I find if on my magika NB doin any form of PVE I will go for a destruction staff and restoration staff.

Destro bar = Mercilles Resolve, swallow soul, crippling grasp, sap essence, shadow image. Dawnbreaker of smiting or Soul harvest.

Resto bar = Healing ward, blessing of protection, mass hysteria, shadow image, double take. Cosuming darkness or barrier.

Run max food, health and magika if you feel your stam is high enough otherwise run tri food.

Make sure you keep your resolve running. So resolve, light attack, swallow soul, light attack swallow soul till you get your bow hit fire it back on your resolve and go again, get yours bow and ulti hitting combos off one another for high dps. You want to be chucking a few crippling grasps in there every now and again for your speed and to snare certain adds, sap essence will deal with stuff if you get mobbed up on.

Dawnbreaker is great in terms of PVE along with soul harvest both dirt cheap and will achieve them very often using your light attacks etc.

Healing ward is still very strong in PVE so thats important, blessing of protection will provide you with a nice insta heal if you're getting over run or having to tank hit a mass hysteria every so 5 seconds or so to get enemies off your back. Always ensure you keep double take active on your back bar for the 20 second speed and doge chance which is very important. If fighting a boss stick a shadow image down and if it gets a bit to close for your liking just port back to your shadow stick another out there and go again!

Hey,

One question,
Why siphoning attacks on both bars,
I understand swallow soul but not that....

Swap it for cripple on one of your bars..

I'm not sure.. I had it as a toggle previously so that's why it was on both. Swallow soul for the healing recieved...

7/7 light seems scary for Solo haha.
Reason I'm wearing heavy tho is coz I have 4 piece soulshine with jewellery and 3 piece Lords mail. N torugs pacts also. All adding spell damage. If I go light would I not have to still try n stack spell damage?
Am I not swapping survivability for resource management?

I would drop Rapid Regen for Healing Ward personally. With Swallow Soul you've got a nice strong HoT. Layering another HoT on there is nice, but the primary thing that you're in danger of is big hits of damage that the HoTs can't cover (like when fighting a boss for example).

Healing Ward is an excellent stand in for a giant Burst heal. I've seen bubbles pop for 32k worth of healing, and the shield itself comes with an initial heal as well so its spammable if need be.

I think refreshing path procs siphoning attacks(from what I have read)

Healing ward may be the solution to my prob vs boss. With that running light armor makes sense. What about bone shield?

Not sure if single target spells will result in having less magicka available to use. Crippling grasp may come in handy as running around with speed makes u get it hit less in theory. Melee attacks atleast.

Lol I am also on vr11.. so don't have the best gear available

Eldruf wrote: »

I find if on my magika NB doin any form of PVE I will go for a destruction staff and restoration staff.

Destro bar = Mercilles Resolve, swallow soul, crippling grasp, sap essence, shadow image. Dawnbreaker of smiting or Soul harvest.

Resto bar = Healing ward, blessing of protection, mass hysteria, shadow image, double take. Cosuming darkness or barrier.

Run max food, health and magika if you feel your stam is high enough otherwise run tri food.

Make sure you keep your resolve running. So resolve, light attack, swallow soul, light attack swallow soul till you get your bow hit fire it back on your resolve and go again, get yours bow and ulti hitting combos off one another for high dps. You want to be chucking a few crippling grasps in there every now and again for your speed and to snare certain adds, sap essence will deal with stuff if you get mobbed up on.

Dawnbreaker is great in terms of PVE along with soul harvest both dirt cheap and will achieve them very often using your light attacks etc.

Healing ward is still very strong in PVE so thats important, blessing of protection will provide you with a nice insta heal if you're getting over run or having to tank hit a mass hysteria every so 5 seconds or so to get enemies off your back. Always ensure you keep double take active on your back bar for the 20 second speed and doge chance which is very important. If fighting a boss stick a shadow image down and if it gets a bit to close for your liking just port back to your shadow stick another out there and go again!

Why destro staff?

Xvorg wrote: »

...

Why destro staff?

I use a Destruction Staff so I can weave Light/Medium attacks at range between Funnel Health (or other) attacks to get Merciless Resolve to proc. So my basic skill rotation is:

Merciless Resolve - LA - Funnel Health - LA - Funnel Health - LA - Funnel Health - LA - Proc Resolve - Repeat

Reefo wrote: »

Currently running on my VR11 90champ points
DW - sap essence, refreshing path, swallow soul, siphoning attacks, inner light, soul harvest.
Resto - structured entropy, rapid regeneration, swallow soul, siphoning attacks, inner light, soul tether.

