Night Blade Skill Ranking

dastone · June 2014

The following are the Night Blade Skills over view, graded from A to C.
Night Blade Class Skills

Assassination

Killer Blade: A. Great finisher Morf has a nice heal, low magic. Take this one.

Teleport Strike: B Useful. Good opener, must for PVP.

Blur: C 15% percent chance to be missed? A hot bar spot to be missed 3 out of 20 hits? This has a 100 percent chance to miss being on my hot bar.

Mark Target C De buff an enemy and de buff yourself at the same time. If your creative you can think of ways to use this but not needed.

Haste C : normal attacks just don’t have that big of an impact in the game for this to be worth much.

Shadow

Shadow Cloak A. This will save your life so many times and give you bonus like Crit hits and Stuns

Veiled Strike A. Bread and butter best Night Blade ability good quick damage.

Path of Darkness C. Small path AOE dot and run speed boost? I guess if you want to run fast in pvp or something.

Aspect of Terror C make some npcs run around for a few seconds. OK

Summon Shade C All the use this skill had was nerfed, Small single target dot. .

Siphoning

Strife B. This is a solid ability. Ranged, good damage, a heal to boot.

Agony B It has its use, got 3 veteran mobs? Use this now you got 2. And 12 seconds to kill one.

Cripple C I guess more a pvp ability, situational

Siphoning Strikes: B Useful for longer boss type fights. Not needed in trash if you have a good mix of sta/magic damage you can trade off.

Drain Power C Small AOE dot Small damage weapon boost

Best ultimate. Soul tether

Liquid_Time · June 2014

Although that is opinion.. I can agree to most of them haha

Lyall84 · June 2014

dastone wrote: »

The following are the Night Blade Skills over view, graded from A to C.
Night Blade Class Skills

Assassination

Killer Blade: A. Great finisher Morf has a nice heal, low magic. Take this one.

Teleport Strike: B Useful. Good opener, must for PVP.

Blur: C 15% percent chance to be missed? A hot bar spot to be missed 3 out of 20 hits? This has a 100 percent chance to miss being on my hot bar.

Mark Target C De buff an enemy and de buff yourself at the same time. If your creative you can think of ways to use this but not needed.

Haste C : normal attacks just don’t have that big of an impact in the game for this to be worth much.

Shadow

Shadow Cloak A. This will save your life so many times and give you bonus like Crit hits and Stuns

Veiled Strike A. Bread and butter best Night Blade ability good quick damage.

Path of Darkness C. Small path AOE dot and run speed boost? I guess if you want to run fast in pvp or something.

Aspect of Terror C make some npcs run around for a few seconds. OK

Summon Shade C All the use this skill had was nerfed, Small single target dot. .

Siphoning

Strife B. This is a solid ability. Ranged, good damage, a heal to boot.

Agony B It has its use, got 3 veteran mobs? Use this now you got 2. And 12 seconds to kill one.

Cripple C I guess more a pvp ability, situational

Siphoning Strikes: B Useful for longer boss type fights. Not needed in trash if you have a good mix of sta/magic damage you can trade off.

Drain Power C Small AOE dot Small damage weapon boost

Best ultimate. Soul tether

Big miss on the mark target. That can be useful in many ways. First, when you open out of stealth and the target is already marked, most times you can kill them before they notice. Issue with this skill right now, is that it puts a huge black and red pillar of impending doom on your target, warning them off the attack. Zenimax needs to make it visible to the player only, then when the night blade breaks stealth, the target should be able to see the same mark on the night blade but not them self. Second thing about the Marks are the huge heal they give. If you are low on health but high on magicka, toss a mark on something that is low on health and kill it for a heal

Another miss on the haste, especially if you use Siphoning strikes morph. Toss both Siphoning Strikes and haste on your back up bar, toggle strikes, pop haste, then normal attack till full on both and switch back to your normal bar. Not to mention haste can be morphed to increase stam regen by 40%

Shadow cloak should be an A but bugged at the moment, ZOS has promised to fix so should be good.

Cripple, if you are ranged, the immobilize morph is a must, would grade higher.

Power drain...c...are you nuts? Fully leveled, and morphed, it hits up to 9 targets, with passives generates 2 ultimate per target, and increases weapon damage by 11% per target. Now weapon skill damage is not where it should be right now, but with this ability and carve from 2 handed. AoE situations you can fill up on ultimate faster than you would think possible. Needs to be B at least, the heal morph leaves something to be desired, so that holds it back from an A. If that weapon damage effects staff skills, then might put this back into A grade.

