ESO: Nightblade as the Melee DPS - Nightblade class, tips, skills ESO guide, tips
Nightblade as the Melee DPS: Recommended build - Nightblade Melee DPS, Recommended item types
Last update: 07 July 2020
This page of our guide to The Elder Scrolls Online has a recommended build for the Nightblade class. It turns Nightblade into a Melee DPS, a character focused on dealing damage with melee weapons. We have prepared general information about this character build and listed the most useful skills.
Recommended build - Nightblade Melee DPS
In this build, you focus on quick elimination of single opponents and on sneaking. This is why, it is a good idea to raise your abilities from Assassination and Shadow trees, starting with the very beginning of the game. A good choice of class here is Khajiit, due to the passive Carnage ability, which increases the factors of critical hits and critical damage. Your weapon here is dual weapon (although this build in not entirely meant for this kind of weapon). You start battle with the Reaper's Mark ability. Mark the enemy, thanks to which your attacks ignore a lot of its defense. Teleport to the marked opponent, deal damage and stun him (Ambush). After this attack, use Shadowy Disguise to vanish from the opponent's sight and launch the Surprise Attack. If the opponent is still alive, finish him off with Killer's Blade which deals huge damage.
 | Ability name | Ability description |
 | 1. Assassin's Blade + Morph on Killer's Blade | The ability deals damage from magic. The opponents that are low on health, additionally receive 300% of damage. Morph on the ability to heal your character when you kill the opponent with this ability. |
 | 2. Teleport Strike + Morph on Ambush | You teleport towards the opponent, stun him and deal huge damage from magic. Morph on increased damage from the next attack. |
 | 3. Shadow Cloak + Morph on Shadowy Disguise | Provides you with invisibility for several seconds. Morph on 100% critical hit, over the duration of this effect. |
 | 4. Veiled Strike + Morph on Surprise Attack | Deals damage from magic. If you are invisible, stuns the opponent for a short time. Morph on reduction of the opponent's defense, for a short period of time. . |
 | 5. Mark Target + Morph on Reaper's Mark | A buff that decreases the opponent's, and yours defense against damage from magic and physical attacks. Killing the marked opponent regenerates some health. Morph on the increased amount of the regenerated health. |
 | R. Death Stroke + Morph on Soul Harvest | The ability deals huge damage from magic, in directly proportional to the charged amount. Morph on increased regeneration of the ability, while killing opponents. |
Recommended item types
This build is centered around magic attacks and it does not mean that you need to use light , or heavy, armor. Still, to use, the utmost, the passive ability that increases the critical hit factor, you will use medium armor. As for weapon, it is not necessarily, does this build work in the case of dual wield (dual weapons) only. You can use a sword and a shield, two daggers or even a two-handed sword.
- Medium Armor - use five, of the six, elements of medium armor to meet the requirements of the passive ability. It would be best, if it were the ones that ensure you with maximum physical protection (e.g. pants or the armor). The Trait that fits best here is increasing of the statistics of the Mundus Stone that you are using. As for the spell, since you are using magic abilities, it is a good idea to raise Magicka statistics.
- Light Armor - Use two, of the seven available. It would be best if it were the ones that provide the least protection of all elements (e.g. belt or boots). The reason for which you use them is so you can use the passive abilities that increase Magicka regeneration, or decrease its consumption. Just like in the case of medium armor, increase the statistics of the Mundus Stone that you are using. Also, use the spell that increases the amount of the available Magicka.
- Weapon - choose whatever you like here (although it is a bad idea to use the bow). An important element is the property of the weapon here. Since you can have two properties, in the case of dual weapons, it is a good idea to use a dagger and an axe (the trait is not doubled in the case of weapons of the same type). The trait here is Precise, which increases your chances at scoring a critical hit.
- Accessories - Rings and necklace that increase the amount of the available Magicka or decrease the Magicka cost of the abilities that you use.
- Mundus Stone - You can select here, from among the two that are the best for this build. Shadow, which increases the critical damage or Thief, which increases your chances at critical hit.