Is stamina generally better for pvp while magicka is better for pve?

Nyseto · March 2023

There’s always exceptions and also hybridization. But generally speaking, is stamina better for pvp? There’s already a huge bias towards magicka for pve and in trials. I would imagine dodging and rolling is more important in pvp?

ZOS_Kraken · March 2023

Greetings,

After further review we have decided to move this thread to a category we think is more appropriate for this topic.

Thank you for your understanding.

DrNukenstein · March 2023

Max stamina isn't necessarily better in pvp, but stuff associated with stam characters is.

-Medium armor beats light armor due to having no penalties, providing more burst damage, and giving a source for stamina sustain that doesn't cost damage. Stamina sustain is more useful in pvp than pve because getting stunned without enough green stuff to break free and roll means dead. Even mag builds should be running a medium armor bias for this reason

-Physical damage hits players harder than magic damage. If they have at least one light armor piece they have more spell resistance than they do physical. If they run a light armor bias, then they get a %physical damage taken penalty. The only two exceptions are when a target has a significant heavy armor bias, or you are using flame damage on vampires. Even then if they have bonus spell resist from one or two pieces of light it balances out in the case of a heavy armor bias.

-Melee weapons don't have travel time and don't slow you down during heavy attacks. On top of that, those heavy attacks are another source of stam sustain that doesn't cost damage. You should always be winding one up on the way to your target unless you're sprinting or holding block.

-Reliable sources of minor breach are associated with physical damage. That's 3k pen you can add to your kit just by choosing a particular morph.

-Stam-ish builds often make full use of both pools and have better sustain due to having one pool fill up while the other is being stressed

And you can get all of these benefits even with 64 mag or 64 health.

Amottica · March 2023

With the current design much is hybrid these days though builds focus more on one resource or the others. Given that, it really depends on the class and the most important element, the person at the controls.

Deltia, who is fairly experienced, recently published a PvP tier list. Their opinion on the matter is probably as good as anyone else's that is knowledgeable. I have linked it below.

https://deltiasgaming.com/best-eso-classes-pvp-tier-list/

It also does not have to do with dodge rolling. Magicka has survival means as well.

OBJnoob · March 2023

I agree with Nukenstein but would like to add that, for abilities, most of the magicka morphs do more damage and/or have better effects. So I think what most people are doing these days is going hybrid. They may wear medium armor and they may hold a melee weapon... But in pvp you're going to get hit by magic beetles more than stam beetles. Gonna get hit with concealed weapon more than surprise Attack, and going to get hit with Flames of Oblivion. Combine that with the fact most class buffs and heals cost magicka and I think I've made my point.

So if I HAD to pick what to classify people as... I'd say it's mostly magicka characters figuring out ways to sustain in medium armor.

gariondavey · March 2023

That tier list from deltia is questionable at best

aaisoaho · March 2023

From the PVE side, the magicka/stamina bias depends on the class. Dragonknights? Magicka is better, because they can sustain talons better and thus have better cleave. Sorcerers? Stamina is better, because they can use cleaving spammables with dw frontbarred like whirling blades or silver shards. Necromancers? Again, stamina does everything magicka does, but better. Only ECMK setup is better worn on magcros.

endgamesmug · March 2023

I can only speak on my experience, i started on mag sorc way back then and it was super easy getting kills in pvp there were alot of advantages then. In time people got wise and found melee had advantages i saw alot convert or roll stam, i stayed with mag and went magplar for a long time because it too was melee and found my own renewed success. As people have stated in this thread hybridization has been embraced, if i roll a stam character i use stam offense abilities and mag buffs generally speaking maybe ill throw down a mag aoe all depends.

Iriidius · March 2023

Players talk and complain about stamina meta in pvp for years, but there were often strong magicka builds surpassing their stamina counterpart. Magicka sorcerer was stronger than stamina sorcerer for many years(stamina sorcerer is not a sorcerer anyway). First half of 2022(u32,33 and 34) magplar and mag dk were strongest classes, much better than their stamina equivalent. Last update magicka warden was superior or at least equal strong as stamden and magblade was and still is stronger than stamblade, althought both specs were worse than their stamina class and the worst of all specs before.