“Attack from the shadows, drain your foes' health, and vanish into the void with the Nightblade Class. The shadows truly are your greatest weapon as you wield abilities that deal devastating damage at any range and siphon your victim's lifeforce to your allies.” - The Elder Scrolls Online
The Nightblade Class is a specialized class for stealth and surprise attacks, reliant on their agility and skill, they are able to eliminate opponents rapidly and quietly. Here are the top 10 best, and most fun Nightblade builds that players with an aptitude for stealth and slyness in gaming are sure to enjoy. (Also for those who enjoy being the bane of every PVP Battleground players life)
10. Toxic Raider
Stamina Nightblade one bar build - Hack The Minotaur
Toxic Raider is yet another single bar build brought to us by Hack The Minotaur that is extremely fun and easy to master. As always, there is the ability and opportunity to expand to a two-bar build when you feel comfortable doing so. There is a primary focus on Bows as the weapon of choice, with easily attainable gear and alternatives.
What this build is good for:
- New players that need to ease into the game
- Simple rotation with no weapon swaps
- Exploring the game and managing solo content
- Good self-sustain
- Surprisingly effective build
Build Details:
- Stamina One bar build
- No weapon swaps
- Bow equipped on main weapon bar
- Option to expand into a two-bar build
- Easy to acquire gear
- Medium armor build
http://www.hacktheminotaur.com/builds/eso-stamina-nightblade-pve-one-bar-dps-bow-build-toxic-raider
9. Rampage
Stamina Nightblade build - Alcast
Rampage is a hard-hitting Stamina build best suited to group content. As much as it is effective with AoE damage, this setup deals devastating single target damage that takes full advantage of light attacks. With good sustain and great burst damage, this build is easy to pick up, especially for those who are new to the game and would like to start taking on more difficult group content.
What this build is good for:
- AoE damage
- Single target damage
- Trials, Dungeons, and Arenas
- Great burst damage
- Good self buffs
Build Details:
- Stamina build
- Medium armor
- Dual-wield daggers on front weapon bar
- Bow equipped on back weapon bar
- AoE and single target damage focus
- Best suited to group PVE
- Poor self-sustain and survivability
http://alcasthq.com/eso-stamina-nightblade-build-for-pve/
8. Silencium
Stamina Nightblade Bow build - Alcast
Silencuim is a build specialized for PVP and Cyrodiil that is focused on ranged combat. Damage is optimized by stacking on the weapon damage with a high burst damage focus. To add to the fun, this build utilizes the Vampire skill line, which may be slightly difficult to master at first, but really helps increase the amount of damage dealt when you’ve gotten the hang of it.
What this build is good for:
- PVP build
- Optimized for Cyrodiil
- Ranged combat
- Revealing enemies in combat
- Highly stealthy
- Good self-sustain
- Great self buffs
- Good debuffs on enemies
- Brilliant burst damage
Build Details:
- PVP and Cyrodiil setup
- Medium armor
- Bow equipped on front weapon bar
- Two-handed weapon on back weapon bar
- Vampire skill line is used
- Good self-sustain
- Optimized for ranged combat
http://alcasthq.com/eso-stamina-nightblade-bow-gank-build-pvp/
7. Claws Werewolf Nightblade
Werewolf Stamina Nightblade build - Alcast
Claws is a powerful Werewolf build that is highly suited to Dungeon and Trial content. This build has great skills for PVP as well, making it not only a viable option but also a fun one. Nobody can deny that Werewolf builds are great fun, and this one in particular with its fantastic ability to wipe out crowds and trash packs is no exception. Nightblades ordinarily good sustain is increased with the addition of the Werewolf form to their build, along with health, Stamina, and Magicka recovery bonuses.
What this build is good for:
- Best suited to Dungeons and Trials
- Strong PVP build
- Great crowd control and trash pack destroyer
- Good healing and survivability
- High damage output
- Highly adaptable to each players style of gaming
Build Details:
- Stamina build
- Suited to Dungeons and Trials
- Low overall damage output in favor of PVP skills
- A great option for PVP
- Medium armor
- Dual-wield daggers on front weapon bar
- Bow equipped on back weapon bar
http://alcasthq.com/eso-werewolf-build-pve/
6. Bomb
Powerful Nightblade PVP Bomber build - Alcast
Bomb is a highly adaptable Magicka Nightblade that is suited to both PVP and PVE content although it really shines when taking out massive groups in Cyrodiil. This build lays waste to groups of enemies with insane AoE damage and utilizes its back bar to regenerate health and lay down some massive heals. This build is a ton of fun to play and wipe out other players with.
