Some questions about PvP

Edremis · August 2016

Hello, I'm thinking about returning to TESO and I would like to clear some doubts.

First, my main focus is to play PvP in Cyrodiil, are there enough population in the EU megaserver? I come from GW2 and in my server it feels dead. Is the pvp alive and more or less healthy so I can play for months/years?

Second, can I stay "competitive" without buying any DLC? I probably will buy some DLCs but I don't want to feel forced to do it just to PvP. My main concerns are about skills and gear of course.

Third, how could you describe the current situation in PvP? Are there huge balance problems between classes?

My last question, can you make a short overview of each class in PvP so I can decide which one is better for me? I usually go for a mix of support (heal, buffs) and offensive (ranged DPS/aoe/CC).

Thank you all!

(Sorry abut my English :P )

Luigi_Vampa · August 2016

PvP is very populated depending on what campaign you run in. Trueflame on EU is always full on primetime (I don't play on the other campaigns, so I don't know how they are). Blackwater Blade as a non vet campaign is also very active.

Yes you can compete without DLC. The only best in slot item for PvP would be a Maelstrom two handed maul, but you can do fine without it.

There is a rather large balance problem between stamina and magicka builds at the moment. Stamina is really strong. Stam builds are all fairly balanced with each other. Magicka Templar is the strongest magicka class followed by Magicka Sorc, Magicka Nightblade and Magicka Dragonknight being the worst (the mDK is my favorite still)

All the classes can do most roles so I'll just state what I think is the most defining attribute of each class.

Nightblade - Stealth and burst
Sorc - Mobility and burst
Templar - Healing and sustain
Dragonknight - DoTs and sustain

altemriel · August 2016

1. depends on the campaign and play time, but yes, there are many people PVPing

2. you do not need any DLC to stay competitive

Edremis · August 2016

Typhoios wrote: »

PvP is very populated depending on what campaign you run in. Trueflame on EU is always full on primetime (I don't play on the other campaigns, so I don't know how they). Blackwater Blade as a non vet campaign is also very active.

Yes you can compete without DLC. They only best in slot item for PvP woyld be a Maelstrom two handed maul, but you can do fine without it.

There is a rather large balance problem between stamina and magicka builds at the moment. Stamina is really strong. Stam builds are all fairly balanced with each other. Magicka Templar is the strongest magicka class followed by Magicka Sorc, Magicka Nightblade and Magicka Dragonknight being the worst (the mDK is my favorite still)

All the classes can do most roles so I'll just state what I think is the most defining attribute of each class.

Nightblade - Stealth and burst
Sorc - Mobility and burst
Templar - Healing and sustain
Dragonknight - DoTs and sustain

Thank you!

Regarding classes/builds: I was thinking about a mix between resto staff and something to AoE or CC at range. Which options could I have? And there are a stamina option to play as a somekind of support or hybrid support?

Stoopid_Nwah · August 2016

Can't answer for the population on the EU server, but I would say for PVP you'll be fine without dlc. I would suggest you get IC though as it can be a nice change of pace from "uptop" cyrodiil. The other dlcs give weapon and gear drops that can be considered BiS in some instances, but I don't think they are necessary. A big downside would be not having access to specific crafting stations.

There are still balance issues going on, and currently, stam is dominating. It also feels like there are more and more "cancerous" setups as the days go on.

Sorcerer
Stam: speedy, most mobile class, a lot go werewolf, dot builds are popular due to crit surge.
Magicka: not as many playing these due to the shield nerf, but they're great at range, have good mobility with streak, have access to negate for an ultimate which is great for group support, you're sort of pigeonholed in what you build though (most do destro/resto and rely on c-frag proc to setup burst).

Nightblade
Stam: great crit and burst, top notch ganking, good resource management with siphoning attacks, not as great access to heals as the other stam classes, cloak is a fun utility especially with shadow image but can't be used to permacloak like their magicka counterparts, best gapcloser in the game.
Magicka: permacloak, can be fun to play as a saptank, imo quite versatile as you can go range with destro or melee with dw or s&b, has decent support heals for group.

