New player that can't make up their mind.

Mat7itan · October 2016

I have owned ESO for about a week now, and I have spent basically my entire time trying to decide if I want to play Magicka Nightblade or Stamina Nightblade. I'll make a Magicka Nightblade, decide I want to actually play a Stamina Nightblade, so I delete my character to use the name on a Stamina Nightblade, only to determine I actually want to play a Magicka Nightblade, so I delete my Stamina Nightblade to use the name on a Magicka Nightblade, and this process has been repeating all week. Currently I am on the Stamina Nightblade Iteration following Deltia's most current Nightblade Build (http://deltiasgaming.com/eso-stamina-nightblade-dps-build/#Leveling) and I was enjoying it, but I got up this morning and really second guessed a Stamina Nightblade and I am now thinking about going back to a Magicka Nightblade.

So that is my predicament. Now for what I think about Magicka vs Stamina:

Magicka Nightblade:
I keep coming back to a Magicka Nightblade because it just seems like it is more my thing. If a game lets me use stealth and magic then I use stealth and magic. As well compared to Stamina Nightblade, a Magicka Nightblade just looks like it's burstier (proc builds aside) especially considering Assassin's Will. So in 1v1s you just jump in and use your abilities and kill your opponent (I know this isn't quite how this works). Then for group PvP you have a lot of AoE abilities so you jump in Soul Tether drop the AoE and then use the vampire's defensive take no damage thing (I can also play vampire with a Magicka Nightblade) to get out, heal up and go back in. Aside from all of that I can use a Breton which is not only my favorite race in all Elderscrolls games, but I think they also have the best character model in this game. The only problem I have (and it's why I keep going back to Stamina Nightblade) is that with the way damage works there is no point in using anything other than staves with Magicka, and my favorite weapon style is dual wielding, but because melee weapons and the bow scale with stamina it doesn't seem like there is any point in using them lategame when building magicka.

Stamina Nightblade:
The big selling point to me for the Stamina Nightblade (other than it just being "better" right now) is that weapons other than staves scale with stamina. I can dual wield and do damage dual wielding. As well there is much more variance with the builds because more weapons are available. They have good dps both with single target and AoE, but not as much healing as a Magicka Nightblade (I would be playing an Imperial so one of their passive abilities helps mitigate this to a small degree), but they can still sustain themselves. It doesn't seem quite as appealing to me as a Magicka Nightblade does, but it seems just as fun.

So which Nightblade do you prefer or would you recommend? What builds should I use to level up and progress in the game (I can't find a Magicka Nightblade build for the One Tamriel patch anywhere). I tend to be a solo player, and while Magicka Nightblade is more appealing to me, Stamina Nightblade seems to be the better overall choice. Please help me make up my mind!

OnyxProphet · October 2016

What level did you get to? Why not just make two NBs and see how both feel? Just choose different factions so you don't have to repeat content.

You won't know what you like until you spend time playing each one. Even if something is quantifiably better, you may enjoy it less for any number of reasons.

Mat7itan · October 2016

OnyxProphet wrote: »

What level did you get to? Why not just make two NBs and see how both feel? Just choose different factions so you don't have to repeat content.

You won't know what you like until you spend time playing each one. Even if something is quantifiably better, you may enjoy it less for any number of reasons.

I would make two, but between work, class, and everything else I don't have time for two characters.

DPG76 · October 2016

i'm a magblade and i love this class in magicka but i wouldn't recommend it
atm i feel like every stamina class equal or above my cp level easily beat me on damage output and sustain that my little more survivability doesn't matter long

as for weapon choice see it this way , the mag version uses more his class abilities and spells than his weapon actually
i don't like staves but still use it on the back bar either to heal or destro to deal more damage (i love the wall for Dot and it's ultimate ) but for the rest don't use any other weapon abilities
front bar dual wield just for the extra spell power where my spammables and execute are
so dot's and buffs on back bar > swap (dot applies higher because of more spell power) and spam spells with front bar > rince
> repeat

know also that the lack of stamina resource in pvp is big disadvantage and that you want to use more escape abilities there and single target abilities along with CC's
pve is more DoT.s and buffs

magblade is the only class able to perma cloack and you have other nice passives as well in your class skills

its fun but also a bit difficult to master
good luck !

AntMan100673 · October 2016

Mat7itan wrote: »

OnyxProphet wrote: »

What level did you get to? Why not just make two NBs and see how both feel? Just choose different factions so you don't have to repeat content.

You won't know what you like until you spend time playing each one. Even if something is quantifiably better, you may enjoy it less for any number of reasons.

I would make two, but between work, class, and everything else I don't have time for two characters.

If you've spent a week deleting a magicka character to make a stamina character and then deleting a stamina character to make a magicka character you've been losing the progress you've made.

Make two and play whichever you feel like at the time so you keep your progress. After a month, or however long it takes, you'll probably have a better idea of which you prefer and will find one is a higher level than the other and that will be your answer.

The other choice is pick a race you'd be happy to play as either magicka or stamina and respec your skill and attribute points when you want to change. This option could get expensive though if you're changing several times a week

Andohir · October 2016

There's nothing wrong with using some stamina skills too (like the jump and +20% more damage of the next attack), especially not during leveling. In the faction capitals you can always reset your skill points in the cathedrals at the shrines, for a certain amount of gold. I also level a magNB with a few stamina skills. Works great and is fun to play.

Rune_Relic · October 2016

You arent going to know until you have played both.
You cant play both unless you have experimented with stamina and magicka skills.

Therefore...
Use 1 NB....train up all skills and use the respec shrine in the faction capitals to rearange your skills and skill point allocation.
Stop deleting....no point...respec.

or... have two nightblade (1 magicka / 1 stamina) and level both.
Twice the work...but you can swap at lesiure without respeccing all the time.

Hybrids lose power...but they give you access to two resource pools (with a guaranteed minimum) if you mix/match stamina/magicka skills
Only really viable for tank builds.

DPG76 · October 2016

Rune_Relic wrote: »

You arent going ot know until yoiu have played both.
You cant play both unless you have experimented with stamina or magicka skills.

Therefore...
Use 1 NB....train up all skills and use the respec shrine in the faciton capitals to reaarange your skills and skill point allocation.
Stop deleting....no point...respec.

yes but the race choice matters whether you play stam or mag

Johngo0036 · October 2016

@Mat7itan - Play both,

Create a new character and play that one,
You will realize that playing the one you will miss the other,

Then switch and play the other,

Some classes really stand out the longer you play them,