ESO Magicka Nightblade PvE Build

ESO Magicka Nightblade PvE Build
“Bloodsport”

Welcome to the ESO Magicka Nightblade PVE build Damage Dealer build. In this guide you will find information on any patch-related changes, the class, skills, champion points, gear options, tips, and more!

Updated for Blackwood Chapter Update 30

Table of Contents

• Should You Play This Build?
• Skill Options
• Priority Passives & Skills
• Suggested Gear Options
• Race
• Consumables
• Mundus Stone
• Attribute Points
• Champion Points
• Videos

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Should You Play This Build?

The Magicka Nightblade PVE build is for players that are looking to complete solo content or small group content on a class that offers good damage as well as survivability. The Magicka Nightblade offers skills that provide damage and self-healing, which is great for solo content, and a powerful execute which is extremely beneficial in group and solo situations.

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Skills

There are various skill options that can work for the Magicka Nightblade, so choose what works best for you and your play style

Bar One – fire staff offensive bar

Merciless Resolve (morph of Grim Focus | Nightblade/Assassination skill line): Increases your critical damage and healing by 2% for every light attack you hit on an enemy and lasts for 40 seconds. As a result, you are able to proc a bow attack after 5 light attacks, which also heals you

Consuming Trap (morph of Soul Trap | World/Soul Magic skill line): Deals magic damage to enemies and if an enemy dies you restore magicka, stamina and health, swap if sustain/healing is good

• [flex more damage] Debilitate (morph of Cripple | Nightblade/Siphoning skill line): another DoT that has some sustain via minor magickasteal

Sap Essence (morph of Drain Power | Nightblade/Siphoning skill line): Deals magic damage to essence and also heals you and your allies for a percentage of the damage dealt. When an enemy is hit you activate Major Brutality and Minor Sorcery, which increases your weapon and spell damage

Swallow Soul (morph of Strife | Nightblade/Siphoning skill line): Sucks the life force from enemies, dealing magic damage and healing you

Impale (morph of Assassin’s Blade | Nightblade/Assassination skill line): A powerful execute attack that deals magic damage. You want to use this ability in your rotation when the enemy is at 25% health

Soul Harvest (morph of Death Stroke | Nightblade/Assassination skill line): mainly slottable ultimate to generate ultimate on kills but cast for low cost burst with increased damage 

 

Bar Two – fire staff buffs and debuffs

Elemental Drain (morph of Weakness to Elements | Weapon/Destruction Staff skill line): great sustain and damage increase for a solo or a single target fight. Redundant if playing in a group and someone is providing it or magicka steal buff.

• (flex damage) Dark Shade (morph of Summon Shade | Nightblade/Shadow skill line): If you have good sustain and or looking for more damage, go with Dark Shadow for high single target and AoE damage
• (flex group) Mystic Orbs (morph of Necrotic Orbs | Guild/Undaunted skill line): AoE damage, a group synergy for restoring resource and damage

Siphoning Attacks (morph of Siphoning Strikes | Nightblade/Siphoning skill line): After casting, your light and heavy attacks heal you, and give you back magicka resources

Harness Magicka (morph of Annulment | Armor/Light skill line): A shield that absorbs damage for 6 seconds and helps you restore magicka when you take damage

Twisting Path (morph of Path of Darkness | Nightblade/Shadow skill line): An AOE damage ability that deals magic damage to enemies and grants you and your allies major expedition

Elemental Blockade ( morph of Wall of Elements | Destruction Staff skill line): Massive AoE damage that applies status effect with huge radius and 14 second duration 

Elemental Rage (morph of Elemental Storm | Weapon/Destruction staff skill line): a burst ultimate with a high cost and a massive area which is great for clearing trash or burning down bosses

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Priority Skill Lines & Passives

