Silver Bolts

PerfectTemplar

It is in my opinion the coolest looking ability in the game. Why can't we get Crossbow skill line?

Dovel

Yes! I enjoy using that skill. I wish there were more crossbow type models.

ZoM_Head

Morph options are just horrible though, i kept it unmorphed and use it all the time.

Zalathorm

Elmojito1000eb17_ESO wrote: »

Morph options are just horrible though, i kept it unmorphed and use it all the time.

Because hitting 2 additional targets is "just horrible"

SirPuppingtonVonHat

Morphing it also allows it to continue to improve. Silver shards is probably one of the best stamina abilities in the game.

ZoM_Head

Tellefson22b14_ESO wrote: »

Elmojito1000eb17_ESO wrote: »

Morph options are just horrible though, i kept it unmorphed and use it all the time.

Because hitting 2 additional targets is "just horrible"

Finish the whole thing...

"Hit two targets with 50% less damage and knocks down ONE target".

The whole point was the knock down and dealing dang good damage to begin with.

50% less damage on two targets is a big impact, only one knock down which means the other will come charging at you quickly, Silver Bolts uses a LOT of stamina, even for my high HP/Stamina medium armour brawler build.

Which also means, in a mob, you can not pick off the smaller threats to focus on the larger ones (a scamp or two with a clanfear for example).

ZoM_Head

SirPuppingtonVonHat wrote: »

Morphing it also allows it to continue to improve. Silver shards is probably one of the best stamina abilities in the game.

Did you try circle of protection? for my level 30 it sits on adding 240 armour and spell resist and an additional 240 armour and spell resist against daedra and undead. Thats 480 extra armour and spell resist on daedra and undead. Morph it to regen heath = everyone sits in a circle and watch daedra and undead come at you and deal tiny damage....for 17 seconds.

ZiRM

I don't waste space on my skill bar with silver bolts.

Sorpaijen_ESO

If nothing else, it is damned cool to plink arrows at an approaching Daedra and then when it gets RIGHT up on you, casually pull out the pistol-crossbow and KA-CHUNK! drop it to the ground at your feet.

Armitas

Other than the 5% proc I can't seem to get any damage out the skill. It's usually around 200dmg. Which I can get mostly get out of a light attack instead.

Are any of you getting good damage numbers out of it?

VinnOmniusVeritas

I leave mine un-morphed as well. I have waaaay better skills to spend a point on at this time (level 32) but I always have Silver Bolts on my bar because of the knockdown and that insta-destruct to undead always seems to happen just when I need it to. . Also, I don't care for the extra splash damage because I like my strikes to be surgical and only hit what I want to hit, not splash to nearby enemies and put me on their hate list.

dumbo

Armitas wrote: »

Other than the 5% proc I can't seem to get any damage out the skill. It's usually around 200dmg. Which I can get mostly get out of a light attack instead.

Are any of you getting good damage numbers out of it?

AFAIK:
- "200" damage to the primary target and "100" damage to 2 other targets.
- against certain targets, a knockdown and a 5% chance of insta-killing them.
- 28m range.
- scales with stamina.

Rev Rielle

dumbo wrote: »

Armitas wrote: »

Other than the 5% proc I can't seem to get any damage out the skill. It's usually around 200dmg. Which I can get mostly get out of a light attack instead.

Are any of you getting good damage numbers out of it?

AFAIK:
- "200" damage to the primary target and "100" damage to 2 other targets.
- against certain targets, a knockdown and a 5% chance of insta-killing them.
- 28m range.
- scales with stamina.

What do you mean, 'scales with stamina'?

Armitas

dumbo wrote: »

Armitas wrote: »

Other than the 5% proc I can't seem to get any damage out the skill. It's usually around 200dmg. Which I can get mostly get out of a light attack instead.

Are any of you getting good damage numbers out of it?

