help me decide the fate of my dk

Lynx7386 · February 2017

So I currently have two main toons, my stamblade and a magicka dk. The dk I leveled up with stamina and enjoyed it. I only went magicka so I'd have a caster/healer for group content and pvp.

However... I hate it. My mag dk feels so damn squishy, can't run more than a few yards before collapsing into an asthmatic heap, seems to do considerably less damage than my stamblade (More aoe easily, but less single target), and while she's decent at putting out heals she has trouble surviving pve content because she gets one shot by everything.

I put a lot of materials and money into the magicka build, and it's going to bankrupt my to respect back to stamina, but it's just not any fun playing the character this way.

So what should I do? Go back to Stamina dk and be a poison god, or try and fix this dysfunctional pyromancer?

OrphanHelgen · February 2017

pve or pvp?

Lynx7386 · February 2017

I hardly ever pvp, mostly solo and some dungeons

OrphanHelgen · February 2017

Lynx7386 wrote: »

I hardly ever pvp, mostly solo and some dungeons

for solo play pve if you think about questing, I think mag dk should be good with aoe and sustain. They have good self healing actually. If you going for more end game dungeons like veteran dungeons and maelstrom arena, mag DK should still be strong. Stam DK are only good for single target long sustain dps on bosses in my opinion.

Rohamad_Ali · February 2017

Magic DK is a beast after homestead update .

NBrookus · February 2017

Magicka and stamina are different playstyles. If you are trying to sprint and roll dodge a lot, yeah, your mag DK is going to feel gimped. It may be that magicka is not up your alley, and if you aren't having fun with it, go back to stam.

Chirru · February 2017

I Play a Magica DK in PvE. the Char is almost invincible (in PvE).
Invest (of course) mostly in Health and Magika points; and a very few Stamina points.
Invest in Echanting.
Best, have a dedicated Enchanter Char. the enchanting skill tree takes only some sixteen
or so skill points.
I enchant all my weapons with magica damage and health steal

As class skills, choose only those which promise health steal.
the DK has a ton of these.

Early on: I do not do quests at all: do 16, or so dungeons - get the extra skill points- but more important:
Get Undaunted Blood Fountain (another healing skill) which can only be gained by doing dungeons (Undaunted skill line goes up also by doing normal dungeons and doing in the dungeon boss) many people do not know that one.

I remember: My DK at level 18 had done the starter Island and 30 dungeons (no quests apart from the starter Island).
The result: with blood-fountain up each swing of the blade awarded between 1200 to 1600 health return depending on the health stealing skill i used. (Blood fountain 600; sword-heath steal 480 or so; Searing Strike the rest (67% health return per strike); Stone-fist also gives health return and so does the morphed Lava Whip.

now of course the Char has a lot of other returns like Dragon Blood and heavy armor passive magica and stamina return when being hit.
in a normal fight I got things up to about 3000 health return per hit. Of course only when actually hitting something. Ah; don't forget the Food/Drink buff and any other buffs you can get. And: Most important; have magica/ health potions in Q and use them early. no use using them when the Char is going down.

My normal fighting style: Two handed blade.

opening move: Cleave to bring up the two handed damage shield and most important: bleed (bleed helps a lot).
second move: Stone-fist to knock down any caster or archer.
third move: if needed for larger groups: Blood fountain
fourth move: searing strike Health-steal (very low cost). if things get messy I spam that one several times.

From than on i lay things as they go alternating between the above

For really large groups and bosses:

opening with:
Dragon blood if you have it
Dragon leap (ultimate fun) gives the time to lay down -
Blood Fountain (undaunted skill)
Knock down and kill any none-boss-adds if there there are some;
(Stone fist keeps the Char alive with a huge health return if knocking down something).
From than on it is:
searing strike; (for most bosses can not be knocked down).
I continue spamming Searing Strike until the boss is done,
squeezing in whatever other skills i have time to squeeze in.

Remember: Searing strike equals low cost and great return in health gained.
some DK's only spam Searing Strike. Did see one the other day a DK with a Health Staff spamming only searing strike.
This guy was never in any danger at all.

Have fun for the DK is fun to play.

scorpiodog · February 2017

Lynx7386 wrote: »

So I currently have two main toons, my stamblade and a magicka dk. The dk I leveled up with stamina and enjoyed it. I only went magicka so I'd have a caster/healer for group content and pvp.

However... I hate it. My mag dk feels so damn squishy, can't run more than a few yards before collapsing into an asthmatic heap, seems to do considerably less damage than my stamblade (More aoe easily, but less single target), and while she's decent at putting out heals she has trouble surviving pve content because she gets one shot by everything.

