Help please - Returning player and i just die in 3 seconds in PvP, what happened?

Luphan · May 13

Hey, so i’m coming back to the game after a huge break (like 3 years) and honestly i’m totally lost. i used to play a stamina nightblade and it was okay back then, but now? i jump into a battleground and i’m literally dead in 3 seconds. no joke, just "zack" and i'm gone. feels like i'm a paper target.

i'm still using my old gear from years ago (screenshots in comments) so i guess that’s the main mess, but is the power creep really this insane? i feel like i have zero impact.

also i keep reading about this "subclassing" or scribing thing where you mix skills? do i actually need to grind that to even be competitive in BGs? looking at all these new options just makes me want to quit again tbh, it’s so much info. i love the stealthy assassin style with bows and daggers but i heard stam sorcs are the way to go now. should i even bother fixing my nightblade or is it better to just reroll a sorc?

i really just want to play PvP (BGs and cyro) but i don't want to farm pve for months just to get decent gear. where do i even start to get up to date? and are there any guides for players like me who aren't max cp? feels like every guide i find is only for cp 2000+.

really need some help here, why am i dying so fast? is it just the old armor or is nightblade just dead? any advice would be awesome. thanks!

Vulkunne · May 13

Hello OP,

Here is my opinion based on recent past experiences, as well as one of perhaps, the few who remembers how PvP experience used to be in places like Cyrodiil and BGs.

First, welcome back. As you have guessed, some things have changed. New sets, mythic and so forth have leaned towards pushing damage into more of a summit and produced a less balanced experience. Something many of us have already posted about so many times and a supposed goal of the class refresh to help correct.

Second, specifically, I have been in your shoes and have said the same thing.

Like literally I came to the exact same realization. Part of the reason is subclassing. Now, subclassing has also brought many good things however it has also permitted some rather intense damage setups, negating any interference from the class itself. In other words, if one class doesn't give me full power, then combing with another skill line would.

The end result is damage in PvP situation is incredibly high. Note, this is not a jab at WWs, who proposed changes in U50 to their damage is very bad and will make the WW obsolete in PvP. Aside from this, meta sub classers, including pre subclass Sorc builds deal an incredible amount of damage that is about as counter able as me being in War of the Worlds trying to defend myself with a pool noodle. As such, I rarely PvP anymore, not even in IC now as it's all about kills and not about the fight.

Militan1404 · May 13

They made sub classing that where extremely unbalanced, then they buffed DK to the moon, and we have to overpowered mytichs one for crit dmg and one for status effects. So there been lots of buffs to dmg and non to surviveability so now its more like a 3d shooter and less like an mmo

CoolAsh · May 13

Yep, Battlegrounds now are completely unplayable. Every mode has turned into pure deathmatches. I don’t know when ZOS will finally notice this.

moo_2021 · May 13

don't listen to negative comments. It's of course playable - hey I have been playing with my simple one bar build for 3 years.

were you here before U35 and everyone became self heaing tank?

published builds on websites are all useless now - have to check random youtube like this complaint thread about Shattered Paths Signet, or just use combat metrics and reverse engineer others' build like I do.

If you have all 7 classes it'd only take a while to bring up subclasses to level 50. Stealth NB is perfectly viable as before and new proc sets are much more powerful. DK is a bit more popular among good players for now due to ongoing class rebalancing and DK was done first. Also check new mythics like Monomyth Reforged.

Vulkunne · May 13

moo_2021 wrote: »

don't listen to negative comments. It's of course playable - hey I have been playing with my simple one bar build for 3 years.

were you here before U35 and everyone became self heaing tank?

published builds on websites are all useless now - have to check random youtube like this complaint thread about Shattered Paths Signet, or just use combat metrics and reverse engineer others' build like I do.

If you have all 7 classes it'd only take a while to bring up subclasses to level 50. Stealth NB is perfectly viable as before and new proc sets are much more powerful. DK is a bit more popular among good players for now due to ongoing class rebalancing and DK was done first. Also check new mythics like Monomyth Reforged.

What about the servers being empty? OP, if you don't believe me try going to Cyrodiil for a week, generally speaking its the same people every day. And when emps/ball groups come online they can't be killed. I'm not being negative as much as I'm being real about it. But they'll find out soon enough. If things were great no one would have anything to say.

Luneca · May 13

The last bit of balance left the game. There's no skill component to PvP anymore, just build. It's a sad state for anyone that enjoyed the game's PvP pre-Summerset. But this has been the way of the game for a while since the release of mythics, and I really don't see it changing at any point from here on out.

The game's overall loop favors damage and increasing amounts of it, and ZOS delivers that every patch except for the few "controversial" ones. And that increase in damage just means that you'll have to be tankier in PvP or die faster. And when that happens, build diversity starts to disappear and unique builds you make that fit you and aren't META become unplayable and a waste of time to bother making or exploring.