AFAIK:
- "200" damage to the primary target and "100" damage to 2 other targets.
- against certain targets, a knockdown and a 5% chance of insta-killing them.
- 28m range.
- scales with stamina.

Thanks, I'm getting the same mediocre damage. If this is right...http://esohead.com/skills/35721-silver-bolts .... It looks like it's the "spell damage" and "stamina" combo that's killing everyone's damage.

Why would someone with significant Stamina also have significant spell damage? That combo, if true, seems to work counter to the skill potential.

dumbo

Rev Rielle wrote: »

What do you mean, 'scales with stamina'?

AFAIR fighter's guild abilities scale (and consume) stamina rather than magicka.

But, in practice, the primary use (for me) is as a 28M knockdown (bow has snare/knockback/immobilize/interrupt/poison/aoe but not a knockdown/stun - I use this to fill that gap).

Against non-daedra/undead enemies, I don't really use this. (the damage isn't bad, but bombard et al seem a better idea).

Eris

PerfectTemplar wrote: »

It is in my opinion the coolest looking ability in the game. Why can't we get Crossbow skill line?

It's like hitting someone with a blaster bolt. I didn't discover it until like 23rd level and have been using it ever since. Not only does it look good but it also does some wicked stuff to the bad guys. I gotta work on my stamina development though cause at the moment I only get 3 shots and I'm out of stamina.

SuperScrubby

The skill really shines in places with undead/daedra/whatever it affects. Otherwise I don't bother with it since it does use a lot more stam than most of my other skills.

Finagill

I love silver bolts. Its quick damage, great range, and uses stamina instead of magika. I tend to start a fight with a heavy attack, silver bolts, and then if an enemy is nearby I knock them back and hit silver bolts again. This technique makes 1 on 1 daedra fights funny.

Cheatingdeath23

I love silver bolts too. I'm a Heavy Armor Templar with sword and shield, I have been using silver bolts on any undead/deadra and anytime I want a ranged attack that uses stamina.

I basically can alternate between ranged (Templar offensive magicka attacks or Silver bolts) and close combat (using typical one hand and shield stamina attacks). I'd never considered the damage output compared to the other stamina attacks, so maybe I'll make a point to get up close against non-undead/deadra.

Rev Rielle

dumbo wrote: »

Rev Rielle wrote: »

What do you mean, 'scales with stamina'?

AFAIR fighter's guild abilities scale (and consume) stamina rather than magicka.

But, in practice, the primary use (for me) is as a 28M knockdown (bow has snare/knockback/immobilize/interrupt/poison/aoe but not a knockdown/stun - I use this to fill that gap).

Against non-daedra/undead enemies, I don't really use this. (the damage isn't bad, but bombard et al seem a better idea).

Yes, fighters guild skills do use stamina.
But 'scales with stamina'? What does that mean. Does that mean the more stamina you have the more the skill will... use? Damage?

kongkim

Good skill. But as other have said i don't morph it aswell. Work better and faster as single shot. and if you are range wyou don't like to drag them to you. so beter not to morph.

dw0011nrb19_ESO

Tellefson22b14_ESO wrote: »

Elmojito1000eb17_ESO wrote: »

Morph options are just horrible though, i kept it unmorphed and use it all the time.

Because hitting 2 additional targets is "just horrible"

Because morphing Splits the dmg, and does not deal the single target dmg on all targets. It is also not great when you want to mezz a 2nd or 3rd mob, you break this cc by using silver bolts.

Cheatingdeath23

dw0011nrb19_ESO wrote: »

Tellefson22b14_ESO wrote: »

Elmojito1000eb17_ESO wrote: »

Morph options are just horrible though, i kept it unmorphed and use it all the time.

Because hitting 2 additional targets is "just horrible"

Because morphing Splits the dmg, and does not deal the single target dmg on all targets. It is also not great when you want to mezz a 2nd or 3rd mob, you break this cc by using silver bolts.

