJ6MuvVO8B7rdzRf6MGkXa6MGkXf8P7mLdYf6bdYh837cNw338zk7zzvKVv
This is the build i use for soloing (mainly in coldharbor)
http://esohead.com/calculator/skills#czmzyxfXu38LxsX8LxR48uzEm8uEIU8Gsb18wAvm8umJt8uEAn8umHD8uvZT8GsbX8T7JIRMA6MrqAi6MrqAI6MrqAD6MrqAZ6crqLw8y7xAR3a6dR3r6dR3f6MfQE16MfQE36MfQlr6MfQlu8x7MNsfd8E7Jrzm16rzVW6NzVX8l7JAzoC6rzkA6dzky6Nzkt6MuvVB6MuvVD6MuvVJ6MuvVO8B7rdzRf6MGkXa6MGkXf8P7oLdYf6bdYi6ddYh837cNw338zk7zzvKVv
I especially like only having to put 3 skillpoints in the 2 handed tree to become a pretty solid aoe clearer
(3 or more mobs) An orc marrying a wood elf?! Enjoy your Borsimer mutants!0 -
drgneb✭So the the build above, and bar 1,what attacks do you have other than ransack? Surely you don't just spam that, and tab back and forth between bars would seem like a bit of hassle. Im liking the build as I am seeing that defensive is the better way to go it seems thus far, but am always looking to improve. Keep posting all the info and help, its must appreciated!!0
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drgneb✭Also, are you not needing any magika regen help, i.e. having all points in heavy? Or do you rely on pots for that?
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A lot of nice observations and good advice from the OP here. Myself, im not 50 yet, at 43 atm. I use one bar for 2h levelling atm, so only 1 bar for tanking. Personally, i would say ransack is a must, as others have stated. However, my philosophy is: 1 taunt, 1 aoe for threat, 2 defensive abilities and 1 charge/pull. This has the benefit of being able to hold most packs with the aoe, taunt any lose ones, massive armour buffs (i wear full heavy as well, will likely dump the spiked armour as im overcharging armour atm), obsidian shield for those big hits and a bit of group protection and then obviously the charge for mobility.
On a boss its similar, as i said i only have the 1 bar and i cba to swap abilities around every 5 seconds.
Another philosophy i stick to, as the OP said, is get that synergy. No point having loads of stamina abilities and not being able to roll out of that frontal cone that one shots you, right? Personally i find 2 stamina abilities to 3 magic, with a 1:3:2 ratio in magic/health/stam respectively, to be pretty solid. Go a bit oom near the end of a boss, but thats down to me spamming buttons and rolling all over the shop, and can be countered by spending a couple of points extra in magic and stam.
All of that said, im more of a traditionalist and play for survivability and making the healers lives as easy as i can, as apposed to the offensive tank the OP is aiming for but then thats the beauty of this game; you can do either, or both in one build 0 -
drgneb✭Awesome! That's the kind of replies I'm hoping for, people sharing how they tank and what they have on their bars and why. makes for good learning and comparing and trying. I encourage all you DK tanks out there to join in the discussion and share what works and doesn't work, why and why not, and perhaps some of what you all would like to see in future!
Also, Xia, can you link your build?Edited by drgneb on April 15, 2014 9:14AM0 -
Stautmeister✭✭✭Also, are you not needing any magika regen help, i.e. having all points in heavy? Or do you rely on pots for that?
For tanking, only the taunts and autos, but you can switch out volatile armor for single target flame dps.
You gotta realise though that your recourses will be drained through defending. Any stamina/magicka going to non surviving abilities is wastes.
+ with your passives your aa's do around 10% more dmg.
Magicka you take on gear and prefereably pick up a ring with magicka regen An orc marrying a wood elf?! Enjoy your Borsimer mutants!0 -
drgneb✭thanks for that. I swapped to all heavy and yea, didn't lose that much in magika regen at all. Plus getting it on gear is a great way to make it up and not waste a point. But again, what attacks you guys use other than ransack? Spamming that would suck your stam would it not? Or you just using white (auto) hits in between along with the damage volatile armor and such do and just let your dps be the damage dealers....is their job after all...lol?! 0
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leandro.800ub17_ESO✭✭✭✭I actually do the DPS tank thing (Dark Elf)
1st- Blood Craze (DPS + Heal) (Use fire enchant on weapons)
2nd- Shattering Rocks (Immobilize other mobs and take your time 1 by 1)
Still seeing if using Wirling Blades goes well or not
3rd- Igneous Shield (For bosses or when you cant Immobilize)
4th- Razor Armor (More tanky)
5th-Green Dragon Blood (almost don't need it ) Will change to Draw Essence when i have it
Ultimate: DK Standard (works well with fire increase passive of dark elf)
Get around 50% of point and enchants on heath (main in tank) then other balanced
I have 5 pieces of armor item set that gives more 100 armor. Will test using 3 pieces of light to increase magika or 3 of medium for dmg. Dont know if it will be good or bad
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