One Bar Heavy Attack Nightblade DPS Build for ESO Update 50. This is a Heavy Attack Blade setup where Lightning Staff Heavy Attacks do the main work, with the Nightblade Class Masteries An Eye for Exploitation and Above and Beyond adding a lot of damage to those Heavy Attacks.
The Oakensoul setup is the practical version because it is less reliant on teammates. The No Oakensoul (with Rakkhat) setup is stronger, but it requires more from your team to perform well.
The Oakensoul setup does 131.9k DPS. The No Oakensoul (with Rakkhat) setup parsed 139.8k DPS on the 21 million HP Iron Atronach trial dummy.
Works in normal and veteran dungeons, trials, hard modes, Dragonstar Arena, and Blackrose Prison.
I built a simulator that takes the current setup from the guide and plays it through the listed rotation. It uses the listed gear, skills, Champion Points, race, food, potions, target armor and target health. It tracks skill casts, Heavy Attacks, DoT ticks, cooldowns, Ultimate casts, crits and status effect rolls.
Comparison tables in this guide use the deterministic sim on the 21 million HP Iron Atronach trial dummy. The Oakensoul setup is treated as the default.
For comparison tables I keep the setup identical and change one thing at a time. That makes the tables better for comparing options than random dummy parses, where one run can get better crits, different status effects or a better execute window.
| Run | DPS |
|---|---|
| 21m deterministic sim | |
| 100 random 21m sims |
The real parse was recorded with the Full Damage setup. In this setup, Rakkhat's Voidmantle replaces Oakensoul Ring , Ulfsild's Contingency replaces Unstable Wall of Elements , Debilitate replaces Healthy Offering , Tomato Garlic Chutney replaces Artaeum Pickled Fish Bowl , and Flame enchant replaces Shock enchant
| Run | DPS |
|---|---|
| 21m deterministic sim | |
| Real 21m CMX parse | |
| 100 random 21m sims |
Class Masteries are a new U50 system where each class picks 2 of 5 passive bonuses (Class Mastery Points, not Skill Points). Activating subclassing disables Class Mastery, so it's a tradeoff between keeping your native skill lines or subclassing.
Every strike, every stab, is a step towards execution.
Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by up to 2000, based on your target's missing Health.
Reduces your damage taken by up to 20%, based on your attacker's missing Health.
Both effects are halved against targets with Battle Spirit.
Simply the best damage option that also greatly increases your survivability, especially in execute.
An assassin is only as good as their reputation.
Increases your Critical Damage and Healing by 25%. This effect is reduced to 5% against targets with Battle Spirit.
Increases your maximum Critical Damage and Healing by 30%.
Simply the best damage option.
The Night Mistress rewards those who strike without reservation.
Upgrades rank 2 of to have a chance to generate 2 Ultimate. This effect can occur once every 0.3 seconds and the chance is equal to your Weapon Critical chance.
Not useful for this setup.
This duel will be their last. For you, it's just another dance.
Activating a Nightblade ability while bracing causes you to dodge attacks for 0.3 seconds.
Whenever you dodge an attack, your attacker's psyche suffers, increasing their damage taken by 5% for 5 seconds, increasing to 20 seconds against monsters.
Not useful for this setup.
Secrets and coin are tools as sharp as the daggers you wield.
Upgrades rank 2 of to grant group members 250 Magicka and Stamina, 2 Ultimate, and doubles the Ultimate you gain when it activates.
Not useful for this setup.
