Magdens. What setups are you finding success with in small scale Cyrodiil?

Casul · March 2020

Namely:

What stun are you utilizing?

Are you light or heavy armor?

Do you use wards to mitigate damage, or raw healing?

What ultimate did you go with?

I have started getting into Cyrodiil on my Magden. I am using 2 balorgh, 5 calurrion, 5 mother's sorrow. I'm using flam clench for the stun with ice comet as my ultimate. I went the route of pure healing and speed due to low max Magicka. Lastly are you a vampire? If so do you use most form?

Iskiab · March 2020

I went Zaan, Necro and BTB but I primarily BG. For ultimates I use Northern Storm and back bar healing thicket, but I hate using healing thicket.

I don’t use any shields except shimmering shield, it’s too good vs sorcs and bow setups to not use.

I went lightning resto and hot stack, stacking radiating regen, trellis and the self-heal stun. It worked better when skills reliably fired but still does okay.

I run 2x swift, use the snare from the stun, and run back and forth through people waiting for the stun to land before doing my burst. For the tanky types I keep bugs every 3rd GCD and then heavy attack with the lightning which is a pretty reliable way to proc Zaan. Then I try to unload.

I struggled big time killing people solo until I added Zaan. Caal is probably a good choice too. I’ve found with shimmer plus hots you’re tanky enough you can skip a defensive set, even in no-CP.

Mist is great, a good addition, but I couldn’t fit it. With good movement I found you can take on 2 or 3 people pretty easily, so I prefer to keep the pressure up instead of misting away. Here's my setup: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildData?id=217999

My DC magwarden was a Breton and my AD magwarden is a Nord, both worked equally well.

Tolino · March 2020

Magden is realy bad right now for Cyro...

Main-Ulti should be Northern-storm because of the AOE-Major Protection. Great for small groups. But Ice Comet is also OK.
Lightarmor is way better for Magden, you need the dmg.

Stuns are currently the Main-issu for Magden. + Lack of a good burst combo...
You have 3 options:
- Flame Clench: + The only stun you can really control...
- You can't use Shockstaff => 8% less dmg on your Main-dmg Skills Deep Fissure/Northern Storm
- 8 Knock back => Knock enemies out of your Nothern Storm
- Easy Doge/blockabel
- Arktic Blast: + Good AOE-dmg and a the weakest Burstheal
+ Not Blockabel
- You will only stun enemies with no movement!
- Proc-Sets: Maybe Kjalnar's Nightmare

I would recommend using a combination of Arctic Blast + Flame Clench or Arktic Blast + Kjalnar's Nightmare(Whit Shockstaff)

Vampir is good on Magden => The Undeath Passive is great together with Major Mending Passive
Mistform is also great, but I'm using now Race against Time for Major Force.

My current Setup is: Dark Elf, 5 light
2x Bloodspwan
5x Necropotenz
2x Potentates Ring
1x Wilpower Necklace
Backbar: 1x Wilpower Sword
1x Potettates Shild
Frontbar:1x Willpower Flamestaff
(This combination allows me to use the 2 Items bonus on both bars + Potentates on Backbar and Wilpower Front)

Frontbar: Bird of Pray / Flame Clench / Inner light / Crushing Shock / Deep Fissure : Eternal Guardian (Only for the Advanced Species Passive)
Backbar: Blue Betty / Ice Fortress / Race against Time / Living Trellis / Arktic Blast : Nothern Storm

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildData?id=218049

Casul · March 2020

Tolino wrote: »

Magden is realy bad right now for Cyro...

Main-Ulti should be Northern-storm because of the AOE-Major Protection. Great for small groups. But Ice Comet is also OK.
Lightarmor is way better for Magden, you need the dmg.

Stuns are currently the Main-issu for Magden. + Lack of a good burst combo...
You have 3 options:
- Flame Clench: + The only stun you can really control...
- You can't use Shockstaff => 8% less dmg on your Main-dmg Skills Deep Fissure/Northern Storm
- 8 Knock back => Knock enemies out of your Nothern Storm
- Easy Doge/blockabel
- Arktic Blast: + Good AOE-dmg and a the weakest Burstheal
+ Not Blockabel
- You will only stun enemies with no movement!
- Proc-Sets: Maybe Kjalnar's Nightmare

I would recommend using a combination of Arctic Blast + Flame Clench or Arktic Blast + Kjalnar's Nightmare(Whit Shockstaff)

Vampir is good on Magden => The Undeath Passive is great together with Major Mending Passive
Mistform is also great, but I'm using now Race against Time for Major Force.

My current Setup is: Dark Elf, 5 light
2x Bloodspwan
5x Necropotenz
2x Potentates Ring
1x Wilpower Necklace
Backbar: 1x Wilpower Sword
1x Potettates Shild
Frontbar:1x Willpower Flamestaff
(This combination allows me to use the 2 Items bonus on both bars + Potentates on Backbar and Wilpower Front)

Frontbar: Bird of Pray / Flame Clench / Inner light / Crushing Shock / Deep Fissure : Eternal Guardian (Only for the Advanced Species Passive)
Backbar: Blue Betty / Ice Fortress / Race against Time / Living Trellis / Arktic Blast : Nothern Storm

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildData?id=217849

Yeah the stun is what's getting to me. At first I tried bird + off balance heavy lightning staff. But that doesn't work anywhere near as well as stamina medium cancels.

I have considered dawnbreaker but I don't like having to use it only for the stun.

Definitely not used to the lack of stuns cause stamden had lots of options.