Using 5xheavy 2x light- soulshine set + Lords mail + torugs pact.
Mundas - atronach

How can I make it so I can play like craglorn content solo?

i just hit V16 on my magicka NB last night. I skipped Craglorn all together. Went to Wrothgar at V12 got to V15.5 before I even had to think about running dailies. As far as skills go here is what I used.

Dual Wield- Impale, Concealed Weapon, Sap Essence, Lotus Fan, Dark Cloak, Soul Harvest

Inferno Staff- Swallow Soul, Crippling Grasp,(Three flex slots and would swap out based on situation) Destructive Clench, Twisting Path, Mirage, Siphoning Strikes, Merciless Resolve, Shadow Image) Veil of Blades or Ice Comet

On occasion I would put Inner Light on, but didn't like giving up the 2 slots. Dark Cloak + Concealed weapon is just too fun to use.

I run 2 heavy 5 Light as a Breton with regen food and was AOE grinding Old Orsinum at V15, even soloing some of the bosses. Sets I preferred Are 5 piece Julianos, 3/4 piece Magnus and at V15 put on 3 pieces of Pariah....now I just have to farm for V16 gear

I run all light- 5 julianos, 4/3 twilight's embrace with destro staff and dual wield.
On my destro staff bar i put impale, inner light, degeneration (other morph of entropy because i weave light and med attacks), swallow souls, and merciless resolve
Dual wield: reapers mark, inner light, sap essence, refreshing path, and siphoning attacks
I use the thief mundus stone too and my crit is real high with the armour set bonus. I just hit VR1 but ive already done alot of the dungeons with buddies and soloed just about everything that ive come across so far with little trouble.

Septimus_Magna wrote: »

timmayyyboy wrote: »

I run all light- 5 julianos, 4/3 twilight's embrace with destro staff and dual wield.
On my destro staff bar i put impale, inner light, degeneration (other morph of entropy because i weave light and med attacks), swallow souls, and merciless resolve
Dual wield: reapers mark, inner light, sap essence, refreshing path, and siphoning attacks
I use the thief mundus stone too and my crit is real high with the armour set bonus. I just hit VR1 but ive already done alot of the dungeons with buddies and soloed just about everything that ive come across so far with little trouble.

You can put Impale on your DW bar will to increase your execute dmg, its also useful to have Crippling Grasp to DoT and snare your target.

Destro bar:
Crippling Grasp, Swallow Soul, Merc Resolve, Degeneration, Inner Light - Ice Comet

DW bar:
Sap Essence, Refreshing Path, Siphon Attacks, Impale, Inner Light - Soul Harvest

Im actually thinking of taking siphoning attacks off cause i have yet to have it proc. Idk if its buggy for me or whatnot

Reorx_Holybeard wrote: »

Xvorg wrote: »

...

Why destro staff?

I use a Destruction Staff so I can weave Light/Medium attacks at range between Funnel Health (or other) attacks to get Merciless Resolve to proc. So my basic skill rotation is:

Merciless Resolve - LA - Funnel Health - LA - Funnel Health - LA - Funnel Health - LA - Proc Resolve - Repeat

You can do the same with resto

Reefo wrote: »

Currently running on my VR11 90champ points
DW - sap essence, refreshing path, swallow soul, siphoning attacks, inner light, soul harvest.
Resto - structured entropy, rapid regeneration, swallow soul, siphoning attacks, inner light, soul tether.

Using 5xheavy 2x light- soulshine set + Lords mail + torugs pact.
Mundas - atronach

How can I make it so I can play like craglorn content solo?

I recommend 7/7 light armor and destro/destro:
2 Molag Kena, 5 of your choice (Julianos, Kagrenac, Scathing Mage, Eyes of Mara, Seducer, Magnus, etc. You're looking for magicka and spell damage). Willpower rings and necklace. You have a little bit of wiggle room here, so you can throw in something else if you want, just stick to the premise of magicka and spell power.

Utilize Double Take and Annulment for mitigation. You don't need to rely on heavy armor or a 1h+shield to keep you alive. Believe me, I can and have wiped everything in Craglorn by myself on my full-light magicka NB build.

