The Nightblade
The Nightblade is arguably the most thrilling class to play in The Elder Scrolls Online. The Nightblade is a rogue archetype that relies primarily on stealth and dark magic to incapacitate and kill an enemy. If you’re the type of player that prefers to launch hidden attacks from the shadows, the Nightblade will most definitely match your playing style.
When you first create your character in The Elder Scrolls Online, you’re not given a whole lot of information regarding the four classes. If you’re contemplating being a Nightblade, all you’re told is:
Nightblades are adventurers and opportunists with a gift for getting in and out of trouble. Relying variously on stealth, blades, and speed, Nightblades thrive on conflict and misfortune, trusting to their luck and cunning to survive.
When playing a Nightblade in The Elder Scrolls Online consider the following:
Best Race For A Nightblade
The Elder Scrolls Online has a robust character creation system, and you can play any character class with any Race. With that said, some Races are better suited for specific classes (for more information be sure to read The Best Elder Scrolls Online Race). Nightblades rely primarily on stealth, and need to allocate as many points as possible to Stamina and Magicka (as opposed to Health) to take advantage of their unique skill sets. As such, the following Races make excellent Nightblades due to their race-based bonuses:
[table]
Race, Alliance, Bonus, Reasoning
Argonian, Ebonheart Pact, Health, Natural healing ability frees up points to be spent on Magicka and Stamina
Breton, Daggerfall Covenant, Magicka,Increased Magicka pool to draw from
Khajiit, Aldmeri Dominion, Stealth | Melee Combat, Known for stealth and agility
Wood Elf, Aldmeri Dominion, Stealth | Stamina, Also has Archery bonus for long range sneak attacks
[/table]
Helpful Tip:
Out of the four Races mentioned above, the Khajiit and Wood Elf are the two most natural choices for the Nightblade.
- If you tend more towards direct combat, the Khajiit makes a better choice than the Wood Elf due to the Melee Combat bonus.
- If you prefer indirect combat from a distance, the Wood Elf makes a better choice than the Khajiit due to the Archery bonus.
Nightblade Class Skills
The Nightblade has three distinct class skill lines:
- Assassination – allows you to quickly incapacitate or kill your enemies.
- Shadow – allows you to use stealth and invisibility to surprise your enemies.
- Siphoning – allows you to self-heal by draining the strength of your enemies.
Each skill line has unique Active abilities, Passive abilities, and a powerful Ultimate ability.
Assassination Skill Line
[table]
Skill Name, Type, Description
Master Assassin, Passive, Increased damage while in stealth mode
Executioner, Passive, Restore Magicka by killing enemy with an Assassination ability
Pressure Points, Passive, Increased critical strike chance
Hemorrhage, Passive, Increased bonus critical strike damage
Assassin’s Blade, Active, Increased damage multiplier against low health enemies
Teleport Strike, Active, Teleport directly to your enemy to damage and stun
Blur, Active, Enemies have a chance of missing you when they attack
Mark Target, Active, Place a mark on a target and deal extra damage
Haste, Active, Increased attack speed
Death Stroke, Ultimate, Damage enemy and reduce their healing; damage increases as Ultimate charge increases
[/table]
Shadow Skill Line
[table]
Skill Name, Type, Description
Refreshing Shadows, Passive, Increased stamina regeneration
Shadow Barrier, Passive, Increased armor and spell resistance
Fortitude, Passive, Increased health
Dark Veil, Passive, Increased Shadow ability duration
Shadow Cloak, Active, Turn invisible
Veiled Strike, Active, Deal increased damage and stun enemies
Summon Shade, Active, Summon a shade to attack enemies
Path of Darkness, Active, Deal Magicka damage and increase movement speed
Aspect of Terror, Active, Induce fear in two nearby enemies
Consuming Darkness, Ultimate, Creates area of darkness that snares enemies and grants allies protection and invisibility
[/table]
Siphoning Skill Line
[table]
Skill Name, Type, Description
Catalyst, Passive, Increased potion effectiveness
Magicka Flood, Passive, Increased maximum Magicka
Soul Siphoner, Passive, Increased healing from Siphoning abilities
Transfer, Passive, Gain Ultimate when dealing Siphoning damage
Strife, Active, Deals enemy damage and heals player
Agony, Active, Stuns enemy and causes damage
Cripple, Active, Siphons movement speed from enemy and causes damage
Siphoning Strikes, Active, Restore Magicka and Stamina when attacking
Drain Power, Active, Increased Weapon Damage for each enemy damaged
Soul Shred, Ultimate, Deals damage and stuns all foes in radius; ally may activate Soul Leech initiating a high-damage attack
[/table]
Nightblade Weapons
Characters are not restricted in the types of weapons they use in The Elder Scrolls Online. Due to their skulking nature however, Nightblades tend to favor daggers and small swords for close combat wet work, and bows for long range sneak attacks.
Helpful tip:
- If you’re the type of player that prefers close combat with a sword or dagger, be sure to focus on the Assassination skill line first, and the Siphoning skill line second. Also, learn Dual Wield for bonus damage multipliers.
- If you’re the type of player that prefers distance attacks with a bow, be sure to focus on the Shadow skill line first, and the Siphoning skill line second. Choose Wood-Working as a craft to upgrade your bow.
Nightblade Armor
There are no armor restrictions in The Elder Scrolls Online, and characters can wear whatever they choose. Players may be tempted to wear Heavy Armor due to the Nightblade’s low Health (compared to other classes), but Heavy Armor is a poor choice for stealth-based characters, despite its excellent damage resistance. Rather, players should select Medium Armor for the Nightblade. When worn, Medium Armor grants bonuses in:
- Sneak (improved sneak ability)
- Stamina (increased Stamina regeneration)
- Dexterity (increased critical strike chance)
- Agility (increased attack speed)
Helpful Tip:
To take full advantage of the Medium Armor bonuses, equip your character with as much Medium Armor as possible, as quickly as possible. The more Medium Armor you wear, the more bonuses you’ll have available. Nightblades should choose Clothing as a craft in order to create and upgrade Medium Armor ASAP.
Final Thoughts
Playing a Nightblade in The Elder Scrolls Online offers an entertaining and unique challenge. Nightblades aren’t tanks that can soak up a ton of damage, and need to play the game from the shadows — avoiding conflict when necessary, and striking foes when the odds are in their favor. Nightblades benefit from stealth, and their unique skill set allows them to cause devastating damage at higher levels.
