What's up guys, I'd like to share my mDK build with y'all. I have put a lot of thought into this build, focusing on a specific play style that has always intrigued me, DoTs. I want to burn people down as I tread, unstoppable, through their smoking ashes, and this is what I have come up with. That said, this build maintains the burst needed to secure kills in PvP. Wall of text incoming.
This build is meant for Solo Open World PvP, with a variation that I find works better for No-CP BGs. It is built upon the pillars needed for such an environment, Damage, Sustain, and Survivability.
I designed a system where i broke down each stat that is available in the game into a base value to determine the sets I would run. These values are based upon the 2,3,4 set bonuses on item sets. I then broke down every set, enchant, mundus, trait, etc. that I thought was viable for mDK Solo build, separated them into damage, sustain, survivability categories and attempted to make the most efficient stat stick I could that adhered to my way of play.
Sets:
- 5 light armor, 2 heavy armor (5 light allows higher damage and you lose a bit of stamina sustain and healing power compared to heavy with this build.)
- 2p Valkyn Skoria (Prismatic glyph head and mag on shoulder)
- 5p Mark of the Pariah
- -Chest and Legs (Prismatic Glyphs)
- -Jewels (1 Triune, 2Arcane, SD enchants)
- 5p BSW
- -Feet, Hands, Belt (Mag glyphs)
- -SnB back bar (Infused weapon damage glyph sword, sturdy mag glyph shield)
- Willpower Fire Staff (Sharpened, absorb mag glyph)
-
All impen
Dark Elf, Atronach Mundus, spell damage pots, non vamp, and 3.3k crit resists in CP
All golded out, this will put you at:
27k HP
35k Mag
17k Stam
21k physical 27k spell resists (scales up with lower hp and 3k more resists on SnB bar)
1150 mag regen
3.5k Spell Damage (fully buffed)(7500 effective SD against a 21k resist 3000 impen target)
39% crit
11k Spell Pen (CP)
80% crit damage
Explanation of set choices:
This build is based around Pariah. This set is highly efficient for mitigation, and scales very well with the anti execute function of Coag Blood. It also allows riskier play to secure kills in low health situation, getting off that last Power Lash at 30% hp to get the kill and pop back up to full. The 2,3,4 piece bonuses allow a very tanky spec in 5 light, without having to run protective jewels. At 30% hp, you reach past spell resistance cap and about 31k physical resistance on the SnB bar. Even with bleeds, this allows me to heal back out of execute range and play risky at the same time.
BSW is my set of choice for damage, and it is one of the best damage sets in the game, even considering its uptime. I run 2 fire DoTs that keep a high uptime of the proc, and burning status effect is decent damage (despite popular opinion). The play style is one of control/positioning on the back bar until BSW procs, then going into the traditional Petrify-Whip-Leap-Power Lash combo on the front. You lose the chance to proc BSW and 3% crit chance on the front bar, but a Willpower staff gives enough of a damage boost that I find it effective enough to compensate.
Alternative damage sets are Spinner, Axiom/Silks, and Julianos, listed in order of pure damage efficiency. Axiom is better all around though due to the stamina bonus and bonus to heals, although restricted to class skills.
I run Spinner's in BGs, with 1 spinner ring with mag regen enchant, spinner pants, Pariah Destro Staff(nirn), pariah SnB, medium Valkyn Helm. This keeps both sets active and allows a 5-1-1 set up for more stats. Not having to rely on BSW proc in a group is useful as well to help secure kills with the team.
I love Valkyn Skoria, I am biased, and refuse to not run it after years of farming. That said, the hp bonus is very useful, and the damage you get from the proc is insane. I find that it lines up consistently with BSW proc and my damage combo. I have tried running Grothdar and Blood Spawn as alternatives. These are viable, but I find Grothdar to be underwhelming compared to Valk and Blood Spawn to be inefficient paired with Pariah at low hp. You go too far past the resistance cap for my liking, and would need to run a different 5p set other than Pariah.
Skills:
Front Bar - Debuffs and Damage
Fossilize - best CC in the game. Shattering rocks is also usable, but I find the root to be better. I do not run any other roots.
Cauterize - powerful HoT. I did not run this at first, but my survivability went through the roof after placing this on my bar. Typically my second most healing in a fight, behind Burning Embers
Engulfing Flames - mediocre DoT and a powerful effect. 10% more fire damage on a spec that only does fire damage. There is no other (de)buff/skill that matches the damage potential this gives.
Flame Lash - bread and butter, I do not spam this unless going for a kill. I use it to set up power lash combo. This helps sustain and secures kills for myself.
Elemental Drain - best sustain buff ever. This skill allows me to drop a regen set. Keep this on target, they melt and you won't run out of magicka for a while with pots, battle roar, etc.
Ferocious Leap - best ult for mDK. Cheap and does a lot of damage. Combo with Engulfing and Ele Drain for MASSIVE damage.
Back Bar - Defense
Reflective Plate - reflect and snare removal. I don't spam this if I can help it. Paired with Race I can get away from many stupid situations, roots and snares be damned.
Volatile Armor - weak DoT, resists, and healing passive. I keep this on my bar due to easy access to 12% healing passive. The DoT isn't too bad either, but i don't prioritize it for damage
Burning Embers - strong DoT and heal. This is my main source of healing in combat and applies high pressure. Keep this on as many targets as possible and see the 10k heals roll in
Race Against Time - speed and crit damage. My escape and running a b**** down tool. Increase crit damage is nice, major expo is nice, and 50% sprint cost reduc is amazing. My fill slot.
Coagulating Blood - oh *** heal. Only used when I am at around 30% hp. Too expensive to spam, but not needed due to embers, whip, and caut.
Standard/Meteor/Temporal Guard - fill spot for ult. I have been experimenting with Standard for the Defile debuff for Temps/Wardens. Meteor is useful to take out tankier targets. The initial damage is the same as leap but the DoT on the ground will chew through someone rooted in it. Temporal guard for tankiness on back bar, do not actually use the ult. Bats could work too but I do not run vamp anymore, tired of other mDKs, Skoria, and dawnbreaker ripping me open with free damage.
Playstyle:
Keep Volatile, Cauterize, Embers and Ele Drain up at all times. This is the best advice I can give myself. These buffs mean life or death for me. Other than that, I typically have a high uptime on Engulfing Flames. Buff up, apply DoTs, pop spell power pot, BSW should proc, bar swap, foss, whip, leap, power lash, and valk meteor should drop on their head. This combo kills most. The reason for whip, leap then lash is so you can catch people in dodge roll with the leap and lash after the roll is done. If done quick enough, you can get 2 whip combos off in the time of BSW proc. Race against time allows for better kiting on the back bar until BSW procs, general kiting for combat, and you can literally run a streaking sorc down (it is hilarious). My main defense is offense with healing. Pressured situations, I block cast Coag, pop wings to remove snares, Race for major expedition, and use LoS. I do this at about half stam. Race makes sprint cost almost nonexistent in light armor. If buffed up and playing well, this is typically unnecessary. Heavy attack on SnB bar for quick stam regen as well. Mag regen is effectively over 2k with ele drain up, battle roar, burning regen passive and absorb mag enchant. Even then, I do not seem to spam enough to run dry often, it is all in the play style.
My biggest weakness are mTemplars. Purge is the bane of my existence, followed closely by defile. Temps can be damn near unkillable if they have the regen, but I do not die to them often either. It is a stalemate of juggernauts until one runs dry.
That's it. This build isn't for everyone. It is MY build and works for me. Maybe it can work for you too. This was requested by
@Slycology so here you go bud.