@OBJnoob Hist isn't going to be BiS for a duel, so I get why you wouldn't enjoy your experience on it. I play mostly BG's and small-scale IC/Cyrodiil, and generating ultimates quicker helps more with survivability and timing my burst with teammates.

As far as defiles, I use Cyrodiil's Ward frontbar with Thurvokun as a monster set along with the Malacath ring. When I dueled more I would use Sload's for the extra DoT pressure and because it punished high health builds in CP environments. If I were dueling now I would swap Hist for Sload's backbar to keep Malacath, although Sloads shines on the front bar or on the body. Thurvokun got a significant nerf last patch but compared with other monster sets, it's still a solid 2 piece bonus if you have a good source of major defile to pair with it. 75% uptime on AoE minor defile and minor main is worthwhile, even if not overpowered as it once was.

I also run heavy armor largely because I like the magicka sustain it provides and because I'm not building for weapon damage. With the constitution passive and some prismatic glyphs, I can use fossilize on cooldown in addition to utilizing mist form heavily. With the strike from shadows passive via mistform, a nirnhoned 2h axe, and minor+major brutality, it hits over 4000 weapon damage without a berserk enchant. It ends up playing a lot like a MagDK with an execute instead of whip.

If you use Fossilize with Fragmented Shield and the obligatory Volatile Armor + Cauterize on a medium build, I think you will find magicka sustain too tight without wearing something that gives you magicka, such as Torc, Eternal Vigor or perhaps Engine Guardian or Atro mundus. I think Shacklebreaker wouldn't be enough. That means you'll probably end up throwing out Fragmented Shield and you'll rely on Fossilize for the Minor Brutality. This would be my kind of build, but lots of people cringe when you tell them you're not using Fragmented. Also the needed magicka sustain in some build variations is likely to indirectly compromise your weapon damage. Heavy armor passives have an advantage in that they help restore magicka.

Having played my own medium build a little longer, I have mixed feelings. My choice of Coward's Gear is situational. Great when you're the wrong side of a zerg, not great in duels. I'm currently trying Engine Guardian instead of Bloodspawn and I think it's better.

Fossilize + Selene seems like a nice idea, but I think you will either not run Fragmented or you'll have to find magicka somewhere.

Good idea!

Kinetiks wrote: »

The newly buffed Dead-water's guile on the pts could be another contender for group play. Thoughts?

@Kinetiks Yeah it might be an option.. Its hard to beat Heem-Jas for a group stam character though. Heem-ja with any other damage set is really good.

Just had a friend test it on the pts, thee was no CD on it

What if the real deal was adding Ring of the Hunt fir extra mobility and in combat speed?
Anyone tried it out?

. . .