What you've noticed for Dragonknights is pretty consistent for all classes. Most class abilities are magicka based, with only a few stamina options.

Important to know is that damage for magicka abilities scale with your magicka attribute and spell damage. Whereas damage for stamina abilities scale with your stamina attribute and weapon damage.

For practical purposes (you've heard of min/maxing right?) you choose either stamina or magicka - and specialize in one but not the other. If you split your focus ("hybrid") you will be mediocre in both. Stamina based characters use magicka abilities for utility (like Spiked Armor - important for the armor buff, not damage). Magicka characters use their stamina to block, break free, and sprint (important for PVP and tanking).

There are builds that use stamina based weapons on magicka characters (like the "ZWEIHANDPLAR" 2 handed magicka templar build), but these largely rely on having reached max level, champion points (special bonuses for vet players), and hard to find or craft armor.

I think a Stamina Dragonknight is easy street when just starting. Wear medium or heavy armor, use your 2 handed abilities for damage, and class abilities for utility (like Spiked Armor and Searing Strike morphed to Burning Embers).

If you go the magicka route, use Destruction staff abilities for damage (magicka based), and class abilities like Lava Whip and Stonefist.

There are a couple of the DK skills have Stamina morphs available for you to use if you go the stamina route, and some others that cost mag but help a stam build. This switches the damage over to poison based instead of flame based however: Venomous Claw, Noxious Breath, Green Dragon Blood (costs mag but increases stam recovery and heal), Igneous weapons (cost mag but buffs weapon damage)

As a stam DK (most stam anything really) you're going to rely more on weapon skills than class skills, but you'll have some class skills that benefit you.

If you want full on burn it all down with fire, you need to go magicka route.

Every once in a while I go double destro or destro/resto for certain things but for the most part, and in PVP, I use 1h and shield on one bar and destro on the other. The burninating is amazing.

They are both fun to play, but if you want to do damage with fire abilities, only option is Magicka DK.

Do both!

5 PC Leeching Plate
5 PC Bahraha's Curse
2 PC Valkyn Skoria (for a little bit of burst and health)

...on a Dunmer. Healing DoTs for daaaaaaaays.

SnB on the front bar with Destro staff on the back bar.

Having mained a DK throughout ESO, some things to really consider...

PVE:
StamDK is one of the hardest hitting stam classes right now, maybe not THE best depending on the player but very high up there. That being said, they are very much oriented around single target damage. The way their skills and morphs play out is to be a heavy single target, DoT based playstyle. You apply all of your DoTs to enemies and let your support abilities (spiked armor as mentioned above etc..) keep you alive until you either kill the enemy or are ready to reapply your DoTs.

The only execute ability you will get as a StamDK is Steel Tornado(Dual Wield), Poison Injection (Bow) which is more of an execute DoT than a real execute, and Execution/Reverse Slice (2H). This, again, limits your playstyle to more of a single target bruiser. Also, with the changes to sustain since Morrowind, it may feel like a slow paced playstyle.

MagicDK is a heavy hitting AoE playstyle with all fire damage. Great utility and damage out of their skills, but rely heavily on sustain help from all sources (witchmothers brew for solo content, lightning wall for group content, offbalance procs in general).

The MagDK playstyle is similar to the Stam version, however you can use your Molten Whip/Flame Lash skill as a "spammable" skill between all of your DoTs. This adds to the pace of the playstyle. Your AoEs are also very abundant with the magDK - Eruption, Wall of Elements, Fiery Breath, Burning Talons etc.. And you have all of the same utility skills available like spiked armor, harness magicka, the Heal from the magicka morph of searing strike etc.. However, you again have no execute ability as a magDK - when the targets health is low, you "whip it out" .. referring to your molten whip/flame lash skill..


I've nver used a sword n board on a DPS DK unless I'm in PvP. If anything I'd run a destro and a resto on a magicDK, and rely on either Rally (2h heal over time skill) or a Vigor on a stamDK.

Overall, DK is probably one of the most enjoyable classes to play for me as i think they do a good job of mixing the class skills with the weapon skills.

