Weapons for Magicka Builds

Thestephenmcraeub17_ESO
With the unveiling of a new expansion with a whole new class, I feel like now would be a good time to talk about something that has bothered me for a long time now. In order to be effective at DPS, magicka builds (at least the magicka DK, which I am most familiar with) need to wield dual swords for the damage bonus. It seems strange to me that in order to use magicka most effectively, we are forced to use melee weapons. This impairs the magicka build's effectiveness with light and heavy attacks, as well as prevents them from slotting weapon skills (if they aren't a hybrid build). It also means that heavy attacks restore stamina instead of magicka, and for a mag DK, this is a very real problem, as our sustain already sucks. But perhaps this a problem exclusive to mag DKs as I am not familiar with many end game builds of other magicka classes. I've definitely seen every magicka class at some point with dual swords, so I assume it's at least common enough. So I think that with the coming expansion, it would be nice to see a rebalancing of weapons (or an addition of a new magicka-based weapon) that prevents magicka users from having to rely on stamina-based weapons. Thoughts?

(and don't just tell me to slot resto/destro staff on my back bar for sustain. I already do that lol)
  • ADarklore
    ADarklore
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    Don't you know that destro staves are receiving a major buff with Housing update and DW passive is receiving a nerf? Read PTS patch notes.
    CP: 2078 ** ESO+ 2025 Content Pass ** ~~ ***** Strictly a solo PvE quester *****
    ~~Started Playing: May 2015 | Stopped Playing: July 2025~~
  • technohic
    technohic
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    ADarklore wrote: »
    Don't you know that destro staves are receiving a major buff with Housing update and DW passive is receiving a nerf? Read PTS patch notes.

    From what I have read of testing, dual wield still will be better than staffs for DPS in raw damage and still the set piece. It also applies to both AOE and single target where fire just does single, and lightning just does AOE.
  • Thestephenmcraeub17_ESO
    ADarklore wrote: »
    Don't you know that destro staves are receiving a major buff with Housing update and DW passive is receiving a nerf? Read PTS patch notes.

    It's not exactly a "major" buff. Flame staves will do at most 8% more single-target DPS (which how that will be determined, I don't quite understand) and lightning staves will do at most 8% more AoE DPS. Dual swords increase your total damage done (single target and AoE) by 3%. So we'll have to trade off either our effectiveness with single targets or mobs, in exchange for a 5% boost to the other. That's definitely not bad, but given the extra item set slot I get with dual swords, I'm not completely convinced that I should switch to pure destro. And as a DK, it's most effective for me to use flame staff, so I'd lose DPS going to a lightning staff for mob battles.
  • ADarklore
    ADarklore
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    If you're a min/maxer perhaps... but not by much. I'd call an 8% increase in damage pretty significant, just means putting single target skills on Inferno bar and AOE on Lightning.
    CP: 2078 ** ESO+ 2025 Content Pass ** ~~ ***** Strictly a solo PvE quester *****
    ~~Started Playing: May 2015 | Stopped Playing: July 2025~~
  • Thestephenmcraeub17_ESO
    Not for a build running Silks of the Sun, Grothdarr, and Burning Spell weave.
  • austinwalter87ub17_ESO
    austinwalter87ub17_ESO
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    All they needed to do is make it so that your heavy attack restores your highest resource between mag/stam.

    PC and PS4 (bring back character transfers please?)
    Templar Extraordinaire
  • Thestephenmcraeub17_ESO
    All they needed to do is make it so that your heavy attack restores your highest resource between mag/stam.

    That would certainly fix my problem. I feel like the only thing keeping ZOS from doing that is that they might cripple hybrid builds.
  • austinwalter87ub17_ESO
    austinwalter87ub17_ESO
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    All they needed to do is make it so that your heavy attack restores your highest resource between mag/stam.

    That would certainly fix my problem. I feel like the only thing keeping ZOS from doing that is that they might cripple hybrid builds.

    Maybe resources shouldn't come from heavy attacks at all but only from enchantments?
    PC and PS4 (bring back character transfers please?)
    Templar Extraordinaire
  • vahleboy77
    Resources should be universal and the player should have a choice to be unique. LOL just kidding, that would be too much fun.
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