Best Answers

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  VaranisArano

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  You can play off-meta and get good DPS if you really practice your rotation. However, the reason certain skills are staples is because getting high DPS means you stack your AOE DOTs with your single target skills. Hence why AOE DOTs like Endless Hail and Caltrops appear on nearly every stam DPS build and Elemental Blockade is common in Magicka DPS build. Those AOE DOTs aren't just useful for boosting your single target damage, they are also super effective in fights with trash mobs or lots of adds.
  
  You can certainly get reasonably high DPS without those, but you'll get higher DPS with them. So really it comes down to practicing without them and seeing how far you can push that build.

  #2

  January 2018

  Answer ✓

  5
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  Jarryzzt

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  I think there is a broader point that pretty much answers the OP's question. Look at top-tier DPS builds, and specifically at how they use damage layers.
  
  Let's use a hypothetical example of a DW/Bow (class is not important for this example) - suppose that the active skill setup is bar 2: caltrops, hail, poison arrow; bar 1: cloak, rending slashes, whirlwind. [The other two slots on both bars are for passives, utility, whatever.] Let's also assume that So when this theoretical build engages a boss the player can stack the following layers:
  
  - Spammable layer - whirlwind.
  - DoT layer 1 - caltrops.
  - DoT layer 2 - hail.
  - DoT layer 3 - poison arrow.
  - DoT layer 4 - cloak.
  - DoT layer 5 - rending slashes.
  - Additional layers - weapon procs, set procs (if applicable), ultimate (if applicable), class skills/procs (if applicable).
  
  Suppose I wanted to change this build and say - I don't want to get/unlock/use caltrops. That's well and good, but now I lose one layer from my DPS, err, "package". I need to replace it with something, or I need to somehow buff the other skills to make up for the lost damage. If I do neither, I lose DPS by definition.
  
  Same thing if I said - hey, I don't want to use DW/bow, I want to use...2H/2H (! - does anyone actually do this??). Let us suppose I said this. Fine, but now I have to replace or offset the loss of: my spammable, both my bow DoT layers, and both my DW DoT layers. 2H has a better (single-target) spammable (with execute!) and a nice bleed skill, but after swapping those in I am still down three DoT layers that I have to find...somewhere. Could I find them? Possibly. Or possibly not. But whether I do or not will pretty much determine how my DPS for 2H/2H will stack up with DW/Bow.
  
  To wit, if you rebalanced the game to move all the DoTs from the bow line to the 1H line, I guarantee you DW/1H would become very popular very quickly.
  
  My point is that - and this is the approach I try to take, because I do constantly experiment with especially my stamina characters - when you look at an Alcast "top tier" build or what have you, focus on how that build stacks damage, and if you want to change something the first question ought to be - ok, do I lose a layer, and how can I replace or offset that loss?
  
  TLDR - the answer to the OP's question is both a "yes" and a "no". If and only if you can swap out damage layers for something comparable (or not too much of a DPS loss), then "yes". Otherwise a "no".

  #3

  January 2018

  Answer ✓

  6
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  Mazbt

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  Yes but the back bar bow is still necessary to have good numbers. Endless hail) is just too good even in single target. I tried a parse without a maelstrom back bar (I used my master's) and volley was still number 1 on my damage report. You should still utilize caltrops and poison inject as well. A master's 2h is good for stam if you wanted to try an alternative. Not min/maxed but decent numbers.
  
  Hah as was already mentioned above about the bow bar.

  Edited by Mazbt on January 8, 2018 6:07PM

  Mazari the Resurrected (AD)- PVP stamplar main
  Maz the Druid - PVP group stam warden
  - many others
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  Fantasia

  #4

  January 2018

  Answer ✓

  5
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  Integral1900

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  Used to do the whole meta thing but just got bored in the end so I realy do understand the frustration. Best advice I can give is simply do something different, even if it feels illogical at first. I built a tank dps stamina dk, sword and sheild with a two hander, five heavy, one medium, one light, hundings rage, dreugh king slayer four piece and two from skoria, chuck in wings, reverse slice and wrecking blow, stack all the weapon and heavy attack damage boosts you can find, realy cinematic, she carries plague doctor and and old two piece for when it’s gets nasty. I would take her over any build in the game, absolute blast, she won’t get thirty against a target dummy but in a dungeon with a good pile of ads just get one down to thirty percent and watch those aoe numbers fly. She will never match an endgame meta dps.... but if I’m not fast enough to avoid a big hit I’m a dam site more likely not to go squelch

  #5

  January 2018

  Answer ✓

  5
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  Bladerunner1

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  I remember when light attack weaving with a 2-hand weapon would deal 30k DPS in AOE when Morrowind was released. Then after the sharpened nerf and last "bug fix" the 2H forceful passive now puts out 12k roughly. This seriously killed off my interest in 2H, it was always several thousand single target DPS behind dual wield, but at least it had big AOE.
  
  I think the Devs just want you to go with the meta dual wield in PVE.

  #6

  January 2018

  Answer ✓

  5