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Isn’t a Magicka-focused Necromancer PvE Tank viable?

RiskyChalice863
RiskyChalice863
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Isn’t a magicka-focused Necromancer viable as a tank in PvE?

As a very quick explainer, I want to have a character that is viable as a PvE tank, but can also be used in different content (PvP, solo PvE, PvE healer) without having to change attributes anytime I want to change what that character does. I know I could achieve a similar level of versatility by just having my different characters specialize in different roles, but I would ideally like a single character that I can do anything with.

And this leads me to the magicka-focused Necromancer tank. It seems to me that there’d be no reason why a Necromancer with 64 points into Magicka couldn’t work. I’ve never played Necromancer tank, but from what I can tell, you actually don’t really need stamina much as a Necromancer tank, and you actually do need a lot of magicka. You don’t really need Pierce Armor, since you’ve got Inner Rage, Ice Staff taunt, and major fracture/breach from Unnerving Boneyard. You could still slot it for situations where it may be a better taunt, but it’s not going to be much of a stamina drain if you don’t want it to be. You don’t necessarily need Silver Leash, since you’ve got Beckoning Armor (though Beckoning Armor isn’t perfect), which is a magicka ability. Your tank-focused self-heal is a magicka ability (Hungry Scythe). Agony Totem is a magicka ability. Spirit Guardian is a magicka ability. You’ve got minor maim on a magicka ability as well. And Elemental Blockade is a magicka ability that many tanks use.

Basically, the way I see it, a Necromancer tank’s skill bar is going to be filled with magicka abilities—many of which actually scale in damage/healing off of magicka. You can still use your stamina pool largely for blocking on a sword & board bar, but you can also have a frost staff bar and block off that bar too—and therefore getting magicka back from orbs/shards is not a negative. So I don’t see why it wouldn’t be fine—or perhaps even better—to prioritize magicka over stamina.

Granted, even if it’s fine to prioritize magicka over stamina on a Necromancer tank, there is the question of whether there should be attribute points in health either way. And that’s a valid point, but you can still build a Necromancer with a lot of health and a boatload of general tankiness even with 64 points into magicka.

So can someone tell me if I’m missing something. To be clear, I’m not talking about bringing such a character into absolutely min-maxed trial groups. I don’t do those and am not super interested in it. But I am talking about doing things up to and including possibly pugging vet DLC dungeon hard modes.
  • Joxer61
    Joxer61
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    mate....ANYTHING is "viable"...its all how you build it. If you can make it work and you have fun, winner/winner!!! ;)
  • Hotdog_23
    Hotdog_23
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    Don't know about Magcroc tanking but I use a Magplar tank that I absolutely love but she does have a sword and board back bar. Agree with Joxer61.
  • FireHawk85
    FireHawk85
    Soul Shriven
    While a Magicka-focused tank is viable, it's not recommended for a necro...especially if your using Bone Lord abilities where damage scales with your max health. Now, if you have most of your points in Health, and then put some (say 10-15 points) into Magicka, then it becomes much more viable, as your not only playing to your strength but using your other points to make up for your weakness in the Magicka department. Stamina, IMO, isn't really recommended as it doesn't do anything other than increase your damage with your physical weapons, and you don't really need to use them until your waiting for your cooldowns to reset your abilities, or you've used up for Magicka. Personally, I went this route, as it seemed the best way to fully utilize the necro IMO.
    The armor I use are ones that leech health and strengthen my damage shields (I enchanted my heavy armor with Health enchantments and the two light armor pieces with Magicka enchantments. In this way, I'm restoring not only my health all the time, but with my heavy armor passives, I'm also restoring my Magicka and Stamina, as well.
  • Scardan
    Scardan
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    Isn’t a magicka-focused Necromancer viable as a tank in PvE?
    Your tank-focused self-heal is a magicka ability (Hungry Scythe).

    Thought about spirit guardian instead because of 10% damage reduction and magic recavery from a passive, but this thing will heal the lowest HP player and this could be anyone in your group. Could still work in theory, because tank is usually "beat me in the face while others do their jobs" role + healer can still heal you.

    Anyway, interesting idea. Transformation ultimate is screaming "I am tanking ult!!".
    Let's be extremely precise in our use of terms.
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