Sixsixsix161 wrote: »

@jkolb2030

Thanks.

I've tried sword n board PvE with my current character (level 13) and didn't like it. So, I got all my points reset and changed to 2H (I had him set up for stam).

I'm going mag with the fire abilities. Don't know how far, I'm not the best melee player.

I already made one mistake, using jewelry with weapon damage, that didn't work lol. So, I'll change that to spell damage and see what happens.

Good to hear you're playing around with it!

One thing to know, even as a magicDK you will be in melee range as all of your class ability DoTs (Claw, Breath, and whip even) have the same range as their stamina counterparts.

So if you aren't the best melee* player, at least get comfortable with being in melee range with your DK. It's not so bad as you get into it because you do have your heal from your claw morph, and you have spiked armor and harness magicka as shields.

Good Luck!


EDIT: Also, don't be afraid to pop your ultimate whenever you have it ! The DK passive restores your resources when you use your ultimate, it's a great "oh ***" button.

jkolb2030 wrote: »

Having mained a DK throughout ESO, some things to really consider...

PVE:
StamDK is one of the hardest hitting stam classes right now, maybe not THE best depending on the player but very high up there. That being said, they are very much oriented around single target damage. The way their skills and morphs play out is to be a heavy single target, DoT based playstyle. You apply all of your DoTs to enemies and let your support abilities (spiked armor as mentioned above etc..) keep you alive until you either kill the enemy or are ready to reapply your DoTs.

The only execute ability you will get as a StamDK is Steel Tornado(Dual Wield), Poison Injection (Bow) which is more of an execute DoT than a real execute, and Execution/Reverse Slice (2H). This, again, limits your playstyle to more of a single target bruiser. Also, with the changes to sustain since Morrowind, it may feel like a slow paced playstyle.

MagicDK is a heavy hitting AoE playstyle with all fire damage. Great utility and damage out of their skills, but rely heavily on sustain help from all sources (witchmothers brew for solo content, lightning wall for group content, offbalance procs in general).

The MagDK playstyle is similar to the Stam version, however you can use your Molten Whip/Flame Lash skill as a "spammable" skill between all of your DoTs. This adds to the pace of the playstyle. Your AoEs are also very abundant with the magDK - Eruption, Wall of Elements, Fiery Breath, Burning Talons etc.. And you have all of the same utility skills available like spiked armor, harness magicka, the Heal from the magicka morph of searing strike etc.. However, you again have no execute ability as a magDK - when the targets health is low, you "whip it out" .. referring to your molten whip/flame lash skill..


I've nver used a sword n board on a DPS DK unless I'm in PvP. If anything I'd run a destro and a resto on a magicDK, and rely on either Rally (2h heal over time skill) or a Vigor on a stamDK.

Overall, DK is probably one of the most enjoyable classes to play for me as i think they do a good job of mixing the class skills with the weapon skills.

I agree with most of this except the stam part ....

Stam DK are in a very questionable place atm... I would not recomend this route until you learn to animate cancel ... This playstle requires constant heavy attacks with animation canceling.... They recieved 9 meta nerfs last patch and took one of the hardest nerfs that I have seen a stam class take in this game....

Magicka DK did not get hit as hard as the Stam version and has much more tools atm... I would recomend MDK

Vajrak wrote: »

Solo Play 2H Fire DK:

Heavy Chest, Heavy Boots, Light armor rest -- crafted; Heavy Chest for highest armor value, all other pieces your choice relaly, I just list boots because it usually looks the best. 5x light will give you good magic penetration for dps, which is helpful since you will be doing a lot of magic DoTs

Robust Willpower Jewelry, with 2 mag regen, and 1 weapon damage enchants

2h Sword (for bonus damage) with magic damage/drain magic enchant
Attributes: 24 mag, 20 health, 20 stam

