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skilled NBs, a question for you

StoHelit
StoHelit
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So I've seen a couple of times how an epic NB charges in a pack of mobs (4-6) and basically stands there, AOEing everything to death. (Sap Essense and VoB, I guess.) It literally made me think of myself as a worst NB ever, to whom every pack of 3+ is a challenge. What I'd like to know is simply how do you manage to stay alive? If I'm not mistaken we are the only class without a good damage shield, and Sap Essence can't cover damage received. The players I saw were wearing Light btw, or possibly a mix of light&med, hard to say from the distance. Do you invest in Armor, or Health, or probably equip Resto for Healing Ward? I'm thinking respec atm, so would really like some survivability advice.

(I realize that might be a stupid question to ask at vr11, but before anyone decides to throw in a "LTP" comment, well, that's what I came here for, to learn. :blush: Do share some wisdom instead.)
  • SIN-X
    SIN-X
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    Ok well in a nutshell, what I do and im not sure if its me you see but I do a lot of mob farming in crag on X-Sinister-X. I use full light with a 5 set of lock and yea you can just sap,sap sap and drop back to back veils.Sap is not a damage reducer but it heals as you sap so you never run low on health. Don't confuse this with a setup that will be welcome to much in trials as the main focus of that setup is group/self survivability. works great for owning groups/solo dugs and delves and does have its uses such as HM mage and add intensive fights but the warlock can leave you wanting in the crit dept so ridic high single target dps isn't a strong point although if the group is solid a siphon nb is an excellent addition to any trial
    X-SINISTER-X v14 NB
    "DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK"
  • StoHelit
    StoHelit
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    SIN-X wrote: »
    Ok well in a nutshell, what I do and im not sure if its me you see but I do a lot of mob farming in crag on X-Sinister-X. I use full light with a 5 set of lock and yea you can just sap,sap sap and drop back to back veils.Sap is not a damage reducer but it heals as you sap so you never run low on health. Don't confuse this with a setup that will be welcome to much in trials as the main focus of that setup is group/self survivability. works great for owning groups/solo dugs and delves and does have its uses such as HM mage and add intensive fights but the warlock can leave you wanting in the crit dept so ridic high single target dps isn't a strong point although if the group is solid a siphon nb is an excellent addition to any trial

    Thank you for your reply! And yeah, quite possibly it was you I saw.

    So do I understand correctly that it's only mana pool that matters? I wear Seducer + random mana pieces right now, but I guess it's far far inferior to Warlock...guess I'll have to start farming Warlock pieces after all. Also, what weapon do you use, and which Mundus?
  • Rune_Relic
    Rune_Relic
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    Make sure you are a magicka based NB and not a stamina one.
    Anything that can be exploited will be exploited
  • SIN-X
    SIN-X
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    When doing that I use a 1h and shield, it allows me more magicka from shield chant plus ability to sustain block in large groups. I use the thief stone
    X-SINISTER-X v14 NB
    "DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK"
  • StoHelit
    StoHelit
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    Rune_Relic wrote: »
    Make sure you are a magicka based NB and not a stamina one.

    Yeah, this one I have figured out, the painful way. I use Bow/Resto atm - been Sniping since the second beta lol - and now it seems it will have to go, along with Med Armor. I heard about some players being mega successful with Resto/Dual Wield, but heard no names. Would love to know how their mixed builds are working though.
  • Cody
    Cody
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    its mostly all LA with a shield, block and spamming sap essence, throwing down veil of blades when its ready, and im pretty sure a set like warlock that gives back some magicka.
  • Darthryan
    Darthryan
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    Basically all you have to do is hold block and spam sap essence. Rinse and repeat. O and sometimes I'll use a impulse, the morph that takes away 10% of mobs health. And barrier as an ultimate from the pvp line is good as well.
  • Suntzu1414
    same here.

    Sap/Vob will crush almost every mob (in ESO).
    S+B - 5LA/2HA (maxed passives) - will give the right mitigation
    (i'm typically 100% Health at all times)

    Where i differ : max-out spell dam (soft capped).


    Kill Well
    ST
    DC - NB VR15 - Khajit - DW / S+B / Bow
    DC - NB VR 15 - Wood Elf - S+B / Resto
    DC - TP VR 15 - Brenton - Resto / Dual Wield
    DC - SC VR 12 - High Elf - Desto / Dual Wield
    EP - TP VR 5 - Nord - 2hd / 2hd
    EP - DK 20 - Imperial - S+B / Desto / Bow
  • StoHelit
    StoHelit
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    Thank you guys for your comments:)

    I went to Crag today to test it and it really works well. Can't believe I ran with Soul Siphon all this time instead of this awesomeness called VoB. My life would have been much easier lol.
  • TheBull
    TheBull
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    Siphoning Attacks is your friend OP.
  • StoHelit
    StoHelit
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    TheBull wrote: »
    Siphoning Attacks is your friend OP.

