Magden PvP sets

Aelorin · February 2020

Hi everyone,

I am levelling a magicka warden in PvP. I am looking for great sets to wear to improve my DPS power.

I was using Dottz build, and although it works quite good in the defense department, I feel I do not have enough punch. He says: Nord + Bloodspawn + Twice born star + Necropotence.
He advices S+B, but for me it does not feel 'natural'. I like to use a defensive ice staff on back bar. Maybe I just do this wrong? It is really hard to get a kill this way.

So I switched from Nord to Breton, got myself New Moon Acolyte + Ancient Dragonguard + Bloodspawn. A lot more punch, but it hurts recovery, so I am often out of mana. I switched to a resto staff for the back bar, so I can Heavy attack and get resources back.

Also I mostly do battlegrounds an I am a Vampire for this build. I use Gold food (max health, mag, stam + health recovery) to boost all those stats and get a good HP, medium magicka pool and some stamina.

Skills: Shalk/ Fetcher/Force pulse/ stun or break free or extra dmg skill/bird - Northern storm
Back: Vines/Arctic blast /resto heal or shimmering shield/Ice fortress/Betty - Enchanted forest or Life Giver

Are there better sets available? What is your advice or setup gear wise?

Has anyone tried a pure frost build?

Thanks for looking into this, all advice is appriciated.
Aelorin.

Taleof2Cities · February 2020

I’ve been running Spell Strategist + Mechanical Acuity on my Frosty PvP Warden, @Aelorin. Not necessarily better than your setup, but an alternative to think about. Race is Dunmer and the crafted Acuity pieces are light armor.

I get sustain through Infused jewelry glyphs and through CP.

Twice Born Star is really not a good set for PvP ... since you can’t maximize the Divines trait without sacrificing crit resist.

Make sure you drink a Double Bloody Mara before eating gold food so you’re not at Stage 4 vamp during BGs.

I have another PvP Frost Warden that is all frost (Breton), but it’s more of an off-tank than damage. Winterborn + Bahraha’s Curse (heavy armor Bahraha’s). She runs the full gambit including Frost Blockade and Frost Clench.

xWarbrain · February 2020

Your bar set up is fine, but I'd recommend choosing either Force Pulse or Birds, not both (unless you meant Falcon Swiftness, always on front bar for Minor Berserk). Use Inner Light in the extra slot. If you can get away with dropping the Forest Ult, slot Meteor front bar for extra buff and Storm on back. Hit Storm, switch to front bar with Ice Comet + Inner Light for max mag.

If you need a mag shield, drop the resto/shimmering slot for Harness/Dampen (or Ward Ally).

Consider swapping Dragonguard for Necropotence. Your Betty Netch is a pet and should be up 100%. I use Necropotence as a constant set and switch the 2nd set around as needed.

Iskiab · February 2020

I went Necropence and BTB with 2 1 armour pieces and feel like I can’t quite burst people solo too.

My combo goes: bugs - force pulse - vamp drain and then try to finish people off with force pulse but it’s not working too well. Tons of assists and killing blows in a group, but it’s mostly lucky last hits and solo I can’t take someone down.

I tried Necro + BTB + Zaan in CP and it worked okay. I’ve yet to try it in a BG.

Edit - just tried a set I had lying around for Zaan, worked okay. I just put on what I had in the bank so was 6L-1H, 5L would have been better.

Aelorin · February 2020

Hey guys,

Thanks for your replies, i am gonna try some of your suggestions.

I was wondering if bright throat works with the bewitched sugar skulls? If sô would be a great combo.

xWarbrain · February 2020

It does not. The new Bloody Mara gives health regen, but no Mag regen or added Stam. And it increases your Vamp stage instead of lowering it.

Iskiab · February 2020

xWarbrain wrote: »

It does not. The new Bloody Mara gives health regen, but no Mag regen or added Stam. And it increases your Vamp stage instead of lowering it.

Which is a good thing anyways, the higher the better. Zaan worked well but now I’m thinking there might be a better set.

I tend to hover just outside melee range so after 2 BGs there were only two instances where I was able to take advantage of the proc. I’m not sure what would be better, but a powerful offensive one would be good.

That Kjalnar or whatever it’s called looks like it would be the best once the patch hits.

Here's what I'm plannng on trying first to give you some ideas. I was surprised but even in BGs it works, magwardens are tanky and I've been running no defensive set. I'd go tankier at first if you just picked up the class though.
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildData?id=213882

Shimmer for BGs with a lot of ranged, sub in mist against melee.

Runefang · February 2020

BTB, Chudan (soon to be Kjalnar) and spell Strat is what I wear with vMA resto back bar

LeHarrt91 · February 2020

I love the simplicity of Necro, BtB and Bloodspawn, Destro/ Resto on my Breton MagDen.

