Magicka Nightblade PvP Build

by Heresya
28th June 2021

Build Contents

Welcome to Nirnstorm.com‘s Magicka Nightblade ( Magblade ) PvP build for the Blackwood patch!
This build was made and written by Heresya– more information about the author at the bottom of the page.

This build is a burst build which is based on Critical Damage. It is a great build for open world PvP (Cyrodiil) and for battlegrounds. Unlike most Nightblade builds, it’s not so much of an “assassin” but more of a “brawler” type of build.

Details
PATCH
Blackwood
RACE
Khajiit
MUNDUS
The Atronach
Increases Magicka recovery
Mortality
Mortal
Werewolf
Vampire
Attributes
0
Health
0
Stamina
64
Magicka

Setup

Race

The best race for this build is Khajiit, due to the Critical Damage bonuses from it’s passives that fit perfectly with Mechanical Acuity‘s burst.

Breton serves as a good alternative, as it’s the best race for most Magicka Nightblade builds thanks to it’s passives that fit the class perfectly.

Mundus Stone

We use the Atronach mundus stone to gain additional Magicka regeneration which will help us sustain our Magicka pool in long fights.

Mortality

Mortal is best for most races, as cost increases are too brutal on a Magicka Nightblade, which makes Vampire difficult to sustain due to the penalties it gives.

If you play as a Breton, sustaining Vampirism Stage 3 is possible for the Undeath passive.

Skills

Mechanical Acuity’s Dual Wield
Maelstrom’s Restoration Staff
ESO-Hub Skill icon
ESO-Hub Skill icon
ESO-Hub Skill icon
ESO-Hub Skill icon
ESO-Hub Skill icon

Skills Explanations

Front Bar – Mechanical Acuity’s Dual Wield

  • Lotus Fan – Acts as a gap closer, applies Minor Vulnerability and is a decent DOT (Damage Over Time) that deals quite a bit of damage with Mechanical Acuity up.
  • Merciless Resolve – The best burst ability in the game, a must-have damage skill on every Magicka Nightblade.
  • Sap Essence – A really useful damage skill to use against roll-dodgers (as it is undodgeable), an effective way to break enemies’ cloak and gives the Major Sorcery buff. In addition it’s helps dealing an AoE (Area of Effect) burst.
  • Soul Tether – A really good for the AoE undodgeable burst with Balorgh, which needs to be timed with Mechanical Acuity (I recommend using the “Cooldowns” addon to track the set’s uptime). This skill can also be used as a burst heal in melee fights (Warning: It has a cast time so can be cancelled by incoming stuns).

Back Bar – Maelstrom’s Restoration Staff

  • Race Against Time – Gives mobility and additional Critical Damage. Use it when snared or to get Major Expedition when kiting enemies.
  • Shadow Image – A must have skill to kite enemies and reposition yourself.
  • Dark Cloak – A good heal over time effect which also grants additional mitigation.
  • Life Giver – An ultimate ability you want to use when taking heavy damage from range.

Passives

Assassination Nightblade

All Passives

Shadow Nightblade

All Passives

Siphoning Nightblade

All Passives

Light Armor Armor

All Passives

Medium Armor Armor

All Passives

Heavy Armor Armor

All Passives

Dual Wield Weapons

Unlock only Dual Wield Expert and Twin Blade and Blunt

Restoration Staff Weapons

All Passives

Undaunted Guilds

All Passives

Psijic Guilds

Unlock all passives except Deliberation as it’s not relevant for this build.

Assault Alliance War

All Passives

Support Alliance War

Unlock only Combat Medic

Racial Character

All Passives

Alchemy Crafting

Unlock only Medicinal Use

Provisioning Crafting

It’s recommended to unlock Gourmand as we are using a very expensive food

Gear

Reinforced
Tri-Stat
heavy
Impen
Tri-Stat
medium
Reinforced
Tri-Stat
heavy
Impen
Tri-Stat
light
Well Fitted
Tri-Stat
light
Impen
Tri-Stat
heavy
Impen
Tri-Stat
light
Triune or Swift
Spell Damage
Triune
Spell Damage
Triune
Spell Damage
Nirnhoned
Fire Damage
Sharpened
Shock Damage or Magic Damage
Front Bar
Powered
Escapist’s Poison
Back Bar

Sets Explanations

Mark of the Pariah is used to gain some tankiness to be able to fight hard hitting targets.

Balorgh & Mechanical Acuity are used to empower your burst, which is Soul Tether followed by Merciless Resolve.

Consumables

Orzorga’s Smoked Bear Haunch

Food

Tri-Stat

Potion

Escapist’s Poison

Poison

Buff Food

We use the Orzorga’s Smoked Bear Haunch food. This food increases our max Health and gives us Health, Magicka and Stamina sustain. Between this food and the Atronach mundus, we have all the sustain we need.

Potions

We use Tri-Stat potions (made with Bugloss, Columbine and Mountain Flower) as we already have Major Sorcery from Sap Essence and don’t need Major Prophecy since Mechanical Acuity guarantee our critical hits. In addition the burst healing from this potion is very useful and makes it best in slot.

Poisons

We use Escapist’s Poison on the back bar (Restoration Staff Bar) on this build (Made with Columbine, Wormwood and Namira’s Rot). We use this potion to apply a root to more difficult enemies and gain CC immunity for 4 seconds.