Templar
Stam: tanky, great utility skills with purify, repentance, channeled focus, if you want a gap closer that doesn't lock your skills though you're stuck using two hand or s&b.
Magicka: best if you're looking for amazing group support, nice heals+major mending and purify, can give back stam to group members, and you get the beam. I think if you go for damage though you're best off acting as a melee magicka warrior.

Dragonknight
Stam: tanky af if built right, pairs well with s&b, has major mending (part of why they can be so tanky), good resource management with passives, same issue as Templars with gap closers.
Magicka: In a rough spot but can be fun, wings for reflect, tanky, damage is a bit lackluster in this burst meta, great for group support with all the cc options.

I would say you'll probably have fun as a magicka templar. You can hang back throwing shards, javelin for cc, heals, and just beam people from insane range

.

Luigi_Vampa · August 2016

Edremis wrote: »

Typhoios wrote: »

PvP is very populated depending on what campaign you run in. Trueflame on EU is always full on primetime (I don't play on the other campaigns, so I don't know how they). Blackwater Blade as a non vet campaign is also very active.

Yes you can compete without DLC. They only best in slot item for PvP woyld be a Maelstrom two handed maul, but you can do fine without it.

There is a rather large balance problem between stamina and magicka builds at the moment. Stamina is really strong. Stam builds are all fairly balanced with each other. Magicka Templar is the strongest magicka class followed by Magicka Sorc, Magicka Nightblade and Magicka Dragonknight being the worst (the mDK is my favorite still)

All the classes can do most roles so I'll just state what I think is the most defining attribute of each class.

Nightblade - Stealth and burst
Sorc - Mobility and burst
Templar - Healing and sustain
Dragonknight - DoTs and sustain

Thank you!

Regarding classes/builds: I was thinking about a mix between resto staff and something to AoE or CC at range. Which options could I have? And there are a stamina option to play as a somekind of support or hybrid support?

It sounds like you would like Templar. It offers great support through healing, shards and repentence to restore stamnia to the group, has a cheap purify to cleanse dots and debuffs. Spear shards is a ranged AoE and it CCs one player that it hits, plus allies can activate the synergy to restore stamina. They also have a pretty OP imo execute that has a very long range and can't be dodged.

Most stamina builds focus on damage and less support. Maybe some stamina guys can anwser that better because I usually play magicka builds. Although I have a stam Templar that is performing great so far.

Edremis · August 2016

Now I'm interested in Sorcs and Templars but I have some problems with them.

My problems with Sorcs are:

- I really like pets but they are usually bad in large scale PvP so I have some skills "permalocked".
- I'm a noob but I feel sorcs are but for singletarget damage but bad at AoE (PvP) and you do damage almost only with frags. is it that true?
- Apart from frags, are there other skills I can do damage being a magicka sorc? Singletarget or aoe I don't mind. I don't want to spam the same skill for dmg

- How good healer/support a sorc can be? Or in general how versatile a magicka sorc can be?
- EDIT: I saw I can heal with a sorc pet. Is that option viable for group pvp?

My problems with Templars are:

- I really dislike the aesthetics of jab skills and the fact the most spammy one is melee (I don't like being mele and if I'm one I would use weapon skills over "magical" skills. I will be forced to use those skills to dmg? Or can I be a pure ranged templar always?
- Are the templar ranged dmg skills solar flare and radiant destruction? Or they have more skills?
- Is being a support templar something like a heal bot?

Sorry for being annoying

Stoopid_Nwah · August 2016

Edremis wrote: »

Now I'm interested in Sorcs and Templars but I have some problems with them.

My problems with Sorcs are:

- I really like pets but they are usually bad in large scale PvP so I have some skills "permalocked".
- I'm a noob but I feel sorcs are but for singletarget damage but bad at AoE (PvP) and you do damage almost only with frags. is it that true?
- Apart from frags, are there other skills I can do damage being a magicka sorc? Singletarget or aoe I don't mind. I don't want to spam the same skill for dmg
- How good healer/support a sorc can be? Or in general how versatile a magicka sorc can be?

