Spellblade - The Dualwielding Sorcerer

Solomon_Cato

Finally started going on a character that I enjoy, and so far things are going pretty good. I'm sitting at level 18 (Or 19? Hell, I forgot) and just started Stormhaven. I'm coming up on skill level 30 for Summoning and Storm Calling finally, so surge and bound armor are within my grasp. Leveling has virtually been a cake walk so far, Blood Craze offers a pretty decent HoT, but lately I have actually started using sparks and find it a bit more useful.

Here is what I am going for:

http://esohead.com/calculator/skills#cMMzttNUmo8NNgI8AIUM8w2lJ8w2lm8AISv8NUmo8Niqz8AIUM8w2Ct8w2BR8AISv8L7JcdoQr6MdoQF6MdoQC6MdoQJ8p7JcdBET6MdBvj6MdBvT6MdBEp8t7HLsgZ6rsgW6rsg16LsgY6LsgX6MwS3c6MwYlv6MwYle6MwUlN6MwYl28H7DLbHm6LzwM6MNieT6MNieA6MNieh6MNiey8J7xrziB6LziY6rziO6MNUIz6MNUIN8K7JLzuN6mkg6mzun6mzuI6Lzuj6Lzuu6MANRQ6MANRU6MANRW6MANRZ837V68zV7pzeCp46ceCGC6ceCAq6ceCxV

(Sorry for the long link....)

Bar #1: Single Target
Bound Armaments/Crystal Fragments/Critical Surge/Flying Blade/Rapid Strikes

Bar #2: AoE/CC
Bound Armaments/Restraining Prison/Critical Surge/Whirling Blades/Ember Explosion

This, however, is NOT set in stone just yet. Here a few of my predicaments...

1. Sparks - Heated Blades vs. Ember Explosion. I am still torn by this. Heated Blades is a very nice skill, but my argument against it is the fact that the CC effect will not work on bosses. Therefore, all it could ever offer is a one time boost to my next weapon attack. With that I feel I could deal more damage using successive Rapid Strikes rather than using the stamina just for the damage increase (I also am not a huge fan of just spamming the hell out of rapid strikes; with all the stamina resource management I have I like to use it 2-3 times while leaving enough storage for the needed block/dodge). Therefore, I felt Ember Explosion would be more useful in an AoE situation offering a blind, and being a stamina user, works well with Restraining Prison.

2. Crystal Fragments vs. Ball of Lightning. I feel this may just be personal preference when it gets down to it. The first I ever made this build on a calculator actually had Ball of Lightning on it. I felt it would be nice to have a way to escape using my magicka rather than my stamina (i.e. dodge roll). I put Crystal Fragments in this time with the thought of popping it off a couple times as I run to start, as well as just having a ranged magicka user for the times I am at range.

3. Heated Blades vs. (Flying Blade vs. Silver Shards). Confusing I know, but really this is all contingent on my first predicament. Obviously if I choose to go with Ember Explosion (which I am heavily leaning towards at this point) it comes down to Flying Blade vs. Silver Shards. I really wanted a ranged stamina user in this spot, and outside of bow skills I feel these may be the two best we have at this point. Truthfully, I plan on keeping both in my back pocket for different situations. Obviously a Daedric/Undead heavy dungeon will warrant the use of Silver Shards (And while the CC will not work on a boss, I believe the banish effect can still take place). For dungeons that do not have heavy Daedric/Undead amounts I will pull out Flying Blade, as it has higher base damage.

Please feel free to post your thoughts, concerns, and ideals on this thread!

A couple things to remember about me and my build before commenting:
1. Yes, this is a weapon oriented build. That was my intention, therefore having bound armaments on both bars does not bother nor do I believe that it hinders my build.

2. Yes I know, it is the ever popular use of the Critical Surge skill. I get it, everyone uses it, but I truthfully planned on making a build around this skill before ever researching its use. Bash the skill if you want, but please offer valid insight as to why you like/dislike the skill, as for any other skill in any other thread.

Thanks!

taylorwilenskiub17_ESO

Interesting and cool looking build! I've been interested in creating a melee sorcerer myself but never looked into it too much. Didn't know there were spells to increase weapon damage, good to know!

thomas1970b16_ESO

I am running a melee light armor/medium armor Templar with dual wield. So far it is going well, though I sometimes think that if I don't kill my opponents quickly enough, they can burn me down. I might post a build idea tonight if I have the time for it.

Anyways your build looks really cool, and sometimes I think I should have rolled a Sorcerer instead.

swoop.romerb16_ESO

wow, why didnt you pm me with this build before i made a dual wield NB?? Seriously, this build looks awesome! I love it! Definately gonna try this out

Myziot

Just as cool as 2-handed build in a similar fashion!

I love to start the fight with ranged spells (crystal shard/lightning) followed up by Critical Charge. Reminds me a bit a Jedi Knight with a light-saber leap ability

ZiRM

Interesting but duel wielding in ESO is just not my thing.

