Magicka Necromancer PvP Build, Lethal Weapon
Lasted Updated Waking Flames DLC ESO Update 31
Table of Contents
- Should You Play This Build?
- Skills
- Combo
- Priority Passives
- Gear Options
- Race
- Consumables
- Mundus Stone
- Attribute Points
- Champion Points
Should You Play This Build?
Simply put, the Magicka Necromancer stands on the mountain of high AoE burst damage. The playstyle is quiet different as you need to be patient, build up your ultimate and drop a few skills within a short window. However, if you do, it’ll be the biggest AoE nuke possible in ESO Update 31. Special thanks to my ESO PC EU friend Miss Mono for helping me with this build along with StanFay who coached me up on stream.
Pros
- The most AoE burst possible
- Incredible group utility
- Great self and group healing
Cons
- Requires high skill cap and timing
- Not great for solo play
Skills
Bar One: Lighting Staff for Damage
Stalking Blastbones (morph of Blastbones | Necromancer/Grave Lord skill line): insane single target and AoE damage ability that needs to be constantly recast.
Degeneration (morph of Entropy | Guild/Mages skill line): moderate damage over time that gives us major sorcererery increasing our damage. Flex this in if you don’t wish to use spell power or stealth detect potions.
- [flex group play] Proximity Detonation (morph of Magicka Detonation | Alliance War/Assault skill line): pre-buff and front load before charging into combat for huge AoE burst with many targets around you.
Radiant Magelight (morph of Mage Light | Guild/Mages skill line): counter gank with the added benefit of front bar critical damage buff.
Crushing Shock (morph of Force Shock | Weapon/Destruction Staff skill line): main spammable that is ranged and acts as interrupt.
- [flex group play] Elemental Ring (morph of Impulse | Weapon/Destruction staff skill line): AoE spammable that with a lighting staff increases damage based on number of enemies hit.
Avid Boneyard (morph of Boneyard | Necromancer/Grave Lord skill line): super AoE bursting tool that you can synergy yourself and proc Dark Convergence.
Glacial Colossus (morph of Frozen Colossus | Necromancer/Grave Lord skill line): Insane burst ultimate with a debuff for extra damage 12 seconds.
Bar Two: Restoration Staff Survival
Summoner’s Armor (morph of Bone Armor | Necromancer/Bone Tyrant skill line): armor buff that reduces cost of necromancer specific abilities
Spirit Guardian (morph of Spirit Mender | Necromancer/Living Death): heal that gives boost to our passives sustain and create corpses.
Race Against Time (morph of Accelerate | Guild/Psijic Order skill line): mobility tool to use when immobilized or needing a burst of speed if not a vampire.
Rapid Regeneration (morph of Regeneration | Weapon/Restoration Staff skill line): great healing over time combined with Living Dark for super survivability.
- [flex for bomber loadout] Illustrious Healing (morph of Grand Healing | Weapon/Restoration staff skill line): ground base AoE that can proc Dark Convergence on our back bar.
Resistant Flesh (morph of Render Flesh | Necromancer/Living Death skill line): powerful burst heal for yourself and the group.
Life Giver (morph of Panacea | Weapon/Restoration staff skill line): insane survivability for you or the group.
- [FLEX group] Temporal Guard (morph of Undo | Guild/Psijic skill line): slotting gives us 5% damage reduction and is low cost survival tool.
Combo
- Buff offensively, using spell power potions or Degeneration on front bar (proxy if playing in group).
- Buff defensively, using Armor, Spirit, then pop Race Against Time for increased critical damage.
- Flip to front bar, cast Blastbones and close the distance to your targets.
- Now, back to back cast Colossus, Boneyard, wait a split second then synergy the Boneyard as the Dark Convergence proc pulls, blastbones hits.
- If using large group loadout, spam elemental ring until finished.
Passives
- Bone Tyrant
- Grave Lord
- Living Death
Weapon Skill Lines
- Destruction Staff
- Restoration Staff
- Sword and Shield (optional)
Armor Skill Lines
- Light Armor
- Medium Armor
- Heavy Armor
World Skill Line
- Soul Magic
- Vampire (optional)
Alliance War Skill Line
- Assault
- Support
Guild Skill Lines
- Undaunted
- Fighter’s Guild
- Psijic
- Mage’s Guild
Crafting Skill Lines
- Alchemy
- Provisioning
Racial Skill Line
Gear
Overall: This gear setup is designed for solo, small group or without a “pocket healer.”
