[Archived] The Shadow – Stamina Nightblade PvP Build

[ARCHIVED]: This build has been archived, which means it is no longer being updated. However, this web-page will be left up for those who still would like to refer to it.

Build Written By: Dottz Gaming – PC NA

Role: Damage Dealer

Patch: Wrathstone

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Setup
   1. Gear
   2. Attributes
   3. Skills
   4. Vampire vs. Werewolf vs. Mortal
   5. Champion Points
   6. Other Important Info (Food, Mundus, Race, Potions, Passives)
3. Tips & Misc
4. Contact Info
5. Update Log

Introduction

Welcome to DottzGaming.com’s Stamina Nightblade DPS PvP Build, The Shadow, for the Elder Scrolls Online! This build is intended for PvP of all kinds: battlegrounds, Cyrodiil, dueling, and Imperial City.  This build can be played in both CP and no-CP pvp.

This build is a medium armor stamina nightblade build, and plays like a traditional nightblade. With how much damage has gone up since the Summerset Isles patch, and seeing the direction that PvP is heading, now more than ever I think players who like to play solo and in small groups need to build tankiness into their builds. The days of pure damage stamblade are gone in my opinion outside of just ganking builds.  The build boasts a ton of damage and sustain, but also has an insane amount of survivability, and will suit you well in all types of PvP.

Do keep in mind that if you’re new to stamina nightblade or nightblade in general, nightblades have a higher skill floor than other classes. But, if you practice your character and this build, you will be out there bringing the pain to your enemies!

Keep in mind that PvP builds are very personal.  This is what worked for ME.  If you don’t like something about it, change it to fit your playstyle. 

Setup

Gear

NOTE: If you don’t have access to the Master’s Bow, you can just use a Spriggan’s Bow on the back bar until you get it.

Gear Explanation

• Two-Handed and Bow: This is a staple stamina nightblade weapon combination, and what I am choosing to run on my character.  I’m choosing to run an axe combined with double DoT poisons to help add some really nice sustained pressure to the build.  Running a two-hander gives you access to Rally, which is a very strong heal and grants major brutality.  We also are using the Master’s Bow to give us extra damage whenever we use poison injection, as well as give us some range capabilities should we need them.
• Troll King: This set gives us a TON of survivability via health recovery. While in the past I liked using damaging monster sets for 1vX’ing, I think it’s a bit more beneficial now to use a monster set that offers defensive capabilities.  Troll King can help us regenerate our health really quickly inside of stealth, and helps keep us topped off during fights. If you don’t like Troll King, Blood Spawn is another option, but I personally prefer Troll King.
• Impregnable: This set… this set is so good. It offers an amazing stat spread, boosting all of our attributes and offering an INSANE amount of critical resistance. With this set combined with our CP, we have over 4400 crit resistance.  This set makes you really tanky in medium armor, and when combined with Troll King, offers a ton of viable combinations for your 3rd 5 piece set, similarly to how on my MagDK build, Shacklebreaker and Blood Spawn open you up to a ton of different combinations.
• Spriggan’s: I chose to run Spriggan’s as my damage set for this build. Since damage has gone up a lot this patch, many players are building tankier as a way to combat the higher damage that is being seen across the board. Because people’s resistances are now higher, we want to be able to shred through them, and Spriggan’s does just that. It also has really solid 2-4 piece bonuses that complement the build’s stat profile nicely. If you dont like Spriggan’s, feel free to use another set here! There are a ton of viable options such as Shacklebreaker, Prisoner’s, Hunding’s Rage, etc.

Attributes

All points into Stamina.

Skills

Main Bar – 2h Sword: Ambush, Surprise Attack, Rally, Killer’s Blade, Relentless Focus, Incapacitating Strike

Back Bar – Bow: Poison Injection, Shadow Image, Shuffle, Shadowy Disguise, Resolving Vigor, Pack Leader

Ability Explanation

Note: Alternate skills are other viable skills that can be used. If you choose to use one of those instead of the skill lineup I am using, place the skills in one of the flex spots!