My problems with Templars are:

- I really dislike the aesthetics of jab skills and the fact the most spammy one is melee (I don't like being mele and if I'm one I would use weapon skills over "magical" skills. I will be forced to use those skills to dmg? Or can I be a pure ranged templar always?
- Are the templar ranged dmg skills solar flare and radiant destruction? Or they have more skills?
- Is being a support templar something like a heal bot?

Sorry for being annoying

A lot of people have poor opinions of pet builds, and in pvp it's mostly because

You have zero control over your pets
They are pretty easy to take out
Toggle, so you have to slot them on both bars

Sorcs are pretty single target oriented (magicka sorcs at least)...and your big damage is going to come from setting up your combo. But this is not to say sorcs can't 1vx; actually, they are quite good at it. For the most part, playing a sorc goes something like...(keeping up curse, weaving inferno staff/lightning staff with a spammable like crushing shock to proc a frag and ready your burst). A bunch of sorcs utilize overload as well, but it always felt too clunky to me, especially in lag.

As for a support role for sorcs, negate can be amazing. They also have access to a multi-target soft cc root (encase), a disorient (rune prison), hard stun multi-target cc from streak, and mines for some ground control and the root. Healing wise though, you would have to use a resto staff and slot skills like mutagen, combat prayer, springs.

For templars, yes, sweeps is the usual spammable dps. I suppose you could go ranged with crushing shock weaving, putting up vamp's bane dot, throwing shards/javelins, trying to get off dark flares, and using the beam. But in terms of healing/support, I would personally pick them over sorcs as the stam return they can give to a group is just too good to overlook (especially since it's a stam meta). And since templars have crap mobility, staying ranged would be more difficult by far than with a sorc if you're out solo.

Honestly, if you're going to always be with a group and focusing on support/heals, go templar. If you want to group every now and again and put out some support, but also want to have more mobility/high damage solo play, go sorc.

Luigi_Vampa · August 2016

Edremis wrote: »

Now I'm interested in Sorcs and Templars but I have some problems with them.

My problems with Sorcs are:

- I really like pets but they are usually bad in large scale PvP so I have some skills "permalocked".
- I'm a noob but I feel sorcs are but for singletarget damage but bad at AoE (PvP) and you do damage almost only with frags. is it that true?
- Apart from frags, are there other skills I can do damage being a magicka sorc? Singletarget or aoe I don't mind. I don't want to spam the same skill for dmg
- How good healer/support a sorc can be? Or in general how versatile a magicka sorc can be?
- EDIT: I saw I can heal with a sorc pet. Is that option viable for group pvp?

My problems with Templars are:

- I really dislike the aesthetics of jab skills and the fact the most spammy one is melee (I don't like being mele and if I'm one I would use weapon skills over "magical" skills. I will be forced to use those skills to dmg? Or can I be a pure ranged templar always?
- Are the templar ranged dmg skills solar flare and radiant destruction? Or they have more skills?
- Is being a support templar something like a heal bot?

Sorry for being annoying

It is true. Sorcs rely heavily on procing frags. You don't hardcast it, you proc the instant cast by using a spammable skill like crushing shock. They don't have any great AoE abilities for a magicka sorc.

Other skills for Sorc damage are usually Curse, which you keep up on the target and mages wrath/endless fury which is your execute that you can apply before execute range if you think you will burst them very fast. Sorcs lack any good spammable dps skill. There is overload, but it is an ult and slow and reflectable and easily dodged. It hits hard though.

Sorcs group utility is really centered around Negate. Negate is powerful and wipes enemy groups. Drop negate, streak through the enemy to stun and turn to root them with encase while your group takes care of the damage. Your healing is limited to resto staff. You have the twilight heal, but that thing can't take much damage and dies very quickly.

You can be a ranged Templar, but only with a group. Solo you will be gapclosed and you lack the mobilty to create seperation.

Ranged skills are Dark Flare, Radiant Destruction, Vampires Bane, Javelin, Spear Shards plus destro staff skills that you would probably be using, Destructive Reach and Crushing Shock / Force Pulse.

You can be treated like a heal bot, but you can add a lot of damage as well if you want. That is up to you and the type of group you play with. As a support Sorc you could just be a Negate Monkey so once again that is up to you, your playstyle and the people you play with.