For AOE encounters, really all you need to do is get everything balled together, and then Sap Essence until they all fall down. Look at the groups of enemies you are taking on - Find the healers, archers, and mages, and then go and stand right on top of them. The melee will follow and you will be able to hit everything with a single skill.

Sap Essence is one of the most powerful skills in the game. Not only do you get Major Sorcery and Brutality for hitting only a single target, but you also simultaneously deal damage and heal. Additionally, just having it on your bar will increase your healing effectiveness. It's a four-in-one skill, and should be used accordingly. The damage potential on it tends to outpace other AOE skills as well. I find it to be the better option when compared to impulse, wall of elements, path of shadows, etc.

Refreshing Path is fun, but it has been grossly under-powered since the Beta days. It's damage is laughably low, and the heal you can get from it is much weaker than what you are capable of doing with Sap Essence alone. Siphoning attacks usually isn't necessary in PVE content, unless you're fighting in prolonged battles, which you are likely not to encounter unless you're doing the vr16 vet dungeons. I emphasize this point further since you are using the Atronach Mundus.

I notice also that you don't use Crippling Grasp, which is the strongest magicka-based DoT that exists in ESO for any class or skill line. This skill is also multi-beneficial, as it grants you a form of CC (although only against a single target), a powerful DoT, and Major Expedition. For single target encounters, I cannot urge you enough to keep this DoT active 100% of the time.


Here's how I recommend setting up your bars:

Bar 1: Destruction Staff (fire)- Structured Entropy, Crippling Grasp, Swallow Soul, Merciless Resolve, Inner Light.
Ultimate - Choose One: Dawnbreaker of Smiting, Ice Comet, Soul Harvest.

Bar 2: Destruction Staff (lightning) - Double Take, Sap Essence, Wall of Elements, Impale, Inner Light.
Ultimate - Soul Tether.


The rotation is surprisingly simple for single target. First, make sure you've got your merciless resolve buff, then:
Entropy - LA - Crippling Grasp - LA - Swallow Soul - LA - Swallow Soul - LA - Grim Focus proc - Refresh Merciless Resolve.

After one full rotation, it will be time to reapply your Crippling Grasp, then continue to weave Swallow Soul with your Light Attacks until your next Grim Focus proc.

After the second rotation, it is time to rinse and repeat. Literally, just start with entropy again, and go through the two cycles until your single target is dead.


Feel free to find me in-game if you need help. I've been playing a Nightblade since Early Access, which hopefully you'll find makes me a credible source for information. My main Nightblade's name is Autolycus.

Edit: I wanted to clarify the lightning staff and wall of elements, as many will suggest that path of shadows is the better alternative here, but before I do, allow me to also clarify that it is totally acceptable to use a resto staff instead - do what suits your style. As for the lightning staff and WoE, this is predominantly because I don't change my build when I switch from group to solo content. The lightning wall will disorient and off-balance enemies, which in turn will cause them to be more susceptible to certain kinds of damage. If you're running with a bow-user, for example, they will do 15% more damage to these enemies. You can take advantage of this too, even without a bow. It really comes down to your preference at that point.

Autolycus wrote: »

Reefo wrote: »

Currently running on my VR11 90champ points
DW - sap essence, refreshing path, swallow soul, siphoning attacks, inner light, soul harvest.
Resto - structured entropy, rapid regeneration, swallow soul, siphoning attacks, inner light, soul tether.

Using 5xheavy 2x light- soulshine set + Lords mail + torugs pact.
Mundas - atronach

How can I make it so I can play like craglorn content solo?

I recommend 7/7 light armor and destro/destro:
2 Molag Kena, 5 of your choice (Julianos, Kagrenac, Scathing Mage, Eyes of Mara, Seducer, Magnus, etc. You're looking for magicka and spell damage). Willpower rings and necklace. You have a little bit of wiggle room here, so you can throw in something else if you want, just stick to the premise of magicka and spell power.

Utilize Double Take and Annulment for mitigation. You don't need to rely on heavy armor or a 1h+shield to keep you alive. Believe me, I can and have wiped everything in Craglorn by myself on my full-light magicka NB build.

For AOE encounters, really all you need to do is get everything balled together, and then Sap Essence until they all fall down. Look at the groups of enemies you are taking on - Find the healers, archers, and mages, and then go and stand right on top of them. The melee will follow and you will be able to hit everything with a single skill.