(fight bar)
Bar 1: Brawler (Morph of cleave, adds shield per enemy hit), Burning Talons (snare+fire dot), Draw Essence (Fire damage+mag return), Engulfing Flames (fire damage amplifier), Degeneration (not for the spell damage buff, but for the chance to heal on light/heavy attacks, and to keep mages guild buff consistent across bars), Flawless Dawnbreaker (dual bar, weapon damage buff from morph and fighters guild passives)

(buff bar + execute)
Bar 2: Executioner (so you have an execute), Burning Embers (fire damage+burst heal for damage done at end), Flames of Oblivion (weapon/spell crit +fire damage), Igneous Weapons (Spell/Weapon damage % buff), Scalding Rune (mages guild buffs+fire DoT -- tidbit: The daedric runes translate to "Fire Song"), Ultimate: Flawless Dawnbreaker (see above)

Crafted pieces:
Torug's Pactx3 -- some more spell damage + hp buff
Seducers x5 -- max mag + recovery + cost reduction, since heavy attacks are going to restore stam

Armor Trait:
Infused on "large" pieces (Chest, Head), one for Stam, one for Mag (if staying thematic, enchant chest stam, head mag)
all others in Divines

Weapon Trait:
Infused (for higher damage procs and mag returns), or Sharpened (for penetration)

Mundus: Atronach for the mag recovery is probably your best friend here, since again, you won't have a lot of restoration of magicka other than pots and the stat itself.

You end up with a good mix of damaging skills from magicka, without your regular attacks being entirely useless, and an AoE stam attack that will add to your durability while fighting.

Awful idea, do not use. This isn't even good for a hybrid.

Durham wrote: »

jkolb2030 wrote: »

Having mained a DK throughout ESO, some things to really consider...

PVE:
StamDK is one of the hardest hitting stam classes right now, maybe not THE best depending on the player but very high up there. That being said, they are very much oriented around single target damage. The way their skills and morphs play out is to be a heavy single target, DoT based playstyle. You apply all of your DoTs to enemies and let your support abilities (spiked armor as mentioned above etc..) keep you alive until you either kill the enemy or are ready to reapply your DoTs.

The only execute ability you will get as a StamDK is Steel Tornado(Dual Wield), Poison Injection (Bow) which is more of an execute DoT than a real execute, and Execution/Reverse Slice (2H). This, again, limits your playstyle to more of a single target bruiser. Also, with the changes to sustain since Morrowind, it may feel like a slow paced playstyle.

MagicDK is a heavy hitting AoE playstyle with all fire damage. Great utility and damage out of their skills, but rely heavily on sustain help from all sources (witchmothers brew for solo content, lightning wall for group content, offbalance procs in general).

The MagDK playstyle is similar to the Stam version, however you can use your Molten Whip/Flame Lash skill as a "spammable" skill between all of your DoTs. This adds to the pace of the playstyle. Your AoEs are also very abundant with the magDK - Eruption, Wall of Elements, Fiery Breath, Burning Talons etc.. And you have all of the same utility skills available like spiked armor, harness magicka, the Heal from the magicka morph of searing strike etc.. However, you again have no execute ability as a magDK - when the targets health is low, you "whip it out" .. referring to your molten whip/flame lash skill..


I've nver used a sword n board on a DPS DK unless I'm in PvP. If anything I'd run a destro and a resto on a magicDK, and rely on either Rally (2h heal over time skill) or a Vigor on a stamDK.

Overall, DK is probably one of the most enjoyable classes to play for me as i think they do a good job of mixing the class skills with the weapon skills.

I agree with most of this except the stam part ....

Stam DK are in a very questionable place atm... I would not recomend this route until you learn to animate cancel ... This playstle requires constant heavy attacks with animation canceling.... They recieved 9 meta nerfs last patch and took one of the hardest nerfs that I have seen a stam class take in this game....

Magicka DK did not get hit as hard as the Stam version and has much more tools atm... I would recomend MDK

I see you crying this everywhere. StamDK is still PvE's highest single target and easily comparable to a magDK. They have the better ulti, passives are more useful, and damage. DKs have generally been *** and homogenized, just look at how stam like most magickaDKs are.