| Slot | Weight | Set | Trait | Glyph |
| Head | Heavy | Balorgh | Impenetrable | Prismatic |
| Shoulders | Medium | Balorgh | Impenetrable | Magicka |
| Chest | Heavy | Daedric Trickery | Reinforced | Prismatic |
| Legs | Heavy | Daedric Trickery | Impenetrable | Prismatic |
| Gloves | Heavy | Daedric Trickery | Impenetrable | Magicka |
| Boots | Light | Dark Convergence | Impenetrable | Magicka |
| Belt | Light | Trainee | Impenetrable | Magicka |
| Weapon One | Lighting | Dark Convergence | Sharpened | Spell Damage |
| Weapon Two | Restoration | Daedric Trickery | Powered | Spell Damage |
| Necklace | Dark Convergence | Harmony | Spell Damage | |
| Ring | Death Dealer’s Fete | Harmony | Spell Damage | |
| Ring | Dark Convergence | Harmony | Spell Damage |
Balorgh: obtained in dungeon March of Sacrifices and shoulder bought from vendor.
- (1 item) Adds 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage
- (2 items) When you use an Ultimate ability, you gain Weapon Damage and Spell Damage equal to the amount of total Ultimate consumed, and Physical and Spell Penetration equal to 23 times the amount for 12 seconds.
WHY? this gives us the most bang for the buck and you can save up 500 ultimate for a total nuclear DB.
Dark Convergence: obtained via rewards of the worthy from earning alliance points in Cyro or Battlegrounds.
- (2 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
- (3 items) Adds 1487 Offensive Penetration
- (4 items) Adds 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage
- (5 items) Casting abilities that leave an effect on the ground will create an area that applies a 30% snare and pulls enemies every 2 seconds after a 1 second delay, and stun them for 1 second. After 4 seconds, the area deals 1092 Magic Damage to all enemies in the area, and 2185 Magic Damage to enemies within 3 meters of the center, increasing by 10% for each target. This effect can occur once every 20 seconds and scales off the higher of your Weapon or Spell Damage.
WHY? as of this writing, maybe the most overturned five piece gear set in ESO history. This can single handedly wipe massive groups especially with a necro. Flex Mechanical Acuity if it gets nerfed or War Maiden in no proc.
Daedric Trickery: craftable 8 trait in Morrowind DLC Vvardenfell.
- (2 items) Adds 1206 Maximum Health
- (3 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Stamina
- (4 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
- (5 items) When you deal damage you gain one of 5 random Major Buffs for 21 seconds every 9 seconds. Eligible buffs are Expedition, Protection, Mending, Heroism, or Vitality
WHY? this provides the best overall back bar survivability while maintaining high mobility and burst protentional.
- [FLEX] if playing non-proc PvP, use Mark of the Pariah or Buffer of the Swift gear set.
- Also you can use two damage five pieces like Vicious Death. I don’t do this, because I do not play with pocket healers and prefer survivability.
Death Dealer’s Fete: obtained through ESO Mythics/antiquities system:
You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item. Location of the 5 pieces:
- Dragonstar Arena – Sturdy Silver Prongs Lead – Dragonstar Arena last chest after endboss
- Imperial City – Carved Signet Base Lead – Imperial City Upstair Bosses
- Blackwood – Warm Asymmetrical Ruby Lead – Oblivion Portal final Chest
- Cyrodiil – Weighted Spiked Bridge Lead – Rewards from the Worthy Mail Box
- Craglorn – Wide Barbed Shank Lead – Anomalies in Craglorn in the reward treasure chest, Nirncrux Mines
Set bonus
- (1 item) Gain a persistent stack of Escalating Fete every 2 seconds you are in combat, up to 30 stacks max. Each stack of Escalating Fete increases your Maximum Stamina, Health, and Magicka by 88. You lose a stack of Escalating Fete every 4 seconds you are out of combat.
WHY? being in combat for prolonged periods of time rewards you with a lot of max stats. This is good all around, damage and survivability but it’s not best for either.
Bomber: this gear setup is for all out nukes with a pocket healer. Swap to Illustrious springs on back bar with Resto.
| Slot | Weight | Set | Trait | Glyph |
| Head | Heavy | Balorgh | Impenetrable | Prismatic |
| Shoulders | Medium | Balorgh | Impenetrable | Magicka |
| Chest | Heavy | Trainee | Reinforced | Prismatic |
| Legs | Light | Vicious Death | Impenetrable | Prismatic |
| Gloves | Light | Vicious Death | Impenetrable | Magicka |
| Boots | Light | Dark Convergence | Impenetrable | Magicka |
| Belt | Light | Vicious Death | Impenetrable | Magicka |
| Weapon One | Lighting | Vicious Death | Sharpened | Escapist Poisons |
| Weapon Two | Restoration | Dark Convergence | Powered | Spell Damage |
| Necklace | Dark Convergence | Harmony | Spell Damage | |
| Ring | Death Dealer’s Fete | Harmony | Spell Damage | |
| Ring | Dark Convergence | Harmony | Spell Damage |
Vicious Death: obtained via Cyrodiil home base elite gear vendor.