Class-Specific Skill Lines

• Assassination’s
• Shadow
• Siphoning

Weapon Skill Lines

• Destruction Staff

Armor Skill Lines

• Light Armor
• Medium Armor
• Heavy Armor

World Skill Line

• Soul Magic

Guild Skill Lines

• Mages Guild
• Psijic Order
• Undaunted
• Fighter’s Guild

Crafting Skill Lines

• Alchemy
• Provisioning

Racial Skill Line

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Gear

Beginner

Slot	Weight	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	Light	Spinner’s	Divines	Magicka
Shoulders	Light	Spinner’s	Divines	Magicka
Chest	Light	Spinner’s	Divines	Magicka
Legs	Light	Spinner’s	Divines	Magicka
Gloves	Light	Spinner’s	Divines	Magicka
Boots	Light	Mother’s Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Belt	Light	Mother’s Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Weapon One	Fire	Willpower	Precise	Fire
Weapon Two	Lighting	Willpower	Infused	Spell Damage
Necklace		Mother’s Sorrow	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring		Mother’s Sorrow	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring		Mother’s Sorrow	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage

Spinner’s Garments: obtained in overland Malabal Tor or from guild traders

• (2 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
• (3 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
• (4 items) Adds 129 Spell Damage
• (5 items) Adds 3460 Spell Penetration

Mother’s Sorrow: obtained in overland zone Deshaan or from guild traders

• (2 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
• (3 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (4 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (5 items) Adds 1528 Spell Critical

Willpower: obtained in Imperial City keys or dungeon finder rewards or on guild traders

• (2 items) Adds 1752 Maximum Magicka

 

Solo

Slot	Weight	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	Light	Slimecraw	Divines	Magicka
Shoulders	Light	Perfected False Gods	Divines	Magicka
Chest	Heavy	Medusa	Divines	Magicka
Legs	Light	Perfected False Gods	Divines	Magicka
Gloves	Light	Perfected False Gods	Divines	Magicka
Boots	Light	Perfected False Gods	Divines	Magicka
Belt	Light	Perfected False Gods	Divines	Magicka
Weapon One	Fire	Medusa	Precise	Fire
Weapon Two	Fire	Perfected Maelstrom	Infused	Spell Damage
Necklace		Medusa	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring		Pale Order	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring		Medusa	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage

Slimecraw: obtained in Wayrest Sewers 1, Veteran Dungeon

• (1 item) Adds 771 Critical Chance

Perfected False Gods: obtained in Veteran Sunspire trial or normal for non perfected 

• (2 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (3 items) Gain Minor Slayer at all times, increasing your damage done to Dungeon, Trial, and Arena Monsters by 5%.
• (4 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (5 items) Adds 129 Spell Damage, Reduces the cost of your Magicka Abilities by 8%. When an enemy you recently damaged dies, you restore 0 Magicka and gain Major Expedition for 8 seconds, increasing your Movement Speed by 30%. These effects can occur once every second
  • [FLEX] Robes of the Withered Hand: obtained in overland Alik’r Desert or guild traders
    • (2 items) Adds 129 Magicka Recovery
    • (3 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
    • (4 items) Adds 1206 Maximum Health
    • (5 items) When you are within 28 meters of an enemy you are in combat with, and the enemy dies, you heal for 1637 Health and gain 1637 Magicka. This effect can occur once every 3 seconds

Ring of the Pale Order: Mythic obtained by collecting five pieces:

• Bangkorai – Aurmine Ancestral Signet – Chests
• Alik’r Desert – Direnni Elegy Loop – Coldrock Diggings Delve Boss
• Wrothgar – Onix Accent Stones – All World Bosses
• Glenumbra – Order-Etched Gallery Rail – Bad Man’s Hallow Trash Monsters
• The Reach – Pale Order’s Golden Band – Nighthollow Keep (Blackreach: Arkthzand Cavern start north of map)

Set bonus

• (1 item) Restore 18% of the damage you deal as Health, up to a maximum of 2750 Health per attack. You cannot be healed by anyone but yourself

 Medusa: obtained in dungeon Arx Corinium 

• (2 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (3 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (4 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (5 items) Adds 892 Spell Critical, Gain Minor Force at all times, increasing your Critical Damage by 10%
  • [flex if using Minor Force Skill]Mother’s Sorrow: obtained in overland zone Deshaan or from guild traders

• • • (2 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
    • (3 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
    • (4 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
    • (5 items) Adds 1528 Spell Critical

Perfected Crushing Wall (Maelstrom): obtained in Veteran Maelstrom arena 

• (2 items) Adds 1190 Spell Penetration, Your Light and Heavy Attacks deal an additional 1353 damage to enemies in your Wall of Elements.