PBpsy · June 2014

You more or less got everything about Siphoning wrong except agony.
The other 4 skills are pretty much the best the class has to offer at the moment(not really a good thing).They all have morphs that make them grade A+ skills. I agree with the rest for the most part. But even so the only skills I use at Vr12 that are not Siphoning is Assassin's Blade and Ambush

Strife. you can't go wrong with either mod. If you are magical based It is your main single target dps skill. For me it crits for 500+ and heals for ~900 in 10 sec onm average.
Cripple-the crippling grasp morph is better great dps booster.

Sap essence- Great self heal, Great Ultimate builder really good damage for a non staff skill.

Siphoning strikes: ~10% less dps in exchange for very quick resource recovery and sustain? I put it as the third best NB skill. I don't actually have the first two figured out though but SS is essential.

And best ultimate is by far Veil of Blades. It was the best even before it could crit at the moment it is a beast.

Aeratus · June 2014

Siphoning

Strife: A. The all-around well-rounded skill for NB.

Agony: C. Too situation to be useful, because the stun breaks when the target takes damage.

Cripple: B. Used to add a DOT to increase your dps. Has some use in pvp but not a whole lot.

Siphoning Strikes: A+. The essential skill that defines the entire non-stealth aspect of the NB class.

Drain Power: B. Massive damage boost. Power Extraction allows you to gain +99% weapon damage, if it hits 9 targets.

Soul Tether (ultimate): B. Outshined by veil of blades.

Lyall84 · June 2014

Aeratus wrote: »

Siphoning

Strife: A. The all-around well-rounded skill for NB.

Agony: C. Too situation to be useful, because the stun breaks when the target takes damage.

Cripple: B. Used to add a DOT to increase your dps. Has some use in pvp but not a whole lot.

Siphoning Strikes: A+. The essential skill that defines the entire non-stealth aspect of the NB class.

Drain Power: B. Massive damage boost. Power Extraction allows you to gain +99% weapon damage, if it hits 9 targets.

Soul Tether (ultimate): B. Outshined by veil of blades.

Any idea if Power Extraction works on staff skills as well?

dastone · June 2014

I should have qualified this list from a PVE leveling Perspective.

Mark Target. You can kill most things from a surprise attack position with killer blade in 2 strikes without mark target, making mark target just a waste of magic I stand by my grade

Haste. Most of our damage comes from abilities, the magic it cost to use haste would be less damage form just using a damage skill, making haste not worthwhile. In other words, surprise attack or a strife attack will be greater DPS then using that on Haste.

Drain power. First is a magic skill that does average damage to surrounding enemies. And a slight weapon dps upgrade, 1-3 targets are norm the example of 9 is not realistic. Whirlwind doe stamina damage and as much or more damage then Drain Power depending on health of enemy. Making Whirlwind a better choice for AOE. The ultima builder is nice but not that significant in the long run.

Strife great ability, here is the problem what do you remove from your hot bar to use it? Killer Blade, shadow disguise and surprise attack are better and use magic. So if you have magic to burn why are you using strife and not one of the better damage abilities. Strife is best on a bow bar with kiting and ranged it is a must have.

Cripple is more PVP. I can push back, root and snare using a stamina DW/Bow build, why waste magic on that.

Siphoning strikes may increase over all damage on longer fights, such as bosses, but for the most part, on most trash mobs leveling mobs, you can win an encounter with the resources you start with even more so if your not afraid to drink all them potions you find. So why take the dps hit and the use of a slot? But still a good ability

TheBull · June 2014

I just dont get people who don't pvp in pvp game.

Aeratus · June 2014

Obviously, drain power isn't meant to be used alone. You use it in combination with another AOE. For dungeons, drain power is a must because there will be plenty of situations with 6+ enemies.

Lyall84, drain power (power extraction) does work with staff skills. With power extraction, NBs have the most powerful impulse attack on the destro staff.

For AOE damage, nothing in the entire skill lineup that NBs can get comes close to power extraction + impulse (along with siphoning attacks). On my destro staff NB, I always have these two slotted when going into dungeons.

Worstluck · June 2014

I personally use Sap Essence. The healing provides me a little more ultimate generation, which lets me spam my ultimate more. With Devouring Swarm, I can pretty much use that every pull with Sap Essence. Plus if I am in a group, the healing isn't all that terrible.

The best ultimate a Nightblade has is without a doubt Veil of Blades. That allows me to solo things that would not possible. The damage reduction and damage it provides (which can now crit and with 50% crit it's a lot) is very nice.

PBpsy · June 2014

Sap essence with 46.5% spell crit and Sword and board , swallow soul and Veil of blades. The more mobs are attacking me at the same time the better I do. Those critical heals really help keep you alive and get your ultimate ready. With ambush to get around and interrupt that "Taking aim" nonsense I can clear those 6 -8 packs in Craglorn pretty well.

