Biggest tip is to PvP until you get vigor. It's the best stam-based self heal.

Marukeru wrote: »

Interesting loadout.
Seems your DPS with 2H is pretty straight forward and single target. Would it make sense to mix in an AoE damage skill on the 1H/Sh bar to help hold group aggro? Obviously the Blood+Armor gives the Shield bar good durability.

Would it be worth it to pick up Werewolf at all, or stay a clean-blood? (I hold no interest in Vampire)

Caltrops is an AOE that works good in PVE (initial dmg + DOT and snare). Also 2H brawler is an AOE that gives a damage shield each time you hit an enemy and applies a DOT to targets. You could use burning breath (aoe stam option, weak initial dmg but applies debuff) or another for DKs is Ash cloud, but its a magicka skill and the cost is pretty high.

My char is a WW but i only had it because the stam regen passive use to be in effect without slotting any skills. Its not like that anymore. I dont care much for the actual WW skills. There is no penalty for WW unless you transform, so you could try it, and if you dont like it there is no harm done.

Marukeru wrote: »

Would it not be better to put Igneous Shield and Green Dragon Blood onto the same bar? Mayhaps use Volatile Armor to help provide armor while dealing damage at the same time, along side a Rally for a HoT+HoEE(Heal on effect end)?
This would keep DPS higher on the 2H bar, right?

Maybe move Igneous to the 1H/SH bar along side Green Dragon Blood and Vigor, providing a stronger heal to allow greater durability in "Tank-mode"? As well as granting a shield to allies in the process?

Just some thoughts.



:AFTER THOUGHT:
Seems that the heavy armor increase through Ransack and Volatile Armor give the 1H/SH some serious defense against physical attacks, while Igneous Shield is just that, a shield rather than increased defense.
So which would be better suited on a defensive POV? Shield + Heal(+HoT) or Increased Armor + Heal(+HoT)?

I also noticed that there isn't much that can be done against spells here with lack of spell resistance in the skills. Should I take Ransack over Pierce Armor simply for the defense? Or would it be okay to go for the group damage increase?

I enjoy any and all information provided in this discussion, and I thank all those who have replied so far.

You can set your bars up however you like. test it out and switch as you see fit.

the reason i put igneous shield on the 2H bar with rally is not because of the dmg shield. The dmg shield sucks tbh. If you need a dmg shield spam brawler in a big group of adds and your dmg shield will max out pretty quick. The thing that makes igneous shield work is the +percent to healing. Plus its a magicka skill on the 2H bar that I have full of stam skills only. I like to keep the temptation to burn thru magicka as low as possible lol, and I mainly run my 2H bar.

Some people dont know but if you click rally before its timer expires, it gives you a dam good burst heal based on how long the first rally has been left active. The longer its in effect, the bigger your burst heal.

The way I use them together is pop igneous shield, then pop rally. Let rally do its thing for a while and then if i need a burst heal, i pop igneous shield then hit rally again for the burst. It keeps me alive while not having to switch to my other bar mid fight and i can continue to dps. Thats my reasoning for igneous shield on the 2H bar.

GDB is also a burst heal, mainly for PVE. I keep it on the back bar simply because i dont use it as much as it costs magicka but if im about to die i pop GDB for burst then vigor for HOT.

If you are really low on hp midfight and youre DPSing, hit your igneous shield, burst heal rally, quickly switch bars, hit gdb then vigor.

I tend to switch my bar set ups slighty if I go into a dungeon knowing Im going to be the tank, but its pretty much the same skills. The key is to figure out how you want to play your character and set your skills up accordingly. Pay attention to the secondary aspects of each skill as alot of them tie in to boost other skills.

I believe volatile armor boosts both magic and physical dmg by about 5k @ v16. I havent really looked in a while but Im pretty sure.

I've run over your posts a few times, and soaked in the information you've shared. I really am liking what I get from your build.
The vibe feels very much so similar to my normal play style.

I've also come across the Unstoppable Force on the Battlemaster's Corner and am thinking of sort of mixing the 2 builds to really hone in on what I would like most to get from this character and class. I mean, thy share a lot of abilities, and while the Unstoppable Force is more defensive, your concept offers a bit more offense.

I feel that as an Orc, I can hold back a bit on pushing my health a little since I get a boosted Max HP from passives, and can instead put that little bit of space into other attirbutes. Speaking of passives, Orc gets a nice weapon damage increase, which allows me to use that 2H bar for some better offense, while still allowing me to deal moderate damage on my 1H/SH bar.

*Now if only I can stop wanting to also make a Redguard to play while my friends aren't around! I keep wanting to level a Templar but just can't find a groove with them like I can with Dragon Knights

Thank you again for your help, you guys are awesome!

That should work. I'm a full tank and I have a similar setup for PvE. I use brawler as my AoE, but that could be steel tornado too.

1HS Bar: pierce armor, absorb magic, extended chains, igneous shield, coagulating blood, werewolf transformation
2H Bar: brawler, turn undead (will be caltrops when I unlock it), choking talons, volatile armor, rally/shuffle, dragon knight standard

I don't actually use the werewolf ultimate, simply slotting it for the additional stamina regen.