In regards to a frost build it’s not as potent as the other staves due to lack of damage abilities and staff damage bonus. But can work in group to snare/ immobilise.

Iskiab · February 2020

Yea, I used to wear 2 1 piece armour in my monster slots but it was driving me crazy not being able to take someone out solo. I’d do my combo and get someone to 20% health and they’d escape and come back at me. Perma is too awesome to not use but I miss the bust from an ultimate. I considered running meteor on my back bar, but ... perma.

In most BGs if you off heal who cares about soloing someone, but it matters in flag games.

I was surprised I could get away with no defensive set as a MagWarden but stack enough hots and kiting goes a long way.

ESO_Nightingale · February 2020

as of right now, frost builds are pretty much pure cc support. not much kill power, very expensive and not many effective skill options and not very fun. although spamming unstable wall of frost's explosion is the most fun i've had with it and more doable next patch now that the skill got like a 24% cost reduction. i personally think using a max magicka setup is a good idea. if you're a breton, use the mage stone with the sets of Alfiq(not bright throat's boast), Necropotence and Balorgh, with Northern storm as your ultimate. with single bar bear or ice comet on your front bar just for passive bonus. never to activate. when you activate a balorgh northern storm, you will at the very least buff your spell damage by 400 for 10 seconds, and increase your max magicka by 15% for 30 seconds. so you gain massive burst and healing while your ultimate is active and for 2 seconds after. balorgh+northern storm is an amazing pairing.

UrbanMonk · February 2020

@Elorin - check my build video. It should help answering most of your anserws.

https://youtu.be/4h6Bk_x7XSo

ESO_Nightingale · February 2020

UrbanMonk wrote: »

@Elorin - check my build video. It should help answering most of your anserws.

https://youtu.be/4h6Bk_x7XSo

RIP your build in 2 days.

UrbanMonk · February 2020

ESO_Nightingale wrote: »

UrbanMonk wrote: »

@Elorin - check my build video. It should help answering most of your anserws.

https://youtu.be/4h6Bk_x7XSo

RIP your build in 2 days.

@ESO_Nightingale why?

ESO_Nightingale · February 2020

UrbanMonk wrote: »

ESO_Nightingale wrote: »

UrbanMonk wrote: »

@Elorin - check my build video. It should help answering most of your anserws.

https://youtu.be/4h6Bk_x7XSo

RIP your build in 2 days.

@ESO_Nightingale why?

Vampire Drain. Now you have to use one of 2 inconsistent stuns. One of which is defensive based only. And the other can knock enemies out of your combo and doesn't buff your deep fissure and northern storm.

UrbanMonk · February 2020

the only stun next patch magden will use is arctic blast. any thing else is out of question. Unless u run a frost staff backbar. and one skill doesn't make the build RIP. This build is strong and will remain so.

Iskiab · February 2020

Next patch the new monster set that’s being released will be a no-brainer. It either stuns or does high damage.

Lughlongarm · February 2020

Iskiab wrote: »

Next patch the new monster set that’s being released will be a no-brainer. It either stuns or does high damage.

Will be especially nasty on magicka NB, Combine with Galerion's Revenge set, + Merciless Resolve , all boom around the same time.

Iskiab · February 2020

Lughlongarm wrote: »

Iskiab wrote: »

Next patch the new monster set that’s being released will be a no-brainer. It either stuns or does high damage.

Will be especially nasty on magicka NB, Combine with Galerion's Revenge set, + Merciless Resolve , all boom around the same time.

That’s a good idea. I’ve been using Zaan recently but some people are so fast with knocking you back with draining shot or whatever it is. Sometimes I’m already being knocked back before I notice the Zaan animation.

I was thinking there has to be an addon or something for it. Anyways, I was planning on Kena but upon further testing it increases your Ult costs. I was trying to test it on live and saw big jumps at 20%, 8% hopefully will be less of a burden.

I love northern storm too much use a cost increase monster.

Lughlongarm · February 2020

Iskiab wrote: »

Lughlongarm wrote: »

Iskiab wrote: »

Next patch the new monster set that’s being released will be a no-brainer. It either stuns or does high damage.

Will be especially nasty on magicka NB, Combine with Galerion's Revenge set, + Merciless Resolve , all boom around the same time.

That’s a good idea. I’ve been using Zaan recently but some people are so fast with knocking you back with draining shot or whatever it is. Sometimes I’m already being knocked back before I notice the Zaan animation.

I was thinking there has to be an addon or something for it. Anyways, I was planning on Kena but upon further testing it increases your Ult costs. I was trying to test it on live and saw big jumps at 20%, 8% hopefully will be less of a burden.

I love northern storm too much use a cost increase monster.

I would use Kena only on a WW build. on a Magden, I would prefer Balorgh over Kena.