Suggested changes for Nightblades, and Bone Shield

Strider_Roshin · March 2017

So let me start by saying that the main issue stam has in trials is survivability, and I think an easy solution that won't affect PvP would be to change Bone Shield so that for 6 seconds after activation, as long as you have 80% health or more you'll survive any hit with 1 point of health left. This will be beneficial to tanks as well.

Now the suggested change for Nightblades; both Magicka and Stamina would be to have Grim Focus auto refresh after casting the spectral bow. Obviously this would make the spectral bow no longer a free cast. This change alone could make Nightblades competitive again in PvE, and it won't affect PvP hardly at all. I say hardly because I believe it might be a slight buff to magblades since they have an easier time proc'ing it.

Now the suggested changes I have for stamblades are the following:

Master Assassin: Change this ability entirely. Scrap the stun duration, and WD/SD buff while stealth/invisible, and instead make it so it'll increase your max stamina by 8% for having an Assassination ability slotted (essentially the stamina version of magicka flood). This will be a nerf to Nightblades in terms of ganking, but it'll make them more viable outside of the shadows.

Power Extraction: Stamblade are not known for their group utility; therefore let's make it so enemies that are hit by power extraction are affected by minor vulnerability for 4 seconds. This change will make stamblades a great contribution to both group PvP, and PvE; and the short duration will prevent it from being a viable option in solo PvP.

Incapacitating Strike: The recent nerf has made this ability even less useful in PvE. How about we get rid of the stun, and in its place have one of the following: a DoT, increased damage buff duration, or set your opponent off-balanced for 6 seconds.

Executioner Passive: Have it restore both magicka and stamina. Such a simple thing, I'm surprised it hasn't already been done.

Strider_Roshin · March 2017

@Wrobel @ZOS_RichLambert I hope you guys read this.

Masel · March 2017

Only the assassins will change is enough, other than that skill being clunky, they are totally fine in PvE

talking about magicka nightblades only. The other changes sound fine tome too!

I don't think they'd do the 8% though. Nightblades were meant to be played with stealth in PvP and they're very good at that. Damagewise both Magicka and Stamina Nightblades are fine, they'd need to have a decent AoE (such ad Power Extraction). Sap Essence is just so much better!

Xvorg · March 2017

Masel92 wrote: »

Only the assassins will change is enough, other than that skill being clunky, they are totally fine in PvE talking about magicka nightblades only. The other changes sound fine tome too!

I don't think they'd do the 8% though. Nightblades were meant to be played with stealth in PvP and they're very good at that. Damagewise both Magicka and Stamina Nightblades are fine, they'd need to have a decent AoE (such ad Power Extraction). Sap Essence is just so much better!

Seriously?

Stamblade is OK at ganking, and can do some dmg with the right setup. But mageblade?

Koolio · March 2017

You shouldn't get an auto refresh on merciless if it doesn't hit anything.

Masel · March 2017

Xvorg wrote: »

Masel92 wrote: »

Only the assassins will change is enough, other than that skill being clunky, they are totally fine in PvE talking about magicka nightblades only. The other changes sound fine tome too!

I don't think they'd do the 8% though. Nightblades were meant to be played with stealth in PvP and they're very good at that. Damagewise both Magicka and Stamina Nightblades are fine, they'd need to have a decent AoE (such ad Power Extraction). Sap Essence is just so much better!

Seriously?

Stamblade is OK at ganking, and can do some dmg with the right setup. But mageblade?

I'm doing 36k DPS by myself on the magblade. No idea about pvp though.

Seraphayel · March 2017

The most important change for me is Grim Focus (and it's morphs). This skill is great but the whole concept is super unintuitive.

This skill should get a) increased duration to 30-40 seconds (take Surge or Igneous Weapons as example from other classes) and b) not be removed when using the activate skill. Why does it even remove the skill when there's a duration left?

mr_wazzabi · March 2017

Strider_Roshin wrote: »

So let me start by saying that the main issue stam has in trials is survivability, and I think an easy solution that won't affect PvP would be to change Bone Shield so that for 6 seconds after activation, as long as you have 80% health or more you'll survive any hit with 1 point of health left. This will be beneficial to tanks as well.

Now the suggested change for Nightblades; both Magicka and Stamina would be to have Grim Focus auto refresh after casting the spectral bow. Obviously this would make the spectral bow no longer a free cast. This change alone could make Nightblades competitive again in PvE, and it won't affect PvP hardly at all. I say hardly because I believe it might be a slight buff to magblades since they have an easier time proc'ing it.