That's why, if I do PvP, I'm just going to go to Cyrodiil and fire siege. 4-5 Coldfires take anyone out once concentrated in the same spot, including the groups. Only issue is when people put up siege and take all the good spots. There's no reason to bother making a a build, get nerfed in the crossfire when ZOS will try to reingn in the power of the META builds, then still wind up inferior to the said META builds except in a worse condition than before.

The game's PvP lost all form of tactical and counterplay to favor the tanky-damage and one shot builds that you either run or get destroyed by. Going round and round a tower. It's the PvP that some people on the forums always wanted, and now they have it.

And now no one really cares about PvP in the game, except maybe Vengeance where you can at least fight on an uneven field vs. fighting on a platform balanced atop the tusk of an elephant tiptoeing on a standing penny.

Blood_again · May 13

The subclassing and more proc sets have made TTK shorter.
You can rework your PvP build according to modern trends (NB skill lines are popular enough).
Aside from BGs, you can wait for patch 50 and enjoy Vengeance Cyro if you like longer battles.

freespirit · May 13

I just had a quick look for some build guides for you.....

Based on what I found and not knowing your actual CP level, my suggestion for search parameters to use would be.

ESO
PVP build
Low CP
2026

Putting 2026 seems to be pretty important, much has changed and you really don't want to be following potentially very out of date guides.

Good Luck and welcome back!

Luphan · May 13

Thanks so much for the honest replies, even if some of it sounds pretty discouraging lol!

To clarify about my CP: I think i’m around 300 CP total? Honestly, i can’t even see the exact total number anymore, i just see the points i can spend in the different talent trees. It’s all a bit confusing after the rework.

Hearing that it feels more like a 3D shooter than an MMO right now is exactly what i’m feeling in BGs. Getting 'zack' and dead in 3 seconds is no fun. I’m coming from Guild Wars 2 and Warhammer Online (RoR), and in those games, combat feels much more 'weighty'. You actually have a chance to react or heal up.

@moo_2021: I appreciate the optimism! But i have to admit, i’m completely overwhelmed. I spent yesterday watching like 20 different videos and checked dozens of websites for builds, but i’m just lost now. There are so many different setups and i have no idea what would actually be good for me or where to start.

Now i'm thinking: Should i even bother fixing my Nightblade or should i just start fresh with a Stamina Sorcerer or another class.? I’ve heard they are in a great spot right now. Or would that just be the same struggle?

Honestly guys, would you even recommend ESO for a pure PvP player right now? Especially if i want 'real' MMO combat like in GW2 or RoR? I love the world, but if i have to grind months for subclassing and mythics just to be competitive, i don't know if it's worth it. What do you think, should i stick with it or stay with my other games? Is the PvP in Eso really so horrible?

Blood_again · May 13

Luphan wrote: »

Honestly guys, would you even recommend ESO for a pure PvP player right now? Especially if i want 'real' MMO combat like in GW2 or RoR? I love the world, but if i have to grind months for subclassing and mythics just to be competitive, i don't know if it's worth it. What do you think, should i stick with it or stay with my other games? Is the PvP in Eso really so horrible?

It is not horrible. I still enjoy the PvP here from time to time.
Yep, it changes and you have to adapt. But it is worth trying again and again, if you ask me.
The grind takes way less time than months now. You have plenty of tools for shortcutting.
Also, nobody forces you to play a cookie-cutter. You need to adapt your build, but you have many options.

CatalinaWineMixer2 · May 13

Out of control unchecked combat due to Subclassing. Those aren't real DKs hitting you, they are exploiting skill lines through Subclass because Zos won't wake up to the fact that this unbalanced and unbalanceable system is absolutely out of control. It is ruining the game. The underwhelming Class Mastery Passives are not enough to put our characters on any kind of even footing with this because its that broken. They need to remove Subclass. They need to speed up the character refreshes. They need to balance the characters after that. Another problem is the out of control mythics. They should not be adding any mythics whatsoever until they start making a rules based combat system!

Luphan · May 13

Thanks for the encouraging words, it’s good to hear that the grind might not be as bad as I feared. I really want to give ESO another go, but I seriously need your help to narrow things down because I’m completely drowning in information.

I spent hours yesterday watching videos and reading guides, but honestly, it made it worse. I’ve seen 20 different builds and I can’t filter what’s actually good or trustworthy for someone in my position in 2026. I feel like I'm more lost now than I was before I started searching lol.

I’m looking for that 'Brawler' feeling. I want to have an impact in the fight and not just 'zack' and be gone in 3 seconds. Here are the three paths I’m considering:

Nightblade (Stam or Mag): This is my only high-level character. I love the vibe, the dual wield, and the bow, but right now I’m just a paper target. Is there a 'brawler' setup for NB that actually works in BGs?

Stamina Sorcerer: I’ve heard they are very strong and fast. Would this be a better fit for a returning player who wants pressure and survivability?