A base setup that will work for most situations and which should be your starting point when making situational setups
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Unstable Wall of ElementsMorph of Wall of Elements | |
| Slot 2: Inner LightMorph of Magelight | |
| Slot 3: Merciless ResolveMorph of Grim Focus | |
| Slot 4: Healthy OfferingMorph of Malevolent Offering | |
| Slot 5: Shadowy DisguiseMorph of Shadow Cloak | |
| Ultimate: Soul HarvestMorph of Death Stroke |
If you need to slot something situational, replace Inner Light first, then Healthy Offering
Rotation
Pre-buff
These abilities can be pre-cast before entering combat
A skill setup for when you're replacing Oakensoul Ring with other options like Rakkhat's Voidmantle or Anthelmir's Construct
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Ulfsild's Contingency | |
| Slot 2: Inner LightMorph of Magelight | |
| Slot 3: Merciless ResolveMorph of Grim Focus | |
| Slot 4: Healthy OfferingMorph of Malevolent Offering | |
| Slot 5: Shadowy DisguiseMorph of Shadow Cloak | |
| Ultimate: Soul HarvestMorph of Death Stroke |
Changes compared to the Base Setup
Rotation
Pre-buff
These abilities can be pre-cast before entering combat
| Setup | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|
| No Oakensoul Setup (with Rakkhat's Voidmantle ) | +3.3% | |
| Base Setup | Baseline |
There are no passives you need to skip with this build
Class
Weapon
Armor
World
Guild
Racial
Craft
Class - Assassination
Master Assassin
- High Priority
Executioner
- High Priority
Pressure Points
- High Priority
Hemorrhage
- High Priority
Class - Shadow
Refreshing Shadows
- Low Priority
Shadow Barrier
- High Priority
Dark Vigor
- High Priority
Dark Veil
- High Priority
Class - Siphoning
Catalyst
- High Priority
Magicka Flood
- High Priority
Soul Siphoner
- Low Priority
Transfer
- High Priority
World - Vampire
Dark Stalker
- Not needed
Strike from the Shadows
- High Priority
Undeath
- Not needed
Unnatural Movement
- Not needed
Weapon - Destruction Staff
Tri Focus
- High Priority
Penetrating Magic
- High Priority
Elemental Force
- Medium Priority
Ancient Knowledge
- High Priority
Destruction Expert
- Low Priority
Armor - Light Armor
Grace
- Low Priority
Evocation
- Low Priority
Spell Warding
- Low Priority
Prodigy
- High Priority
Concentration
- High Priority
Armor - Medium Armor
Dexterity
- High Priority
Wind Walker
- Low Priority
Improved Sneak
- Not needed
Agility
- High Priority
Athletics
- Low Priority
Armor - Heavy Armor
Resolve
- Medium Priority
Constitution
- Low Priority
Juggernaut
- Medium Priority
Revitalize
- Low Priority
Rapid Mending
- Low Priority
Guild - Mages Guild
Persuasive Will
- Not needed
Mage Adept
- Low Priority
Everlasting Magic
- Low Priority
Magicka Controller
- High Priority
Might of the Guild
- High Priority
Guild - Undaunted
Undaunted Command
- Low Priority
Undaunted Mettle
- High Priority
Race - Your Race
Get all of your racials, no matter which race you are
Craft - Alchemy
Solvent Proficiency
- Not needed
Keen Eye: Reagents
- Not needed
Medicinal Use
- High Priority
Chemistry
- Not needed
Laboratory Use
- Not needed
Snakeblood
- Not needed
Base Setup is your starting point and works for most situations. Crafted Only is a beginner version using only craftable sets. No Oakensoul (with Rakkhat) is the Rakkhat's Voidmantle setup.
Switching gear for trash packs isn't worth it unless you're using gear-swap addons
Usually I show both Light and Medium armor setups, with the Medium armor setups being stronger but requiring more penetration from your team. In this case, I'm only showing the Light setup because Noble Duelist's Silks is so much stronger than other sets that it beats them despite being Light. There's no reason to go with Medium armor unless you simply don't own Noble Duelist's Silks .
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Head |
Slimecraw | Medium | Divines | Magicka |
 Shoulders |
Noble Duelist's Silks | Light | Divines | Magicka |
 Chest |
Sergeant's Mail | Heavy | Divines | Magicka |
 Hands |
Noble Duelist's Silks | Light | Divines | Magicka |
 Belt |
Noble Duelist's Silks | Light | Divines | Magicka |
 Legs |
Noble Duelist's Silks | Light | Divines | Magicka |
 Boots |
Noble Duelist's Silks | Light | Divines | Magicka |
 Necklace |
Sergeant's Mail | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
 Ring |
Sergeant's Mail | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
| Ring |
Oakensoul Ring | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
 Frontbar Main Hand |
Sergeant's Mail | Lightning Staff | Precise | Shock |
Fallback Gear
If you don't have it, use in order
If you don't have it, use in order
Alternative (same bonus)
This is the crafted gear setup you can start with
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head |
Highland Sentinel | Medium | Divines | Magicka |
| Shoulders |
Highland Sentinel | Medium | Divines | Magicka |
| Chest |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Hands |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Belt |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Legs |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Boots |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Necklace |
Highland Sentinel | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
| Ring |
Highland Sentinel | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
| Ring |
Highland Sentinel | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
| Frontbar Main Hand |
Assassin's Guile | Lightning Staff | Precise | Shock |
The setup in the table uses only crafted gear, but if you already own parts of the Base Setup like Oakensoul Ring , Sergeant's Mail or Noble Duelist's Silks you can start using them immediately.
