A PvE build.

Divestor · July 2022

I'm still new, and have recently had conversations that both showed me that I need more experience and helped me to understand the game a bit more. As I'm fond of my main, a nightblade, I'd like to receive advice and feedback on this build for PvE I created and wanna work towards as the upcoming changes are implemented.

I'd like to know what type and level of content it can be viable in, whether there are pain points in the build for me or for group members as we undertake that content, and how to resolve those points.

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildEditor?&id=464431

My goal is to make doing the content simple for me, because I have ADHD and while that can help in some ways, it's detrimental in others (like that no matter how much practice, I can't seem to remember the more complex skill interactions while I'm actively engaged in combat). So my hope is to be able to play all PvE, and to make this simple for me.

Thanks for your consideration!

El_Borracho · July 2022

Interesting build. Never thought of combining those sets. I'm assuming this is a solo DD build with an eye towards VMA and vet Vateshran. I'm concerned about losing stacks when you swap bars. I would swap the Tzvogins weapons for Turning Tide and go 5 body pieces/jewelry of Tzvogins instead as you want to keep the stacks up, but that means you will be going up and down in health with Turning Tide. Alternative is swap Tzvogins for Medusa so you get the Minor Force automatically, keeping the 3 body/2 jewelry Turning Tide intact.

Obviously, Oakensoul is a consideration instead of Markyn, even when its nerfed As is Pale Order if survivability is your issue. As is the Kilt as it outperforms Markyn if you can avoid damage.

Your health is unnecessarily high for a DD. I would dump all of my Attributes into Stamina. You don't need more than 24K in health, and even that is high. If this is a "fake tank" build, you're going to need a taunt at the very minimum

As a DD, I always like to have Vigor on a stamina character for when I get into trouble. I know Reaper's Mark is a good heal, but it doesn't help in an arena like VMA on the last boss or stage bosses. I don't think you need both Surprise Attack and Rapid Strikes. You are missing Killer's Blade, which is a very strong execute and one of my primary reasons for playing Nightblade.

As for group content, I would never run that in a trial. As for dungeons, it depends what you are running. Vet DLC? No. Vet base dungeon? Sure, but only if the tank is not running Turning Tide. I love that set on my tanks, as do others, so you will see it a lot. But if you are queueing as a DD, I think a lot of players will have issue with your build as it is very unorthodox. I'd be curious to see what kind of damage numbers it puts out.

Either way, love the creativity Major Vulnerability is an often overlooked tool in the game. Might want to wait to revisit this build until after Lost Depths is released. The Archdruid Devyric shoulder comes out with that and applies that debuff without having to run a full 5 piece set

fred4 · July 2022

You have two spammables, Rapid Strikes and Surprise Attack. Choose one. Personally, if it's Rapid Strikes and this is for solo play, I would switch to Bloodthirst for the heal. Rapid / Bloodthirst probably gives you a better chance to keep up Tzogvin's than Surprise Attack (more chances to crit every 1/2 second).
You need a spammable AOE skill and execute. With this particular build and due to Tzogvin's synergy with Flurry, I'd thus swap Surprise Attack out for Whirling Blades.
I assume Strategic Reserve and that health regen, as well as the highish health, comes from our previous discussions. This is really only applicable in the context of tank hybrid builds. When I'm in a group, I am the tank. This nightblade is more of a DD. You should use your ultimate and your ultimate is cheap. In other words, Strategic Reserve does not make sense here. Find healing elsewhere, e.g. Resolving Vigor. Experiment with the various healing / damage options you have and include Resolving Vigor in those experiments. Do the PvP intro quest in Cyro. No need to actually PvP.
You only have two magicka skills that both last fairly long. You don't need Bear Haunch. Switch to Artaeum Takeaway Broth for more damage.

Divestor · July 2022

If you were going to make a prediction, would you say that Flurry deals the same damage that the site is predicting (when I switch to editor and PTS, it says it will do around and upwards of 30k on a single usage of the skill)? Granted Surprise Attack w/ LA can get me to 30k, which is really nice! But if I can make it easier on myself then I wanna do it.

On a more superficial and thus not entirely interested side note, it's too bad if both Flurry and Whirlwind are my best bets - they have maybe the least impressive animations out of the entire game to me.

Should I wish to use DoTs that say "x damage over y time" (as opposed to "x damage every y seconds over z time") so that I can gain Tzogvin stacks more quickly? Do the former DoTs deal damage more often than the latter DoTs? Or is DD just that much more desirable this upcoming patch?

Zodiarkslayer · July 2022

Divestor wrote: »

... Should I wish to use DoTs that say "x damage over y time" (as opposed to "x damage every y seconds over z time") so that I can gain Tzogvin stacks more quickly? Do the former DoTs deal damage more often than the latter DoTs? Or is DD just that much more desirable this upcoming patch?

This difference will be irrelevant, when ALL DoTs are ticking every 2 secs. That is exactly why Tzogvin is going to be tricky next patch. The exeption is channeled attacks, like Flurry or the Templar's Punkturing Strikes. I think we all will generally be hard pressed to find DoTs worth running.

But nothing is set in stone. Yet... (...knocks on wood...)

Divestor wrote: »

If you were going to make a prediction, would you say that Flurry deals the same damage that the site is predicting (when I switch to editor and PTS, it says it will do around and upwards of 30k on a single usage of the skill)? Granted Surprise Attack w/ LA can get me to 30k, which is really nice! But if I can make it easier on myself then I wanna do it...

The editor was wrong in the past. The patch notes read: "This ability and its morphs now hit 4 times over a channel time of 800ms, rather than 5 times over 600ms. Their total damage remains relatively the same over their channel time". So I suspect, the inceased damage is wrong.

When I look at your build, I see alot of downtimes. Major Vulerability, Tzogvin stacks, etc. You do not have access to minor Brutality when you SOLO or your group has no DK. Those poison s have too great a cooldown. You better srcatch that from your Buff sheet. It is better to run Flame and Poison enchant anyway.
As a result, if your cooldown and uptime timers overlap, your power goes down considerably. Maybe deactivate all your active effects and see where you land powerwise.

Tzogvin is a Boss set for me. I have it in the Bank for quick access, if I need it. It is in no case a "carry set". Especially if you frontbar it, you will loose stacks if you dawdle on your backbar (i.e. being more than two seconds on the backbar).