Simpler stamblade rotation ?

Sabenfox · January 2018

So I just got my stamblade to level 20, and I'm trying to find a simple rotation that does not require me to use a second skill bar (ie the bow and volley ect..)

I understand that by doing this I won't maximize my true dps ability, but the switching between skill bars is greatly annoying me. Is there a simple rotation that still does decent dps ?

On my healing templar I have 2 skill bars full, one is full of dps skills with one heal skill, which I use to help clear mobs, the other skill bar I use specifically for bosses, and mainly consists of all heal/cleans with skill for dps

Narvuntien · January 2018

Well I play with 300 ping so I feel your pain when trying to bar swap.

You can rearrange your skills so that you don't have to switch as much. ( just keep an assassination skill on both bars)

For example the bow bar is

Piecing mark, leeching strikes, endless hail, caltrops, poison injection, Ballista. which are all buffs or damage over time abilities.

Or perhaps forget the bow and run a 2h on your back bar and have it as only a buff bar.
Piecing mark, rearming trap, leeching strikes, Caltrops, Rally, Flawless dawnbreaker.

You only have to lay down the beast trap and caltrops on this bar (and reactivate leeching strikes and mark) but they have much longer uptimes than endless hail basically you'll have to switch half as much.

If you are just running around questing anything works... I run around as Bow Bow when questing just fine.

GrumpyDuckling · January 2018

What weapon are you using?

Sabenfox · January 2018

Thanks for the suggestion, I'm using duel wield daggers right now. Narv what would you recommend for the main dw bar, I'm running ambush, assassin strike (I use it right after ambush for the %20 percent dmg) twin slashes, flurry, then the whirlwind.

My rotation as been ambush in, use assassin strike(while they're stunned) follow with twin slashes, then i use ambush on another target, I repeat until two or three targets have dots from twin slashes, then I use whirlwind

Sabenfox · January 2018

The above rotation is for small groups we encounter in dungeons, I change it a little for boss fights

Narvuntien · January 2018

Ambush isn't really used in PVE. I mean its cool when you are questing but not needed you just walk up to enemies.

Dual wield.
Relentless focus, A dual wield skill, Surprise attack (spammable), Killer's blade (execute), Blade cloak, Rend

2h
Reaping Mark (oops wrong one before), Leeching strikes, rearming beast trap, Caltrops, Rally, Flawless dawnbreaker.

Dual wield is best for PVE but I haven't actually used it for my stamblade is for PVP (But I do quests on them since they are my main).

I am not sure which dual wield skill to use although a good thing about dual wielding on a stamblade as it provides a bunch of heals they don't otherwise have. Such as Rend, bloodcraze and bloodthirst.. but if you have 2h you have Rally to heal. Maybe you just need steel tornado for trash clear? I'd just level up all your dw skills.

Sabenfox · January 2018

Ok thanks for the suggestionsuggestions !

malicia · January 2018

@Sabenfox
Look at this thread by Jeckl. It is outdated, but still provides valuable information.

For the DW bar I'd recommend that you run Killer's Blade, Surprise Attack, Relentless Focus, Power Extraction, Expert Hunter with Flawless Dawnbreaker as ulti. Yes, there's no pure AoE, but Power Extraction does function quite well as AoE, and will give you Major Brutality which will help a lot. With that bar-setup I can run through public dungeons without worrying about to swap to my bow bar for mobs at all. I can kill bosses using just my DW bar, if I wanted to.

BTW - really try to get used to bar swapping. It is a hassle in the beginning, but once you're used to it is not that bad, even if you're a 300 ms ping player. On an endgame stamblade most of the DPS comes from DoTs that are on the bow bar, so you'll always lose out on lots of DPS if you don't learn to bar swap.

KingYogi415 · January 2018

Can you even really call it a rotation if you do not use 2 bars?

Sabenfox · January 2018

Thanks malicia, that is the kind of rotation I was looking for. I do plan to use bar swap in the future but I will ease into it.

What is your rotation? I only ask cause you listed killers blade as the first skill (which I would mainly use as a finisher)

malicia · January 2018

@Sabenfox - against mobs I'd basically activate Relentless Focus, run in and spam Power Extraction until they're all dead.
But ... I do have 690 CP sitting behind me, and that does make a difference.

What I normally try to teach guildies who struggle is to choose where they want to fight. Start on the bow bar, apply all the buffs (on a standard stamblade build there will only be one buff on the bow bar, rest are DoTs), shoot one mob with a bow skill, put down Volley on the place where you want to fight, and switch to the DW bar. Activate Relentless Focus. Go into your Volley while the mobs are running to you, and spam Power Extraction. If some of the mobs are close to death, use Killer's Blade to give you back some health, if needed.

Bosses are similar - pull the boss into your Volley, switch to DW, activate Relentless Focus and Power Extraction, and hit the boss with Surprise Attack until he's below 25 %, after which you start hitting him with Killer's Blade.

Notes:
Power Extraction - it is not enough to merely activate it. You want to hit at least some enemy with it so that you gain the Major Brutality buff.

Expert Hunter - you never want to use it. You simply want it to sit on your bar in order to profit from the Fighter's Guild passives. That implies that you need to have the Fighter's Guild passives...

Pulling mobs - if you use Arrow Spray to pull a bunch of mobs into your Volley, many of them will be hurt quite a bit by the time they reach you.

Regarding me listing Killer's Blade first - it is sitting first on my bar. I've put it there when I started, and now it just remains there. It's just habit, and not related to the order I use it.

PS - if you're on PC, look at the ActionDurationReminder (I think that's its name) add-on. It shows you exactly how long your skills are still going to be active, so you'll be able to see when Volley is going to run out. If you're brave enough, switch back to your bow bar, and put down a new Volley.

Sabenfox · January 2018

Thanks for all the info

I am on PC and I have been thinking of getting some mods so in glad you suggested one. Only one I've been using was an inventory grid view. Thanks again!

RavenSworn · January 2018

Have you tried a buff bar and an active bar? Basically buffs on one weapon and then go ham on the other. You won't switch mid fight ( overland but not dungeons) but you would not 'gimp' yourself so to speak. It's much more efficient in a way since you can "buff buff buff, switch, smack smack smack, switch, buff buff buff, smack smack smack, rinse and repeat"

Sabenfox · January 2018

No I haven't but that sounds like a way to go

Lightspeedflashb14_ESO · January 2018

You are level 20. Don't worry about rotations. Just play the game, try everything that looks fun to you. You can get away with so much when are lower level.