Datolite wrote: »

I am looking for advice for tanking as a full magicka character, in vet modes and trials. Any takers?

This heavy depends on what class you are

@Jeremy

Like it or not, Frost Staff still needs improvements to be a good weapon for tanking. Same thing for DPS. Its currently both but not amazing at either. It can be better at both and not be OP. It probably needs to be a main focus of a weapons update. Maybe after Elsweyr.

ESO_Nightingale wrote: »

Like it or not, Frost Staff still needs improvements to be a good weapon for tanking. Same thing for DPS. Its currently both but not amazing at either. It can be better at both and not be OP. It probably needs to be a main focus of a weapons update. Maybe after Elsweyr.

Almost as if it needs its own skill line

I have a magSorc Tank at the moment. It works perfectly fine in my experience, have done more hardmode pledges on them than my other tanks so far. In a world without dual-spec I'm determined to make the most of my characters so I just put together as many beneficial morphs as I could from my time as a DPS and a healer, and I'm used to high pressure situations from PvP.

I don't really struggle with anything, the first few days I was doing it I even nervously asked my healers if there was any problems and they thought it was pretty cool to see and that everything went really smooth as far as they cared.

I'll probably be kicked immediately from vTrials but those aren't really on my radar over-all. Like most things in ESO you can do 90% of the content with almost any combination of jank and preference as long as you have the essentials for your role.

Datolite wrote: »

I am looking for advice for tanking as a full magicka character, in vet modes and trials. Any takers?

Lich Back bar Ice staff, VMA sword and shield, ebon armor, monster set. Once Magicka bar is drained, switch and allow Lich proc to restore freely.

Can do it on a breton sorc with a frost staff. Go for a set with high resists.

Datolite wrote: »

What about shields? Like a high health magplar with blazing shield and imperium set?

Also how does blocking and shielding work? Should I be doing both at once or does that waste stamina?

I like set ups like that for PvP. For PvE i was less impressed with it.

IMHO: Templar Tanks are good at stacking lots of healing over time to counter damage in PvE. So if you are going to try to make a magicka Templar tank may want to try going that route. You will have to sacrifice some health and stamina though to get your healing potent enough to keep you alive. You'll also have to be conservative with your blocking. But it does work pretty good. For PvP it sucks though. Stacking health and shields would definitely be a better way to go for that.

alexj4596b14_ESO wrote: »

You can go full magkica tank for most or all vet content excluding trials. Scorc is probably the best option for this. The next best option for this is probably going to be NB. I use to run a NB ice staff tank. For vets I haven't updated the build however so it's not very effective currently.

I could see it working, sap essence with iceheart. Sword and board bar for taunt. Why doesn’t NB work well?

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

Iskiab wrote: »

Technically you could heavy attack on ice to replenish magicka and taunt, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.

That seems to be a near-universal opinion. Why?

Probably because the heavy attack on Ice Staff is very slow and cumbersome. It's a horrible taunt.

Jeremy wrote: »

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

Iskiab wrote: »

Technically you could heavy attack on ice to replenish magicka and taunt, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.

That seems to be a near-universal opinion. Why?

Probably because the heavy attack on Ice Staff is very slow and cumbersome. It's a horrible taunt.

It merely requires you to know your timing and when you can safely drop block. You also have to preemptively launch it due to wind up and travel time. Especially in single target fights, there's no reason why you can't use this, so long as the incoming damage is one you can eat or shield directly.

OP, the way I was originally doing it was using shields to mitigate much more often than block (the main difference between a stamina tank and a magicka tank.) High Mag regen and more Divines than sturdy for obvious reasons.

Doesn't mean you'll never use any stam skills, I still ran S&B on one bar, or block, you'll just be more selective about when you do so. Your sweet spots for the associated stats will vary based on playstyle and setup.

You can tack on other things, like Mistform for big hits and that will help too. I haven't updated my templar (my first tank) in a while since shield nerfs and certain set changes, but I know it can be done (templar, NB, even a DK magicka heavy version.) and it's even simpler now with ice stave changes. Templar can get some serious free regen and mitigation from Channeled, auto snare and heals from Ritual, and heals and stam from Repentance, just to name a few. The templar ult can be huge for mitigation and cast often, as well, if need be.

You have to adjust your style, as they play very differently than a typical block-tank. But it can be done.

biggest prob i always run into devising a magicka based tank is that i dont want to use S&B, but pierce armor providing major fracture and breach in one skill is too valuable to not use.

I’ve seen a couple tanks try ice staff tanking. Non-DLC vets are easy enough and I was curious to see how they did so didn’t mind.

Biggest issue I saw was sometimes the boss was loose because they tried taunting with the heavy attack from ice staves. I think that’s a mistake.

Better to taunt with sword and board to keep the boss planted imo. View the ice staff taunt as a bonus and not a way to hold the boss. The other bonus is an ice staff blocking consumes magicka instead of stamina, so lets your stamina regen.

I was going to try maybe plague doctor and shacklebreaker (something with stamina and magicka regen)? S&B and ice staff. Having two stat pools for blocking could be nice.