Getting back: how about 2H/bow for PvE?

Sunfire · October 2016

So I was thinking about getting back into ESO after I quit half a year ago due to RL issues. My last toon was a magicka templar and while enjoyable I'd like to try something stamina now. I don't care about class much, however I do care about weapon choices. I vastly prefer 2H over DW due to aesthetic reasons. I simply dislike dual-wield in general (not only in ESO but every other game I play as well). So I have to fall back to 2H, probably with a bow as backup weapon for sotting and AOEing.

Is it viable? I don't need to top DPS charts, I don't do trials or vet trials (yet), most I did so far were some vet dungeons with my magicka toon.

Asardes · October 2016

With 2H you have a bit more sustain than 2W, but it lacks AoE and even single target I think 2W still does more damage. The only thing 2H has is execute. Unless you are a Nightblade you don't have a comparable class execute.

RavenSworn · October 2016

You can go aoe with your how and single target with 2h. It's viable.

Sunfire · October 2016

uniq_faznrb18_ESO wrote: »

You can go aoe with your how and single target with 2h. It's viable.

Excellent, Wrecking Blow and Execute then für 2H is still the go-to in that case?
I vaguely seem to remember that WB got changed a while back, so not sure.

Might try to wrap a sorc around that, but I have to check the new Fighter's Guild skills first. Skill slots are at a premium

altemriel · October 2016

I am running all crafted gear, as I am not so good at farming vet dungs and I do not like grinding.

I am not sure if I do the most DPS in the game, but it works pretty well for me.

I am running 2H/bow setup on my stam DK:

5 Hunding`s range all medium, 3 Nightmother`s gaze all medium, 3 Ravager jewelry (Agility would be better of course, I will get it soon)

my skill bars:

http://i.imgur.com/PEByFPu.jpg

My rotation:
1. Ingenious shield, Rally - both always up
2. apply dots from range: Poison injection, Bombard
3. Gap close with Crit rush
4. Ferocious leap ulti if charged
5. Wrecking blow
6. spam Venomous claws (Vigor if needed)
7. Executioner if health down, or repeat if not yet

edit: I forgot, I replaced Venomous Claws with Brawler because of the damage shield

RavenSworn · October 2016

Sunfire wrote: »

uniq_faznrb18_ESO wrote: »

You can go aoe with your how and single target with 2h. It's viable.

Excellent, Wrecking Blow and Execute then für 2H is still the go-to in that case?
I vaguely seem to remember that WB got changed a while back, so not sure.

Might try to wrap a sorc around that, but I have to check the new Fighter's Guild skills first. Skill slots are at a premium

Wrecking blow doesn't throw your enemy in the air any more though but it still packs a punch and adds empower.

Asardes · October 2016

The only 2H AoE is Carve/Brawler and the splash damage from heavy attacks forceful passive. But it's nowhere as effective as steel tornado from 2W. Wrecking blow is slow and if you spam it it's impossible to get decent DPS. I mostly use it to empower another attack, including the first tick of dawnbreaker. When I'm grinding away at a boss health I alternate wrecking with heavy attacks, do carve from time to time for DoT and ultimate gain, and in the execute phase I use heavy attacks canceled in executioner. The reason for the heavy attack is the follow up passive. Bow is either for single target in ranged fights - I use focused aim, poison injection and light attack weve for hawk eye passive, or DoT AoE, in which case I use mostly endless hail and refresh only when it runs out. Bow is weak and that bar should only be used for the DoTs and utility skills in most cases. Your main bar should always be melee.

Sunfire · October 2016

uniq_faznrb18_ESO wrote: »

Wrecking blow doesn't throw your enemy in the air any more though but it still packs a punch and adds empower.

Thanks, that's indeed new information!

Took a look at the skill calculator, maybe I'd run a sorc like this:

2H - Executioner, Wrecking Blow, Hurricane, Bound Armaments, Evil Hunter, Flawless Dawnbringer
Bow - Acid Spray, Endless Hail, Lightweight Trap, Bound Armaments, Critical Surge, Ballista

Does that make any sense? I looked at Sorc primarily because I already leveled one Sorc way back and thus know the class besster than DK or NB.

Asardes · October 2016

Sorcerer and DK should always have heavy attacks as part of the rotation, due to bound armaments and molten armaments skills respectively. My stamina DK mostly tanks so he has gotten the other morph for group utility but still uses the heavys for damage, sustain and ultimate regeneration. Dawnbreaker is still cheap, and if you regenerate ultimate fast you can use it every 20-30s in combat. For stamina builds is the best ultimate. Even more so for sorcerer, whose class ultimates are all magicka based, and don't benefit from CP in mighty, piercing and precise strikes. DK has take flight/ferocious leap and corrosive armor.

Sunfire · October 2016

Thanks for your answers all!
I'll create a new toon on the weekend and get back into it

CasNation · October 2016

I'll be straight with you: 2H is currently terrible for pve stamina dps compared to DW. Rapid strikes is wildly more efficient compared to wrecking blow, even with ought vMA weapons.

Only two classes MIGHT be able to get away with running 2H instead of DW for dps right now, and those are templar and nightblade. The reason for this being that they both have class spammable (biting jabs and surprise attack). Your other large problem will be AoE, which both templar and Nightblade can help with (biting jabs and power extraction).

Keep in mind that if you expect to be running with groups you will get some very strange looks for running a 2H. You may even be insta-kicked.

Now, I am not saying you can't make it work to a serviceable level, but you will be facing some prejudice from your fellow players. Fair warning.

DocFrost72 · October 2016

Sunfire wrote: »

So I was thinking about getting back into ESO after I quit half a year ago due to RL issues. My last toon was a magicka templar and while enjoyable I'd like to try something stamina now. I don't care about class much, however I do care about weapon choices. I vastly prefer 2H over DW due to aesthetic reasons. I simply dislike dual-wield in general (not only in ESO but every other game I play as well). So I have to fall back to 2H, probably with a bow as backup weapon for sotting and AOEing.

Is it viable? I don't need to top DPS charts, I don't do trials or vet trials (yet), most I did so far were some vet dungeons with my magicka toon.

I'm not by any means l337 and I can pull over 25k damage with that combo, which will cover any vet 4 man content you wish to do. I'm right there with you on the DW bit, just doesn't feel right I guess.

As long as you understand how to play the most difference you'll see is a few thousand DPS. Oh, and brawler > jabs makes you do more damage than people think. Constant aoe bleed plus aoe damage hits hard.

Integral1900 · October 2016

There is also an aoe morph of execute, wasn't to sure till I tried it but holy cow! Get one target down to low health then use the splash damage to trash the mobs, never going back to the single target. Dual wield still does more damage but like you I hate the look and also having spent time with historical reinactors you get to understand how hopelessly impractical it is

Asardes · October 2016

I'm able to complete all 4 man veteran dungeons on my main with 2H/Bow, for speed runs on hard mode, including IC dungeons. I haven't tried SotH ones yet, but the challenge there is mostly the mechanics, not the actual DPS. I've run VCoS with a 2H/Bow stamplar DD - my main was tanking as he usually does - and we did just fine though. 2H is good for PvP though because it has more sustain and stronger execute. The classes mentioned above are the only ones which can offset though because NB has gap close (ambush), spammable (surprise attack) and execute (killer's blade) as class skills, and templar has gap close (toppling charge) and spammable (biting jabs). DK has only DoTs as stamina abilities (venom claw and noxious breath), as well as a boost for heavy attacks (molten armaments)