I put a lot of materials and money into the magicka build, and it's going to bankrupt my to respect back to stamina, but it's just not any fun playing the character this way.

So what should I do? Go back to Stamina dk and be a poison god, or try and fix this dysfunctional pyromancer?

I levelled up a Dunmer Mag DK and yeah he was kinda squishy - but then I slotted annulment and he's taking on world bosses solo. I think now he has like three different shields. Annulment is something like 6k+, The DK Rock thing is like another 6k+, and the DK Spikey back thing is another 3k+. The DK shields also have other usefull buffs like increased damage or DOT I think. I used to slot a frost staff on my back / recovery bar for yet another shield, but gotta think of something different now

But I built him in mind as a DPS to take advantage of the Dunmer flame damage buff. He probably wouldn't be that great of a healer.

Oh ... I almost never sprint on any of my characters.

salmoncat33 · February 2017

I'm sorry you are having trouble with your mag dk it was a little off for me as well when I made the switch. As a nord I don't have all of the wonderful nice passive to boost the dps higher.
However, in groups I pull around 35-40k dps still. That's with like 36k mag, 19k health, 10k stam. (Non war horn stats) 30 points in bastion gets me a 14k harness magika.
When I'm in the overland and not trying hard I front bar blockade, volatile armor, searing strike, coag blood, harness magika, meteor. (Lightning staff HA is still fun) On the back bar I have elemental drain, igneous weapon and standard of might.
Just keeping buffs and dots up is easily over 15k dps and I haven't met a world boss minus dlc ones I can't mow down.

jpeter88 · February 2017

Chirru wrote: »

I Play a Magica DK in PvE. the Char is almost invincible (in PvE).
Invest (of course) mostly in Health and Magika points; and a very few Stamina points.
Invest in Echanting.
Best, have a dedicated Enchanter Char. the enchanting skill tree takes only some sixteen
or so skill points.
I enchant all my weapons with magica damage and health steal

As class skills, choose only those which promise health steal.
the DK has a ton of these.

Early on: I do not do quests at all: do 16, or so dungeons - get the extra skill points- but more important:
Get Undaunted Blood Fountain (another healing skill) which can only be gained by doing dungeons (Undaunted skill line goes up also by doing normal dungeons and doing in the dungeon boss) many people do not know that one.

I remember: My DK at level 18 had done the starter Island and 30 dungeons (no quests apart from the starter Island).
The result: with blood-fountain up each swing of the blade awarded between 1200 to 1600 health return depending on the health stealing skill i used. (Blood fountain 600; sword-heath steal 480 or so; Searing Strike the rest (67% health return per strike); Stone-fist also gives health return and so does the morphed Lava Whip.

now of course the Char has a lot of other returns like Dragon Blood and heavy armor passive magica and stamina return when being hit.
in a normal fight I got things up to about 3000 health return per hit. Of course only when actually hitting something. Ah; don't forget the Food/Drink buff and any other buffs you can get. And: Most important; have magica/ health potions in Q and use them early. no use using them when the Char is going down.

My normal fighting style: Two handed blade.

opening move: Cleave to bring up the two handed damage shield and most important: bleed (bleed helps a lot).
second move: Stone-fist to knock down any caster or archer.
third move: if needed for larger groups: Blood fountain
fourth move: searing strike Health-steal (very low cost). if things get messy I spam that one several times.

From than on i lay things as they go alternating between the above

For really large groups and bosses:

opening with:
Dragon blood if you have it
Dragon leap (ultimate fun) gives the time to lay down -
Blood Fountain (undaunted skill)
Knock down and kill any none-boss-adds if there there are some;
(Stone fist keeps the Char alive with a huge health return if knocking down something).
From than on it is:
searing strike; (for most bosses can not be knocked down).
I continue spamming Searing Strike until the boss is done,
squeezing in whatever other skills i have time to squeeze in.

Remember: Searing strike equals low cost and great return in health gained.
some DK's only spam Searing Strike. Did see one the other day a DK with a Health Staff spamming only searing strike.
This guy was never in any danger at all.

Have fun for the DK is fun to play.

