Best non-staff DPS weapon line?

UrQuan · August 2014

I was just curious what people think is the best weapon line for DPS, excluding staves. I'm thinking dual wield, but I haven't used two-handed much, so for all I know that could be better.

Iago · August 2014

I seem to do alright with Dual weild

Tamanous · August 2014

Dual wield by far. 2h Has great utility and burst but that is about it. You must filler from class skills with 2h to make single target dps even marginal. Bow is clunky as hell I find. It plays like a mage should play by slowing you down to cast but this game turned playing a mage into a click fest of twisting instant powers (a HUGE no no for game balance in most smartly designed rpg systems). I have yet to find a way to play bow as a primary weapon. If you want a ranged option then simply play a class with ranged abilities to go with melee. It is far more efficient as it stands.

2h would offer more options for me single target if it didn't have a 1 second charge up for one of it's most useful skills. Most magicka based abilities don't even require a charge up and they are ranged and often more potent.

There are fundamental design errors for most of these skills trees in game. ZOS seems to dance around real fixes for fear of nerfs. Sometimes tweaking numbers is NOT the real fix. You simply have to change core concepts and deal with the fallout. Core reasons why magicka based builds are superior is the exploiting of animation cancelling because so many powers are instant and not wasting their core resource pool on basic defensive moves. A game that allows mage style builds the ability to be the most mobile, the most damaging, the most defensive and the most resource efficient is a game with core design failings.

Playing stamina builds in this game will never be optimal until core design changes are made with the system.

Csub · August 2014

I had my Templar on 2H for solo for leveling, on around VR9 I started using Bow, it is kinda nice, but now I mostly use it to start a fight with Snipe, Venom Arrow and some AoE if needed. After 1.3.3, with the cheap reset, I started using DW and I find it better than 2H. Still, I didn't get rid of 2H skill line, so right now I have Resto Staff and 2H maxed out, Bow on around 40 and DW on around 30. I also started using Medium armor instead of Heavy, it does make a difference.

Also, I have Flawless Dawnbreaker as ult for my DW bar as it increases all physical damage abilities so it is very useful. And I use Stamina/HP or Stamina/Magicka food which further increases my damage. I also got the healing jabs morph instead of increased crit in Templar skill tree and it helps me stay alive.

TL;DR: I found DW to be better than 2H on my Templar.

Inversus · August 2014

Resto st.. Dest... Wait, nonstaff DPS..?
what witchcraft is this

Tamanous · August 2014

Inversus wrote: »

Resto st.. Dest... Wait, nonstaff DPS..?
what witchcraft is this

No kidding. ESO: The game where a healing weapon offers the highest DPS!

It is embarrassing to admit to others to truth behind the mechanics of this game. I tell people to stay away until things change. I have no confidence at this time that things will indeed change.

UrQuan · August 2014

Tamanous wrote: »

I have yet to find a way to play bow as a primary weapon. If you want a ranged option then simply play a class with ranged abilities to go with melee. It is far more efficient as it stands.

I've found a nightblade with bow can be pretty effective, as you can alternate between stamina-based bow abilities and magicka-based siphoning abilities to put out some decent DPS. Not necessarily optimal, but viable.

poodlemasterb16_ESO · August 2014

Two daggers. It is the only weapon set that does decent damage.

I have a full range of chars and my NBs are the only ones who expect to kill things with their weapons. Everyone else kills with weapon and class powers, the weapon is just along for the ride. Even my tough 2 hander sorc seldom actually kills anything with the big axe.

DeaconFrost · August 2014

I have great success as a sorceror whose offhand is a bow. Dual ranged attack weapon options for a squishy...kinda makes sense.

Cuyler · August 2014

I have a VR1 NB Bosmer Bow. I've been able to solo everything up to this point using a Snipe/Shadowy Disguise/Venom arrow/Swallow Soul/Impale build with Devouring Swarm Ult from the vamp skills line.

blue/purple "Vampire's Kiss" set Med armor with impenetrable on 5 pieces and "Hunding's rage" with divines on the rest. added magika regen and stamina regen glyphs.

I also wear health regen rings/ spell resist amulet and stay stage 4 vamp.

I haven't done a dps counter yet but tonight I'll go home and get an addon and maybe report back some actually numbers and a screen shot.

NorthernFury · August 2014

UrQuan wrote: »

I was just curious what people think is the best weapon line for DPS, excluding staves. I'm thinking dual wield, but I haven't used two-handed much, so for all I know that could be better.

I've had the pleasure of grouping with some really good DW/Bow med armor nightblades. They do some really good non-staff/light DPS when played right.