 

Group simple setup

Slot	Weight	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	Light	Monster Helm	Divines	Magicka
Shoulders	Light	Monster Helm	Divines	Magicka
Chest	Light	Mother’s Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Legs	Light	Mother’s Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Gloves	Light	Mother’s Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Boots	Light	Mother’s Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Belt	Light	Mother’s Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Weapon One	Fire	Medusa	Precise	Fire
Weapon Two	Fire	Perfected Maelstrom	Infused	Spell Damage
Necklace		Medusa	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring		Medusa	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring		Medusa	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage

MONSTER HELMS OPTIONS

• Grothdarr: obtained in Vaults of Madness – great for AoE  
  • (1 item) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
  • (2 items) When you deal damage to an enemy within 8 meters, you have a 10% chance to create lava pools that swirl around you, dealing 272 Flame Damage to all enemies within 8 meters of you every 1 second for 5 seconds. This effect can occur once every 10 seconds and scales off the higher of your Weapon or Spell Damage.
• Zaan’s: obtained in Veteran Scalecaller Peak – great of single target
  • (1 item) Adds 657 Spell Critical
    (2 items) When you damage a nearby enemy with a Light or Heavy Attack, you have a 33% chance to create a beam of fire that will connect you to your enemy as long as you remain within 8 meters of them. The beam deals 305 Flame Damage every 1 second to your enemy for 6 seconds. Every second, this damage increases by 100%. This effect can occur every 18 seconds and scales off the higher of your Weapon or Spell Damage.
• Valkyn Skoria: obtained in City of Ash II – good for AoE and single target
  • (1 item) Adds 1487 Spell Penetration
  • (2 items) When you deal damage with a damage over time effect, you have a 8% chance to summon a meteor that deals 1409 Flame Damage to the target and 469 Flame Damage to all other enemies within 5 meters. This effect can occur once every 5 seconds and scales off the higher of your Weapon or Spell Damage.
• Balorgs: obtained in March of Sacrifices – good burst after using ultimate  
  • (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.

Mother’s Sorrow instead if you cannot get Siroria 

• (2 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
• (3 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (4 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (5 items) Adds 1528 Spell Critical
  • [flex for trials] Perfected Mantle of Siroria: obtained in Trial Cloudrest Veteran or normal for non perfected

• • • (2 items) Adds 129 Spell Damage
    • (3 items) Gain Minor Slayer at all times, increasing your damage done to Dungeon, Trial, and Arena Monsters by 5%.
    • (4 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
    • (5 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka, Dealing direct damage with a single target attack creates a ring of fire beneath you for 10 seconds. This effect can occur once every 10 seconds. Standing in the ring grants you a stack of Siroria’s Boon for 5 seconds. Each stack increases your Spell Damage by 52. 10 stacks max

Medusa: obtained in dungeon Arx Corinium 

• (2 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (3 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (4 items) Adds 657 Spell Critical
• (5 items) Adds 892 Spell Critical, Gain Minor Force at all times, increasing your Critical Damage by 10%

Perfected Crushing Wall (Maelstrom): obtained in Veteran Maelstrom arena 

• (2 items) Adds 1190 Spell Penetration, Your Light and Heavy Attacks deal an additional 1353 damage to enemies in your Wall of Elements.

MORE COMPLEX: drop monster helm for Harpooner’s Wading Kilt.  Mythic one piece with monster critical chance and critical damage.

 

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Race

High Elf: my favorite all around magicka race

Passive abilities
Highborn	Increases your experience gain with the Destruction Staff skill line by 15%. Increases your experience gained by 1%.
Spell Recharge	When you activate an ability, you restore 625 Magicka or Stamina, based on whichever is lowest. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds. When you are using an ability with a channel or cast time, you take 5% less damage.
Syrabane’s Boon	Increases your Max Magicka by 2000.
Elemental Talent	Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 258.