Oogly · June 2014

Haha, fun read. Cant disagree more on some stuff.

Do yourself a favour and get the ranged execute and get used to Cripple

hk11 · June 2014

Light armor: Grade A
Resto Staff: Grade A
Destro Staff: Grade A
Medium Armor: Grade C
Daggers: Grade C
Bow: Grade D

dastone · June 2014

Oogly wrote: »

Haha, fun read. Cant disagree more on some stuff.

Do yourself a favour and get the ranged execute and get used to Cripple

If your focus is ranged. If you play melee you gimp your self from not taking the heal from killer blade it is a real heal.

If your ranged and using a bow you have push backs and roots already.

Darkonflare15 · July 2014

[quote="
Daggers: Grade C
[/quote]

I like to use the evasion skills like blur and evasion from the medium skill armor line. Together they give me the best of both worlds. One uses stamina while the other use magika so I do not run out of resources. I just pop these on before I go into a mob and most of the time they do not even hit me and use potions to keep me alive just in case. Then I use drain power with steel tornado to take they out I also use siphoning attacks as a great way to gain my resources. I just alternate with steel tornado and drain power and everbody pretty much dies.

Dayv · July 2014

I've remembered why I don't play my NB anymore. Horrible skills.

yelloweyedemon · July 2014

hk11 wrote: »

Light armor: Grade A
Resto Staff: Grade A
Destro Staff: Grade A
Medium Armor: Grade C
Daggers: Grade C
Bow: Grade D

Getting 2 shotted from a Medium Armoured NB while wearing Robes and staffs: Grade Priceless.

kitsinni · July 2014

TheBull wrote: »

I just dont get people who don't pvp in pvp game.

If this is a "PvP game" then it is worse off than I thought. How is giant zergfest of the most skilless PvP in an MMO considered a PvP game?

yelloweyedemon · July 2014

Oogly wrote: »

Do yourself a favour and get the ranged execute

Yes and then cry that you can't beat any content because you die...

Seriously who takes impale if not solely for pvp?

Vuron · July 2014

yelloweyedemon wrote: »

Oogly wrote: »

Do yourself a favour and get the ranged execute

Yes and then cry that you can't beat any content because you die...

Seriously who takes impale if not solely for pvp?

I do believe that most players use Impale, and not just for PvP. Most end-game builds using Funnel Health tend to stay at range. Any NB that primarily groups instead of going solo would benefit from Impale.

SaibotLiu · July 2014

Aspect of terror is beastly in PVP. Fighting a stamina tank who wont stop blocking everything? This solves that problem.

Lodestar · July 2014

Myself I love my morph of Mark target (reapers Mark I think).

The debuff is not much, but when you use this on a regular mob, it can replenish your health if you take this one down fast enough, to keep you around longer.

Great for those boss fights, that include an intermission where friends show up to take the slack. Just use it on those, one or two, and your health gets a good bit of replenishment.

dastone · July 2014

Darkonflare15 wrote: »

[quote="
Daggers: Grade C

I like to use the evasion skills like blur and evasion from the medium skill armor line. Together they give me the best of both worlds. One uses stamina while the other use magika so I do not run out of resources. I just pop these on before I go into a mob and most of the time they do not even hit me and use potions to keep me alive just in case. Then I use drain power with steel tornado to take they out I also use siphoning attacks as a great way to gain my resources. I just alternate with steel tornado and drain power and everbody pretty much dies. [/quote]

I read some one doing this strat saying it worked well so I tried it. To me this tactic flat does not work. I can see maybe in a group with lots of mob this working ok. But solo 3 vets like this dead in under 10 seconds. Just not enough damage output. And vet mobs hit to hard.

Not sure how a 15 percent miss chance has mobs missing all the time out of 20 attempts they will hit you 17 times.

Is it bugged? Or work better then intended?

Cody · July 2014

I agree with most of this. I myself don't even see the point of path of darkness. Your enemy could just stun you and cancel out the whole ability, forcing you to waste magicka:/ I myself prefer to use deathstroke, as it does not cost a lot to use, and is a great stun/interrupt ability. its saved my butt numerous times. I would use haste, but it does not appear to work for my bow:/ iv heard it does increase DPS, that you just don't "feel" it, but I wont try it till it has at least been looked at. mark target is an excellent ability, you just have to use it right. if you mark someone, then just mindlessly charge them, you will likely die, but if you mark them, then stealth jump them, you will most likely kill them.

dastone · July 2014

Lodestar wrote: »

Myself I love my morph of Mark target (reapers Mark I think).