This setup does 89.1k DPS (using the "No Oakensoul" skill setup)
This is the No Oakensoul (with Rakkhat) setup
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head |
Slimecraw | Medium | Divines | Magicka |
| Shoulders |
Rakkhat's Voidmantle | Medium | Divines | Magicka |
| Chest |
Noble Duelist's Silks | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Hands |
Noble Duelist's Silks | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Belt |
Noble Duelist's Silks | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Legs |
Noble Duelist's Silks | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Boots |
Noble Duelist's Silks | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Necklace |
Sergeant's Mail | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
| Ring |
Sergeant's Mail | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
| Ring |
Sergeant's Mail | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
| Frontbar Main Hand |
Sergeant's Mail | Lightning Staff | Precise | Shock |
Changes compared to the Base Setup
You could also use Anthelmir's Construct there.
Use the Penetration Calculator to fine-tune your penetration for different content. Overland enemies have 9,100 armor while Instanced enemies (Arenas and Dungeons) have 18,200.
Damage comparison for set options.
Body (Light)
Compares X Light body set + Sergeant's Mail weapons and jewelry, while using Oakensoul Ring and Slimecraw .
| Body Set | Source | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noble Duelist's Silks | Dungeon - Blessed Crucible | Baseline | |
| Highland Sentinel | Crafted |
-8.8%
-12.2%
|
|
| Mother's Sorrow | Overland - Deshaan | -11.5% | |
| Order's Wrath | Crafted | -12.2% | |
| Law of Julianos | Crafted | -13.5% | |
| Tide-Born Wildstalker | Crafted | -13.8% | |
| Hunding's Rage | Crafted | -14.0% | |
| Threads of War | Crafted | -14.7% | |
| Infallible Mage | Trial - Aetherian Archive | -15.5% | |
| Undaunted Unweaver | Dungeon - Blackheart Haven | -17.0% | |
| Tharriker's Strike | Crafted | -17.3% |
Body (Medium)
Compares X Medium body set + Sergeant's Mail weapons and jewelry, while using Oakensoul Ring and Slimecraw .
| Body Set | Source | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storm Master | Dungeon - Tempest Island | Baseline | |
| Undaunted Infiltrator | Dungeon - Arx Corinium | -1.5% | |
| Slivers of the Null Arca | Trial - Lucent Citadel | -5.5% | |
| Highland Sentinel | Crafted |
-6.0%
-9.7%
|
|
| Ansuul's Torment | Trial - Sanity's Edge |
-6.9%
-11.7%
|
|
| Sul-Xan's Torment | Trial - Rockgrove |
-7.0%
-13.0%
|
|
| Tzogvin's Warband | Dungeon - Frostvault | -9.2% | |
| Pillar of Nirn | Dungeon - Falkreath Hold | -9.7% | |
| Order's Wrath | Crafted | -10.5% | |
| Law of Julianos | Crafted | -11.2% | |
| Tide-Born Wildstalker | Crafted | -11.3% | |
| Hunding's Rage | Crafted | -11.8% | |
| Briarheart | Overland - Wrothgar | -11.8% | |
| Deadly Strike | PvP - Cyrodiil | -12.2% | |
| Threads of War | Crafted | -12.2% | |
| Tharriker's Strike | Crafted | -15.3% |
Weapons + Jewelry
Compares Noble Duelist's Silks body + X weapons and jewelry set, while using Oakensoul Ring and Slimecraw .