Khajiit: top end PvE DPS due to critical damage bonus 

Passive abilities
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.

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.

Breton: incredible sustain and great magicka race

Passive abilities
Opportunist	Increases your experience gain with the Light Armor skill line by 15%. Increases your Alliance Points gained by 1%.
Gift of Magnus	Increases your Max Magicka by 2000.
Spell Attunement	Increases your Spell Resistance by 2310. This effect is doubled if you are afflicted with Burning, Chilled, or Concussed. Increases your Magicka Recovery by 130.
Magicka Mastery	Reduces the Magicka cost of your abilities by 7%.

 

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Consumables

• Food: Clockwork Citrus Filet, Witchmother’s Brew, or Artaeum Pickled Fish Bowl
  • Clockwork Citrus Filet: Increase Max Health by 3724, Health Recovery by 351, Max Magicka by 3458 and Magicka Recovery by 319 for 2 hours. (5 second cooldown)
  • Witchmother’s Brew: Increase Max Magicka by 2856, Max Health by 3094, and Magicka Recovery by 315 for 2 hours. These effects are scaled based on your level.
  • Artaeum Pickled Fish Bowl: Increase Max Health by 5652 and Max Magicka by 5117 for 2 hours. These effects are scaled based on your level. Additionally, fish may be drawn to you.
• Potions: Essence of Spell Power or Tri-Pots
  • Tri-pots: = Restores health, magicka, and stamina and increases recovery of all three
  • Essence of Spell Power: Grants Major Sorcery which increases your Spell Damage by 20% 

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Mundus Stone

1. 60% critical or higher
   • Increases Critical Damage and Healing by 11%. With 7 Divines armor pieces: Increases Critical Damage and Healing by 17%
2. 59% critical or lower
   • The Thief: Increases the Critical Strike rating by 1333.  With 7 Divines armor pieces: Increases the Critical Strike rating by 2167

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Attribute Points

This patch players get a huge health boost so it will not be necessary to put any points into health. So all 64 points will go into magicka

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Champion Points

Below is an overview of champion point set up and slottables (drag them to the top CP bar area) for each category. 

 

Fitness CP Slottables

• Rejuvenation 50 [slot-able] Grants 3 Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery per stage.
  • Helps with sustain 
• Ironclad [slot-able] Grants 34.6 Armor per stage.
  • Helps being more durable
• Boundless Vitality [slot-able] Grants 28 Max Health per stage.
  • Helps being more durable
• Siphoning Spells [slot-able] Restore 300 Magicka per stage, whenever you kill an enemy.
  • Helps resource sustain 

Warfare CP Slottables

•  Fighting Finesse 50 [slot-able] Increases your Critical Damage and Critical Healing done by 2% per stage.
  • Helps with overall damage running high critical chance/damage 
• Backstabber 50 [slot-able] Increases your Critical Damage done by 3% per stage against enemies you are flanking.
  • Helps if you can get behind target with a tank holding aggro
• Master at Arms [slot-able]Increases your damage done with direct damage attacks by 2% per stage.
  • Helps if your main spammable is direct damage 
•  Deadly Aim 50 [slot-able] Increase your damage done with single target attacks by 2% per stage..
  • Helps with overall damage as main spammable is single target.

Crafting CP Slottables

• Treasure Hunter 50 [slot-able] Increase the quality of items you find in treasure chests.
  • Helps with farming gear
• Rationer 30 [slot-able] Adds 10 minutes to the duration of any food or drink that increases your character’s stats per stage.
  • Helps save gold
• Liquid Efficiency 75 [slot-able] Whenever you use a potion or poison you have a 10% chance to not consume it.
  • Helps save gold
• Steed’s Blessing 50 [slot-able] Increases your out of combat Movement Speed by .4% per stage.
  • Helps getting around faster

Videos

Veteran Maelstrom Trifecta Walkthrough

One Bar Build Basics