That isn't how it works, though. You still get 100% damage to the 1st target, and an additional 50% to the second and third targets.

Jeremy

Elmojito1000eb17_ESO wrote: »

Morph options are just horrible though, i kept it unmorphed and use it all the time.

Haven't been impressed with the morphed additions either. One point I wish I could take back.

dumbo

Rev Rielle wrote: »

But 'scales with stamina'? What does that mean. Does that mean the more stamina you have the more the skill will... use? Damage?

Yes, in general all abilities that use a resource, scale with that resource (assuming that they scale - damage abilities do, things like CC don't).
- a spell that consumes magicka will deal more damage per cast if you have more magicka.
- a spell that consumes stamina will deal more damage per cast if you have more stamina.

This guy explains the intricacies of the system in his videos (along with the quirks of weapon/spell crit, stealth etc).
http://www.youtube.com/user/MystbornGaming/videos

Rev Rielle

dumbo wrote: »

Rev Rielle wrote: »

But 'scales with stamina'? What does that mean. Does that mean the more stamina you have the more the skill will... use? Damage?

Yes, in general all abilities that use a resource, scale with that resource (assuming that they scale - damage abilities do, things like CC don't).
- a spell that consumes magicka will deal more damage per cast if you have more magicka.
- a spell that consumes stamina will deal more damage per cast if you have more stamina.

This guy explains the intricacies of the system in his videos (along with the quirks of weapon/spell crit, stealth etc).
http://www.youtube.com/user/MystbornGaming/videos

Thank you very much, those videos were very handy.

Jeremy

dumbo wrote: »

Rev Rielle wrote: »

But 'scales with stamina'? What does that mean. Does that mean the more stamina you have the more the skill will... use? Damage?

Yes, in general all abilities that use a resource, scale with that resource (assuming that they scale - damage abilities do, things like CC don't).
- a spell that consumes magicka will deal more damage per cast if you have more magicka.
- a spell that consumes stamina will deal more damage per cast if you have more stamina.

This guy explains the intricacies of the system in his videos (along with the quirks of weapon/spell crit, stealth etc).
http://www.youtube.com/user/MystbornGaming/videos

This is useful to know and would explain why the ability is less than amazing for me since I don't invest into stamina.

Cheatingdeath23

That does make me wonder if I am better off scaling Magicka/Stamina equally or if you are better off focusing on one or the other.

Example: Magicka focus, everything would cost more but deal more damage due to the scaling.

In contrast, I aim for a balance so that I can use either magicka or stamina to attack, and save some stamina for block/dodge and some magicka for healing.

Khazaad

SirPuppingtonVonHat wrote: »

Morphing it also allows it to continue to improve. Silver shards is probably one of the best stamina abilities in the game.

Dam you people. I've been holding out and holding out convincing myself not to bork my skill set trying this out. Now I have to get it. Everyone in this thread is financing my respec if I don't like it.

Rev Rielle

Khazaad wrote: »

SirPuppingtonVonHat wrote: »

Morphing it also allows it to continue to improve. Silver shards is probably one of the best stamina abilities in the game.

Dam you people. I've been holding out and holding out convincing myself not to bork my skill set trying this out. Now I have to get it. Everyone in this thread is financing my respec if I don't like it.

Oh with so many skill-points available you'll hardly 'bork' it by misplacing one, two, or even ten points. Worry not!

Dagoth_Rac

Cheatingdeath23 wrote: »

Example: Magicka focus, everything would cost more but deal more damage due to the scaling.

I believe magicka/stamina cost is scaled to character level, while damage is scaled to spell/weapon power and max magicka/stamina. That is why a magicka character gets iffy performance from Silver Bolts. They have a high character level, so high stamina cost, but little investment in max stamina, so mediocre damage. At least, when I eat a stew that gives me more max magicka for 35 minutes, it does not seem to make my spells cost any more. But it does seem to make spells do more damage.