Nightblade Bow any good alternatives in VR?

kitsinni · May 2014

I play a Nightblade bow/DW. 1-50 it was great I find in VR content the bow is very poor. It is somewhat useful for kiting with magnum shot but I find that is the only bow attack on my bar. It ends up being used for getting regen with siphoning attacks and that is about all. Is there anything better to switch this out with that can perform better in VR content?

Jaxom · May 2014

I just respeced completely after hitting VR. I was exactly the same. NB, Bow/DW in medium armor. VR1 had it's tough moments but after hitting VR2 and now VR3, it just isn't cutting it anymore.

I still use a bow, but ONLY for Magnum Shot. I use Class abilities and have magnum shot on the bar for some crowd control. I've completely removed dual wield and am now running a Destro Staff for it's AoE, with mages guild Volcanic Rune, and have my 5th skill as a floater (in 7 pieces of light armor).

Since the change, I've been ripping through the VR zone with little trouble. I'm finding that the lack of AoE on NB and with the quick scaling of difficulty to be more than the NB can handle if you go typical medium armor Bow/DW.

I'm fighting bosses with 11k+ hp where in level 49, they were 3k in HP. Hopefully with some of the changes in the PTS, the NB will start to become a better class. I know there are cheese ways out there with Resto staff to do content, but not what I had in mind when I created my character.

Tannakaobi · May 2014

Well, I absolutely love my two handed NB. I can't say I have got to VR yet, but so far so good. I use Funnel Health and Killer's Blade to self heal and Stampede and Carve to damage. Shadowy Disguise builds up my stamina and I live of Veil of Blades.

I am just working on my bow as my 2nd weapon. I was thinking:
Piercing Mark - Shadowy Disguise - Focused Aim

I have not got Focused Aim yet so have not yet found out if this works well or not.

Liquid_Time · May 2014

Also a DW/Bow NB... I don't even use the bow in V content. DW can still be used of course with the right build. However I spam the same 3-4 skills for every mob. Oh the joys of my crap build haha....

PBpsy · May 2014

What I am running is :
-full medium with all passives
-DW swords with crit
-19 Magica 30 health
-armor enchants to cap magicka the rest into health
-Vestments of the Warlock set VR1 2 rings and amulet . I think its the best option for jewels. Great magicka/magicka regen and the +33% magicaka back guaranteed at least once per fight is amazing

-Songs of Lamea set 5 pieces for some health regen
-Night's Silence set angain for health regen
-mundus stone the Shadow for increased crit damage.

Skills
Tab 1. DW
Core :1 Shadowy disguise ,2 Surprise attack, 3 Siphoning attacks
Defensive Skill: Ring of preservation or Elude or Immovable.
Option: Impale most of the time Ember explosion sometimes
Ultimate :Soul tether and Flawless Dawnbreaker change according to ocassion
Tab 2 DW
Core :1 Siphoning attacks
Option: Silver Shards,Camouflaged hunter,Volcanic rune,soul swallow.

My second tab is rarely used.

How I fight
Solo mobs -approach from behind from stealth surprise attack
-At VR6 this can still one shot some mobs
Groups of 3+ .
- Find healer or mage shadowy disguise +surprise attack +strong attack +2 light attacks to get some magicak back. He is dead,
- Drop Ring of preservation
-Shadowy disguise+ surprise attack+strong attack on archer /second caster. At this point I probably have to block something than continue to finish archer/caster. then move on to the next target. I must include as many simple attacks are possible.

Most quest bosses and a lot of delve bosses
-Shadowy disguise +surprise attack +simple attack+strong attack repeat until 25% health then impale impale.Many times I can simply stun lock them and not even get hit.

Against daedra and undead I do the same only add Camouflaged hunter

Against Harvester I always approach them with a soul tether ultimate ready. same approach as usual but I use soul tether when the orbs appear.VR5 harvesters didn't get to call more than one orb wave.

Some things can be really bad though such as all large bosses with every immunity imaginable.It is usually smarter to group with someone for the duration.

Mothanos · May 2014

There are many skills not even worth spending on......
In VR so many skills just lack damage or utility that i often need to make a choice between bad or worse.
Alot of passives not working either so it can be quite daunting to look what works or what notm but you wont find out untill you already made that decision and find out its totaly worthless and you spended tons of skillpoints on those crap skills.

The bow skill line is extremely weak.....even in the hands of a skilled archer build to do max damage.
I needed to go 1hand shield that was at level 12 and do more damage then my bow who is maxed out.

I say design flaws and its beginning to anoy me alot.
And no fixes in the pipeline either as even the new patchnotes doesnt even seem to fix the many broken skills or passives.....
bleh..

Zeeed · May 2014

i play DK heavy armour and DW. Feel Your pain

DW tree lacks of nuke skills somehow.

Taven · May 2014

Funny enough I just respecced to use bow in VR8. Heavy attacks do more damage than velocious curse.

Jeddahwe · May 2014

Taven wrote: »

Funny enough I just respecced to use bow in VR8. Heavy attacks do more damage than velocious curse.

Please give more detail on how you are using Bow in +VR8 on packs?

greywind30nub18_ESO · May 2014

I'm V1/wood elf
50 - ma/Bow/siphoning
No problem with PvE or rather I dont care. Not great or even average but fun. Only one thing irritate me - I have to rebuild burs for PvE and PvP but I guess nothing can be done about it
PvP ...........big problem. Bow is totally unbalance.
I build my char on false premise that bow is valid main weapon ....nop
I hardly make a scratch on heavy armor with combo - Lethal/agony/Venom
BTW Venom ought to stun for 3 sec.... never happen (may be stun intr by dmg)
Lethal is too long to be useful in PvP and its long range is totally useless.
Right now I run mostly with 1h/shield (charge/bash/funnel health/asp of terror/shadowy disguise) and second bar with healing. Its very low but a way more useful for my group then pathetic bow.
Indeed who need bow? You can't keep a distance from melee with bow in pvp.
Melee will charge to you and knock u down or pull (even from wall) and mages over dps you in a second.
And yes I remember about scatter shut. Almost useless against charge with following stun lock.
Simple fact is bow has no unique role and at best .... fun in PvE