FoulSnowpaw wrote: »

Stamina builds are outclassed by magicka builds. This isn't an argument, just a statement
Armor Wise:

• Light Armor has 4884 spell penetration while medium armor has 12% weapon damage. Penetration is obviously better in both pvp and pve dungeons and trials. Additionally, this greatly affects how CP is allocated. Stamina builds are more likely to spend their CP on physical penetration, while magicka builds(since armor gives penetration) overally have higher critical damage potential and healing in CP.
• Harness Magicka: If anyone deals some magicka aoe(which is very prominent in both pvp and pve) they gain magicka. Additionally you get a damage shield from the ability itself so no need to worry about those aoe stuff. And even further, light armor grants Spell Resistance. Stand in the aoe for free magicka peeps.
• Spell Critical: Light armor's spell critical is maxed at 5 pieces, allowing 2 other type pieces as you see fit. Medium armor's critical rating is increased for each piece of medium armor equipped. At 7 pieces(2300), it barely matches light armor's 5 piece requirement(2200). Yay you get 100 more critical rating numbers with medium armor...
• Light armor grants spell resistance while medium armor grants no resistance perks. Only detection radius... It would be cool if it had physical resistance or something.

Weapons and General Abilities:

• Elemental Susceptibility. An infinite spell resistance breaker that reduces spell resistance by 5000. Its duration is refreshed every time you deal damage to the target. So simple.
• Elemental Drain: Infinite resource pool, which restores 400 magicka every one second when damaging the target for 24 seconds(9,600 total).
• Equilibrium: Exchange health for magicka. Easily slot this in your back bar. No need to worry about the health cost because you're ranged and won't even get hit. Additionally it's costs is reduced by the mages guild passive. ADDITIONALLY, casting any mages guild ability grants a 50% chance for Empower, increasing the damage of your next ability by 20%.
• Ranged: You just don't have to get poked. Just decimate your foes from afar. Stamina people get poked a lot and die from boss aoe, or waste resources on dodge roll, and deal less damage per second because of dodge delay and resource leak.
• Aoe: Magicka builds have ALOT more aoe abilities to play with on their back bar. Magicka based ultimates deal massive aoe damage, while stamina ones just knock ONE mob in the head.
• Auto Lock Resource Return: Staves typically aim for you when charging heavy attacks. Stamina weapons on the other hand... if the mob moves, you just fell on your face and got no stamina.

Class Passives and Abilities:

• In common outlook, we can all see that magicka has a greater plethora of abilities to use! Stamina builds like the Stamplar have only biting jabs and power of light. Major savagery perk? Just drink a potion. It is noticeable that stamina abilities have crappy morphs, while stuff like the Templar's/DK magicka morphs have heal capabilities. Slotting vigor wastes your ability bar, while magicka morphs have damage and healing all in one/simultaneously.
• Magicka abilities heal good. Stamina ones not so good. Magicka heals have more stacks AND bursts than plain vigor and rally.
• Take a look at the passives, which benefit mostly magicka. One example is the all new Warden's Piercing Cold passive which once had physical damage 6%, was removed and replaced with 6% magic damage.
• Instant stun, knockback, fear, or trap: Kinda obvious. Stamina people only have dizzy swing which requires melee charge and is easily canceled if target moves or if your sword is too short.

Summary:

• Magicka builds are easier to play. Most abilities auto lock on your target. Stamina skills require you lock on yourself. Magicka abilities are ranged, therefore little time is wasted dodging, running, healing, blocking. Beware tempest island though.
• Magicka steals. Magicka heals. Magicka wards. Magicka lords. Yep you get to feel like a god.
• Super penetration. With CP, weapon, and elemental drain/susceptibility you penetrate 15,000 spell resistance. With some armor sets, 20,000 penetration total.
• Stamina builds are burst damage with no sustain. Stamina damage sucks because the enemy's armor(18,000 or so for most bosses) blocks most of your damage. If at most, stamina physical penetration can reach 10,000; 14,000 if with proper gear.
• Sustain wise, magicka has the greater resource return. Heavy attacks dealt with resto staves restore large amounts of magicka. Destro staves return magicka upon kill. So in general, the so called cost reduction for stamina abilities is not great at all.
• Magicka abilities deal more damage in total. Greater aoe, range, and less time spent dodging, less running(after some mob that's hitting your healing buddy), and

I'm pretty sure some stamina DK/NB/WA/TP have some difficulties with stamina builds given our recent nerfing spree update.

To conclude,
Magicka greatly surpasses stamina in terms of end game character building. It's the all in one package. I personally am going to respect my characters to magicka.
Stamina has little or no incentives left besides the of holding an ornate blade.
ZOS really doesn't like stamina builds. Seems they keep pushing for magicka master build.

This took long to make! Not asking for change, just putting it out there/here.
Feel free to discuss stuff.