    I'm still kind of wary of this skill. Losing a slot and 25% damage just...doesn't sound right for a dps. However, I've seen much love towards SA (not so much towards LS, but not sure why), so I guess I should try it out.
  • Sharee
    Sharee
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    StoHelit wrote: »
    TheBull wrote: »
    Siphoning Attacks is your friend OP.

    I'm still kind of wary of this skill. Losing a slot and 25% damage just...doesn't sound right for a dps. However, I've seen much love towards SA (not so much towards LS, but not sure why), so I guess I should try it out.

    You only lose roughly 10% damage, when you compare the damage you do with a skill before and after activation siphoning. The tooltip is misleading.
    Edited by Sharee on November 30, 2014 8:56PM
  • Suntzu1414
    Sharee wrote: »
    StoHelit wrote: »
    TheBull wrote: »
    Siphoning Attacks is your friend OP.

    I'm still kind of wary of this skill. Losing a slot and 25% damage just...doesn't sound right for a dps. However, I've seen much love towards SA (not so much towards LS, but not sure why), so I guess I should try it out.

    You only lose roughly 10% damage, when you compare the damage you do with a skill before and after activation siphoning. The tooltip is misleading.

    i've gone back and forth on this one. Does anyone have Hard Numbers?
    (dps throughput vs pool generation).

    My only issue: SA in running S+B, no proc for Bash


    Kill Well
    ST
    DC - NB VR15 - Khajit - DW / S+B / Bow
    DC - NB VR 15 - Wood Elf - S+B / Resto
    DC - TP VR 15 - Brenton - Resto / Dual Wield
    DC - SC VR 12 - High Elf - Desto / Dual Wield
    EP - TP VR 5 - Nord - 2hd / 2hd
    EP - DK 20 - Imperial - S+B / Desto / Bow
  • xaraan
    xaraan
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    Sap works great if you are surrounded by a decent amount of enemies. If there is only a couple, it won't do you as much good. Also using VoBs gives you damage mitigation in addition to the damage it does and using VoBs is pretty much what gives you the damage to finish stuff off because sap on it's own doesn't do a ton of damage.

    As for siphoning strikes, I don't run without it unless it's a very short fight. If you are sapping away in the middle of stuff and plan to do that a lot, having siphoning on will not only give you extra saps as it gives you magicka back, but will also renew your stamina that is getting used up from possibly blocking. For those worried about it's drop off in dps, I've run without it, I've run other classes with exact same build (sorc) and it makes a huge difference in a real fight (ie a fight lasting more than a few moments). Once your mana or stamina gets low, your dps drops a lot more than just that reduction siphon causes. But I'd recommend building to compensate for siphoning being on and take advantage of the fact you are using it and build other parts of your character around it. If it's not going to be a long fight though, it's not needed. (And siphon does proc, or have a chance to proc, when you bash - it's happened for me many times).
    -- @xaraan --
    nightblade: Xaraan templar: Xaraan-dar dragon-knight: Xaraanosaurus necromancer: Xaraan-qa warden: Xaraanodon sorcerer: Xaraan-ra
    AD • NA • PC
  • StoHelit
    StoHelit
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    Thank you for your comment:)
    xaraan wrote: »
    (And siphon does proc, or have a chance to proc, when you bash - it's happened for me many times).

    ...I probably misunderstand that one. Does it mean that bash counts as a basic weapon attack?
  • xaraan
    xaraan
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    StoHelit wrote: »
    Thank you for your comment:)
    xaraan wrote: »
    (And siphon does proc, or have a chance to proc, when you bash - it's happened for me many times).

    ...I probably misunderstand that one. Does it mean that bash counts as a basic weapon attack?

    I may be thinking wrong as well. I'm talking about the morph that has a chance to proc on any type of attack. My bad.
    -- @xaraan --
    nightblade: Xaraan templar: Xaraan-dar dragon-knight: Xaraanosaurus necromancer: Xaraan-qa warden: Xaraanodon sorcerer: Xaraan-ra
    AD • NA • PC
  • eventide03b14a_ESO
    eventide03b14a_ESO
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    StoHelit wrote: »
    So I've seen a couple of times how an epic NB charges in a pack of mobs (4-6) and basically stands there, AOEing everything to death. (Sap Essense and VoB, I guess.) It literally made me think of myself as a worst NB ever, to whom every pack of 3+ is a challenge. What I'd like to know is simply how do you manage to stay alive? If I'm not mistaken we are the only class without a good damage shield, and Sap Essence can't cover damage received. The players I saw were wearing Light btw, or possibly a mix of light&med, hard to say from the distance. Do you invest in Armor, or Health, or probably equip Resto for Healing Ward? I'm thinking respec atm, so would really like some survivability advice.

