Not sure about others, but I'm enjoying my Nightblade Archer. Siphon tree has nice damage / self-heal abilities and the whole class works well with Dual-Wield secondary.

dragnier wrote: »

Right now, all stamina based weapons will do less damage overall than magicka based ones.

except bow

thanks for the answers, I'l get to creating it tommorow

I've been playing a Nightblade Archer since I started. I am a little disappointed that ESO has put so much reliance on race based specialties. I really wanted to be a high elf and do great with a Nightblade Archer, but I do sense that my overall effectiveness is greatly decreased by the fact I am one, and not a Wood Elf.

That aside, the class is great. I haven't even trained up my dual-wield, and pumped all my attribute points into Magicka and Stamina evenly. The class has a decent amount of snares, and coupled with the right Archery abilities you get a class that can support very, very well.

I use two Assassination abilities to deal high amounts of damage from close up. My first one is Lotus Fan. This is a normal ability, which uses Magicka. You can attack from a distance and then end up close to your enemy. It deals a decent amount of damage at its higher levels, and it can snare enemy speed. The other is my ultimate ability Death Stroke. The only reason I dislike it is because I have to be up right next to the target to use it. I am searching for another one to take advantage of my ranged ability.

Then I use only one bow ability to help me out, and that is Draining Shot. Draining Shot pushes targets back a specific amount of meters, and in its later stage, also drains their movement speed. So effectively I can push a target away, especially ones with heavy dual handed weapons which can stun me, and then he is slowed down or me to deal damage.

I use a lot of Siphoning. Swallow Soul does a lot of damage and keeps my health up by draining it back into me by how much DPS I am delivering, and it also makes any healing magic others are casting more effective.

Prolonged Suffering is a snare. It can hold a single target down for twelve seconds, and then deals damage once the snare is released. It also releases if someone hits the target, but since I work alone this is not a problem. It allows me to snare up targets that deal heavy damage, and others that heal bosses and such. Then I can focus on killing other enemies while they are snared.

Cripple is the last one. A simple ability that siphons speed from the enemy and gives it to me. Its crucial for bosses, because I can siphon speed from their support mobs and be swift on my feet to avoid damage.

" The other is my ultimate ability Death Stroke. The only reason I dislike it is because I have to be up right next to the target to use it. I am searching for another one to take advantage of my ranged ability."


I think using the Soul Magic Ultimate Soul Strike would be very useful for a archer, as it is a DoT with good range, and it slows the enemy by 70%. It just takes a long time to get.