Sap Essence is one of the most powerful skills in the game. Not only do you get Major Sorcery and Brutality for hitting only a single target, but you also simultaneously deal damage and heal. Additionally, just having it on your bar will increase your healing effectiveness. It's a four-in-one skill, and should be used accordingly. The damage potential on it tends to outpace other AOE skills as well. I find it to be the better option when compared to impulse, wall of elements, path of shadows, etc.

Refreshing Path is fun, but it has been grossly under-powered since the Beta days. It's damage is laughably low, and the heal you can get from it is much weaker than what you are capable of doing with Sap Essence alone. Siphoning attacks usually isn't necessary in PVE content, unless you're fighting in prolonged battles, which you are likely not to encounter unless you're doing the vr16 vet dungeons. I emphasize this point further since you are using the Atronach Mundus.

I notice also that you don't use Crippling Grasp, which is the strongest magicka-based DoT that exists in ESO for any class or skill line. This skill is also multi-beneficial, as it grants you a form of CC (although only against a single target), a powerful DoT, and Major Expedition. For single target encounters, I cannot urge you enough to keep this DoT active 100% of the time.


Here's how I recommend setting up your bars:

Bar 1: Destruction Staff (fire)- Structured Entropy, Crippling Grasp, Swallow Soul, Merciless Resolve, Inner Light.
Ultimate - Choose One: Dawnbreaker of Smiting, Ice Comet, Soul Harvest.

Bar 2: Destruction Staff (lightning) - Double Take, Sap Essence, Wall of Elements, Impale, Inner Light.
Ultimate - Soul Tether.


The rotation is surprisingly simple for single target. First, make sure you've got your merciless resolve buff, then:
Entropy - LA - Crippling Grasp - LA - Swallow Soul - LA - Swallow Soul - LA - Grim Focus proc - Refresh Merciless Resolve.

After one full rotation, it will be time to reapply your Crippling Grasp, then continue to weave Swallow Soul with your Light Attacks until your next Grim Focus proc.

After the second rotation, it is time to rinse and repeat. Literally, just start with entropy again, and go through the two cycles until your single target is dead.


Feel free to find me in-game if you need help. I've been playing a Nightblade since Early Access, which hopefully you'll find makes me a credible source for information. My main Nightblade's name is Autolycus.

Edit: I wanted to clarify the lightning staff and wall of elements, as many will suggest that path of shadows is the better alternative here, but before I do, allow me to also clarify that it is totally acceptable to use a resto staff instead - do what suits your style. As for the lightning staff and WoE, this is predominantly because I don't change my build when I switch from group to solo content. The lightning wall will disorient and off-balance enemies, which in turn will cause them to be more susceptible to certain kinds of damage. If you're running with a bow-user, for example, they will do 15% more damage to these enemies. You can take advantage of this too, even without a bow. It really comes down to your preference at that point.

This is awesome.
Do you know if the valkyn skoria procs off refreshing/twisting path ?

Reefo wrote: »

Wow. I have a few questions Autolycus...
For Solo is the damage of refreshing path not greater than woe? And it procs the armor and slotted gives health. If the health is negligible then perhaps twisting path?

Was mention earlier that I should be running healing ward vs single target and this has proved quiet effective vs bosses n heavy hitters.
Considering 7/7 light perhaps a good fit.

Why no dual wield for more spell damage? Is it coz heavy attacks return magicka with staves? So damage sacrifice for management.

And finally. On the merciless resolve.. Crippling grasp grants movement speed and a very close amount of damage compared to merciless resolve. Effectively merciless resolve is a dot and the damage buff from it is negated as entropy and sap essence keeps u buffed with 20% vs 8%. Doesn't stack. So why not run crippling instead of merciless? Is it needed for the burst damage?

Shadow image? Not worth it??

Btw added u on psn.

Merciless Resolve doesn't show as extra spell damage or weapon damage. It adds 8% more damage to all of your tooltip damage.

timmayyyboy wrote: »

I was thinking of using the infernal maw until i get nenrieths. Does anybody think that would proc alot on the weaving of destro attacks and swollow soul?

That undaunted hat really sucks. I would do 5 Kag(staves, chest, head, pants, boots) 2 Torugs (Hands, Belt) 1 Molag Kena Shoulder, 3 Willpower with all spell damage for range.

For melee, I'd do 4 Magnus(Head, Chest, Pants, Boots) 2 Torug Dual Wield Swords, 2 Worm Cult (hands, belt), 1 Molag Kena Shoulder, and 3 Willpower again.