1. Ambush: This our gap closer. I chose to use Ambush over Stampede for this patch mainly due to the loss of critical chance seen across the board.  Our assassination passives give us extra critical chance for each line skill slotted, so this helps make up for some of that loss.
2. Surprise Attack: Bread and butter spammable.  Put major fracture on your opponent, stuns from stealth, and deals great damage. You’ll want to run this on every stamina nightblade build.
3. Rally: This acts as our source of major brutality, gives us a HoT, and gives us a big heal if we reactivate it.
4. Killer’s Blade: I am choosing to run this over Executioner since I am not running the Asylum’s Greatsword on this build. Even though Executioner scales higher than Killer’s Blade, Killer’s Blade is almost a guaranteed kill when your opponent hits 25% while sometimes Executioner can be healed through. Also, for playing in open world Cyrodiil and BGs, the heal from Killer’s Blade is not something to overlook. The heal from executing an opponent helps a lot and helps you stay aggressive. But with that being said, this is largely personal preference; both skills have their pros and cons. If you like Executioner, feel free to use it in this slot.
5. Relentless Focus: This ability offers a lot to a stamina nightblade. It grants 10% stamina recovery, 8% more damage via minor berserk, and it gives you Assassin’s Scourge for some extra burst after 5 light attacks.  The good thing about Relentless Focus on a stamina nightblade vs. Merciless Resolve on a magicka nightblade is that we are not as dependent on the proc as our magicka counter parts, but it does add a fair bit of burst to our already bursty kit, and combos well after an Incap.
6. Incapacitating Strike: Cheap, deals tons of damage, CC, increasing our damage against the target and major defile. This ultimate is a staple in a stamina nightblade build.
7. Poison Injection: This puts a great DoT on our opponent, ticks harder as they get lower HP, and grants us weapon damage due to the Master’s Bow.  If you are not using the Master’s Bow, you can still use this ability effectively since it is really good for taking down low health opponents.
8. Shadow Image (flex):  Shadow Image is a great tool in the stamina nightblade’s arsenal. It provides a DoT, puts minor maim on our opponents and allows us to teleport to the shade when the skill is reactivated. This allows us to escape tricky situations, as well as make some really fancy plays.
9. Shuffle: This ability is a staple defensive ability in any medium armor build.  It grants major evasion, snare removal, and snare immunity.  This is too good to not run.
10. Shadowy Disguise: This is our cloak to stealth around and guarantees us a crit on the next attack.  This ability is key in allowing us to engage and disengage as we like.
11. Resolving Vigor: Another heal that combines well with Rally. Gives us and our allies an on-demand heal and a HoT afterwards.
12. Pack Leader: Werewolf is a great choice for a back bar ultimate if you want access to some extra stamina regeneration on the back bar for having it slotted. You can also choose to use the werewolf form if you wish!

Vampire vs. Werewolf vs. Mortal

For this build I recommend playing as a werewolf.  The ultimate is now viable to actually click ever since the buffs Werewolves received in Wolfhunter.  Even if you choose to not use the ultimate though, you get a big boost to your stamina recovery for simply having it slotted on the back bar. So regardless if you choose to use the form or not, in my opinion, lycanthropy is worth having.

Champion Points

CHAMPION POINT 810 SETUP

THE MAGE (BLUE)

• Shattering Blows – 37
• Physical Weapons Expert – 25
• Master-at-Arms – 72
• Mighty – 56
• Piercing – 24
• Precise Strikes – 56

THE THIEF (GREEN)

• Warlord – 72
• Sprinter – 16
• Arcanist – 37
• Mooncalf – 64
• Tumbling – 72
• Befoul – 9

THE WARRIOR (RED)

• Ironclad – 66
• Resistant – 41
• Thick Skinned – 66
• Hardy – 43
• Elemental Defender – 43
• Quick Recovery – 11

Other Important Info

Buff Food

Dubious Camoran Throne: Maximum Health, Stamina and Stamina Recovery

Mundus

Serpent – Increased Stamina Recovery

Race

Bosmer: In my opinion, Bosmer is one of the best races for stamina nightblade PvP in Wrathstone. With how much extra recovery they offer, plus the speed boost and penetration on the new roll dodge passive, they compliment the nightblade play style very well!

Potions/Poisons

• Potions: Tri-Stat (Bugloss, Columbine and Mountain Flower)
• Poisons: Double DoT Poisons (Fleshfly larvae, Nightshade and Emetic Russula)
  • Note that poisons are bugged in Wrathstone, so enchants are temporarily being used until this is fixed.

Passives

Class (all), Medium Armor (all), Heavy Armor (all except the ones that require you to wear 5 pieces), Light Armor (all except the ones that require you to wear 5 pieces), Two-Handed (all), Bow (all), Werewolf (all if you want to be able to use the ultimate), Undaunted (all), Racial (all), Alchemy (Medicinal Use), Assault (all), Support (all except the first)

Tips & Misc.

• Always be sure to place your shade so you can escape to it if necessary.
• Maintain your poison injection on your target to make sure that you’re getting the weapon damage boost from the master’s bow.
• Maintaining Relentless Focus is important for your sustain and damage capabilities.
• Maintain Rally and Shuffle to maximize your defensive capabilities.  Re-cast rally if you need a heal in a pinch, and casting Vigor will also give you a good heal and heal-over-time to supplement that.
• Stamina Nightblades mitigate their damage best through being hard to pin down. Use your mobility via dodge rolling and major expedition from your bow passives to your advantage.
• Picking your opponents and learning how to weave yourself in and out of combat via cloak will be instrumental to your success.
• Don’t over commit to a kill. If you over commit to a kill and your opponent survives, they can easily turn the fight on you.
• Always be aware of your surroundings. You want to get the jump on your opponents, not the other way around.
• Using Incapacitating Strike at clutch moments is going to be key to killing tankier targets due to it reducing the healing on your opponent. If you want a great combo to take someone down, the ideal way would be Surprise Attack -> Incap -> Assassin’s Scourge -> Execute.

Contact

If you have any questions about the build, join our discord server and ask @Dottz about the build!

Update Log

7/13/2018 – Build created.
7/17/2018 – Skills, big-piece gear enchants and CP changed after initial testing
7/20/2018 – 1 ring changed to infused, Leeching changed to Relentless, and Soul Tether changed to Pack Leader. Build is finished testing.
8/13/2018 – CP updated for Wolfhunter
10/22/2018 – Skills and cp updated for murkmire
2/27/2019 – Race changed to Bosmer