Iskiab · March 2020

Cyro small scale isn’t really my thing, but for CPs are you guys going 75+ into thaumaturge for the exploiter passive? In PvE it’s the better damage setup, and should be better in pvp as well.

When I have been in Cyro I found I’ve been tankier than BGs, but opponents would be tankier as well. I’m not sure how the difference would play out in how to build.

If damage and burst is the issue, I’d try taking a page from magblades and maybe Necro + Zaan + caluurion with some speed and rely on procs.

I didn’t like the self heal stun when I had vamp drain, but I went back after the nerf and love it. It’s a bit trolly to run back and forth through people so they have difficulty targeting you, but it makes for a fun playstyle. With a lot of aoe as long as you’re faster and land the bugs you aren’t losing much damage. I’ll literally cycle my buffs right on someone going back and forth through people and try and keep constant pressure.

Tolino · March 2020

Iskiab wrote: »

Cyro small scale isn’t really my thing, but for CPs are you guys going 75+ into thaumaturge for the exploiter passive? In PvE it’s the better damage setup, and should be better in pvp as well.

When I have been in Cyro I found I’ve been tankier than BGs, but opponents would be tankier as well. I’m not sure how the difference would play out in how to build.

If damage and burst is the issue, I’d try taking a page from magblades and maybe Necro + Zaan + caluurion with some speed and rely on procs.

I didn’t like the self heal stun when I had vamp drain, but I went back after the nerf and love it. It’s a bit trolly to run back and forth through people so they have difficulty targeting you, but it makes for a fun playstyle. With a lot of aoe as long as you’re faster and land the bugs you aren’t losing much damage. I’ll literally cycle my buffs right on someone going back and forth through people and try and keep constant pressure.

75 into Thaum (for Exploiter) is bad for PvP! Thaum Buffs only Northern Storm and Fetcher Infection! The Exploiter has realy bad Uptime whit the new Off-Balance and Cliff Racer ist bad...

I like Magden more in NoCp (Mainly bgs), because the opponents are less tanky whitout Cps!
I'm considering currently if I want to switch to proc sets. Its realy hard to kill someone on Magden, especially fast opponents!
I've even done some tests with Torug's Pact (Enchantments can Crit

). But I want to do more tests!

EtTuBrutus · March 2020

This might sound silly, but i used it on magplar when toppling was broken. Invasion will gap closer in a straight line, making shalks a hit every time if it stuns. You can actually charge your heavy while gap closing to regain stamina too if you don't want to build extra sustain. You're probably already using snb any way.

You could also use a 2h for offbalance
With birds instead of lightning staff.

Tolino · March 2020

EtTuBrutus wrote: »

This might sound silly, but i used it on magplar when toppling was broken. Invasion will gap closer in a straight line, making shalks a hit every time if it stuns. You can actually charge your heavy while gap closing to regain stamina too if you don't want to build extra sustain. You're probably already using snb any way.

You could also use a 2h for offbalance
With birds instead of lightning staff.

I could also just play my stamden^^. For the same reason, I don't use a dawnbreaker on my Magden...

(I don't know why so few Stamden use a SnB Shilded Assault Burst-Combo)

Iskiab · March 2020

Tolino wrote: »

Iskiab wrote: »

Cyro small scale isn’t really my thing, but for CPs are you guys going 75+ into thaumaturge for the exploiter passive? In PvE it’s the better damage setup, and should be better in pvp as well.

When I have been in Cyro I found I’ve been tankier than BGs, but opponents would be tankier as well. I’m not sure how the difference would play out in how to build.

If damage and burst is the issue, I’d try taking a page from magblades and maybe Necro + Zaan + caluurion with some speed and rely on procs.

I didn’t like the self heal stun when I had vamp drain, but I went back after the nerf and love it. It’s a bit trolly to run back and forth through people so they have difficulty targeting you, but it makes for a fun playstyle. With a lot of aoe as long as you’re faster and land the bugs you aren’t losing much damage. I’ll literally cycle my buffs right on someone going back and forth through people and try and keep constant pressure.

75 into Thaum (for Exploiter) is bad for PvP! Thaum Buffs only Northern Storm and Fetcher Infection! The Exploiter has realy bad Uptime whit the new Off-Balance and Cliff Racer ist bad...

I like Magden more in NoCp (Mainly bgs), because the opponents are less tanky whitout Cps!
I'm considering currently if I want to switch to proc sets. Its realy hard to kill someone on Magden, especially fast opponents!
I've even done some tests with Torug's Pact (Enchantments can Crit ). But I want to do more tests!

Speed builds are fun and effective, probably moreso on a magwarden than magblade or magtemplar after trying all three. I try and use shimmer and speed to sorta only be fighting one person at a time. The only downside is stamsorcs, most run steed and with minor expedition so are faster with better burst, they always give me a hard time.

BGs are a different animal than small scale though, I don’t care if I die in a BG. In BGs I’m usually pretty aggressive and from what I’ve seen of small scale it’s mostly kite and Ult dump strats, and in that setting the aoe stun is only good defensively.

I’d try maybe Caal, Zaan and Necro with the atronoch mundus and tri-stat food. I haven’t tried that setup myself, if it works let me know!

Kinetiks · March 2020

This class is pretty much dead for solo in nocp. Used to be able to solo or 1vX a year ago easily. Then with the vampire drain it was bearable. Now with this stupid defensive stun and being forced to go flame staff if you dont want to get kited / chase. Now you have to try thrice as hard to 1vX. If they are bad you might kill two or three before dying whereas it used to be you'd be able to take down 5 or all. Sad times.