    (I realize that might be a stupid question to ask at vr11, but before anyone decides to throw in a "LTP" comment, well, that's what I came here for, to learn. :blush: Do share some wisdom instead.)
    Block.
    :trollin:
  • Suntzu1414
    xaraan wrote: »
    StoHelit wrote: »
    Thank you for your comment:)
    xaraan wrote: »
    (And siphon does proc, or have a chance to proc, when you bash - it's happened for me many times).

    ...I probably misunderstand that one. Does it mean that bash counts as a basic weapon attack?

    I may be thinking wrong as well. I'm talking about the morph that has a chance to proc on any type of attack. My bad.

    I have been told. The SA doesn't proc on Bash.
    And its "not consider" a basic weapon attack...lol


    Kill Well
    ST
    DC - NB VR15 - Khajit - DW / S+B / Bow
    DC - NB VR 15 - Wood Elf - S+B / Resto
    DC - TP VR 15 - Brenton - Resto / Dual Wield
    DC - SC VR 12 - High Elf - Desto / Dual Wield
    EP - TP VR 5 - Nord - 2hd / 2hd
    EP - DK 20 - Imperial - S+B / Desto / Bow
  • Shunravi
    Shunravi
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    Suntzu1414 wrote: »
    xaraan wrote: »
    StoHelit wrote: »
    Thank you for your comment:)
    xaraan wrote: »
    (And siphon does proc, or have a chance to proc, when you bash - it's happened for me many times).

    ...I probably misunderstand that one. Does it mean that bash counts as a basic weapon attack?

    I may be thinking wrong as well. I'm talking about the morph that has a chance to proc on any type of attack. My bad.

    I have been told. The SA doesn't proc on Bash.
    And its "not consider" a basic weapon attack...lol


    Kill Well
    ST

    SA does indeed proc on bash. I know this because when I am tanking, sometimes I will bash to regain resources with SA.

    But, yea, its not a basic weapon attack. Its a modified weapon attack.
    This one has an eloquent and well thought out response to tha... Ooh sweetroll!
  • xaraan
    xaraan
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    Yeah, that's what I meant by thinking wrong about my SA comment. I tank with my NB and it proc's on bash all the time, but I have the morph that gives it a chance to proc with any type of attack. So it's not going off for the initial proc, but for the morph.
    -- @xaraan --
    nightblade: Xaraan templar: Xaraan-dar dragon-knight: Xaraanosaurus necromancer: Xaraan-qa warden: Xaraanodon sorcerer: Xaraan-ra
    AD • NA • PC
  • Suntzu1414
    So with proc you receive 3% (basic weapon attacks). Correct??

    I was running tests today, using WK addon

    The result of SA (SS morph), It didn't register any return....on Bash
    --- it did return the 15% Stam / Mag (but that was random--higher then 10%)

    All other Physical Attacks (light/heavy attacks) ..did register 3% return.


    Would appreciate further testing...
    Don't trust add ons, don't trust my eyes either ...


    Kill Well
    ST
    DC - NB VR15 - Khajit - DW / S+B / Bow
    DC - NB VR 15 - Wood Elf - S+B / Resto
    DC - TP VR 15 - Brenton - Resto / Dual Wield
    DC - SC VR 12 - High Elf - Desto / Dual Wield
    EP - TP VR 5 - Nord - 2hd / 2hd
    EP - DK 20 - Imperial - S+B / Desto / Bow
  • AssaultLemming
    AssaultLemming
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    Sap essence and vob is great for crag and dungeons. Try soulshine jewellery for spell damage, and divine for spell crit. I use 5 willows path and 4 twilight for the 15% extra regen and dual swords for 5% extra damage. Keep funnel health and impale on your bar as well as sap, siphoning strikes (morphed to work on all attacks) and inner light. My off bar is resto staff. I carry a destro staff for ranged fights but prefer my swords where possible. I'm also a vamp so extra Regen there also. I dont know if it's 100 percent optimal but it does great ae damage, crazy sustain, reasonable single target damage (trade sap for haste or cripple) very fun build to play and fantastic in dungeons or crag.
  • AssaultLemming
    AssaultLemming
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    By the way forgot to mention that if you wear 4 pieces twilight and 3 willows path and you make your swords willows and your resto staff twilight then you can switch between 5 set bonuses. With swords out get 15% more regen, with resto staff out receive 10% more incoming healing.
  • StoHelit
    StoHelit
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    By the way forgot to mention that if you wear 4 pieces twilight and 3 willows path and you make your swords willows and your resto staff twilight then you can switch between 5 set bonuses. With swords out get 15% more regen, with resto staff out receive 10% more incoming healing.

    Awesome, I think I'll try that. Thank you:) My only doubt is about Inner Light - never thought it very useful - but I guess the Spell Crit chance is worth it...
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