Need an Easy-to-play, Magic-based Build

TitanJeff · March 2016

I have a Bosmer stamina nightblade now using mostly bow and am looking to try another character/build. Here are some characteristics:

I'd prefer to use magic with this one.

I'd like heavy armor which, I assume, isn't suited for most magic builds. Easier survival is key.

I'm an older gamer so prefer something with a lower learning curve where quick reactions are not as essential as my Stam NB.

Any thoughts appreciated.

jkemmery · March 2016

Good luck with that. Since everything is based on sneaking now, and sneaking requires stamina, you better go stam.

Bfish22090 · March 2016

Play magicka templar.
Easiest class I'm the game for tank/dps/healing

laksikus · March 2016

jkemmery wrote: »

Good luck with that. Since everything is based on sneaking now, and sneaking requires stamina, you better go stam.

ahm, no?!
use cloak as magicka = steahlth and faster than sneaking
or use drinks = regen stam while sneaking.

failkiwib16_ESO · March 2016

well some needed questions

Do you wish to play mainly pvp or pve?
Do you wish to continue to play on your bosmer nightblade, or do you intend to create a new char for this purpose?
- if you intend to play magicka on your bosmer nightblade, what level are you?
- if you intend to create a new char, then will you be willing to play a new class?

Frawr · March 2016

All are easy once you get used to the mechanics.

Or play a magicka NB because that is easy from the start.

rotiferuk · March 2016

TitanJeff wrote: »

I have a Bosmer stamina nightblade now using mostly bow and am looking to try another build. Here are some characteristics:

I'd prefer to use magic with this one.
I'd like heavy armor which, I assume, isn't suited for most magic builds.

I'm an older gamer so prefer something with a lower learning curve where quick reactions are not required.

Any thoughts appreciated.

I'm an older gamer (64) too. I'm currently playing a magicka nightblade. I chose a High Elf, however, a Breton is also ideal. I use 2 heavy armour (chest and legs), the rest is all light. I use a fire staff for my main weapon and a restro staff for my second. My build is based on one by Sypher, which can be found here.

http://www.sypherpk.com/magicka-nb/

It is a PvP build which means you will have to change it a bit if you PvE.

Also, if you are having issues with your reactions I suggest you try an XBOX 360 game pad. These are supported in-game or you can use a program such as xpadder. This is what I use. My pad is set up for combat / movement and I use the keyboard for everything else.

Robbmrp · March 2016

I'm having a lot of fun with my Orc Templar. I've played every role Heals, DPS and tank. You could go with an Imperial one as well and that would work out great. Really any class can be turned into a great tank with their class abilities. You could try out a NB magicka Sap tank as well.

nimander99 · March 2016

I'd suggest a Stamina Nightblade then.

TitanJeff · March 2016

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

well some needed questions

Do you wish to play mainly pvp or pve?
Do you wish to continue to play on your bosmer nightblade, or do you intend to create a new char for this purpose?
- if you intend to play magicka on your bosmer nightblade, what level are you?
- if you intend to create a new char, then will you be willing to play a new class?

Sorry, I wasn't clear.

This would be a new character/class. I don't want NB again.

Xendyn · March 2016

Older as well, about to hit 55.
I love my sorcs, so much that I have 2 of them lol. One for pve, one for pvp. Highly recommend trying them.

I had a problem with the mobility in this game becase of nerve damage in my left hand. Got one of these (Logitech G13) and the thumb joystick and larger spread and ease of setting up the keys the way I want them has made a huge difference.

vyndral13preub18_ESO · March 2016

Xendyn wrote: »

Older as well, about to hit 55.
I love my sorcs, so much that I have 2 of them lol. One for pve, one for pvp. Highly recommend trying them.

I had a problem with the mobility in this game becase of nerve damage in my left hand. Got one of these (Logitech G13) and the thumb joystick and larger spread and ease of setting up the keys the way I want them has made a huge difference.

I love mine. Saves lots of hand cramping.

More on topic I'd suggest a templar. For most pve content they are as easy as pressing one button. Over and over and over and over...

It is actually quite boring and stupid. But it is easy.

TitanJeff · March 2016

I maybe should have said "easier".

I also like zapping stuff at range.

Robbmrp · March 2016

vyndral13preub18_ESO wrote: »

Xendyn wrote: »

Older as well, about to hit 55.
I love my sorcs, so much that I have 2 of them lol. One for pve, one for pvp. Highly recommend trying them.

I had a problem with the mobility in this game becase of nerve damage in my left hand. Got one of these (Logitech G13) and the thumb joystick and larger spread and ease of setting up the keys the way I want them has made a huge difference.

I love mine. Saves lots of hand cramping.

