Magicka templar, nightblade, or sorcerer for "soloing the world"?

sutasafaia · January 2017

So it's my first time back in about a year, game has changed a ton, looking for some ideas on what class to come back as.

For the record, I have nothing against grouping, but doing challenging content meant for groups as a solo character is kind of my hobby in MMO's. World bosses, dungeons, anything like that. That and crafting, and this game gives me a heart on for crafting.

My major concern is basically having near infinite sustain of health and resources, even if it means my damage suffers a bit in the process. Taking into account my info is over a year old, I seem to remember that a magicka focused templar was basically the best for this, but I have no idea how things work now in the new updates.

Now, that said, I have read a lot about pet sorcerers and magicka nightblades. The templar and blades seem to both have excellent means of sustain. Templar get tons of healing, nightblades apparently get several passive defensive buffs and can also regen magicka and stamina, useful for dodging and the like. Which would you consider better?

The whole pet sorc thing seems interesting but it also seems like it would be clunky and a pain to play well, especially since the pet only seems to ever tank only one enemy at a time leaving you with only a few skills and your ability to kite rather than having access to a full skill bar because of pets. Still, pet has a nice cheap heal and it can tank? Not sure.

Would love to get some ideas on this one.

Race, I would assume, still tends to lean towards Breton and Altmer for magicka? I know dunmer is also popular but thats a dps choice, not a sustain choice, and I'm always focused on sustain.

FriedEggSandwich · January 2017

At cp cap every class can have infinite sustain while soloing the world. Templar probably has the best tools for it but NB and sorc (non-pet) are just as capable. I prefer sorc but I'm biased. I would only pick templar if I wanted to be the best at healing others, but early game with no cp I think they're probably the most forgiving class. But it really comes down whether you like your skills with yellow, red or purple particle effects; despite what some will tell you all classes have similar skill caps.

Edit: imo sorcs are the best at soloing the world because they heal by doing damage and can stop most incoming damage for as long as they need to with their class ward.

Easily_Lost · January 2017

As you can tell from my sig I like Sorcerer. I use the Clanfear with the heal morph. I put all my attributes in to Magicka, and all my gear is 5 light ( rest ), 1 med ( legs ), 1 heavy ( chest ). my weapons are flame staff, duel weald. all weapons are Sharpened, Armour is divines, with Mundus Stone, The Stead ( faster speed but mainly for Health Recovery ). All Enchantments are Max Health.
I am working on 9 traits so I can craft Twice Born Star.

I have to non-sorcerer to try something different.

davey1107 · January 2017

I'm with you...I like running 4'player content solo or with my friend to see if it's possible. I have all the classes...so for huge sustain in group content running solo, my notes:

Magplar: probably still the best. Jabs for health, harness magic for resource regen. I can run most any undaunted normal alone with him...just not if a boss snares you in a mechanic requiring assistance.

Stamblade: still squishy, but I fit my stamblade with briarhearts. This and rally gives him enough health sustain to make him viable, and i resource regen on the back bar by stacking siphoning attacks and grim focus. The astral bow (about to get better in update) makes my stam regen light attacks mean something in terms of dps.

Stam Sorc: I'm having a lot of fun w this. I'd had a hunt leader set from maelstrom...pets give back health and stamina when they attack an enemy you're attacking. I combine this with morkuldin and stormfist. When I have my clanfear and silly sword up (the sword is a pet), the sustain is huge. And in undaunted mobs I'm running hurricane and blade cloak to be an aoe powerhouse. It's a fun build.

Mag sorc: the pets have their challenges. There's some changes to them in 13. I don't like having to double slot. Sometimes I will, or sometimes I use the clanfear on the attack bar only assuming I can call him when I need the tank.

Stamplar: repentence gives him pretty massive sustain and heals. But I refer running the above five solo before him.

Magblade: harder to master than magplars, for sure. But harness magic and funnel health mean tons of resources. And soul harvest gives back 7 ultimate for every kill. Add this to the destro staff ultimate and you're bringing down raining death every two minutes.

DKs: that pillar looks tilted. Why don't you stand next to it for the next three days and make sure it doesn't fall over. Thanks, Dean. Great work, Dean. Awesome DK-ing, Dean. (Lol...DKs are boring as heck in solo play to me).

sutasafaia · January 2017

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm leaning more towards Templar or Nightblade I think, specifically Magicka, just not sure which to look at.

I know I want to be a magicka class since they have the easiest self-sustain. From all the reading I've done, and now the mention in the first reply as well, it seems once you get champ points all of the classes can have more or less infinite magicka (or at least close enough that resources aren't a huge worry), and all the magicka classes have some method of self healing. That at least gets rid of one concern. Just not sure which to use for my soloing pleasure. I have to assume one or the other is simply going to be able to sustain their health pool better than the other, right?

Like I said, I have anything against grouping but trying to solo group content is kind of my hobby in MMOs when I have downtime. And of course, from what I've experienced, having alts in this game is incredibly painful...everything is tied to character instead of account other than collections stuff so 90% of the work you do on one character is ignored by the other characters >_< hence why I really want to focus on one character, especially since I want to (eventually) master every craft on one character.

After watching tons of video's I'm definitely ruling out Sorc I think, the playstyle doesn't look appealing to me at all. I do like pet classes, and Sorc might technically be the best if some of the stuff I read is accurate, but I would rather be second best and have fun than be the best and stop playing from not enjoying the class. So comes down to Magplar and Magblade...

AzuraKin · January 2017

meh any class can at any lvl depending on how much regen they go for. and you dont need infinite. if you can sustain 2m before hitting zero resource you have more then enough regen.

sutasafaia · February 2017

True, but I would have to think that when comparing Magplar to Magblade, one of them would have to be better than the other for my purposes. I would much prefer to not find out after I dump a hundred hours into a character that I chose wrong.

greylox · February 2017

Pet sorc is the easiest and not as cluncky as you'd think.

PhxOldGamer68 · February 2017

Pet sorcs are great when the pets agg all the NPCs and boss, which make soloing pretty easy. It's like having 2 tanks running quests with you.

Pets in PVP are not so helpful so I just replace with the shield skills.

sutasafaia · February 2017

Last time I played the pets only seemed to be able to agro a single enemy, has that changed? I remember the tank pet being more or less useless, one enemy would attack it and then all the others went after you.

Aaru · February 2017

Templar is pretty easy for solo, and is very versatile. Grab Sweeps and Breath of Life, then go beserk

sutasafaia · February 2017

Yea, I'm having fun with both, not really getting too far trying to play both at once though :P