Now the suggested changes I have for stamblades are the following:

Master Assassin: Change this ability entirely. Scrap the stun duration, and WD/SD buff while stealth/invisible, and instead make it so it'll increase your max stamina by 8% for having an Assassination ability slotted (essentially the stamina version of magicka flood). This will be a nerf to Nightblades in terms of ganking, but it'll make them more viable outside of the shadows.

Power Extraction: Stamblade are not known for their group utility; therefore let's make it so enemies that are hit by power extraction are affected by minor vulnerability for 4 seconds. This change will make stamblades a great contribution to both group PvP, and PvE; and the short duration will prevent it from being a viable option in solo PvP.

Incapacitating Strike: The recent nerf has made this ability even less useful in PvE. How about we get rid of the stun, and in its place have one of the following: a DoT, increased damage buff duration, or set your opponent off-balanced for 6 seconds.

Executioner Passive: Have it restore both magicka and stamina. Such a simple thing, I'm surprised it hasn't already been done.

The stam buff you propose for assassination is useless for mageblades. Make it a weapon and spell damage buff for every assassination ability, like the one for sorcs.

technohic · March 2017

Seraphayel wrote: »

The most important change for me is Grim Focus (and it's morphs). This skill is great but the whole concept is super unintuitive.

This skill should get a) increased duration to 30-40 seconds (take Surge or Igneous Weapons as example from other classes) and b) not be removed when using the activate skill. Why does it even remove the skill when there's a duration left?

I also get annoyed that it still can activate while not on your active bar yet you don't get the proc noise until you switch back to its bar. I've been working on counting my hits but it can be tough in the middle of a fight. Particularly coming from Templar to NB finally. Have enough things Im trying to get the hang of as far as evading and escaping rather than heal and cleanse.

deepseamk20b14_ESO · March 2017

I wouldn't mind a longer duration on grim focus and it's morphs. As a melee user though I have no issue producing the bow because I LA weave everything.

They would never give us 8% extra stamina.

Power extraction change would be cool.

Assassination passive is useless. I think it should instead give minor brutality for 6 seconds after a kill. Ya know, that adrenaline rush you get after killing a person? Staring into their eyes as the soul leaves the body. Being God for that split second as you've taken a life. Being judge, jury, and executioner...ahem. sorry. Got carried away there.

No reason to change IC. I like the stun. Most NB's fear then IC and miss the IC because the person already broke free and rolled. I have much more success timing IC without fear and that stuno is still useful.

I'd still like to see a change with shadow image where you can see the range of the Teleport. Either by a circle on the ground around the shade or a change to the icon. It would also be nice to get a healthy when Teleport ingredients back to the shade for a % of missing health as you "absorb" the shade when Teleporting back to it. The longer the shade is up the greater the heal.

RedFireDisco · March 2017

With the crit nerf and nightblades being crit-centric, the magblades need more overall damage.

Magblade rarely get the weapon damage from stealth bonus, because from a range, they are out of stealth by the time the ability hits and with the nerf to destro heavy attack times, the bonus is pretty much gone. Huge nerf there to magblades.

Just make cloak longer so the buff sticks, or make the spell damage buff permanent without stealth.

Magblades need buffing.

EldritchPenguin · March 2017

RedFireDisco wrote: »

With the crit nerf and nightblades being crit-centric, the magblades need more overall damage.

Magblade rarely get the weapon damage from stealth bonus, because from a range, they are out of stealth by the time the ability hits and with the nerf to destro heavy attack times, the bonus is pretty much gone. Huge nerf there to magblades.

Just make cloak longer so the buff sticks, or make the spell damage buff permanent without stealth.

Magblades need buffing.

They changed it from 2.7 seconds to 3 seconds. It's literally 0.3 seconds longer. I guarantee you that the overwhelming majority of people won't even notice it.

Not that I'm trying to say that Magblades don't need any changes, just that the Ancient Knowledge change was a much bigger boon than bust.

Avran_Sylt · March 2017

Never tried a mageblade. though in PvP ganking it seems it'd be much better than stam. choose vamp, get sneaking move penalty removed, main bar slot the sneak movespeed bonus ability. sneak, circle a horde, find someone vulnerable, pop a pot to proc clever alchemist, use gim focus (you still stay stealthed when using it), make sure to be using clever alchemist and the stygian set with velidreth (+20% mag and spell damage while crouched and a 20% chance of dealing 5K damage on first hit). On the backbar put anything that increases max mag and put wrecking blow as your ultimate. it scales off of your highest stats, and ignores all resistances. It'll even proc your enchantment for additional damage. say hello to a 20K (after PvP and player sneak damage reduction) attack which stuns your target in one hit, followed by whatever you want to follow through with. on stam only ever got it to 17K player damage from sneak, but then I could also use Viper's Sting set rather than stygian.