| Set | Source | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant's Mail | Dungeon - Wayrest Sewers | Baseline | |
| Storm Master | Dungeon - Tempest Island | -4.7% | |
| Undaunted Infiltrator | Dungeon - Arx Corinium | -5.9% | |
| Slivers of the Null Arca | Trial - Lucent Citadel | -9.6% | |
| Ansuul's Torment | Trial - Sanity's Edge |
-11.5%
-16.2%
|
|
| Sul-Xan's Torment | Trial - Rockgrove |
-11.5%
-17.5%
|
|
| Highland Sentinel | Crafted |
-11.8%
-15.4%
|
|
| Tzogvin's Warband | Dungeon - Frostvault | -14.0% | |
| Pillar of Nirn | Dungeon - Falkreath Hold | -14.0% | |
| Mother's Sorrow | Overland - Deshaan | -14.6% | |
| Order's Wrath | Crafted | -15.0% | |
| Law of Julianos | Crafted | -16.5% | |
| Briarheart | Overland - Wrothgar | -16.5% | |
| Deadly Strike | PvP - Cyrodiil | -17.0% | |
| Tide-Born Wildstalker | Crafted | -17.0% | |
| Hunding's Rage | Crafted | -17.3% | |
| Threads of War | Crafted | -17.7% | |
| Infallible Mage | Trial - Aetherian Archive | -18.1% | |
| Undaunted Unweaver | Dungeon - Blackheart Haven | -19.2% | |
| Tharriker's Strike | Crafted | -19.5% |
Mythic + Monster
Compares X mythic or monster setup + Noble Duelist's Silks body and Sergeant's Mail weapons and jewelry.
| Setup | Source | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rakkhat's Voidmantle | Mythic | +3.3% | |
| Oakensoul Ring | Mythic | Baseline | |
| Anthelmir's Construct | Monster Set | -0.9% | |
| Mora's Whispers | Mythic | -1.9% | |
| Stone Husk | Monster Set | -3.9% |
Warfare
Fitness
CraftThe difference between best and worst race is about 5% of DPS and there is no content in the entire game that you'd be blocked from completing because of choosing a bad race.
Spell Recharge
≈104 lower resource per second, 5% less damage taken while channeling
Syrabane's Boon
2000 Max Magicka
Elemental Talent
258 Weapon & Spell Damage
Dynamic
1910 Max Stamina & Magicka
Resist Flame
4620 Flame Resistance
Ruination
258 Weapon & Spell Damage
Feline Ambush
12% Critical Damage
Lunar Blessings
915 Max Health, Stamina and Magicka
Robustness
90 Health, Stamina, Magicka Recovery
| Race | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Elf | Baseline | |
| High Elf | +0.0% | |
| Orc | -1.0% | |
| Khajiit | -1.5% | |
| Breton | -1.6% | |
| Argonian | -2.4% | |
| Imperial | -3.0% | |
| Nord | -3.0% | |
| Redguard | -3.0% | |
| Wood Elf | -3.0% |
You should always put all 64 attribute points into Magicka.
This build doesn't have sustain issues so you only need to choose between damage and survivability
| Setup | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato Garlic Chutney | +0.8% | |
| Artaeum Pickled Fish Bowl | Baseline |
Use Armor Potions as your default.
Makes you immune to CCs, allowing you to continue channeling your Heavy Attacks. Use it in fights with lots of stuns, knockbacks, etc.
Use Spell Power Potion only when you're not using Oakensoul Ring .
All parses are recorded on the 21 million Target Dummy.
It's both. A Heavy Attack has 2 channeled ticks which are considered Damage over Time and 1 final tick which is considered Direct Damage.
High Elf and Dark Elf are best for 12-man Trials because of their Weapon and Spell Damage. Khajiit is best for 4-man content because 12% Critical Damage from Feline Ambush is more valuable when your supports can't cap your Critical Damage.
Yes, this build parsed 139.8k DPS with the No Oakensoul (with Rakkhat) setup. The Oakensoul setup does 131.9k DPS and the No Oakensoul (with Rakkhat) setup does 138.0k DPS.
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Bugloss
Mountain Flower
Mudcrab Chitin
Columbine
Wormwood
Lady's Smock
Namira's Rot
Corn Flower