More on topic I'd suggest a templar. For most pve content they are as easy as pressing one button. Over and over and over and over...

It is actually quite boring and stupid. But it is easy.

@Xendyn & @vyndral13preub18_ESO

Sorry to off topic but those G13 game pads, is the game lot easier to play with one of those? Do you use the mouse to control the main direction and then the joystick for the actual movements? Just curious but what you two use the gray buttons by the joystick for?

failkiwib16_ESO · March 2016

TitanJeff wrote: »

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

well some needed questions

Do you wish to play mainly pvp or pve?
Do you wish to continue to play on your bosmer nightblade, or do you intend to create a new char for this purpose?
- if you intend to play magicka on your bosmer nightblade, what level are you?
- if you intend to create a new char, then will you be willing to play a new class?

Sorry, I wasn't clear.

This would be a new character/class. I don't want NB again.

Well that was one question answered, and it might lead to some others answered as well.

All classes are good with magicka builds, but if you want an easy class to enjoy the game with, and not bother with animation cancelling, weaving etc. go with Highelf Templar. As magicka templar you will be able to pull 20k-30k sustained dps without weaving, the other classes require more work and skill.

I am lazy, I have a v16 sorcerer but i prefer to play with my templar, mainly because of the dps I can pull without bothering to weave etc. My connection is wireless and my laptop is ancient, fps and framerate matters a lot for gaining high dps in this game, but since templar skills are channelled and take time, I can get away with this. Endgame would be problematic for me, if I chose to play more on my sorcerer.

Start levelling up:
Destructive Touch (morph it to Destructive Clench) (Destruction Staff ability)
Puncturing Strikes (morph it to Puncturing Sweep) (Aedric Spear ability)
Rushed Ceremony (morph it to Breath of Life)(Restoring Light ability)
Sun fire (both morphs are useful, but for a starter maybe Reflective Light is the better choice) (Dawns Wrath ability)
<< start levelling those skills up, + Destruction Staff.
You will need to level up a bit to get more skillpoints, and gain xp to unlock more skills.

These are skills to focus on later:

Destruction Staff:

Wall of Elements (I am unsure of which morph is the best)
Force Shock (morph it to Crushing Shock for solo pve and pvp, morph it to Force Pulse for endgame group pve)
Weakness to Elements (morph it to Elemental Drain)
Impulse (morph it to Weakness to Elements)

Aedric Spear:

Ultimate: Radial Sweep (morph it to Crescent Sweep, it's not the best ultimate, but it is extremely low-cost. If you melee a lot, then this might be a good ultimate)
Piercing Javelin (morph it to Aurora Javelin. It is good to knock back enemies in pvp mainly, or if you solo quest and you want your enemy to stay at distance to you)
Focused Charge (both morphs are good, but the skill is entirely bugged ...it's the only gap-closer templars have, but expect to get skill locked every now and then if you use it)
Spear Shards (morph it to Blazing Spear)

Dawns Wrath:

Ultimate: Nova (Solar Prison is the best morph if the synergy is used, however it is rarely... so best to morph it to Solar Disturbance)
Solar Flare (morph to Dark Flare)
Radiant Destruction (if you have decent regen, morph it to Radiant Opression, if you don't have decent regen then morph it to Radiant Glory)

Restoring Light:

Restoring Aura (morph it to Repentance)
Cleansing Ritual (both morphs are good)

There are more skills to learn, such as those from the mageguild skill line, however start focussing on class + weapon skills first, then later move on to mageguild skills. They provide good buffs through passives, but it is more important to have your skills fully levelled, so the buffs actually matter.

You can read which skills belong to where through this site, it's not always updated information but mainly it is good enough. elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Class+Skills

Reevster · March 2016

Roll a DK Dark Elf Magic build, you wont regret it! With +7 fire damage passive, it will rule.... Mine does.

Oreyn_Bearclaw · March 2016

Xendyn wrote: »

Older as well, about to hit 55.
I love my sorcs, so much that I have 2 of them lol. One for pve, one for pvp. Highly recommend trying them.

I had a problem with the mobility in this game becase of nerve damage in my left hand. Got one of these (Logitech G13) and the thumb joystick and larger spread and ease of setting up the keys the way I want them has made a huge difference.

+1 on the G13. I am actually on my second one because I wore out the first. I thought I was an old gamer at 35, gives me hope.

I have played all 4 classes as magic at end-game. It depends on what you are after, but in terms of ease of play, I would probably say from easiest to hardest is: Templar, Sorc, Siphonblade, DK, but it is certainly debatable.