If you plan on doing trials or vet dungeons dont do any of this ^^^^^ no offense to chirru, but just no

front bar should look something like this

INFERNO STAFF

1.Molten Whip (main spammable, does a ton of damage)
2. Searing strike (great DoT and on demand heal)
3. Engulfing flames (decent dot but really good for 10% more damage to fire abilities)
4. harness magicka (this is your main survivability, pop this in oh sh*t situations)
5. inner light (more max magicka)
6. ULTI- shooting start (dont really use it, its there for more magicka)

back bar

INFERNO STAFF

1.trap beast (there for crit damage, this is a free slot so can change out for deep breath etc)
2.blockade of fire (best AoE in game)
3.eruption (very strong DoT and last 18 seconds)
4.elemental drain (helps keep sustain when soloing, also a flex spot)
5. I use molten arnaments just so i dont have to waste spell dam pots (also a flex spot)
6. ULTI standard of might (one of best ultis in game)

this is what you should use in most dungeons and trials....also very good for soloing but you can change some things on back bar if you need

Masel · February 2017

If you want something else than the meta and still be viable, try my Heavy Attack build. It's a lot of fun in trials while dealing strong damage and makes soloing bosses and vma easy mode!

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/309550/elemental-fury-pve-heavy-attack-dk-build-homestead-ready-vmol-approved#latest

DannyLV702 · February 2017

Off with its head!

salmoncat33 · February 2017

Masel92 wrote: »

If you want something else than the meta and still be viable, try my Heavy Attack build. It's a lot of fun in trials while dealing strong damage and makes soloing bosses and vma easy mode!

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/309550/elemental-fury-pve-heavy-attack-dk-build-homestead-ready-vmol-approved#latest

I can agree that it is a very fun build. Ironically I was making it work well pre homestead but it was alot less viable for me after the loss of 10% attack speed bonus and other changes to destruction staves. Another downside is it is intensely gear and race dependant, requiring not only trials gear but dungeon farming and vma weapons to make it anything but sub par.

Cadbury · February 2017

jpeter88 wrote: »

Chirru wrote: »

I Play a Magica DK in PvE. the Char is almost invincible (in PvE).
Invest (of course) mostly in Health and Magika points; and a very few Stamina points.
Invest in Echanting.
Best, have a dedicated Enchanter Char. the enchanting skill tree takes only some sixteen
or so skill points.
I enchant all my weapons with magica damage and health steal

As class skills, choose only those which promise health steal.
the DK has a ton of these.

Early on: I do not do quests at all: do 16, or so dungeons - get the extra skill points- but more important:
Get Undaunted Blood Fountain (another healing skill) which can only be gained by doing dungeons (Undaunted skill line goes up also by doing normal dungeons and doing in the dungeon boss) many people do not know that one.

I remember: My DK at level 18 had done the starter Island and 30 dungeons (no quests apart from the starter Island).
The result: with blood-fountain up each swing of the blade awarded between 1200 to 1600 health return depending on the health stealing skill i used. (Blood fountain 600; sword-heath steal 480 or so; Searing Strike the rest (67% health return per strike); Stone-fist also gives health return and so does the morphed Lava Whip.

now of course the Char has a lot of other returns like Dragon Blood and heavy armor passive magica and stamina return when being hit.
in a normal fight I got things up to about 3000 health return per hit. Of course only when actually hitting something. Ah; don't forget the Food/Drink buff and any other buffs you can get. And: Most important; have magica/ health potions in Q and use them early. no use using them when the Char is going down.

My normal fighting style: Two handed blade.

opening move: Cleave to bring up the two handed damage shield and most important: bleed (bleed helps a lot).
second move: Stone-fist to knock down any caster or archer.
third move: if needed for larger groups: Blood fountain
fourth move: searing strike Health-steal (very low cost). if things get messy I spam that one several times.

From than on i lay things as they go alternating between the above

For really large groups and bosses:

opening with:
Dragon blood if you have it
Dragon leap (ultimate fun) gives the time to lay down -
Blood Fountain (undaunted skill)
Knock down and kill any none-boss-adds if there there are some;
(Stone fist keeps the Char alive with a huge health return if knocking down something).
From than on it is:
searing strike; (for most bosses can not be knocked down).
I continue spamming Searing Strike until the boss is done,
squeezing in whatever other skills i have time to squeeze in.

Remember: Searing strike equals low cost and great return in health gained.
some DK's only spam Searing Strike. Did see one the other day a DK with a Health Staff spamming only searing strike.
This guy was never in any danger at all.

Have fun for the DK is fun to play.