Champion Points

Craft CP Craft (0)
Warfare CP Warfare (520)
Fitness CP Fitness (542)
Backstabber
50
Increases your Critical Damage done by 3% per stage against enemies you are flanking.
BONUS
15% Critical Damage done
Master-At-Arms
50
Increases your damage done with direct damage attacks by 2% per stage.
BONUS
10% direct damage
Duelist’s Rebuff
50
Reduces your damage taken by single target attacks by 2% per stage.
BONUS
10% damage reduction
Focused Mending
50
Increases your Healing Done with single target heals by 2% per stage.
BONUS
10% Healing Done
20
Precision
Grants 160 Critical Chance per stage.
BONUS
320 Critical Chance
50
Backstabber
Increases your Critical Damage done by 3% per stage against enemies you are flanking.
BONUS
15% Critical Damage done
20
Eldritch Insight
Grants 260 Max Magicka per stage.
BONUS
520 Max Magicka
20
Blessed
Increases your Healing Done by 1% per stage.
BONUS
2% Healing Done
50
Focused Mending
Increases your Healing Done with single target heals by 2% per stage.
BONUS
10% Healing Done
20
Tireless Discipline
Grants 260 Max Stamina per stage.
BONUS
520 Max Stamina
Extended Might
20
Piercing
Grants 350 Offensive Penetration per stage.
BONUS
700 Offensive Penetration
Extended Might
40
Flawless Ritual
Increases your chance to apply a Magical status effect by 30% per stage.
BONUS
60% increased chance
Extended Might
40
Battle Mastery
Increases your chance to apply a Martial status effect by 30% per stage.
BONUS
60% increased chance
Extended Might
30
War Mage
Grants 100 Weapon and Spell Damage to Magical attacks.

Affects Magic, Flame, Frost, and Shock Damage.
Extended Might
30
Mighty
Grants 100 Weapon and Spell Damage to Martial attacks.

Affects Physical, Poison, Disease, and Bleed Damage.
Staving Death
20
Quick Recovery
Increases your Healing Taken by 1% per stage.
BONUS
2% Healing Taken
Staving Death
20
Elemental Aegis
Reduces the damage you take from Magical attacks by 1% per stage.

ffects Magic, Flame, Frost, and Shock Damage.
BONUS
2% damage reduction
Staving Death
20
Hardy
Reduces the damage you take from Martial attacks by 1% per stage.

Affects Physical, Poison, Disease, and Bleed Damage.
BONUS
2% damage reduction
Staving Death
20
Preparation
Reduces your damage taken from non-player attacks by 2% per stage.
BONUS
10% damage reduction
50
Duelist’s Rebuff
Reduces your damage taken by single target attacks by 2% per stage.
BONUS
10% damage reduction
50
Master-At-Arms
Increases your damage done with direct damage attacks by 2% per stage.
BONUS
10% direct damage
Ironclad
50
Grants 34.6 Armor per stage.
BONUS
1730 Armor
Juggernaut
50
While under the effects of Crowd Control Immunity, you take 2% less damage per stage.
BONUS
10% damage reduction
Rejuvenation
50
Grants 3 Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery per stage.
BONUS
150 Health, Magicka and Stamina Recovery
Survival Instincts
50
While afflicted with a Status Effect, your core combat skills cost 5% less per stage.
BONUS
25% cost reduction
50
Ironclad
Grants 34.6 Armor per stage.
BONUS
1730 Armor
50
Rejuvenation
Grants 3 Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery per stage.
BONUS
150 Health, Magicka and Stamina Recovery
30
Tumbling
Reduces the cost of Roll Dodge by 120 Stamina per stage.
BONUS
240 cost reduction
20
Defiance
Reduces the cost of Break Free by 110 Stamina per stage.
BONUS
220 cost reduction
50
Juggernaut
While under the effects of Crowd Control Immunity, you take 2% less damage per stage.
BONUS
10% damage reduction
50
Mystic Tenacity
Reduces the duration of Elemental Status Effects applied to you by 5% per stage.
BONUS
25% reduced duration
20
Sprinter
Reduces the cost of Sprint by 20 Stamina per stage.
BONUS
40 cost reduction
16
Hasty
Increases your movement speed when Sprinting by 2% per stage.
BONUS
4% Movement speed
20
Hero’s Vigor
Grants 280 Max Health per stage.
BONUS
560 Max Health
30
Piercing Gaze
Increases your Stealth Detection by 1 meter per stage.
BONUS
3 meters
50
Survival Instincts
While afflicted with a Status Effect, your core combat skills cost 5% less per stage.
BONUS
25% cost reduction
50
Tempered Soul
Return to life after resurrection with 5% more resources per stage.
BONUS
10% more resources
20
Tireless Guardian
Reduces the cost of Block by 20 Stamina per stage.
BONUS
40 Block cost reduction
30
Fortification
Increases the amount of damage you can block by 2% per stage.
BONUS
4% Block mitigation
6
Nimble Protector
Increases your Movement Speed while Bracing by 3% per stage.
BONUS
6% Movement speed
30
Savage Defense
Reduces the cost of Bash by 45 Stamina per stage.
BONUS
90 cost reduction
20
Bashing Brutality
Increases your Bash damage by 60 per stage.
BONUS
120 increased damage

The Craft CP tree doesn’t effect combat directly, and is entirely up for each player to set up for their own playstyle.

Our personal suggestions will be added soon.

About Heresya
Heresya is a veteran Magblade player on PC EU, and one of the best Magblade players in the game. He has 6 GO Magblade characters, has a ton of experience playing them in 1vX, smallmans and organized raiding, and has won countless of 1v1 tournament using them as well. While he's experienced with most classes in the game, Magblade is definitely his main, and he uploads builds and gameplay of it in many game modes to his YouTube channel, so make sure to check it out!

Build Contents

Build Video

Stream

Latest Guides