DK: my favorite for PVE, but you need to keep up a LOT of DoTs, which isnt exactly easy. You have little in the way of healing and you need to be in melee range. The upside is that the damage can be insane and who doesnt like breathing fire. They have been bad in PvP for a while, but I think the next patch is going to change that. DK is OP threads coming soon to a forum near you.

NB: You already have one, so you could respec and try it out. NBs are really survivable because of all the heals, but the rotation involves a lot of buffs and a few dots. Easier to play than DK because they are range and have self heals. NBs might become king in the new trial because of how mobile the bosses are. They are also the class that is most likely to be called OP in PvP. I disagree and argue they are simply the most balanced, but that is another thread.

Sorc: Sorc is definitely easiest for Soloing hard stuff like VMA. The rotation really isnt that complicated, and you get a big damage shield if you need it. Power surge gives a lot of self healing and you can play at range. Also, overload gives probably the best single target DPS in the game, and its literally a one button rotation. The issue is that you dont always have overload and the standard rotation is not going to break any records. They are awesome for 1vX in cyrodiil.

Templars: I think they have the overall simplest rotation. You can do darn good DPS by simply using sweep, shards, and radiant destruction. Currently, the classic build forces you to go melee, but sweep heals a bunch so its not much of an issue. With the new patch, they will be better at range. A magic templar can also double as a healer. Basic healing is fun and really not very complicated, and you will never be without a group. It becomes challenging when you branch out from healing and try to also provide support and damage. My pushback with templar is that the class is not in a great spot at the moment, especially in PVP. The spear line is a buggy mess, they lack mobility, and their bread and butter healing skill is getting a big nerf. If you take VMA out of the equation, they are probably the easiest class to play in PvE. If strictly PvP, I would not consider them unless you want to heal.

yake82 · March 2016

Sorcerer:

Encase, Lightning flood, Crystal blast, 2 pets

Encase will keep most mobs away from you and clannfear usually tanks the rest.

http://esohead.com/calculator/skills#1.mMzz9s8NiaQ8AIP18NNgb8NUkz8NURc8NUod85oH7mrzwM6rbHm8J7GrziB6LziD6rziZ8K7GrzuI8zc7zzgeXm8zf7zzNbo8zu7zzHfYE6zHfZd8zG7zzHQ3F8zI7zzJIoX6zJIkL8zN7zzJZcY8zA7zzKpUN8zL7zzK4EX

Oreyn_Bearclaw · March 2016

TitanJeff wrote: »

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

well some needed questions

Do you wish to play mainly pvp or pve?
Do you wish to continue to play on your bosmer nightblade, or do you intend to create a new char for this purpose?
- if you intend to play magicka on your bosmer nightblade, what level are you?
- if you intend to create a new char, then will you be willing to play a new class?

Sorry, I wasn't clear.

This would be a new character/class. I don't want NB again.

TitanJeff wrote: »

I maybe should have said "easier".

I also like zapping stuff at range.

Well, by process of elimination, you are left with Magic Sorc. Altmer is the clear choice for a magic sorc. Also, everyone needs a sorc.

vyndral13preub18_ESO · March 2016

Robbmrp wrote: »

vyndral13preub18_ESO wrote: »

Xendyn wrote: »

Older as well, about to hit 55.
I love my sorcs, so much that I have 2 of them lol. One for pve, one for pvp. Highly recommend trying them.

I had a problem with the mobility in this game becase of nerve damage in my left hand. Got one of these (Logitech G13) and the thumb joystick and larger spread and ease of setting up the keys the way I want them has made a huge difference.

I love mine. Saves lots of hand cramping.

More on topic I'd suggest a templar. For most pve content they are as easy as pressing one button. Over and over and over and over...

It is actually quite boring and stupid. But it is easy.

@Xendyn & @vyndral13preub18_ESO

Sorry to off topic but those G13 game pads, is the game lot easier to play with one of those? Do you use the mouse to control the main direction and then the joystick for the actual movements? Just curious but what you two use the gray buttons by the joystick for?

Basically I use the mouse to look and the thump stick to move. But you can map any button to anything. For example I map the two grey buttons by the thumb stick to map and inventory.

Oreyn_Bearclaw · March 2016

vyndral13preub18_ESO wrote: »

Robbmrp wrote: »

vyndral13preub18_ESO wrote: »

Xendyn wrote: »

Older as well, about to hit 55.
I love my sorcs, so much that I have 2 of them lol. One for pve, one for pvp. Highly recommend trying them.

I had a problem with the mobility in this game becase of nerve damage in my left hand. Got one of these (Logitech G13) and the thumb joystick and larger spread and ease of setting up the keys the way I want them has made a huge difference.

I love mine. Saves lots of hand cramping.

