Nightblades are Extinct!

Universe · April 2020

Kawiki wrote: »

Universe wrote: »

Not extinct but less common.

The classes I have seen the most in the past few weeks in the order of popularity:
1. Dragonknight
2. Templar
3. Necromancer
4. Warden
5. Nightblade
6. Sorcerer

If I had to guess I would place my main char's class, the Sorcerer(especially the magicka) as the underdog class.

Magsorcs are one of the strongest classes in PvP. If I had to choose between streak and cloak I might very well choose streak. I perform way better on my sorc (honestly every other class I do better then NB) then I do on my stamblade.

It is not one of the strongest classes.
ZOS nerfed the magicka sorcerer quite a bit in the last few years and now it is just a mere shadow of its former self.
For example, well built Necromancer/Templar can easily outmatch a magicka Sorcerer in same skill 1v1(if playing right).

I'm still fighting well when playing this class but not as I used to, not by a long shot.
ZOS overdid the balancing of Sorcerer.

xaraan · April 2020

No way, magsorc if done right is definitely the strongest solo open world pvp class (maybe not in no CP, I don't play that much, so not sure) but as much as sorcs don't like the nerfs they've gotten those have messed them up in PvE more than PvP.

I will say they high a higher skill cap to be amazing in PvP vs something like a magplar or stamdk, but all three of those classes are strong and I'd still put sorc at top when handled by a skilled player.

Feizao · April 2020

Pre-Scalebreaker is when I really enjoyed my magblade. mainly the change to healing ward took away some defense/burst heal. Pretty tanky w/HP below 25% thanks to ward and undeath passive. Simple CC pressure to counter.
I liked where my defense was, sustain was ok, the rest i built for offense. Players weren't as tanky (in BGs). It seemed like any build worked. I had a build that fed on ppl just to have some fun (dots+Skoria)
My other toons have no trouble, but b/c my nightblade is my main i dont want to see it collecting dust.

Just my perspective. Others could have different reasons why they may feel "extinct"

Langeston · April 2020

Universe wrote: »

Not extinct but less common.

The classes I have seen the most in the past few weeks in the order of popularity:
1. Dragonknight
2. Templar
3. Necromancer
4. Warden
5. Nightblade
6. Sorcerer

If I had to guess I would place my main char's class, the Sorcerer(especially the magicka) as the underdog class.

Are you kidding? BGs are FULL of magsorcs & their giant meat-shield pets flapping around. In fact I was just in a match with TEN of them — literally just me & one other person were on other classes. It was ridiculous.

As far as them being the "underdog," that's just absurd — my magsorc does about 25% more damage than my magblade (at a minimum) and it's SO much easier to play. The only drawback to playing a Sorc is that it's kinda boring because everyone is pigeonholed into using the same combination of skills. (But that's because those skills are so freaking powerful, so I guess I kind of wish my magblade had those problems.)

evoniee · April 2020

stamblade dont have multi target kill or tank potential than other class, kinda like stamsorc but stamsorc can play around it with streak stun, negate, or atronach, it doesnt have a good solo kill either with the passive or major fractur removed.
one thing nightblade can is some sort of kite with cloak and shade, mass hysteria? butchered, surpirse attack? just use dswing if you brawler honestly.
also nightblade good with stacking recovery, while other class can go low and doing fine with higher damage.

Saubon · April 2020

I don't think NBs are extinct or weak. To me my NB just isn't as fun as it used to be because of class homogenization.

mocap · April 2020

my rate in PUG dungeons: (dd ofucz)
1) DK
2) Sorc
3) Temper
the rest in alphabetical order

Kalante · April 2020

My nightblade still destroys, noobs that is. Against good players? Forget about it, it costs me a left nut to comepete against other classes when they have better heals, more tankyness, more utilty such as snares, stuns, insane burst healing on demand and passive healing. Like whats the point of the nightblade anymore? Its burst is not even that good anymore. Then you have zos wanting to nerf light attacks which stam nb's rely heavily with surprise attacks in order to do competitive damage against dswings, crystal frags, bitting jabs. We are not a tanky class, if light attacks get nerfed stamina nb's abilty to quickly do any damage at all and get people off of us will mess up the class. We cant afford to stand there to charge a heavy attack. lmao. The whole defense of a stamina nb was its offense.

