Best Answers

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  Stamden

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  Stam Sorc = More AoE, More Speed, Better Resource Management, Higher Sustained Damage
  
  Stam NB = More Gank Potential
  
  As a whole, Stam Sorc is much better IMO.

  PC NA
  
  ~Currently taking a break from the game until my DK can become something more than just a crafter~

  #2

  April 2017

  Answer ✓

  5
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  kadar

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  For PVP NB remains a strong solo class, although not stronger than Stam Sorc, IMO. This is because NBs have easy access to some strong buffs that are more difficult to obtain than other classes. The issue with this, and why NB is so behind the other classes for group play, is that the unique buffs that NB can bring to the table for solo play are now granted by other members of the group, effectively nullifying the need for and advantage of playing a NB.
  
  A good example of this is minor berserk from Relentless Focus-- NBs have the easiest access to this neat buff, and it helps their DPS while solo. As soon as you join a group for more difficult content, minor berserk becomes obsolete because your healer now provides that buff to everyone. This is again seen in the Top vMA scores. NB maintains some of the highest scores right up there next to Sorc because they excel at being solo even though their maximum DPS output is far outshined by Sorc and DK.
  
  ^This is all from sort of a min/max, ideal damage class type mentality I suppose. My main is a Stam NB and it's the most fun class in the game in my opinion. Your choice is just going to come down to what type of content you want to do and what your goals are. @AL16

  #3

  April 2017

  Answer ✓

  5
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  davey1107

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  I have both. They're very different, and we could talk about a lot of stuff, but let me try to hit some main points. First, you might ultimately decide to roll both. They're both fun classes, with different strengths and weaknesses. I like having multiple toons...if a play style gets boring I can switch to something else.
  
  Also, stamblades/stamsorc make good "bros," they can share each other's stuff. Meaning if you're going to grind 500 hours for a BIS velidreth/twice fang serpent setup, the BIS meta is similar for the two classes and you can use that gear on either. Just make sure neither goes commando in each other's pants...not cool.
  
  Anyway, the distinctions.
  
  Stamblade
  
  The play here is definitely more "murder from the shadows." They put out a ton of dps, but while doing so there's more weaving, kiting and threading. To me, it's a little more "martial arts", ambush, slap, slap, block, rotate, slap, siphoning and merciless, light, light, light, heavy, spectral bow, ambush, slap, slap, etc - while moving around the battlefield a lot. In pvp you're going to want to annoy the hell out of enemies by disappearing and moving all over the damn place.
  
  I find this to be a tough class to master, especially if you're a beginner. However, that means I recommend them as a first character. Why? By going through the learning curve, you can go from stamblade to almost any other class and pick it up off the bat. Stamblades will make you a stronger player by forcing you through trial and error that teaches you the game mechanics.
  
  Cons: They are squishy. You will die a lot, in both pvp and Pve. Their best heal is vigor, which takes about 85,000 AP to unlock. This isn't hard...it just takes a few solid pvp sessions, but it's more work than other class heals.
  
  Pros: dark cloak allows them survivability in pvp, and you can move through pve content faster. It's helpful early on to be able to disappear and avoid fights. They're versatile - my stamblade has several ability/weapon/gear setups that are viable. Some nights I just want to murder people and equip him as a bow gank blade. Some nights I do melee. In pve sometimes I use a dw attack bar like alcast's current builds, then sometimes I go back to the traditional NB build.
  
  
  Stamsorc
  
  This is an odd class. They're still relatively high dps, and they use a lot of the same dual wield abilities a stamblade relies on. But they trade out some of the NBs more "murderous" abilities for a few very powerful AOEs. The AOEs make them more melee attackers. Stam sorc was my last class to level and learn, and I kinda avoided them because I thought they'd be dull. But honestly, they're play style is like halfway between a nightblade and Templar. Their vicious, but they can do it a little ,ore straightforward than a NB.
  
  This is an easier class to master because they're less flexible. They only have 3-4 class skills that work as a stam build. Because you're going to deal with just these and abilities from 2-3 weapon lines, plus a few misc skills, there aren't that many different viable builds.
  
  You asked about sneak. In pvp, dark cloak is 50000x more powerful than sneak. If you just need to hide from a distance, they're similar - you're invisible unless someone comes into your radius or uses a detect potion. But if human enemies are hunting you, sneak doesn't protect you. They'll find you, tag you, and then you're in a fight to the end. The NB cloak makes it far more difficult to pinpoint you. If I'm being hunted, three dark cloaks = 12 seconds of moving away = a much larger search radius, and a much bigger chance of escape. Also, cloak expedites going into sneak. If I bow snipe someone the hit pulls me from sneak and people have 2-3 seconds they can see me while I renter sneak. If I snipe then cloak, I can disappear in 1/4 second, giving enemies way less time to see where the hit came from.
  
  Cons: they aren't really ranged fighters, and as such their resistance is a little lower than other in-your-face classes, like stamplars or DKs. They don't have any great sneak escape abilities like dark cloak, so once they're in a fight they're in it for better or worse. There's no solid finisher for a stam sorc, which is a bummer.
  
  Pros: good balance of survivability and Dps. Critical surge offers a rare replacement for rally (major brutality plus a heal over time) so you can ditch the annoying 2h for a killer dw/bow setup.
  
  
  Either class
  
  Neither are "preferred" for pve end game trials right now. No stam class is. HOWEVER, I think all stam classes will benefit from update 14 in June. ZOS is bringing resource management back to the game, and the reason magic builds are stronger is they can infinitely pull wards, heals and damage. When their resources are made more scarce, they're going to have to reduce dps by investing in regen, and they're going to stop the perma-shield nonsense. I think stam sorcs and nightblades will benefit when the game is changed. They'll have to adapt too, but they won't get hit as hard and have ways to adjust that sacrifice less than what magic builds will have to sacrifice.
  
  
  In summary, these are both great options. For me, they're my #1 and #3 favorite class of all my toons (with my magplar as #2).

  #4

  April 2017

  Answer ✓

  6