More on topic I'd suggest a templar. For most pve content they are as easy as pressing one button. Over and over and over and over...

It is actually quite boring and stupid. But it is easy.

@Xendyn & @vyndral13preub18_ESO

Sorry to off topic but those G13 game pads, is the game lot easier to play with one of those? Do you use the mouse to control the main direction and then the joystick for the actual movements? Just curious but what you two use the gray buttons by the joystick for?

Basically I use the mouse to look and the thump stick to move. But you can map any button to anything. For example I map the two grey buttons by the thumb stick to map and inventory.

I actually still use the WASD to move and map hotkeys to the thumb stick. The G13 gives a lot of flexibility. Pretty sure they designed it like you are saying, but I could never get used to it. Having 6 keys in striking distance of your left thumb is pretty nice.

LadyNalcarya · March 2016

Reevster wrote: »

Roll a DK Dark Elf Magic build, you wont regret it! With +7 fire damage passive, it will rule.... Mine does.

It rules, yeah, but it has the most complicated skill rotation of all dps classes.

And yeah, imo sorc is the easiest magicka build to play.

Kammakazi · March 2016

Magicka Templar is a fantastic choice for you then.

As a Magicka Templar you are technically the only class that can do hybrid roles at once when in Group Dungeons (DD & Healer).

Xendyn · March 2016

Robbmrp wrote: »

vyndral13preub18_ESO wrote: »

Xendyn wrote: »

Older as well, about to hit 55.
I love my sorcs, so much that I have 2 of them lol. One for pve, one for pvp. Highly recommend trying them.

I had a problem with the mobility in this game becase of nerve damage in my left hand. Got one of these (Logitech G13) and the thumb joystick and larger spread and ease of setting up the keys the way I want them has made a huge difference.

I love mine. Saves lots of hand cramping.

More on topic I'd suggest a templar. For most pve content they are as easy as pressing one button. Over and over and over and over...

It is actually quite boring and stupid. But it is easy.

@Xendyn & @vyndral13preub18_ESO

Sorry to off topic but those G13 game pads, is the game lot easier to play with one of those? Do you use the mouse to control the main direction and then the joystick for the actual movements? Just curious but what you two use the gray buttons by the joystick for?

It is for me. Many years ago I shattered my left wrist and tore all the ligaments on it. My last 2 fingers are numb and I lose my place on the keys a lot still but using the thumb joystick for movement there's less for my fingers to keep track of. I also use a Logitech gaming mouse to move a few things to my right hand.

My hand's newest trick tho is my index sometimes twitching uncontrollably. If that gets worse it may spell the end of my gaming days :'(

TitanJeff · March 2016

Sounds like Sorc is the answer. But why not a Breton? I envision a buffed-up Merlin-kinda guy. But not a fan of the pets.

yake82 · March 2016

You can replace the 2 pets with Hardened Ward, Surge or Magelight.

Pets are no longer permanent in Thieves Guild btw.

TitanJeff · March 2016

Thanks to all for their insight. This is a very helpful community.

LadyNalcarya · March 2016

TitanJeff wrote: »

Sounds like Sorc is the answer. But why not a Breton? I envision a buffed-up Merlin-kinda guy. But not a fan of the pets.

Me neither haha.
But pets are only needed for soloing some of the group content and healing (only in the new patch), and damage dealer is better without pets anyway. As a dd, your most powerful ability will be shooting lightnings from your hands

TitanJeff · March 2016

Sounds great. I'm looking a various builds now but many seem to be, at least, a year old. I wonder how many of the skills have changed.

I know there's a lot of trial and error but would love a good beginner build. I'm wanting to use as much lightning as possible.

Caff32 · March 2016

Having played all the classes, I have found Templar to be the easiest to play with its massive self heals and diverse skill set on offense. Sorcerer is also good but requires more bar swapping later in game.

As for race, High Elf or Breton are your best choices for magic damage dealing or healing classes. But honestly you should always play what you like. The differences aren't so great that you can't play a non-ideal race.

However, I would suggest no more than 2 pieces of heavy armor. Choose two of head, chest, or legs for the added armor bonuses. The rest should be light to maximize the light armor 5 piece magic bonus.

My first character was a stamina Templar and my second was a sorcerer. Both are fun to play. You've got up to 8 character slots so you can always try both!

Flameheart · March 2016

I have no idea if the char would be used in PvE or PvP, but for PvE get a magicka ranged build.

So your options would be Nightblade or Sorcerer. To get the most dps out of your magicka build you should play a DK or Templar as a melee type and for melees PvE this game delivers some more "suprises", although it isn't far from impossible.

If I had to decide between Nightblade or Sorcerer in terms of easyness, I would choose Sorcerer.