- (2 items) Adds 129 Spell Damage
- (3 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
- (4 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
- (5 items) Adds 1487 Spell Penetration, When you kill a Player, they violently explode for 3489 Flame Damage to all other enemies in a 5 meter radius. This effect scales off the higher of your Weapon or Spell Damage.
WHY? you sacrifice survivability for all out AoE nukes when someone dies. I only play this way with a coordinated team.
Race
1) Khajiit = critical damage is optimal for the most burst possible.
| Passive Skills | |
| Cutpurse | Increases your experience gain with the Medium Armor skill line by 15%. Increases your chance to successfully pickpocket by 5%. |
| Robustness | Increases your Health Recovery by 100 and your Stamina and Magicka Recovery by 85. |
| Lunar Blessings | Increase your Maximum Health, Magicka, and Stamina by 915. |
| Feline Ambush | Increases your Critical Damage and Critical Healing by 12%. Decreases your detection radius in Stealth by 3 meters. |
2) Altmer (High Elf) = all around fantastic magicka based race though you lack critical damage.
| Passive Skills | |
| Highborn | Increases your experience gain with the Destruction Staff Skill line by 15%. Increases your experience gained by 1% |
| Syrabane’s Boon | Increases Max Magicka by 2000 |
| Elemental Talent | Increases your Spell Damage by 258 |
| Spell Recharge | Reduces damage taken by 5% while you are using an ability with a cast or channel time. Restores 600 mag or stam, based on whichever is the lowest after activating a class ability. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds |
3) Dunmer (Dark Elf) = all around great if you want to switch between magicka/stamina build though lacks resources sustain
| Passive Skills | |
| Ashlander | Increases your experience gain with the Dual Wield skill line by 15%. Reduces your damage taken from environmental lava by 50%. |
| Dynamic | Increases your Maximum Magicka and Maximum Stamina by 1910. |
| Resist Flame | Increases your Flame Resistance by 4620. |
| Ruination | Increases your Weapon Damage and Spell Damage by 258. |
Consumables
- Food: Orzorga’s Smoked Bear Haunch: Increase Max Health by 4312, Health Recovery by 406 and Stamina and Magicka Recovery by 369
- Potions: Tri-pots and Immovability
- Essence of Detection: Restores Magicka, detect stealth and gives spell power bonus.
- Tri-pots: Restores Magicka, Stamina, and Health. These are great to use if you’re having issues with survivability and/or sustain
- Immovability: Immobilizes your target and grants you Unstoppable, rendering you immune to control effects for 4.4 seconds. This poison will also break you free of ongoing control effects. (10 second cooldown)
Mundus Stone
- 1) Atronach: Run if primarily playing battlegrounds or if you struggle with sustain.
- Bonus: Increases Magicka Recovery by 310 (535 with 8 Legendary Divine Traits)
- Location: Greenshade, Rivenspire, Shadowfen and Cyrodiil
- 2) Apprentice: a great choice because it benefits your healing and damage done in general
- Bonus: Increases Spell Damage by 238 (411 with 8 Legendary Divine Traits)
- Location: Reaper’s March, Bangkorai, The Rift, and Cyrodiil
Attribute Points
You want to reach 32,000 to 35,000 health inside of PvP (Cyrodiil Campaign/Battlegrounds). Then make sure you have at least 14,000 stamina and rest to magicka.
Champion Points
My champion point philosophy in PvP is this; survival > damage. If you setup your burst window right, you shouldn’t need to relay heavily on CP do to the job. Thus, this build will focus heavily on survivability especially in the current meta.
Craft
- Treasure Hunter 50: Increase the quality of items you find in treasure chests.
- Rationer 30: Adds 10 minutes to the duration of any food or drink that increases your character’s stats per stage.
- Liquid Efficiency 75: Whenever you use a potion or poison you have a 10% chance to not consume it.
- Steed’s Blessing 50: Increases your out of combat Movement Speed by .4% per stage.
Warfare
- Duelist’s Rebuff 50: Reduces your damage taken by single target attacks by 2% per stage.
- Ironclad 50: Reduces your damage taken by direct damage attacks by 2% per stage.
- Unassailable 50: Reduces your damage taken by area of effect attacks by 2% per stage.
- Master-at-Arms 50: Increases your damage done with direct damage attacks by 2% per stage.
Fitness
- Celerity 50: Increases your Movement Speed by 2% per stage.
- Expert Evasion 50: Your next Roll Dodge is free of cost. After consuming this effect, you cannot gain it again for 30 seconds.
- Sustained by Suffering 50: Increases your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by 30 per stage while under the effects of a negative effect.
- Pain’s Refuge 50: Reduces your damage taken by 1% per negative effect active on you, up to a maximum of 20%.
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