Does your choice of Weapon (2hand, dual, shield…) have effects other than the skill tree?

mann9753b16_ESO · May 2019

So I was wondering, is there a difference between the different weapon types, other than the skills you can use?

Like, I dont know, dual wielding gives bonus wepon damage, Shield and Sword somehow benefits blocking, two handed crits more often… stuff like that…

Or is it really just the Skilltree you get and everything else is cosmetic (Other than that Staffs and Bows are ranged and melee weapons are… well… melee)?

mague · May 2019

Look at the passive skills. DW daggers do crit more for example.

And all weapons but staves use stamina to scale or regen on heavy attacks

Auros · May 2019

Skills, passives, range - this defines your playstyle.

Utility - you can cc, heal etc.

Skills are very important in specific builds. This adds another layer of flexibility.

mann9753b16_ESO · May 2019

mague wrote: »

Look ate the passive skills. DW daggers do crit more for example.

Well, yeah, thats the skill tree.

So other than that, its pure cosmetic?

Sergykid · May 2019

each weapon uses all the passives in that weapon skill tree, depending by weapon type in case of destro staves / 2h / dw.

if you mean if the passives are useful to something else other than what you do with the weapon, yes.

using a fire staff for example, which gives 8% single target damage, you can buff a spell like flame lash from dk.

Browiseth · May 2019

2H weapons have a higher weapon damage stat than 1H weapons, but that's not really all that important compared to the skills and passives from the skill lines.

FakeFox · May 2019

The different weapon types affect active skills as well as passives of that skilltree, which then influences you overall stats. Further different weapon types have different damage values, interactions with enchantments and traits, damage types and general behavior.

mague · May 2019

mann9753b16_ESO wrote: »

mague wrote: »

Look ate the passive skills. DW daggers do crit more for example.

Well, yeah, thats the skill tree.

So other than that, its pure cosmetic?

Look again. Two handed weapons -> passive: Heavy Weapons
It changes a lot. Because for example a huge sword gives 6% more damage. more on all your damage ! But if your penetration is low you probably want a mace. If you build bleed you want maybe an axe. dw and staves have similar passives. Nothing is cosmetic but the motifs

highkingnm · May 2019

mann9753b16_ESO wrote: »

mague wrote: »

Look ate the passive skills. DW daggers do crit more for example.

Well, yeah, thats the skill tree.

So other than that, its pure cosmetic?

Nope, it will change how you play quite noticably. My DK bow/bow build is very different from my stamDK and magDK all because of the weapon. It means you have to fight at different ranges and make different gear decisions (some skill lines will work better with some sets than others). I'd recommend trying out the three stam DPS lines: 2H, DW and bow. Use the same class for both to be fair. By about Level 20 (if not waaaay earlier), you will feel the difference between them all. Each has different strength and weakenesses. For example, if I want AoE, DW or bow is the way to go, but one requires me to go up close and one out at a distance. But, for Battlegrounds where I try to focus one target at a time as much as possible, the heavy single target abilities and weapon damage buffs of 2H are hugely beneficial to me.

mjharper · May 2019

So as a variation of the OP's question, what happens if you use a 2h sword with the Heavy Weapons passive, which boosts damage done (as opposed to weapon damage), and use magicka skills?

I know that the 2h sword itself affects the damage of magicka skills (the tool tip is a fair bit higher than with a destruction staff) - but what are the other side effects?

The rest of the passives are less useful... Light/heavy attacks restore stamina rather than magicka... But aside from that? What drawbacks are there of using a 2h sword on a magicka build, say with a staff on the back bar?

(To explain what I'm thinking: 2h sword, Critical Rush as a closer, perhaps on a Necromancer using Iceheart for sweet critical passives and shield + damage on critical hits...)

mann9753b16_ESO · May 2019

Thanks to everyone, but I think you all misunderstood my question, which is most likely my bad.

What I meant was, say I dont spend a singel skillpoint in any weapon passive, would there still be a difference when I use a two handed weapon vs when I use dual or one hand and shield, would there still be a difference if i Use a bow vs if I use a Staff?

No passives I have to buy first, I can see them in the skill trees for the weapon.

I want to know if each weapon type has some hidden effects.

mague · May 2019

mjharper wrote: »

So as a variation of the OP's question, what happens if you use a 2h sword with the Heavy Weapons passive, which boosts damage done (as opposed to weapon damage), and use magicka skills?

I know that the 2h sword itself affects the damage of magicka skills (the tool tip is a fair bit higher than with a destruction staff) - but what are the other side effects?

The rest of the passives are less useful... Light/heavy attacks restore stamina rather than magicka... But aside from that? What drawbacks are there of using a 2h sword on a magicka build, say with a staff on the back bar?

(To explain what I'm thinking: 2h sword, Critical Rush as a closer, perhaps on a Necromancer using Iceheart for sweet critical passives and shield + damage on critical hits...)

Sustain is for most builds essential. And since one or two patches the light and heavy attacks scale more from resources. Most wont use a sword with magicka. I do play an oldschool magicka build with two swords. But this build is rare now and i also use a lightning staff and a more penetrating set instead of a sustain set.

The glyphs dont proc from magicka skills is another loss.

If you want to mix then there are some hybrid builds using shacklebreaker for example or even sloads. But those are usually PvP builds or fun builds for overland questing. I do overland more then often unarmed...

TheShadowScout · May 2019

mann9753b16_ESO wrote: »

So I was wondering, is there a difference between the different weapon types, other than the skills you can use?

The stats those weapons have come to mind.

Like... S&B gets you extra armor because of the shield, dual wield gets you an extra weapon effect and faster weapon enchantment procs (unless you have the same enchantment on each), 2H has more base damage, bow and staves have range, but those differ in damage types which may be an difference is you face en enemy with special resistance or vulvnerability to one...

But that aside... no, there are no "hidden" effects. Those effects are plenty already.

And the rest is the passives, and of course which weaponb you way choose to favor with your CP allocations when you get there...

mann9753b16_ESO · May 2019

TheShadowScout wrote: »

mann9753b16_ESO wrote: »

So I was wondering, is there a difference between the different weapon types, other than the skills you can use?

The stats those weapons have come to mind.

Like... S&B gets you extra armor because of the shield, dual wield gets you an extra weapon effect and faster weapon enchantment procs (unless you have the same enchantment on each), 2H has more base damage, bow and staves have range, but those differ in damage types which may be an difference is you face en enemy with special resistance or vulvnerability to one...

But that aside... no, there are no "hidden" effects. Those effects are plenty already.

And the rest is the passives, and of course which weaponb you way choose to favor with your CP allocations when you get there...

Thank you, that was pretty much the answer I was looking for

mague · May 2019

mann9753b16_ESO wrote: »

What I meant was, say I dont spend a singel skillpoint in any weapon passive, would there still be a difference when I use a two handed weapon vs when I use dual or one hand and shield, would there still be a difference if i Use a bow vs if I use a Staff?

Staves scale from magicka, everything else from stamina. Thats a diffrence. Without passives the difference between sword and axe is neglectable.