FrauPerchta

Melee Sorcerers are great. Love your build, I went 2H (no staff) Orc Sorcerer and love it. It's like playing in easy mode.

Solomon_Cato

Been messing around on Esohead last couple of days, toying around with some ideas for the build. I have begin to notice that my melee AoE really is not THAT great. Whirlwind damage really shines when targets are lower then 25%, which really is a crutch when working with groups because the adds are usually burnt down before I can reap the benefits.

So I got to looking at bow, and thinking about having it as my weapon swap/AoE weapon. The AoE skills that the bow offers not only have higher base damage, but also offer more CC. Here is something I came up with:

http://esohead.com/calculator/skills#mMMztgMV9MW0mia8AIUM8w2lJ8AIOU8w2lm8NUmo8AISu8AIPN8Niqz8inTJ8inyT8NUmo8AISu8L7rcdoQr6MdoQC6MdoQF8p7JMdBvT6MdBvj6MdBEp6cdBET8t7HrsgW6LsgX6LsgY6LsgZ6rsg16MwS3c6MwUlN6MwYle6MwYlv6MwYl28g7xrsXn6rsXy6rsXx6rsXg6MipL46MippV6Mippo6Mippq8H7rLzwM6Lzwm6LbHm6MNieA6MNieT8J7JrziB6rziO6mziX6rziZ6MNUIz6MNUIN8K7JLzuu6rzuN6Lzuj6Lzun6MANRQ6MANRU6MANRW6MANRZ8P7MrdYh8zV7pceCGC6ceCAq6zeCp46ceCxV8zf7zzNbo8zu7zzHfYE6zHfZd8zG7zzHQ3F8zI7zzJIoX6zJIkL8zN7zzJZcY8zA7zzKpUN8zL7zzK4EX

I really like the idea of starting with a Restraining Prison into Scorched Earth, then popping Bombard once the CC from the prison wears off. Allows me to manage my resources a little bit without completely burning one pool of resource. I have also contemplated using Absorption Field with my second bar as well, making this skill set up a complete stunlocking monster. That would add even more resource management being able to Absorption Field into Scorched Earth, and possibly even two of them if I am feeling greedy.

My single target bar is still kind of sway. Basically it boils down to which pair of skills I want to use, Ball of Lightning/Flying Blade, Boundless Storm/Crystal Fragments, Ball of Lightning/Crystal Fragments, Boundless Storm/Flying Blade.
Out of those four, the two best I see are Ball of Lightning/Crystal Fragments and Boundless Storm/Flying Blade(Silver Shards).

Ball of lightning/Crystal Fragments will offer more DPS I believe, since fragments can proc on each cast of Ball of Lightning, but would also burn my magicka pretty quick.

Boundless Storm/Flying Blade(Silver Shards) will offer more survival by capping my armor and spell resist (combined with Bound Armaments), but I do not think it will offer as much DPS as the above.

Please, share your thoughts!

Eats-the-Cheddar

OP: Whenever I click on esohead links, it says an error has occurred. Makes me sad, because I really want to see this build!!!

Solomon_Cato

Bah, really? Just used it, I will try and link a new one shortly. Which link is it, the original post link or my newest link?

EramTheLiar

I've been experimenting with something similar. However, instead of Bound Armaments I use Thundering Presence -- it appears to have a higher armor boost and it has a continuous, low-level area of effect damage field while it's active. I went with Thundering Presence because when maxxed out it lasts 9 seconds, which is reasonable to keep toggling through combat. The main drawback here is when you get stunned or encased--if it expires then, it can be a little tense.

Solomon_Cato

Well, this didn't quite pan out. Apparently it is something with the website, because I tried to load a blank calculator and said the exact same thing. Will have one posted ASAP.

*EDIT* Try this link:
http://esobuild.com/?Ewbg7CCMAMIHQGZJ0aALGAXGOBDaCApnMABwLl66FmYJWkBmjVuARoXXgMZ7DeZkjblEgATcWgCcqAGxTIpGcAQBWaISVyF0MUA=

Solomon_Cato

@EramTheLiar: I am still a bit on the fence about Bound Armaments as well, but with the increase in attack speed from Rapid Strikes + Medium armor passives give +28% attack speed, which to me justifies using heavy attacks. We'll just have to see at that point. As far as lightning form morph, it really is just a personal preference. I like the increased movement speed, therefore I go boundless. You can argue either way on it imho.

Eats-the-Cheddar

Solomon_Cato wrote: »

Well, this didn't quite pan out. Apparently it is something with the website, because I tried to load a blank calculator and said the exact same thing. Will have one posted ASAP.

*EDIT* Try this link:
http://esobuild.com/?Ewbg7CCMAMIHQGZJ0aALGAXGOBDaCApnMABwLl66FmYJWkBmjVuARoXXgMZ7DeZkjblEgATcWgCcqAGxTIpGcAQBWaISVyF0MUA=

Perfect, thanks!