WhyMustItBe · April 2020

Solaire wrote: »

So i always see on the forums people complain that, Nightblades are no more, no one plays them anymore or as they used to be...

Speaking for myself, I can't stand playing them since they added that spectral bow tracking mechanic as an essential aspect of their rotation doing competitive damage.

Lysette · April 2020

Iskiab wrote: »

I actually see a lot of stamblades still in pvp in BGs. I have no idea why, they’re terrible. Guaranteed to have more deaths than kills every game.

I always get a kick out of just spamming sweeps as a magplar and being able to kill a NB. That doesn’t work on any other class.

The nb class was originally never meant to be a high sustain class, more a high burst damage glass cannon with the ability to quickly disappear from view again. Then ZOS started to water down the original class identity and gave us some sustain, but took away most of our high burst damage, weakening the class in a whole. our ability to disappear from view got less as well - it doesn't bother me in pve, but I guess it is a real loss in pvp and weakened the class a whole lot.

Just thinking of Ambush with it - what happened to this skill - it is so weak, I have not even slotted it anymore - I do better with stampede from 2h skill line. A signature skill made so weak that i do not even want to slot it anymore - really sad.

Lysette · April 2020

Kalante wrote: »

The whole defense of a stamina nb was its offense.

Yes and that is how the class should be - high burst damage glass cannon - hit and run tactics and disappear from view - a quick killer to get rid of counter attacks quickly. ZOS made this impossible or at best made it hard to play like this any longer.

Universe · April 2020

Langeston wrote: »

Universe wrote: »

Not extinct but less common.

The classes I have seen the most in the past few weeks in the order of popularity:
1. Dragonknight
2. Templar
3. Necromancer
4. Warden
5. Nightblade
6. Sorcerer

If I had to guess I would place my main char's class, the Sorcerer(especially the magicka) as the underdog class.

Are you kidding? BGs are FULL of magsorcs & their giant meat-shield pets flapping around. In fact I was just in a match with TEN of them — literally just me & one other person were on other classes. It was ridiculous.

As far as them being the "underdog," that's just absurd — my magsorc does about 25% more damage than my magblade (at a minimum) and it's SO much easier to play. The only drawback to playing a Sorc is that it's kinda boring because everyone is pigeonholed into using the same combination of skills. (But that's because those skills are so freaking powerful, so I guess I kind of wish my magblade had those problems.)

I was referring to the magicka Sorcerer while not using pets.

The pets magicka Sorcerer isn't my favorite playstyle in PVP so I'm usually refraining from using them unless something is extremely challenging.
The pets magicka Sorcerer is still decent but I don't like to be forced to use them so I really don't.
It is my choice for good or ill.
I hope that ZOS will make other magicka Sorcerer's playstyles more appealing & rewarding.

Let's stay on topic, yes Nightblade should receive some buffs in the next update, it is underperforming compared to most classes.
I'm not speaking of a huge buff, but only changing some damage modifiers, adding some more resistance while reducing some of the abilities cost can improve the Nightblade's combat performance.

Strider__Roshin · April 2020

I doubt they're extinct. They're just not good.

WhyMustItBe · April 2020

Lysette wrote: »

Kalante wrote: »

The whole defense of a stamina nb was its offense.

Yes and that is how the class should be - high burst damage glass cannon - hit and run tactics and disappear from view - a quick killer to get rid of counter attacks quickly. ZOS made this impossible or at best made it hard to play like this any longer.