The debuff is not much, but when you use this on a regular mob, it can replenish your health if you take this one down fast enough, to keep you around longer.

Great for those boss fights, that include an intermission where friends show up to take the slack. Just use it on those, one or two, and your health gets a good bit of replenishment.

I don't understand people useing this skill. It is on opener to kill a target fast it takes a lot of magic and also be duffs you the same.

Here is the thing on a sneak attack you can kill a target in 3 seconds without it. Without getting hit. So why use it? Even if you don't get the sneak attack you can use your stun and have it dead before the stun wears off and if you kill things with killer blade as you should you getting a heal any way

Lodestar · July 2014

dastone wrote: »

Lodestar wrote: »

Myself I love my morph of Mark target (reapers Mark I think).

The debuff is not much, but when you use this on a regular mob, it can replenish your health if you take this one down fast enough, to keep you around longer.

Great for those boss fights, that include an intermission where friends show up to take the slack. Just use it on those, one or two, and your health gets a good bit of replenishment.

I don't understand people useing this skill. It is on opener to kill a target fast it takes a lot of magic and also be duffs you the same.

Here is the thing on a sneak attack you can kill a target in 3 seconds without it. Without getting hit. So why use it? Even if you don't get the sneak attack you can use your stun and have it dead before the stun wears off and if you kill things with killer blade as you should you getting a heal any way

I can see your logic not using it as an opener. But, in mass mobs, or boss fights its health regeneration can aid your longevity.

Ohioastro · July 2014

Reapers mark is very powerful under the right circumstances. Let's say you have a boss who does a lot of initial damage and there is a small add. Mark the add , kill it when the big attack hits, instant heal. Quite useful.

Samadhi · July 2014

I agree with some, not with others.
I'm going to put my feelings on a few here.

dastone wrote: »

...
Blur: C 15% percent chance to be missed? A hot bar spot to be missed 3 out of 20 hits? This has a 100 percent chance to miss being on my hot bar.

Mark Target C De buff an enemy and de buff yourself at the same time. If your creative you can think of ways to use this but not needed.

...

Siphoning

Strife B. This is a solid ability. Ranged, good damage, a heal to boot.

...
Drain Power C Small AOE dot Small damage weapon boost
...

Blur: B
15% could stand to be buffed higher, but this skill can be pretty great in PvP.
Have a Templar throw a spear or a Sorceror shoot off a Crystal faster than I can roll, and have it pass right through me and Combat Cloud says "Missed."
Now that player blew resources and didn't damage me or crowd control me.

Mark Target: B
Great for hunting, if you are worried about the debuff you get for casting you are doing it wrong.

Strife: A
Strife and Shadowy Disguise are the only two skills I have used since Beta. Strife is bread and butter for ranged DPS; and the heal is a great help in living through battles I otherwise wouldn't.

Drain Power (Sap Essence morph): A
Sap Essence is my primary grinding skill and it works amazing for that purpose.
I don't use Drain Power or any of its morphs for PvP though.

Atreyu · July 2014

In PvP I use the other morph, piercing mark before ambushing a target. It isn't that great of a dmg boost, but everything helps in an attempt to kill as fast as possible from stealth before they can react.

and the fact u can see targets in stealth with it it's very useful when it happens.

Samadhi · July 2014

Worstluck wrote: »

I personally use Sap Essence. The healing provides me a little more ultimate generation, which lets me spam my ultimate more. With Devouring Swarm, I can pretty much use that every pull with Sap Essence. Plus if I am in a group, the healing isn't all that terrible.

The best ultimate a Nightblade has is without a doubt Veil of Blades. That allows me to solo things that would not possible. The damage reduction and damage it provides (which can now crit and with 50% crit it's a lot) is very nice.

Sap Essence is great, but I prefer Soul Tether Ultimate for faster generation (lower cost), AoE stun, and extra healing.
Soul Tether has saved my life, Veil of Blades just makes me die a little more slowly.

I did this video as an AoE grind sample for someone the other day but Sap Essence solo grind basically looks like this for me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzD55xxuMq0

Samadhi · July 2014

yelloweyedemon wrote: »

hk11 wrote: »

Light armor: Grade A
Resto Staff: Grade A
Destro Staff: Grade A
Medium Armor: Grade C
Daggers: Grade C
Bow: Grade D

Getting 2 shotted from a Medium Armoured NB while wearing Robes and staffs: Grade Priceless.

Realistically, I don't find any issue with Medium Armour Nightblades in PvP.
I only have around 300-400 less Armour stat in Light than I have in Medium, but I have higher Spell Resistance.
I also have far more sustainability on my skills, which means while they burn through their Magicka right away I still have some left over after I kill them.