What this build is good for:
- Optimized for Cyrodiil
- Great for PVE and PVP content
- Insane AoE burst damage
- Highly effective against stacked enemies
Build Details:
- Magicka build
- Light armor
- Geared towards PVP and PVE but is most effective in Cyrodiil
- Great AoE damage but low single target damage
- Low self-sustain
- Skills must be switched depending on the content
- Dual-wield swords on front weapon bar
- Restoration staff equipped on back weapon bar
http://alcasthq.com/eso-magicka-nightblade-build-pvp-bomb/
5. Solo Stamina Nightblade
Powerful Solo Stamina build - Alcast
The Solo Stamina Nightblade is a great beginner build with multiple gear options to go through as you gradually improve and level in the game. This build is not at all optimized for group content, but rather is a great option for those wishing to tackle solo content and grow as an ESO player alone. This is a well-rounded option for those also trying out new builds and attributes before specializing further too, giving you a taste of good self-healing and self-sustain as you begin to grow.
What this build is good for:
- New players
- Solo Dungeons and overland
- Maelstrom & Vateshran arena
- Great self-healing
- Good self-sustain
- Powerful damage
- Big shields
Build Details:
- Stamina build
- Medium armor
- Good self-sustain and healing
- Good damage
- Two-handed weapon on front weapon bar
- Bow equipped on back weapon bar
- Simple rotation to learn and adapt
http://alcasthq.com/eso-solo-stamina-nightblade-build-pve/
4. Solo Magicka Nightblade
Powerful Solo PVE Magicka build - Alcast
The solo Magicka Nightblade is one of my personal favorites since I feel that Magicka suits the Nightblades character so much better than Stamina. This build is designed for solo play Overland and in Dungeons, allowing for plenty of damage woven in with brilliant self-healing. The main focus is on single target damage that heals you simultaneously and on AoE damage that wipes out crowds. Much the same as the Stamina Nighblade build by Alcast, this isn’t a highly specified build that does well in group content, so tackling solo content is the best way to play this build.
What this build is good for:
- Solo content Overland and in Dungeons
- Maelstrom & Vateshran Arena
- Great self-healing
- Good damage output
- Big shield
- Easily obtainable gear
Build Details:
- Magicka build
- Light armor
- Fire Staves on both front and back weapon bars
- Solo build for Overland, Dungeons, and Arenas
- Easily obtainable and improvable gear options
- Good self-healing
- Good damage output, although not as effective as more specialized builds
http://alcasthq.com/eso-solo-magicka-nightblade-build-pve/
3. Soul Blade
Magicka Nightblade - Lucky Ghost
Soul Blade is a tricky, yet highly rewarding build to try out. As a Nightblade, most rotations are very Dynamic, and this build is no exception to that. This particular lineup of skills allows the player to keep themselves healed without slowing down their damage output at all. If you’re looking for a build that allows you to lay down damage uninterrupted, then this is the one for you.
What this build is good for:
- Group content
- Good self-healing
- Fantastic damage output
- Those who are able to keep up with a more complicated rotation
- Those who are looking to do more damage in more difficult content
Build Details:
- Magicka build
- Light armor
- Great damage output and self-healing
- Inferno Staves on both front and back weapon bars
- PVE build suited to more difficult group content
http://eso.justlootit.com/builds/nightblade-builds-eso/magicka-nightblade-build-eso/
2. Blade Thirst
Solo Stamina Nightblade - Lucky Ghost
Blade Thirst is an excellent Stamina Nightblade build that specializes in greater single target and AoE burst damage. This is best suited to solo content due to its survivability and self-sustain. Along with veteran gear, there is also recommended starter gear for those just starting out. The rotation can be a little tricky to pick up, but in time it becomes a very natural feeling process.
What this build is good for:
- Solo content
- Great single target damage
- Strong AoE burst damage
- Excellent survivablitty
- Good self-sustain
Build Details:
- Stamina build
- Medium armor
- Dual-wield daggers on front weapon bar
- Bow equipped on secondary weapon bar
- Solo build
- Single target and AoE damage focus
http://eso.justlootit.com/solo-stamina-nightblade-eso/
1. 103K DPS Magicka Nightblade
PVE Magicka Nightblade - Skinny Cheeks
Once again, Skinny Cheeks has blessed us all with a simplified, effective build that can be played by gamers of all levels. Not only is this build extremely fun to play, but it’s also highly adaptable to your own personal playstyle. This is a high DPS build with both a static and dynamic rotation. Tackle content alone or in a group, this build packs all the best Nightblade features for the ultimate build.
What this build is good for:
- PVE group content
- Solo Dungeons and Arenas
- High weapon and spell damage
- Great single-target damage
- Brilliant AoE damage
- Gear setups for AoE, Solo, Stationary, and Mobile content
- Skill setups for Single-target and AoE
- Static and Dynamic rotations
Build Details:
- Magicka build
- Staff/ dual-wield daggers on front weapon bar
- Staff on back weapon bar
- Specialized for PVE content
- Highly adjustable gear and skills setup
- Alternative rotation options
- Solo content setup option
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb7GqFntCXs&t=102s&ab_channel=SkinnyCheeks
Conclusion:
Nightblades are stealthy agents of chaos, relying on their unique skillsets to eliminate opponents and enemies when they least expect it. Be careful not to misstep or make a wrong move as an enemy of a Nightblade, if you slip up, it may very well be the last thing you do. Happy gaming!