Templar (Sword & Shield): I really like the idea of a classic defender/paladin style with a shield.

My main goal is Battlegrounds. Later, I want to join a guild for Cyrodiil or roam solo, but BGs are my focus right now. For me, PvE is just a tool to get gear. I’d honestly even play PvE content in my PvP gear/spec because I don't want to manage ten different setups.

My big request to you guys: Can you point me to specific, trustworthy guides, links, or YouTubers for 2026? I need someone who doesn't just show 'one-shot' montages, but explains how to actually survive and play the class as a returning player.

If you had to pick one of those three for a solid Brawler experience in BGs—without needing 2000 CP—which one would it be? I don’t mind starting a new character from scratch if it means I’ll actually have fun in PvP again.

Really appreciate the help, I just need a direction so I can stop watching random videos and finally start playing!

Highwayman · May 13

If you want high ttk, maybe stick around and try vengeance.

Otherwise, yes you are going to have to grind a bit. Good news is that it's base game and you don't have to pay for it.

I'm not sure what level of gameplay you were looking at before, but if you have a stack of master writs lying around you can fully level 2 subclass lines in about 30 minutes w/ a 150% xp scroll and about 25-30 of them. Make sure to use the new green cp star that gives skill xp bonus too.

Or just stick them on as you play, I have done that a lot. Sure you miss out on some power initially, but you gradually get there and if a couple passives make or break you then you probably need to adjust build anyway.

Scribing you can unlock in about 30 minutes and have access to wield soul, which is probably the #1 used scribing skill. If you want to unlock everything, it will take 3 to 4 hours to finish and then you will need to grind dailies for specific scripts, but there are a ton that have spawns in world and you can likely make due with that almost instantly.

moo_2021 · May 13

Luphan wrote: »

@moo_2021: I appreciate the optimism! But i have to admit, i’m completely overwhelmed. I spent yesterday watching like 20 different videos and checked dozens of websites for builds, but i’m just lost now. There are so many different setups and i have no idea what would actually be good for me or where to start.

If you're not using stealth, 30k hp, 30k armor + several HoT and block cancelations are basic requirements. Rally Cry with its 2k crit resist proc from back bar is most common.

Most popular brawler build uses DK line now, DoT, off balance, whip. You need only the first class line.

S&B is good with bash build, at least 42 to 45k resist since healing is weaker due to low weapon damage.

For any build, sorc storm is a good line - crystal surge, hurricane, recovery passive.

Scribing can help with filling extra buffs and debuffs

CP is disabled in BG

freespirit · May 13

This might be worth a look.....

https://arzyelbuilds.com/eso-stamina-nightblade-pvp-build/

I can't do videos much prefer to read! 😁

Highwayman · May 13

Luphan wrote: »

I’m looking for that 'Brawler' feeling.

I would suggest for your nightblade to take the assassination skill line and pick one of these two:

Ardent Flame
Animal Companions

Then one of these two skill lines:

Restoring Light (for healing)
Storm Calling (for mobility)

You can find plenty of builds online that use this base. I am sure you will find plenty of people here that would love to expand on that.

Really, I would just say I'd lean s&b back bar w/ the reflect ult. It does wonders to take pressure off you. Also get Wield Soul and set it up for healing w/ Major Vitality either way.

MyGTX · May 13

Resistance(def/crit) and healing and mitigation all of this was had nerfed. You welcome

CatalinaWineMixer2 · May 14

The decay of the game since Subclassing. Its not Dragonknights hitting you by the way, they are Subclass. They are not REAL Dragonknights. The Vengeance campaign cant come fast enough. Zos needs to institute rules and reign in this blender build of decay. It has and will continue to take the joy out of the game.
I remember how fun it USED to be in Cyrodiil. I remember when my Guilds uses to play PvP. Im about the last one left, yes I still play it and it is awful. Its the same people, saying the same thing, having their way for over 10 years that brought us here and it needs to stop. We need 10 years of something else.

BXR_Lonestar · May 14

Welcome to the Charm/Crit Damage meta. Where there is no counter-play and no defense, unless you are a pure block tank.

Estin · May 14

BGs are currently infested with something called pulse gankers. It's a build that stacks so much damage in 1 GCD that it can practically kill anyone in 1-2 shots no matter how tanky they are. It has been made even worse with the release of a new mythic called the shattered path signet 2 weeks ago which pretty much doubled the damage output of the build, and also made a subset of the build that allows you to use ele sus as an undodgeable skill that bypasses your resistances. There's no real defense against these builds in BGs.

ceruulean · May 14

In June the U50 update will bring the Vengeance campaign where stats are equalized and skills are PvP-specific. You will be able to play a brawler NB there, they are actually strong there. The gap between classes is lessened somewhat and you don't need to grind for gear other than having 1 of each weapon type.