I think the problem with this is that ZOS never found a way to properly balance skilled players. With the right combination of roll dodge, environment, potions, and skills, talented PVP players could effectively capitalize on the high damage/burst while avoiding virtually all of the glass cannon downsides.

Yes you can play skillfully with any class, but the damage and burst ceiling was much higher with a NB.

It may be that having classes that focus on disproportionately massive burst with little defensive tricks simply doesn't work well in an MMO where people are always looking to exploit any opportunity to give themselves an advantage in the almighty competition factor.

That doesn't mean the class should be weaker than others and if they are they need to balance in the other direction. The problem or challenge with balancing here is that we run the risk of creating basically one homogeneous class with different colored particle effects.

SupremeRissole · April 2020

They definitely aren't extinct, snipe spammers are everywhere, more than usual in recent patches

madman65 · April 2020

My Stamblade is my oldest character, I pretty much stopped using it in trials and dungeons. The easy pledges are the only dungeons I run. CP 1044 and he is used for dailies, crafting and farming, sad.

Lysette · April 2020

WhyMustItBe wrote: »

Lysette wrote: »

Kalante wrote: »

The whole defense of a stamina nb was its offense.

Yes and that is how the class should be - high burst damage glass cannon - hit and run tactics and disappear from view - a quick killer to get rid of counter attacks quickly. ZOS made this impossible or at best made it hard to play like this any longer.

I think the problem with this is that ZOS never found a way to properly balance skilled players. With the right combination of roll dodge, environment, potions, and skills, talented PVP players could effectively capitalize on the high damage/burst while avoiding virtually all of the glass cannon downsides.

Yes you can play skillfully with any class, but the damage and burst ceiling was much higher with a NB.

It may be that having classes that focus on disproportionately massive burst with little defensive tricks simply doesn't work well in an MMO where people are always looking to exploit any opportunity to give themselves an advantage in the almighty competition factor.

That doesn't mean the class should be weaker than others and if they are they need to balance in the other direction. The problem or challenge with balancing here is that we run the risk of creating basically one homogeneous class with different colored particle effects.

Of course that is difficult to balance and ZOS will never achieve that, because they seem to be incapable of making gradual changes. Instead they swing from one side to the other with far too big changes, mangled together with other changes, that it is nearly impossible to really see the impact of a slight change and work from there. It will just get worse with any balance.

Irfind · April 2020

Iskiab wrote: »

I actually see a lot of stamblades still in pvp in BGs. I have no idea why, they’re terrible. Guaranteed to have more deaths than kills every game.

I always get a kick out of just spamming sweeps as a magplar and being able to kill a NB. That doesn’t work on any other class.

Its my main and has the highest PVP rank, i want to get PVP rank 39 one day

And yes i hate sweeps

RaunHunter · April 2020

Not fun/effective to play =/= not played at all.

My first character was a NB. And like me, many others' as well. Now, when the class is utter trash, we don't just go and delete our first character. There are so many things we did with that character; I personally would never delete my NB even if ZOS says all attacks done by NBs will now heal the opponents. That doesn't mean he is as fun to play now as he was before.

Nobody says "Nightblade is extinct. Nobody plays it." We say "We want to play Nightblade while having fun and being effective." Huge difference.

Iskiab · April 2020

I’m seeing a ton of NBs recently in BGs, it’s terrible. I’ve never been one for dropping out of a BG, but when you’re stuck on a team with 3 NBs spamming snipe and can’t take on a team yourself what choice do you really have?

I’ve never seen a game with 3+ NBs where your team doesn’t get spawn camped.

CMDR_Un1k0rn · April 2020

I see Nightblades all the time.

They usually die when I smack them in the face with my giant sword. I am a Dragonknight and I just don't sneak, unless I'm about to begin a siege with a group.

Being a front-line soldier is much more fun than being an invisible archer in my opinion. Plus it means I get to use my favourite weapons.

Helgarth · April 2020

In the end, who cares about you disagreeing with what other said?

I disagree with you...

Wow, many points made!

Pointless.