If you plan on doing trials or vet dungeons dont do any of this ^^^^^ no offense to chirru, but just no

front bar should look something like this

INFERNO STAFF

1.Molten Whip (main spammable, does a ton of damage)
2. Searing strike (great DoT and on demand heal)
3. Engulfing flames (decent dot but really good for 10% more damage to fire abilities)
4. harness magicka (this is your main survivability, pop this in oh sh*t situations)
5. inner light (more max magicka)
6. ULTI- shooting start (dont really use it, its there for more magicka)

back bar

INFERNO STAFF

1.trap beast (there for crit damage, this is a free slot so can change out for deep breath etc)
2.blockade of fire (best AoE in game)
3.eruption (very strong DoT and last 18 seconds)
4.elemental drain (helps keep sustain when soloing, also a flex spot)
5. I use molten arnaments just so i dont have to waste spell dam pots (also a flex spot)
6. ULTI standard of might (one of best ultis in game)

this is what you should use in most dungeons and trials....also very good for soloing but you can change some things on back bar if you need

No force pulse or FoO?

salmoncat33 · February 2017

I don't think solo Foo is strictly necessary as it is possible to sit at over 50% crit w/o it. That being said in groups where someone else applies major breach I would totally recommend it.

Lokey0024 · February 2017

Slot the annulment absorption shield from the light armor skill line. Increases pve survivability immeasurably.

Xvorg · February 2017

Lynx7386 wrote: »

So I currently have two main toons, my stamblade and a magicka dk. The dk I leveled up with stamina and enjoyed it. I only went magicka so I'd have a caster/healer for group content and pvp.

However... I hate it. My mag dk feels so damn squishy, can't run more than a few yards before collapsing into an asthmatic heap, seems to do considerably less damage than my stamblade (More aoe easily, but less single target), and while she's decent at putting out heals she has trouble surviving pve content because she gets one shot by everything.

I put a lot of materials and money into the magicka build, and it's going to bankrupt my to respect back to stamina, but it's just not any fun playing the character this way.

So what should I do? Go back to Stamina dk and be a poison god, or try and fix this dysfunctional pyromancer?

S/B mDK with +15K stam for shielded assault (your gap closer) and permablocking. Your dmg with that stam attacks is gonna be peanuts, but you''l get a stun most of the time (great for talons)

I use this: shielded assault, talons, whip x 2, embers/deep breath and cBlood for healing. U Ferocious

The other bar is using frost staff (defending). Whip, petrify, force shock (both morphs are OK,) unrelenting chains (great in combo with full heavy), Cblood. U EOTS

5 pieces sun/WMK, 5 pieces blackrose. MSA staff, torug's S/B

Masel · February 2017

salmoncat33 wrote: »

Masel92 wrote: »

If you want something else than the meta and still be viable, try my Heavy Attack build. It's a lot of fun in trials while dealing strong damage and makes soloing bosses and vma easy mode!

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/309550/elemental-fury-pve-heavy-attack-dk-build-homestead-ready-vmol-approved#latest

I can agree that it is a very fun build. Ironically I was making it work well pre homestead but it was alot less viable for me after the loss of 10% attack speed bonus and other changes to destruction staves. Another downside is it is intensely gear and race dependant, requiring not only trials gear but dungeon farming and vma weapons to make it anything but sub par.

Well you can farm all the gear except the vma lightning in two days, so I don't think it is that hard to get.

The DPS actually went up in homestead and it contributes to the group utility by proccing off-balance and minor vounerability. It has a fixed spot in our raid group, even more in homestead.

And I'm still hitting 540k+ no-death scores in vma when doing the weekly

salmoncat33 · February 2017

I didn't say it was bad as a build or at content. It's just that I am still trying to farm sharp weapons for over 3 months now. Curse those lamia. I love the build especially in pvp but that's the only place I play it now.
Hmm would it be possible for you to post a video of your final stage clear in a vma no death run? That's where my hic up has always been and I can't figure out how to make it work on that stage.
Qapla'!

Masel · February 2017

salmoncat33 wrote: »

I didn't say it was bad as a build or at content. It's just that I am still trying to farm sharp weapons for over 3 months now. Curse those lamia. I love the build especially in pvp but that's the only place I play it now.
Hmm would it be possible for you to post a video of your final stage clear in a vma no death run? That's where my hic up has always been and I can't figure out how to make it work on that stage.
Qapla'!

You can find a full run video in the buildguide under vMA setup

I improved a lot by now, I can get the 8th boss down in one go and am about 5-8 minutes faster.

And yeah, in 130 runs, I haven't gotten a single sword of the undaunted infiltrator, not even another one-handed weapon besides the precise unique sword, so....

jpeter88 · February 2017

[quote="

No force pulse or FoO?
[/quote]

yea i switch to FoO as long as healer is using ele drain, ill switch whips to force pulse for ranged fights only, i know there is another flex spot for it on back bar but i see no point in having 2 spammables on your bar if your only gonna be using 1. id rather use a utility skill in that spot, ive been playing with spiked armor a bit lately in high damage fights and it helps not having to worry about being 1 shot wtih no shield up.

i wish FoO gave a different passive then critical seeing as we already get that from inner light